"Here, peace offering."
Burns looked up at the dishevelled Jess questioningly, he blinked hard, forced to squint as the bright rays of the setting sun were right in his teal eyes. He made out a gold monogram of the letters B.B and blinked again, it was his archaeologist digging kit. "Um...why?" he queried dumbly as he wondered how Jess knew it was his and more importantly, why she had cared enough to get it back for him.
"I was in no immediate danger in that tomb," Jess retorted coolly with a moody expression, her embarrassment overriding her gratitude, "but well," she shrugged, "you helped me anyway. You could have left me."
Daniels, who was within earshot, sitting on a chair cleaning his Colt, let out a snort of derision. He had been fondling his newfound treasure until he had spotted the woman approaching, then he had hastily burrowed it in his trouser pocket and tugged out his gun instead.
"Yes Mr. Daniels," Jess remarked loudly as she gave him a glower, "I know you could have left me too, and probably thought about it, but I'm feeling less gracious towards you, I think you helped me out of persuasion not human kindness."
Daniels glowered back at the woman as he let out another snort. "I had faith in you helping yourself, you seem to have as much a knack for getting yourself out of awkward situations as you do for getting into them and my human kindness towards petty thieves and liars does have its limits."
"How did you know this was mine?" Burns quipped, purposely interrupting before Jess and Daniels could enter a spat. He reached out a hand to the kit, rubbing his fingertips along the brown leather before clutching at it, as if doubting it was his again.
Jess surrendered it to his grasp with ease before offering a small smile and retorting innocently, "your initials are on it."
Burns flushed slightly as he realised the truth of that as he fingered the letters as if they were made of real gold. "Alright," he grumbled, "but you didn't just blunder on to it, did you?" He squinted up at her questioningly.
"She's a thief," Daniels remarked rudely, "probably just came across it during her scavenging, and probably wouldn't have returned it either if we hadn't helped her." He took care to emphasise the word 'we' tipping his brown fedora up slightly as he looked to Jess once more.
"Returned what?" Henderson queried as he joined them. He was clad in a loose, dust stained, cream shirt, that had its top two buttons undone exposing part of his golden-brown chest, a loose, gold neckerchief, his brown cowboy hat, dark brown trousers, and formerly brown boots that were now a combination of mustard and grey from sand, dust, and dirt. "Evening Miss Jess," he greeted politely as he flashed a tobacco stained smile at the woman and tipped his tan hat slightly.
Though the blonde seemed polite Jess noted the wariness in his bright blue eyes and knew that now the man had a treasure to protect he was less eager to welcome a known thief amongst his company. "Mr. Henderson," she retorted cordially with a nod. "I was just conveying my gratitude for earlier to Mr. Burns," she explained. "Anyway, it's getting dark and I don't want to keep you boys from your supper."
"Wait," Burns protested as the woman turned to walk off. He stood up and looked at her with awkward thanks. "I...thanks for this," he said at last.
"The thanks is mine," she replied with a small smile before turning and limping off into the night.
"Something I said?" Henderson quipped mockingly as his smile widened.
Burns finally turned away from Jess to look at the blonde.
"Isn't that the kit that wasn't your kit?" Henderson queried sardonically as he looked to the leather kit pointedly. "B.B, a gift from Katie, right?"
Burns nodded as a flash of grief darted through his dark eyes. "Right," he retorted quietly.
"Miss Jess playing Robin Hood now? Stealing for good?"
"It's not really stealing if she's giving it to the rightful owner," Burns protested as he clutched it close to his chest with one arm.
"Alright Burns," Henderson protested jokingly as he raised one hand slightly in mock defence, "but be careful," he warned, "Jess is nice and I like her too but those eyes of her are sharp, don't believe she isn't thinking about our recently acquired treasure."
"Yes it was rather inspired letting her see our treasure," Daniels grumbled as he holstered his gun at last.
"Well Daniels you played your part in that too," Henderson scolded him. "Anyway, our over sea cousins have invited us to a nice dinner by firelight."
"Well we are sharing camps and the fire now," Burns murmured.
"Don't scowl Daniels," Henderson chided with a teasing smirk, "Jonny was telling me how they found a mummy, I think it's only fair we let them know what we got. Remember they won that little horse race, well I think we might have won the more important challenge."
