Treasure of Egypt Page 17

  Akeim nodded as he discarded his own rifle and drew out both his long curved sword and dagger. The riders were closing in on them. Alec fired off his last shot as another musket ball blasted the rock above him. He pulled his revolver out and loaded it with two bullets that he’d found in his gun belt.

  He looked over again at his rifle, wishing like hell he could have found at least one bullet for the damn thing. Just beyond it lay the bags and fishing net he’d cast aside earlier. He holstered the gun and picked up the net. It wasn’t much to work with, but he had an idea of how he could use it. He looked over to Akeim who was waiting. “If it’s a close fight they want, it’s a close fight they’ll get.”

  ~*~

  Genevieve and her mother led the animals single file through the crevasse deeper into the canyon wall. The high twisting walls opened up to the sky above them, allowing filtered light to enter the passage. Samuel followed behind them, dragging a very irritated Cupid behind.

  “Not now fella,” he pulled at the cantankerous beast. “Look here, it’s nothing to me if you want to go the other way,” he warned as the camel jerked the reins.

  About twenty feet back, the wind carved channel opened up into another small nook that was big enough to corral the animals. The niche they had been following continued further back, but it was too narrow to go any further with the animals. The shelter at least offered protection from flying debris if not from the sound itself. The crack of gunfire echoed within the chamber.

  ~*~

  Alec chanced a quick look over the rocks in front to see how close their attackers were getting. Though they had taken down a few with their rifles, there was still a dozen or more charging up the embankment, some had dismounted, but it looked like most intended to attack on horseback.

  He carefully gathered the net up in his arms. Crouching behind the rock he readied himself. Akeim had a better view of the approaching riders than he did. Alec watched the shadows on the rocks for his cue.

  Akeim jumped up with his long sword in hand and sliced through the air as the first horse jumped the bolder in front of him. The man cried out, but fell silent before he hit the ground.

  Alec let the net fly high overhead. The net plummeted, capturing two riders within its lines. The men struggled within the netting as another rider jumped the rock barricade. Alec withdrew his revolver and fired, hitting him in the chest. The newcomer slumped and fell to the ground beside the body of the man that Akeim had just killed.

  Alec quickly glanced over to see Akeim fighting two of the marauders as a third approached. Akeim sliced the hand of one before engaging the next one. Alec found himself grateful they were on the same side.

  Alec reached the men entangled in the net just as another rider jumped over the rocks, his sword already raised. The sharp blade he held came down in a deadly arc towards Alec, who lifted the struggling man in the net as a shield in front of him.

  The force of the blow jerked the man from his arms. Moving quickly, Alec grabbed the horseman’s wrist before he could bring it up again and yanked him from his seat. He had his own knife buried in the man’s chest as he lifted his gun to fire at the next rider jumping over the boulders.

  The other man, caught within the netting, plowed into him from behind, knocking him to the ground. Alec’s revolver went off missing its mark. The man stood over him with his sword raised.

  Alec rolled away from the blow as it landed inches from his head, then in the other direction to avoid the next one. In his path, lay Samuel’s discarded rifle, he grabbed it, using it to block the oncoming blow. The sword hacked into the stock barely missing his fingers. Alec twisted and rolled again hoping to take the sword with him, but the man pulled the sword free as Alec moved.

  The rider prodded his horse forward in an attempt to trample Alec beneath it. Trapped between the horse and the swordsman, he had no choice other than to ball himself up and cover his head with his arms for protection while he rolled to the other side.

  “Bloody Hell” Alec swore, as the hooves dug into his shoulder. He rolled over the fry pan that had fallen to the ground earlier and used it as a shield for his head. The only thing that he could see as he looked up were two men slipping past, heading down the narrow crevasse toward Genevieve.

  No! His mind screamed as he watched. The horse's hoof hit him in the gut, knocking the air from him. “Humph,” was all that came out as the air escaped his lungs.

  ~*~

  They could hear the sounds of fighting as it echoed down into the chamber. Genevieve and her mother exchanged worried glances. The noise was almost too much to take. The animals danced in agitation as they held tightly onto their reins.

