Chapter 11
It took them two days to get on the road to the tomb. Strangely most of the men who were supposed to protect them came up with food poisoning and had to be replaced. Of course, they all knew this was going to happen, the Terrell family had friends all over the world, the Egyptian resistance among them. He’d managed to recruit an elite group of men who were both Egyptian and against the current government, given the opportunity to see that some of Egypt’s treasures were safe from the black market, they’d volunteered for the job.
“They’re a bit like the seals. Highly trained and under the radar, these are men we can trust.” Cooper had assured her.
“And you’ll have other men on the crew who will be there solely to protect you.” Sabrina had added.
As they’d expected Aman stayed far from the dig site where accommodations were rough, nothing more than tents set up in the desert. With no running water, and limited privacy, he decided to stay behind in Cairo. “I can manage things from here.” He’d said when he came to tell her that his troops had arrived.
Tani wanted to let out a sigh of relief but instead she said, “I’ll miss you.” Then batted her eyes at him the way he liked.
Now they were cresting the last rise to the dig site, the Egyptian desert spread out around them in all its glory. “I’d forgotten how beautiful it is.” She said, taking Flynn’s hand as they rode side by side.
“It’s like a different world.” Flynn said, the tombs spreading out below them looked like nothing he’d ever seen. “Which one is ours?”
Tani pointed to an unimportant looking mound of dirt and debris. “It doesn’t look like much, but most of these looked like that until they were excavated.” She explained, leading the way.
When they got to the bustling camp that was to be their home for the next few weeks, they were relieved to find everyone was there and ready to work. After a whispered conversation with the archaeologists and trusted crew, the all enjoyed a special dinner then went to bed. The day would start early the next day and Tani knew that it would be a difficult one. She’d been feeling her father’s presence everywhere she went in camp, knowing how excited he would be for the world to finally see his find.
Tani went to their tent first to wash off some of the dust from the trail. All she’d been thinking about since dinner was getting Flynn alone. They were still both playing their roles and all she wanted was a few minutes of the real Flynn before she went to sleep, more than anything else she needed his strength right now. Tomorrow she’d have to face the past, but tonight she wanted to live in the future, her future with Flynn.
When he finally slipped into the tent almost an hour later, he put his finger to his lips. He crossed the room and pulled her to her feet and whispered in her ear, “Aman’s man is right outside our tent, I don’t know how long he plans to stay there, but we need to put on a show for him.”
Tani nodded her understanding and asked in a shrill voice, “Where have you been? Have you been drinking again?”
“That’s none of your business.” Flynn said, harshly.
It wasn’t easy to fight with Flynn, especially when he started undressing her and then himself. Finally, they pretended to go to bed mad and climbed into the cot they were to share. Tani was desperate to feel Flynn inside her by that point, but knew that she’d never be able to stay quiet enough if Aman’s assistant was standing right outside the tent. Then they heard an owl hoot and Flynn covered her mouth with his in a kiss that told her everything she needed to know.
When they finally managed to part for a second, Flynn said, “When I knew he was following me, I managed to get word to one of the guards. That was the signal that he’s gone.”
“I hope the guard is gone too.” Tani said, sliding her hand between them and taking his erection in her hand.
Flynn sucked in a deep breath, “Me too.” He said, and slid his hand between her legs.
The next morning as they rode to the tomb, Tani wished that she had the real Flynn with her, but today he was playing his role to the tee, riding ahead and carrying on an unending stream of conversation with anyone who would listen. She felt very alone just then, the anticipation of seeing the tomb again making it hard for her to concentrate. But as they got closer to the gully where the tomb was located, she began to recognize the landmarks she and her father had so carefully crafted to guide them back to the exact location.
She found that she didn’t need the map and led them to the exact spot where the entrance was covered with what appeared to be hundreds of thousands of pounds of rock, but, was only a thin layer carefully crafted by her and her father. When she stopped her horse and got down, there was silence as she approached the rocks and put her hand on them.
“It’s here.” She said, fighting the tears that sprang to her eyes.
Flynn knowing how hard this was for her, broke character, unable to help himself, he put his arm around her and hugged her to him. Then remembering his role, he swung her around in his arms and whooped like an idiot. “Let’s get to digging sweetheart.”
It took them the rest of the day to get the tomb open, their carefully crafted blind had accumulated more rocks and debris over the five years it had been sitting there, but Tani was glad because it would give Cooper time to put the next part of the plan into action. Plus, she still wasn’t ready to go inside the tomb, putting it off for another day would give her enough time to prepare herself. As soon as they could, Tani and Flynn went to their tent, Aman’s man following behind them as he did every night.
They’d developed a routine, either having a fight or going to bed silently, then waiting until they got the signal that he was gone before dropping their personas and coming together as themselves. This night more than any other since they’d come to Egypt Tani needed Flynn who listened quietly as she talked about her parents and all the good times they’d shared. As she was drifting off to sleep, she realized that she’d never been able to do that before and knew with even more certainty that she was ready to move on with her life.
