Egypt Rising

by Stan Schatt

  “Women are not permitted! Go home. Your husbands will punish you when they learn that you have been here,” one of the older men shouted.

  “Olivia! Taylor! They’re foreigners from my school!” Neguib shouted to his friends.

  Another man rose and moved towards us as if he intended to throw us out of the room. Taylor and I drew our pistols from under our clothing. Paul already had his pistol out and leveled at the man.

  “All weapons on the floor now!”

  Taylor used a strong authoritative voice and sounded like a woman who was used to being obeyed. The men stared belligerently at her.

  I fired my gun in the air. There was the sound of several guns hitting the floor. Taylor told the men to kick the weapons in her direction, and I gathered them and brought them over to a chair near the door. I saw Paul was heading toward his father.

  “Everyone face down on the floor!”

  They were not used to having a woman tell them what to do, and one of them hesitated. Taylor aimed carefully at his legs and fired. The man screamed as a bullet winged him. He immediately dropped to the floor. The shot took me by surprise. Taylor always surprised me.

  Taylor held her gun leveled at the men while I rushed to Dad and Mister Thornton and untied them. I then went over to Mister Hargrove.

  “He’s alive, but he looks pretty weak. We’ll have to get some help for him,” Paul said.

  He turned and began untying his mother’s hands and removing her gag. Mister Thornton started to say something, but Taylor stopped him and told him to grab some of the weapons. Just as he did so, I heard a sound from behind me. One of the men must have gone to the bathroom before we entered the room. He now leveled his gun at Taylor and fired as she turned. She fell to the floor.

  “No!” I screamed.

  I turned towards the man and wished him dead. I felt the same tingle in my crown and knew what was coming. A bolt of light flashed, and the man screamed and fell to the floor. The guerillas who got up saw their companion now was reduced to a smoking corpse. The men quickly resumed their position on the floor. They stared at me with disbelief on their face. I pointed my arm at the men, and they quickly turned their heads away from me.

  I bent down and stared at the blood darkening Taylor’s dress. I saw the bullet had hit her in the chest. She was starting to wheeze. Taylor’s eyes were glassy and she stared at me without speaking.

  Mister Thornton had joined me. His gun was still leveled on the guerillas. Dad also had a gun in his hands. Mister Thornton had tears in his eyes. He was babbling words that I couldn’t understand. Somehow I knew how dangerous a chest wound that impacts the lungs was. I knew Taylor could literally drown in her own blood unless I did something.

  I realized with a start that I knew exactly what to do. I told Mister Thornton to help me lift Taylor onto a table. I had to repeat myself three times before I could get his attention. He lifted his daughter to the table with tears in his eyes.

  I told him to keep his eyes on the guerillas. Dad was watching me with a puzzled look on his face. I pulled Taylor’s garment over her head, and now I could clearly see the wound oozing blood.

  I rubbed my hands together again and again, concentrated on the wound, and I felt my gemstone starting to grow warm as it began radiating light once again. I found I could visualize Taylor’s body beneath her skin. I could see the heart and lungs, as well as, the bullet itself. My hands felt very hot.

  I moved my hands toward Taylor’s body. I looked down, and what I saw seemed impossible. I saw my hands knife through the skin. I saw the bullet clearly now. My fingers moved carefully to avoid delicate organs and held the bullet tightly. I then moved my hands out of Taylor, placed the bullet on the table, and then once again plunged my hands back into her body.

  I heard the words of ancient medical texts in my head as I began to transfer energy to Taylor’s body. I drew the blood out of the girl’s lungs and then began to repair the wound. When my hands came out of the body, I placed one hand right on the wound and felt the transfer of warmth from my hand to Taylor’s skin. I saw the wound heal right before my eyes as it grew smaller and smaller until there was only a very small mark. Mister Thornton had watched me with growing disbelief.

  “How did you do that?” he demanded to know.

