The Secret of the King's Tomb

by Garrett Drake

  “The Arabean Losus control the area of the desert between the river and the tombs. That was foolish.”

  “It was the only way I could get the kind of money that you demanded.”

  Sherif sighed and shook his head subtly. “I’ve already promised these men their money. This is going to damage my reputation.”

  Richard held up his hands. “Think of it as a delay, not a permanent setback. We have another plan to acquire the money this afternoon and should be able to begin work as soon as you can begin.”

  “You better not disappoint me—or else you better hope I never see you again,” Sherif said with a growl. “I’ve worked a long time to get the kind of reputation that I have. If others find out that I’m not trustworthy, my entire business could crumble. Egyptians have little grace for dishonest men, as do I.”

  “I promise you’ll get your money,” Richard said. “Just give me until this afternoon.”

  * * *

  UPON RETURNING from the expedition with the brothers, Richard retreated to his room to find Jabari already inside.

  Richard wore a furrowed brow as he looked at Jabari. “How did you—”

  “We’re about to steal some German soldiers’ money from a vault and you’re concerned about how I got into your room?”

  “It’s unsettling,” Richard said. “If you can get in here, what’s stopping others from doing the same?”

  “Nothing, which is why you must always be on guard.”

  “That’s not making me feel any safer.”

  Jabari chuckled. “The feeling of safety will betray you in an instant. We’re all just a heartbeat away from death.”

  “Aren’t you a ray of sunshine today?”

  Jabari stood and paced around the room. “Are you ready? Because this will get you killed if we fail.”

  “And what about you?”

  Jabari shrugged. “If the guard sees me, I’m going to claim that I was following you because you looked suspicious. I’ll be a hero to the Germans.”

  “Then I guess we better not fail.”

  The two men strode downstairs, exiting several minutes apart before reconvening at Jabari’s hotel down the street. Instructing Richard to remain in the stairwell for a few minutes, Jabari hustled up to the floor where all the Germans were staying and peeked around the corner to see if a guard was on duty. A man was seated in a chair at the far end of the hallway, his head resting against the wall. With his mouth gaping open, he was clearly asleep.

  Jabari motioned for Richard to join him. They crept down the hallway to the room with the safe inside. After inserting the key into the lock, Jabari opened the door and eased in with Richard. Jabari worked on the safe’s combination, while Richard locked the door then stood next to it, listening for any movement down the corridor. In a matter of seconds, Jabari cracked open the vault and grabbed several stacks of cash before closing the door.

  “Think that’s enough?” Richard asked.

  “Enough for Sherif but not enough to be so obvious,” Jabari answered.

  As soon as he finished re-securing the safe, Richard held his hand up.

  “What is it?” Jabari asked.

  “Someone’s coming,” Richard said.

  “Are you sure?”

  Before Richard could answer, the sound of a key sliding into the lock sent both men scrambling.

  Chapter 28

  WITH THE GERMAN SOLDIER pacing around the room, Richard was certain his heartbeat had reached an audible level from underneath the bed where he was hiding. His hands dampened with sweat, he wondered how long the man needed to inspect the room. Richard glanced toward the closet, which was packed full of clothes and Jabari. After stomping around for a few more minutes, the soldier’s cursory examination seemed to satisfy him. He exited, locking the door behind him.

  Richard exhaled slowly and waited for a minute before deciding to move. After easing out from beneath the bed, he crept over toward the closet.

  “It’s clear,” he whispered.

  Jabari crawled out and jumped to his feet. “Now how are we going to get out of here?”

  Richard nodded toward the window. “You should be able to escape without any trouble. We’re only on the second floor, which means it’s not that far of a jump.”

  Jabari shook his head. “Have you seen what’s outside these rooms?”

  “How bad can it be?” Richard asked as he sauntered over toward window. He peeled back the curtains a few inches and peered down. On the sidewalk below were two members of the Reichswehr unit casually patrolling the area.

  “Any chance they won’t notice us scaling out of this room?” Richard asked.

  “They’re far more alert than the guard who was sleeping at the end of the hall—and he even thought he heard something.”

  “What about up?” Richard asked.

  “Up?”

  “Yeah, the roof. We can climb up to the top of the roof and then exit through the stairwell.”

  “There are five stories. One of those soldiers will see us.”

  Richard nodded. “Perhaps, but by that time they must just think we’re strange people, not suspects in a heist.”

  “I can’t do it,” Jabari said. “I’m scared of heights. Besides, I have work to do in here to avoid getting accused of stealing some of their money.”

  “What do you have planned?”

  Jabari smiled. “I’m going to cause a little chaos among our German friends.”

  “I like that,” Richard said.

  “Well, it won’t matter if you don’t find that tomb before they do. And I’m not sure how much more time they’re going to give me.”

  “If Sherif is as good as you say he is—and this map is accurate—we’ll make sure they never get their hands on it.”

  “Good luck,” Jabari said, patting Richard on the back and then slipping him the stacks of German money. “You’re going to need it.”

  Richard nodded knowingly and then eased open the curtains before slipping onto the balcony. He glanced down at the patrolmen, who seemed to be more interested in their cigarettes than anything happening above them.

