They reached the trading post just as the swollen, full moon started rising and cast them all in a forgiving white light. They were exhausted from walking for so long and so far, kept going by the thought of all the horrors following them in desert. The canteens were all drained dry and everyone was irritable from heat, fatigue, hunger and thirst.

"We'll stop here," Ardeth allowed, knowing that no one was going to be persuaded to keep going through the night.

"Hopefully they'll sell us some food cheap," Rick murmured.

"And horses," Henderson grumbled, "I'm sick of walking." He was at the back of the group matching pace with a noticeably disoriented Jess who had, for the past hour, been stumbling rather than walking, and murmuring incoherently under her breath.

"Gentlemen it's all in the art of negotiation," Jonathan commented brightly as he stepped forward, "first, let's see about joining their camp." He looked to the glowing fire hopefully, his stomach letting out an eager grumble as he smelt the meat cooking in the air. "That's definitely not rat," he remarked happily as he hurried on.

Daniels halted with Burns to watch Jonathan. The Englishman greeted the Bedouin traders with a grin, talking briskly and gesturing several times to the Americans happily. Daniels frowned as he was certain he caught the words 'gullible', 'dollars' and 'gold' on the air. Yet even he couldn't resist when the trader and Jonathan both turned to the sorry looking group with grins and waved them over.

"This wonderful chap says we can join their camp," Jonathan remarked happily, "in fact he says we can have supper too so long as we promise to trade fairly in the morning." He let out a laugh at that.

"Trade what?" Daniels grumbled with a suspicious look.

"Maybe your hat Daniels," Rick jested.

"Oh who cares," Evelyn snapped, "I'm starving!"

The group moved to settle at the camp. Evelyn glanced back for Jess, frowning when she saw how the girl still looked a sickly grey and was sweating despite the cool evening air. She waited for the woman and Henderson to reach her and held out a helpful hand. "Come on," she said kindly, "let's get close to the fire."

"No," Jess protested almost sleepily, "I'm too warm."

"Come on Miss er...Jess we need to burn that fever out of you," Evelyn urged more firmly as she tugged the woman on.

They flopped down around the fire with only the briefest of greeting to the traders, leaving Jonathan to play the charismatic charmer of the party. When they were given some cooked chicken, bread and wine, all of which Jess refused, they became a little more talkative.

Within thirty minutes everyone felt a tad better and Jess had nodded off uneasily into a sweaty slumber.

"Danny? Danny where are you?" Jess startled everyone with her mumbling.

"Danny?" Jonathan echoed curiously as he peered from her to Daniels. "Does she mean you?"

"No," Daniels snapped back with a scowl as he leaned back into the sand. "Daniels is my last name, why the hell would she would turn that into Danny?"

"Richard, oh God Richard!" she called out followed by a moan.

Evelyn sighed and extended out a tender hand to the woman's brow. "She's burning up badly," she murmured with a look of sympathy.

"Richard?" Jonathan repeated again as his curious gaze fell on Rick.

"No Jonathan," Rick remarked flatly, "not me either. Seriously, when have you heard anyone call me Richard?"

"Richard where's Edward? Oh God where is he?"

"Girl knows a lot of men," Dr. Chamberlain grumbled nastily. As usual he sat with the group and yet aloof from them, a few inches back from the fire and out of the small circle and yet still within the safety of the camp and close enough to appreciate the warmth of the flames.

"Mummy can't see," Jess sobbed out.

"Not that again," Daniels grumbled darkly.

"What again?" Rick demanded as he picked up on the American's grumbles.

Daniels looked across the fire at Rick and shrugged. "Nothing, girl's having another nightmare."

"Johnny," Henderson queried suddenly with a thoughtful look, "do you know the name Thornwood?"

Burns gave a groan of protest that the blonde ignored. Burns frowned, wishing sorely that he could see his friend to give him an angry shove. Jess had told them her family name in confidence, alright Daniels had somewhat forced it out of her but still, Burns knew she had expected them not to talk about it even if she hadn't been explicit about it.

"Thornwood?" Jonathan retorted with a perplexed look. He raised the wooden cup of wine in his hand and took a deep gulp before suddenly spitting it out again causing the fire to flare up briefly.

"What the hell?" Daniels snarled as he sat upright in alarm whilst Rick cursed and Henderson laughed.

"Jonathan what is it?" Evelyn quipped as she leaned across to her brother.

"Thornwood!" Jonathan repeated with an excited looked. "Evie don't you remember? We knew them once, briefly, our parents and Lord and Lady Thornwood were acquainted when we were in England."

"Lord and Lady?" Daniels sneered followed by a snort of contempt.

