| STORY 2 Page 37 |
| �Hmm?� She looked in his direction, but it seemed she was looking through him rather than at him. �Oh, Ardeth,� she said, finally focusing her attention on him, �I�m so very worried about Rick and Jonathan. Something is wrong, I know it!� She looked at him pleadingly. �I must go to them. I must! I know Rick asked that you keep an eye on me and not let me follow, but I must go.� She looked away as her eyes misted, clouding her vision. She blinked away the tears that were threatening to fall and looked back to Ardeth, the worry in her eyes replaced by determination. �Go then. Go to your brother and your husband. You know that you and O�Connell were destined to protect one another. If you sense danger, then it must be so. But Evelyn,� he gave her a steady gaze that demanded her full attention. �Be careful, for I sense more danger will come to your family before this is through.� �Mum, I�m going with you.� �No Alex, you must not. I want you to promise me you will go with Ardeth to the med-jai village. Please. Of all the things I�ve every asked of you and all the promises I�ve ever asked you to keep, I ask that you keep this one. No good will come of it. I sense danger for your uncle and your father and I could not bear it if you were in danger as well. Promise me, Alex.� Alex looked down. �Yes, mum.� He did not want to see his mum worry any more than she already was, and he wanted to reassure her that he would stick to his word on this promise, so he looked her straight in the eye. �I promise you I will stay and do what Ardeth asks of me. Please be careful, mum. I love you.� Evelyn leaned over and gave him the best hug she could from the back of a camel and kissed his cheek. �I will, my baby. I love you, too.� She looked to Ardeth. �Thank you Ardeth. Take care of Nefret.� Ardeth gave a quick nod and Evelyn turned her camel around and rode as if she had the fires of hell at her heels. ~*~*~*~*~ The sharp throbbing pain on the back of Rick�s head had brought him out of the pitch-black dreamless sleep he had been in. The slightest movement caused so much pain that he almost blacked out once again, so he decided to stay as still as possible while he sorted things out. What the hell happened to his head and where the hell was he? Were Evie and Alex safe? Images and pieces of conversations began flashing through his head. Ardeth handing him a locket. A journal. A dead body. A mad man. He grimaced against the pain as he became more alert. A pain in the ass named Kit. Kit! He remembered now. They were in Egypt and he and Jonathan were searching for Kit after he had pulled another of his disappearing acts. The sandstorm had become worse and night was falling, so he and Jonathan had decided to pitch a tent for the night and get an early start. The last thing he remembered was doing a quick check to make sure everything had been tied down really tight and all anchors were deep in the desert sand. Then something had struck the back of his head damn near splitting it in two; or so it felt, then sweet oblivion. Sharp pain ran up his arms as he tried to life them to rub his temples. What the hell? Shit. His arms were tied behind his back. He heard a moan to his right and turned his head towards the sound, gritting his teeth against the pain the movement had caused. He and Jonathan were on the ground leaning side to side, each propping the other in a sitting position, with their bound wrists encircling the tent pole at their backs. �Bloody hell! This is by far the worst hangover I�ve ever had,� said Jonathan. He tried to move his arms. �It�s not a hangover, Jonathan. We�re in Egypt, remember? On our way to smack some sense into Kit, but we were detained.� He turned his head to the tent flap as he caught a glimpse of a torchlight coming towards them as someone entered. �Well, well. Up already I see? How�s the head?� The man gave a smile of pure joy at seeing the pain on their faces. Oh shit, Rick thought. Skarzinski. �Where the hell is Kit? What did you do to him?� Skarzinski frowned. �I was hoping you could tell me where the brat is. He has something of mine and I want it back. It was in Sonderburg�s possession but the brat took off with it before I searched his house.� �So, you�re the one who killed him and ransacked his house.