"Cup of tea?"

Jess blinked tiredly at the equally fatigued looking Jonathan before a smile broke out across her face. "We're a thousand miles from England, we lost most of our possessions thanks to a boat raid and we're in the middle of the desert and yet somehow you managed to bring tea," she remarked sardonically with a shake of her head.

"You're English, you should understand," Jonathan retorted with a slightly wounded look before returning his attention to the battered teapot before him. "An Englishman never does without tea," he added proudly as he poured himself a cup.

"Really because up until this morning you did without a teapot and cups," Burns scoffed as he joined them. He paused to look at Jess, a hint of hostility visible in his teal eyes. "The teapot and cups are ours," he informed her as he gave Jonathan a warning look too for good measure.

Jess sighed before pushing down her filthy cream shirt and sitting down on the cream, threadbare rug that Jonathan sat on to protect himself from the hot sand. Jess wasn't eager to sit so close to the man and judging from the look he gave her he was equally happy about it but she was less eager to burn herself on the golden white sands so she made the sacrifice. "I'll have some tea," she decided as she stifled a yawn.

Jonathan poured her a cup and offered it to her with a small smile. "Sorry, no milk or cream out here," he commented brightly. "No China either," he lamented as he looked at the tin cup with a measure of disgust.

"I'll manage," she mused as she accepted the cup and glanced about the ruins. There were no signs of the jackals from last night and after Daniels had left her for his own tent there had been no more noise from them either but for some reason that had just made Jess more uneasy as if they were only in the eye of the storm, not at the end of it.

"Did you sleep well with that leg?" Burns queried as he stared down at her, squinting as the morning sun reflected off his glasses. Despite his misgivings towards the thief he was still concerned for her injury; he wasn't so callous as to wish anyone, even a thief, the misfortune of blood poisoning, infection, amputation, or worse.

"I did," Jess answered calmly as she stared up at him. "Thank you for tending to it," she added sincerely. She took a gulp from her cup before glancing over at the other tents. "Where is everyone?" she asked. She could see an impatient Dr. Chamberlain barking orders at the Arabs and glaring at Beni every so often when the Hungarian tried to make suggestions but there was no sign of anyone else.

"Well some of us had a few drinks last night," Jonathan admitted as he winced slightly and raised his right hand to his temple, "sort of a celebratory thing after getting rid of those desert ruffians."

"Uh huh, and the jackals didn't disturb those celebrations?" Jess quipped as she stared at him curiously. To her Jonathan managed to somehow be both everything an English gentleman should be and everything an Englishman shouldn't be, it was an odd and seemingly impossible way to be and yet he was. He had the style, the voice and the mannerisms of an English gentleman and yet he had the same unsavoury qualities as her, a certain air of poverty, an obvious lack of morals and a glint of devilry in his ovular, blue eyes.

"Jackals? Well yes they were noisy," Jonathan agreed.

"So were you," Burns interrupted rudely, "in fact I think your singing actually scared them away."

"Singing?" Jess echoed with a small smile.

Jonathan gave an embarrassed grin before shrugging and taking a sip of his tea. Though Jess' smile was slightly crooked and stained from the dust and sands of the desert Jonathan still found it slightly appealing, it seemed to brighten her otherwise stern face and add a hint of charm to her dull and dirty features.

They turned hearing a loud groan as Evelyn opened her tent to the morning sun and found her head throbbing in pain as she squinted and immediately shielded her hazel eyes with one hand. Although slightly dishevelled the woman somehow still looked beautiful as she stepped out slowly to the ruins. Her brunette hair hung in loose, brushed waves and her face, whilst wan, was brightened by the excited gleam in her hazel eyes. She was still wearing her black Bedouin dress and though it was now missing some of its silver sequins and was dusty at the bottom it still looked flattering on the young librarian, enhancing her appealing Egyptian heritage.

"Jonathan why didn't you wake me?" she grumbled as she spied her brother and started walking towards him. "It's late, we need to get exploring!"

"Relax Evie, Mr. O'Connell is still in bed," Jonathan said, "and I've made tea." He poured another cup and held it up to his sister with a smile.

Evelyn looked at the cup gratefully as she felt her stomach give a groan and accepted it hastily. Only then did she notice Jess. "Good morning," she greeted cheerfully.

"Morning," Jess retorted with an amicable nod as she placed down her empty cup and stood up.

"Did you sleep well?" Evelyn queried politely.

