Genevieve shook her head.
“I’m just going to see the temple for myself,” Sophia explained, “To see if there is cause to worry.”
“Why can’t we both do that tomorrow?”
“You know that it is only on a night such as this that the temple can be opened and I can’t risk anyone asking questions.” Sophia replied meaningfully.
“But I thought Uncle Perry knew?” Genevieve moved from the silk cushion she’d been sitting on. “Don’t you trust him? After all he did save us from those men.”
“Of course I do,” Sophia whispered. “But he is only aware of some things. It’s safer for everyone if we keep it that way.”
“Momma,” Genevieve grabbed a shawl. “I’m going with—”
“Genevieve,” her mother interrupted her. “I must do this alone. Should something happen,” she paused. “We cannot let them have both of us. Don’t you understand?”
“Yes,” Genevieve nodded, she did understand. She wasn’t going to win this argument. She was, however, going.
“Good,” her mother smiled. “I should only be an hour or two at the most. I will no doubt be back before you’re even awake.”
As if she could sleep. Genevieve smiled sweetly as her mother kissed her on the cheek.
~*~
“Coast is clear… No wait. There is another servant coming this way,” Samuel whispered to the bushes as he peeked around the corner.
“What is this, Waterloo Station?” the bushes replied. “That is the second within the last five minutes.”
“Shhh,” Samuel hushed him as he too hid behind the shrubbery.
The servant who carried a basket on top of his head passed by where they were hiding without noticing the large man dangling from the drainpipe several feet off the ground.
“Alright, it’s clear now,” Samuel signaled the go ahead.
“Next time, you climb up the trellis,” Alec grumbled as a twig snapped under his weight.
“May I remind you that it’s your wife’s bedroom window,” Samuel whispered.
Alec smiled at the surprise he was about to give his wife. It had taken almost all of his strength to climb the exterior of the building to the upper floor, but thinking of her gave him the stimulus he needed to push on. He felt power surge into his limbs as he reached for the wooden parapet just over his head.
Taking hold of the edge, Alec swung beneath the mashrabiya that decorated the window. The lattice shutter was no match for his weight and snapped off in his hand. His body went swinging as he held on with his fingers. He tossed the wooden shutter to Samuel rather than let it clatter to the cobblestones below.
“Easy there,” Samuel whispered as he caught it.
Alec pulled himself up to the window ledge and climbed in. Inside there was nothing but silence as he waited on the sill. He crouched low, moving to a darkened corner. He waited, listening to the sounds of the room. Silently he crossed to the bed, imaging the kiss he would place upon her lips to wake her as he went. Standing briefly before the bed, Alec slowly raised his hand to the silken cloth that draped it. He took a deep breath before gently parting the sheer fabric… It was empty.
“Damn,” Alec swore softly, looking around. This had to be her room. After all, he had stood watching her from below as she looked out at the night from the very window he had just come in through.
Alec quickly checked the other rooms in the women’s area. All of them were empty. He crossed to the window and looked down at Samuel. He shook his head. “They are not here,” he whispered down to him.
“No?” Surprised, Samuel looked up at him. “Then where are they?”
“Good question,” Alec disappeared from view, appearing a few minutes later around the corner.
“Why did you even bother with the window, if you were going to use the stairs?” Samuel threw up his hands.
“I didn’t think they’d notice,” Alec replied, “Since the whole house is empty.”
Akeim joined them a moment later, “Where are the women?”
“Good question,” Alec ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
“Only the Admiral and a few guards left out the front as I watched,” Akeim looked back from where he had come. “Did you see anyone else leave?”
“There were a couple of servants, but they didn’t leave together,” Samuel answered.
“That had to be them,” Akeim replied.
“Where the hell could they have gone?” Alec swore. How could she have walked right past him? He could hardly believe it as he stood looking at the corner where they had disappeared.
Unbelievable!
Chapter 20
Alec wasted little time chasing after Genevieve and her mother. He turned the corner at an all-out run, colliding with the basket that one of them had used as part of their disguise.
“Genevieve,” he called out as he tripped over it. He continued to run until he reached the river’s edge and had to stop.
“Alec, Alec…Wait,” Samuel called as both he and Akeim ran in order to keep up with him.
Alec turned with a look of vengeance on his face. “Where the hell have they gone?” he pointed his finger at Akeim. “Tell me! I am tired of these secrets.”
Akeim was taken aback by his wrath, “I do not know.”
“If you cost me her life, because of some lost treasure, I will personally dismember you!”
“I do not know,” Akeim repeated.
“Tell me what you do know then,” Alec growled, “Who is it that you are sworn to protect… the S’ba?”
“Just because I’m sworn to protect the S’ba does not mean I know the secrets.”
“You know more than I do… start talking,” Alec demanded.
If it were anyone beside Alec, they might have been in danger by such a request. Akeim nodded with a sigh. “My people have protected the keeper of knowledge for thousands of years.”
“Knowledge of what?” Alec asked.
“A history of a people.”
“That’s it?” Alec looked at him in disbelief.
