Relic of Egypt

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Chapter 1

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The lantern light flickered off of the stone walls, causing shadowing figures to dance in the confining corridor. Inky blackness swallowed the light a short way ahead, giving the tunnel a feeling of endlessness. The weight of the earth above felt oppressive, though the tunnel allowed for a human to stand upright in it, and was wide enough for two to walk abreast. Josiah Sanchez, however, was not a tiny man. An imposing build was sported by the grey-haired figure - though none of it was fat and each grey hair had been earned, not garnered through the passage of time.

Yes, Josiah Sanchez had earned his silver hairs through many years of hard living and steering a younger friend from trouble. Ezra Standish certainly could find trouble.

Josiah turned, staring into the depths he had just traversed, wondering when Ezra would finally decide that Josiah really had< been joking, and there was no hairy spider on his back. That boy really hated spiders.

Sure enough, Ezra came into view, his suit jacket held appraisingly in front of him, squinting over every inch of the fine fabric. Ezra had a refined taste in clothing that even his chosen profession couldn't dampen. He was not going to let the possibility of getting dirty stand in the way of looking good. After all, appearances were everything.

"I find that wholly unamusing, Mr. Sanchez," Ezra drawled upon reaching the torch-lit radius.

Josiah chuckled. "We're here, Ez." He directed his torch to a stone door in front of him.

"So this is what sent the workers up the tunnel in a blind panic," Ezra mused, rather unimpressed with the bland facade.

"I can understand it," Josiah frowned slightly. "The name of the tomb-owner has been scratched out, and there are three locks on the door." He turned to Ezra. "Pretty strange stuff."

Ezra threw Josiah a disbelieving look. "Surely you're not afraid of a wall?"

He pushed his way past Josiah, grabbing the torch and holding it up to the wall. There wasn't anything of real interest, aside from a few symbols and the locks, and there was certainly nothing worthy of panic.

"I doubt it's cursed," he said with an indulgent smile. "It's probably nothing more than some nobleman displeasing the pharaoh and having his name stripped from the land of Egypt. Good help is difficult to find, after all."

Both men stood up a straight as a low moan echoed down the corridor. Their torches flickered briefly, before resuming their normal glow.

"What was that?" Josiah wondered aloud.

Before Ezra could reply, the sound of quickly approaching footsteps reached their ears. One of the workers reached the two archaeologists. "Sir! A sandstorm just came out of nowhere! We're trying to protect the finds, but . . ."

He didn't get to finish his sentence as the two other men rushed past him up the ramp. They raced to the surface only to find chaos. Sand bit into their faces as soon as they reached the tomb entrance. Everywhere, men were trying to tie down equipment and cover artefacts. The tents were flapping madly in the maelstrom, and people were grabbing at them and attempting to tie them down. The wind howled so loudly only shouting could be heard over the din.

Josiah ran over to calm the horses, who were panicking at finding no shelter from the driving sand.

Then, as suddenly as it had started, the storm stopped. Stunned by the abrupt change, the men looked to the sky as though expecting it to attack them once again.

"Well," Ezra broke the uncomfortable silence. "That was most unusual."

Surveying the damage, he noted wryly that most of the destruction seemed to be around the provisions tent, which was now flattened. Somehow, most of the food had been smashed and was leaking out of its packing onto the sandy ground.

Ezra felt Josiah approach. "Tell me again, Ezra, how there's nothing unusual about this site."

Ezra frowned. "This site is no different from the others . . . "

"No different," Josiah interrupted, "except for the fact that since we got here we've had nothing but trouble. Seems to me we're being warned away."

Ezra glanced at the older man. "You don't think we should go back, do you?" he asked, not nearly as un-thrilled with the idea as he appeared.

"Nope."

"I didn't think so."

"We'll need more supplies. A few days there and back, and we can get right back on schedule."

"Wonderful."

"And you and I are off to Cairo."

"Oh, goody."

+ + + + + + +

Chris Larabee sat outside the saloon, his bottle of whiskey cradled loosely in his hand. All he wanted to do was drink in peace. He knew the group of men hanging around the front of the doctor's clinic were up to no good, but he didn't really care. It wasn't any of his business, and he had no intentions of getting involved. It wasn't until he saw the dark-skinned man leaving the clinic, and the immediate response from the other men that Chris sat up a little straighter.

The group converged on the unsuspecting man, pulling him into a nearby alley before he had a chance to defend himself.

Chris guessed the men were drunk. He hated drunks. He took another swig of whiskey, debating his next course of action. He slowly stood, deciding he hadn't had a decent fight for several days.

Chris happened to glance across the street. Another man stood, calmly loading a rifle. He was wearing the garb of a desert nomad, complete with sword, but when he looked up and met Chris' gaze, each man knew instantly that they weren't the only one to see the doctor's plight. They wouldn't have to fight alone. Chris crushed out his cheroot and tilted his head toward the alley. The other man nodded.

Side by side they strode into the dark alleyway.

The men had the doctor pinned to a wall, while one man, whom Chris surmised to be the leader, held a knife at the physician's throat.

"There a problem here?" Chris asked.

"This don't concern you," the leader spat back.

Chris merely smiled, which seemed to unnerve the leader slightly.

"Reckon y'all would be a lot happier, iff'n ya just walked away," Chris' companion added.

The leader pulled his knife away from the doctor's throat and pointed it at Chris. "I told you this didn't concern you. Now you've made me mad."

He swiped at Chris, who easily sidestepped and used the other man's momentum to send him careening into the alley wall. The leader dropped his knife and collapsed to the ground.

Chris' ally took on the next nearest man, slamming the palm of his hand into the man's face. The attacker fell like a sack of grain.

The doctor had not been idle. He noticed the third man reaching for his weapon. While Chris and his friend dealt with the other two men, the physician grabbed the fallen knife and flung it at the third aggressor. The knife embedded itself in the wooden planks beside the man's head. After one look at the knife quivering beside his face, the man dropped his gun and ran.

Chris surveyed the results of his activities, feeling mildly cheated that the fight had been so short.

His ally turned to him. "Name's Vin Tanner."

"Chris," came the short reply.

"New in town?"

"This mornin'. You?" Chris glanced at Vin's long hair and dusty clothes.

"Passin' through."

"Tracker?"

"Among other things."

The man they saved had quickly recovered from his surprise and regarded the two men with interest.

"Name's Nathan," he said, gratefully extending his hand to Chris, who shook it in a firm grip. "Nathan Jackson."

Chris nodded in acknowledgement of the healer.

Nathan turned to Vin. "How've you been?"

A quick grin crept across Vin's face, but he quickly hid it and shook Nathan's hand. "Can't complain."

"You two know each other?" Chris asked.

"We've met," Vin replied easily.

Chris nodded, accepting the vague answer. "I don't know about you boys, but I could use a drink."

The three men crossed the dusty road and entered the saloon, not seeing the figure that watched them from the other side of the street.

+ + + + + + +
 

Josiah watched from the distance as the three men walked to the saloon. He'd have to talk with Ezra, but he thought a solution to the problem was to be found.

+ + + + + + +
 

Chris, Vin and Nathan sat at the bar, nursing their drinks in companionable silence.

After a few moments, Vin spoke up. "What'd those fellows want with you?"

"They said I killed their boss," Nathan grimaced. "Truth is, I couldn't save him because he had gangrene and didn't seek help until it was too late. Guess they wanted someone to pay."

"Excuse me," a voice boomed out from behind them.

"What?" Chris responded bluntly, taking another swig of whiskey.

"My name is Josiah Sanchez. This is my associate, Ezra Standish."

Not receiving an acknowledgement, save Nathan's nod and Vin's close scrutiny, Josiah continued. "I have a business proposition for you."

Josiah and Ezra sat at the bar, not waiting to be invited. The two archaeologists regaled the trio with the happenstances at the dig site. They outlined the various mysterious and dangerous incidents, ranging from one of the tents catching fire, to artefacts going missing, to tools unaccountably breaking despite being unused. They finished off with the latest incidents of the workers refusing to venture near the tomb door, and the destruction of the food supplies.

"That's all very interesting," Chris said finally, "but what does that have to do with us?"

"I'd like to hire you to guard the site and find out who's behind these incidents."

"Why not call the police?" Nathan asked.

"They don't care about our dig. They have no influence in the desert anyway. We need people who can manage themselves in various circumstances," Josiah replied.

Nathan and Vin exchanged a look.

Chris' eyes narrowed. "Just the three of us?"

"And anyone else you feel you can trust," Josiah amended. "Ezra and I will help any way we can, and the pay is fairly good."

Ezra's face took on a pained statement at the mention of the added expense.

Chris nodded. He was bored of Cairo anyway. "Alright. You boys in?" He looked to Vin and Nathan.

"Reckon so," Nathan replied. "If people are getting hurt, I think I might be needed."

Vin was studying his glass. "I think there's more going on there than a simple case of a pranking worker," he said thoughtfully. "I think I'd like to take a peek."

"I know someone else who might be willing to help," Chris smiled, looking as though he hadn't practised the action in years.

+ + + + + + +

"Where'll we find this guy?" Vin asked Chris.

"Anywhere there're ladies," Chris answered. He headed down the street, Vin following.

"I told ya, kid! That hat is the stupidest looking thing I ever saw!" A boisterous voice rang out from further down the street.

Chris stopped. "I guess he's not in bed after all."

Vin followed Chris' gaze to see a tall moustached man grabbing the hat off a much younger man's head. The younger man reached for it, protesting loudly that his hat was fine and obviously his companion had no fashion sense.

The moustached man responded by dropping the offending hat into a horse trough.

"Mornin', Buck," Chris grinned slightly.

"Chris?" the other man exclaimed in disbelief. "You old war dog! How've you been?"

He proceeded to envelop Chris in a huge bear hug.

"Easy, Buck," Chris replied. "Folks'll talk."

Buck smiled. "What've you been up to?"

"I have a business proposition for you," Chris ignored the question. "You might find it entertaining."

Buck inclined his head toward Vin. "He with you?"

Chris nodded. "He with you?" he asked, gesturing toward the boy who was fruitlessly trying to wipe the water off his hat.

Buck smirked. "Yup."

The young man in question approached the group.

"Boys," Buck said, "meet JD Dunne. Now, why don't we talk about that business proposition?"

+ + + + + + +
 

Back at the saloon, JD talked enthusiastically with Nathan and Vin. He didn't notice that the other men weren't saying anything. All that mattered was that they appeared to be listening, which was more than he usually got.

"When'd you take up baby-sitting, Buck?" Chris asked, watching the boy.

