by Rai Aren
Mitch tried to crawl carefully, not kicking up too much dust, but Alex still coughed and choked behind him. She didn’t complain. They had to move fast.
“We’re almost there!” Mitch said, after they had crawled over forty feet.
Alex tried to answer, but her throat was coated in dust. She couldn’t even reach for water in the tight space.
Finally, the tunnel opened up to a small cramped room, eight by seven feet roughly hewn from the rock. They dropped inside. It wasn’t big enough for them to stand up straight. Hunched over, they shone their flashlights around. There, exactly where they had left them were two ancient stone chests lying near the far wall. The larger one had two kneeling figures each holding a scepter that rested on the other’s shoulder, carved into its lid, while the second chest had a twenty-inch long ankh carving on its lid. The chest with the ankh contained ancient Kierani scrolls encased in metal cylinders and the crib notes, and the other chest held the Pharom and crystal.
“Your prize, behind door number three is…” Mitch said to Alex, his arm outstretched towards the items.
“A world of hurt if we don’t get out of here and fast,” she said, her face serious.
They grabbed the items and placed them inside two duffel bags. Mitch took the heavier chest of the two, the one with the Pharom, while Alex took the other, and they headed back out through the tunnel.
Chapter 18
Closing In
“WE must hurry, the guards will be waking up soon,” Khamir said as Mitch and Alex, in turn, handed him the two duffel bags containing the ancient chests and priceless artifacts. He helped them back out of the entrance to the hidden chambers. Their clothes were covered in dust and their faces caked with a mixture of dust and sweat from their hurried exit.
Jack came running around the corner, with Bob trailing behind. “More of Max’s men are coming,” he whispered, panic-stricken, still trying to catch his breath.
“Did you get everything?” Bob asked.
“Yeah,” Mitch answered, as he once again swung the heavy duffel bag containing the Pharom over his shoulder. “Could you carry the other chest?”
“Sure,” Bob replied, scooping it up. He swung around.
Off in the distance, they could see figures carrying flashlights approaching them fast. Beams bounced along as their enemies ran towards their positions.
“They probably got suspicious when they lost radio contact with the guards,” Khamir said.
“What are you doing sleeping on the job?” a voice in the distance demanded. There were murmured responses. “Someone’s here!” another voice shouted. Flashlights shone in every direction.
“Over there!” a guard shouted.
“We have to leave. Now!” Khamir said. “There is no time to close the entrance.”
“Halt!”
“Oh, god,” Bob said. “Here they come!”
“Head back to the van!” Khamir ordered. “Keep running. Do not look back.”
Everyone scrambled. The group grabbed the rest of their belongings in a panic and ran. Loud bangs echoed throughout the night. Bullets hit the sand very near to the fleeing fivesome.
“They’re shooting at us!” Jack shouted, running and at the same time trying to stay low.
“We will take cover on the other side of the Temple of the Sphinx,” Khamir yelled.
They ran for their lives, reaching the temporary shelter of the Temple.
“I will distract them, get those items to safety,” Khamir yelled as he disappeared around a corner.
“Wait, Khamir, it’s too dangerous!” Alex called out, trying to go after him.
Mitch pulled her back. “Alex, leave him, we’ve got to get out of here!”
Just then flashes of light lit up the night. Bullets whipped by, smashing into the ground around them. They ducked for cover.
“Stop right there!” Three men with sub machine guns suddenly appeared in front of them.
Jack gasped loudly.
Bob nearly dropped the chest he was carrying.
“We meet again,” Hans said with a menacing grin. He and his men wore night vision goggles, which made tracking the four Americans in the darkness without being seen an easy matter.
Another shot rang out from behind their position. Shards of stone exploded a few feet away.
“Hold your fire! We have them!” Hans yelled into his radio. He took in the four terrified Americans. A motley crew. Pathetic really. “I shall enjoy this.” His grin grew even bigger. “Now, put everything down.”
His men took up positions on either side of the foursome, guns at the ready.
They carefully set the items they were carrying down on the ground.
Suddenly, a loud shrieking noise was heard off in the distance, followed by faint screams. Mitch and Alex, seizing the opportunity, grabbed their flashlights, turned them on and shone them directly into the three men’s eyes. They cried out, dropping their guns, and tore off their night vision goggles.
