by Kevin Ashman
‘Even if I could,’ shouted India, ‘you can’t just walk into a tomb and walk back out with arms full of jewels. You know as well as I do, it needs to be excavated properly, documented, photographed and everything else that goes along with the discovery of a tomb. It was months before Carter brought the first treasure from Tutankhamun’s tomb and if you just took what you could, history would never forgive you.’
‘Oh, didn’t I say?’ asked Muburak, ‘I have no intention of taking anything from the tomb. Well, I may help myself to a memento or two but overall, everything will stay in place.’
‘But if that’s the case,’ said Brandon from his position on the floor, ‘what’s all this about?’
‘It’s all about fame and fortune,’ said Muburak. ‘I know I will be unable to sell the artefacts as there would be too many questions, so instead I’ll settle for the next best thing. Fame. If I can reveal to the world that I know the exact location of the tomb then fortune will follow as surely as night follows day. Television interviews, film rights, articles, books, lectures. You name it and I’ll be asked to do it, all at exorbitant fees of course and that’s without the percentage of total value such a find will demand. You see, Mr Walker, these days, the real value in treasure hunting is in the publicity it will bring. Anyway, we digress. Miss Sommers, continue.’
‘I told you’ she started, ‘I don’t know…’ but as the men started toward Brandon once again, she changed her mind.
‘Wait,’ she said, ‘wait.’ She took a deep breath and turned to Muburak. ‘Cut my hands free,’ she continued, ‘and give me the disc.’
‘A sensible suggestion at last,’ said Muburak drawing a knife. He cut the cable ties before handing her the disc and watched closely as she studied it in detail.
She turned it over time and time again, searching for any sign of anything she may have missed.
‘Anything?’ asked Muburak, getting impatient.
‘Don’t rush me,’ snapped India, knowing full well there was nothing more to see but also knowing that if she found nothing, Brandon was going to get hurt. She held the disc up to the sky, seeing the light through the opaque crystal.
‘Miss Sommers,’ snapped Muburak, ‘we are waiting.’
‘Wait,’ said India, ‘I think I have something.’
‘What?’ said Muburak stepping forward, ‘what have you found.’
‘What time is it?’ asked India.
‘Nine thirty, why.’
‘What time does the sun come up?’
‘It’s already up,’ snapped Muburak, ‘stop playing games or your friend there is going to get seriously hurt.’
‘I’m not playing games,’ shouted India, ‘it may be bright sunlight up there but down here we still can’t see the sun, and neither would they.’
‘Who?’
‘The Egyptians. Everything they did was based around Ra so we have to think like them.’
Muburak calmed down.
‘Go on,’ he said.
‘I never thought about it before,’ said India, ‘but why put these directions on a quartz disc? They could have used anything, copper, wood or even stone but no, they used quartz and I think there is a reason.’
‘What reason?’
‘Because it’s translucent and you need to see through the map for the last clue.’ She looked up at Muburak. ‘In a few moments the sun is going to clear the canyon wall behind us and when it does, I think the disc will reveal the route.’
Muburak stared at her for an age before grinning wildly.
‘Miss Sommers,’ he said, ‘they told me you were a genius, and now I know why. Tell me how it works.’
‘When the sun appears over that cliff face,’ she said, ‘hold it before you. Line up the sun directly with the hole in the centre of the disc and then look through the disc toward the mountain. ‘
‘What am I looking for?’ asked Muburak.
‘Anything in line with the largest star in Orion’s belt, ‘said India, ‘that mark there.’
‘Why that one?’ asked Muburak.
‘Think about it,’ said India, ‘we know his pyramid in Egypt is meant to correspond with that star, so why should it be any different here?’
Again Muburak grinned.
‘Thank you, Miss Sommers,’ he said and turned to the guards. ‘Tie her hands together again. If this is some sort of trick, they will both have a severe price to pay.’
India was tied and pushed to the floor beside Brandon.
‘Are you okay?’ she asked, ‘looking at his rapidly closing eye.’