  Samuel had already fired several shots down the narrow passage at the men who were attempting to gain entrance to the alcove. The noise had almost caused the frightened animals to bolt.

  Genevieve looked back at her mother who was holding onto several of the distraught animals. The largest one was on the verge of throwing a king-sized fit in the small area. Sophia was busily trying to soothe Cupid when three dark figures emerged from the narrow crevasse behind her.

  Genevieve could hardly believe her eyes, “Mother, watch out!”

  Sophia swung around letting go of the large beast standing between her and the men. She was able to make her way to her daughter’s side in the chaos, leaving the men trapped behind the disgruntled camel.

  Samuel, who had been guarding the front, rushed back to them, placing himself between the attackers and the women. One of the men made his way around the angry camel, pulling his knife from his belt. Samuel raised his revolver in hand and pulled the trigger.

  Click… nothing happened.

  The damn thing was out of ammo. With disgust, Samuel threw the gun to the side and pulled out his knife, but not before their assailant had let his own dagger fly. Samuel ducked, hearing it collide with the rock wall behind him. He flung his own blade, hoping it would pierce the blackguard’s heart. It was snatched from mid-air by the man instead.

  “Ah, Com’on!” Samuel breathed as he backed up, trying to shield the women from the man. Instead of throwing his knife, the man slowly withdrew his pistol, his sinister grin exposing the dark gaps in his decaying teeth.

  “Impressive,” cynicism laced his voice as Samuel pulled out a pair of throwing stars. “But, can you catch two, while you fire?”

  The man’s expression lost some of its arrogance as Samuel let the stars fly. The man pulled the trigger. Samuel felt the sting in his chest as the impact threw him backward. He fell, hitting the back of his head on a rock as he landed. The man slumped to his knees then fell forward. Both of the stars had hit their mark.

  Cupid bolted as the blast from the gun went off right next to him. The charging beast ran past Genevieve, barely missing Samuel in its escape back through the passage. She heard the men who were in the narrow opening screaming to get out of his way as she ran over to Samuel who lay unmoving.

  “Oh, my God!” Genevieve cried out, as she bent over him, a dark stain spread out from the hole in his jacket. She looked up to see two men grab for her mother. “No!"

  ~*~

  The horse that threatened to trample Alec reared up, giving him time to grab the breastplate of the saddle. He used it to pull himself off the ground, raising his feet he kicked out striking the man who was standing beside it with his sword raised. Taken by surprise, the man was knocked to his knees.

  As the horse reared up again, Alec used the momentum to get his footing and jump up on the other side. He raised the pan he still held to block the blow from the rider’s sword and grabbed the man’s leg, pulling him off the horse.

  Alec caught the man’s arm as he fell and twisted, applying pressure to the man’s elbow until he felt it break. The man cried out in pain as Alec hit him over the head with the iron skillet, and grabbed the sword from his useless hand.

  The man he’d kicked ran at him with his sword raised. Alec barely had time to lift the sword he held to ward off th
e blow. The dazed man joined the fray with a dagger in his good hand. They attacked him at the same time from opposite sides. The man’s sword blade came down towards Alec’s head as the other man jabbed his knife toward Alec’s middle.

  Alec swiveled, stepping towards the charging man who held the sword as the blade continued it’s decent. The sword barely missed him as it slashed down to the side of him. In one move, Alec wrapped his right hand over the man’s forearm trapping it, while he bent forward, avoiding the dagger as it stabbed towards his center.

  Using his momentum against him, Alec pulled down on the man’s trapped arm. Crouching low, he flipped the man over his back to the ground. The dazed man was too slow to side step. They landed in a heap as the other man rolled into him.

  Alec heard a scream echo out from the crevasse. He tried to run for the opening, but was blocked by the dazed one who had managed to stand. This man is unreal! Alec shook his head in disbelief. There had to be something in the pipe they smoke.