  Richard picked his way up the side of the hotel wall, grabbing ledges and balconies to reach the top. Just as he was about to disappear onto the roof, his foot slipped and he grunted as he tried to maintain his grip. As he looked down to see where his feet were, he noticed the guards below staring up at him. They pointed at him and started yelling in German.

  Without any place to put his feet and push off for leverage, Richard strained to pull himself up by his fingertips. After struggling for a few seconds, he managed to wriggle his way onto the roof, flinging his legs over and rolling out of view of the guards. Richard made his way down the stairwell and exited through an alleyway. He thought he was in the clear before he heard someone shouting behind him. As he turned to see where the voice was coming from, he noticed one of the German guards in pursuit.

  Richard darted across the street, weaving his way through irked street vendors as they tried to maneuver their carts safely away from him. As he hurdled a man shining shoes outside of a restaurant, Richard winced as he realized he was about to topple over an old lady. Instead of continuing forward, he spun his body to the side, narrowly missing her. However, he wasn’t able to maintain his footing and stumbled to the ground. With a quick glance over his shoulder, Richard scrambled to his feet and continued on his path.

  While his hotel was only half a block ahead, Richard didn’t want to lead the guard straight to where he was staying. Instead, he dashed across the street and hustled up next to a moving car going in the opposite direction. Richard used the vehicle as a shield while doubling back to lose the soldier.

  After dashing into a nearby open market, Richard browsed through a store packed with artisan rugs and blankets. He kept an eye out on the street and didn’t relax until he saw the German soldier hustling in the opposite direction. Richard stepped out and waited until the man disappeared before returning to the Wint
er Palace Hotel.

  Once he was safely in the confines of his room, Richard pulled out the money and inspected it. While he flipped through the money to count it, he chuckled at his good fortune. Not only had the Germans been vulnerable with their safe, they were using the British pound on their trip, exactly the currency Richard needed. It saved him a time-consuming trip to an Egyptian bank.

  Richard changed clothes and returned to Sherif’s mercantile just after 5:00 p.m. He was about to lock the front door when Richard appeared wearing a wide grin.

  “I take it you got the money,” Sherif said as he opened the door and locked it behind Richard.

  “It’s all right here,” Richard said. “Feel free to count it if you don’t trust me.”

  “Do I want to ask where it came from?”

  “It’s better that you didn’t know.”

  Sherif nodded. “I hope you won’t take it as a sign of mistrust if I do count it. But given the rough start to our partnership, I’m going to make sure it’s all here.”

  “Be my guest. I won’t be offended.”

  After Sherif finished tallying the cash, he turned to Richard. “Everything appears to be in order.”

  “Excellent. When can we get started?”

  “Tonight,” Sherif said. “I’ll meet you at the docks after dark. We’ll have to secure some more horses and camels for the journey to the Valley of the Kings, but I don’t think that’ll be a problem.”

  “I’ll leave those details up to you,” Richard said as he turned to leave. “I’ll see you at dark by the river.”

  Sherif nodded as he strode past Richard to unlock the door for him.

  * * *

  AFTER A QUICK MEAL, Richard gathered all the supplies he figured he needed for the excavation. He headed toward the docks. Along the way, he kept his head down while passing several German soldiers returning from their day shift. Jabari had told Richard that since the process was taking longer than expected, Wilhelm hired a few more workers and split the Reichswehr members into two teams to make sure that the digging never stopped. While they had received a permit to stay there, it was a temporary one, limiting them to two weeks. The deadline created extra stress for Wilhelm and his men, resulting in high tension.

  Richard knew how desperation made a person more dangerous than ever. He’d seen it in Gibraltar firsthand, an experience he preferred never to relive. And he could only imagine Wilhelm would be even more unhinged than anything Richard ever experienced if the Reichswehr unit leader witnessed the treasure yanked right out from underneath his nose. That only amplified the importance of finding the secret tomb Dr. Miller believed existed before anyone else did, particularly Wilhelm.

  At the docks, Richard found Sherif and his band of nearly a dozen workers, all enthusiastic and eager to begin.

  “This is quite a crew,” Richard said as he walked up and shook Sherif’s hand.

  Sherif took Richard by his shoulders and kissed both his cheeks. “This is Egypt, my friend. We are partners. We don’t just shake hands any more as you do in the west. Now, it’s time for you to start learning how we do things here.”

  Richard nodded. “I’m just a boy from Memphis—Memphis, Tennessee, that is. But you show me what I need to do and I’ll do it. I’m completely capable of adapting to my environment.”

  Sherif nodded as he ushered Richard aboard the ferry. A half hour later, they were on the other side of the Nile and packing their animals to begin the expedition in the Valley of the Kings.

  “Look over there,” Sherif said. “That German crew is heading the same place we are.”

  “We’ll never be able to get out of their shadow,” Richard said.

  “Shadows don’t appear at night.”

  “Good point,” Richard said. “It also reminds me of a question I have for you: Shouldn’t we do this during the day?”

  Sherif chuckled and shook his head. “Sweltering heat, scorching sand, underground digging. Only one of these things happens in the dark. There’s absolutely no reason to do it during the day unless you’re about to make a major discovery or you’re on a tight schedule.”