"JD got himself into a bit of trouble. Seems he thought he could break up a fight single handedly. I helped him out."

"And he's been following you ever since," Chris surmised.

"He's no bother," Buck insisted. "I can keep him outta trouble easier that way."

Chris raised an eyebrow.

"Hell, Chris," Buck complained. "The kid's been alone since his mother died last winter. He's been living on the streets ever since."

"And you being the big softy you are . . . "

"It's not charity," Buck insisted. "The kid looks up to me, and it's just nice to be needed every now and then."

Chris abruptly took a swig of whiskey.

Buck mentally cursed himself. Of course Chris would take that comment personally. Ever since his family had been killed three years ago, Chris had made it abundantly clear that he didn't need or want Buck around anymore. Buck, of course, paid Chris' temper no heed and continued to help his old friend through his various troubles. Chris couldn't seem to understand that Buck wasn't criticizing him for his actions. Chris had seen the innocent comment as an denunciation of his abandonment of Buck.

"Chris, I . . . " Buck didn't get a chance to finish before Chris cut him off.

"Better get some sleep. We head out first thing tomorrow morning." The black clad man scraped back his chair, finishing his drink before rising and leaving the saloon.

"Aw, hell," Buck whispered.

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Chapter 2

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After a full day and a half ride over rough terrain, the dig site finally came into view.

"Something's wrong," Ezra stated. "There's no noise and no smoke from camp fires."

"You're right," Josiah agreed. "It's too quiet."

The seven spurred into the camp, dismounting immediately.

"Whoo-ee, pards," Buck's boisterous voice rang through the silent camp. "Sure looks like someone did a number on this place."

The tents were still collapsed and the sand was littered with various objects.

"Where are the workers?" Chris asked.

Josiah shook his head. "We gave them a break, but a few were supposed to stay and guard the camp."

"It appears they have no longer deemed it wise to remain here," Ezra interjected. He held up a note that had been pinned to a barrel. "They heard, and I quote: `unholy noises' emanating from the tomb. It seems they departed post haste."

"At least they left a note," JD muttered, kicking at a loose tent peg.

"What do we do now?" Nathan asked, glancing around the abandoned camp.

"We do our jobs," Chris stated. "We were hired to watch the dig site and make sure nothing happens. That is, if you boys are still fixin' on working here?"

Ezra sighed. "Mr. Larabee, we wouldn't dream of leaving now. Would we Mr. Sanchez?"

Josiah grinned in response. "We wouldn't let a little curse stand in our way."

"Curse?" JD wondered.

"Well," Buck ventured, eyeing Chris, "I suppose we'd better get to work."

"Yeah," Chris said. "Guess we should."

He turned and headed out toward a nearby dune. Buck watched him go, his face seemingly impassive. Vin noticed Buck's statement and clenched jaw, and nodded to the usually jovial man before heading after Chris. Buck nodded back, though the tracker had already turned away.

Buck turned back to JD. "C'mon, kid. Let's go fix up those tents."

"Did Josiah say `cursed?' You know, as in *cursed*?"

Buck clapped JD on the shoulder.

"We'd best get back to work, too, son," Josiah said to Ezra. "That tomb isn't going to study itself."

"Josiah," Nathan called to the archaeologist, "I was wondering if I could talk with you for a minute?"

"Sure thing, brother," Josiah answered.

"I'll go on ahead," Ezra added. The tomb door locks would need to be picked somehow, and he didn't want to do it at night.

+ + + + + + +
 

Vin caught up with Chris at the top of a nearby sand dune.

"What was up with that, Chris?"

"What?"

"That thing with Buck," Vin replied. "He's trying to be nice to you."

"I know," Chris replied. "He was my best friend."

Vin was somewhat surprised by that news. "Was?"

"Buck and I worked together on various jobs for years. He was best man at my wedding."

Vin said nothing, knowing there was not a happy ending to the tale.

"My wife and son were killed three years ago. I tried drowning myself in alcohol, but Buck kept tryin' to pull me out. I spent three years picking fights, getting drunk and not caring about anything, and he spent three years cleaning up after me. I spent so much time feeling sorry for myself, I keep forgetting he lost Sarah and Adam, too."

"Buck's a good man," Vin said.

"Yes, he is." Chris looked at Vin closely. "So's Nathan," he said, watching the younger man's reaction.

Vin grinned. He knew Chris would ask him about that sooner or later.

"Nathan is married to a woman from a tribe I spent some time with," the tracker said. "He's kind of a hero to them. You know, he heals the sick and all that; never thinks of himself and always puts others first."

Chris nodded, accepting the explanation.

They walked in silence for a few moments before Chris pulled out a cheroot, and lit it thoughtfully. "Something isn't right here."

Vin glanced at him, waiting for him to continue.

"It's almost like there's something out there, waiting for something."

The tracker regarded the mercenary carefully. "Like what?"

"I don't know," Chris replied, "but I have a feeling it's not friendly."

"Let's hope it's just something you ate," Vin answered lightly. Though he had only known Chris a few days, he already trusted the older man enough to know that indigestion was not a possibility. Vin had his suspicions; he just hoped he was wrong.

+ + + + + + +
 

Within minutes Ezra had the door open. The hieroglyphs had really been in the form of a riddle. All he'd needed to do was turn the locks in the correct sequence and the door had unlatched with a rush of air.

Just beyond the door, another tunnel led downward. Ezra followed it. After a few minutes, he felt the walls drop away into open space. Ezra directed his torch. He had found a chamber, possibly the burial chamber! Ezra could feel excitement now, and quickly concealed it beneath his poker face. It wouldn't do to get giddy and lose all sense of dignity.

Ezra made his way into the burial chamber. A large offering table took up most of the right hand wall. It was empty, as though no offerings had been left for the tomb occupant. A false door decorated the left side of the chamber. A false door was more of an idea of door than an actual opening. It was built into the tomb to provide the spirit of the deceased tomb-owner with a way to travel about the land of the living. The door had been defaced, however, and was deeply scratched and marred.

"It would appear that someone wished that door to go unused," Ezra spoke quietly to himself. There was something about underground tombs that seemed to make everyone quiet. Ezra directed his attention to the far wall. Aside from some unfinished tomb paintings, it was bare. Down at the ground, however, the walls were lined with jade figurines.

"Ushabti," Ezra muttered to himself. The ushabti were small representations of people, created with the intention that they would serve the deceased person in the afterlife. The very rich had hundreds of the small servants, so they could conduct their after- lives much the same way as they had their lives - in comfort.

The ushabti were next to a statue of a god. Ezra identified it as Osiris, the Egyptian god of the dead. All in all, it was remarkably well preserved.

By his torchlight, Ezra made out the intricate art decorating the walls of the tomb. It was a shame they were unfinished. Ezra could appreciate the artistic direction the artist had been taking, but he got great pleasure out of viewing the final product of the ancient works. Depictions of the weighing of the heart and images of the deceased person living everyday life were drawn in the traditional Egyptian style. The unknown artist had been very skilled indeed.

Ezra was about to call Josiah so the older man could see when something else caught his eye.

It was another picture. This image was rather small, and had obviously been added by someone other than the original tomb artist. The rendering had been roughly carved into the wall and overlaid with black kohl. Despite its crudeness, the image was easy to make out. A man stood in the picture, a full head taller than everyone around him. In one hand he held a sword, and in the other he held a scribe's scroll. The other figures in the picture were cowering, and the ground around the central man was littered with skulls.

Ezra raised an eyebrow. That certainly did not fit into the serene image the tomb was evidently trying to project. He held his torch closer to get a better look, then smiled when he noticed for the first time that the walls were lined with torches still in their metal holders. Ezra grinned and touched his torch to the one on the wall. The flame licked up immediately, and Ezra quickly lit the remaining torches as well.

He placed his own torch next to the statue of Osiris. With the wall flames, his own fire was redundant.

Ezra leaned forward, following the trail of hieroglyphics. He ran his finger along the lines, trying to decipher them. He didn't get very far before an ominous rumbling reached his ears.

Ezra stepped back with surprise as the wall moved back, forming a recess in the tomb facade. Ezra leaned in. Off to the right, a long corridor extended, going back for several metres before taking a sharp turn out of sight. The hallway was lined with torches also, only they were connected by a small hollow. Ezra surmised that the torches were fuelled by some form of oil and that, by lighting one, the others would illuminate also.

Ezra quickly grabbed the nearest torch off the wall and held it to the lighter in the hallway. The row of torches lit in rapid succession, the centuries seemingly had not diminished the reserve of oil.

Ezra didn't bother trying to explain it, even though he wondered why the oil had not yet evaporated. There was likely something the tomb owner was hiding down that tunnel and Ezra was certain that whatever was worth someone hiding in the past, it was worth him finding it now.

Ezra felt a familiar shiver run down his spine. He always felt that way when he was on the verge of making a new discovery. The thought of uncovering something that no one had seen for thousands of years was the one of the main reasons he became an archaeologist in the first place. He loved the thrill of finding lost artefacts; of trying to find out what a civilization was like centuries after its last surviving vestiges had died and turned to dust. Ezra hated paperwork though, and archaeology was full of it.

Ezra grinned again. That was where Josiah was particularly helpful. The kind-hearted scientist didn't seem to mind wading through the site reports and compiling them. In exchange for avoiding that and the dreaded manual labour, Ezra always found ways around bureaucratic red-tape problems such as dig permits, and always managed to find ways to come in just slightly over budget and avoiding massive debt, despite adding his personal costs to the expense reports.

Ezra wandered down the ancient corridor, marvelling at the sheer scale of labour that made the perfect walls.

He turned another bend and came face to face with another statue. To the figure's left and right, the halls extended, and the statue itself stood life-sized in the centre of the tunnel. It was an image of a man and he was holding a sword between his clasped stone hands. The figure's face wore a grim statement, almost of loathing, and Ezra shuddered slightly. He'd never seen a statue like that before. He looked more closely at its weapon. It was then Ezra noticed something behind the sword, resting in the stone hand. It appeared to be a scroll.

Ezra stared at the small piece of rolled up paper. It was perfectly preserved. Josiah would love it, Ezra was sure of that.

Unable to resist the temptation, Ezra carefully pulled the scroll free of the stone figures. Slowly, as though afraid it might disintegrate, Ezra unrolled it. The words were written in black, apparently scrawled very hastily. Splotches fell on the parchment in places, but the hieroglyphic shorthand was clearly legible.

"Bint s'nh hsf sbiw Nakhtmin"

He muttered the words under his breath, trying to decipher their meaning. The air grew colder in the tomb, and the torches flickered as a chill breeze arose from nowhere. Without warning, Ezra's torch blew out and he was surrounded by darkness. Only then did Ezra realize what he'd read.

