| STORY 2 Page 41 |
| thing hidden in that damn drawer. �You bloody bastard! I shoulda known you didn�t have the balls to handle things like a man!� Alan smiled triumphantly, not at all fazed by the kid�s insult. �Call me what you will, but either way, I�m in control. Now,� Alan grabbed the journal back from Kit, �you really won�t be needing this. There�s one more thing you have that I want. Where is the scepter?� Kit so badly wanted to tell him to rot in hell, but it was important that he remain in control of his temper. He had to think fast and come up with a plan to get back in control of things. Whatever he did, he had to make sure he stayed alive to destroy the damn thing once and for all. He gave Alan a dirty look, keeping his mouth shut. Being a stubborn pain in the ass will buy him time� that is until the scepter is in Alan�s hands. �ANSWER ME, DAMMIT!� Without a word, Kit turned and started towards the steep incline to the Temple. �Where the hell do you think you�re going?� Alan yelled, amazed at the kid�s audacity to just walk away from a gun pointed at him. Kit spun around and faced Alan, yelling. �Do you want that damn scepter or not?! If so, I suggest you shut your pie hole and follow me! It so happens I�m allergic to bullets so I really have no other choice now, do I, Sparky?� Kit whipped back around and continued on down. Alan scowled at Kit�s back. Damn smartass kid. ~*~*~*~*~ Rick, Evie, and Jonathan made their way through the desert, following the tracks left by Skarzinski and Kit, tracks that the winds had quickly wiped away. They continued traveling straight on in hopes that Alan and Kit didn�t make any sudden turns. In another part of the desert, Ardeth, who had recently returned to his tribe after delivering his wife and the others to safety, was leading an army of Med-jai towards the Temple of Seth in case they would be needed there. He did not think that this Skarzinski madman would make it this far in his quest, but it didn�t hurt to be cautious. He�d soon find out that he had made an excellent battle strategy decision. ~*~*~*~*~ Kit made it to the bottom with Alan and his horse close behind. They gazed up at the great Temple, which had been constructed as huge elaborately painted walls, the entrance framed by two large statues of Seth. Like a few other temples in Egypt, this one was build without a roof so that the sun god, Amun, could shine down and illuminate the entire inside with more grandeur than all the candles of Egypt could combined. Once again, without a word, Kit turned and walked away from the Temple towards a nearly discernable cave in the side of the steep incline. Alan followed, keeping the gun trained on Kit. �That�s far enough,� said Alan. �Tell me where it is and don�t make any sudden movements.� Kit crossed his arms and took his damn sweet time making any movements. He had only a precious few moments left and then there�d be no reason for Skarzinski to keep him around. �Well? Talk dammit! Where is it??� Kit rolled his eyes and flicked a hand towards the rock in the corner of the cave. �As you can see, Sparky, there�s no place in this cave to hide anything besides behind that rock, so unless it�s up your ass, my guess is it may be in a rucksack behind that there rock that�s shaped like your head,� he finished with a slow drawl. Alan gave him a seething look and walked towards the rock, keeping his eyes and gun on Kit. He reached down and retrieved the rucksack, dumping the contents on the ground. The flashlight hit the rock solid ground with a crash, sending the scepter out of its hiding place. Alan picked it up, using his shirt to clean the dirt from the scepter. �I want to make sure you�re not playing me for a fool. Outside,� he demanded. He needed better lighting to read the two short lines to see if the scepter would give off the light. Once outside by the entrance of the Temple, Alan pulled out the journal page with the two simple lines and put them to memory. He awkwardly held the scepter in both hands, his right hand still holding on to the gun pointed at Kit. �A heart of black I do possess, Show me the light in the color of red.� The scepter gave a small shake as a bright red light more powerful and brighter than anything he�d ever seen before shot out of the top of the scepter into the sky, higher than the human eye could see. Both Skarzinski and Kit were so in awe of its beauty that they did not notice Alan�s horse take off back up the incline in fright nor the dark clouds beginning to form above the valley. ~*~*~*~*~ Evie looked over Rick�s shoulder and smoothed his scowl with her hand. �Don�t worry, Rick. We�ll find him.� Rick gave a half-hearted smile to Evie. �I feel like I�ve let my sister down. I can�t let anything happen to that kid. He�s my only link to my family.� �You won�t let her down. Everything will work out for the better. You�ll see. Just keep your faith.� She rested her cheek against his back and he closed his eyes, drawing from the strength of her love and faith as she hugged him tighter. Just then, a bright red light shot up into the sky, followed by dark clouds forming near it. Jonathan brought the camel to a halt. �Um people� I spy with my little eye, a red light brighter than the sun glinting off a ruby.� He�d gotten Rick and Evie�s attention and they gaped at the sight before them. �I say, you don�t suppose it may be a giant ruby?� His eyes lit up at that thought. Just then, a horse with no riders came bolting up an incline, Skarzinski�s horse to be exact. �It�s them!� With a whip of the reins, Rick, Evie, and Jonathan headed full speed towards the red light. ~*~*~*~*~ Ardeth and his men traveled in slow silence towards the Temple of Seth. He was in deep thought thinking of his wife and hoping all was well with his family when his concentration was broken by a murmur that quickly grew to loud shouts. He looked towards their destination and saw what had caused the commotion. �It can�t be! How did he make it there so quickly? This man is more danger than we thought.� He looked towards his men and gave the order to ride as if Seth were on their tails, which he soon could very well be. ~*~*~*~*~ Shaking himself out of his daze, Alan took his right hand away from the scepter. As soon as the one hand was removed, the light was gone and the clouds dispersed. He looked to Kit with a smile of triumph and with the images of Kit�s blood on his hands. �And now, the moment we�ve been waiting for.� He cocked the gun, feeling disappointed that Kit gave him a look of defiance. Not even a glimmer of fear. �Well now, you�re no fun. Surely you�re scared of dying?� Kit glared at him. �No. I have nothing here to live for, nobody waiting for me, at least not here in life. I look forward to seeing my family again, most of whom you have sent to their current place.� Alan gave a sigh and shrugged a shoulder. Oh well. He wouldn�t enjoy killing him as much, but it would feel good to wipe the smug little bastard off the face of the Earth. He cocked the gun and took aim at Kit�s heart. The sound of fast approaching hoofs took away his attention from the task at hand and he realized he�d have to take a different approach, thanks to the damned intruders. Kit would be his hostage, so he�ll stay alive�for now. |