Imhotep his chamber

Ashley hands Rick a sledgehammer and looks at Evelyn who enthusiastically runs around. "According to my calculations, we should be right under the Anubis and come up straight between his legs." She chuckles. "Oh my." "And when tho's dirty yanks go to sleep, no offense" Jonathan starts. "None taken," says Ashley. "We'll go up and steal that book right from them."

"And you are sure you can find the secret compartment," asks Rick. Ashley looks nervous at the crackling ground. "Yes, if their Egyptologist hasn't already found it" sighs Evelyn. "I say" begins Jonathan and looks around. "What's our little smelly friend got himself up to?" "He went looking for treasure" sighs Ashley. Jonathan nods. "Let me get this straight" sighs Rick and sits down next to Ashley. "They stuck a sharp red-hot poker up your nose and cut your brain into little pieces?" "Then ripped it all through your nostrils," asks Ashley and takes her nose protective. "Oh my, that must hurt" swallows, Rick. "It's called mummification" jokes Evelyn. "You will be dead when they do that" laughs Jonathan and swings with the wooden stick as if he is golfing. "Still," says Ashley. "Yeah that would bring you back alive" groans Rick. "Oh, you two" laughs Evelyn. A huge chunk of the roof suddenly gives out and drops a sarcophagus right before them. Scared Ashley jumps backwards while Rick protectively jumps in front of her. Coughing Ashley pats the dust from her arms as Rick and Jonathan help Evelyn up. "Oh my god" whispers Evelyn. "Is that a Sarcophagus" whispers Jonathan. "Why would they bury somebody in the ceiling," asks Rick and looks up. "They didn't. They buried him at the foot of Anubis" says Ashley and looks at the hole. "So he was somebody of very great importance" grins Jonathan only imagining the gold already. "Or he did something very naughty." "Ashley clears the dirt from the stone box and tries to look for a name. A single hieroglyph appears. "He who shall not be named," says Evelyn. Ashley and Rick stare at each other. Rick dusts off the huge lock. "There is some kind of lock here," he says. "You said these things are made of granite with a stone interior right," asks Jonathan. "Quarried granite with a cobalt lining" corrects Evelyn. "Whoever is in here, he sure wasn't getting out" whispers Rick. "No kidding, without a key it will take us a month to crack open this thing" sighs Jonathan. "Key" whispers Ashley. "Weren't the guys on the boat looking for a key" Rick looks at her and snaps his fingers. "You are wonderful Ashley. That thing.. Remember" asks Rick and looks at Evelyn. "Hey, that's mine" protests Jonathan and sticks his hand out. Offended Ashley pats his hand. "Ow," Jonathan whispers and pulls his hand back. Evelyn smirks and places the key in the hole. Before she can turn it they hear the warden his helpless cries. "Gad" says Ashley and runs towards the hallway. "Ash" yells Rick and runs behind him. "Hey" says Jonathan and grabs the warden his hands but he is far too crazy at this moment. He pushes Jonathan away and runs towards a stone wall. "No" shouts Ashley, but it is too late. Hastily Rick grabs Ashley and blocks her vision against his chest. The warden bumps against the wall and drops dead. Rick leads Ashley away from the corpse hoping that she will not remember this too much. "God" whispers Jonathan and takes the man his bag before leaving. "Jon" curses Evelyn who saw this.

Still shocked of the man his sudden death Ashley is snuggled up around the campfire. She looks to the hungry flames and sighs. "Hey" whispers Rick and shrugs her back. Ashley smiles softly. "What do you think that killed him," Evelyn asks. "I don't know but have you ever seen him eat," asks Jonathan. Evelyn shakes her head. "Looks like the Americans had their own misadventure. Three of their diggers are killed. Something with king Seti and an ancient booby trap made of acid." "Maybe this place really is cursed" whispers Jonathan. Ashley looks up at him." "Hey" says Rick who noticed this. "No. Come on guys. No" he says. A gust of wind flickers through the camp. The fire flickers and Ashley shares a nervous laugh with Jonathan. "Oh come on you two" laughs Evelyn. "You don't believe in curses huh" laughs Rick. "No, I believe if I can touch it and I can see it, it's real. That's what I believe." Rick nods. Rick cocks his riffle. He gives her a big grin. "I believe in being prepared." "Let's see what our friend the warden believed in" laughs Jonathan and takes the man his bag. He reaches into the bag.