  “Taylor and I found the Hall of Records. We found the Ark. It’s much too complicated to explain now, but you saw what I did to the guy who shot Taylor.”

  The guerillas had also seen the power I possessed. Many were shaking and muttering lines from the Koran. Some thought I was a demon of some kind. Neguib lay there looking miserable.

  Dad had found some robes and taken the rope belts. He used them to tie the hands of the men whose fight went out of them. They didn’t want to test me again and see me use that fearsome weapon.

  I hurried over to Mister Hargrove where Paul and his mother stood. Both of them looked desolate. Once again I rubbed my hands together and then visualized the man’s internal organs. I saw he had been tortured and had a dozen knife wounds. The men who tortured him didn’t want to kill him too quickly. They were careful not to cut any vital organs, but the blood loss was substantial. I transferred energy and vitality to his body. I heard words from an ancient medical text in my head once again.

  I focused on his blood marrow and encouraged it to produce more red blood cells. I knew he needed a blood transfusion as well. I hesitated and then visualized the transfer of blood from myself to Mister Hargrove. I placed my hands deeply within his body and created a pathway for my blood to flow. I didn’t understand the process, but felt myself grow a little light-headed as the blood transfer took place.

  Then I closed up his wounds and stopped the blood that flowed from my arm. I watched as my skin closed around itself until it was impossible to see where the blood had flowed.

  Dad had finished tying the men and now he was watching me.

  “You have the ancient knowledge. You found the Hall of Records and the Ark.”

  His voice broke. It had been his lifelong dream. No one believed him. I had achieved the impossible.

  “Look!” Mister Thornton shouted.

  I saw Taylor’s eyes were opening. Color returned to her previously deathly pale face. She looked almost normal.

  “What happened?” Taylor’s voice sounded weak.

  “Olivia saved you. She operated on you. I don’t know how. It’s a miracle!” Mister Thornton was crying so hard it was difficult to make out his words.

  Taylor looked up at me. Her mouth broke into a small smile.

  “You used your big brain to figure out what to do, right?”

  “Something told me what to do. I don’t know how it works, but I’m so happy it does.”

  I reached down and gave Taylor a kiss on her cheek. Taylor’s smile grew broader. She began to try to sit up.

  “I’m not sure it’s a good idea,” Mister Thornton said.

  He looked over at me for confirmation. I consulted the medical text in my head once again.

  “It should be okay. She should be good as new.”

  Taylor sat up and felt her chest.

  “It feels strange. The last thing I remember is this terrible pain there.”

  “The bullet went in through your chest and didn’t go out your back because it struck a bone,” I said.

  Taylor’s hands remained on her chest. “I don’t feel anything,” she said.

  “What about Mister Hargrove?” Dad said.

  I walked over to the man who was still lying on his back. Paul was holding one of his hands while his mother held her husband’s other hand. I leaned against the table and realized I still was a little dizzy from the blood loss.

  “He should be okay as well,” I said.

  They looked down at him and saw his eyes were now open. He struggled but managed to sit up. He was also stunned. He felt various parts of his body. Clearly, he looked for the painful wounds he had experienced. His body was smooth, though, with no apparent cuts.
/>   “I don’t understand,” he said.

  “Olivia operated on you,” Paul said.

  The boy had a broad smile. His mother was speechless.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  Mister Thornton looked down at his good friend.

  “They found out he’s really a member of the Mossad, the Israeli secret service. I thought I was the only person who knew. There must have been a leak and word got out to this group of terrorists. One of our servants must have told them we were over at the Thorntons. That’s the reason they came to the house. They wanted him. We just happened to be there.”

  Mister Hargrove was woozy and confused. Mister Thornton tried to explain what happened. It was hard to believe, but the agent saw the proof in his newly healed body. He stared at the burned corpse of the guerilla who shot Taylor.

