Anubis Nights

by Jonas, Gary

  Based on the layout of the building, she suspected this inner chamber was one of the private sex rooms. She hoped they’d changed the sheets. She’d spent some time checking out the books on the bookshelf, but they were mostly written in French, and the few English texts she found were esoteric occult titles recounting the history of some secret society that had been around since ancient Egypt. Had it been written to compete with television and movies, she might have been able to decipher it, but the author or authors loved to drone on and on about the ancestry of this or that member of the club. If she had insomnia, those books would be an instant cure.

  She was of two minds about her current predicament. She wanted to be free, but at the same time, she knew that if she simply remained here, when Jonathan and Kelly came forward, they would come right to Winslow. Mission accomplished. Right?

  But Winslow wanted them to come here.

  What if they were nauseated from the journey? They would fall right into Winslow’s clutches. In spite of looking like an extra on The Walking Dead, he’d been kind to her so far. He didn’t seem like an evil mastermind. He seemed genuinely concerned about her well-being. He refused to allow Carlton to take her to the chamber. Instead, he’d had two other men escort her. Was it variation on good cop/bad cop? Carlton scared her. But Winslow was the boss.

  Would Carlton follow him simply for the chance to cure his cancer? Maybe. But she suspected there was more to it than that.

  Rayna kept looking around the room, trying to work out a way to escape. On the other hand, perhaps she needed to remain here for now. Winslow was a talker. Her ears and her brain could be her best weapons in this battle. Perhaps he would tell her how to defeat him.

  She allowed herself a grin. She may be a prisoner, but at least the accommodations were excellent.

  Rayna spun toward the door as she heard a key fumbling in the lock.

  She clenched her fists, keeping her wrist straight as Jonathan had taught her. If someone came in here thinking she’d be an easy target, that fool had another thing coming. If he had weapons, she might be able to take them away. Rayna was very good with a variety of weapons.

  The door swung inward, and a man in black robes and a gold mask stepped inside. From his neck and chin, she could see he was an old man. His grin looked familiar.

  “Who are you and what do you want?”

  The old man smiled. He was a bit hunched over, and Rayna’s first guess was that he must be in his eighties.

  “I want to be young again, of course.”

  “Do I know you?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “That would be telling.”

  “You look familiar.”

  “Oh, you’ve seen me a few times. Once at Sully’s on Lexington and once in Central Park. You saw me at the temple too, but you wouldn’t have known.”

  “What’s your name?”

  “Better if I don’t say. I’m just here to warn you. That’s all.”

  “Warn me about?”

  The old man took a deep breath. “Many years ago, I met a man from the future named Jonathan Shade. He and I spent some time together before he died. That man loved to sing the strangest songs.”

  “Wait a minute,” Rayna said. “What do you mean ‘before he died’?”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry, ma’am. For me it’s been so many years. I should have told you in a nicer way.”

  “He’s really dead?” Rayna sat on the bed. She buried her face in her hands. “What happened?”

  “There’s not much I can tell you, Miss Noble. I met Jonathan in the 1870s. He was tracking down a man named Henry Winslow. A man I also now know very well. Jonathan told me some things that made me a wealthy man. In return, he asked me to keep an eye out for you. I got a message when you checked in to the Aberdeen, and Charlie told me you went to a speakeasy. I lost track of you a few times. As Jonathan used to say, getting old sucks.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Jonathan asked me to pass you a message, but he told me not to give it to you until you’d found Winslow.”

  “Message?”

  “He wanted me to tell you he missed you and that he loved you. And he wanted me to tell you not to try and fight Winslow.”

  “Why?”

  “He told me if I met Winslow, I’d know, but I’ve known Winslow for years, and I still don’t understand it myself.”

  “I know he’s dangerous.”

  “All men are dangerous.”

  “I came here to get you out of this place,” the old man said.

  “What about Kelly and Brand?”

  The old man shrugged. “I don’t know. Jonathan talked about them, but I don’t know what happened. If they fulfilled their mission, they’ll be along soon.”

  The old man cocked his head to the side then shambled over to the door.

  “Someone’s coming,” he said. “You need to get out of here right now.”

  “Winslow won’t hurt me.”

  “It isn’t Winslow who scares me, Miss Noble. It’s that madman, Carlton J. Penick. Come with me.”

  “If you want to live,” Rayna said.

  “What?” the old man said.

  “The second Terminator movie. Jonathan and I watched it together on Blu-ray.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know what a Terminator or a Blu-ray is. They sound dangerous, though.”

  “You know what movies are, right?”

  “Of course. The General and Safety Last are my favorites.”

  “I don’t know those.”

  “Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd,” the old man said. “They make wonderful movies. But we need to get you to safety.”

  He led her out of the room. Two men lay unconscious in the hallway outside her door. The man led her down a long staircase and to the front door.

  “Please do not pursue this any further. Jonathan did not wish to see you harmed.”

  “What about Kelly and Brand? If they show up, I mean.”

  “You may tell them where Winslow is living. And warn them about Carlton. He’s the immediate threat. Be safe, my dear.”

