We entered the museum making our way through the artifacts listening to an eerie chant in the distance. We came across a room full of mummies sealed away in very strong glass to protect them. The mummies jumped to life scratching the glass and screaming horrible screeches. I jumped nearly a foot off the ground before backing away from them.

We made our way down to the basement where they stored all new arrivals still in wooden shipping boxes and straw. Men kneeled in a circle around a massive hardened object in the center, chanting together. The man from the picture stood near the statue reading from the book of the dead. We took our places around the top of the banister.

The man shouted louder and louder until Imhotep burst from the hardened amber coming to life taking in everything. Evy laid tied up on a table as the creature spoke to the curator laughing about something that pleased him. A woman walked in in a long black dress with long black hair heading straight for Imhotep. I blinked and saw her dressed in ancient times as a bride to the pharaoh. I blinked once more, and she was back in her black dress.

"Do not be frightened." The curator said to the woman.

"I am not afraid." She said confidently then she started speaking ancient Egyptian. "I am Anak-sun-amon reincarnated."

Imhotep circled the woman. "In body perhaps, but soon I will raise your soul from the underworld and we will be reunited."

"You know," Rick whispered to me. "A couple of years ago this would have been really weird to me." He slapped Ardeth on the shoulder before heading down to get Evy.

Ardeth and I looked at one another. His eyes held so much hurt and betrayal in them. His hands gripped the Thompson machine gun tighter. I would not doubt it if he hated me. I leaned against a wooden crate taking aim at the men below. Anak-sun-amon pointed to Evy bringing Imhotep's attention to her.

"You!" He shouted.

"I thought it would bring great pleasure to you to watch her die." She snapped her fingers and the men in red picked up Evy carrying her to a coffin filled with burning flames.

"Just you wait, I'll put you in your grave again!" Evy threatened.

"Our thinking was not if we put you in yours first." The curator laughed.

Evy's face went blank as she saw the coffin. "Oh my god."

"Burn her!" Imhotep ordered.

"Burn her!" Anak-sun-amon repeated.

As they raised her up to dump her in she began screaming and Rick came out of nowhere saving Evy getting her to cover quickly. We opened fire upon the men below creating a distraction for Rick and Evy. I started dropping men like flies until the woman grabbed a gun firing back at us. I pulled Ardeth against me behind the wooden crate for cover waiting for an opportunity. An explosion erupted below and Ardeth covered me protectively. With a sharp nod we provided cover fire for Rick and Evy as they dashed up the staircase. Imhotep moved to the back of the museum pulling out a very old vase and poured the sand out. Rick and Evy joined us as the sand formed into several soldier mummies.

I rolled my eyes. "Not these guys again." I pushed them out. "Move!"

The mummies roared after us as we ran through the museum trying to get as much distance as we could from them. We came out of the building and the cold wet night kissed our faces. Evy stopped to go back to the door as if she had forgotten something. She dragged a bench in front of the door and Rick went after his wife.

"Honey what are you doing?" He pulled her away. "Remember these guys don't use doors."

We rounded the corner where we left the car and it sat abandoned with no one in sight.

"Where the hell is Jonathan?" Rick yelled looking into his car.

A huge red double decker bus pulled up next to us with Jonathan in the driver's seat and Alex behind him.

"Mom!" Alex cried.

"Alex!" Evy dashed to get on board with her son. Ardeth helped me on and Rick ran up to join us as the bus began to move. Four mummies burst from the museum walls and gave chase. Instincts kicked in and I grabbed Ardeth's hand making him look down at me. The mummies caught up to us crushing Rick's car in the process.

"Oh no not my car!" Rick cried. "Oh, I hate mummies."

"Glad to see us now?" Ardeth asked sarcastically.

"Just like old times huh?" Rick marched upstairs making me laugh wholeheartedly.

Out of sniper rifle ammo I backed up drawing my blades ready to defend my family as Ardeth covered the back of the bus. I could hear Rick firing the shot gun above us trying to keep them from getting on the bus. One dodged Rick's fire swinging onto the bus and Ardeth opened the Thompson up, cutting the mummy in half. Ardeth ran out of ammo and the mummy knocked him back into me. The mummy came after us swinging on the rails on the bus. It's lower half mangled and missing. Ardeth dodged a blow leaving me little space to dodge it myself and I took the full blow knocking me against the window. I nearly blacked out from the force of my body against the metal walls of the bus. As I tried to recover the bus made a sudden turn slamming me from one side to the other flat against the window. I regained my balance enough to see Ardeth pinned in a seat with the mummy about to slice him in half. I jumped into the way covering Ardeth with my own body.

I waited for the blow but instead had been welcomed by the sound of a shotgun that forced the mummy back. Evy racked another round into the barrel and fired again until the mummy was nothing but dust.

The bus had gone under a low bridge slicing the roof off with a loud groan over us making me cover my ears. Soon the attacks stopped, and Jonathan pulled the bus over panting heavily. I sat up looking at Ardeth satisfied to see he only gained a few minor scratches.