"Well enough," Jess replied as she brushed herself down before stepping off the rug.

"Oh you don't need to go," Evelyn protested hastily, "I was hoping we could talk, get to know each other."

"That would be nice but then I might miss the head start on all you lot," Jess retorted cheerfully with a sly smile.

"Head start?" Burns repeated as a flash of alarm darted through his eyes. 'She'll probably take our treasure!' he thought in annoyance. His gaze flickered over to Henderson's tent as he scowled, undoubtedly the man was still passed out from drinking last night and he suspected Daniels was in a similar condition.

Jess nodded. "Yes but don't fear Mr. Burns I have no interest in your spot, I have my own to explore." With those parting words the young woman headed off through the ruins, back towards the door she had entered through yesterday.

"Oh good," Jonathan commented sardonically, "the thief is going to be the first one in today."

"Jonathan," Evelyn chided as she watched the woman go, "you're being a tad hypocritical." Jess moved slowly, at an obvious disadvantage as she favoured one leg whilst the other was stiff and she seemed to hop a few times rather than put weight on it.

"I'll only take from those who deserve it," Jonathan commented as he turned his nose up slightly.

Ten minutes later Rick finally emerged from his tent, though tired he seemed happy as he spied Evelyn. 'Does she remember last night?' he wondered curiously. He could still taste her lips on his, one brief, beautiful kiss, it shouldn't still be on his mind but it was, she was. Rick had known many women in his life, he had even thought himself in love many times, it was why he had joined the legion after all, to impress a woman he thought he had loved but now he knew he had been wrong about that. Evelyn was different, Evelyn always seemed to play on his mind and even here in this dark and wicked place things seemed brighter with Evelyn.

"It's about time you got up!" Evelyn snapped crossly as she spied Rick emerging. She stood up and folded her arms with a frown. "You know that other woman has already got a head start?"

"Other woman?" Rick echoed. "The little jackal? Jess?"

Evelyn's frown deepened and she shook her head scornfully. "That nickname is cruel and it seems rude to call her by her first name when we are scarcely acquainted."

"Uh huh and woman is fine?" Rick retorted teasingly with a small grin. "How much of a head start did she get?"

"At least ten minutes," Burns grumbled.

Henderson's curses erupted from his tent, polluting the warm morning air as he was nudged awake by some anxious servants sent in by an impatient Dr. Chamberlain.

"Well she needed it," Rick mused with little concern. "She can't walk fast with that leg so if she hadn't left before us it would have been no trouble to follow her and finally learn what she's up to."

"And would we have followed?" Evelyn queried with a curious look. "Does it matter what she's up to? Surely these ruins are big enough for all of us."

It was at these words that Henderson and Daniels finally exited their tents, both looking as fragile and sensitive to the morning sun as everyone else.

Rick's grin only widened. "It matters Evelyn because she is most definitely up to no good and there is something suspicious about a woman out here on her own, hell there is something suspicious about her knowing this place is real. Surely you're curious too, she's the only other female out here and that scholar's mind of yours must be wondering why."

"I'm curious," Jonathan admitted as he finally stood up, "I mean what if she knows about some treasure?"

"You know Jonathan you and Jess are really quite alike," Rick retorted with a small smile.

"How so?" Jonathan queried as he looked insulted at the thought.

"You're English," Henderson answered as if it was something horrible to be.

"You're thieves," Daniels continued.

"You don't have morals," Burns murmured.

"I was just thinking your names begin with the same letter," Rick commented sardonically, "but those things are true too."

"They are not," Jonathan scoffed. "You don't know her name really is Jess, she could be lying about that."

Evelyn sighed with a shake of her head. "That's the one thing you have a problem with out of that list," she grumbled, "oh Jonathan."

Jess was growing frustrated, her leg was agonising, every corridor looked the same and there seem to be an eerie impossible breeze that came every few minutes, threatening to put her torch out. She was deep in the bowels of the forgotten city of the dead and had been for a couple of hours now, looking at every wall carving, dust covered statue and cobweb dominated object with desperation. She knew what she was looking for and she knew it had to be here somewhere but none of the symbols, heliographs or markings provided any clue and every box she prised open (with a small crowbar borrowed from Jonathan's tent) only offered up rotted bandages and rusting metal tools that still bore bloodstains. She was careful with every box and chest, all too wary of traps, some did hint at them and it was with great effort that she followed the ancient instructions to deactivate them. It wasn't always possible though and she was forced to abandon those particular doors and boxes rather than risk salt acid to the face.

