Within a few days I made my way to London, England where the O'Connell's purchased a very lovely and large home. I wandered the premises learning the layout of my cousin Evy's home and good places to hide in case they were not alone. The house had been empty for some time and her suitcases gone with some of her clothes. I rolled my eyes at the thought of her dragging Rick across the world on another dig. Signs indicated that Jonathan had been staying here with them in this extravagant home. I also found a room where a young boy lived with toys and baseball equipment. I smiled at the memory of receiving Evy's letter letting me know her son had been born. I had only one visit when she was still in the hospital holding a bundle of an adorable baby boy while Rick was a mess panicking about how to raise a child. The man could face a three thousand year old mummy, but the thought of changing diapers frightened him.

The house remained quiet and empty except for me where I settled in the library on the upper rail near the front window looking down upon the home. Where I waited for them to return...

"Jonathan!" I heard a familiar voice yell with an American accent. I snapped awake realizing I had fallen asleep in Evy's home on the railing of the upper library.

I lowered my hood and mask readying myself to speak with them about the upcoming danger. Evy came into the room and I stopped mid step taken back by her beauty and smiled at a small young boy with blond hair. She flashed him a book with Egyptian writing on the inside. She directed her attention to a small golden chest on a side table covered in dust and a few lingering cobwebs.

"Where is the key?" Evy asked the small boy.

The boy simply shrugged at his mother. I cracked a smile seeing a bit of Jonathan in him.

Evy turned the boy in circles digging through his many pockets slightly scolding him. "I swear Alex if you have lost that key you're grounded."

"I haven't lost it. I just can't find it, there's a difference." He sassed back. And there was Rick's side in the child.

"Well, you better start finding it." Evy said sternly but her eyes had so much love and pride in them for her son.

A dark skinned man walked into the room shifting the attention from mother and child to him as his figure stood in the wide doorway. He wore the same red turban from the man I killed days ago but his time his face was left uncovered. "Good evening." He purred in a deep voice.

Evy immediately stood sensing the threat in his tone. Her body tensed, and I could feel the panic radiating off of her. "Who are you? What are you doing in my house?"

"I'm looking for the chest of course," He tilted his head seeing the golden box on the table. Alex grabbed the chest instinctively backing away. "Give it to me now."

Evy walked over to a display and drew a sword. "Get out of my house." She growled.

I got into a position to leap down at the right moment.

"Whoa mom," Alex said frightenedly. "maybe not the best idea."

"Alex, get back there." Evy waved her hand back to instruct her son and her eyes never left the strange man before her.

A few more men dressed the same came in as back up and Evy's eyes darted between them. She adjusted the grip on her sword preparing herself to die to protect her son and the chest.

"I think it might be time to call for dad now." Alex whimpered.

The man stepped forward. "Now I will kill you and take it anyway."

I set my foot on the banister and flexed my muscles to launch when a voice echoed in the house causing me to freeze nearly losing my grip.

"I think not!" A Medjai warrior came into the room adorned in a black and silver embroidered cloak over his shoulders. He stood next to Evy.

"Ardeth what are you doing here?" She breathed a sigh of relief.

"I believe explanations are best saved for later?" Ardeth turned his attention to the men in front of him. My heart pounded in my chest. I was not prepared to see the Medjai warrior I had fallen in love with. I feared I would never see him again. My heart broke feeling the memories building back up from Hamunaptra.

"Ardeth Bay." The stranger rose his chin to the challenge.

"Lock-nah." Ardeth growled.

I shook my head getting back to business holding my emotions off until later. My family was in danger. I leapt down from the second level landing in between the two groups back to my family. Still wearing my assassin garb with my hood and mask down I drew my dual daggers from Hamunaptra making them gleam in the lowlight with my silver bracers. They all instinctively drew their swords, some hands shaking slightly.

"Lotus-kasi." Ardeth's voice rolled over my old name.

Lock-nah grinned wickedly before he gave the order for the others to attack. I blocked two attackers forcing the others to spread along the room some going after Evy and some after Ardeth. I pushed them away going back to back with Ardeth to cover ourselves.

"Where have you been?" Ardeth asked in between attacks.

I shoved a man into the bookcase as another rushed me with a battle cry. I blocked his high angle attack and ran my blade into his body. "Serving Anubis." I kept looking over my shoulder to find Evy fighting off two men. Ardeth and I fought on trying to get one of us free to help Evy as Lock-nah watched us.

"Not bad for a couple of Medjai." Lock-nah smirked, removing his gloves.

Ardeth kicked a man into another bookcase as I ran my sword through him when he stumbled back. I leapt over the couch to help Evy. She gave a man the old one two while I took over and dispatched him.

"What's in the chest?" Ardeth asked, locking swords with an attacker.

I shoulder checked a man into a bookcase as he dove for Evy. "The bracelet of Anubis!" Evy shouted.

"Let go!" Alex cried, playing tug of war with a man for the chest. The poor lad hung on until his fingers slipped. His body flew in the air and I caught him around the waist falling back to the floor.

"They must not get the bracelet!" Ardeth warned. "Get it and then get out of here!"