"Yes," Jonathan continued excitedly whilst Evelyn just looked confused, "of Thornwood Manor, they owned a lot of land in the country, born to it of course, eighth cousins to royalty or something like that. Six sons and one daughter, Lady Thornwood came from Ireland, they had another home there too." He leaned past his sister to peer down at the unconscious Jess. "Let me think, Richard was the eldest, yes, five years older than me, then there was...Lorcan, Corbin, Edward, Daniel, and Fergus, he was the youngest, last born, the sister came before him...Jessica!" he cried it out with a snap of fingers.

"Jessica?" Evelyn and Rick repeated dubiously at the same time. They shared a look and Evelyn blushed as Rick grinned.

Jonathan nodded confidently. "Yes, but..." He frowned and shuddered.

"What is it Johnny?" Henderson pressed for information.

"Oh Evelyn don't you remember?" Jonathan remarked with a look of frustration. "That family became infamous."

Evelyn continued to look confused for a moment before her eyes seemed to fill with a spark of knowledge. "Oh yes, Lord Thornwood was an explorer like our father, he was meant to be with them looking for Tutankhamen only...oh dear..." She trailed off and gave Jess a look of sorrow. "He died didn't he?" She made it a question but the certainty was clear in her hazel eyes.

"If only it were so simple," Jonathan grumbled, "he didn't just die Evie."

"What does that mean?" Rick quipped suspiciously.

Dr. Chamberlain spoke up then in a low voice, startling them all with his sudden intrusion into the conversation, "Lord Thornwood is famous for two things, unearthing a forgotten temple to Set about fourteen years ago, and going mad and murdering his family months after."

"What?" Henderson demanded sharply as he looked at the Egyptologist in horror. "Come on, that's not funny."

"It's true," Jonathan remarked sombrely, "no one is sure of the details of course, they say he came back from Egypt with his son, Richard, rich and happy but then... Well he gradually got rid of his servants, they said there was a curse on the family but no one listened, I mean they were servants and they had been let go."

"He killed his family," Daniels remarked grimly, "six sons, just like that?"

"Well," Jonathan answered weakly, "it wasn't...I mean...it was just them in that house for months and there was all this talk of a disease from Egypt that had infected them, something contagious, so no one went near it and no one came out from it either." He swallowed hard. "Rumours mentioned survivors, some said a son, or a daughter," he added as he looked pointedly at Jess again, "maybe both, maybe none, maybe a maid as well."

"Survivors of what?" Henderson asked hoarsely. "How did the man kill his entire family, or most of them anyway?"

"Gradually," Dr. Chamberlain commented icily as he peered at them calmly, one eye glinting from behind a monocle, "according to reports they were all tortured before they were killed. People said the man must have been possessed. His brother was the one to intrude, he went to the house and found it all, a son missing his ears, another...well no longer a man, and his wife, blind and grinning from ear to ear."

"Jesus fucking Christ," Daniels cursed bluntly as his eyes rolled down to the now trembling Jess.

"How...I mean if she's the same, how did she end up out here?" Henderson wondered aloud.

"What do you meant the same?" Rick queried suddenly as he looked to Henderson suspiciously. "Why did you even ask about the name Thornwood? Did she tell you that was her name?"

"Yes," Henderson confessed gruffly, wincing as Burns made a point of nipping his hand. "I'm sorry Bernie," he grumbled, "I know I shouldn't have said nothin' but I was curious."

"Wait she is the Jessica Thornwood then?" Jonathan marvelled. "But how did she end up out here?"

"How did any of us?" Daniels queried sardonically.

"And why?" Rick pondered.

"So her father found Set's temple and cursed the family," Ardeth concluded darkly, making it clear that he had been listening in on their conversation, "but that wasn't enough of a lesson for her?"

"That's hardly fair," Evelyn chided him, "you don't know her and none of us knows what she was looking for in Hamunaptra." She sighed and hugged her knees close with a shake of her head. "What were any of us looking for?" she wondered aloud in despair.

"Let's not talk about it anymore," Henderson grumbled.

"Mummy can't see," Jess choked out, "daddy put down the knife, mummy can't see." Her eyes suddenly snapped open, bloodshot with huge pupils as she shot upright, almost banging into Evelyn as she did. She backed across the sand just as suddenly, both palms moving rapidly as she let out several sharp pants and her eyes rolled about in confusion. She tensed when she banged into Daniels and turned her head suddenly to face him.

"It's alright jackal," he murmured tiredly, "we're just at camp."

She looked at him in bewilderment and let out a groan of pain, turning her head left and right as one hand reached up to touch her burning brow. "What?" she gasped out. Her head felt like it was on fire and everything seemed to have an odd, blurred, glowing quality to it.

"Here," Evelyn said as she leaned forward across the sand to reach the woman.

The movement startled Jess as she turned sharply, enough to hurt her neck, and backed into Daniels instinctively even as she raised her sickle defensively.

Daniels sighed as her crown banged against his chin even as Rick approached her from the left side, catching her by surprise as he grabbed her hand, restraining it.

"Let go!" she protested.

"Put down the sickle and I'll let go," Rick retorted calmly, "we don't need an injury because you're feverish and don't know what you're doing."