Rick came down smiling at Ardeth. "You okay?"

Ardeth panted breathlessly and shaken. "This was my first bus ride." Ardeth's eyes moved from his friends to me where they scanned over me. "Are you hurt?"

I shook my head removing a part of his clothing to wrap up his sliced arm. "I'm alright now that you're here."

Ardeth brushed his thumb over my cheek giving me a soft smile.

"Oh please." Alex said walking past us to look at the destroyed upper half of the bus.

I chuckled with Ardeth looking at the curious boy. Hands wrapped around Alex and yanked him from the bus. "Alex!" I screamed running after him. His captor shoved Alex into a car and it sped off stopping to pick one man up from the bridge operator box. Rick and I raced after the car against all odds. The bridge began to rise higher and higher. We came to the end of the bridge taking a chance we jumped from one side to the other. I slid to a stop on the other side turning to check if Rick made it. Rick clung to the edge and I had no choice to abandon chase and pull him back over.

"Alex." Rick panted watching the car drive off with his son.

"I will get him back Rick. I swear." I growled.

After the bridge lowered back down Rick and I walked back to the others empty handed. Evy clung to Rick in tears as Jonathan leaned on a railing overlooking the river. I stood in front of Ardeth ashamed of my failure.

He brushed my hair from my face. "Do not worry my friends." Ardeth pulled me into him holding me tight. "For you son wears the bracelet of Anubis. They cannot hurt him."

Evy pulled back from Rick. "Alex is wearing the bracelet?"

"When he put it on he said he saw the pyramids and then Karnak." Rick explained.

"Yes," Ardeth continued. "and when they reach Karnak the bracelet will show them the next step in the journey."

"Well, if we don't get to Karnak before them then we won't have any idea where to look for him next." Evy pointed out.

"Seems to me like we need a magic carpet." Rick thought mischievously.

We went back to the O'Connell's gathering all that we would need for the journey. Ardeth and I waited for them downstairs alone in one of the living rooms. I leaned on the back of an overstuffed couch making me miss my home in Cairo. I picked up Ardeth's cloak from the floor and draped it over his shoulders tracing the silver embroidery.

Ardeth caught my hand in his. "Why did you leave me all those years ago?"

I tightened my hand in his feeling the pain and regret trying to resurface. "In the lagoon Anubis ordered me to leave at the threat of your life. He knew the creature would arise again."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

I pulled away from him hiding the tears in my eyes. "You needed to move on and forget about me. You have a tribe to protect. You needed a woman who would be there for your people. If I told you it would only make things harder for you."

Ardeth pulled me against his chest placing his hand under my chin making me look up at him. "Difficult or not you should have told me."

I shook my head, the tears stinging my eyes. "I'm not going to interfere in your life."

"Why?"

"Because you deserve better and I can't see you get hurt again." I blinked away the tears. I tried to get some space from him.

"Why do you keep trying to push me away?" He asked, tilting his head.

"Your wife would not like us to be like this and you're too good of a man to dishonor." I admitted the pain in my voice.

His grip only tightened on me. "I have no wife."

His words shocked me. "What?" I looked up into his eyes.

"I have no wife." His deep voice purred. "How could I marry another when my heart belongs to you?"

My breath left me hearing his words, feeling his arms cradle me against him and see the truth in his eyes.

"I love you Rose. It nearly killed me when you left. I chased after you for so long." He admitted, and I could hear the weakness and pain in his voice from his heartache. He tilted my chin up to him and kissed me passionately. I melted in his arms feeling his warmth and love wash over me taking away all the pain I felt over these years. I wrapped my arms around his neck deepening the kiss making him moan as I opened up for him. His hand traced down my back to the small curve in my back dipping me down. He pulled away breathless leaving me seeing stars.

"Ready?" Rick asked with a duffle bag of guns over his shoulder looking at us.

I had fallen asleep on the plane from England to Egypt and woke in the car driving through Cairo. Rick pulled over next to a large brick wall with a huge double wooden door in the center. A sign stood near the door saying, 'Magic Carpet Airways.' I stretched getting out of the car coming over to Evy who was a bit skeptical.

"This is the magic carpet?" Evy asked.

Rick looked back at us with a not so confident shrug. "It will be fine if he's a professional."

Just then the doors opened and out came a short thin dark skinned man with an eye patch. He stopped in his tracks when his eye landed on Rick.

"Izzy!" Rick opened his arms with a smile.

Izzy quickly dashed back inside and locked the door.

"Hey!" Rick barked.

I scoffed with a smirk on my face. "He definitely remembers you."

Rick reassured us. "He's just a little shy." He turned to Jonathan. "Jonathan, get our bags.

Jonathan pretended to be exhausted from holding his golden stick. "Oh, my hands are full."

Rick tore the stick from Jonathan. "Now."

"Right." Jonathan obeyed.

"I'll deal with the flight details." Rick shot the lock off the door.