+ + + + + + +
 

Chris and Vin had been making their way back to camp when the wind picked up suddenly.

It only lasted a moment, but Vin turned immediately to Chris. "We have to get back to camp now!" He took off running toward the camp with a surprised Chris right behind him.

They reached the camp just as Josiah was lighting a torch, intent on entering the underground chambers.

"Something's wrong in there," Vin warned.

"I know," Josiah answered grimly.

Chris drew his guns out of their holsters, not knowing what was going on, but trusting the others instincts. Buck followed suit, and JD grabbed another torch. Vin nodded to Josiah before drawing his sword, and Nathan readied his daggers with an uncharacteristic intensity.

They moved down into the depths, hoping Ezra was all right.

===============

Chapter 3

===============

Ezra was not all right. He was groping about in the dark, without even a match to aid him. To top it off, he was hearing things; almost like something was in the tomb with him. He twice attempted to call out and determine the identity of the other occupant, but both times he was seized by an irrational fear that he really didn't want to know what was with him. He tried to remain as silent as possible, at the same time cursing his nervousness. He'd never been scared of the dark before.

He finally reached the main burial chamber. He knew there was a torch and lighter on the floor by the Osiris statue.

Sure enough, a moment later, Ezra was deftly lighting his torch. The flickering light immediately calmed his frazzled nerves, and he almost laughed in relief. It was then that he saw movement on the other side of the room. A shadow disengaged itself from the wall and headed towards him. It moved with a fluid grace that Ezra watched in horrified fascination.

It entered the circle of light cast by Ezra's torch and the archaeologist's eyes widened in shock. He found he couldn't draw in air, he couldn't speak and he felt as if his heart would beat its way out of his chest.

Standing before Ezra was a creature unlike any he had ever seen. Desiccated limbs hung from a shrivelled husk of a body, which was decayed and flaking. Bones were visible under the thin layer of skin and Ezra knew beyond a doubt that what he was seeing should have been impossible. The face of the creature was as drawn and ancient as the rest of it, but it looked at Ezra with clear black eyes, smoldering in their sunken sockets.

Ezra backed away, but found himself pressed against the tomb wall. The figure didn't stop. It reached out toward Ezra. The archaeologist responded the only way he could. Flicking his arm, he activated the mechanism that released his derringer. He felt the gun fly into his hand, and without pausing, fired the two shots into the creature.

The figure stumbled. Ezra seized the opportunity and raced toward the exit. The creature turned to follow, the bullets having barely slowed it down.

+ + + + + + +
 

The six men descending into the tomb jumped when they heard the shots, which shattered the unearthly quiet of the chambers. There was only a moments pause before the group ran down the ramp with renewed urgency. They almost collided with Ezra as the man fled up the hallway.

"Run!" he yelled.

The others peered into the darkness, trying to see what had terrified Ezra, before turning and following their colleague at a fast pace. If it was bad enough to scare Ezra, they didn't want to face it in the cramped corridors.

JD turned around. "Oh my . . ." At his startled exclamation, the others spun to see a spectre of death following them.

"My God," Buck breathed.

Chris promptly fired six shots into it, galvanizing the others into action. The figure didn't pause, but advanced toward the group. Ezra grabbed one of JD's guns out of the younger man's holster. JD dropped his torch and drew his other weapon, however it soon become apparent that the creature was immune to bullets.

"C'mon, move!" Vin yelled, as he brought his sword down at the thing, trying to decapitate it. With a speed that startled everyone, the creature ducked the blow, and lunged forward. Vin leaped back, narrowly missing the clawed swipe aimed at him. Nathan let loose a dagger, which embedded itself in the figure's bony shoulder. The creature let out a howl of pain. Vin seized the opening and swung again, catching the creature at its mid-section.

"We gotta get out of here!" JD yelled, realizing the beast was not retreating.

The seven backed up the causeway. Upon reaching the entrance, the spread out, weapons ready, waiting for the dark figure. It appeared suddenly, emerging abruptly from the inky depths. Despite its speed, it didn't get a chance to reach the fading daylight.

"Get back!" Ezra yelled, as he hurled a stick of dynamite at the creature. The seven flung themselves to the ground as the stick exploded. They regained their feet, cautiously surveying the partially collapsed doorway with unease. They held their weapons ready, but the desert had gone still.

+ + + + + + +
 

"What the hell was that<?" Buck spat.

"That was a mummy," Nathan responded, talking to the entire circle of men.

"A mummy?" Ezra snorted.

"It's true," the healer stated firmly.

"How the hell do you know that?" Chris growled.

Nathan glanced at Vin. Vin nodded to the other man.

"There's a tribe of desert nomads," Nathan began, "they patrol the tombs of ancient kings and other powerful figures. Ya know, making sure no one robs them - or does something they're not supposed to."

"Like waking the dead?" JD asked incredulously.

"I wouldn't have believed it myself, but my wife is from that tribe and Vin was practically raised by them. We've seen things that aren't easily believed, but they're true." Nathan paused. "The point is, there are tombs that require special protection, places where curses or spells have been cast that would hurt a lot of people if they were unleashed."

"Then why weren't your wife's people guarding this tomb?" Ezra shot back.

"My guess is they didn't know about it," Vin spoke up. "There are a lot of tombs in Egypt. In any case, all you hafta know is that something down there didn't want to die a few thousand years ago, and figured he could get out through a spell or something. Somehow he woke up and I don't think he's friendly."

"How would he wake up?" Chris demanded, including both men in his question.

Nathan shrugged. "Coulda been something as simple as touching a certain amulet, to reading an incantation."

Everyone turned to Ezra.

"Ezra. Son," Josiah looked at his colleague. "Tell me you didn't read a spell out loud. Please."

Ezra looked both indignant and horrified at the same time. "I didn't know it was a spell, and I merely muttered it!" The others stared at him. "In case you gentlemen are forgetting, I did dispose of the problem!"

Vin shook his head. "Those things can turn to dust if they want and reform at will. They can move quickly. He's not dead."

"Don't you mean not un-dead?" Buck joked.

Chris glared at him. "I want to know exactly who that thing used to be, what he's capable of and how to kill it." He turned to Ezra. "What did the spell say?"

"Well," Ezra began, "it made a rather vague reference to making evil live and repelling enemies. Incidently, I believe the, um, gentleman in question was named Nakhtmin. At least, that name appeared on the scroll."

Chris looked at the others. "You fellas know anything about him?"

Nathan and Vin shook their heads, but Josiah nodded thoughtfully.

"I remember reading a story about him once. If memory serves, he was a sorcerer who meddled in dark magic. It was a long time ago that I read that story." He smiled sheepishly. "I don't remember anything else, except that his name was used for centuries after. It became synonymous with evil."

Silence greeted that proclamation.

Finally, Chris nodded. "Fine. Josiah, I want you and JD to go to town and find out everything you can about this guy. Nathan, do you know what things might kill it?"

Nathan frowned. "I know swords and certain amulets are supposed to repel some mummies, but if they're too powerful, those things might not have much of an effect. As in the case of our sorcerer friend, I don't know if they'll work or not."

Chris nodded. "We've gotta try something. Go with them into town. Pick up anything you think'll be useful. We'll also need guns, dynamite, swords and knives."

Nathan nodded. Chris turned to Buck, Vin and Ezra. "We're going to stay here and make sure that thing is kept busy until they get back."

Vin nodded. "If he's kept working all the time, it might keep him from getting too powerful."

"Just a quick question `fore we all head out," Nathan ventured. "Any o' you boys know how to use a sword?"

Buck nodded. "Chris and I were in the military a while back. Learned there. May be a tad rusty, but it'll come back."

Vin merely grinned and nodded to his sheathed sword. "Guess I'll find out if I'm any good."

Josiah and Ezra had both fenced at the gentleman's clubs in university, which left JD. JD shook his head. "I can shoot, though," he stated emphatically, determined not to be left behind. "I can at least help to slow him down."

"Relax, kid," Chris said. "If you're so eager to die young, that's your problem, but the truth is, we're gonna need all the help we can get. Right now that means helping Josiah figure out who this guy is and what he can do, but if it comes to fighting, we'll be able to use another set of hands."

JD looked somewhat excited at this news.

Ezra interrupted. "And what, pray tell, will we be doing to occupy the creature?"

Chris grinned. "Any time it sticks its decaying head out of the sand, we'll blow it off."

+ + + + + + +
 

With the others gone, the camp seemed deathly quiet to Chris, Buck, Ezra and Vin. They split into pairs, hoping to find a sign of the creature before it could emerge from its damaged tomb.

Ezra held his gun ready, scanning the sands for anything out of place.

Vin looked somewhat relaxed; his sword was still sheathed, but a rifle was slung over his shoulder.

"What's your problem, Mr. Tanner?" Ezra finally asked. "This is not exactly a Sunday stroll."

"And you ain't exactly who I'd go with< on a Sunday stroll, but here we are."

Ezra glanced at Vin. "You seem to know a lot about mummies."

"Well, you know I lived with the tribe Nathan was talkin' about. They've handed the knowledge of these things down through generations. They're called Med-Jai, you might have read about them in your books."

Ezra looked thoughtful for a moment. "I've read of ancient protectors of Egypt who guarded tombs and defended pharaohs. I never went into much more detail than that."

"Most people don't."

"Are you saying that an entire tribe of people lived in the deserts of Egypt for over three thousand years without being detected?"

"The Med-Jai know more about these sands and possible hiding paces than anyone else in the world."

Ezra glanced over the still sands before responding. "So you and Mr. Jackson are Med-Jai? You fight these things for a living?"

Vin grinned. "Nathan's more of a healer. He is Med-Jai by marriage. He met his wife, Rain, a few years back and has helped the tribe ever since. He heals the warriors after battle, but the rest of the time he's the contact in Cairo. He works as a healer in the city and gathers information on treasure hunters or new expeditions to give the tribe a heads-up if necessary. Irritates his wife that he's away so much, but it's an important job."

"What about you?"

"My mother was an anthropologist who studied nomadic people. We lived with some tribes for awhile until I turned five. Ma thought we'd head back to Cairo for a spell, but we never got there. She was killed. The Med-Jai found me a while later and took me in and taught me their ways and how to fight. Few years ago, I left the tribe and started wandering around on my own, doing odd jobs and stuff. I still keep in contact, though. I like to check back every now and then and make sure everything's okay."

Vin paused his search of the desert sands. "What about you? You dress real fancy and you don't like dirt, but you're an archaeologist?"