A spark of delight blazed suddenly in Daniels' dark blue gaze as his competitive nature awoke at Henderson's words. He thought enduring a questionable dinner of soggy beans and what Beni had referred to as 'desert rabbit' with the condescending Evelyn and cocky O'Connell might just be worth it to rub their noses in the Americans' gain. 'Ignorant Yankees get the gold whilst the scholar and experienced soldier get shit,' he thought happily.
"Alright, let me put this away and get cleaned up," Burns said.
"And let me get drunk enough to knock the sting out of my arm and resist the urge to shoot that rat Beni," Daniels commented moodily.
"Instead of shooting him just show him what he missed out on," Henderson suggested as he tugged out his falcon headed treasure from his shirt pocket, holding it up in the dying sunlight and grinning as it sparkled briefly in the fading rays.
As the men separated to get ready for the evening Evelyn spotted Jess limping along the ruins at the edge of the large campsite. She was quick to hasten over, her footsteps loud when they struck half-buried limestone tiles. Jess heard her and paused to look her way, knowing there was little point in trying to outrun the woman. She had been trying to find a good vantage point to spy on Dr. Chamberlain from. The Egyptologist was at the front of his tent leaning over a desk on which the heavy, black tome he had obtained was resting. He was so engrossed in the book Jess doubted he would notice if she was standing beside him but she figured one of the Americans might.
Evelyn paused when she neared the woman whose smudged face and filthy clothes led more to the appearance of a chimneysweep than an Englishwoman. Evelyn pushed her loose brunette curls back from her own slightly dusty face and gave Jess an awkward smile. "Miss...um Jess," she addressed her with uncertainty, her smile wavering as she did. "That is...is it alright to call you that?"
"It's fine," Jess replied politely.
"Would you join us for dinner?" she queried with a hopeful look. "Please," she added hastily as she saw Jess' eyes fill with unease. "I mean we're all in one camp now, it's only proper and I'd like it."
Jess sighed. "I know you and the Yankees decided to parley and I don't deny taking advantage of safety in numbers last night but I've no tent or food, it would seem rude to continue to impose and take advantage," she retorted calmly. She was being sincere, conscious of the fact that she had effectively leeched off both parties, true she had helped them defend their camp and they had been willing to let her share their camp, even Daniels, but she was wary now of a change. The Americans had found their treasure, the English siblings had found a mummy and might find more and it was surely only a matter of time before they all harboured ill feelings towards the thief in their midst. Granted Jonathan was a thief too but a gentlemanly one and it was obvious he was too unskilled to target people who actually knew he was a thief, which made his threat minimal to the parties. Then there was Beni, a lying, self-serving snake to be sure but O'Connell was satisfied that he had the measure of the man and was capable of dealing with any threat the man might present, and the Americans trusted that whilst he might be dishonest he was unlikely to betray them until he got his coin from them.
"Oh enough of this foolishness," Evelyn snapped as she placed her hands on her hips and looked at Jess crossly. "Miss Jess, oh dear that really sounds improper you know, anyway," she shook her head, " we are all out here together, like it or not, and whilst we might be rivals in tomb exploring we can certainly be friends at camp. It's dangerous out here, that was made clear last night and we are better in numbers and, as you have said, you have no food or tent so it would only be right to extend our hospitalities to you. Besides, you're the only other woman out here and a very interesting one at that, let's be friends."
"Um..." Jess faltered for words as she met Evelyn's intense hazel gaze, anyone else and she might have questioned their motives but there seemed to be a sincerity to Miss Carnahan's face that Jess couldn't ignore. 'She is right,' she admitted to herself glumly, 'it is dangerous out here and I lost all my supplies in the river and my leg still burns.' She sighed. "Alright, I'll welcome dinner."
"Great," Evelyn retorted brightly as her smile widened. "Let's go freshen up in my tent then."
"Freshen up?" Jess arched a mud stained eyebrow at that. "Not exactly a lot of water out here for bathing."
"Well no," Evelyn retorted as she gave a slight frown, "but we will do what we can."
"Right."
Rick and Jonathan watched as Evelyn took the wayward Jess by her hand and half-guided, half-pulled her into her tent. Rick's vibrant blue eyes burned with suspicion whilst Jonathan merely shook his head as he lounged back on his rug on the sand and quipped, "that's my sister, gullible and charitable, falls for my tricks every time," he added with a chuckle.