Now she was descending down a corridor that was slanted to the right suggesting that at some point in history the building had partially sunk, whether due to an earth tremor or a weakened structure Jess could only guess at. It was a little disorienting as she struggled to steady her footing and slumped into the wall a couple of times. Worse, it was long, grim and shrouded in darkness, making her ever wary of what was ahead. She thought of the warden's fate and suppressed a shudder as she wondered what dwelled down here in the ancient shadows.

At first the walls depicted the imagery of priests bowing before a pharaoh and making offerings at the feet of Anubis, perhaps for the pharaoh's ka Jess supposed but then as she continued on the carvings took a sinister turn. There he was, the monstrously headed god of storms and chaos, Set, not a statue but a living god pointing at the pharaoh in judgement and disgust. Jess couldn't believe the carvings as she glimpsed at them and she knew if Evelyn were here the young scholar would be in equal disbelief and awe as she marvelled over a very real carving of a pharaoh on his knees. It did not matter that the pharaoh was kneeling before a god and not in submission but fear, pharaohs were never depicted in a vulnerable manner, pharaohs were meant to be gods themselves after all.

She reached the end of the corridor at last and swallowed down a curse. Here was another granite statue of Set, staring at her in cruel judgement. She turned away from it quickly to turn left, it looked like a dead end but as she held the torch up she saw that it was a door. The trick was finding the opening but Jess had much experience in breaking into rooms now. She moved the torch up and down impatiently, her golden-brown eyes taking in the heliographs hastily before she saw a tile with the symbol for opening on it. She pushed it hard, wincing slightly as she had to lean hard against it before it finally sunk into the wall slowly. There was a low click before dust seeped out as the door moved back for the first time in centuries. Jess coughed quietly as she raised her hand to shield herself from the dust before holding her torch forward into the chamber.

The young woman glimpsed round columns with faded, colourful images carved and painted into them, walls with images of gods and people in obsidian and tarnished gold, and statues of men half in the inky blackness of the room. Jess squinted as she took a step forward and entered the room. Her eyes went wide as she realised they weren't statues but skeletons rather, still standing against the walls, their cloth Shendyts worn to rags whilst the bronze swords remained still in the skeletal hands when surely the weight of the swords should have dragged the bones apart and to the ground.

There was a loud bang as the door slammed shut behind her without warning. She whirled around with wide eyes, holding the torch outwards as she felt her heart begin to hammer in her chest. There was no symbol for an opening and though she pressed against several tiles with her free hand none gave way. Refusing to give into panic, the young woman swallowed hard and turned back with a grim face to study the chamber she was now seemingly trapped in.

'Well these guards died protecting something,' she thought confidently as she stepped up towards them. Sure enough behind the skeletons, resting on an elevated stone platform was a large, heavy, obsidian chest with three locks of bronze on it and the dark face of Set carved on its lid. 'It can't be this easy,' the young woman thought as she held the torch forward to read the carvings on the chest. 'Those who seek chaos shall be gifted with it,' she translated the phrase with a bitter frown. 'It's the same, this has to be it.' She continued to read the carvings for any hint of traps but there was no warning.

So, she placed her torch down on the ground before the chest and started to inspect the locks. They were intricate, tough as she knew they would be but they all had a similar slot and she was certain she had the key for them. She tugged out a fine chain of bronze about her throat, its cursed pendant left beneath her shirt, eternally cold against her skin. She loathed the item and despised having it so close to her but it was a necessity. The item in question resembled a bronze coin with one tiny hole at its top through which the chain had been placed; it bore several chips of ivory on its face and a single obsidian at its centre. The ivory pieces Jess knew would fit into the gaps in the locks on the chest, she didn't know how she could be sure and yet as she felt the piece become suddenly unnaturally warm between her fingertips as she reached for it with one hand and the chain's clasp with the other she knew she was right.

The chain's clasp refused to open momentarily causing the woman to fidget with it several times, twisting and tugging on it with several curses of frustration before at last it snapped free. She let the chain tumble to the ground with a soft jingle that seemed to echo ominously in the chamber and hoped she would never have to wear it again. She moved to the first lock with the coin like key and pressed it in. It was stiff and it took a little jiggling to get it in place, undoubtedly due to hundreds of years of the locks warping through time, but at last it slotted into place. She sucked in a breath, surprised and relieved at the same time, and dared to turn it. Once to the right and twice to the left, it struggled and let out a few creaks but eventually it moved and clicked free.