‘I’ve been better,’ he said, ‘that was quite fascinating.’
‘What was?’
‘The way you worked out the final clue.’
India stared at him in surprise.
‘You didn’t actually believe that crap, did you?’
‘But I thought…’
‘It was all lies Brandon, total bullshit.’
Brandon stared at her in astonishment.
‘But in a few minutes he will know anyway. When the sun appears, he’ll know you were lying.’
‘Brandon,’ said India, ‘look at that bloody mountain. It is covered with buttresses, escarpments and natural monoliths of all sorts. The chances are high that something will line up and that man is so desperate to find the entrance, his own imagination will convince him he has found something.’
‘And after that?’
‘I’m the brains, Brandon, you are the muscle. What happens after that is your department.’
----
‘By all that is holy,’ exclaimed Muburak as the sun crested the canyon ridge, ‘there it is. There’s the entrance to the tomb.’
Brandon glanced at India who gave him a surprised look.
‘What do you see?’ asked one of Muburak’s men.
‘There’s a ledge beside the large star in Orion’s belt on the disc. It’s not quite in line but there’s nothing else there.’
‘Don’t forget, the stars were aligned slightly differently back then,’ said India, ‘and you have to make allowance for time.’
‘I’m not stupid, Miss Sommers,’ snapped Muburak, ‘and as you have now outlived your usefulness, I suggest you keep your mouth shut.’
‘You’re not going to kill us, Muburak,’ said Brandon, ‘you would be arrested within days.’
‘Oh I wouldn’t be so sure,’ said Muburak, ‘I could bury you down here and your bodies would probably never be found.’
‘Really?’ said Brandon, ‘and what about all the people who know we are here?’
‘Like who?’ asked Muburak.
‘The people where we are staying,’ said Brandon, ‘the pilot who brought us down here, hell, there’s a man lying in a bed in Vegas who not only knows we are here, but also that you are seeking the same thing and have already threatened us. If we disappear, it won’t take long to add it all up and even if you are back in Egypt, I can assure you the British authorities take a dim view of their citizens being killed, especially by foreigners. You would be found out in a matter of days.’
‘Not necessarily,’ said Muburak. ‘People can be bought and as for your man in Vegas, he is of little consequence. I assume you are talking of Tarik and if so, a couple of calls from me and our mutual friend Rashid can alter the records enough so that any evidence from him will be discounted as the bitterness of a corrupt official at losing his job. He has already been recorded as aiding and abetting criminals, theft of archeologically artefacts and accessing restricted police records. What credence would anyone give him?’
‘Still,’ said Brandon, ‘it is a massive risk to take. There is, however, a way out of this that means nobody gets hurt and everyone benefits.’
‘And what is that?’
‘Profit share,’ said Brandon. ‘Pool our resources and share the limelight. If the publicity is worth as much as you say, then surely there is plenty to go around.’
Muburak’s eyes narrowed.
‘An interesting propositio
n,’ he said, ‘but why should I believe you?’
‘Why not?’ said Brandon. ‘Aren’t we all after the same thing? Why are we all here if not to find the tomb? Yes, we’ve had our differences but there’s no harm done and at the end of the day, as long as there is enough money to go around, why make it difficult on ourselves?’
Muburak looked at India.
‘What about you, Miss Sommers?’ he asked, ‘how do you feel about this proposal?’
‘You’re not my first choice of a business partner,’ she said, ‘but I guess you hold all the aces.’
‘I do,’ said Muburak, ‘however, I am not a stupid man. I will consider your proposal, Mr Walker but in the meantime, you will both accompany me to the ledge up there. If there is some sort of marking or glyph that proves the existence of the tomb, then we have a deal but if there is nothing and all this is an elaborate trick, then the deal is off and in a few days the authorities will stumble across a couple of bodies who will seem to have slipped while climbing in a restricted area. How does that deal sound?’
‘Not the best,’ admitted Brandon.