Bob grabbed one of Hans’ men and head butted him.
Mitch rushed forward and hit Hans hard over the head with his flashlight, parts of it shattering into pieces. Hans dropped like a rock.
Alex swung the heavy duffel bag containing the Pharom at the third man. Dazed, he stumbled. Then Jack snuck up behind him, kicking his legs out from under him. The man fell, hitting his head on a rock.
“Hurry! Let’s go!” Mitch said, out of breath.
The four friends picked everything up, and raced back towards the outskirts of Cairo, not daring to look back.
Sprinting all the way, they made their way back to the dark alley where the van was parked. All of a sudden they heard someone running towards them. They quickly scattered and hid amongst the dumpsters and debris in the alley.
“My friends, it is Khamir,” whispered the lone figure, as he crept into the alley after them. “Show yourselves.”
“Oh, thank god,” Jack said, out of breath, and doubled over.
Bob was coughing and wheezing from their panicked escape. His heart thundered in his chest. He felt like his lungs were going to explode.
“Over here,” Alex whispered back, waving to him. They all came out of their hiding places.
“Are we ever glad to see you!” Mitch said. “What happened back there?”
“Sonic grenades,” Khamir replied simply. “What happened to you?”
“Flashlights,” Alex replied, grinning and rubbing the back of her hand across her forehead. Her face was still streaked with dust and perspiration.
“With a little improv thrown in, right buddy?” Jack added, high-fiving Bob.
Bob could only nod, he was still too out of breath to talk. He grabbed a bottle of water and downed the whole thing.
“So, now what?” Mitch asked, wiping the dirt and sweat off his glasses.
“Now, we must take these items someplace safe,” Khamir replied, “and get as much distance between us and our German friends as possible.”
Chapter 19
An Invitation, Circa 10,000 B.C.
ON top of everything else the King was dealing with, he had another area of concern. Anjia had begun requesting to see her adoptive parents, Uta and Ehrim. She missed them. Traeus had been incredibly upset at first to hear her ask such a thing. In his mind, those people should be wiped out of their lives for good.
His wife however, had pleaded on Anjia’s behalf, explaining as gently as she could, that Anjia had spent most of her life with them, and that they were truly a part of her family, and not the enemy. Mindara had tried to get him to see things from his daughter’s perspective and understand that the couple had not knowingly done anything wrong to him. They were as much the victims in this as anyone and were likely suffering greatly as well. However, the requests had been too painful for
Traeus to bear. He shut himself away. He had not spoken to either his wife or daughter for two days now.
Though Traeus had tried to put his daughter’s request out of his mind, it haunted him. He had taken to walking around the Palace grounds alone, late in the evenings. He needed to gather his thoughts and he found that the more he was around people, the less he was able to make sense of what was happening in his life. So he sought solitude nightly after the Palace had quieted down and everyone else was in bed.
This night he felt especially sad and vulnerable. Alone, he walked the stone paths that wound their way through the Palace gardens. He breathed in the cool nighttime air, and found himself staring up at the moon. Seeking answers. Only a few wisps of clouds were visible. The stars were brilliant and bold on this night. He felt a shift inside himself. He was still upset, but not at anyone else this time. With himself. He had asked Odai for a little more information on Uta and Ehrim and had been very distressed with what he learned about them. He now felt almost cruel in his role in keeping them from Anjia, though it was not intentional. He knew it was time that things changed. The fact that deep down he did not want them to ceased to matter so much. He finally accepted that he was not the only one suffering.
He walked on, coming to a large pond in the center of the gardens. He took a seat on a small bench. The water was almost still, save for the faintest of ripples. The moonlight shone down, giving the surface of the water a silvery glow. It was beautiful. Clear. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply. The air was fragrant. Lovely. He was selfish.
Not being able to wait, he had woken his wife up when he returned from his walk, to talk to her about his decision to invite Uta and Ehrim to the Palace. Mindara was greatly relieved. She had tried to be patient with her husband, knowing that pressuring him would only push him away more. She had trusted in his good nature, that he would come to this decision on his own, in his own time, when he had healed enough. And now he had. They sat up talking most of the night.
yyyyy
First thing the next morning, Traeus sought out his daughter. He found her in the Palace library, reading.
“Anjia,” he said. “Good morning.”