Ezra allowed himself a small smile. "My mother was an ambassador's wife for a while. We lived in Egypt for a very long time. I spent most of my childhood in Egypt's finest boarding school's and touring ancient sites. I learned a lot about them, so I decided to become an archaeologist so as to better understand the people behind them." He grinned broadly. "I shall never forget the day I told mother I would be devoting my life to a low income profession. She was horrified. Just the thought of all that dirt practically made her apoplectic."

Vin laughed. "Hell, Ez. Josiah already told me you don't do menial labour."

"Yes, but mother doesn't know that."

+ + + + + + +
 

Buck and Chris made their way through he fading light.

"I hope Nathan manages to send a note off to the Med-Jai," Buck stated. "Hate ta tell you, pard, but I think we're in way over our heads."

"Probably," Chris replied tonelessly.

"Still," Buck stated, "maybe this isn't all bad."

Chris raised an eyebrow.

"Well, it got you out of the bottle, didn't it?" Buck moved so he could see Chris better. "These past few hours, I've seen you go from moping and drinking to taking charge and hunting an undead creature that's millennia old! You're more like the old Chris."

"Buck," Chris' voice went deathly quiet. "After all this is over, I plan on having a nice long drink. Until then, we have a job to do. You psycho-analyse me again and I'll shoot you."

With that, the black clad mercenary strode off into the encroaching night. Buck sighed and followed. Maybe there were times when talking wasn't the best course of action.

Suddenly, Chris aimed his gun at a patch of dirt.

"Buck!" he yelled. "Over here!"

Buck ran forward, drawing his weapons and aiming at the ground. At first he didn't see what had claimed Chris' attention, but then he noticed sand trickling upwards, as though out of a fountain.

"Could be anything," he said quietly.

"Yup," Chris answered, not diverting his gaze.

All at once the sand erupted, swirling in front of them like an angry tornado. Chris and Buck began firing.

+ + + + + + +
 

Vin and Ezra were still watching for any sign of the creature when they heard the gunshots. Instantly, they reacted.

"They came from over there!" Vin raced toward the shots, Ezra just a step behind.

They reached the top of the dune. The scene before them nearly caused them to stop in their tracks.

Chris and Buck were shooting into swirling mass of sand. Just behind the unnatural tornado, the creature walked calmly; the bullets barely slowing it down.

"What the hell is it doing?" Ezra gasped, his poker face momentarily forgotten.

Vin let out a loud cry and charged down the dune, sword drawn.

Ezra ran, firing at the creature as he did, knowing it would do no good.

Their appearance surprised the creature and the sand stopped swirling.

Vin reached Chris and Buck just before Ezra.

"If we can keep it in pieces, it'll be longer before it can regenerate," he yelled. He swiped at the being with his sword, but the creature reacted instantly. It leaped back a step with the same surprising grace and quickness as before.

Buck and Chris pelted it with bullets. Ezra watched the creature, trying to learn how it moved; how it thought. It had shown itself for a reason. There was something it wanted; and wanted badly enough that it was risking being hacked to pieces.

The creature sprang forward once more, deflecting Vin's sword arm with a powerful swipe. With the other arm, it backhanded Vin, who was sent stumbling into Buck. Both men went down in a heap.

Vin's sword landed in the sand near Ezra's feet. The creature turned toward Ezra, a look first of surprise, then a malevolent grin crossing its features. It moved toward the archaeologist, its previous prey forgotten. Larabee cursed. He wouldn't be able to stop the thing. It had proven itself impervious to gunfire numerous times already. The creature growled, reaching its hand out toward Ezra.

Chris was reaching for a stick of dynamite when he heard Ezra's voice shouting in a different language. Ezra dove into the sand, recovering the sword and rolling to distance himself from the creature. He scrambled to his feet, never ceasing his strange speech. Judging by the creature's reaction, it understood the foreign words emanating from the archaeologist. It screeched and disappeared in a billow of sand.

Buck picked himself up off the ground, extending a hand to help Vin, who was flexing his jaw with discomfort.

"What did you say, Ez?" Chris asked, turning to the younger man.

"I invoked the name of Osiris," Ezra answered. "He is the Egyptian god of the dead and . . . "

"And dead-guy is afraid of him," Buck laughed. "That's great."

Ezra shook his head. "I think we may have a bigger problem."

The others looked at him.

"Gentlemen," Ezra began, "why would the creature choose this location to emerge? He must have known that you were nearby. He could have gone anywhere and escaped detection, but he emerged directly in front of you."

"So," Buck asked, confused. "Maybe he's a little off his game."

"I think," Ezra continued, ignoring the interruption, "that the creature needed something only you could provide. He showed himself to you because you have something it wants. I'm quite certain it isn't your gregarious natures. That being said, the only thing I believe the mummy is lacking would be human organs."

Buck looked disgusted.

"You mean to tell me you think that thing wanted our organs because it doesn't have any?" Chris demanded.

Ezra nodded. "None that aren't quite old and dry, in any case."

"But you scared him off," Buck stated.

"Only momentarily, I assure you," Ezra responded. "I fear once he is regenerated, the land of the dead will cause him no terror."

"Where will he go?" Chris pressed.

"My thinking is merely hypothetical and theoretical, Mr. Larabee," Ezra said. "There is no way of telling . . . "

"Ezra," Chris growled.

Ezra sighed. "As we are off limits, so to speak, for the time being, I believe our friend will seek what he needs elsewhere. Most likely, he will head for the nearest populated area."

"Damn," Chris swore. He turned and stalked off toward the camp.

"This keeps getting better and better," Buck muttered as the others followed. "You mean to tell me that whatever organs the creature needs, it'll steal them from living people?"

"That's the idea," Ezra replied through clenched teeth. "Mr. Wilmington, the creature decided millennia ago that it did not want to die. One can assume that he aimed to regain his life and power at some point. That is rather hard to do when you are desiccated and crumbling."

"Guess so," Buck replied, nonplussed by Ezra's abruptness. "It's still gross, though."

Ezra gave a muffled groan and started after Chris.

===============

Chapter 4

===============

Nathan made his way up the stairs to his clinic. He was wary, remembering the last time he'd been there. Noting the coast was clear, Nathan went to his desk and quickly scrawled a note to the Med- Jai chief. He included a summary of everything he knew and a request for advice and assistance. Now all he had to do was give it to his alternate contact in Cairo and all was set.

He rolled the paper carefully and put it in his pocket. He then made his way to the nearby stables. It did not take him long to find Ahmed. The young man was working as a stable hand, but was really a Med-Jai in training. A brief stay in the city was required by modern Med-Jai, so they could learn the habits and language of the citizens. After all, in all likelihood, these were the people, setting out from Cairo, from whom the ancient sites would have to be protected. Ahmed was a hard worker and he and Nathan had become friends.

"Ahmed," Nathan greeted.

"Nathan," the boy smiled. "I haven't seen you for some time. Did the dig go well?"

"Not exactly as planned," Nathan frowned. "I have a big problem and I need to send word to the chief as quickly as possible."

"Of course," Ahmed replied, his posture straightening at the mention of a problem. He was suddenly all business. "I will take your message myself."

Nathan smiled. "I hoped you would say that," he outlined the trouble, Ahmed nodding his understanding.

The young man took the letter and readied his horse. "I will ask that a reply be sent to you by hawk. Otherwise it may be many days until you hear from the chief."

"Thank you," Nathan said as Ahmed rode off.

Nathan turned to begin the search for weapons.

+ + + + + + +
 

JD stifled a yawn. He had thought that uncovering the past of an undead sorcerer would be far more interesting than it really was. Josiah had insisted that the answer was to be found in books. JD had wanted to talk to a wise and mysterious old man, or have a stranger on the street tell them in hushed tones what was really going on. At least, that's the way things had always happened in the dime store novels.

Instead, he was sitting at a desk which was piled high with books in a cramped room in the Cairo museum. And he was bored.

It certainly didn't help that most of the manuscripts were written in ancient Egyptian and other languages he couldn't read.

He felt himself nodding off, and had just touched his head to the table when Josiah let out a loud whoop of triumph.

JD jerked upright, grabbing a book to cover the fact he'd been sleeping. Josiah didn't seem to notice, however. JD counted that as a good thing when he realized he was holding the book upside down.

"What is it?" JD asked.

"I found something," Josiah answered. "It seems our friend was indeed a sorcerer, and he's got a very interesting story. It took me forever to translate. Not only was it written in hieratic, but it was encoded."

"Hieratic?"

At JD's blank look, Josiah explained. "Hieratic symbols are similar to hieroglyphics. They both follow the same general rules when they're being written."

"Hieroglyphics?" JD questioned again.

"Hieroglyphics are a kind of pictogram. It's not entirely like the alphabet we use. Each symbol can represent a sound, but some represent an idea. Kind of like you using signs to represent food and yourself eating in order to write `I am hungry', just not that simple. You'd need to learn the alphabet, which didn't include vowels, as well as learning symbols of qualitative values."

JD nodded slowly, trying to give the impression of comprehension. Josiah didn't notice that either, as he plunged on with his explanation.

"These symbols don't form any kind of legible word. I didn't realize it at first, but they're written with the last figure on the page representing the first sound!"

"Josiah," JD stated, "you lost me."

Josiah sighed. "It's written backwards, son."

"Oh," JD smiled. "That's pretty sneaky. What's it say?"

Josiah opened his mouth to answer, when the sound of a slamming door reached their ears.

Josiah stood, hiding the table full of books from potential prying eyes.

"Chris!" JD exclaimed when the black-clad gunfighter entered the room briskly. Vin, Ezra and Buck were hot on his heels.

"Josiah," Chris said brusquely, "we have problems."

"Yes we do," the archaeologist concurred, noting the group's haggard and dusty appearances. "What happened?"

"It got past us," Buck explained grimly. "It wants to steal organs from living people because he doesn't have any. Where's Nate?"

"Getting weapons," Josiah replied. "He'll be back soon. In the meantime, I found out who our friend is, or rather was. He's an ancient sorcerer, as we originally believed, but it gets much worse. Nakhtmin was a bloodthirsty, power-hungry man, and he had aspirations of becoming ruler of all Egypt."

"Isn't that aiming a little low?" JD inquired. "I mean, if he was so powerful, why not take over the entire world? You know, aim for the big stuff."

"I think he would have eventually, but he was working toward it step by step," Josiah explained. "Anyway, he apparently killed a lot of people in his rituals, and anyone who crossed him had either bad luck or an unfortunate accident. After a while, the villagers he'd been picking on for his spells got tired of being lab rats and found another man to help them. His name was Omari. This guy was apparently a magician of some repute, and he agreed to help them stop Nakhtmin. The long and short of it is, he created a spell that trapped Nakhtmin in the tomb he had been building, not allowing him to enter the afterlife."