‘It’s the best you are going to get,’ said Muburak, ‘now get to your feet and start climbing.’ He turned to one of his men. ‘Cut their binds,’ he said but watch them closely. Any funny business, throw them down the mountain.’
The five people started walking toward a narrow mountain path.
‘That was clever,’ whispered India, ‘at least you’ve bought us some time. What’s the plan?’
‘I don’t know,’ replied Brandon, ‘I’m making this up as we go along.’
----
For the next four hours they climbed the side of the mountain. Sometimes the path disappeared and often they had to scramble up the loose scree that made up much of the slopes and whenever a helicopter came into view, Muburak made them crouch behind whatever cover was available.
‘Pointless drawing attention to ourselves,’ he said.
On occasion they stopped to rest and one of Muburak’s men pulled water and high energy fruit bars from his rucksack. He handed them around and they all ate in silence.
‘You do realise we’re not going to get up and back before nightfall?’ said Brandon.
‘There’s no rush,’ said Muburak. ‘If we can break the back of the climb today, we can explore the entrance tomorrow at first light.’
‘And what about overnight?’ asked India, ‘I bet it can get cold up there.’
‘Don’t you worry your pretty little mind about that,’ said Muburak, ‘it’s all sorted.’
They continued upward but as the darkness fell, Muburak looked for somewhere to spend the night.
‘This will have to do,’ he said eventually, taking off his small pack. ‘Make yourselves as comfortable as possible, there’re foil survival blankets in one of the packs. You may not be as warm as you would like but they will keep you alive.’ He looked upward. ‘A few more hours tomorrow and we should be there. For your sake, Miss Sommers, I hope you were telling the truth about the opening, otherwise you may well be having an early flying lesson.’ To emphasise his point, he looked down the severe drop to the canyon floor hundreds of feet below. ‘Sleep well, Miss Sommers,’ he said and sat back against the rocky wall of the mountain.
One of the guards threw them a couple of space blankets and some more food before making himself comfortable against a rock, blocking the path back down the mountain.
‘What now?’ asked India.
‘I’m working on it,’ said Brandon. ‘Try to get some sleep.’
‘Huh,’ said India, ‘like that’s going to happen.’
----
Several hours later, Brandon shook India gently on the shoulder.
‘India,’ he whispered, ‘wake up.’
‘What,’ said India, opening her eyes, ‘what’s the matter?’
‘Nothing’s the matter,’ he said, ‘come on, we are getting out of here.’
For a few seconds India blinked away the tiredness in her eyes as she tried to recall where she was and what was happening. Within seconds it all came back to her and she looked up at Brandon.
‘I must have fallen asleep,’ she said.
‘You don’t say,’ said Brandon.
‘What did you mean, getting out of here?’ she said, ‘there’s no way we can get past the guards and the only other way down is straight over the cliff.’
‘There’s another way, ‘said Brandon carefully removing the foil blanket from around her shoulders.
‘Where?’ asked India.
‘Up there,’ said Brandon and looked upward.
‘Brandon, you’re not making any sense. Why would we go up there? We’ll be going into a dead end.’
‘We don’t have any other option,’ said Brandon. ‘In a few hours he’ll know you tricked him and we’ll be dead anyway. At least if we go up we can try to stay out of his way as long as we can and perhaps we can attract the attention of a passing helicopter. I know it’s not much but it’s the best I can do.’
‘Okay,’ she sighed, ‘but I hope you know what you are doing, I’ve never climbed in the dark before.’
‘Don’t worry,’ said Brandon, ‘neither have I. Come on, let’s go.’
----
Ten minutes later one of the guards shook Muburak’s shoulder.
‘Boss, wake up, they’ve gone.’
‘What do you mean gone?’ snapped Muburak, instantly awake, ‘how did they get past you?’
‘They didn’t, I’m sure of it. They must be hiding somewhere around here.’
Muburak looked around the moonlit ledge.
‘There’s nowhere to hide,’ he replied, ‘they must have got past you,’ but he paused as a thought occurred to him, ‘unless of course, they went up there.’ He looked upward and as if on cue, a small pebble came rolling down the darkened mountain to land at his feet. Muburak picked up the pebble and turned to the guard.