  I had a terrible thought. Everyone would want my weapon. Every country and all their military leaders would steal and kill, and do whatever was necessary so that they would have the ultimate weapon. I’d never have any peace. I realized there was a more immediate problem, though.

  “What should we do with these prisoners?” I asked.

  “I have some contacts within the Egyptian army,” Mister Thornton said.

  “Are you sure?” Mister Hargrove asked.

  “They’ll be very happy to take these men off our hands. We just won’t say anything about what Olivia did. I’m sure these men will talk about it, but no one will believe them.”

  He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and placed his call.

  Taylor and I were alone for the moment. Our fathers were gathered around Mister Hargrove, probably discussing what would happen next. I noticed just how blue Taylor’s eyes were. She really was beautiful, much prettier than I would ever be. It didn’t seem to matter anymore, though, because I was happy that she was alive. Taylor was so much more than she first seemed to be.

  “Thanks for saving me,” Taylor said.

  Her voice was soft, but the sincerity was there. I hugged her.

  “I’m just happy you’re alright. I just couldn’t lose you after everything we’ve been through.”

  “I was so wrong about you,” Taylor said.

  Tears ran down her cheeks.

  “I was wrong about you, too.”

  I began crying as well. What a mess we both were! I looked at Taylor and saw tears creating streaks across the sand she had smeared on her face.

  I saw a bottle of water that one of the men brought with him. I took it, poured water on part of Taylor’s garment, and used it to clean the girl’s face. I worked quickly without speaking, and it felt right.

  “We have some time before the Army comes,” Mister Thornton said.

  “Tell me everything,” Dad demanded.

  His eyes no longer looked red and tired. There was an excitement that flowed through him and made him look years younger.

  I began telling the story. When I described how a member of the group charged with protecting the secrets of the Sphinx tried to kill us, our fathers were visibly upset. I gave Taylor full credit for tricking the man into dropping his gun while Taylor was quick to give me credit for saving us.

  Dad didn’t know what to make of the fact that the man who tried to kill us had Doctor Fayez’s business card in his pocket. I couldn’t figure it out either. Did the cult charged with protecting the Sphinx’s secrets include the genial little man?

  Dad shrugged. “I just don’t know. He has a vested interest in keeping secrets from the public so that he doesn’t destroy the country’s tourist business. He always was a little excessive in keeping me from looking for the Hall of Records.”

  When I described the wonders of the Sphinx and the Ark, I watched Dad hang on every word. My description of the Hall of Records and my newfound ability to remember everything brought tears to his eyes. It was beyond his wildest dreams.

  My description of the soldiers who tried to kill us caused Dad to give Mister Thornton a sharp look.

  “Do you think they’ll bother us?” he asked.

  “Not the ones who are coming. I know the Colonel. He doesn’t appear to have any secret agenda although it is getting increasingly more difficult to determine who you can trust.”

  Mister Hargrove suggested that everyone stay at his home until the political scene calmed down. Now that I knew the man’s secret profession, it didn’t surprise me to find that he had installed an electrified fence around his estate. He confessed that he had more than enough firepower to keep anyone from invading the place. The other two fathers agreed to do so but just for the evening. Mister Thornton already had made arrangements for more security to be installed in his home, including an electrified fence.

  Mister Thornton had called his driver who magically appeared with the large limo. We all drove to Mister Hargrove’s home. It did look like a fort. Paul jumped out and typed in a combination so that the fence would open. The house was as large as the Thorntons’ place, but it didn’t seem to call attention to itself.

  Paul and his mother supported Mister Hargrove as we entered the home. I noticed Paul kiss his fingers and place them on an object in the doorjamb. While Mister Hargrove still felt weak because his red blood count remained low, he was able to walk with their help.

  “He’ll really be okay?” Paul asked me.

  “According to everything in the medical text that keeps broadcasting in my head whether I want it to or not, he should be fine; he’s actually going to be better than he was before they tortured him because his body is going to produce even more red blood cells. He’ll have more energy than he ever had.”