She looked up from her book, surprised. She did not know what to say. Her father had not been speaking to her the last couple of days. She lowered her book.
“I would like to apologize to you,” her father said, “for being so selfish and childish lately.”
“This has not been easy on anyone,” she said, still feeling a little cautious around him. It had hurt her when he had turned away from her.
“If you are not too busy, I was wondering if you would like to take a walk with me in the gardens this morning?” He tried to sound cheerful. He could see she was uncertain.
She hesitated, assessing his mood. She put her book down. “That would be nice,” she said.
They walked out together in silence. They made their way through pathways dappled in sunlight. It was a clear, warm day. Birds chirped brightly and flitted between the trees. Anjia sensed her father had something important on his mind. Finally, Traeus motioned her to a sun-bathed bench near a small pond. They sat down together.
Traeus gazed out over the water. He had been trying to put things into perspective. Talking with Mindara last night had made a big difference. It had helped him move away from the dark and painful place he had locked himself away in. He needed to remember not to face these things alone from now on. It was too hard.
Anjia sat quietly, waiting for her father to speak. She closed her eyes. The warm sun on her face felt good.
Traeus sighed. “I have been doing a great deal of thinking, my daughter, and I have realized that I have not been the best father I can be to you.”
“Under the circumstances, I do not blame you for being upset…for pulling away,” she said. She was watching two small birds chase one another through the trees. She loved nature, connecting with it helped to heal her heart and bring things into perspective.
Traeus took her hand. He looked at their hands locked together for a moment. “Anjia, I have been so wrapped up in my own feelings of hurt and anger at your…absence from this family that I have not considered how you must be feeling. I mean I had to a degree, but not nearly enough. I have also not considered Uta and Ehrim in this…at all.” He cleared his throat, which felt constricted. “I know they were told you were an orphan when Odai and Senarra brought you to them. I cannot imagine the shock of learning the truth, then losing their only daughter immediately thereafter.” His voice now sank lower, “I have recently learned from Odai, that they had had a son who passed away very young.”
“Yes, that is true,” she said sadly. “They told me about him. His name was Esa.”
Traeus took his daughter’s hand, “I was very sorry to hear that.”
Anjia nodded, but said nothing. She recalled them telling her about him, how their hearts had been broken, how they thought they would never feel joy again.
Traeus saw the look on her face, the sorrow she felt for them was clear. This made it even more real to him. “They have suffered a great deal…too much,” he said, his voice grew hoarse with emotion. “I do not wish to add to that any longer.”
Anjia looked up at her father, her emerald eyes wide and filled with hope.
“I know you have asked to visit them. I still do not think it is safe to do so, but instead I would like to formally invite them to visit the Palace.”
“Oh, Daddy!” Anjia exclaimed, her eyes filling with tears of happiness. She embraced him. “Thank-you! This means so much to me. I know you will love them, Daddy. They are wonderful people.” She held onto him tightly for a few more moments, then pulled away, beaming.
“I am glad to see you smile again,” he said.
He smiled at her, but Anjia detected the sadness there as well. “Daddy, please know that just because I love them, does not mean I love you any less. No one could ever take your place in my life. My love for you never dimmed, and it never will.”
Her words struck him like a thunderbolt. That very notion had haunted him to the very depths of his soul. So deep, he could not admit it to anyone, not even his wife. The tears welled up in his eyes.
“Never,” she said, noticing his reaction. Now it all made sense to her.
“Anjia, my daughter,” he whispered as he held her close. “I am so grateful for you.” Traeus felt a sense of relief pass over him, as he let his own fears go.
They sat together in silence for a short time, then Traeus spoke, “I will have Odai send word today to their home, they can come as soon as they would like.”
Chapter 20
A Second Family
THE Royal Family had been notified that Uta and Ehrim had entered the city. They gathered, dressed in fine Royal garments, to receive the honored guests.
Traeus’ heart pounded in his chest. He was worried he would not be able to deal well with meeting the two people who had shared his daughter’s life, while he was led to believe she was dead. He tried to push those thoughts out of his mind. They would not help. What was done was done.
Mindara held on tightly to her husband’s hand. She knew.
Finally, the travelers came into sight. Their humble cart rattled along the lane. As they drew closer Traeus saw for the first time the two people whom Anjia had known and lived with, and to whom he was a complete stranger. His felt his blood turn to ice.