The second lock was even harder, resisting the key's advances and groaning loudly as Jess tried to turn it before at last it reluctantly gave way and finally clicked free. Each time she expected a rush of acid or something worse, knowing that what she was doing was highly foolish and terribly risky, and yet nothing came save a groan from the chest and a brief flurry of dust from the locks. The third lock was the worst, it took her twenty minutes to turn the key, causing sweat to bead at her brow and her hand to turn red with the strain but at last it clicked free.

All three locks suddenly fell to the ground with loud metallic clatters that echoed round the chamber repeatedly as the lid shot up causing the woman to stumble back with a gasp of fright. For a moment she was frozen as if expecting something to leap out from within, when nothing came she dared to let out a breath and step forward.

There was a mesh of rotted, gold, silk cloth and turquoise satin with a webbing of bronze, and on top of it was a necklace of gold and ruby droplets with tiny tears of gold between them, each with a symbol of sable on it that looked like a crook with two lines scored at its bottom, a symbol linked to Set, and a sickle with a handle of ebony and a bronze blade with Set's symbols engraved on it. Jess let out a loud profanity, it wasn't here! After all this it wasn't here!

There was an odd cracking noise causing the woman to fall silent in confusion. She looked about warily, tensing when she heard another similar noise. When this was followed by more and the sound of trickling water she filled with alarm and her eyes rolled up to the ceiling. There were clay pot shaped objects in the corners of the roof and the cracking noise was there lids shattering as they gave way to water. It came slowly at first; trickling out of the pots in a crystal clear flow that sparkled faintly in the torchlight but within seconds it became a heavy flow of four waterfalls.

Jess grabbed the necklace and sickle, shoving the necklace into a pocket and the sickle through her belt loop before she seized her torch and looked frantically for an exit. She darted about the chamber, cursing as the torch sizzled as water spattered near it. It was already pooling at her feet! Her eyes went wide at the thought of drowning as she studied the symbols on the walls hastily, looking for hints of an exit in desperation.

As the water reached her knees and she was forced to wade she finally glimpsed a potential exit. There were symbols on the back wall, including the imagery of Sobek the Nile god, it was confusing and Jess wasn't sure her translation could be right but she had to hope. It suggested that the floor below her had a section which opened into a drain for the water. She looked down warily, realising that she would have to go under the water to find the trigger for the drain, which meant giving up her torch and searching blindly in water she could not swim in.

Realising she had no choice and had to move fast before she could no longer stand, she dropped her torch, sucked in a deep breath and plunged below. The water was icy, a sudden shock to her as her nostrils filled with it and she felt her chest tighten. For a moment she was frozen with a familiar panic before she forced her to reach down with both hands and feel along the ground. It was dark, her heart was pounding hard and she could her feet beginning to lift forcing her to kick down, the water was getting too deep!

She had only a second of relief where her hands pressed down on a button before that turned to panic as a square hole in the floor opened up and she found herself falling down a slide with a gush of water. There was only darkness as she fell, wondering frantically if she was going to slam into a dead end or perish in a pool of water. The slide was narrow and at a slant, and the flow of water only slightly eased the rough rock underbelly rubbing at her skin. Her fall lasted seconds but felt like an eternity and when it ended unceremoniously with a tumble onto a cold, stone floor Jess found herself lying stunned for a moment.

It took a couple of moments before the numbness and shock faded giving way to fresh pain as her leg throbbed anew along with fresh cuts, bruises and skin burns from her rough slide. As she rolled onto her back with a wince she finally realised that the water was running harmlessly down through a bronze grating in the floor just inches from her feet while she lay in another unfamiliar corridor, one with a light source created from carefully placed bronze mirrors. She stood up and dusted herself down before glancing about her surroundings warily. She had fallen down and yet the mirrors suggested that sunlight couldn't be far. She was mildly suspicious at their lack of dust but eager to get out she did not ponder it for long and instead started walking, following the rays of light back, hoping to find their source and an exit.

The corridor ended in a round chamber with statues in alcoves around the walls, large, bronze bowls of flaming oil between them, and a raised platform of plaster in the centre with gold plating around it and a polished floor of jade on its surface. There were black symbols on the jade floor but they were impossible to make out from Jess' vantage point. The statues were also difficult to make out despite the fires as they were deep within their alcoves and lost to shadows. Ever wary, the woman stepped forward slowly, the sickle now out in her bloody right palm. She could not see an exit from this chamber save the one she had come from and yet the room had to serve some purpose.