"Oh really," Evelyn scolded him, "you're frightening her! Jess, look at me, I've got some water for you."

Jess turned back to the woman with uncertainty and looked down at the canteen in her hand. She reached for it with her free hand and pulled it back before grumbling, "I need two hands to open it."

"Drop the sickle," Rick ordered.

Jess sighed before letting the sickle hit the ground harmlessly. Rick released her hand and she was quick to tug out the stopper in the canteen and gulp down its contents greedily.

"Slow," Rick advised.

Jess stopped and held the canteen back to Evelyn, only she swayed it left and right as if uncertain where Evelyn was. "Thanks," she murmured as she rubbed at her sweaty brow once more.

Evelyn accepted the canteen with a smile. "You should go back to sleep," she advised, "you need your rest."

"Right," Jess murmured wearily as her brief moment of clarity became lost and her gaze turned cloudy again, "right...mummy can't see though, mummy needs to see."

"Alright jackal, enough of that," Daniels grumbled.

"Jesh," Burns tried to state firmly in an attempt to rebuke Daniels but his voice failed him and he sagged with misery.

Henderson shrugged off his mustard coloured vest and moved back to Jess, bundling it over her shoulders gently. "You need to keep warm Miss Jess, just lie down and get comfortable again."

"No," she mumbled, "no Richard something's not right, can't sleep, please, something's not right."

Henderson tried to pull her back gently with both hands but she surprised him and Daniels by grasping at the Texan suddenly with both hands.

"No!" she shrieked. "Daddy let go! Let go! Oh God daddy let go!" She started to sob and both men exchanged a look of revulsion.

"Let her go Henry," Daniels advised quietly, "we'll get no peace if you don't."

Henderson sighed and obeyed, moving back to Burns who gargled in confusion, "Jesh?"

"She's...she's alright," Henderson retorted weakly, failing to disguise the lie in his words.

The group fell into an uneasy silence after that, save for Jess' confused whimpers. When she grew a little calmer, Daniels finally eased her off him, welcoming Evelyn's help in positioning the woman into a slightly more comfortable position near the fire and beneath Henderson's vest. Almost as an afterthought, Daniels tugged off his fedora and rested it on her head, tipping the brow down so that her face was lost beneath it. "There," he murmured quietly, "now you can't see anything nasty."

It was as they spied Fort Brydon that the group filled with relief. A lasting sign of foreign rule, the fort stood as both part of Cairo and apart from it, a building of military strength, dignitaries and the odd tourist who was of wealth or interest or both. Ardeth and his followers had finally left them; assured that whilst they were by no means safe they were no longer vulnerable to the desert at least.

"Well you can't do much better than a fort," Rick commented hopefully as he led the tired and dusty group upon his camel.

"Ain't it a sight for sore eyes," Henderson remarked with a look of subdued pleasure. "We'll get you help here Bernie," he said confidently, "food, good bed, bath too and then..." He trailed off and glanced past Burns to Daniels.

The three Americans rode side by side, no longer proud adventurers eager for a thrill, they were noticeably drained, quiet and pale. Daniels and Henderson were taking turns to support Burns between them, guiding his camel when he got nervous with the reins and gripping his hand or shoulder every so often just to assure him that they were near.

"Alexandria," Daniels murmured, "we'll get a boat there."

"Now that sounds like a good plan," Rick enthused.

Evelyn frowned but did not bother with an argument, when they arrived and she got herself into suitable quarters then she would make clear her plan to undo the damage they had caused.

"So what are we left with now anyway?" Jess queried brightly. Her fever had broken with the dawn and she was noticeably improved, though still pale and tired looking. "We had locusts and frogs, anything else?" She had picked up on the none too subtle glances of pity Henderson and Jonathan sneaked her and the way Daniels seemed to be going easier on her and that Evelyn was even nicer than usual but she could not figure out why, having no idea that her family's dark history had been discussed last night.

"No but I haven't seen any livestock out here," Jonathan retorted, "maybe we missed that."

"Or not," Rick replied dryly as they finally reached the shadows of the fort and spied a few pens spoiled with the carcasses of pigs and cattle.

Dr. Chamberlain frowned and paled before grumbling, "stupid woman should have never read from the book, cursed us all with her ignorance."

"The stupid woman has perfectly good hearing you know," Evelyn chided him from behind.

"Did you just refer to yourself as stupid?" Rick queried with a mocking smile.

"At least we know what to expect from our guy," Jonathan mused as he glanced over at Jess, "what about from your guy?"

"Really? My guy?" she queried sardonically as she rolled her eyes at him. "You mean Set?"

"Well yes, assuming you have awoken his wrath," Jonathan replied with a small grin.

"And who's your guy exactly?" Jess demanded with a questioning stare as she pulled her camel to a halt and dismounted.

"He Who Shall Not Be Named," Jonathan answered dramatically.