“And their knowledge.”
“So all of this is about the history of… Egypt?” Alec scoffed.
Akeim drew himself up. “I am Sabean.”
“So, it is a history of the Sabeans,” Alec again looked at him as if it were inconsequential.
“Again, I am sworn to protect the S’ba. I do not know the—”
“Secrets,” both Alec and Samuel reiterated with a nod.
“I thought the Sb’a was the Queen of Sheba?” Samuel puzzled aloud.
Akeim remained silent.
“How is it that this involves my wife?” Alec watched him closely as he asked it.
“The knowledge has been passed down from mother to daughter, generation after generation,” Akeim explained.
“So what you are telling me is that my wife is being hunted by the Admiral because she has this knowledge?” At Akeim’s nod he continued, “Do I need to tell you how farfetched that sounds?”
“Regardless, it is the truth,” Akeim stood taller.
“How does the Admiral fit into this?” Alec asked.
“He is Sophia’s brother-in-law.”
Alec pondered this for a moment, “And how does Lord Langston fit in?”
“The old man is Genevieve’s grandfather,” Akeim answered.
Alec raised his brows in surprise. “So the uncle as well as the grandfather betrayed them?"
“That’s rough,” Samuel commented.
“Whose side of the family do they come from?” Alec questioned him, “Sophia’s?”
“No,” Akeim replied. They are both on her late husband’s side, although, I believe the uncle married into the family.”
“Some family,” Samuel muttered.
“Is there anyone else I need to know about?” Alec asked in frustration, feeling as though he were prying the information from him. “I’m tired of blindly running into their traps.”
Akeim nodded in underst
anding. “It is one of the reasons I took them to live among the Bedouins where I could better protect them.”
Samuel snorted with that information. “I don’t know if I’d admit to that if I were you. One might question where you were when Genevieve was married off to my good man here, with I might add, the tribe’s blessing?”
Akeim assessed him angrily. “That had much to do with you and your conniving tongue, from my understanding,” he accused. “Convincing the Sheik that it was your King’s destiny to protect her was rather cunning of you. When I returned from patrolling the southern border the ceremony was already over,” he added meaningfully.
Samuel was quick to respond when both Alec and Akeim trained dark looks at him. “Let us remember what is important here,” he held both hands up as if to stave them off. “We were talking about Genevieve and her mother and where they could have gone… Right?”
Alec ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath to calm himself. Akeim folded his arms across his chest and stared at him.
“Right,” Samuel continued, “So that begs us to ask the question. What is the keeper of knowledge doing here in Cairo? Are they running from something or to it?” he looked around at the docks and the city beyond.
Alec rubbed his jaw with his hand in consideration.
Akeim shook his head, “I do not know. I wish now I still held the map.”
“You mean this map?” Samuel quickly retrieved yet another copy, holding it up.
Akeim raised his brow at the map that Samuel so easily procured.
“Oh all right, so I kept a copy,” Samuel rolled his eyes in response. Perhaps the Egyptian writings might give us a clue.” Samuel suggested as he held the map up for them to see.
In the light of the full moon, they each studied the drawing before them. The double lions facing away from each other dominated the page.
“There has to be something here that will shed some light on this,” Alec came closer. “What are the clues again?”
“On this side of the map, it tells of a temple belonging to a goddess, or the revered one, before the sacred land of the west.” Samuel then added, “And let us not forget my personal favorite… Where the cat arches over the door.”
“The sacred lands of the west are the deserts on the western side of the Nile.” Akeim remarked.
“Before the sacred lands of the west,” Alec contemplated. “What is this here?” He questioned pointing to a large disk between the lions. The sphere was nestled between two large mounds.
“It’s reminiscent of two large breas-” Samuel started.
“Mountains,” Akeim clarified.
“There are several depictions of the ankh,” Samuel pointed out.
“What of this symbol?” Alec said pointing to the large, Egyptian eye drawn beside one of the lions. “Isn’t that the all-seeing eye?”
“Yes,” Samuel nodded thoughtfully. “I wonder what it means in this instance?”
“It is the eye of Horus, the left eye of Ra,” Akeim helpfully added.
“Well that’s insightful,” Samuel replied sarcastically.
Akeim gave him a baleful glance in response.
Alec turned from the map and assessed the city before him. Close to the water, he could see across the river to the Pyramids, which stood like white, granite beacons in the moonlight.
“How many tombs are there in Cairo?” Samuel wondered aloud.
Akeim shook his head as he considered it, “Thousands.”
“More importantly,” Alec exclaimed. “How many have lions which guard them?”
Samuel paused to consider the question. “I don’t… wait, you think?”
Alec nodded with a smile, “The Sphinx!”
“Damn!” Samuel swore. “I was sure the treasure map led to the tomb of Sheba.”
Akeim extended his hand, silently asking for the map. Samuel sighed as he handed it over.
“If it’s any consolation,” Alec replied. “They have never found the treasure buried in the pyramids.”