"That I don't doubt," Rick murmured dryly as he glanced at Jonathan across the fire he was attempting to stoke. He turned suddenly with the stick he was using; now alight and pointing threateningly up at Beni.
Beni raised his hands slightly with a nervous smile.
"Good grief man what's in your hands?" Jonathan demanded with a revolted look as he recoiled slightly from the flames. They looked like large rodents, furry, dead rodents.
"A gift," Beni answered brightly as he continued to smile at Rick. "For you my dear friend."
"If that's your idea of a gift I'd hate to see what you give your enemies," Jonathan commented sardonically.
"I'm not your friend Beni," Rick retorted as he lowered the stick into the fire once more, "you don't have friends."
"Ah you wound me," Beni said with feigned hurt. He glanced at the lumpy rug Rick occupied and dared to sit down beside him. "I saw you had no dinner so I thought to bring some."
"Dinner?" Jonathan echoed as he squinted over the rising flames.
"Rat meat Jonathan, they taste as good as you think but in the desert it's that or camel faeces," Rick retorted.
"Delightful," the Englishman murmured sarcastically.
"Heh, if you could please not inform my American friends," Beni spoke up as he tugged out a knife and began to skin one of the rats, "since they are sensitive to the desert cuisine I had to inform them it was desert rabbit."
"And they believed you?" Rick marvelled with a shake of his head. "If they're too stupid to realise no rabbit could live out here they deserve to be eating rat."
They stayed in a surprisingly relaxed companionship, skinning and cooking rats, and discussing their day without too much detail for twenty minutes before the Americans joined them. By this stage Jonathan had moved to the left so that he was nearer Rick and Beni, leaving a space for the rambunctious trio to sit, directly opposite Rick and Beni. Each of them was clutching a jewelled animal headed canopic jar proudly and they were quick to turn them round, showing off their gilded forms in the firelight.
"Say O'Connell," Henderson addressed his fellow American with an easygoing grin, "what do you think these will fetch back home?" He waggled his falcon headed treasure suggestively whilst Burns made a point of polishing his.
O'Connell just smiled back, nodding as Daniels and Burns laughed whilst Jonathan couldn't hide the longing gleam in his eyes.
"We hear you gentlemen found yourselves a nice, gooey mummy, congratulations," Henderson continued to mock him.
Rick glanced at Jonathan out of the corner of his eye as the men laughed again. 'Now who could they have heard that from I wonder?' Rick thought sarcastically. He wanted to scorn Jonathan openly but decided it was best not as it would only make the trio of fortune hunters laugh harder. 'You just couldn't resist bragging could you Jonathan?' he thought moodily.
"You know if you dry him out you can sell him for firewood," Daniels taunted.
"Hey Daniels, how are you going to keep that trinket close and shoot?" Rick queried calmly with his own small grin, which widened when Daniels scowled. "Going to be tough to make a decision if our nomad friends come back, hmm, save the jackal or save your own skin?"
Daniels bristled slightly at the word 'jackal' before snapping, "least I have some treasure to think about saving."
The men fell silent at the sound of soft voices and turned to look as Evelyn pushed Jess out of her tent lightly before taking her by the hand and guiding her towards the fire almost forcefully.
Evelyn was in another black Bedouin dress; this was a little plainer, loose about her figure and made of a soft cotton, with a purple band about her waist to show off her shape. Her hair was down in freshly brushed curls, part of them held back and up from her face with simple brass clips, and her face was a little cleaner, smooth and fair with her eyes glinting like jewels. Daniels and Henderson immediately thought of seeing her in the river, clad in a dainty, tight, white nightdress that may as well have not been there, whilst Rick thought of her supple lips pressed against his briefly just last night.
Jess stood beside Evelyn with an uncomfortable stare, now clutching at the older woman's hand almost in a form of desperation. She still wasn't quite sure how but somehow Evelyn had talked Jess into making a little effort for dinner. Whilst there were no clothes for Jess to change into, she had allowed Evelyn to dab a cloth lightly soaked in oil and perfume along her face before applying a pale powder to it, all purchases from the Bedouin caravan, and then brush and bind her hair. If Evelyn had noticed how Jess had paled and her lip had trembled as Evelyn had attempted to brush through her dirty mane she had never commented upon it. In the end Evelyn had bound it up in an elaborate bun of curls with a bronze, butterfly brooch to secure it. Jess' angular face suggested a potential for beauty if the grime was wiped away and the magic of powders, creams and colours that seemed ever popular amongst women these days was applied. She lacked Evelyn's natural charisma and alluring innocent beauty yet there was something to the woman, a rough, untamed appeal like unpolished gold or a dull jewel.