"Oh good, so you woke up someone you don't even know," Jess replied mockingly.

"Yes well you annoyed a chaos god," Jonathan retorted childishly as he dismounted too, "much worse than an unknown mummy."

Jess shrugged. "We'll see whose guy is worse in the long run."

"Really, you two are competing over this?" Rick remarked with a disbelieving shake of his head as he stepped up to the pair. "Because it doesn't matter if we all die so long as one monster is clearly worse than the other. By the way, I'm still not willing to believe in Egyptian gods here but if they are real I think they trump mummies Jonathan."

They approached the fort as a small group, letting Rick do the talking when it came to explaining their presence to the guards and getting entry. The fort gave them hope; it looked impenetrable, protected by tall, sandy walls with soldiers in pith helmets standing guard on top and at the only entrance. The entrance itself was a work of beauty, a small arched hollow, which could be sealed by bars of iron with three arches rising above it, each with different carvings, and then two rectangular frames of stone. Above this opening a tattered British flag flapped lazily in the breeze, a reminder of the empire's presence.

The soldiers at the opening seemed more than happy to offer a legionnaire aid and expressed an obvious admiration for the Americans, which Jonathan was quick to grumble scorns about once they were safely behind the walls of the fort.

There was a sharp yip and Jess let out a cry of delight before running forward as a black pharaoh hound slipped out from behind a small group of people in the courtyard and came running over to her, ears perked up and its thin tail wagging happily. "Anu!" she greeted jovially.

"What the hell kind of dog is that?" Henderson queried as he looked at the hound in puzzlement with mild revulsion glinting in his deep blue eyes.

"Is that a dog?" Daniels remarked dubiously. "It looks like those statues of that thing, what's his name."

"Ah yes," Jonathan commented merrily as he stood beside Daniels, "the holy Whatshisname, god of Whoknows and Thingamajigs."

Daniels frowned openly at the Englishman, his frown deepening when he heard Henderson snickering. "Coming from someone whose sister raised He Who Shall Not Be Named that's a bit rich," Daniels grumbled.

"At any rate," Evelyn remarked coldly as she made a point of elbowing Daniels to squeeze in between him and Jonathan to get a better view of Jess and the dog, "you mean Anubis Mr. Daniels, and that is a Pharaoh Hound."

Jess had now crouched down and was scratching behind the dog's ears with a wide grin. "I missed you boy," she remarked fondly as she hugged the dog about the neck.

"Anyway, let's get rooms sorted," Daniels muttered before he gripped Burns' right arm loosely and turned him in the direction of the fort's open main doors. They started walking across the cracked tiles of the busy courtyard bypassing tourists, soldiers and servants alike.

"See you later," Henderson murmured as he followed after his friends.

"Rooms would be a good idea," Evelyn mused.

"Let's get them sorted then," Jonathan replied, "and then a drink I think."

Evelyn kept her gaze on Jess though, frowning when both her brother and Rick looked to her impatiently. "She's a part of the group now," Evelyn pointed out as she looked to Rick pointedly, "and the curse or curses, I'm a little confused over the details of that."

"So what are you saying?" Rick murmured as he gestured to the younger woman with one hand. "She's a thief Evelyn; she can sort out her own accommodation."

"I'm saying we should try to stick together," Evelyn retorted firmly as she rested her hands on her hips and held his stare with her own fierce hazel glower, "together we have a better chance."

"I don't know," Jonathan argued, "the Set thing seems directed to her, especially considering her history, maybe we should just leave her to it, seems unwise to draw Set's attention to us when we already have the mummy's."

"Jonathan that woman is alone without any family in the world and probably no friends, she needs us," Evelyn protested.

"Well now, she has a dog," Rick pointed out with a smirk.

Jess, sensing eyes on her, stood up and gave the trio a small smile before walking back to them. "This is Anu," she introduced, gesturing down to the black dog with both hands.

"A pleasure," Rick retorted sardonically.

"Miss Jess I must insist that we share accommodation," Evelyn addressed the younger woman firmly, "it would be the wisest decision given the circumstances."

"I appreciate the offer," Jess retorted calmly, "but-"

"No buts," Evelyn interrupted sharply, surprising them by seizing Jess' right arm as she did, "we will share quarters on the same floor at the very least if you won't share a room." She turned with Jess and stared marching off, following in the Americans' wake.

Jonathan and Rick exchanged a look before following after them along with an excited Anu.

They reached the reception in time to hear Daniels snapping obscenities at the clerk. "Stop gawking at him you bloody asshole!" Daniels snarled angrily as he leaned across the marble counter.

"David calm down," Henderson chided as he thumbed through his dollars with a sigh, pushing over another one at each curse Daniels gave.

"Ish okay," Burns rasped out. He knew the dispute was over him, he had heard the clerk exclaim 'oh my God he has no eyes!' He also knew that Daniels' shouting was only causing more people to look their way and notice his deformities and he winced to hear more muttering.