  Mrs. Hargrove overheard me and reached over and gave me a kiss on the cheek and hugged me. She was crying and laughing at the same time.

  “Bless you,” she said.

  I saw the tears in her eyes. I felt like telling everyone that it really wasn’t anything I did. It was all in the clothes and in my necklace. Something told me, though, not to mention the necklace.

  I squirmed until the woman finally released me. I felt embarrassed. No one ever paid much attention to me before, and I had grown used to being ignored.

  Mrs. Hargrove insisted on reciting a Hebrew prayer that thanked God for a loved one’s recovery. Paul joined his mother in the prayer. There were tears in his eyes as well.

  The words sounded strange to me. I glanced at Dad and saw he was standing respectfully with his head bowed, but I knew he didn’t think much of the ceremony. He said he would only believe in God if the deity spoke to him directly.

  “What’s your religion? I don’t think you ever said anything about it,” Paul asked.

  “I…don’t really have one. My father’s an agnostic like a lot of scientists. My mother was Jewish. I don’t know what I am.”

  Mrs. Hargrove heard my words and turned with a big smile on her face. “In our religion, a daughter is automatically Jewish if her mother is Jewish.”

  She moved towards me again apparently with the intention of hugging me, but Paul sensed my discomfort and stepped between us. He led me away towards a corner dominated by a high bookcase, filled with books of all sizes. I noticed some written in a different language and assumed it was Hebrew.

  “I just wanted to thank you. It’s so hard to believe, but I did see what you did with my own eyes. Can I touch your crown?”

  I forgot that I still wore the crown. I nodded but added a warning.

  “Sometimes it feels like a mild shock, so don’t be surprised if it tingles.”

  Paul gingerly touched the crown. He pulled his hand away.

  “It does tingle. I can’t believe you found all those things you’re father talked about in class. I always knew he believed in them, but I thought it was impossible.”

  I talked with Paul, but I was uncomfortable. My head ached and my eyes hurt. I excused myself and walked over to Taylor who sat by herself.

  “Do you feel okay? I’m getting a bad headache,” I said.

  Taylor looked up. I saw the gi
rl’s eyes were very red.

  “My head’s killing me. What do you think is happening?” she asked.

  I didn’t know, but then I noticed a stream of blood starting to drip out of Taylor’s nose. I felt a slight drip coming from my nose. When I touched it with my finger, I noticed my finger was bright red.

  I could hear the medical text in my head broadcasting once again.

  “Dad?”

  I raised my voice and everyone turned in my direction.

  “What do you need, Olivia?”

  “I think Taylor and I need a doctor right away. Something’s not right with us. We’ve got terrible headaches, and our noses are starting to bleed.”

  “Call the Ambulance Service right now!” he shouted.

  Mrs. Hargrove picked up a phone and began dialing.

  “What is it?” Mister Thornton asked.

  “Did you smell anything unusual when you went into the Sphinx?”

  Dad’s voice was shaky.

  “It smelled real stale and old.”

  “Anything else?”

  “It kind of smelled like spoiled mushrooms,” Taylor added.

  “It’s what I was afraid of. A terrible fungus grows when a room is closed up that tightly. You breathe in the spores and then they begin growing in your lungs. That’s why we usually use masks and oxygen tanks when we open up sealed tombs. I’m afraid there’s not much time. The spores work their way up the brain and cause hemorrhagic brain fever.”

  I felt dizzy. I heard a faint siren in the distance. Its sound grew louder and louder. I saw the door open and several men rushed in, holding stretchers. I saw their white uniforms, and then everything turned black as I passed out.

  * * * *

  Mister Thornton spoke to the attendants.

  “They have to go to University Hospital. I’m Tom Thornton. I’m on the Board. I don’t care which hospital is closer. Take them there.”

  The men nodded. It was clear they heard of Mister Thornton and didn’t want to get into trouble for disobeying his instructions.