  Rayna stopped as she opened the door. She turned back to the old man. She wanted to pull his mask away, but the old man had already shuffled back to the staircase.

  She saw Carlton at the top of the steps.

  “What have you done?” Carlton asked. “There are two men on the floor up here.”

  “I set her free,” the old man said with defiance.

  “You should not have done that, Mr. Easton,” Carlton said and pushed past him.

  “She’s long gone,” the old man said.

  Carlton rushed down the stairs.

  Rayna ran as fast and as hard as she could. She made it to the corner and ducked around it.

  Two thoughts kept banging up against Rayna’s mind as she moved farther away from the temple at a more normal pace. Jonathan was dead and Carlton called the old man Mr. Easton.

  Brand. If Winslow died, why hadn’t Brand been pulled forward to her?

  What the hell happened in 1877?

  And what could she do in 1926?

  Especially if Jonathan was dead?

  She walked the streets of New York, feeling more alone than ever as the tears rolled down her cheeks.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  JONATHAN SHADE

  I’m not proud of it, but I bitched, moaned, and whined as Kelly carried me across the battlefield. In my defense, my back was killing me, and every step she took was like someone taking a hammer to my spine.

  Kelly dispatched warriors left and right without slowing down. Zannanza tried to keep up, carrying his dagger, and Horemheb followed him, but they both fell behind, and after Kelly killed a final warrior, she made even better time. I tried to tell her to stop, but she either ignored me or thought I was ranting and raving like a lunatic.

  She finally set me down toward the top of a hill where we could look over the battlefield and watch the Egyptian army slaughter Zannanza’s men. Horemheb bl
ocked Zannanza’s escape, keeping the man moving in circles, trying to find a way to safety.

  I lost sight of things for a moment as Kelly shoved me down to examine my injury. She held me down and told me it was just a scrape and that I would soon have a nice bruise to go along with the dull pain.

  In the distance, she and I watched Horemheb slay Zannanza.

  ***

  I had to trust Kelly to get us back to Thebes. I don’t seem directionally challenged when I’m in Denver, but thanks to the mountains, I always know which way is west. Out here, everything was just sand. I had a compass on my cell phone, but that was in my pack in Thebes.

  It hurt to walk, but I knew I needed to man up and not complain about it. I think I did a pretty good job.

  KELLY CHAN

  The trip back to Thebes was uneventful, but I did get tired of Jonathan’s complaining about the pain. After a few days, he got better about it, but there for a while I wanted to tell him to grow a pair.

  JONATHAN SHADE

  A few days later, I was feeling much better. It took time to get back to Thebes because the barge was gone and there was no sign of the oarsmen. We negotiated passage up the Nile to get back to the palace, and I wanted to sleep for a week.

  As we approached the compound early one morning, two guards met us at the doorway. They barred our entry, crossing spears before us.

  Kelly glared at them, and they looked nervous. I wondered if they’d been at our demonstration a few months back. I half expected one of them to say, “You shall not pass,” but neither spoke to us. One called out, “Tell General Horemheb the strangers have returned!”

  Either Horemheb left his men behind or the entire Egyptian army was a lot faster than I thought. It made sense to travel ahead and let the army march back at their own pace. We should have moved faster.

  A short time later, Horemheb and Aye exited the palace gate along with twenty large men armed with blades. Horemheb had a smug look on his face. “You show great courage and great stupidity to return here,” he said.

  “We were emissaries of the queen,” I said. “We’re here to make a report to her.”

  “Ankhesenamun is grieving,” Aye said. He wore a crown with a cobra on the front of it. “She does not wish to speak with you.”

  “You’re an adviser and nothing more,” I said. “You can’t speak for her. We were tasked with a mission, and we will report to her.”

  Horemheb stepped closer. He had the confidence of a man who’d already won the war and was simply deciding whether or not to kill or enslave the losers. “She—”

  His mistake was a combination of getting too close and being overconfident.

  Kelly slammed into him like a Mack truck. She drove him against the wall, pinched off his carotid artery, and held it for a few seconds. The general went limp. By that point, the soldiers sprang into action. The closest stabbed her in the back with a sword. Another swung a blade, but I was fast enough to jump in and knock him off balance. Kelly let Horemheb drop to the sand and spun around. She whipped out her own sword and, in a flurry of action, sliced off a soldier’s arm, another soldier’s head, and clanged steel with several others before jumping back. She still had a sword protruding from her back.

  “Mind if I use that?” I asked, pointing to the offending weapon.

  “Be my guest,” she said and turned so I could pull the blade from her body.

  I smiled as blood dripped from the steel to stain the sand. The soldiers backed up a few steps, not sure what to do. Aye hid behind one of the larger men.

  The man swallowed hard when I brandished the blade in his direction. “You may want to step aside, son,” I said.

  “I will not back down from my duty to the king,” he said and tried to attack.

  Before he could raise his weapon, I stabbed him in the shoulder.

  “Don’t make me kill you,” I said.

  Aye gathered his courage and pulled the soldier back. The soldier clutched at his wound. It wasn’t deep, but it bled more than I expected. Aye faced me. Sweat beaded on his forehead. He knew he couldn’t affect me with magic, so he didn’t try. He looked tired.