� Rick stated, not really surprised because they had guessed as much. Skarzinski gave an evil smile. �Quite so, Sherlock. Sadly, the old man couldn�t live through the torturous death as long as I would have liked. The stubborn jackass wouldn�t tell me anything, but my spies found out about this Christopher Richard O�Connell-O�Malley, or Kit as you call him, who lived with the old man. I know he has the journal. It belongs to me!� �You are a sick and very mentally unbalanced madman. I don�t even think a shrink could help you at this point.� Jonathan stated as he shook his head. Skarzinski growled at being referred to as crazy. He stuck his torch into the ground and looked to Jonathan as he came closer to make sure he could clearly see the emotions that were about to show through his eyes. �English accent and a mouth that gets you in trouble. You must be Jonathan Carnahan.� He smiled as Jonathan frowned at him. �Carnahan� now where have I heard that name before?� he tapped his chin as he pretended to remember. �Ah yes. Robert and Adinah. The first two people�s lives I took.� He smiled as anger and hurt flashed through Jonathan�s eyes. �Oh don�t you worry. It was a quick and painless death since there were so many people close by, and I got only a small amount of pleasure in ending their lives.� Jonathan tried to kick him, but Skarzinski smoothly stepped out of the way. �Bloody bastard!� Skarzinski looked to Rick and nearly took a step back at the intense anger and hate he saw in his eyes. He smiled wickedly, ready to cut into Rick�s emotions. �But there were others that did bring me great pleasure. Particularly one by the name of Carolyn Anne. Now she was a sweet one. I can still remember the way she screamed and thrashed when I had her sweet body under me.� �BASTARD!� Rick yelled as he tried unsuccessfully to yank his bound hands free. �I�m going to kick the ever-lovin� shit out of you!� Skarzinski gave a fake look of surprise at his reaction and pretended to ponder once again. �Hmm. Carolyn Anne O�Connell-O�Malley I believe it was. And you�re Richard O�Connell I presume? Oh, that must mean that you were her brother. She begged for her life and the life of her unborn child.� He gave a triumphant smile. Rick�s chin dropped to his chest and he shook with anger as silent tears ran down his face. He could have been there to save her. If he�d only taken the time to find out what happened to her after they had been separated as children. He could have prevented the pain and the shame she must have gone through at Skarzinski�s hands. Jonathan�s eyes shot daggers at the madman. Skarzinski stood in front of him, crouching with his hands on his knees. �You don�t suppose I hurt his feelings do you?� Before Jonathan could answer, his attention was drawn to something glinting on Skarzinski�s pinky finger. He gasped. �Where did you get that ring? When did you get it? I swear to God if you hurt her I�ll KILL you!� Skarzinski looked confused and looked to his hand. �Ah yes. And here I thought she was only a dream. I have a score to settle with that woman, and I do intent to settle it. Tell me about this woman of yours. Her manner of dress was strange; almost ancient times style. There�s something funny about that damn cave. There was a tunnel at the end of it, but then it disappeared. Tell me what you know. Tell me!� Jonathan pressed his lips together hard and glared at him. �Very well, it doesn�t matter. I know where it is and I will put a great deal of exploring into it.� He thought for a moment. �Could it be possible it is some type of tunnel to the past?� He was interrupted by the sound of an approaching camel. Skarzinski turned and Rick and Jonathan looked towards the tent flap. �Rick? Jonathan?� Skarzinski�s hands worked quickly as he produced a chloroform soaked rag and held it over Jonathan�s mouth until he passed out. Rick took a sharp intake of breath. �EVIE! NO, GET OUT-� He was cut short as Skarzinski yanked his head back by his hair and put the cloth over his mouth and was once again surrounded by darkness. ~*~*~*~*~ When Rick came to again, he remembered immediately where he was and Evie was the first thing on his mind. He looked up to find that Skarzinski had put another long pole into the ground, and tied to it in the same manner as himself and Jonathan, was Evelyn. �No!� his mind screamed. His hands were tied underneath Jonathan�s and he wouldn�t be able to stand unless Jonathan did, so he nudged him awake. �Jonathan,� he whispered harshly. �Stand up.� |