  The man ran towards him with his dagger raised, Alec used his own momentum to toss him. The dazed one completed a somersault, ending against the rock wall once again, this time staying there.

  Alec turned to see the swordsman charging toward him once again with not only his sword raised, but with a dagger in the other hand. He came forward, holding the knife so that the blade pointed down toward his own elbow. , cutting a wide arc through the air. Alec met the blow with the sword he held. The assailant continued to turn, lifting his dagger as he did in order to plunge it into Alec’s heart as he came around.

  Alec grabbed the man’s hand as the dagger came down towards him and twisted it so that the blade continued, burying itself deeply into the man’s own stomach. Alec took the sword from his hand as he fell.

  Holding a sword in each hand, Alec turned, slicing through the air so that both weapons were up, ready for the next attack. Akeim stood before him in a similar pose. They faced each other briefly before turning outward, their backs now guarded by the other as they faced the remaining attackers. The last of them fell quickly at their feet.

  Genevieve’s scream echoed from within the crevasse. Alec turned back towards the twisting rock passage and cautiously entered. He could hear the shouting of men as the two he’d seen slip past him appeared around the first corner running at high speed with a rampaging camel at their heels.

  As the man in the lead noticed Alec, he slowed, causing the man directly behind to collide into him. They stumbled. Cupid trampled over them followed by the rest of the crazed animals. Alec barely had time to jump out of the way as they passed.

  All Alec could think of was the scream he’d heard as he pressed himself against the rock wall. It was all he could do to wait until the frightened animals had cleared the passage before he ran back to the women. He heard a moan as he entered the alcove with his heart in his throat.

  “Samuel… Samuel, talk to me?” Genevieve knelt over his friend who lay on the ground. Alec’s gut twisted as he realized Samuel was actually down. He noticed Sophia standing behind them and was shocked to see three more bodies at her feet. She stepped over them as she went to Samuel, kneeling beside him.

  “Oh, my God!” Alec groaned as he stepped closer, seeing for the first time the dark stain on Samuel’s chest.

  Samuel moaned again.

  “Can you hear me?” Genevieve asked worriedly.

  Sophia checked the pulse at his neck and then opened his shirt. “Aaugh my head,” Samuel groaned, blinking his eyes.

  Sophia spread his shirt wide… Nothing. There was a bright red welt that had risen over his heart but there was no blood. She pulled his jacket back and found the hole then dug inside his pocket.

  “What happened?” Samuel blinked his eyes dazedly. “Did I at least get the bastard?” He tried to sit up, looking over to where the body of the man he had fought lay dead. He winced at the effort and settled back down, grabbing his head as he did.

  “You’re a very lucky man,” Sophia handed him his flask. A bullet hole had ripped through one side of it and dented the other.

  “Oh, no!” he groaned over the loss as he turned it upside down over his open mouth. A drip splashed on his lip as he held it. The container was drained, the liquid having soaked his shirtfront. “Damn! What a waste,” he moaned, dropping his hand in defeat.

  Akeim entered and went back to the three men who lay behind them.

  Sophia went over to him. “They came out from the back.”

  He examined the curved dagger from one of the men, “He is most likely a hired mercenary,” Akeim’s tone was one of disgust.

  “You can tell from the knife?” Alec watched as he examined it.

  Akeim nodded, showing him the design on the man’s khan jar hushan. “This man comes from the region up north. You can ask him yourself in a moment if you’d like,” he nudged the man with the toe of his boot.

  “What happened back there?” Samuel seemed mystified once he’d sat up and spied the other bodies on the ground.

  “You saved us,” Sophia quickly answered. “We’re forever in your debt.”

  “I don’t remember fighting those men,” puzzled he rubbed his brow. “I only remember that one,” he pointed.

  “You have hit your head,” Sophia nodded with empathy.

  Alec crouched down beside Samuel and examined his injury. There was a huge lump on the back. “You’re going to have a hell of a headache.”

  “No,” Samuel insisted, talking quietly to Alec. “I don’t remember fighting those men. I remember…” He looked up at Alec with a frown.

