The Secret of the King's Tomb

by Garrett Drake

  “What are you doing?” she called after him. “I thought you were a gentleman, but apparently you aren’t after leaving me in the dust.”

  He turned around and froze before putting his index finger to his lips. Once she caught up with him, he crouched and spoke in a whisper.

  “I’m truly sorry, but I must see this.”

  She smirked. “I knew you wanted to be an archeologist.”

  He shook his head. “It’s not like that, though I wish it was.”

  “So, you wish to spy on the Germans?”

  Richard peered through his binoculars, ignoring her question.

  “What is Jabari doing?” Richard said to himself as he lowered his binoculars and widened his eyes.

  Chapter 35

  WILHELM MARCHED THE Reichswehr’s night shift crew right by the site they had been digging in for the past few days and led them elsewhere. Jabari protested that they were abandoning the place Dr. Miller had specified on his map, but Wilhelm ignored the Egyptian guide. If it weren’t for his connections in securing a few knowledgeable workers, Wilhelm would’ve killed Jabari already. But his time would eventually come, that much Wilhelm was sure of after getting hoodwinked.

  Following several days of unsuccessful digging, Wilhelm sought out another local expert and showed him the map. His conclusion varied greatly with Jabari’s. Wilhelm could only conclude he was being toyed with, especially after the man seemed genuinely surprised that Jabari would have directed them to such an area.

  “Everybody knows there is nothing in this portion of the valley,” the man had said.

  Wilhelm decided he wouldn’t waste another minute searching in the wrong location. However, when he arrived at the new site, Wilhelm was incensed when he realized someone had been working there recently.

  “What is this?” Wilhelm bellowed as he investigated the spot. “Someone was just here.”

  “But they’re gone now,” Hans Reinhard said. “I checked this morning with the Egyptian Antiquities Society, and they said the location had been vacated as of last night.”

  Wilhelm cursed as he paced around. “What do you think that means, Hans? It means that they found what they came for?”

  Reinhard shrugged. “Or maybe they didn’t find anything or ran out of funding. Not everyone is after the same thing we are out here.”

  Wilhelm sighed. “Everyone must get to work now.”

  After setting up their site, one of the crew members noticed large rocks piled up against a boulder.

  “What is this?” Wilhelm asked.

  “It looks like an entryway of some sort,” Jabari said.

  “Have your men remove these rocks immediately.”

  For the next hour, they scuttled everything away from what appeared to be a door. Once it was all clear, Jabari called Wilhelm over to inspect it.

  “Is this what I think it is?” Wilhelm asked.

  Jabari shrugged. “There’s only one way to find out.”

  “That’s right,” said a man from behind the crowd of onlookers. “Open it up, and let’s see what’s inside.”

  Wilhelm spun around and noticed one of the guards from the Egyptian Antiquities Society pushing his way to the front.

  “I’m afraid I must ask you to leave,” Wilhelm said. “You’ll be able to investigate after we’ve finished exploring the tomb. Only authorized personnel are allowed to be on our excavation site.”

  “I’m an inspector,” the man countered, flashing his credentials. “We have permission to investigate any site at any time.”

  Wilhelm glared at the man before whipping out a knife and slashing the man’s throat. He staggered to the ground in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding.

  “Drag his body outside,” Wilhelm said in German, pointing his blade at a couple of his men. “Make it look like he was murdered by thieves.”

  The men hustled into action, hoisting the body off the ground and carrying it outside the tent. Wilhelm returned his attention to the door while carefully positioning his feet to avoid the blood. To his left, Jabari looked on as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

  “Nervous?” Wilhelm asked as he looked at Jabari.

  “I’m anxious to see what’s inside.”

  “Perhaps if you knew how to read a map, we could’ve seen the inside of this tomb several days ago.”

  “I apologize for the mistake. It was my best guess based on everything I know about the valley as well as Dr. Miller.”

  Wilhelm scraped dirt away from a divot in the door that ran five feet up from the ground. He stopped for a moment and turned to Jabari again.

  “Based on what I was told, I’m not sure I believe you,” Wilhelm said.

  “I swear that site was where I thought Dr. Miller’s map pointed to,” Jabari said.

  “We’ll discuss this more later.”

  After another minute of intense work clearing the sand away from the door, Wilhelm dropped to his knees and swept the sand away from the stone in front of the entrance. He studied the inscription on the stone, stroking his chin while he thought. Still unsure what to make of the markings, he stood upright.