“My only consolation is that now,” Samuel separated his coat, revealing his revolvers. “I’m properly armed!” the weapons he displayed glinted in the moonlight.
~*~
Sophia walked in front of the temples that stood before the Sphinx. She cautiously looked behind her before entering the Valley Temple. The excavations had unearthed the ruins down to the large stones that stood at the base of the walls. Twenty-four megalithic columns, which rose to the open sky, were topped with large stones creating a wall of square arches.
“I find it hard to believe that this is a coincidence,” Genevieve said from behind her.
“Oh,” Startled, Sophia grabbed her heart and turned towards her. “Genevieve!” she whispered loudly. “You gave me a start…” she paused. “What are you doing here after I told you to stay home?”
“I have come to help,” Genevieve replied matter-of-factly as she gazed at the temple, which had been detailed in the old book that her mother now carried in her bag. It was the only one they had removed from the trunk.
“What do you mean a coincidence?” Sophia’s brow knitted with concern as she looked at her.
“Don’t you find it odd that we have come out of hiding at the same time that this has been unearthed? It is almost as though we have been summoned.” Genevieve replied prophetically.
“How perceptive of you,” A deep voice sounded from behind them.
They both turned to see the Admiral standing at the entrance of the temple, several of his guards peered over the walls.
“You,” Sophia said with an indrawn breath as she turned. “It was you who betrayed us?”
“Betray is such an ugly word Sophia,” Percival stated coldly. “Especially when all I have done is try to protect you from this.”
“You killed my father?” Genevieve’s expression was one of horror.
“It was most unfortunate that you did not listen to your mother and stay at home.” He didn’t even look at her as he wiped a speck of dust from the sleeve of his coat.
Protectively, Sophia stepped in front of her daughter, “You will not harm her!”
“Of course not dear,” he looked up again with a bored expression. “As long as you do as I ask.”
“What is it that you want?”
“Come now Sophia, do not play with me,” he narrowed his eyes on her. “I have known that the artifact lies within this temple for some time now.”
“If you knew, then what do you need us for?” Genevieve took a step toward him as she spoke. Her mother placed her hand in front of her to stay her.
“I also know that it can only be retrieved by someone with your knowledge or it will be lost forever,” the Admiral sighed again. “I grow weary of your games… Open the temple and you and your daughter can go free.”
“That is it?” Sophia eyed him suspiciously, “And what if I don’t?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Percival glanced up at the men who remained on the walls of the temple.
“If you hurt us, then you will never have it,” Sophia warned.
“I have never wanted to hurt you Sophia or your daughter,” Percival replied. “But I think you should know that you are not the only one with the knowledge.”
“What do you mean?” Sophia questioned.
“I grow weary of this,” Percival heaved a great sigh. “Do it or not… It is your choice, but I am tired of waiting.”
The silence stretched as Sophia watched him. He signaled to his men with a wave of his hand. The men on the top of the walls trained their weapons on the women as he turned to leave.
“I will need help,” Sophia finally spoke up.
“That is a wise decision.” With another wave of his hand the men eased up on their weapons. “What kind of help?”
Sophia slowly let out a breath, visibly shaken by the incident, “I will need water.”
“Water?” he looked mildly surprised by the request. “Certainly,” he motioned for a water bag to be br
ought forward.
Sophia shook her head, “I will need much more than this.”
~*~
“What are they doing?” Samuel asked as he waited for Akeim to look through the lens. “I’ve got to get myself one of those,” he grumbled when Akeim finally handed the telescope over to Alec.
“They are filling the pool with water,” Alec peered through the lens. Unfortunately, he could still only see a partial view of the temple.
“Really?” Samuel replied as he strained to see, “I wonder why?”
Alec glanced over at him with the obvious before handing over the lens, “As if anyone of us could answer that.”
Samuel chose to ignore him as he looked through it. “If only we could get a better view,” he complained while he adjusted the telescope.
“If we go behind the temples and then follow that wall,” Alec pointed to the sloping walkway which went up to the great pyramid. “I believe we could get closer without being seen.”
“You and Samuel do that, while I take the place of that last guard.” Akeim motioned toward the distant sentry beyond the temple.
“That’s it?” Samuel looked to one and then the other with disbelief. “That’s the plan?”
Irritated, Akeim turned to him, “What do you want?”
“Something with a little more clarity would be nice,” he watched as Alec shook his head, “and a happy ending.”
~*~
“I will have the book and the map that you carry as well,” the Admiral ordered Sophia, motioning to the guard closest to them.
“Mother,” Genevieve whispered. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“What other choice do I have?” Sophia looked at her daughter. “He knows I would not risk losing you. We will just have to stop him some other way,” she whispered before she turned to give them both to the guard. She watched as he handed them to the man that she had once thought of as family.
The Admiral scanned the map, looking up, “I must warn you that if you attempt to deceive me there will be dire consequences.”
“I am not.” Sophia replied with a lift of her head.
~*~
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Alec whispered over to Samuel. They were laying across the top of the wall spying over the edge at the back entrance of the temple at two guards who had just emerged from beneath the archway.
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