"Gentlemen what are we discussing?" Evelyn queried as she awarded them all with a bright, pearly smile.
"Our mummy," Jonathan answered with a degree of pride. 'King Tut was a mummy,' he thought to himself smugly, 'and he made a fortune for his discoverers. Although...it didn't end all that well for most of them.'
Jess' eyes roved over the men briskly, noting how the American trio had made an effort for dinner too. It amused her that even out here in the middle of the desert these unruly treasure hunters still felt the need to observe the custom of dressing for dinner with guests. All three wore clean linen shirts and trousers, Daniels even wore a tie, and he and Henderson had left their hats in their tents. 'As if they care that hats are rude at the table,' Jess thought mockingly. 'No table, just a fire, some old tins of beans, what definitely smells like burned rat, and some questionable company, and yet everyone has come as if it's afternoon tea.'
"Where's Dr. Chamberlain?" Jess queried curiously, noting the Egyptologist's absence.
"He finds his book too interesting to eat or be sociable," Henderson retorted as he continued twisting his falcon jar about with a look of pleasure.
"You're in her seat," Rick snapped at Beni as he saw Evelyn glance about for a seat.
Beni let out a nervous giggle before he shuffled to his feet and round to Jonathan's side. Evelyn gave him a smile of gratitude before taking a seat beside Rick with a shy look.
Jess made a point of sitting at the edge of the fire opposite Beni and Jonathan and between Evelyn and Daniels. She looked startled when Burns made a point of leaning across Daniels to hand her a wooden bowl of beans. Daniels appropriately frowned as he was forced to lean back but he didn't say anything.
"So what about this mummy?" Daniels demanded.
"Well," Evelyn began as she accepted a bowl of beans and questionable meat from Rick, "according to my readings, our friend, he unfortunately is cursed not to be named, suffered the hom-dai, the worst of all ancient Egyptian curses, one reserved for only the most evil of blasphemers. In all of my research, I've never read of this curse actually having been performed."
"Sounds wonderful," Rick murmured sardonically.
"Yes well they were never meant to have used it out of fear," Evelyn commented with a look of uncertainty, "you see it's written that if a victim of the hom-dai should ever arise, he would bring with him the ten plagues of Egypt."
Burns suddenly looked nervous as he thought about what Dr. Chamberlain had read on the chest, about someone or something undead coming for their organs if brought back to life. 'Coincidence?' he pondered dryly as he suddenly found himself eager for a drink.
"The ten plagues?" Jonathan quipped. "Ah the same as Moses brought to Ramses?"
"Yes," Evelyn retorted.
"Wasn't he Seti's son?" Jonathan remarked.
Evelyn nodded. "Yes, although the pharaoh of the Exodus has never been confirmed as Ramses you know."
"Exodus?" Henderson queried dumbly.
"The exit of the slaves dear boy," Jonathan answered with a smug nod. "Hmm what were the plagues again?" he pondered with a thoughtful look as he leaned away from Beni who was tucking into a rat skewer quite eagerly.
"Locusts," Henderson piped up, flashing Jonathan a mocking smile as he did.
"Darkness," Burns said morbidly.
"Water into blood," Daniels mused as he stared down at the suddenly malicious looking jackal head.
"Yes, then there's my favourite," Jonathan remarked cheerfully, "boils, oh and frogs."
"Hail and fire," Evelyn commented with a small smile, "lice, horrid things, and diseased livestock."
"That's nine," Rick murmured, "and you're all a little too happy about them by the way. So, what was the tenth?"
"The death of the first born," Jess answered coldly.
A low wind blew up then at Jess' words sounding almost like a howl through the desert. They all exchanged a nervous look before Henderson, Jonathan, and Burns laughed. "That is way too common around here," Rick mused as he glanced about.
They continued their meal a little more sombrely before all save Henderson, Daniels, Jonathan and Rick retired from the fire. They set up a game of cards and shared a bottle of whiskey for a couple of hours, happy to scorn the idea of vengeful mummies while the fire was high and the alcohol still flowing. When Daniels finally lucked out after being persuaded to bet his 'dorky looking hat' by Rick he left in a rage to fetch his hat, his scowl deepening as Rick called after him about five hundred dollars still owed.