"Ahh" he shouts suddenly. Scared Evelyn jumps up while Ashley looks startled at him. "What?" "What is it" yells Evelyn as an answer to Ashley. "Some broken bottle" curses Jonathan. "Oh" groans Evelyn. Ashley lets her head hang laughing and sighs. "Let's see what is in here," Jonathan says after licking his finger. "Well he may have been a stinky fellow but he sure as hell knew what good liquor is," says Jonathan and holds the bottle in the light of the fire. He takes a big swing. Ashley and Rick laugh while Evelyn amused shakes her head. Suddenly Rick kneels down and sticks his ear to the sand. "What is it" whispers Ashley. "Stay here" he orders and stands up. "Rick" says Ashley and follows him. "Wait for me" yells Evelyn and runs behind. "Hold on, didn't the man just say stay here" shouts Jonathan and sits down again. The sudden sounds of horses, yelling men, and gunfire sound over the Americans their camp. Rick throws the elephant gun to Evelyn and looks at Ashley. "Go back to the camp" he orders. Ashley looks at him. "But!" "No buts" he yells and starts the fight with a heavily armed man. Ashley knows who these are... The man from the boat! Jonathan holds the bottle tight, grabs a gun, and runs behind her. "Ashley" he shouts and shoots the man who was creeping up to her. The American camp is under siege. Two dozen riders gallop through the ring of fires. Firing rifles sound everywhere. Several diggers are killed as they run. The Americans leap out of their tents and kill some riders. Daniels is shot, he spins and falls. "Daniels" whispers Ashley and helps him up. Daniels looks at her. "Thank you miss," he says and starts shooting again while Ashley keeps holding him up. Hopeless she looks for a place to bring him. A safe place. Henderson and Burns ran to his aid. "Thank you miss, we'll take it from here," says Burns. Ashley nods and hastily runs towards the direction Rick went. She races through the ruins and bumps into Benni. It doesn't take long before she realizes that he is trying to hightail out of there. "Going somewhere," she asks offended. "Just looking for you, I wanted to be with my friend" he defends. Ashley rolls her eyes. "C'mon friend" suddenly Rick says and drags Benni back to the American camp. "No, why do you like to fight so much" Benni protests. "I told you to go back to the camp," he says angrily to Ashley and points towards the hills. "I will, I don't like to fight. Why do you like it" cries, Benni. "Because I look good while doing it" grunts Rick between his teeth and pushes Benni forwards.

Surprised Ashley looks at how Rick tackles a rider off his horse. "That's my brother" she whispers proudly. Hastily she dodges a rain of bullets. Her stomach lays flat in the warm sand while she looks into the dead eyes of a digger. "God" she whispers and crawls backward on all four. "Surprised she looks up when she bumps into one of the warriors. The same warrior who got smacked off his horse by Rick not so long ago. Screamingly she tries to jump up and run away from him, but he is faster. "No" Ashley protests and fights against the strong arms of the warrior. "Still" he orders and places a scimitar on her troth. With his other hand, he grabs her small wrists. His soft sense of burned wood and cinnamon strokes her nose. "Stop" yells the warrior and looks at Rick who is loading his gun hastily. "Ashley" he shouts. "You son of a bitch!!" The heat in his voice makes the Americans stop fighting and turn their heads toward them. "Let her go" orders Daniels. "Now," says Jonathan. "Drop your weapons" orders the warrior. Slowly all of them drop their weapons. "Leave this place!! Or die!! Leave this place or die" the warrior yells and winks toward the other warriors. Hastily he pushes Ashley to the floor and takes his horse after which he disappears. "Ashley" shouts Rick and rushes towards her. He gently takes her and holds her close. "Are you alright?" Ashley nods. Rick walks hastily to Evelyn who is knocked out on the floor. He shakes with her and lifts her head in his lap. "You are okay miss" he whispers. Ashley takes a deep breath and looks at her trembling hands. Nervous she swallows. She drops unannounced through her trembling legs. "I have you miss," says Jonathan nobly and grabs her upper body. "Sorry," Ashley stammers. "Ah, no big deal" Jonathan replies and escorts her back to camp. He puts her down on a cot and wraps a blanket around her shoulders. "I'm sorry you went through that" Jonathan says and offers her the bottle. Ashley looks over her shoulder. "I shouldn't." "Come on, one zip can't hurt right" laughs Jonathan. "After what you just went through." Ashley soft takes the bottle and takes a big zip. The liquid burns in her throat. Coughing she hands him the bottle back. Jonathan laughs and pats her back. "You'll get used to that. "No she won't," says Rick and pats Jonathan his head. "Are you okay" he whispers and kneels before Ashley. He looks in her eyes. "Yeah" stammers Ashley and looks away from his eyes. Rick takes her chin and pushes her gaze back into his. "Ashley, I know when you are lying. I told you to get back to camp. Why didn't you?" Tears sparkle in her eyes. "I... I don't know" she says. "Ash" whispers Rick. "It's okay. "I don't want to lose you also she says soft and burst into tears. "Oh Ash" whispers Rick and holds her closely in his arms. Rick kisses her forehead and rests her head against his sternum. "Ashley, you will never lose me" he whispers. Silently, Evelyn sits down next to her. She rubs her back and puts her arm around the slender girl. Ashley closes her eyes and sobs softly. She holds Rick's shirt tight. Afraid he might slip away. With all the power she has she pushes the world out. For a moment .. For a moment everything has become too much.