The Akhemkare Curse - Part Two

Ms. Marlowe and Jonathan Hargroves stood in the dimly lit room, the reality of Emma and Lily's kidnapping weighing heavily on them. They were interrupted by one of the embassy staff. A fussy little man who looked nervous all the time, "Sir, the bodies have been returned from the dig. They await your examination."

"Not now, Tosh!" Mr. Hargroves reproached him, "We've got a missing couple of ducklings on our hands." He turned to face him, "I need to interview the servants. Someone must know something."

Ms. Marlowe projected an optimistic air while deep down was troubled. These adventures were exciting to watch her students blossom, but this kidnapping reminded her of the real dangers in what they were doing. Did she have the right to involve them? It was troubling her usual enthusiastic outlook.

Tosh returned, with the servants, "Apparently, Khalid and Ahmed are suspiciously absent. Khalid was last seen taking refreshments to the students."

Ms. Marlowe approached one of the servants, her tone firm but calm. “We need to know everything about Khalid and Ahmed,” she said. “I need to know what happened to those girls. I am responsible for them.”

The head servant, an older man with worry etched on his face, nodded. “Ahmed and Khalid have always been secretive, but I never thought they would do something like this. They’ve been here for years, but they’re part of something... ancient.”

One of the older servants, Fatima, stepped forward. “I can take you to our elders. They are the only ones who can influence Khalid and Ahmed.”

Mr. Hargroves nodded. “Thank you, Fatima. We need their help as soon as possible.”

While Fatima prepared for the journey, Ms. Marlowe and Mr. Hargroves discussed their plan. “We’ll need to approach the elders with respect,” Ms. Marlowe said. “Their culture values honor and tradition. If we show them that we understand and respect their ways, they might be willing to help.”

Mr. Hargroves agreed, “The longer the girls are held, the more danger they’re in.”

Meanwhile, Jake, Sam, and Ben had not been idle. Once they heard about Khalid and Ahmed by listening at the door. They decided to investigate the servants’ quarters, hoping to find clues about where Emma and Lily might be taken. Sam had used his home-made lock picking device to open the door.

The room was sparse, but a thorough search revealed a hidden compartment beneath the floorboards. Inside, they found ancient symbols, hidden documents, and maps marked with sacred sites.

“Look at this,” Jake said, holding up a map. “It points to an oasis deep in the desert. This must be where they’ve taken them.”

"Woah!" Ben suddenly blurted out. "This telegram...It is all waffle but whoever sent it was letting Khalid and Ahmed know that the deed was done. The deaths of those archeologists." He looked over at Jake, "Ms. Marlowe was right. It was staged."

"Bro!" Sam nodded, examining old parchment. “These writings talk about a cult dedicated to protecting the sanctity of the pyramids. I guess, faking a curse is one way to scare off desecrators.” He shook his head, "This is what happens when folks mess with things they should not. Innocent girls get kidnapped."

"Sweet," Ben, always one to find the humor in a situation, couldn’t help but quip, “This has given me so many ideas for my Indiana Jones fan fiction.”

Jake glanced at Ben, surprised, "You are bullshitting us! You write fan fiction? I thought only twelve-year-old girls like my sister wrote stuff like that."

Ben scowled, backing his friend up against a wall, "Hey! Fan fiction is a community! Not just twelve-year-olds. It is a great way to get the adulation that I really do hunger for."

Sam grabbed Ben away from Jake, "Bro! Not now! We need to get the girls back."

Sam dragged the guys from the room with the map showing where the oasis was. Yet finding Ms. Marlowe proved as difficult. She seemed to have skipped the embassy without them.

After their kidnapping, bound and gagged, Emma and Lily were roughly loaded onto camels, their captors' grim expressions illuminated by the flickering light of lanterns. The journey through the desert was long and arduous, the rhythmic sway of the camels and the vast expanse of sand creating an almost surreal atmosphere. The night sky, filled with countless stars, provided little comfort as they moved farther from the embassy and deeper into the unknown.

As dawn approached, the camels began to slow, and an oasis emerged on the horizon, its lush greenery a stark contrast to the surrounding desert. There was a tent set up amongst the foliage.

Kalid and Ahmed guided the camels to the small pool of water surrounded by palm trees. The camels lowered to the ground allowing the two men to dismount. They grabbed the girls from the other camel and dragged them roughly to the tent.

The tent was large and ornate. The canvas was a deep, rich red, adorned with intricate patterns of gold and black, reminiscent of ancient hieroglyphics. Heavy, woven rugs covered the sandy ground inside, muffling footsteps and providing a semblance of comfort in the otherwise austere setting. The air was thick with the scent of incense, a mix of myrrh and frankincense burning from brass braziers placed strategically around the space.