The dark haired Texan snatched his brown fedora up from his tent with a curse before turning to retreat back to the fire. He had hopes of persuading O'Connell into a game to win the hat back. He paused on his way when he spied a familiar form at the edge of camp, lying across a broken column in what could only be an uncomfortable fashion. She was pale under the white of the moon and as he neared her he saw that she was cold too, hunched in against herself with someone's rug bunched under her head for a pillow.
"What is it?" Jess queried in a bored voice as her golden-brown eyes snapped open. She found herself eyeing Daniels' hat, clutched in his working hand. "Did you start to miss your hat?" she queried sardonically as she sat up with a teasing glint in her stare. Not that Daniels noticed but she had positioned herself so that she could keep Dr. Chamberlain in her sights. The Egyptologist was still working on his book but to no avail as he couldn't seem to fathom how to open it.
"No," Daniels grumbled at her, "I lost it to O'Connell in the cards." He wasn't sure why he had bothered to admit that, he supposed because she was liable to see Rick with it and mock Daniels for it anyway, so better to get the teasing over and done with now.
She let out a giggle at that before shaking her head. "Men who have something to lose shouldn't gamble Mr. Daniels."
"It's only a hat," he murmured even as he looked down at it forlornly.
"Sure about that? You seem fond of it."
"Fond of a hat?" he sneered. "Don't be ridiculous."
She shrugged. "Alright, well I can't imagine it would suit O'Connell and you certainly shan't be so dashing without it, especially with Mr. Henderson in his. Three cowboys and only one cowboy hat, bit of a letdown really."
"This ain't a cowboy hat," he scorned her, "it's a fedora and it was my father's."
"Sorry I don't know about American fashion," she replied sarcastically. "Can I see the all important hat?" she queried as she held out a hand for it.
It was Daniels' turn to shrug, he didn't really want her filthy hands upon it but since it was going to O'Connell anyway he supposed it hardly mattered now. "I had four Aces you know," he commented sourly.
"That's nice," she mused as she took the hat and turned it over in her hands. She then placed the hat on her head and grinned up at the frowning Daniels. "Run along Mr. Daniels and tell O'Connell the nasty thief must have gotten bored and taken advantage of you all being in the one place. You can have your hat back in the morning, just don't wear it around him and he'll get over it."
"Er...what?" For a rare moment Daniels was dumbfounded and took a moment to figure out what was going on. He stared down at the dishevelled woman, his hat lopsided and too big for her head putting most of her face in shadow. The way her golden-brown eyes peered out from the darkness they appeared almost feral and had him thinking of last night's jackals.
"I promise you'll get it back," Jess assured as she waved him off with one hand, "and yes, I know my word isn't much to you but it's not like I can run too far, burned leg and all that."
"Right." Daniels looked at his hat doubtfully before letting out a heavy sigh; unsure whose clutches he would least prefer it in- Jess' or O'Connell's? He turned and trudged on back to the slowly dying fire where Jonathan and Henderson had begun singing a mangled song about cowboys and Indians.
Rick looked up at Daniels expectantly before grinning and shaking his head. "You're really not a man of your word are you Daniels?" he remarked tauntingly.
Daniels bristled slightly at the accusation before deciding he didn't really care what O'Connell thought of him as he sat back down on a half-covered limestone pedestal. "My hat's gone," he grumbled, "that rotten thief must have taken it."
Henderson let out a chortle at that. "You think Jess took your hat? Come on Daniels you must have just left at your ass somewhere."
"Why would she want a hat?" Jonathan queried with a confused look as he shook the empty whiskey bottle.
"To trick idiots like you," Rick mused. "Course there's no one out here for her to fool unless she's hoping to make some mummies think she's a boy, maybe they won't let her at their treasure otherwise."
"And what treasure is that anyway?" Henderson quipped with a serious glint in his blue eyes.
"Good question!" Jonathan enthused as he leaned forward, thrusting the empty bottle out dramatically as he did. "We got a mummy, you got your organ jars, disgusting by the way, what did she get?"
"Daniels' hat apparently!" the blonde cowboy scoffed before laughing.