Jess knew enough about Egyptian temples, pyramids and shrines to know that this was nothing normal but she supposed that Hamunaptra was nothing normal and thought to be a fable until now. Yet there were no sarcophaguses here, nothing to suggest it was a priest or body's chamber, and no offerings to suggest it was a point of worship either. As she neared it she realised the only way to properly make out the symbols was to step onto the jade platform and so with a mixture of reluctance and intrigue she did.

There was a low creak and the sound of stone grinding against stone as the statues slowly began to move forward. Jess' brown-golden eyes widened in horror as she realised she was surrounded by a ring of Set statues. Their disturbing muzzles were barred, the eyes narrowed with rage and one hand out clutching a spear in a form of war. They moved of their own accord, their stone limbs still as the platforms shifted forward and yet Jess filled with terror as if they had truly come to life.

When the statues were five inches from the jade platform they finally stopped. The spears rose up in unison and came down again, striking the ground hard. Bronze mirrors sprung up from the ground without warning and Jess suddenly found herself enclosed within them. For a moment there was only darkness again and she wondered if she had unwittingly sprung a trap before the mirrors began to glow faintly, reflecting the dull amber flames of a torch she could neither see nor feel.

Unable to do anything else she watched as the mirrors seemed to darken slightly as if with a mist before shapes began to take form. Her heart skipped a beat as she found herself trapped by a ring of people, shadowy figures that appear sinister and unnatural as if restless wraiths. When one began to take a familiar form the woman could not stop a shameful scream of terror from escaping her.

There was a man- tall, proud, muscular and imposing, once a figure of joy like a friendly giant he had somehow twisted and turned into a monster, the same monster that looked down at Jess now with dead brown eyes, a thin mouth curled up in a scowl, barely visible beneath the wiry, grey-black beard.

She stepped back from the form, and her eyes darted about as the panic rushed through her, he was in all of the mirrors! Her left hand curled tightly into a fist as she bowed her head and closed her eyes momentarily. It was a mirror, it wasn't real, it couldn't be real. 'An illusion, a hallucination,' she told herself anxiously, 'brought on from the fall.'

"Jessica." Her name was called out in a voice broken, almost dismissible as the sound of a croaking wind rather than a voice, almost.

She opened her eyes slowly and a gasp jolted up her throat, almost a scream before she halted it. The face was right before her eyes, level with her terrified gaze, so solid and clear she might have touched it. Tears burned at her eyes as she looked at ones once loving and now filled with a terrible hatred. "Daddy," she croaked out weakly.

With that single word every mirror shattered and Jess shrieked as she raised her hands to shield her face and found her arms sliced by several shards.

"Stop it!" she screamed. "Stop it! STOP IT!"

In a large, sandy chamber the Americans waited impatiently as the terrified, sweaty diggers placed a heavy, ornate chest of wood and stone before the eager Dr. Chamberlain. They all crouched around it anxiously and Burns leaned across Dr. Chamberlain to blow off centuries of dust whilst Daniels reached out to touch a corner with his free hand earning a look of scorn from the Egyptologist. The chest was red with a strip of black around it engraved with gold heliographs, at its base at each corner a man had been engraved and painted, brown skinned with shendyts and nemes of gold.

Dr. Chamberlain was quick to shove back Daniels' eager hand with his own before he tugged out a linen cloth with his free hand and rubbed it along the lid tenderly. "Time and care Mr. Daniels," he said almost patronisingly.

Henderson let out a snigger. "Daniels doesn't know what care is," he mocked even as his blue eyes darted to the chest with an impatient longing.

Dr. Chamberlain studied the ancient letters on the lid of the chest and his hazel eyes narrowed as he announced, "there is a curse upon this chest."

"Curse my ass," Daniels scorned immediately even as the diggers gave fearful murmurings and stepped back.

Beni, who was standing behind them providing the torchlight to read the chest, tensed and his eyes darted about the chamber nervously.

"In these hallowed grounds, that which was set forth in ancient times, is as strong today, as it was then," Dr. Chamberlain was quick to chide Daniels with a scolding look. 'Why did it have to be these people who would take me to Hamunaptra?' he wondered moodily. 'Why not another learned scholar or at the very least someone who knows enough of the civilisation to respect it!'