Dimly lit by lanterns, hanging from the central support poles, the girls were made to sit on two low cushions, their hands bound, under the watchful eyes of their captors, who moved silently and purposefully, their faces stern and unyielding.

Kalid removed their gags, crouching down before the girls, who huddled together frightened.

“We are the Guardians of the Pharaohs,” Kalid began, his eyes cold and unwavering. “For centuries, our order has protected the sanctity of these sacred sites, ensuring that they remain untouched by foreign hands. The curse upon the tomb of Pharaoh Akhemkare is our greatest weapon. It has kept outsiders at bay until those arrogant Englishmen defied those superstitions."

Emma and Lily exchanged glance, their minds racing to comprehend the gravity of their situation.

Kalid continued, his tone growing more fervent. “We cannot allow the curse to be presumed lifted. It is the only thing that stands between our sacred heritage and the relentless greed of outsiders. You spoke of undoing such a thing. This would attract greedy men once more. We cannot let that happen.”

Ahmed gave the two girls a water bag than nudged Kalid, "We must speak with the others to decide what to do with them." They left the tent

Emma and Lily guzzled the precious water waiting for the two men to leave before testing their bonds. Their efforts were futile.

The sun rose higher, the tent was becoming like a sauna. Hot and stifling. Sweat dripping off the girls. They decided to ration their water not wanting to die from dehydration before help arrived. They had faith in Ms. Marlowe to rescue them.

Ms. Marlowe, Mr. Hargroves, and Fatima emerged from the T Model Ford. The woman approached the largest tent and spoke in hushed tones to the ladies who worked outside. After a tense moment, they were allowed inside. The elders, distinguished by their age and bearing, listened as Fatima explained their plight.

Ms. Marlowe stepped forward, speaking in their native tongue. Mr. Hargroves's left eyebrow raised in surprise, “Honorable elders, we come seeking your help. Two of our students have been taken by Khalid and Ahmed. We understand their motives, but these are innocent girls who have no part in this conflict.”

They were surprised by this woman's grasp of their language. There was definitely more to her than what was on the surface.

The eldest of the group, a man with a weathered face and piercing eyes, considered her words. “You speak with respect and understanding. But Khalid and Ahmed are deeply committed to protecting our sacred sites. It will not be easy to convince them.”

Mr. Hargroves added, “We believe, with your influence, we can persuade them to release the girls. They do not need to harm the innocent to protect their heritage.”

"We do not trust him," The elder spoke glancing over at Mr. Hargroves, "He comes to appease his government over the deaths of those two Englishmen. They will want Khalid and Ahmed's blood soaking the desert sands as retribution."

"This isn't about Mr. Hargroves," Ms. Marlowe spoke, a firm voice. "My business is not about those dead men. They made their choices." She sighed, "I am here just for my students."

The elder nodded slowly. “You must understand. This is a delicate matter. Our traditions run deep."

"Fine! You can have your traditions. You can continue your curse," Ms. Marlowe said. "Just tell us where we can find those men."

The elders muttered between themselves while Ms. Marlowe and Mr. Hargroves looked on. They had taken a crucial step towards finding Emma and Lily.

As the boys set out from Cairo, the bustling city soon gave way to the endless expanse of the desert. With the map clutched tightly in Jake's hand, they navigated the arid landscape in an old army truck left over from the war. Sam had hotwired the truck, and was now shifting gears, the tires kicking up plumes of sand in their wake.

Ben was hanging out the back of the truck enjoying the landscape, holding on for dear life, his Dame Edna glasses providing relief from the glare.

The heat was oppressive, and the air shimmered with mirages that danced on the horizon. The landscape grew more desolate. The boys passed crumbling ruins of ancient structures, half-buried in the sand, remnants of a time long past. The silence of the desert was occasionally broken by the whisper of the wind.

Finally, as dusk began to fall, they spotted a cluster of palm trees in the distance, their fronds swaying gently in the gentle breeze that had sprung up. Ben could ditch his sunglasses.

“That’s it,” Jake said, a hint of excitement in his voice. “The oasis.”

They parked the truck a safe distance away and continuing on foot. The soft sounds of the oasis—a trickling stream, the rustle of leaves—were a stark contrast to the harsh landscape of the desert.

The boys moved stealthily through the shadows, their hearts pounding in their chests as they approached the back of the tent.

They could see Ahmed standing on guard outside the tent, his eyes scanning the darkness. Unbeknownst to him, Jake, Sam, and Ben crept closer, staying low to the ground.