"That doesn't sound so bad," JD commented.

"To an Egyptian, that was worse than anything else," Ezra spoke up. "They spent their lives preparing for the afterlife. They believed they would live forever in the realm of Osiris. To be refused entry to the kingdom of the dead for all eternity would have been most dismaying indeed."

"So what went wrong?" Vin asked.

"Well, Nakhtmin had prepared a spell that would allow him to rise again if it was ever found. The people didn't know he'd made it until years after they'd sealed his tomb. Strange things started happening there. Animals refused to travel near it, and people who dared to venture too close either never returned, or were so scared they never spoke of it again. This Omari guy attempted to modify the spell to counteract Nakhtmin's magic. He apparently unsealed the tomb and entered, but never came out. After a while, the entire settlement was destroyed and all the people died. History wrote that a disease travelled through that area of Egypt, but no other towns were stricken. Over time, no one remembered the cursed grave was even there."

An uneasy silence fell over the room. Chris was the first to break it. "How the hell do we stop him?"

"We need to find the spell the magician re-wrote. We have to hope that it works, but he didn't have time to read it."

"That's kind of a big chance there, isn't it?" Buck asked.

"Not only that," Vin added, "but if he went in and didn't come out, where's the body of the magician?"

"There are secret rooms in the tomb," Ezra revealed. "That's where I found the parchment. I didn't get a chance to explore it fully, but it's certainly possible that the other spell could be there."

Chris nodded. "Then that's where we go. Keep your eyes open. We probably have to find Nakhtmin first. He should probably be there when we read the spell."

Just then Nathan came running into the room. He stopped short upon seeing all six other men there, but quickly covered his surprise.

"There's been a murder," he stated quickly. "I think the creature is here."

+ + + + + + +
 

"I think I'll wait outside," JD gasped, looking slightly green. He practically raced out of the room where Nathan was examining the drained body of what had been a young man.

"I, um, better go keep an eye on the kid." Buck started after JD, his normally merry face pinched with concern. This was not something he wanted the kid involved with, but JD had been adamant that he wasn't going to be left behind, and that he could handle it. Buck secretly believed JD was capable of handling the horrors of the creature, the point was that he shouldn't have< to. There were some things young people didn't need to experience, and hunting down walking corpses was one of them.

He found JD at the bottom of Nathan's staircase. He was resting his head in his hands.

"You okay, kid?" Buck asked, trying not to sound overly concerned. He didn't want to make JD feel self-conscious.

"My God, Buck," JD blurted. "That used to be a person! That thing just sucked the life right out of him! That guy didn't have a chance, and he sure as hell didn't deserve that!" He glanced down at his feet, afraid that he'd said too much; that maybe Buck would think he wasn't strong enough to help with their mission.

Buck reached over to grip JD's shoulder firmly. "You're right, son. He didn't deserve that. Neither did those people four thousand years ago, and neither does anyone else. There's nothing we can do for him, or for them, but I'll tell you this: he's not getting away with it now. We know his game; we know what he is, and we know how to stop him. We will put him back in his grave. This time, we'll make sure it's for good."

JD nodded slowly. "Killing that man is the last thing that creature will ever do, Buck. He's going to wish he'd never come out of that tomb."

Buck allowed a small smile to creep across his face.

"Damn right, kid," he muttered. "Damn right."

+ + + + + + +
 

A few minutes later, the clinic door opened. The other five men, looking tired and sickened, emerged into the early-morning light.

Buck and JD rose to meet them.

"What'd you find?" Buck asked.

"He's missing a lot of organs," Nathan stated. "The creature doesn't have everything he'll need, but he's a lot closer. We need to get him out of Cairo before everyone wakes up. Once the day has started, people will be easy picking."

"JD and I have been thinking about that," Buck interjected. "Josiah, do you think that if we gave him a reason, that he'd leave Cairo before taking another life?"

"It would have to be a very good reason, I think. What did you have in mind?"

"We should head back to the tomb and find the spell right now. Maybe he'll be able to sense what we're doing and leave Cairo."

"There's nothing to stop him from finishing with the people here before heading over there, though," Nathan speculated.

"A few of us could stay here," Vin offered. "Ya know, give him something to keep him busy."

Chris shook his head. "It didn't work well last time. I don't think it will this time either. We don't even know where he is; just where he's been. Our best option is to regain control. We've spent all our time reacting instead of acting. If we find that spell, he'll notice, and he'll try to stop us. He'll do that because if he can get rid of us, there's no one left to stop him."

The other men nodded grimly.

"Nathan," Chris began. "Did you get weapons?"

Nathan nodded. "I found quite a few serviceable swords and daggers, some dynamite, charms, and a few other things that might come in handy."

"Good. Everyone grab what you think you can carry. We're going to send that thing back to hell."

+ + + + + + +
 

The ride back to the dig site was conducted at a fast pace. The riders progressed in relative silence, save for Nathan displaying the amulets he had procured. The healer did his best to explain their applications, but had to admit there was no way to be certain how they were used. They were, after all, remnants of an ancient world.

Night was just beginning to fall as the men neared the camp. The sun's fading rays cast deep shadows on the desert landscape.

The seven were wary as they dismounted. Each scanned the surrounding sands, hoping partially that the creature had indeed followed them, but fearing at the same time that he'd done just that.

"I don't see him," Buck announced.

Chris nodded. "Let's find that scroll. The longer it takes to find it, the greater the chance that he'll kill someone else."

The seven men walked toward the tomb.

"I think it might be a good idea for everyone to get their swords out instead of guns," Vin advised, noting the presence of the projectile weapons in his friends' hands. Some habits were hard to break.

The switch was made quickly, and the torches were lit. Chris and Vin led the way down the tunnel to the burial chamber.

The chamber looked much as it had the last time Ezra had seen it. The torches were, surprisingly, still burning, but instead of cheerfully lighting the way, Ezra felt that they were almost sinister in their flickering. The ushabti still lined the walls, and the Osiris statue was in place as well.

The seven men moved across the chamber warily, their footfalls seeming almost thunderously loud through the still tomb.

"This is where the door to the statue was located," Ezra stated. He felt for the latch that released the door. With a loud grinding sound, the door swung open, releasing a rush of warm air from the chamber beyond.

The men peered inside.

Chris went in first; torch in one hand, sword in the other.

"I don't see anything," he said, "but that doesn't mean anything."

The others moved to follow Chris in.

"Maybe we should post a guard out here," JD mentioned softly, not wanting to sound naive. "You know, in case he comes back, we can give the heads up."

Chris nodded. "Good thinking, JD." JD grinned with Chris' compliment. Chris didn't have the heart to tell him that the creature could get into the tomb from wherever it wanted. Besides, it *was* possible that it could use the door like any other living person.

"Buck, Nathan," Chris addressed, "stay here and keep an eye out. Also watch that the door doesn't close on us. They wanted to trap someone in here, so I don't think there's a release latch on the inside."

The men agreed. JD's gaze took on an intensity hitherto unknown to him. He was determined not to let his friends down. He glanced at Buck and nodded his readiness. Buck smiled in response. All was silent as Chris, Ezra, Vin and Josiah entered the darkened hallway.

+ + + + + + +
 

Ezra could not believe what he was doing. Stumbling around in a dark tomb was nothing new to him. It was doing that while attempting to destroy a creature that had been dead for thousands of years that was fairly unusual. Looking at Vin, however, would give one the impression that this sort of thing happened all the time. The calm demeanor the younger man was exhibiting was starting to annoy Ezra. How could anyone be calm? Maybe to the Med-Jai, such things were not considered odd, but Ezra was an archaeologist. He had dealt with death before; finding tombs was stock in trade, but usually the passed-on stayed passed on. Assuming he survived, Ezra doubted he would ever be able to look another mummy in the face again. Figuratively speaking, of course. Thank goodness for poker faces. Ezra couldn't stand the thought that the other men might know he was afraid.

"Where was the statue?" Chris asked, his voice startling Ezra.

"Over there," Ezra pointed with his torch. The men spread out around the figure and began scanning the area visually for the body of the magician.

Chris and Vin poked around the statue, while Ezra and Josiah searched the walls for any sign of hidden chambers.

Josiah was the first to break the silence. "I found a door!" he exclaimed.

As the others joined him, Josiah pushed a small emblem on the wall. Unless one was looking for something on the wall, it would have gone completely unnoticed.

The wall opened back into a large room.

"What is this place?" Vin asked, staring at the large table on the opposite end of the chamber.

"My guess would be this is the place where Nakhtmin was having made for his interment," Josiah responded. "I think that was to be his funeral bower."

"And what's this?" Chris pointed to a small table next to the door.

"An offering table," Ezra responded. "But it has something far more interesting than food or trinkets on it."

The four men gathered around to see a tightly rolled scroll on the table.

"I think this may be it," Josiah muttered. "There's no other evidence of writing or spells anywhere else. Maybe Nakhtmin wanted to keep it close."

"Why, pray tell, would the evil sorcerer prefer to keep the one thing that could destroy him?" Ezra wondered.

Vin shrugged. "Maybe he couldn't destroy it, but he wanted to know where it was."

"It doesn't matter," Chris reminded them. "I hate to remind you, but we're working on a limited time frame here."

The other men turned their attention back to the matter at hand.

Josiah picked up the parchment, moving into the hallway so he could see better. He unrolled it carefully. He took a deep breath and began speaking the ancient words. His baritone voice gave the words a rich cadence. He continued for a few words before stopping. He squinted at the spell, looking somewhat stumped.

Nothing had happened. The men looked at each other.

"Um," Josiah began, "there's a lot more. It goes on for quite a while. Maybe it only starts doing something after you've read it all." He shrugged his shoulders.

The others merely stared at him.

"This is not good," Ezra intoned.

"I think I know what might be wrong," Vin said softly. "Maybe Josiah can't do the spell, because he didn't release the creature. Maybe only Ezra can send him back."

===============

Chapter 5

===============

Nathan kept his gaze steady as he watched the room. He definitely did not want to be surprised if the creature appeared. He'd heard stories about what the un-dead could do, and none of it was pleasant.

He was very impressed with JD. The younger man was keeping his fear in check. Buck was standing nearby, ready to render aid if need be.

A low moan suddenly filled the room. The three men tried to discern the origins of the sound, but the echo made it impossible.

A burst of wind raced down the tunnel, causing the torches to flicker, but they didn't blow out.