  “We are burying Tutankhamun today. Ankhesenamun still has preparations to handle, but I will bring her to meet you in the audience hall.”

  “Now you see how easy that was? Why didn’t you just agree to that in the first place?”

  “Because you failed her.”

  That hurt, but I glanced at Horemheb, who was beginning to stir. “Only because you sent the general here to kill the prince.”

  “I didn’t send anybody.”

  “Then who did?” I asked.

  Horemheb pulled himself to his feet, looking a bit groggy. “The queen.”

  “Not a chance,” I said.

  “Who else could issue an order for the army?”

  “You.”

  He shook his head. “I follow orders. The queen is the regent. She gave the order.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  JONATHAN SHADE

  Aye led us to the Great Hall while Kelly kept hold of Horemheb. The vizier sent a servant to bring the queen.

  Once the servant was gone, Aye approached me. He looked around at the soldiers and lowered his voice to a whisper. “I believe the queen killed her husband.”

  “What?”

  “Do not make me repeat it. My magic is strong, but the queen rules Egypt. You weren’t supposed to make it back here.”

  “I know. You and your buddy Horemheb tried to have us killed.”

  “We were following orders,” he whispered.

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “I understand but when the queen returns with Henry Winslow, you will thank me for alerting you. Provided she doesn’t have you killed on the spot.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense. You’re lying.”

  Aye shrugged. “Am I? Ankhesenamun was older than Tutankhamun, and she felt the throne was hers by right. She is the one with royal blood. She is the daughter of Akhenaten and Nefertiti. Tutankhamun was born of a foreign princess, Kiya, a mere second wife. Nefertiti was the Great Royal Wife. Ankhesenamun was able to control Tutankhamun for a time, but recently he started making decisions without her. He was disappointed that she could not bear him children. He was ready to take a second wife—one who could provide him a son.”

  “Tutankhamun loved Ankhesenamun. I could see it in his eyes.”

  “Yes, he did, but he had to think of Egypt. She knew she was losing her control.”

  “I’ve also seen the way you look at her, Aye.”

  “She came to me in the night, asking if I could give her a son. I will not deny that I looked forward to those nights.”

  I shook my head. “You had the look of someone who wanted her but hadn’t had her yet.”

  He nodded. “She has not come to my bed. Not yet. I have been hopeful, and my Great Wife has given her consent. I knew Ankhesenamun would claim any child belonged to Tutankhamun. And yes, I wanted her. She is lovely. Alas, that is not to be. While you were gone, she has been consorting with your foreign friend.”

  “Impossible,” I said. “He can’t speak Egyptian.”

  “One day his words were unknowable; the next, he spoke fluent Egyptian. He claims to be the living son of Thoth. His magic is strong.”

  Damn. I knew we shouldn’t have left him alone. I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t want to believe Horemheb and Aye, but I had to consider the possibility. Could Ankhesenamun have had second thoughts about marrying a Hittite? Could she have ordered our deaths too?

  Kelly shoved Horemheb into a chair. “Ankhesenamun would not have betrayed us,” she said.

  “You don’t have to believe anything we say,” Horemheb said. “She will be here soon, and then you’ll know our words are true.”

  We didn’t have to wait long.

  Ankhesenamun entered the audience hall with Winslow at her side. They were flanked by a group of scribes and servants. Ankhesenamun looked as radiant as e
ver in a simple sheath dress. Winslow was dressed like an Egyptian with the wide collar, arm- and wristbands, a kilt, and sandals. He also wore a white linen wrap. His eyes were surrounded by dark makeup that swished off toward his temples, and his head had been shaved. Amulets dangled around his neck.

  They moved to the front of the hall, stepped onto the dais, and sat in the large chairs. The scribes knelt and unrolled blank papyrus, and their servants placed ink pots and brushes before them.

  Ankhesenamun whispered something to Winslow and he nodded.

  She raised a hand for a moment, and everyone fell silent.

  “Welcome back, Jonathan and Kelly,” she said.

  “Thank you,” I said.

  “You did not bring a Hittite prince with you.”

  I didn’t say anything.

  She looked at me for a moment then turned her gaze to Kelly. She frowned and returned her gaze my way. “Where is Hani?”

  “I haven’t seen him since the battle,” I said. “If he hasn’t returned, I assume he’s dead.”

  Ankhesenamun looked past me. “Are you dead, Hani?”

  “No, my queen,” a voice said behind me.

  I turned to see Hani in the entrance. He didn’t have any road dust on him, and he wore a colored kilt. He looked well rested and slightly amused.

  Ankhesenamun nodded to him then gave me an impassive stare. “You were tasked with protecting the prince.”

  Again I remained silent.

  “Do you admit failure?” she asked.

  “Did you send an army to kill the prince?” I asked.

  She hesitated. “After careful consideration, I determined that the Egyptian people would not wish to have an enemy as king.”

  “So I guess it didn’t occur to you that if you hadn’t had him murdered, he wouldn’t have been an enemy? Marriage is a common way to bring kingdoms together. It has always been that way, and I suspect it will be for thousands of years.”