"Well doc you've got my interest peaked," Henderson piped up as he grinned at the Egyptologist, "read out the curse already."

Dr. Chamberlain sucked in a deep breath and Daniels rolled his eyes knowing the man was purposely trying to build up the theatrics and create some tension. The Egyptologist's hazel eyes finally looked back down at the chest and he read gravely, " 'Death will come on swift wings to whomever opens this chest.'"

There was a low rattle as a gust of wind blew into the chamber and the torches flickered in it. The diggers screamed unanimously, dropped their tools and fled yelling about a curse. Beni watched them go with a prickle of longing as he felt sweat lace down his brow and tugged out his gun with his free hand. The Americans shared an anxious look before they each glanced about the chamber wearily.

"It says," Dr. Chamberlain continued sternly, "there is one, the undead, who if brought back to life, is bound by sacred law to consummate this curse."

"Well let's make sure not to bring anyone back from the dead then," Henderson joked in an attempt to lighten the suddenly tense mood.

Burns gave a small, forced grin but Daniels remained scowling, unconvinced at the idea of a curse and yet unnerved enough not to want to joke either.

"He will kill all who open this chest," Dr. Chamberlain continued as he followed down the heliographs with one finger. He paused and swallowed hard as if realising the gravity of his words. His eyes darted on and he tensed, reluctant to voice the rest. "And assimilate their organs and fluids," he concluded weakly.

Daniels leaned forward to look at the chest as if expecting an image to clarify or disprove the Egyptologist's words but of course he couldn't understand it. He was getting irritated now, it was warm and stale in here and his injured arm was tingling as it was stiff against his chest, his hand tucked into his leather brace uselessly.

"And in doing so," Dr. Chamberlain forced himself to continue, "he will regenerate. And no longer be the undead, but a plague upon this earth."

The wind gave another low whistle and the torches flickered once more. All eyes rolled about the chamber anxiously before Henderson shook his head scornfully and snapped, "nonsense, let's open it already." He and Burns reached for it when suddenly a scream echoed through the chamber.

"The curse!" Beni shrieked as he bolted for it. "Beware the curse!"

"Snake," Daniels grumbled even as he tugged out his Colt with his free hand.

"That...that wasn't the wind," Burns commented nervously as he stood up and looked about the chamber.

When the scream came again they all stood, guns out as they put their backs to the chest as if protecting it.

"Where's it coming from?" Henderson wondered.

"It's an echo," Burns murmured.

"Probably that Carnahan woman stumbled into a cobweb is all," Daniels grumbled but even he didn't believe his words.

When it came a third time it was louder and more bloodcurdling setting all the men on edge. "Shit," Henderson hissed out, "that noise ain't right. What the hell is going on?"

"Someone is in trouble," Burns murmured.

"So?" Daniels remarked coolly. "I say we open this chest and get the hell out of here before..." He trailed off, unwilling to admit that there was something to be afraid of, something they needed to escape from in here.

Burns looked at his friend scornfully. "David we can't do that," he chided, "we need to at least look."

"Alright, point the way," Daniels snapped, "but if we get lost in this God forsaken tomb or that chest vanishes, it's your fault," he added as he pointed down at the chest with his gun.

"I'll watch it with Mr. Henderson," Dr. Chamberlain offered. He looked at the blonde anxiously, his skin stark white, almost grey in the shadows of the cave.

Henderson shook his head mockingly at the Egyptologist as he gave a tight smile. "And miss all the fun? Alright, fine," he grumbled, "but don't take too long with the sightseeing," he addressed the other pair.

The scream came a fourth time, it was hoarser but Burns thought he had figured out the direction this time. "This way," he announced as he led the way forward as he snatched up an abandoned torch with his free hand.

The walk felt like an eternity to Daniels and he grumbled several times that it was a waste of time, stupid, and reckless. They passed several dusty walls with numerous paintings and markings, broken vases, smashed sarcophaguses and abandoned, crumbled statues but nothing that looked to be of value or interest. As a whole Hamunaptra had disappointed Daniels, he had been expecting chambers of jewels and gold, the abandoned treasures of buried pharaohs, especially after the nomads had fought so hard to chase them from it but all there seemed to be down here was dust, bones and death.