  “The quicker we can unearth this tomb, the better.”

  “Faster is always better except when it isn’t,” Sherif said with a wry grin.

  “You sound like a fortune cookie.”

  “A what?”

  Richard sighed. “Never mind. It’s not important. I know that we’re working in a different part of the valley than the Germans, but we must make sure they don’t intercept our findings and claim them as their own.”

  “It wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened here,” Sherif said. “Discovery theft happened all the time a few years ago. So many of the people who allegedly discovered certain tombs were simple thieves who were able to muscle the actual archeologist out of the way. But the Egyptian Antiquities Society has done a good job of preventing that from happening recently.”

  “So the society is good for something.”

  “That might be the only thing,” Sherif said. “But for some people, that’s an important task.”

  They saddled up and began their trek across the desert, which was cooling rapidly since the sun had dipped below the horizon. Richard held a lantern out in front of his horse while riding at the head of their caravan with Sherif. Both men plodded along on their beasts of burden for several minutes in silence until Richard asked a question that broke the stillness.

  “Are you certain that you’ll be able to read this map?” Richard asked.

  “The only thing I’m unsure of is if your beloved Dr. Miller knew what he was talking about,” Sherif said.

  “Do you have reason to question him?”

  “The entire story of Tutankhamun is one that divides many scholars. I’ve met men on both sides of the debate—men who think that Tutankhamun is real and those who think he was just a legend. We don’t know much about him, but it seems difficult to believe that a young king could be buried with so much treasure as many archeologists believe.”

  “So you believe we might be wasting our time?”

  “Perhaps, but the Germans are paying for it, right?”

  Richard shot Sherif a look. “I never said that.”

  “I know you didn’t, but I saw Jabari after you left. He told me everything. You are quite daring. Your willingness to risk everything to get to this treasure first let me know just how important it is to you. And if it’s important to my client, it’s important to me.”

  “Just don’t expect a bonus if we find it,” Richard said. “All I can do is recommend you to Dr. Howard Carter if you want more work like this.”

  “It depends on how this dig goes. If we find the tomb, I might be more inclined to return to my roots and explore more of the tombs around here with an expert like Dr. Carter.”

  “Let’s hope it goes perfectly.”

  Sherif chuckled.

  “What’s so funny?” Richard asked.

  “This is definitely new territory for you,” Sherif said. “If you’d been doing this for a while, you’d know how nothing ever goes as planned.”

  “Maybe this will be a first.”

  “Maybe the tomb itself will rise out of the sand for us the moment we put a spade into the desert sand.”

  “A man can dream, can’t he?”

  Sherif just smiled. “I like you, Mr. Francois. You always keep me smiling.”

  “If you can find this tomb, you’ll keep me smiling for a very long time.”

  An hour later, they arrived at the dig site, already staked off by the Egyptian Antiquities Society. Someone for the society used a few pegs and some twine to cordon off an area that would be inspected regularly to ensure that the excavation wasn’t extending beyond the boundaries. Sherif’s lackeys quickly erected a tent over a large portion of the area and lit it. Each day, two of the men would take a turn remaining at the site to ward off any marauders. It was relatively safe during daylight hours between the roaming Medjay members and the Egypti
an Antiquities Service patrolmen. But Sherif suggested that at least two men needed to stand guard around their tent each night to avoid an attack from the Arabean Losus or some other group of bandits.

  Sherif’s workers weren’t more than an hour into their dig when a ruckus outside the tent arrested Richard’s attention. He rushed into the open air and found a handful of men clutching torches and swords while intently glaring at them.

  “Where is your leader?” one of the men demanded in Arabic.

  The man next to Richard pointed at him.

  “What are you doing?” Richard asked.

  “He wanted to know who our leader was,” the man said.

  Richard sighed and shook his head. “What do you want?”

  Before he could utter another word, two guards seized Richard and then thrust him to the ground. One of the men yanked Richard to his feet and quickly tied his hands behind his back.

  Richard looked at the sharp blade placed up next to his throat before scanning the area for Sherif, who was nowhere to be found.

  Chapter 29

  “SHERIF,” RICHARD SHOUTED before swallowing hard, “where are you?” The man standing in front of Richard pressed the knife a little harder against his throat. He felt something warm begin to trickle down his neck—and he wasn’t sure if it was sweat or blood. With bulging eyes, he glanced around the dig site again.

  Still no sign of Sherif.

  “If there’s any way I can help you—” Richard said before the man gestured for his hostage to be quiet.

  “When I want your help, I’ll tell you what to do,” the man said. “Until then, keep your mouth closed.”

  Perspiring more than ever, Richard nodded. As sweat seeped inside his eyes, they started to burn, so much so that he stopped looking around for Sherif. Richard squeezed his eyes shut and hoped that the confrontation would come to a sudden end, preferably one where he escaped with his life.

  With the fiery sensation subsiding for a moment, Richard took a deep breath and shouted again. “Sherif! Where are you?”

  Just when Richard had given up hope that he’d ever see the man who was supposed to be the genius crew leader again, Sherif glided through the tent doors.