Daniels glowered at his friend, unimpressed at how he was quick to joke with the Englishman at his friend's expense.
"Anyway," Jonathan murmured as he released the bottle at last, "time for bed I think." He stood up, yanking the collar of his brown blazer with both hands as he did. "Good night chaps."
"Night Johnny," Henderson retorted with a small grin, "better luck treasure hunting tomorrow."
Jonathan stumbled off towards his tent, singing as he did. He paused suddenly when the low barks of jackals ruined the silence of the desert. All of the men tensed and looked about warily to the inky black skies and grey sands as if hoping to see the canines in the darkness.
"Maybe we should all call it a night," Henderson murmured darkly.
Rick was about to respond but he saw Evelyn emerge from her tent, not frightened but as if she had a purpose. He watched her gaze flicker towards Dr. Chamberlain who was looking into the night nervously. "I think I'll keep the fire going a while longer."
"Scared?" Daniels quipped with a sneer.
Rick made a point of tugging out both his pistols before he smirked back at the Texan. "Not so long as I have two hands to shoot with," he retorted tauntingly.
Daniels narrowed his indigo eyes in irritation before he stood up awkwardly, having to put all his weight on one hand as he did. "Night O'Connell," he grumbled.
"Night Daniels, hey how about you leave that jar for me as insurance for the hat and five hundred dollars you owe me?" he suggested. His grin widened at Daniels' look of disgust. "No? Alright but if you keep losing bets to me we're going to have to come with some sort of guarantee."
Daniels stormed off with a curse and Henderson hastened to catch up with him with a laugh. "Slow down Daniels," he called after his friend. He paused when the jackals called once more, longer and louder this time. "Shit there's no getting used to that sound," he murmured as he tugged out his Colt Single Action Army.
Henderson's blue eyes glittered in the faint light of the stars as they swept over the campsite cautiously; he spied Miss Carnahan moving towards O'Connell and the fire like a shy schoolgirl, and then Dr. Chamberlain still trying to open his book in frustration even as he glanced about the desert nervously. The blonde's gaze settled on Burns as the third of their party stumbled out of his tent tiredly, rubbing at his eyes wearily with one hand before he tugged on his spectacles. Unaware of being observed by his friend, Burns' eyes glanced about the campsite quickly, focusing on a particular area, evidently spying what he was looking for he then began to walk in a deliberate direction towards the right of Dr. Chamberlain.
"Where's Bernie going?" Henderson queried as he started to follow after his friend.
Daniels, following the blonde's gaze, realised he could harbour a confident guess as to where their friend was going. He let out a heavy sigh before tugging out his own Colt as the jackals called again. 'They'd better not come up here again,' he thought in annoyance as he walked with Henderson.
Burns found Jess alert and sitting upright staring out at the desert nervously, he caught her in a rare moment of surprise with Daniels' fedora in her lap as she clutched at it with both hands in a nervous embrace. She released the hat and turned sharply at Burns' footsteps, a glittering bronze sickle suddenly in the grasp of her right hand.
"Easy," Burns said softly, "I didn't mean to startle you."
"You didn't," she snapped.
Burns resisted a smile, knowing he had caught her in a lie. "Look Miss..." He let out a quiet sigh. "What is your name?" he queried curiously. "I mean," he flustered, "I'm not trying to pry, I just think it's rude to call you Jess, and well, it'd be nice to know your name."
"Why?" she queried coolly.
"Why not?" he retorted with a look of puzzlement.
"Because I don't use it anymore," she admitted quietly as she lowered the sickle at last and ran her free hand over Daniels' fedora, "it's a family name after all and I don't have a family anymore. It's just Jess now, like I said."
"No family at all?" Burns queried pityingly as he gave a small, bitter smile. "Well I know how it is to have lost family, we all know how that is."
"How so?" she questioned as she looked up at the man curiously. She gave a slight frown spying Henderson and Daniels approaching from behind.
"We've all lost someone close," he confessed, "me, Daniels, and Henderson, brought us closer together I suppose, brought us to Egypt too in a way."
"Why are you telling her that?" Daniels demanded.
Burns' eyes widened in surprise and his neck turned a faint red, though it went unseen under his cream shirt collar. He turned to give his angry companion an apologetic look before murmuring as he gestured to Jess awkwardly with one hand, "I was just talking to her Daniels."