"I think this will be bad," Nathan whispered.

"Chris!" Buck yelled, throwing the need for stealth out. "We've got company!"

No sooner had he called out his warning than a torrent of sand rushed into the chamber, pelting the men with tiny grains.

Trying to cover his eyes, Nathan swung with his sword, hoping to hit something. He felt a heavy object connect solidly with his chest and he went airborne, flying several feet before impacting with the wall.

Buck watched in disbelief through the nearly blinding sand as Nathan fell into a crumpled heap on the floor. He couldn't tell if the other man was alright, but he couldn't afford to divert his attention from the threat in front of him.

JD pulled his gaze from Nathan. He felt incredible anger rising inside himself. Letting out a loud yell, JD charged at the swirling sand, ignoring the biting drive into his face. He went for the centre of the maelstrom, lashing out with all his strength while holding onto the sword he had never wielded before. No one was more surprised than he when the sword actually connected with something.

The creature let out a loud howl of rage. The swirling sand faltered and failed. JD could now make out the being through the falling sand. It looked human. The skin that had been tattered and decayed before now looked smooth and healthy. The creature stood taller than JD, with a powerful build and piercing black eyes. The eyes held JD in their grip as the creature grabbed the young man around the throat and lifted him easily in the air. JD felt his breath being cut off, but couldn't break the creature's hold. He kicked, but his vision began to blur. JD was seized by the sudden fear that the last thing he would ever see would be the sorcerer's soulless eyes.

He heard Buck yell before the tension on his throat was released. JD fell to the floor, gasping for breath. He looked up.

The sorcerer's arm had been completely severed. The creature only looked mildly perturbed, however. He reached down and retrieved his limb. With a look of disdain, he reattached his arm.

Buck felt his mouth fall open at the sight. He responded quickly, positioning himself between the creature and JD. Nakhtmin merely smiled. Buck swallowed the thought that there was more malice in that smile than in most people's anger.

Buck felt JD rising to his feet behind him, and noted with some relief that Nathan was getting to his feet beyond the creature. Until then, he hadn't been sure the other man was even alive. Buck moved his eyes back to the creature so as not to give away Nathan's presence.

Nakhtmin moved forward with his alarming speed, his contorted face clearly showing that he was unwilling to be delayed any longer.

+ + + + + + +
 

"Pardon me?" Ezra said. "Why would it matter who released the creature? This piece of parchment cannot possibly know who read the first spell. It is far more likely that the spell doesn't work."

"I think Vin's right, Ez," Chris said. "We didn't really put two and two together before, but a lot of the creature's attacks were directed at you. When he attacked us the second time, he went after you as soon as he saw you. Why do that unless you were the only one who could send him back?"

"Mr. Larabee . . . "

"He's right, Ezra," Josiah directed. "The creature has seemed fairly interested in killing you. Might be that you're the only one who can read the spell."

"I hate break up your little moment here," Vin interrupted, "but I don't think we have time to discuss it. Ezra, if you read the spell and it works, everything is great. If you read it and it doesn't work, at least you can die knowing the creature's attacks were nothing personal."

"Why thank you for that vote of confidence, Mr. Tanner," Ezra drawled, taking the parchment from Josiah.

"Chris! We've got company!" Buck's voice rang through the hallway.

"Vin, stay here," Chris ordered. "Make sure that if that thing gets by us, it doesn't get Ezra before he reads the spell. Josiah, come with me."

"Wait a minute! Does that mean it can have me after< I've read the spell?" Ezra sputtered.

"Get reading, Ezra," Vin directed the archaeologist. The Med-Jai held his sword ready, his face deadly serious. Ezra had no doubt at that moment that if it came down to it, Vin would die to buy him the time he needed; just as the others were possibly dying out there to do the same. If the spell didn't work . . .

Ezra banished the thought and opened the parchment. He began reading.

+ + + + + + +
 

Chris and Josiah raced down the hallway. What they saw made them stop short. Nathan was readying a dagger from his position behind the mummy, but he was obviously having some difficulty standing. Buck was standing protectively in front of JD, who was struggling for breath even as he held his sword ready. The creature was smiling ferally at the two men. Josiah felt his blood run cold. The creature was regenerated.

Chris ran into the chamber just as the creature started toward Buck and JD. He reached the battle ground just as one of Nathan's daggers imbedded itself in the creature's back.

The blade barely phased the creature. He pulled it out and flung it back at Nathan. The knife narrowly missed; imbedding itself in the wall right beside the healer's head. Chris lunged forward, stabbing at the sorcerer. The sword was deflected with a powerful swipe, sending Chris rolling away from the creature. Buck and Josiah attacked in unison, approaching from opposite sides. Josiah aimed at Nakhtmin's head, while Buck attacked the mummy's midsection. The creature again demonstrated his lightening quick reflexes, dodging both blows and leaping sideways past the centre of the room. It was gaining ground despite the best efforts of the men defending.

The creature smiled again, secure in the knowledge that the humans could not defeat him. He stalked forward, prepared for any resistence they could offer.

Chris placed himself directly in the mummy's path. He grinned at the creature as only Chris Larabee could.

Buck watched with fascination as Chris' face turned from that of the man he'd known for a dozen years into a terrifying visage promising an eternal end for the evil entity.

Nathan and Josiah moved forward to stand by Chris. Buck approached from behind, flanked by JD.

The creature would not escape.

Nakhtmin raised his arms, sending another blast of sand swirling through the room. Through the blasting grains, the five men heard the sorcerer's voice yelling furiously.

"Josiah," Chris yelled, "what the hell is he doing?"

Josiah didn't answer. As the sands died down, the answer was apparent. Where the green ushabti figurines had lined the walls, there now stood more than a dozen full-sized, green-tinted humans. Their skin retained an appearance of jade, but they were quite noticeably movable. The figures looked at the men through glassy eyes.

Nakhtmin bent his mouth into a sinister smile. Not bothering to turn his gaze from his foes, he spoke harshly to the jade figures.

"This is not good," Josiah muttered. That was all he had time to say.

The figures sprang forward immediately, surprising the defenders with their speed. Chris found himself confronted by four of the ushabti. He swung his sword with such force that any normal man would have been cloven in two. The ushabti, however, were undamaged.

"I think they're still made of stone!" JD cried from the other side of the room. The young man was facing two ushabti of his own, and just barley avoiding their club-like arms.

Chris diverted his attention long enough to find Nakhtmin. The sorcerer and two ushabti were making their way down to the hidden chamber.

"Ezra," Chris swore, "hurry the hell up."

"Chris!" Josiah called, "Nakhtmin!"

"I see him!" Chris called back, narrowly deflecting the heavy blow aimed at his head. "We have to get rid of these guys."

Chris didn't have to mention that if they failed there wouldn't likely be much of Ezra or Vin left to help.

+ + + + + + +
 

"Are you almost done?" Vin asked Ezra, still watching the hallway. He could hear the sounds of a fight from the main chamber and knew the others were in trouble. Ezra had been reading at a steady pace, but moments before had lost his rhythm.

"I'm doing the best I can, Mr. Tanner," he replied somewhat brusquely. "This is written in shorthand, and rather messy shorthand at that."

Vin nodded. Getting mad at Ezra wouldn't help. He gripped the hilt of his sword in frustration.

Ezra resumed the spell, speaking almost painfully slow.

The Med-Jai took a calming breath. The damn spell was long enough. It was no wonder the old magician died before he got a chance to finish.

Vin shook his head. They weren't going to make it unless Ezra could spill the spell faster.

He straightened suddenly. "Ezra," he ordered, "get back, stay out of sight and keep reading."

Ezra looked up, but complied without question. He backed up behind the statue, and resumed the spell.

Vin had only enough time to adjust his grip on the hilt of the sword before the sorcerer came into view. Vin waited long enough that the creature was fully within the light of the first torch before letting out a loud battle cry and racing toward him. Surprise only showed for a moment on Nakhtmin's face. The mummy deflected Vin's first blow with ease, smiling in the knowledge that he had the superior strength. Vin responded immediately by kicking Nakhtmin's legs out from under him, sending the creature crashing to the floor. Nakhtmin evidently had not expected the move, and responded by growling fiercely and leaping to his feet. Vin didn't give the creature time to regain his balance. He attacked ferociously, aiming his sword strokes wherever he saw an opening. He sliced Nakhtmin's shoulder and moved closer to take the sorcerer's head.

The Med-Jai found himself propelled sideways into the wall. He elbowed the figure, intending to hurt his unseen assailant. He swore when his joint connected with a very immovable figure. Turning slightly, he saw the dark eyes and green skin of an ushabti figurine. Vin twisted, trying to stab the ushabti, but his sword did no damage. Another ushabti approached Ezra. The archaeologist tried to conceal himself further behind the statue. He never faltered in reading the spell.

The ushabti could not be evaded, however, and grabbed Ezra roughly, pulling him out of the alcove. Nakhtmin approached the archaeologist. Vin doubled his efforts to rid himself of the ushabti. Turning quickly, he slammed the green figure into the wall. Vin dropped to his knees at the same time, falling underneath the figure's reach.

Nakhtmin reached for the scroll Ezra held in his hands. Ezra stopped reading and triggered his derringer mechanism. He fired the two shots into the sorcerer, using the momentary distraction of the ushabti to free himself.

Vin launched himself at Nakhtmin from behind. "Run, Ezra!"

Ezra paused.

"Get the hell out of here and read the damned spell!"

Ezra spurred himself into action, and fled further down the tunnel.

Nakhtmin flung Vin roughly aside and turned his attention to the Med- Jai. The mummy yelled to his stone servants who quickly followed after Ezra.

Vin swore. Now they were really in trouble.

Nakhtmin, never moving his eyes from his enemy, pulled the sword from the statue's hands.

Vin swore again. They hadn't considered the possibility that the statue was holding real weapons. Things had just gotten worse.

===============

Chapter 6

===============

Chris dodged another blow by the ushabti he faced. This was not going the way he'd hoped. He tried to find each of the other men. He saw Josiah attempting to bash an ushabti into the wall; the archaeologist's great strength aiding him in the endeavour. Nathan wasn't faring as well. It was evident that the healer still felt the effects of his impromptu flight across the room. He and JD were cornered at the far side of the chamber.

Buck was doing slightly better. He'd grabbed a torch in one hand and a sword in the other and was skilfully avoiding two foes at once.

He could hear Vin yelling down the hall. Chris felt familiar anger rise to the surface. If the sorcerer reached Ezra, it was all over, and they were all dead. Chris turned his knife, ramming the hilt into the face of his attacker. The ushabti staggered back a step, allowing Chris the opportunity to grab a stick of dynamite. Without pausing, Chris held the fuse to the torch, lighting it.

