Part 2 Chapter 3
Cairo, Egypt
Elisabeths POV
I felt myself rocking side to side and a bright sun blinding my eyes. I jumped up but felt someone push me back down again.
"Stay there!" I looked at his face more clearly and recognized . My hands wanted to strangle him, but they were tied in front of me.
He moved over to a woman in black. She was was beautiful and obviously important, for he handed her the black book of the dead.
"Keep it with you always."
I watched as the dark man in red carried in Alex inside like he was a sack of potatoes.
"Auntie!" He yelled.
I couldn't speak with the cloth in my mouth, but i moan out his name.
" Sit still! " The man uttered and placed him down on the ground. Alex's eyes left mine as he looked at the black book.
"Hey! The book of the Dead" he praised.
"what a bright little child!" she added, moving closer to him.
I shot a look of death at her, and to the man who took us.
She touched his cheek gently and looked at his face.
" your mother must me missing you terribly…if you wish to see her again you better behave." She warned, cupping his chin.
" Lady, I don't behave to my parents. What makes you think I will do it for you!" Alex snickered.
" Because your parents wouldn't put poisonous snakes into your bed…while you were sleeping." She was bluffing, I could tell. She pecked his cheek with a kiss and got up .
Hafez moved back to the woman and declared the creature meet both Alex and myself. I fought the idea, worried for Alex or what he would do. I tried to kick and stretch the rope constricting me but it was no use. I locked eyes with Alex for one moment and I knew he would be okay. He was definitely as brave as Rick would be in this situation. The dark man pulled both me and Alex with ease. We were on a secluded part of the train. it had little to no sunlight. Just several candles lighting the room.
The dark man unwrapped my hands and the my mouth guard and i rubbed them from the burn it caused.
"Stay behind me, Alex." I whispered, but as i tried to put him behind me the man pulled me next to him and forced me to kneel before the creature.
"No!" I cried, but the man held my mouth.
The creature turned towards us, then looked over at Alex . I struggled under the guard grip hold.
Alex jumped back at the appearance of the creature. He wad a metal face guard and dark robes to hide his true form.
"I know you can understand me, so listen carefully. You are the chosen one, to take me to Ome Sher." the creature explained, moving slowly to Alex, probably not to alarm him. We know they cant hurt him. They need Alex to get them all to Ome Sher.
"What if I don't? What if I get a little…lost?" Alex asked, taking his brave smarts to the creature. I smirked behind this dark guards hand over my lips. He must have felt it, pulling my head firmly back.
The creature chuckled behind the iron mask and I felt my feet lift the ground as the guard walked me over to the creature.
"You have Strength little one. You are your fathers son. Such strength, but something I know that you don't is that this bracelet is both a blessing, and a curse. You're time is limited."
Alex rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I know this part. From the time I put on the bracelet, there are seven days before the scorpion King wakes up."
The creature interrupted explaining "Did you know that if you are not within the mermaid the morning of the seventh day that the bracelet will suck the life out of you?"
I gasped. I forgot about that!
"That part I missed." My brave little fighter. "Wait, that means I have five days left."
"So you better tell us our next location, cause not only will you endanger your life, but…" i heard a ping from a blade as a sharp edge laid on my neck. "The life of your Guardian Goddess!"
"My dad is going to kick your ass!" Alex defended.
The creature turned to me, and removed his mask, his decayed demeanored face almost touching mine. "I told you I'd come back to kill you."
"Then why not now? Kill me…Go Ahead." I countered.
"Not now, when I no longer need your help with the boy." He leaned in to my ear. " And I want to see the look of the Medjai when I take your life away from him."
I curled my lip and spat in his face, but it went through the torn flesh and bones of his form. A smirk formed from his deformed mouth as he shoved me into the dark man in red, and Alex and I were moved into another car of the train.
Rick's POV
I took a shot at the door Izzy just locked at us.
" You're not a subtle man sweetheart." Evy noted at me as I placed my gun back in its holster.
"We don't have time for Subtle." I ablated and kicked open the doors.
We watched Izzy scramble back towards his desk full of maps which a sleeping man held one under his chin.
"Forget it O'Connell, NOT this time! Every time I help you I GET SHOT! Last time I got shot in the ass! Im in mourning for my ass!" He explained, roaming through his offices.
I rolled my eyes until he mentioned Marakesh.
"Bank Job?" Evy asked curiously, but I shook my head like it was no big thing.
"It's not like it sounds…" i contrasted, but Izzy was quick to reply
"It's exactly how it sounds! I flew up high, hiding in the sun, the white boy flags me down I head down low for the pick up and I get shot! im lying in the middle of the road with my spleen hanging out and he walks off with some belly dancer girl."
I shook my head at him to keep quiet, but it was too late.
"Belly dancer girl? Izzy, I think you and I should talk." Evy stated, giving me evil eyes but I just raised my shoulders as if I had no idea what he was talking about.
He gave me a look of fierce meaning…"As long as I don't get shot!"
I rolled by eyes and retrieved my big batch of bills i set aside for Izzy and threw it at him. "Relax, this time your getting paid."
He laughed and put it in his pocket. "What can I possibly use this for?"
I didn't have time for this. I approached him and he glanced ay the object in my hand.
"Look, my kids out there and the only thing protecting him is my best friend. I'll do whatever it takes to get them both back!"
He continued to stare at the gold artifact and I knew he wanted it.
"Connell, if you give me that stick you can shave my head, wax my legs and use me as a surf board."
I rolled my eyes again and threw the stick at him, then I remembered. "Didn't we do that in Tripoli?"
"What one of your friends is capable of protecting your Son? Any bloat I should know?" Izzy asked, but I frowned having to tell him.
" Elisabeth was taken with him."
He froze in shock.