The next morning as they readied themselves to enter the tomb, Aman’s assistant interrupted them. “There’s been a cave in at another dig site. The Minister wants me to take every available man and go help.” He announced.
“But we need those men to get into the tomb.” Tani protested, thrilled that the plan was working so far.
“The Minister made it clear that he wants us there, the cave in has been all over the internet and we must save the trapped men. Besides he’s decided he wants to be here when the tomb is opened so you would have had to wait anyway.” The man informed them, just as they’d expected.
Cooper had paid handsomely for the cave in as well as the internet coverage, the perfect distraction to give them an entire day in the tomb without anyone around. The guards Aman’s assistant planned to leave with them were their people and wouldn’t stop them from entering the tomb, but Tani had a part to play so she couldn’t give in that easily.
“This is ridiculous. What are we supposed to do sit around here all day doing nothing?” She stormed, getting right in the man’s face.
“That’s none of my concern. I have my orders. No one enters the tomb until the Minister gets here tomorrow. Now if you’ll excuse me I have to go.” He said, backing away from her.
Tani screamed, then grabbed Flynn by the arm. “Let’s go. You’ll have to do for entertainment today.”
The camp emptied out quickly after that, leaving only the people that Tani needed, the archeologists and photographers. When she suggested that they all enter together, Flynn said, “No I think we should go in first, just you and I.” Then he took her hand, lit his flashlight and hand in hand they entered the tomb.
It was just as wonderful as Tani remembered, the treasures inside representing one of the biggest finds in decades. The scrolls alone were priceless, containing more information about ancient Egypt than anything ever found before. It was those scrolls that had so pleased her father and she promised herself that they’d end up where they could be treasured. As they walked around the tomb, Tani began to feel her father’s presence and knew that she’d die trying to fulfill his greatest wish.
Flynn met her in the middle of the tomb in front of the mummy and pulled her into his arms, “It’s amazing and frightening at the same time.” He said with a little shiver.
“Very few people get to see something like this.” Tani said, the enormity of the moment making any other words impossible. Finally though, she remembered the reason they were there. “We don’t have much time, let’s let everyone in and get this moving.”
For the next few hours, the photographers took as many pictures of the tomb as they could. Tani became the star of a video that would appear all over the world to document the treasures one by one, making the possibility of them being sold on the black-market remote. No one would want to touch them once they’d been broadcast over the internet. Everything went exactly as planned and by the time the crew returned to camp, they had all the evidence they needed to prove what was in the tomb.
That night after dinner, and one of their best performances, Flynn and Tani went back to their tent exhausted but satisfied that the plan was going perfectly. “I couldn’t have asked for today to go any better and you were great on camera.”
“Thanks, it felt funny at first, but after a while I didn’t even notice it.” Tani said, sliding into bed.
Flynn joined her and took her in his arms, “Tani, up until now this has been easy, but when Aman hears about what we’ve done, it might get dangerous. Promise me that you won’t go anywhere without me.”
“But that tape won’t air until we’re safely back in Cairo in the American Embassy.” Tani protested, an icy chill running through her.
“I know that’s the plan, but things can go wrong. I’ve been watching the crew and I’m not sure we don’t have a spy in the group.” Flynn said, gripping her tightly when she tried to sit up. “It’s going to be fine, we just need to talk about worst case scenarios.”
Tani could only nod her head, she’d been avoiding thinking about the risk they were taking, so wrapped up in the tomb she’d forgotten that they would be putting their lives in danger. “I’ll be careful. I promise.” She said, holding him tighter.
The next day, everyone in camp was up early eager to see the tomb, but they waited for hours for Aman to show up, an intentional move on his part Tani was sure. When he finally showed up, everyone was so anxious it took only minutes to mobilize the crew, and less than half an hour later they were walking down the long corridor that lead to the main burial chamber. Flynn back in character had left her behind with Aman, who had taken her arm supposedly to guide her through the darkness.
When they walked into the high-ceilinged room full of burial goods and a solid gold sarcophagus, Aman all but forgot her presence as he circled the room. She could see the greed bloom in his eyes as he calculated just how much everything was worth and barley managed a smile when he all but ran to her in his glee.
“Do you have any idea how much all this will bring at auction. Has anyone else been in here?”
“No, we’re the first to enter.” Tani said, barely able to hide her dislike of the man.
“Good. I’ve chosen a few men I trust to guard the entrance and a few more to help us pack all this up and remove it. We’ll tell everyone that the dig is on hold due to unsafe conditions, then tonight we’ll take as much as we can out.” He said, rubbing his hands together.
Tani wanted to tell him to keep his hands off the precious antiquities, but instead she said, “I see you’ve thought of everything.”
“I have, including how to get rid of that annoying husband of yours. We don’t need him now and I think it’s time he disappeared.” Aman said, stilling Tani’s heart, she’d never imagined he’d want to kill Flynn.
“Are you sure that’s necessary?” She asked, sliding up next to him. “I don’t like the idea of blood on my hands.”
“Don’t you worry; I wouldn’t let you get any blood on your hands.” He said, raising her hand to his lips and kissing the inside of her palm.