"He's no eyes."

"Jesus how is he alive?"

"Is he...couldn't they cover it? It's so hideous."

"Poor chap," Jonathan sympathised as they queued up behind the unlucky trio.

"To hell with him!" Daniels ranted as he gestured out to the clerk and glowered at Henderson. "And to hell with everyone else looking, judgemental bastards!"

"You know I think we should give these people something else to look at," Jess murmured, frowning as she saw how Burns winced and tried to shrink away between his friends. 'It's hard enough without everyone drawing attention to it,' she thought as she shared some of Daniels' anger.

"Fast before Mr. Daniels gets himself escorted off the property," Evelyn remarked with a nod towards the scowling soldiers who were eyeing Daniels with a heavy disapproval.

Jonathan let out a sudden yell of shock when Jess dealt him a loud, stinging slap to his right cheek. She then held her hand up to her brow dramatically and yelled, "oh you filthy cad! I can't believe it! You slept with my sister and my cousin, together, and us on honeymoon!"

Jonathan's eyes went wide and his jaw dropped down in disbelief as he started spluttering, too surprised to form any words.

Henderson immediately glanced over his shoulder at the yelling and watched in confusion whilst Rick folded his arms and tried to subdue a smile.

Jess pressed her hand against his mouth and snapped with a glower. "Don't you dare utter a word! I shan't believe anymore of your lies and me a young widow too before I met you." She gave a drawn out sigh before dropping her hand from him and crying out, "well I shall just have to..." She paused suddenly and gave a malevolent smirk before turning to the shocked Evelyn and flinging herself upon her as she concluded, "run off with your sister!"

There were several loud gasps as several women paled and a few men leaned forward to hear the conversation better as their cheeks reddened slightly.

"Er...what?" Evelyn croaked with a nervous look as she found herself tightly embraced.

"I'm afraid I'll have to ruin that fantasy," Rick interrupted calmly, catching on to Jess' game, "since she is with me."

"I am?" Evelyn gasped as her cheeks turned red and she looked to Rick questioningly.

"Yes," he answered with a wide smirk as he held out a hand towards her. He then turned to Jess and remarked, "so you missy will just have to make up with the..."

"Cheating bastard," Jess filled in helpfully before she released Evelyn with a dramatic sigh and sniffed. "Oh very well." She turned back to Jonathan, beaming from ear to ear and said, "I suppose it's just as well you're like a wild horse in our marriage bed."

Henderson let out a choking noise at that which he quickly turned into a cough as he immediately turned back to the counter whilst Evelyn gaped in surprise as her cheeks turned scarlet.

There was a bang as one woman actually passed out from shock whilst others let out several more gasps of horror.

Poor Jonathan continued gawking like a fish as he turned a deep shade of purple.

The clerk, anxious to get rid of this scene of debauchery and scandal, rushed the Americans with their rooms, barely glancing at any of the three as he took their cash and offered them keys. He was even quicker in snatching Rick's coin, which was actually from Jonathan's wallet though he wasn't to realise it, frowning at the American's mocking grin before quipping, "how many rooms?"

"Oh I think three," Rick decided, "let's keep the horseplay to a minimum hmm?"

The clerk's eyes filled with disapproval at Rick's pun before he turned, snatched up three brass keys, and handed them over to Rick hastily. "Upstairs," he snapped, "same as them," he added, jerking a thumb in the direction of the retreating Americans.

Jonathan had been sent out by Evelyn to fetch clothes from their quarters and her pet cat Cleo. His protests about being vulnerable by himself had fallen on deaf ears as Evelyn had all but shoved him out leaving Evelyn and Rick to a hot debate over whether they should take flight, as Rick wanted, or face the mummy, as Evelyn was insisting. Avoiding the argument, Jess had slipped down to the bar to procure a beverage with her nimble fingers. After finding something suitable she then headed back to their chambers but upon hearing Rick and Evelyn's passionate voices yelling, she turned and headed for another door instead with Anu close behind her.

It was Henderson who opened the door, shirt open exposing his tanned torso and revealing a few faint scars at his chest. "Miss Jess," he greeted happily as he tugged off his cowboy hat and rubbed a streak of sweat from his brow before replacing the hat. "You just don't get used to the heat do you?"

Jess held up the bottle of bourbon before commenting calmly, "maybe this will help. I didn't want to drink alone and O'Connell and Evelyn are a little busy at the moment."

Henderson let out a laugh at that before stepping back from the doorway. "Whilst a woman with a bottle of bourbon is probably a dangerous thing I'm going to say come in anyway because I'm bloody thirsty."

Daniels, who was standing near the two seater Burns was sitting on, glanced up as Jess entered with Anu and eyed the bottle she carried pointedly. "And what are you looking to toast?" he queried frostily. "Your honeymoon or the impending divorce?"