The last time I asked a favor from Izzy, Lisa was with me.
Flashback
Luxor, Egypt
Lisa: 19
Rick: 24
I felt bad that the men who attacked us shot Izzy, but I had to keep firing until every man was dead. It would either be us, to them. Lisa had stayed behind to make sure Izzy was alright. He needed to get us out of here when we're done. I shot one man in the chest and another in the head. Several of the men following us were frightened and quickly rode their horses away from the gunfire. I checked the grounds and saw most of the men dead or dying. I moved over to Izzy and Lisa, where he was groaning in pain.
"Damn you O'Connell. I'm shot in the ass!" He wailed, pressing pressure on his backside.
"He should be okay. But if we are getting out of here we need to do it now before the men who got away send forth their troopers." Lisa warned and pulled Izzy up by his arm. I took the other and dragged him towards the plane.
"What do you mean Troopers? O'Connell, that wasn't part of the arrangement!" He wailed as more bullets zinged by out heads.
"MOVE!" I yelled at Lisa as we dragged Izzy to the plane.
We all loaded up and took off immediately before any more bullets could try to hit us.
Once we were away from danger, Izzy shouted to me.
"Next time you need my help O'Connell you can forget it. I'm not gonna help you for no treasure or combat ever again!" Izzy wailed and flew us into the night.
He then turned to Elisabeth and smiled. "Elisabeth, I'm in your debt forever for saving my life."
Present
Izzy looked at me with an intense glare.
"If you said that the first place I would have immediately said yes. That woman is well worth more treasure or money in just kindness alone." he said in all seriousness.
Again, I think about everything she has done in my life, and with Evy and Alex. She doesn't get anything she deserves because of me. I couldn't think about this now, I need to stay focused.
(AN: I may skip ahead just a bit here, I wanna get the boring parts out of the way)
Ardeths POV
I slid off my horse and approached O'Connell and Evelyn and Jonathan. the other man who is helping us just looked frightened to the core stood in distance behind O'Connell.
" these are the twelve leading commanders of the Madjai." I explained. They nodded and showed their respect, for which I most pleased.
I turned to call Horus to my hand. Jonathan praised my friend.
" he will inform the Commanders of the progress we should make." I explained and turned to my men.
" Allah Humana!" I said to my commanders, who repeated my words and praised our God.
I watched as the man named izzy walked us to the next flying contraption. It was a large object which looked like a mix between a ship of the sea, and a large floating ball.
The little man praised at his object. " Isn't she beautiful?"
" it's a balloon! Where's your airplane?" OConnell stated, looking confused and frustrated.
" Airplanes are a thing of the past." he said, still smiling.
" Izzy, you were right... You're gonna get shot!" O'Connell pulled out his gun and aimed it at the man. I couldn't care less about the man, or this contraption. All I knew was that we had to
move, and I hope this man kept his word about the speed of this...float?
" why can't you people ever keep your feet on the ground?" I asked, wondering what people could possibly come up with next.
We loaded the float and sailed smoothly up into the air. I must admit this is the smoothest ride I've ever took. Better then a car or a train, and better then that bus ride just a few days ago. Them my mind remembered the last time I was on a flying machine. With Elisabeth close to me.
I admit I was a man who kept a calm outer presence, but my worries for Elisabeth grew more every minute which passed from being away from her. As the past eight years have been difficult to be distant, this was more fierce a difficulty. I was in arms reach of her and could have kissed her, could have held her, could have protected her,but I failed. I failed her and for that I probably didn't deserve her.
I continued my role as Chief Medjai and set aside my role as a simple man so I could keep the O'Connells set for the next part of the journey.
Jonathan took a seat next to me, and we spoke a little about the tales of the scorpion king, then I saw he was more interested in finding an artifact hidden behind the wood panel. They both scrambled to keep the gold jem for themselves and I smiled for the first time in days.
I glared up at O'Connell and Evelyn and watched their passion for each other, and their pain. Their son was taken, and I knew the feeling. the feeling that a piece of yourself was missing. That was how I felt about Elisabeth. Thinking about it now I was a fool not to follow her. If I thought more for myself other then my men I would be happy.
Even Elisabeth after eight years still sent me letters. She could have found another, and married with her own children, but she decided not to settle. She waited, and I failed to oblige her.
I pet Horus and continued to gaze out to the horizon.
I closed my eyes for a while and I could see her face. Her small freckles on her pink cheeks, and the smile that unleashed behind soft lips. Those eyes, that looked like Crystals and glittered in the sun. Then, just as I were to lay a kiss upon those lips, she gasps. I catch her body just before it could hit ground and she cries softly. I look up to see Imotep. He had struck her from behind with a dagger, and he watches my pain in enjoyment. I look at her as she struggles to catch a full breath. I try to talk to her, but no words could be heard. I could hear her calling my name, but it is not her voice. She closed her eyes and laid limp in my arms. I had lost her forever.
"Ardeth? Ardeth?"
I awoke to see Evelyn patting my arm. It was a dream…or was it a vision? I took a deep breath and rubbed my eyes.
"Are you alright?" she asked, as my limbs shook. I nodded and tried to push what happened to the bak of my mind. I rose and met with Izzy.
"What are our coordinates?" I asked.
"Just past our last mark before Carnak. We should make it before high noon." He answered, scrambling again with many maps.
I gripped the side of the craft and closed my eyes, praying to Allah that it was just a fear, and not a prophecy.
Again, sorry for the long Delay, but sometimes I love to keep you guys on your toes. I took a request and gave you guys an Ardeth POV and I will try to add more Rick/Elisabeth Flashbacks within the following chapters. Thank you guys so much for sticking with the story! You guys rule! And please Review. If anyone has any more requests or suggestions, let me know! :) Lisa B Green