"C'mon!" he shouted at the others. Josiah gave up his fight, releasing his grip on the ushabti when he realized what Chris was doing. He quickly raced over to Nathan and JD, roughly knocking their assailants away. The three men ran toward Chris while Buck covered their escape. Buck tossed his flaming torch at the figures in a final act of aggression and ran back to Chris at the doorway through which Nakhtmin had disappeared.

The black clad man threw the dynamite into the chamber just seconds before the fuse ran out. The ushabti could only stare at the stick with incomprehension before it exploded. Chris paused only long enough to ensure that the ushabti had been reduced to jade fragments before running after his friends.

+ + + + + + +
 

Vin just narrowly avoided having his head separated from his body by a well aimed swing from Nakhtmin. The tracker had thus far managed to escape serious injury, but was beginning to tire. He didn't have the luxury of a focussed attack. The other two ushabti had gone after Ezra, and Vin didn't know how much of the spell was left for the archaeologist to read. He smiled when he heard Chris' voice yelling to someone. At least some of the others were still alive. Moments later, Vin heard an explosion. Instinctively turning to look, he momentarily lost his concentration. He redirected his attention to his foe, as he immediately realized his error. He swung at the creature again, narrowly missing its neck. Vin knew as soon as he completed the action that his blow had overextended; a result of his inattention. His fears were confirmed when he felt Nakhtmin's blade sink into his side. Vin let out a muffled cry, and staggered back. Nakhtmin pressed forward, aiming a blow at the young man's head. Vin scarcely deflected it, and he could feel blood starting to seep down his side. He lunged somewhat ungracefully at the creature, but knew he couldn't hold the impervious sorcerer off for much longer.

Vin swung, not aiming at anything, but hoping to hit something. Nakhtmin smiled again. Vin felt his blood run cold at the chilling visage. There was no kindness, no soul, in that creature. Though the sorcerer smiled, it was a smile of death and pain. It killed for amusement and valued nothing but power.

Vin felt his strength fading as his weapon lowered of its own volition. Nakhtmin raised his sword, aiming for Vin's heart. Before the creature could strike, Vin flung himself sideways, reaching for the Wadjet amulet Nathan had provided.

Nakhtmin stopped, looking at the protection amulet curiously. The being spoke almost mockingly in his ancient tongue.

Vin didn't understand the words, but he got the meaning nevertheless. Nakhtmin had already angered his gods. One more act of evil, even in the face of a sacred symbol, would make no difference. Vin narrowed his eyes. This wasn't good.

+ + + + + + +
 

Ezra stumbled blindly down the tunnel, cursing all the way. He'd left without so much as grabbing a torch and seeing, much less reading, was almost impossible.

"Damn, damn, DAMN!" he muttered under his breath, fumbling for his pocket lighter. He found the metal object and swiftly lit it, feeling immediately calmer in the friendly glow. He turned to move further down the hall. The light illuminated the green glaze of an ushabti figure directly in front of Ezra's face. Ezra dropped the lighter in shock. Its friendly glow blinked out, plunging the corridor into darkness once more.

+ + + + + + +
 

Chris led the others down the hallway, hearing the obvious sounds of a fight up ahead.

They heard Nakhtmin's voice echoing off the walls. The mummy sounded almost amused. They rounded the corner to find Vin kneeling on the ground, an amulet held in front of his face, while Nakhtmin readied himself for the killing blow.

Chris responded quickly, grabbing his gun and emptying six shots into the creature. Nakhtmin growled.

"You have to help Ezra!" Vin shouted. "He's got some of those things after him!"

Nathan, Josiah, JD, and Buck raced past the mummy in pursuit of Ezra. Chris hefted his sword experimentally, walking calmly toward Nakhtmin.

"You're through here," Chris said firmly. "You may not want to accept it, but you're a dead man."

Nakhtmin watched the black clad man as the two circled each other. He didn't understand Chris' words, but he knew a challenge when he saw one, and no mortal man was going to win against the ancient sorcerer.

Vin struggled to his feet, eyeing the warriors. Chris was good, but Nakhtmin had supernatural strength and unnatural speed. Chris could not win without help. Unfortunately, the only help of consequence was Ezra and his spell, and Vin didn't even know if Ezra was still alive.

+ + + + + + +
 

Ezra found himself in a rather dire predicament. The ushabti were utterly silent. Having no need for voices and being designed to serve their master unobtrusively had left the jade figures perfectly suited for sneaking about in the dark. Ezra had quickly learned that, though they could not speak, their hearing was excellent. He crawled as carefully as he could along the ground. He reached blindly in front of himself as he crawled, hoping to find his lighter. He had only three words left. The utter futility of it all made him want to scream in anger and frustration. Three words left and then this! Ezra was starting to seriously reconsider his ideas on divine intervention. His hand met something cold and hard, and he stopped moving. Ezra fervently hoped it was not the foot of one of the sorcerer's minions.

After a brief moment of extreme tension, Ezra felt the object again. It was definitely the lighter.

"Here goes everything," Ezra whispered. Steeling himself and readying the parchment, Ezra lit the small flame.

Ezra swore when he realized the parchment was upside down. He righted it, but he had run out of time. The ushabti had seen him. He looked up in time to see a green fist racing toward him, then everything went black.

+ + + + + + +
 

Chris attacked first, aiming a powerful swing at Nakhtmin's unprotected abdomen.

The creature laughed, taunting his opponent.

"Don't listen to him, Chris," Vin warned. "He's trying to throw you off guard." The Med-Jai hovered on the outskirts of the fight, waiting for an opening so he could aid his friend.

Chris swung again, almost catching the quick mummy across the leg. He followed up by turning to gain momentum and driving his sword into Nakhtmin's belly. The mummy's face was an statement of utter rage.

Nakhtmin was through playing. He came at Chris with lightening quick speed, jabbing at the mercenary with his sword. He struck Chris a glancing blow across the left arm. Chris barely felt the stinging sensation. The black clad fighter was in a rage of his own. The two fighters exchanged blows in rapid succession, each managing to deflect the other's attacks. Chris was fighting with a strength and skill Vin had never seen him use before. The tracker watched, his intent to join the fight now impossible. To get between Chris and Nakhtmin would mean possibly ruining Chris' concentration and thereby getting his friend killed.

The fight, however, could not go on indefinitely. Chris would tire and the creature would win. Vin watched, making sure that when Chris did tire, he would have help.

+ + + + + + +
 

The four men walked down the darkened tunnel.

"Why do the lights always go out when we need them most?" JD whispered. No one bothered to reply.

"Oh, crap," Buck swore, running forward.

"What's happening?" JD asked, stuck at the back of the line, he couldn't see ahead.

The other men broke into runs, and JD followed.

Buck had come upon the two ushabti figures standing over Ezra. Ezra lay face down on the ground, unmoving. Buck let out an anguished yell before launching himself at the nearest jade figure. Josiah took on the other.

"Help me, JD," Nathan yelled. The healer rushed to Ezra's side and grabbed his arms. JD seized Ezra's legs and together the two men carried the archaeologist out of harm's way.

"C'mon, Ezra!" Nathan slapped Ezra's face.

"Is he . . . ?" JD couldn't bring himself to finish the question.

"He's unconscious," Nathan said quickly, "but if he doesn't wake up soon, we'll all be dead."

Buck felt himself slammed against the wall. Biting back an expletive, he used the wall as leverage and heaved the stone being backwards. The ushabti had a strong grip on Buck's arm however, and disengaging the link was proving to be much harder than he anticipated. The ushabti punched Buck with its free hand, leaving the ladies man dizzy. Buck tasted blood in the back of his throat. He couldn't do this for much longer. No sooner had he finished the thought, then another wall was rushing towards him. Buck braced himself, but couldn't stop his forward momentum. He connected painfully with the corridor wall and felt himself drop to the floor.

Josiah saw Buck go down, but was powerless to help. The ushabti had the large archaeologist pinned from behind. Josiah tried turning the figure over his back, but the weight of the stone lent a greater stability to his foe. The ushabti started to turn Josiah towards the wall. Josiah readied himself. He would have to time this perfectly.

Moments before he was to impact with the wall, Josiah raised his feet off the ground and laid them flat on the vertical surface. He acted against the ushabti's momentum to push off the wall. The ushabti fell onto its back as Josiah slipped out from its grip.

He ran toward Buck, hoping to escape before the ushabti regained its footing. Luck was not smiling on him, however. He heard the figure scrape its way to its feet. Josiah gritted his teeth. He couldn't think about that now. Buck's ushabti had retrieved a weighty stone and was raising it above the mercenary's head.

+ + + + + + +
 

Nathan groaned in frustration. Ezra wasn't stirring. The young man had a huge knot on his forehead, and extensive bruising. Nathan secretly thought the damage to the archaeologist's brain was great enough that Ezra might never wake up.

JD looked closely at Nathan's face. "He's not going to make it, is he?"

Nathan raised his face to meet JD's eyes. "There's nothing I can do, JD. I'm sorry."

JD shook his head. "There's gotta be something!"

"JD!" Nathan exclaimed. "I've done everything I can! He's probably got massive pressure building on his brain from all the blood. I can't operate here, all my supplies are in the camp, and he'd never survive us jostling him up the ramp even if we could< get past the sorcerer."

JD looked around. "There's gotta be something< we can do!" Without even realizing it, JD emptied his pockets on the ground.

"What're you doing?" Nathan asked.

JD looked up at Nathan, his eyes oddly vacant. "Use this," he said softly. "It may help."

Nathan reached out to take the object from JD's hand. He stared at JD a moment more. The young man looked different somehow.

"We have no time to waste!" JD said urgently. "Do it now!"

Nathan turned to Ezra. The healer looked at the small item JD had given him. It was an amulet. Nathan turned back to JD in confusion, but the vacant look was gone from the young man's face.

JD shook his head. "I don't know what happened, Nate, but I think you'd better do something quick."

Nathan nodded. He lay the amulet on Ezra's chest, carefully. He drew his hands back slowly and waited. Nothing happened. He shook his head. He was doing something wrong. It suddenly hit him. Nathan grabbed the small item and held it to Ezra's head. Immediately, the amulet began to glow. The glow grew, bathing everything around it in an azure light.

Nathan and JD stared in amazement.