Jess gave a sheepish smile at this and shrugged. "Both maybe, or it's possible," she added with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, "that I'm here to drown my sorrows because Evelyn would rather stay with O'Connell than run off with me."

Daniels looked at his shoes suddenly and said nothing whilst Henderson sniggered even as his neck coloured slightly.

Their quarters were just as large and extravagant as Evelyn's, leather couches, gold lamps, mahogany furnishings, paintings in gilded frames, a bookshelf full of expensive looking leather tomes, and the faint flair of Egyptian ornaments and decor. They were in the sitting room, which had gold walls, and a cream tiled floor with several rugs thrown over it.

Jess stepped up to the mahogany coffee table and put the bottle down in the centre of it before taking a seat on the chair beside Burns. It was a tan leather seat with several cushions and silk blankets flung over it to add comfort and beauty to it. Jess glanced over her shoulder at the dark blue silk as she felt it against her neck before she reached out a hand to Burns, brushing her fingertips against his knuckles lightly. "Hey," she greeted softly.

He turned to her inquisitively, sensing her shudder of revulsion even as she tried to hide it. "Hey," he greeted though it came out as a hoarse gargle rather than a word.

"Wanna drink and spit in the face of the world?" she quipped casually.

"Yesh," he answered swiftly. Right now nothing sounded better to the man, just one moment of forgetting his torture was better than nothing. He was numb now thanks to the balms and herbs Ardeth had provided him with but they only numbed his physical pain, alcohol was needed to numb the mental pain.

There was the sound of a match striking as Henderson lit a cigar and took a deep puff, letting out a pleasurable sigh as he did. "Let's drink then," the blonde said.

"To what?" Daniels asked sullenly as he frowned over at Jess. He wasn't willing to appreciate her attempt to lighten the mood, seeing it as an unwanted intrusion.

"Oh I know," Henderson commented suddenly as he snatched up three tumblers from a counter and headed over to the coffee table. "To the love triangle that is you, that battered hat of yours, and Jess," he joked as he poured three glasses. He nudged one to Jess, placed one in Burns' hands and then lifted the third before smirking at the scowling Daniels. "Come on David," he urged, "it's laugh or cry at this point."

Daniels sighed before heading to the counter and grabbing a glass. "Fine," he grumbled as he headed to the bottle, "but only because I need a drink. I ain't toasting to that though," he added stubbornly.

It was just over an hour later that Jonathan returned, arms laden with cases and one unimpressed white cat. His brow was slick with sweat, his cheeks flushed, his cream shirt damp and his dark hair unkempt beneath his pith hat from his labours in the Egyptian heat. Hearing familiar, merry voices through the door near his own quarters, he was quick in hastening in to his temporary room, and dumping the cases and cat before Evelyn.

Evelyn who was still pouting, regarded her brother with mild distain as he handled her luggage and pet with distain. "Jonathan really," she scolded.

"Come on," Jonathan urged her and O'Connell quickly with a wave, "they're having a bloody party over there."

Rick and Evelyn exchanged a dubious look even as Jonathan hurried back out to the hall.

"A party?" Evelyn echoed. "Ridiculous, with all this going on, they couldn't be."

"Only one way to find out," Rick said before he hurried after Jonathan. Though he wasn't about to admit it in front of Evelyn the thought of some merry distraction might actually be welcome. His arguing with the stubborn woman had drained him and the heat wasn't helping matters.

Henderson opened the door to Jonathan's inquisitive knocking and gave the three a grin. "Well look who it is," he greeted mockingly with a dark twinkle in his cerulean gaze, "our cursed companions."

"Can't we be soldiers of fortune or happy explorers?" Jonathan queried with a nervous smile.

Henderson gave an almost forced laugh as he shook his head unhappily before standing back from the doorway. "Come in and join us in drowning out the misery."

"Oh really," Evelyn sniffed even as Rick pushed her in, "is drink really the answer? We should be planning, researching-"

"Evie I wanted to leave, you didn't," Rick reminded her faltly, "if we're being insane and staying I need a drink." He walked past her and accepted the glass Henderson swiftly procured for him.

There were now three bottles on the table as Henderson had been good enough to fetch more. Daniels was knocking shots back hastily like there was no tomorrow whilst Burns sipped through his drink, struggling to swallow without his tongue and wincing as the alcohol burned the raw wound in his throat. Jess was rosy cheeked with sparkling eyes as she greeted Jonathan and the others with a small smile.

"Gentlemen certain death is out there and getting ever closer," Evelyn reminded them crossly with a frown.

"Ain't it always," Daniels grumbled.

Jess poured a fresh glass, stood and pressed it into Evelyn's hand. "If we're going to die we're going to die," she mused with a shrug, "may as well have fun in the meantime."

Evelyn protested for another fifteen minutes before Rick and Jonathan goaded her into joining them and when she finally started to sip at her glass they, along with Henderson, hollered at her until she downed it and then they applauded, laughing when she let out a very unlady like burp.