‘Get after them,’ he said, ‘and make sure they give us no more trouble. As far as I am concerned, I have had quite enough of India Sommers, get rid of them.’
‘Yes boss,’ said the man and quickly started to climb, closely followed by his colleague.
----
‘Brandon, I can’t do it,’ gasped India, stretching up another seemingly vertical slab of rock.
‘Give me your hand,’ said Brandon, reaching down toward her. He grasped her hand firmly. ‘On the count of three, push yourself up. One, two…three.’ He hauled her over the lip of the edge and she sat gasping against the rock face, staring across the fantastic vista of the moonlit canyon.
‘I’m exhausted,’ she said, ‘can we have a rest?’
‘We have to keep going,’ said Brandon, ‘It looks like they’re coming up after us.’
India’s heart sunk but she got to her feet and followed Brandon around the side of a protruding rock before coming to the end of the ledge.
‘Is that it?’ asked India, ‘is this a dead end?’
Brandon looked upward but could see no further ledges or handholds.
‘Damn,’ he said looking around frantically, ‘there must be a way.’
‘Brandon,’ sighed India, ‘it’s no use, we have done our best, let’s try to negotiate with them.’
‘I think the time for negotiation has long gone, India, this time it’s us or them.’ He looked around the ledge and found a fist sized stone. ‘But I’ll tell you this,’ he continued,’ if we are going down, I’m not going without a fight.’
India smiled wearily.
‘Good old Brandon,’ she said, ‘refusing to give up even though it’s over.’
‘Over?’ said Brandon, ‘it’s not over yet, India, not by a long shot.’ He tossed the rock up and down in his hand and returned to the turn in the ledge, waiting for the first of the men to appear.
----
India sat back against the rock face and closed her eyes, knowing that whatever happened now, there was nothing more she could do. For almost a minute
she sat with her eyes closed until suddenly something landed on her shoulder and she threw herself to one side in terror.
‘What the…’ she started but before she could continue, a voice came from just above her head.
‘Lady,’ said the voice, ‘grab the rope.’
‘What?’ gasped India.
‘The rope, grab it and tie it around your waist. I will pull you up.’
‘Who are you?’ hissed India.
‘No time to explain,’ said the voice, ‘get your friend and climb up as quickly as you can. Those men will be here in minutes.’
India looked at the end of the dangling rope now coiled at her feet. Finally she turned and called out.
‘Brandon,’ she said, ‘you had better get over here.’
Brandon returned with a concerned look on his face.
‘What’s the matter?’ he asked, ‘they’ll be here any second.’
‘Look,’ said India pointing at the rope, ‘there’s someone up above us and they’ve literally thrown us a lifeline.’
‘Who is it?’ asked Brandon looking up.
‘Who cares?’ said India, ‘come on, let’s go.’
Brandon tied the rope around her waist and pushed her upward as the unseen man pulled from above. Within seconds the rope landed at his feet and he lost no time following India up the rock face. Moments later he stood on a tiny ledge alongside India and an unknown man.
‘Thank you,’ said Brandon, ‘who are you?’
‘On this mountain I am known as Tagwa,’ he said, ‘but you can call me John. There’s no time to explain,’ he continued, coiling the rope and releasing it from a carabina lodged in the cliff wall, ‘follow me, we have to get out of here.’
He turned and made his way along the tiny ledge with his back tight against the vertical rock face.
‘Don’t look down,’ he said, ‘just keep it steady.’ India and Brandon followed him around the buttress, on a tiny path less than two feet wide. Within a minute the path opened up once more and India breathed a huge sigh of relief.
‘There’s no time to waste,’ said John, ‘follow me.’ Without warning, he turned around and stepped off the edge of the cliff.
----
‘Oh my god,’ gasped India as Brandon ran forward to peer over the edge. A few feet down was another ledge and Brandon could see John’s legs disappearing into a hole in the cliff.