They turned several corners, moved down numerous corridors and headed through two small chambers, all the while chasing after the frantic screams, each one more unnerving than the last. Finally, they faded to whimpers and whilst Daniels was relieved to be no longer tormented by screams Burns only grew anxious and moved quicker, fearful that the lack of sound meant the screamer had been unwillingly silenced or was too tired or hurt to keep yelling.

They reached a small, round chamber at last, the floor now buried beneath sand and dust, and the only item left in it was a statue of the ever watchful death god Anubis. Daniels bared his teeth slightly at the jackal head, having decided recently that they were now his least favourite animal before his eyes rolled down to the source of the screams.

For a moment neither Burns nor Daniels knew who they were looking at. It was a figure, knees hunched up and head burrowed in them, clothes tattered, filthy and bloodstained, and an inaudible mantra mumbling from them. When Burns held his torch forward slightly they recognised the crop of dirty, tangled hair, no longer fair, it was black and a sticky brown with dirt and clumps of blood.

Burns immediately knelt before the woman, concern overriding any suspicion as he holstered his gun and reached out his hand slowly.

She jerked back violently from the hand and her head shot up and she looked to Burns with a gaze so wild it frightened him. "They're dead," she hissed at him, "they're all dead. THEY'RE ALL DEAD!" When she pounced at him he let out a yell and shrank back as her nails clawed down his shoulders before Daniels kicked her back.

The dark haired American filled with a pang of guilt when she fell back hard on her back; he hadn't exactly meant to hurt her, it had just been an instinctual reaction to her attack on his friend. He sighed as he holstered his own gun and bent forward slightly to look at her. "Who's dead?" he queried coldly.

"She's in shock," Burns murmured as he recovered and tugged off his glasses to wipe at them with the corner of his shirt. "We need to get her out of here."

"We?" Daniels grumped. "We need to go back to our treasure before Henderson loses all patience and opens it without us."

Burns glowered up at his friend and snapped, "have some compassion David."

"She's a thief Bernie," Daniels reminded him, "and she's clearly mad." He could hear her babbling again as she sat upright.

"No, she's in shock," Burns repeated. "Do you really want to leave her here?"

"Yes but can I leave her here?" Daniels sighed. "No, I suppose not, if only because I wouldn't leave anyone down here 'cept that rat Beni."

Burns leaned forward to her again as he slipped his glasses back on. "Jess," he addressed her politely, "if I can call you Jess," he ignored Daniels' mocking snort at this, "it's Bernard, Bernard Burns, remember?"

She looked at him cautiously before nodding. "I took your ticket."

"Right," he murmured with a frown.

"Still want to help her?" Daniels quipped sardonically.

"I knew you would get onboard," she mumbled, "you had to, I wouldn't have taken it if I didn't know, I needed you onboard, I needed to follow you. Follow you right into hell." She cracked a bitter smile at this and Burns found himself tensing and shrinking back from her at this.

"That would be about right," Daniels grumbled, "this place is definitely hell."

"Well anyway," Burns continued, "we should get out of here." He held out a hand to her hopefully.

"Now hold on a second," Daniels interrupted rudely, "who's dead? Did someone else die?" he demanded as he glowered down at the woman.

"Not today," she retorted frostily as she glared back up at him and accepted Burns' hand.

"What the hell does that mean?" Daniels queried in annoyance. "You said someone was dead."

She shrugged as Burns helped her stand and she seemed to compose herself slightly. "It was just fatigue, the heat of the desert and all that," she retorted dismissively.

"Oh bullshit," Daniels snapped at her.

"David," Burns chided but his voice was weak as he wilted slightly under his friend's glower.

"Look at the state of you," Daniels remarked as he took in Jess' wounds, "you weren't having a casual look around like the rest of us."

Jess gave him a taunting smile. "So sorry I'm more hands on than you, it's dirty work when you don't have servants doing all the hard labour for you."

Daniels pointed at her accusingly with one hand and said in a low voice, "I ain't fooled by this act of yours, not one bit. I see the terror in your eyes and the tears, and I heard your screams, either you spook real easily, and I doubt it, or you saw something down here. O'Connell's right, you're up to something and it ain't fortune hunting and it ain't some scholar's quest like Miss Carnahan either."

Jess stiffened as her smile slipped away and her lips tensed together in a frown before she tore her gaze away from him. "Can we go?" she queried frostily.

Burns nodded and started walking. Daniels' frowned deepened as he followed and Jess limped alongside them. He swallowed down several curses when Burns guided them right back to Dr. Chamberlain, Henderson, and their chest.