They continued on like this for another couple of hours, purposely forcing themselves into a carefree attitude, all of them knowing it could only be temporary. Henderson brought out the cards for Jonathan and Rick whilst Daniels just cursed and gave Rick a rude gesture when asked about his hat and a certain five hundred dollars. He sat in a chair, head bowed beneath said hat, saying little and moving only to grab his glass. Jess remained with Burns who gave a faint smile when Anu nuzzled against his knee and welcomed the man's hand on his back.

"You know Miss Thornwood you were quite right, we should have fun!" Evelyn commented merrily as she twirled about the floor with a giggle.

The room suddenly fell silent then as Jess looked at Evelyn questioningly before her gaze turned suspicious as it flickered to Daniels and then Henderson.

"How do you know my name?" Jess queried coldly as she looked back to Evelyn once more.

Jonathan seemed to miss the tone in the young woman's voice as he leaned over the back of his chair with one arm to face her and blurted out, "your name is infamous, what happened to your family was bloody awful."

Jess stood up without a word and stormed to the door, ignoring Burns' feeble protests as she did.

"You fools," Rick chided softly as Jess hastened to the hall, shutting the door before Anu could follow her out of the room.

The Pharaoh Hound pawed at the door in confusion and started to whine.

"I er..." Jonathan babbled as he stood up. "I'll go after her."

"Maybe not," Evelyn said as she touched her brow with one hand, "I will um...when the room stops spinning that is."

Rick was quick to dart forward and catch Evelyn by her shoulders before she could fall backwards. She turned to him with an embarrassed smile and his eyes widened as she rewarded him with a kiss.

As Anu continued to whine Daniels stood up suddenly, pushing his chair back forcefully enough for it to screech loudly on the floor. "Damn dog," he cursed as he marched over to the door and tugged it open. "Out you go, noisy mutt!" he snapped at Anu.

The dog looked up at him in terror, its ears flattening down against its head as it whined again.

"Out!" Daniels snapped as he raised his foot threateningly. He had no intentions of kicking the animal, just spooking it and it had the desired effect, the dog let out a snarl before hurrying into the hall.

"What did you do that for David?" Henderson demanded as he stood up and gave his friend an angry look.

"It's her bloody dog, let it find her," Daniels grumbled back.

"It's just a dog David and you frightened it, it'll run out in no direction and get lost, probably some other asshole will end up kicking it," Henderson berated him.

"Don't call me an asshole!" Daniels retorted hotly, gripping the edge of the door tightly as he did to steady his balance. "I'm not the one who brought up her name!"

Henderson muttered something his breath before saying, "ah you're right, I shouldn't have done that. Shit, I'll go after her before she finds herself trouble."

"She is trouble," Daniels mumbled.

"Davit," Burns attempted to scorn his friend though his voice came out quieter than intended.

Daniels glanced over at his friend, the rage in his eyes giving way to guilt as he let out a laboured sigh. "What is it Bernie?" he queried, trying hard not to sound harsh with his friend.

"Shesh scarehed..." He paused in frustration as salvia trickled down his chin. "Like Kashie and Bet..." He swallowed hard.

Daniels bowed his head to hide his troubled expression before retorting moodily, "she's not your sister Burns, she's a filthy thief, remember that." With those words Daniels stormed back to his chair and seized another glass off the table.

"I'll bring her back Bernie don't worry," Henderson said as he gave Daniels a glower before hastening out to the hall. Unsure as to where the girl would have gone he headed down the hall and down the stairs to the busy lobby where he found a worried Anu cowering. The blonde approached the dog cautiously, holding out a hand for it to sniff. "It's alright boy," he said gently, "I only want to help you find her."

Back upstairs the mood quickly turned sombre, Evelyn had passed out on a chair and Rick had dismissed himself to help Henderson. After twenty minutes, Daniels, seeking fresh air and some peace from Evelyn's surprisingly loud snoring, dismissed himself to the balcony outside without a word.

He closed the sliding door behind him with a grunt of impatience as it was stiff and hard to click into place. The balcony was old, the intricate, arched, white, stone wall in need of a new coat paint. Daniels leaned over it with a heavy sigh, taking in the view of Cario as day gave way to night and the city slowly came to life as lights blinked into existence. It was just as his eyes settled on the pyramids and he recalled grimly how they had once seemed so inviting and wondrous that he finally realised he wasn't out here alone. He tensed as he tried to realise what made him think that before he finally realised it was breathing and the sound of shoes scraping slightly on stone.

The Texan turned to the right to ungracefully lean over the wall to the adjoining balcony. There she was, he should have guessed it, it was the balcony to the Carnahans' quarters after all, sitting in the shadows, back against the wall, knees hunched up, arms hugging them close and a teary gaze staring out through the arch gaps at the city emptily.

"Everyone's looking for you," Daniels informed her crossly as he continued to lean over the balcony, letting out a curse when his hat tumbled off to land at the right side of her feet.