Evy rolled her eyes at her husband. "Honey you're not a subtle man."

"We don't have time for subtle." He shrugged, holstered his gun and kicked the door open. "Izzy, come here."

"Mm, he may not be subtle, but he is very good looking." I whispered to Evy. "I'm so proud of you."

She opened her mouth in shock. "Rose!" She leaned closer to me. "You're right though. Not to mention your work with a certain Medjai? Now that is sexy. A warrior and mysterious chief?" We giggled heading inside to find Rick chasing Izzy around. Evy became a little worried. "He doesn't look happy to see you." She said to Rick.

"He hasn't turned me down yet." Rick countered.

"Whatever it is, whatever you need, I don't care!" Izzy shouted, gathering papers. "Forget it O'Connell every time I hook up with you I get shot! Last time I got shot in the ass! I'm in mourning for my ass!" I laughed at the skittish quirky man. "Remember that bank job in Marrakesh?"

"Bank job?" Evy asked.

"It's not like it sounds." Rick said to both of us.

"Uh," Izzy cut in. "It's exactly how it sounds. I'm flying high hiding in the sun when the white boy flags me down. So, I come in low for the pickup and the next thing you know...I get shot! I'm lying in the middle of the road with my spleen hanging out and I see him waltzing up with some belly dancer girl."

I burst into laughter as Evy stared at Rick with the evil eye. "Belly dancer girl? Izzy, I think you and I should have a talk."

Izzy turned to us. "As long as I don't get shot."

"Quit your whining," Rick pulled out a stack of cash tossing it to Izzy. "You're going to get paid this time."

"O'Connell what the hell do I need money for? Hmm?" Izzy stuffed the money in his pocket. "What the hell am I going to spend it on?"

"I'm going to keep this short." Rick pulled Izzy under his arm. "My little boy is out there, and I am going to do whatever it takes to get him back."

Izzy's eyes followed O'Connell's hand that held the golden stick. "O'Connell you give me that gold stick, you can shave my body, wax my head and use me for a surfboard."

Rick tossed it to Izzy. "Didn't we do that in Tripoli? Say by the way when did you lose your eye?"

"Oh," Izzy flipped up the patch. "I didn't. I just thought it made me look more dashing." He chuckled.

Rick ripped the eyepatch off. "Come on get to work."

Izzy quickly dashed about preparing the flight details.

Soon Izzy walked us down where he kept his airplane when we stopped by the presence of twelve horsemen in all black. I knew those tattoos on their faces and their robes.

Poor Izzy got frightened, basically hiding behind me. "I knew it. I'm going to get shot."

Ardeth dismounted and came walking towards us. His strut caught my attention as Evy came over to stand by me elbowing me in the ribs. Ardeth's hair whipped up in the wind as he made his way over to me, making my knees go weak. "These are the commanders of the twelve tribes of the Medjai. If the army Anubis does rise they will do all that they can to stop them."

Evy pushed me towards him and I joined his side overlooking the commanders. They all lowered their heads in a slight bow. "Why are they bowing to me?" I whispered to him.

He smiled down at me. "They know who you are Rose. You are Lotus-kasi and their leader as am I their chief. They will follow any order you give them." He held up a gloved hand. "Horus." A white and grey falcon flew over and landed on Ardeth's arm.

"A humanizing touch," Jonathan said. "that you have a pet bird."

"Horus is no pet. He is my best and most clever friend." Ardeth said stroking the feathers of the falcon.

I smiled at the aviary predator. "He's beautiful."

"He will let the commanders know of our progress so that they may follow." Ardeth turned to the commanders and blessed them.

They too returned the blessing to all of us before riding away with Ardeth's horse. We grabbed our stuff and made our way down to the plane.

"Rick are you sure Izzy is reliable?" Evy asked, clearly overwhelmed with concern.

"Yeah, yeah, he's reliable." Rick swallowed. "Ish."

Before us floated a wooden ship with a huge brown balloon attached and propellers installed for precise moving. Izzy hiked up to us. "Isn't she beautiful?"

"It's a balloon!" Rick was not happy.

"It's a dirigible!" Izzy laughed.

"Where's your airplane?" Rick asked, disappointed.

Izzy waved his cloth at us. "Airplanes are a thing of the past."

I had just about enough of him. "Izzy you were right." I growled.

His eyes darted to me confused. "I was?"

"Yes," I drew Rick's gun, cocking it back aiming at Izzy. "You're going to get shot."

"Whoa, whoa whoa," Izzy put his hands up. "she's faster than she looks and quiet, real quiet. Which is great for sneaking up on people. Unless you want to go his route, come in guns blazing and getting your friends shot in the ass!"

I shared a look with Rick before handing him his gun back.

Ardeth shook his head at us. "Why can't you people ever keep your feet on the ground?"

With a little coaxing we all boarded the ship with Ardeth settling next to me near the controls. People on the ground cut us loose letting us glide over the desert and into the night.