“Keep quiet and follow me,” Jake whispered, his voice barely audible, removing a pocketknife from his backpack. The other two nodded.

Jake began to carefully cut through the heavy canvas, hoping to create an opening big enough to slip through. Just as they made a small tear, the sound of approaching footsteps made them freeze. Jake quickly slipped the pocketknife through the tear and into the tent hoping, if they were right and the girls were on the other side, that they would know what to do.

The boys tried to scatter, but Kalid grabbed Ben by the scruff of his neck and placing a sword at his throat. The two other boys stopped, looked back uncertain what to do.

Ahmed pounced on them. He knocked Sam to the ground with the butt of his sword. He turned to face Jake. The boy stopped dead glancing over at Ben who was struggling in Khalid's grip. This stopped any further outbursts. He didn't want to risk his friend's life. Yeah! Friend! He may be an odd duck, but they were mates, bound even further together by these adventures.

Kalid’s face was a mask of anger. “You thought you could sneak into our camp and free your friends?” he snarled. “You will pay for your foolishness.”

Inside the tent, Emma and Lily could hear the commotion. They strained against their bonds, desperate to help. Emma’s eyes filled with tears of frustration. “We have to do something!”

Emma suddenly noticed the glint from the pocketknife at the rear of the tent. She hurried over working with difficulty to severe the rope about her wrists. When they were both free, Emma continued to cut through the back of the tent while Lily grabbed two lanterns to use as weapons. They had to improvise as usual.

The boys were stripped to their underpants and tied to posts to one side of the camp. They were near a large ant hill. Sam glanced over at Ben noticing old bruises about his gut, like he had been punched, and one just visible on his back that looked like a boot mark. Sam frowned; this was not the time to ask but he would have to approach the subject at some stage.

Kalid distracted him by produced a jar of honey, his eyes gleaming with malice. “Let’s see how you like this,” he said, liberally dousing the boys with the sticky substance.

The sweet scent of honey quickly attracted the ants, and the boys could already see them advancing upon them. They struggled against their bonds, but it was no use.

At that moment, Emma and Lily rushed at the two servants. They turned startled by them. The girls swung the lanterns hard at them. Emma stumbled and fell while Lily went full Rambo on them. The two men removed their swords ready to impale them. That was when the two men, noticed the approaching vehicle, and lights growing in the distance. They lowered their swords

"We must not be caught," Ahmed said,

"There is much to do before we can rest," Kalid muttered.

The boys started to feel the tiny legs crawling on their skin. The ants began to bite, and the boys grimaced in pain.

The two men slipped into the foliage of the oasis looking to circle around to the camel at the rear. Ms. Marlowe rushed into the camp, grabbing the pocketknife from Emma, to sever each boy's bonds, "You need to wash them off or they won't stop until you're nothing but bones."

The boys ran for the pool of water and jumped in without any hesitation. They began washing their skin clean of the ants, but the honey was much more difficult.

"But they got away," implored Emma. "Us! The boys! They should pay."

Fatima looked on somberly, "They were only observing their duties as protectors of the ancients."

Ms. Marlowe glanced at Mr. Hargrove, "I'll leave you to deal with this curse. It is high time I got my students back home. It is way past their bedtime."

Ms. Marlowe guided her students toward the army truck. She drove them back to Cairo where they would collect their belongings before calling up the portal.

She had listened to the students catching up, picking up on one matter she wanted to raise, "Samuel!" The woman hesitated, "While I commend your efforts, may I remind you that it is illegal for minors to operate motor vehicles." She smiled, "Especially when they do not have the appropriate permits." She tutted, "This will mean an additional detention for you...and your co-conspirators."

"Sweet! A boy's only field trip!"

Ms. Marlowe didn't look back at them, "Oh no! My dears! That would be a reward," She smirked, "Time travel can mess with your moral compass. That is the only thing that will connect you back to your own time. They anchor you to your world just as much as that clock in my classroom."

The boys groaned in the back while the girls snickered at them. Lily leaned forward, "Ms. Marlowe! Since there was no curse. What is going to happen about the dig?"

"Oh! I am sure Mr. Hargroves can weave a convincing story to appease everyone," The woman said, as she focused ahead of her, sighing with a mixture of fondness and regret. "But the greed of men will not stop them for long." She glanced back at her student, "And who knows, maybe a real curse will rise to smote them." She smiled, looking forward to a nice cup of tea when they got back to the classroom. "But that concern is for other adventurers to solve."

They continued on heading towards Cairo and their way back home to their classroom where Ms. Marlowe's cup of tea beckoned, Jake could make his date with Alex and Sam could delicately ask Ben about those bruises.

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