  “What?” Alec asked.

  “Good God,” An amazed expression crossed Samuel’s face. “I think your wife and her mother can fly.”

  Alec rolled his eyes as he looked up at the two women. “He’ll be fine.”

  Chapter 14

  One of the men Akeim was standing over groaned, rolling his head from side to side. Akeim grabbed him by the front of his kaftan and half lifted him off the ground. When the man opened his eyes it was to the menacing black stare of the Warrior.

  “Allah a bah—” the man started to holler, but was quickly silenced.

  “Who sent you?” Akeim spoke in Arabic, giving him a shake.

  The man looked as though he would not talk, but he found his tongue when Akeim found his knife. “The White Devil, the White Devil!” He screamed in a foreign tongue.

  “I’m sending you back to hell with a message,” Akeim growled as he held the man off the ground. “Tell the White Devil, that the Black Serpent has risen.”

  The man’s eyes grew wide with fear as Akeim took his weapon and hit him over the head with it. The man slumped forward, landing on the hard ground beside the other unconscious man.

  “We are not safe here,” Akeim looked back over his shoulder as he quickly removed their other weapons. “We must leave quickly.”

  “Well, that was all rather melodramatic,” Samuel whispered to Alec as he tried to sit.

  “Can you ride?” Alec knelt beside him.

  “Yes,” mustering his bravado, Samuel smiled. “Besides, it doesn’t look as if I have much choice, does it?” he gave Akeim a sideways glance, “What with the white devil and the black serpents on the loose.”

  Samuel accepted Alec’s outstretched hand. Wincing as he stood, he held on to his head and leaned forward with a groan.

  “Are you all right?” Alec watched him with concern.

  Samuel nodded in response and winced again at the effort.

  “Dizzy?”

  “Not any more than after having had a bottle, a pint, and another bottle.” Samuel replied with some levity. “I’ll be fine, let me just get my bearings.” He leaned against the rock face behind him.

  Alec looked over to where Genevieve stood, he could tell she was upset despite the fact that she was trying to hide it. He left Samuel and went over to her. He could see the shimmer of tears as he looked down into her beautiful eyes. Without much thought, he enveloped her in his ar
ms and held her tight. Holding her close he whispered against the silken strands of her hair, “It’s alright now.”

  “I’m sorry,” she sniffed. “It just reminded me so much of the day I lost my father.”

  Though she had spoken quietly against his chest, he’d heard her. Alec continued to hold her tightly until she looked up at him, the evidence of tears still on her cheeks. “I’m sorry for your loss,” he dried the moisture with his thumb as he gazed down at her. “You know I’d go to hell and back before I’d let something happen to you.”

  Sophia watched Alec embrace her daughter. His actions convinced her more about his motives than his words ever could. Genevieve would be safe with him. She quietly passed them and went to Samuel’s side. “Here, let me help you,” she offered, assisting him to stand upright.

  He stubbornly tried to walk without her help, but she placed his arm over her shoulders for support when it became evident that he needed it. “You can ride with Akeim if you don’t think you can keep your seat.”

  It was a dire threat to be sure. Samuel stood taller after her remark. “I assure you Madam, I’ve had much worse. Besides, I’ve yet to lose my seat on a horse and I don’t intend to start now.”

  “Notice he didn’t say camel,” Alec whispered quietly to Genevieve who was still in his arms.

  “I heard that!” Samuel remarked.

  They both chuckled remembering his fall from grace. Genevieve smiled up at Alec. “Thank you,” she sniffed.

  “Come,” he placed his hand gently on her back as they walked to the opening together.

  “I cannot believe that you’re letting them live?” Samuel watched in amazement as Akeim tied the two men together.

  “I do not commit murder if that is what you are asking,” Akeim replied as he completed the knot.

  “Well, now you tell me.”

  Akeim looked up at him. “When it comes to you, I’ll make an exception.”

  “Was that a joke?” Samuel looked over at Sophia in surprise. “Did the heavens crack as well as my skull?”