Dr. Chamberlain looked up anxiously at the sound of their footsteps before he openly scowled at the sight of Jess. "A thief Mr. Daniels, really?"

"Really," Daniels grumbled, "blame Bernie, he's the one sympathetic to a screaming woman not me."

Henderson shook his head even as he smiled slightly at Jess before quickly frowning as her wounds were illuminated by the torches in the chamber. "Jesus what happened to you Miss Jess?" the blonde demanded.

"I broke from the tour," she answered sardonically, "and honestly, I wouldn't recommend it."

"Go stand in the corner," Daniels grumbled at her, "and keep your hands where we can see them."

Her eyes locked with his as she gave him a fierce gaze. "Why don't you just tie me up?" she queried hotly before giving him a vicious, teasing smile. "I'm good with ropes."

Henderson let out a low whistle at that whilst Burns' cheeks reddened slightly and he hastened to the chest.

"I bet you are," Daniels grumbled before he turned from her and headed back to the chest. "Let's open this heap of junk already."

"Mr. Daniels really," Dr. Chamberlain chided as his gaze remained on Jess, "this is an ancient artefact, a grand and detailed structure of great value."

"It's a box doc," Henderson retorted flatly before he moved with Burns to open it.

The pair slid off the lid as quickly as they could, dumping it on the floor with little grace causing a low thump to echo round the chamber. Jess hung back against the wall watching with intrigue. Her heart was still hammering against her chest and sweat lashed down her skin as she tried to banish the images in the bronze mirrors. She did not know how she had stumbled into the chamber where Burns and Daniels had found her; she could not fathom it and did not want to think on it. All she could feel was relief that she had been found.

Dr. Chamberlain hastened forward, shoving both hands into the open chest to fumble with a burlap sack, out of which he tugged, with a grunt of effort, a large, heavy book of sable with brass clasps, several engravings, and a star shaped indent on its cover. He marvelled down at it in awe whilst Daniels and Henderson looked openly disappointed.

He stood up slowly, clutching the book reverently as the trio stood up with him, looking down at the book, Burns with intrigue, Henderson in disbelief and Daniels in outrage.

"This gentlemen is a priceless treasure," Dr. Chamberlain marvelled, "a sacred book thought to be legendary."

Daniels looked at him like he had gone mad whilst Henderson filled with frustration. "It's a goddamn book," he scorned as he kicked the chest in frustration, his brown boot sinking through the wooden base as he did.

"Yeah where's our treasure?" Daniels demanded. "You want a book, there's a dozen in Cairo!"

"This is no ordinary book," Dr. Chamberlain scolded as he clutched the book close to his chest before he looked to where Henderson's boot had gone. "There," he announced as he saw gold glittering from within, "is your treasure."

They all looked at his words to five canopic jars of ivory, gold and jewels resting within a compartment in the chest. They each bore a different head, one was a jackal, one a human, one a baboon, one a falcon, and one, which was shattered, a lion, only its head left intact.

They moved together with hungry eyes, Henderson grabbed two at once, the jackal and the falcon. He stood up and held the jackal out to Daniels with a mocking grin. "Here, maybe this is why you kept seeing jackals."

Daniels frowned at his friend even as he accepted the item and ran a finger over the gold inlay.

Burns took the human headed one leaving the baboon headed vessel for the greedy Dr. Chamberlain.

"Thought the book was your treasure," Daniels commented sardonically.

"The book is for study," the Egyptologist answered haughtily, "the jar will suffice as payment for my work."

"Whatever doc, plenty to go around," Henderson mused. "Pity Beni scarpered, he could've got the lion's share," he jested. He then laughed at his own joke as Burns smiled too.

"Stupid superstitious bastard," Daniels muttered.

Henderson glanced Jess' way, she was favouring her good leg and looking pale and drawn, tired with bloodshot eyes and tearstained, dirty cheeks. The blonde, his greed now sated, felt a great deal of pity for the woman. She was terribly out of place in this desert and yet he didn't see her as being too comfortable mingling in the city, she was no English lady like Miss. Carnahan but he wasn't buying the street thief of Cairo either, no, there was something else to the woman.

"We should go," the blonde said quietly.

They moved together, Daniels scowled when Jess faltered on her burned leg and banged into the chest, doubling over to clutch at her limb with a wince before righting herself once more and waving off Henderson's concerned hand. None of them noticed the sleight of hand or that the forgotten, broken lion jar was now gone from the chest.