"About personal things," Daniels growled accusingly.
"That is how you get to know people David," Burns retorted sardonically with a look of annoyance as he gave a slight frown. He put up with Daniels' temper the best but more often than not it was because he gave into the man rather than argued with him, it was rare that he bothered to quarrel with Daniels.
"We're not out here to make friends Bernie," Daniels grumbled back, mildly surprised that Burns actually wanted to dispute the matter.
"It couldn't hurt Daniels, quit being so hostile," Henderson scolded lightly. "Might be nice to learn something about Miss Jess." He looked pointedly at the fedora in her lap, his smile widening as he did, she had it grasped tightly in her left hand once more and the edge of her right hand resting against it as she continued to hold the sickle.
"Seems she's doing the learning," Daniels muttered as he too looked down at her. He saw the fear that darted through her eyes as the jackals barked again and noted how her hand seemed to clench his hat as if for dear life, they sounded closer this time.
"Why have you got Daniels' hat?" Henderson queried. "Did you want an excuse for him to come find you?" He let out a laugh when he saw the embarrassment that filled the young woman before it quickly turned to a forced anger. "Aww David, either Miss Jess has bad taste in clothes or she's sweet on you."
"Neither Mr. Henderson," Jess said coolly as she was thankful the night hid her blushing cheeks, "maybe you should wonder if I left everyone else's tent unscathed."
Henderson tipped his own hat up slightly with one hand as he gave her a small grin. "I don't wonder Miss Jess but I don't worry either, I don't leave the important things lying around for thieves." He let out a loud yawn as the jackals cried out again. "Suppose I'll have to think of that racket as the desert's lullaby," he commented dryly. "Anyway, time for bed, we'll have to get up early if we want to find something good. Where are you sleeping tonight Miss Jess?" He glanced at Burns out of the corner of his eye and gave a coy smile, knowing it was why Burns was here talking to the woman, the silly man was actually concerned for the woman. Well Henderson could understand that, she was a young woman, close in age to Katie he suspected, scruffier and without the style and etiquette of Katie but she had that same fiery spark and sharp wit. Henderson could see that there was a similarity, at least if one was desperately looking for it, and he knew Burns was.
She shrugged up at him. "Right here seems fine," she murmured.
He finally holstered his gun only to fold his arms and look down at her with a disbelieving shake of his head. "In the dark and the cold with those jackals preying about?"
"I'll be fine," she retorted but her words came out clipped and forceful and all of the men spied the unease in her stare.
"I was er...that is..." Burns babbled awkwardly. "I mean...I know it's improper...maybe even by the door..."
"Bernie what are you on about?" Daniels demanded as he faced his friend with a questioning stare.
Henderson chuckled. "He's trying to offer Miss Jess a bed without offering his bed. Poor Burns, always the gentleman."
"It's okay," Jess said quickly, "I've managed without a tent, I've a rug and the fire is still going, really, don't trouble yourselves."
"We won't," Daniels retorted calmly.
Henderson sighed, seeing the stubborn glint in the woman's gaze. The blonde recalled however how she had gladly slept in Beni's tent last night, though she had no idea it was the Hungarian's, or that he had been rudely shifted in with Dr. Chamberlain to accommodate the injured woman. He suspected that if the fear took her she would give up her pride and find better sanctuary. "Alright, well good night Miss Jess, at least sleep closer to the fire." He tipped his hat to her again and turned away.
Daniels turned as well and Burns, after giving her at last pleading look, reluctantly followed suit.
Jess turned as she heard a snarl and her eyes filled with worry and suspicion as she raised the sickle once more and peered out into the night. She was certain she had seen the silhouette of a jackal dart by between the ruins, only ten feet away. There was another! She tensed in alarm and felt a scream threaten to crawl up her throat when she saw something else. The dark forms of people stepping out from around the ruins, so quiet and still it was as if they were not but shadows. She thought they might be the nomads at first before she made out that their silhouettes had no robes and none of them appeared to be armed. She counted seven silhouettes and filled with unease as she realised one was the unmistakable form of a woman.
The jackals crept out too, one between each of the figures, staring at her with malicious amber eyes that seemed to glow unnaturally in the night. They opened their mouths and began to howl in unison as the wind blew its now familiar death rattle through the sands and with it came a whisper- Jessica. It came in a chorus of voices, mostly male and one soft female, causing tears to bud in her eyes as she realised she recognised those voices.