Evy went to get the chest as I defended Alex from the oncoming attackers. Before I knew what had happened Alex cried out for his mother who was unconscious on a man's shoulder being carried out. I dashed for Evy and they retaliated with a dagger thrown right for Alex. I dove taking the knife in my left forearm bracer. Lock-nah threw an ax for Ardeth's head barely missing the warrior sitting against the wall holding his injured shoulder. Then like that the men left with Evy and the chest.

"Mom!" Alex ran after his mother.

Ardeth and I chased after the boy to see two cars speed out of the rocky driveway.

Rick and Jonathan chased after the cars before giving up quickly out of breath.

"Dad!" Alex ran to hug his father.

"Alex!" Rick said relieved his son was unharmed. Rick took both Ardeth and I in giving me a very confused look as if I were a ghost before him and when his eyes settled on Ardeth, his face changed into a grimace.

"O'Connell." Ardeth bowed.

Rick grabbed Ardeth by the shoulders pushing him up against a pillar. "What the hell are you doing here?" Before Ardeth could answer Rick cut him off. "No, scratch that I don't care! Who are they and where are they taking my wife?"

Adreth grabbed him by the shoulders. "My friend, I am not sure but wherever they are taking your wife this man will surely be." Ardeth showed us a picture of a man in a turban and fancy robes.

Alex snatched the picture from Ardeth's fingers. "Hey I know him! He's the curator down at the British museum!"

I turned Alex towards me. "Are you sure?"

Rick pulled Alex to the back of the house walking away from us. "You better believe it. He spends more time there than he does at home. Come on." Rick led us to the back where several cars waited. "So, you two are here, bad guys are here, Evy's been kidnapped, so let me guess-"

"Yes," Ardeth interrupted him. "they're going to try to raise the creature from his grave once again."

Jonathan piped up. "Not to point fingers but isn't that your job to stop that from happening?" He held a golden scepter in his hands waving it around.

"The woman who is with them, she knows things." Ardeth defended. "Things no living person could possibly know. She knew exactly where the creature was buried. They were hoping she would lead them to the bracelet. She obviously did and now they have it."

"I wouldn't get too nervous just yet." Alex stopped everyone and he unbuttoned his sleeve revealing the golden bracelet with a golden scorpion with the head of Anubis.

Ardeth held the boy's arm carefully in his hands as Jonathan drooled over the bracelet. "Is that real gold?"

"When I stuck it on I saw the pyramid of Giza then whoosh! Across the desert to Karnak." Alex explained a bit proud of himself.

"By putting this on you've started a chain reaction that could bring on the next apocalypse." Ardeth told the boy quickly in one breath making Alex gasp in fear.

"You," Rick pointed at Ardeth. "lighten up." Then he pointed at his son. "You, big trouble. You two get in the car." He finally growled at me and Jonathan.

I sat in the back with Alex between me and Jonathan as Rick sped through London listening to Ardeth.

"I am sorry if I alarmed your son." He apologized. "But you must understand now that he has the bracelet on we only have seven days before the scorpion king awakens."

"We?" Rick glanced at him for a moment. "What we?"

I listened to Ardeth tell Rick the prophecy with a bad feeling in my stomach. "If he is not killed they will raise the army of Anubis."

Jonathan leaned forward curiously asking. "I take it, that's a bad thing?"

"Oh, he will wipe out the world." Rick said sarcastically.

"The old wipe out the world deploy." Jonathan said back mumbling.

"Whomever can kill the scorpion king can send his army back to the underworld." Ardeth said his tone laced with worry. "or use it to destroy mankind and rule the earth."

I turned to the window watching the city pass by and the rain drops slide down the thin cold glass. Anubis warned me that this would happen and if we failed, I would be taken in as a general forced to fight and lead his army.

"So that's why they dug up Imhotep," Rick realized. "He's the only one strong enough to kill him."

"That is their plan." Ardeth confirmed.

We arrived at the museum and Rick turned to Alex. "Listen Alex I have a big job for you. I need you to stay here and protect the car."

"Protect the car?" Alex rolled his eyes. "Come on dad just because I'm a kid doesn't mean I'm stupid."

"I know." Rick ruffled his son's hair.

"Dad!" Alex pushed his father's hand away.

"Remember," Jonathan tried to be tough. "If you see anyone come running out screaming it's just me."

I looked at Jonathan with a soft smile. "Maybe you should stay with him."

"Good idea, now you're talking." Jonathan sat back.

I shook my head and got out of the car following the men to the trunk.

Rick opened the trunk to the arsenal he had tucked away. "Do you want the shotgun?" Rick offered Ardeth.

"No," Ardeth motioned to the other rifle. "I prefer the Thompson."

I snagged the sniper rifle loading rounds into it. "Reminds me of the old days in Hamunaptra. Ardeth fell in love with the gun from the plane."

Ardeth smiled at me before his eyes dropped to the tattoo on Rick's wrist. "If I were to say to you I am a stranger traveling from the east seeking that which is lost..."

Rick looked puzzled as he responded. "Then I would reply that I am a stranger traveling from the west. It is I whom you seek..?"

"Then it is true," Ardeth grabbed his wrist showing him the tattoo. "you have the sacred mark."

Rick scoffed, pulling away. "What, that? That was slapped on me when I was at an orphanage in Cairo."

I saw the mark and recognized it immediately. "That mark means you're a protector of man, a warrior for god." I explained. "A Medjai."

Rick rocked back his shotgun. "Sorry, you've got the wrong man."