Jess' eyes flickered to the battered hat and she shook her head with a watery smile. "That damn hat," she grumbled, "anyone would think you wanted to lose it."

"Hey long," Daniels murmured, "I'll get it." He tried to clamber over the balcony, somehow convincing himself that it was an easy task but for some reason the ground seemed further away than he thought and his feet wouldn't cooperate with the rest of him.

There was a loud bang and several swears as Daniels fell over the wall and landed hard on the balcony tiles in a tangle of limbs. Jess was startled as a giggle escaped her at the sight. She rubbed at her tears hastily with one hand before inching forward to right the man, giggling again at the scowl on his face. She plucked up his hat, dusted it off and then placed it back on his head. "There you go," she murmured, "right as you'll ever be Mr. Daniels."

He met her watery gaze with his own serious yet slightly blurred indigo stare and suddenly blurted out, "I yelled at your dog. He was annoying me, dogs annoy me, so do cats, anyway, not his fault he's a dog, Henderson went after him or you, maybe both of you."

"Okay, I mean Anu didn't do anything to you," Jess retorted with a slight frown, "but he's thick skinned at least. Does this make us even then?"

"Even for what?" he demanded sharply.

"For the necklace that you're still sore about, I've already said sorry, I ain't apologising again and I didn't know it was valuable when I took it."

Daniels let out an angry sigh before fixing his legs so that they were stretched out in front of him more comfortably. "Yeah forget it, I threatened to kick your dog, he cowered, we're even and I'm probably going to a special circle in Hell for making a dog cry."

"Is that a rare show of humour Mr. Daniels?" Jess queried with a faint flicker of a smile.

He shrugged. "Maybe," he grumbled, "seems little else to do now, can't cry about this shit can we?"

"Maybe not," Jess murmured. "So, since you clearly know everything about my family can I ask who the girl was?"

Daniels frowned, tilting his hat up with one hand before he leaned forward slightly. "I don't know everything about your family," he retorted quietly, "just the exaggerations of Jonathan and the good doctor. Neither of them seem like reliable sources; don't even know where that bloody doctor went, probably cowering round here somewhere."

"I don't think you could exaggerate what happened to my family," Jess retorted quietly.

Made curious by the bleak stare in her eyes Daniels couldn't help but query, "did your father really..." He trailed off losing the courage to ask the morbid question and instead let out an inappropriate hiccup. "God this balcony seems unsteady," he muttered as he placed his palms down hard on the tiles as if to balance himself.

"Yes," Jess said coldly, "to answer your unfinished question, yes my father murdered everyone in my family. Except me," she added quietly, her voice barely more than a whisper. "It was Set you know," she added with a look of conviction, "my father and my brother found his temple and there was a ring, I didn't realise. I didn't know about these things back then or believe them, but it was cursed, it slowly drove him mad, all those treasures from the temple poisoned our house." She bowed her head suddenly and squeezed her eyes tightly as a few more tears trickled down her cheeks. "It took months, months of pain and screams and then the deaths, one after the other, no one went quickly."

"And after all that you still came out here for more ancient curses? Why in the hell?"

"I was looking for an undoing of the curse," Jess confessed, "or, failing that, a way to clear my father's name, to prove he had been driven to do what he did." She swallowed hard and turned her head back up to face Daniels. "Anyway, go back to your friends Mr. Daniels; don't let my history ruin the evening."

"Jackal I think breaking a thousand year old chest and damning ourselves with a forgotten curse has ruined the evening," he retorted sardonically. "And you should come back with me."

"Why?"

"So Henderson and Burns stop being sore at me for yelling at your dog. Look I'll tell you her name if you come back."

Jess looked surprised at this and nodded.

"Alright." Daniels tried and failed to stand, slumping back to the ground with a curse. "Shit this ain't easy with one good arm," he grumbled.

Jess smiled as she pushed herself to her feet and held out a hand to him. "Let me help," she offered.

Daniels looked up at her with scorn before gripping the wall with his good hand and pulling himself up unaided. "Let's go," he said as he turned and clumsily mounted the wall once more.

Jess folded after him, grabbing his hand suddenly when he reached for the balcony door.

Daniels flinched and turned back to the woman inquisitively.

"What's her name?" Jess demanded.

"Bethany," he admitted quietly. "She was my fiancée once."

Jess released his hand and queried softly, "did she die?"

"Yep," he answered bluntly, "raped and murdered at our ranch by a bunch of soulless thieves while I was out trading."

"I...I'm sorry," Jess said sincerely.

"Yeah," Daniels grumbled as he tugged open the door, "me too, ten times over but it don't bring them back. There is no bringing them back."

"I don't believe that," Jess quietly, her words missed by the American as he led the way back into the room just as a dejected Henderson, Rick, and Anu returned.

As always thanks for your favs and alerts and please read and review, I really do appreciate it!