Tani wanted to pull her hand away but instead she batted her eye lashes at him. “As long as he’s gone I suppose it doesn’t matter how it happens. But don’t forget I’ll have to play grieving widow.” She could barely force the words out, but managed to sound convincing.
“Yes, the grieving widow who needs to get away, to a private island maybe.” Aman said with a nasty chuckle. “And I can’t wait to get the grieving widow all alone on a sandy beach.”
They left the tomb, Flynn following along pretending not to understand what was going on. When Aman had told him that the tomb was unsafe, he’d begun telling a story about a mine accident in Australia and followed them out. At the surface, Aman declared loudly that the tomb was unsafe and that no one was to enter until an engineer could be called to stabilize it, then he put his personal guards on the entrance and ordered everyone back to camp.
That night Flynn and Tani were lying in bed fully clothed waiting for the distraction that would give them the time they’d need to get away from camp and on the road to Cairo. The last and most dangerous part of their plan was to happen once they were safely away, a cave in at the tomb that would block the entrance for days, giving them enough time to get to the American Embassy and release the video Tani had made showing the tomb and all its contents.
As they waited they were silent, both too nervous to talk. They’ve been over and over the plan, knew it by heart, but both understood something could go wrong. When they heard the bang that signaled the fire that was planned as a distraction, they jumped out of bed and raced for the door, but when Tani came out she ran straight into Aman.
Tani recovered first, “What was that?” She asked, hoping that Aman would head for the other side of camp where a huge fire could be seen burning.
“I don’t know, but we have to get to the tomb. My assistant told he overheard some men talking about going inside tonight.” Aman said, pulling her after him.
“But…the fire.” She stammered, forced to follow Aman who had her by the arm in a vise like grip.
“You stupid woman, forget the fire. We have to protect our treasure.” Aman said, slapping her across the face.
Tani was so shocked she stopped fighting him, but Flynn came running up ready to strike. Before he could, Aman stopped and turned to him. “You go check on that fire. This is none of your business.” Then he pointed to one of the guards who grabbed Flynn and pushed him towards the fire.
Flynn began to fight him, but then he felt the barrel of a gun in his back. “Move.” The man said, pushing him forward again and he had no choice to comply with the order.
He looked back over his shoulder to see Aman forcing Tani onto a horse, her hair in his fist and knew that their only hope was for him to escape. The man led him around the outside of camp, avoiding the fire and all the commotion, to the desert. They walked for a long time, giving Flynn time to think about how he’d get out of this, while carefully watching for land marks that would help him get back to camp.
When the man finally ordered him to stop, Flynn put his only plan into action and began begging the man not to shoot him. “Sorry man, I’ve got my orders.” He said, disgusted by Flynn’s begging and pleading.
Flynn dropped to his knees and began crawling toward the man, “Please, I don’t even know what’s going on. I just wanted to see an Egyptian mummy.”
“Get up and take this like a man, at least your death will be honorable.” The man said, unable to pull the trigger on such a pathetic creature.
Flynn knew this was his only chance, he grabbed two fistfuls of sand and in one motion rose to his feet and threw the sand in the man’s face. Then he went for the gun, but the man was too fast and got off a shot. He felt a burning in his side and a searing pain as if he’d been burned. Realizing that he’d been shot, he covered the wound with his hand and felt the blood seeping through his fingers. The man was cursing and fumbling with the gun, his eyes closed from the sand in them.
Although the man was blinded by the sand, Flynn knew that he’d only have a second to act, bringing his fist up he connected with the man’s face and heard the satisfying crunch of broken bones. Fueled on pure adrenalin, he punched the man again and he fell to the ground writhing in pain. Flynn grabbed the gun and brought it down on the man’s head, who immediately stilled. Dropping the gun, Flynn sank to his knees, needing a minute to clear his head which was swimming.
He finally managed to get to his feet again, the gun still clutched in his fist. He tucked it into the waist band of his pants, then kicked the man, pleased when he got no response. Pulling the cords from the man’s robes, he tied him up and began the long journey back to camp, panic about Tani the only thing keeping him going. As he walked, he took off his shirt and fashioned a bandage, the wound from the bullet wasn’t deep, had only grazed him, but he was losing a lot of blood.
As the adrenalin began to fade from his system, it became harder and harder to walk, the sand seeming to suck his foot in. Finally, he sank to his knees unable to go on, but after a few minutes’ rest he managed to get up again and stumble on. He did this several times, but only managed to cover a small distance, knowing that he’d die out here without help. He did the only thing he could think of and pulled himself to the top of a small hill. If anyone was looking for him, they’d see him here he thought as the world went black.
When all the commotion from the fire was over and the men went to make sure that Tani and Flynn had gotten away, they discovered that their horses were still there. Positive that something had gone wrong, they began an immediate search of the camp and surrounding area, finding the tracks leading out into the desert. A search party was sent to follow the tracks while another went in search of Aman who had disappeared in all the commotion.
“Go to the tomb, he might be there.” The leader ordered. “The rest of you follow those tracks, I have a bad feeling that somethings gone wrong.”