"STOP IT!" she shrieked as she sprang to her feet and waved out the sickle. "STOP IT!"
The young woman blinked and let out a gasp of confusion. She was still sitting on the pillar, sickle clenched in one hand, the fedora in the other as it still rested in her lap. She was looking at the slowly retreating forms of the Americans who were walking calmly, only a handful of steps from her. Her heart was beating hard against her chest and a cold sweat was trickling down her already icy skin. Had it all been a hallucination? A strange vision? She swallowed hard, it must have been, if she had really been shouting and the jackals howling, and figures had been standing out there the Americans would have reacted to it.
The jackals sounded again, a sudden collection of howls that caught everyone's attention for a moment.
Daniels flinched and turned warily as Jess bumped into him and Henderson. Henderson looked down at her and subdued a smile, even he couldn't mock her fears, the jackals sounded uncomfortably close and yet he could not see them. "Let's get to the tents," the blonde suggested calmly, "and call it a night."
"I'll trade you sanctuary for information," Daniels offered suddenly as he gave Jess a taunting stare. "Your name for a start," he added seriously, "and why you're out here."
She frowned up at him and retorted icily, "and how do you know I'd tell the truth?"
He shrugged. "You haven't lied about your name or business yet even though it would have been the easier thing to do. Look, we're not going to interfere with it so long as it doesn't interfere with our own and you witnessed our discovery, it's only fair."
Jess looked back at him crossly even as she thought of the broken lion jar hidden in her pockets and supposed maybe she did owe them something for that. "Thornwood," she confessed in a low, heavy voice, spitting out the name as if it was poisonous on her tongue. "That was my name."
"Have you married?" Daniels asked sardonically.
"No," she answered sullenly.
"Then it's still your name."
"Well I'd rather no one used it," she retorted coldly. She considered a retreat, reasoning with herself that settling by the fire would be safe enough but then the jackals started again, as if purposely taunting her.
"And you have no family left at all?" Burns queried quietly with a curious look as he stepped past Henderson to look at the woman.
"None, they're all dead."
Both Burns and Daniels suppressed a chill as they were immediately reminded of the words Jess had cried to them in the tombs earlier in the day. Neither knew why but somehow they both realised that was what she had been shouting about in the tombs- 'they're all dead', her family.
'Why though?' Daniels wondered moodily. 'Why was she randomly yelling about that today? What happened to them?'
"Is that why you're out here?" Henderson pried, his poker face on as he hid his sympathy from his face. "Nothing to lose, everything to gain?"
"Something like that," she murmured wearily. "Isn't it why you're all here?"
"We're fortune hunters," the blonde reminded her, "it's in our blood, seeking adventure and glory."
"We've had our losses though," Burns confessed, much to the chagrin of Daniels, "my sister..." He trailed off and shook his head.
"And you two?" Jess queried as her eyes darted from Henderson to Daniels.
"Not your business," Daniels answered frostily.
"My brother and wife," Henderson obliged her with an answer as he tugged off his cowboy hat with one hand and held it against his chest in a moment of respect. He met Daniels' heated gaze and remarked, "ain't nothing wrong with talking about it David, we've all suffered and we are still hurting but ignoring it doesn't make it better."
"No," Jess startled them with an answer, "but ignoring it keeps the madness away."
Daniels privately agreed with Jess' sentiments on the matter.
"What happened to your family?" Burns queried, his eyes lost behind the reflection of the moon against his glasses.
Jess looked at him and found herself quickly looking away, it was as if the man had no eyes, it made her uncomfortable. "Egypt happened to them," she admitted angrily. "Beware curses, not all of them are make believe."
"Ha," Daniels was quick to scorn. "Let's get to bed already, I don't want to hear anymore about mummies and plagues and all that tripe."
"Have I told you enough for sanctuary?" Jess queried coldly as she fixed her wary stare on him.
"No," he answered flatly, "but I'd feel a little bad if I found you picked bones for the jackals in the morning." He gave a taunting grin when he saw the discomfort dance in her eyes. 'I don't like those eyes of hers sometimes,' he thought to himself, 'it's like there something's not quite human in her.'
Henderson let out a laugh. "Try and act like a gentleman tonight even if you aren't one Daniels," he jested.
Daniels just shook his head and started walking off.
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