+ + + + + + +
 

Buck sat up gingerly, holding a hand to his forehead. He was blissfully unaware of the fact that the ushabti he had faced was preparing to flatten him from behind with a large rock. Buck looked up just in time to see Josiah racing toward him. Buck blinked. Actually, he saw *two* Josiahs running toward him, but before he could say anything, the Josiahs grabbed him and pulled him out from under the ushabti's nose. The second ushabti was not so lucky. In chasing Josiah, it was unprepared for its companion's move and found itself the victim of a forceful blow as the rock was dropped on its green-tinted head. Josiah looked over his shoulder to see one of the jade forms shatter under the destructive force of the other.

The other ushabti stared in confusion at the pieces of its double. Josiah capitalized on its momentary lapse by taking the time to light another stick of dynamite. Flinging it at the bewildered ushabti, he half-dragged, half-carried Buck to cover.

The sound of the explosion carried down the hall to where Chris and Nakhtmin were fighting. Nakhtmin howled, immediately realizing that his ushabti had failed. Chris smiled. "I guess this means you're almost through," the mercenary taunted. Nakhtmin responded by calling forth the swirling sand once more.

"No you don't," Vin muttered, throwing himself at the sorcerer's back. He gripped the mummy around its neck, holding on with all his strength. The sand dropped to the ground, and Nakhtmin clawed at Vin's arms, trying to remove the weight hampering his movement. Vin held fast.

Chris came at the mummy from the front, aiming his blows so he wouldn't hit the Med-Jai.

Nakhtmin howled again. He parried Chris' blow before running backwards against the wall, slamming Vin into it repeatedly. Vin lost his grip and tumbled to the floor, clutching his injured side.

Nakhtmin advanced on Chris immediately, tossing his bronze sword aside. The time for games had long passed. He grabbed Chris around the throat, lifting him into the air as he had done to JD mere minutes before.

===============

Chapter 7

===============

Josiah helped Buck over to where JD and Nathan were trying to rouse Ezra. He stopped short upon seeing the blue light emanating from Ezra's forehead. It expanded to fill the room. Josiah felt its warmth easing away the pain from his injuries.

The light grew blindingly bright. JD and Nathan had to look away from the brilliant glow. Josiah felt Buck stand straighter under his grip.

"What the . . . " the moustached man stared in awe at the transcending light. All of a sudden, the light began to recede. It drew back toward Ezra, and melted into the amulet. The room fell back into shadow.

Ezra groaned.

"Ezra?" Nathan asked quietly, almost afraid to disturb the descending silence.

"What happened?" Ezra mumbled. "I can't see."

JD lit a match. Upon seeing the light, Ezra sat up suddenly. "The spell! I have to finish it!"

Nathan looked at Ezra's hand. The scroll was still clenched tightly in his hand. He opened Ezra's fist and unrolled the parchment for him. JD lit another match.

Ezra took a deep breath, and read the last three words.

+ + + + + + +
 

Chris dropped his sword as he struggled for breath. He kicked at the sorcerer, but the evil figure felt nothing. Vin staggered forward, trying to ram the creature with all his strength. Nakhtmin smiled at the futile efforts. He effortlessly flung Vin aside and turned back to Chris.

Chris felt everything begin to fade. He struggles started to cease. Vin grasped the bronze weapon Nakhtmin had discarded. He hefted it into his hands.

Abruptly, Nakhtmin's statement changed to one of horror. He stared in disbelief down the dim corridor.

An echo reached the chamber, sounding impossibly loud for the distance it had travelled. It was Ezra's voice, speaking clearly in the ancient tongue.

Nakhtmin dropped Chris and howled in rage and despair. Vin crawled over to Chris to pull him back from the mummy's reach. The two men watched as Nakhtmin's form shivered in the flickering light. The skin the sorcerer had acquired was falling away, revealing the true form of the creature. In between unearthly howls, the sorcerer turned his gaping black eyes to Chris and Vin.

Nakhtmin struggled towards them; fighting against the spasms racking his body. He reached out to them with his desiccated arm, his face a twisted mask of grotesque evil. His legs turned to sand underneath him. Undaunted, he pulled himself forward on his arms.

Chris and Vin held their ground.

With one last howl of rage, the creature burst into sand; the grains sinking into the ground. Then all was quiet.

Chris and Vin looked at each other, but both knew the answer to the unspoken question. The creature was dead.

+ + + + + + +
 

The two men were still flaked out on the ground catching their breath when the others entered the room. Josiah was supporting Ezra who, despite the amulet's powers, was still unsteady on his feet. Buck staggered along beside them, his weariness showing in every feature. Nathan and JD flanked the small group, looking bloodstained and exhausted.

"I take it the spell worked?" Ezra managed.

Chris nodded. "I think so."

He paused, glancing around him. "Unless anyone objects, let's get the hell out of here."

As he expected, no one objected.

+ + + + + + +
 

The sun was just beginning to rise over the desert dunes, bathing everything in reddish light. Ezra took a deep breath, savouring the clean air. All was silent; all was peaceful. Ezra felt, for the first time in what seemed like forever, that he could relax and let down his guard.

"Ezra!" he heard Chris call. "We're starting. Get your butt over here!"

Ezra smiled. He could let his guard down in more than one way. His six compatriots had risked their lives to save him, when they could have told him to solve the problem on his own. He knew that had cost them, but they didn't expect anything in return. He'd only had Josiah before, but now Ezra knew he had six friends on whom he knew he could count. He took another deep breath before heading back to the camp.

The motley crew was healing up nicely. Chris and Vin both endured Nathan's ministrations with vociferous complaint. Buck, Josiah and JD were relatively unscathed, save for the residual headaches, bumps and cuts from their encounters. The effects of Nathan's concussion had eased. Ezra speculated that the light had done more than heal only him. Something in the blue light had healed the more serious injuries of the others in the room, Ezra was sure of it. He didn't pretend to understand. He merely accepted it and moved on.

They had remained at the camp for three days, wanting to be sure Nakhtmin was destroyed. After three days, Chris had announced in his usual gruff manner that they were going to seal the tomb forever. Just in case.

Ezra knew that the sorcerer would not return. He'd felt the evil presence leave as he had read the final words of the spell: "to face justice."

He came to the camp where Josiah and Chris had placed the detonator for the explosive charges they had set up throughout the tomb. The statue of the sword-bearer had been removed, at JD's insistence. The younger man had been adamant that it was not to be destroyed with the rest of the tomb. He refused to say why.

"What took you so long?" Chris said by way of greeting. His voice lacked the gruffness he usually vocalized. The mercenary was relieved to be destroying the tomb.

Ezra didn't answer, but settled himself behind the makeshift blast screen they had constructed. The other five men nodded in greeting and turned their attention back to the cavernous opening of the tomb.

Chris depressed the detonator.

The explosion sent sand flying up into the air. When the seven could see through the settling grains, the entrance to the tomb was gone.

+ + + + + + +
 

"What's up with the statue, JD," Buck asked again. JD had arranged the statue carefully, so it overlooked the site of the destroyed tomb.

JD sighed. "Think about it, Buck. The magician went in but never came out. The statue was holding an ancient weapon and guarding the scroll that would awaken the creature. He probably held the one that would destroy the sorcerer until Nakhtmin took it away."

"It does make a certain amount of sense, Buck," Nathan added. "He was trying to destroy the evil scroll, and read the good one. And there was something down there that told me exactly how to help Ezra, and therefore gave us the help we needed to destroy the creature."

"Are you suggesting, gentlemen, that the magician was transformed into a statue, where he stood for thousands of years and when we entered the picture he tried to help us complete his task?" Ezra stated bluntly.

"The Egyptians believed that the spirit could live on in physical representations here on earth, Ezra," Josiah reminded the younger man. "It's not so far-fetched when you think of it that way."

"No, indeed," Ezra agreed. "No indeed."

"Mount up, boys," Chris allowed the hint of a smile to cross his face. He didn't know if Omari inhabited the statue or not, but if he did, he had finally completed his task. Omari's statue would stand guard over the forgotten tomb of evil, but his spirit would fly free.

===============

EPILOGUE

===============

The seven men sat in the Cairo tavern, enjoying their first real drink since their adventure had begun.

"Guess what I got today?" Nathan grinned. He held up a rolled piece of paper. "It's the reply from the chief. It got here just after we left. He said we needed to first find out all we could about the mummy and he had reinforcements on the way."

The others groaned. The reinforcements had reached Cairo only a few days after the seven had left, but a sandstorm had wiped out their tracks, and no one else knew where the tomb was. That had left quite a few unhappy warriors in Cairo, pacing the streets and waiting for news. They were relieved when the seven returned, and immediately set back to their camp to inform their chief of the developments.

"What happens now?" JD questioned. "What will we do?"

"I imagine Ezra and I'll start looking for other places to dig," Josiah intoned.

"I'm going to head out to the Med-Jai camp and see my wife," Nathan said.

JD turned to Buck, but realized the others were looking at something over his shoulder.

JD followed their gazes and saw two men sitting at the bar. One was tall and thin, and the other was somewhat shorter. They were speaking in hushed tones, but in the deserted bar their voices carried relatively well.

"Are you sure?" one said to the other.

"Yes," came the response. The tall man pulled a long rod out of his coat. "Henderson found it in the middle of nowhere. He said all kinds o' stuff started happening when he found it."

"What kind of stuff?"

"Ya know, strange< stuff. Weird noises and such. He even swears that the sceptre glows<."

The other man greeted that news with a snort of laughter.

His companion took a swig of his drink. "Fine. Don't believe me, but I'm going back there and I'll prove you wrong!"

The man slammed his glass onto the bar and stormed out.

"Josiah?" Ezra asked. "Was that not . . . ?"

"Yep," Josiah replied.

"What?" JD asked. "What was it?"

"The sceptre of Set, the Egyptian god of disorder and chaos. It's supposed to be a myth, but there are drawings of it. According to the stories, it unleashes the power of Set on its bearer's enemies."

The seven looked at each other.

"Well," Vin grinned. "I've had a long enough break. I'm bored. Let's do something."

Buck smiled. "I suppose that pretty barmaid can wait for me a little while longer."

Nathan nodded. "Rain'll understand."

Chris looked at Ezra and Josiah. "What about you boys?"

"I'm tired of digging anyway," Josiah polished off his drink. "Ez?"

"Undoubtedly my skills will be needed before the week is out," Ezra sighed dramatically. "I suppose I must go along, if for no other reason than to keep you all out of trouble."

"YES!" JD cried. "I knew we wouldn't break up!"

"Will you get rid of that damned hat already?" Buck responded, swiping it off JD's head.

Chris shook his head. "Let's ride, boys."

The seven men stepped out into the Cairo streets, heading off to adventure; ready to face whatever danger came their way - together.

The End