  “What do you think this means?” Wilhelm asked Jabari.

  “I’m not sure,” he said before kneeling to get a better look.

  However, when he did, the weight of his knees activated the door, opening it and revealing the chamber inside. Wilhelm stared, his eyes wild with wonder at the mystery that rested in the darkness. Upon pulling out his flashlight, he illuminated the room and gasped.

  “What do we have here?” he said.

  Chapter 36

  RICHARD COULDN’T PULL the binoculars away from his eyes as he watched Jabari lead the Germans inside a tent erected over the site Dr. Miller demarcated on the map. While the trap had been sprung, Richard wasn’t sure if it was going to work. With a penchant for ruthless action, Wilhelm was certainly a worthy adversary. But Richard couldn’t help but wonder if such a trait would be a hindrance or a help for Wilhelm when faced with a daunting obstacle.

  “What is it?” Elizabeth asked. “What do you see?”

  He reluctantly handed her the binoculars. She peered through them for a moment.

  “I don’t see what the excitement is,” she said, offering the eyeglasses back to him. “It’s just a tent in the middle of nowhere.”

  Richard gazed through them at the scene. Everyone was gone.

  “They’re all gone,” he said.

  “Who?” she asked.

  “The Germans, the Reichswehr unit, my friend Jabari. They were all outside just a moment ago.”

  “I’m sure they just went inside the tent. Is it that important to find out what they’re doing that you’re going to spoil this incredible moment?”

  Richard looked heavenward and sighed. “The sky is amazing, and it’s only going to get better. But while more stars populate the sky, I’m going to watch what’s happening over there. In fact, I believe we need to get a little bit closer.”

  “I’m starting to wonder if you have an appetite for death. Or have you already forgotten what the Germans did to you last time they caught you?”

  “But they’re not going to catch us because I’m not going in there,” he said. “Besides, my job is not to apprehend a unit of elite German soldiers.”

  “Then just what is your job?”

  “I’m a curious explorer,” he said.

  “Quite precisely,” she said. “Your job, as you call it, is to stir up adventure so you will have fanciful tales to share with all your American friends living in drudgery oceans away from here.”

  “I’ll investigate from afar. I promise,” he said, offering her his hand. “We need to get a little closer.”

  She looked pensively at his hand, reached to grab it, and then withdrew suddenly.

  “What’s the matter?” Richard asked. “You said you agreed to my adventure as long as I assured that you wouldn’t get captured by the Germans.”

  “I’m just playing a hun
ch here, but if the only goal we have is to not get kidnapped by these monsters, it makes sense to avoid detection. And the simplest way to keep from being seen is to stay far, far away.”

  Richard nodded. “It does cause problems when two objectives clash in this manner. However, adventure and danger often work in tandem. It’s the danger that causes the adventure.”

  “Quite frankly, I’ve had enough of it for today, and I’d like to go back to our hotel.”

  “Give me ten minutes,” Richard said. “Let’s watch the site for a spell, and then we’ll go back to staring at the stars at a safe distance from the encampment. Fair enough?”

  Elizabeth sighed and closed her eyes. “I guess I can go along with that. But I’m counting down the minutes on the watch right now.”

  Richard reached out and took her hand before steadying her as they climbed a steep embankment. Upon coming to rest near a large boulder, they both eased into a prone position.

  Pulling out his binoculars again, Richard peered through them at the site. Figures dashed back and forth before a man’s body was hurled into the sand. Without hesitating, Elizabeth shrieked.

  “Elizabeth!” Richard said in a whisper as he continued to study the scene. “The last thing we want is to get caught here.”

  She didn’t make a sound or even move. After a moment, he turned to look at her and noticed she was wide-eyed and tight-lipped.

  Then he felt a cold piece of steel jammed into the back of his neck.

  Chapter 37

  RICHARD DUG HIS HEELS into the sand and refused to move despite the violent nudge from his Reichswehr captor. Tears streamed down Elizabeth’s face as she pleaded with him to do something. One of the soldiers promptly slapped her, sending her sprawling to the ground.

  “Just leave her alone,” Richard said. “She’s done nothing.”

  “If you don’t start walking, I’ll hit her again,” the soldier said with a sneer.

  Richard trudged forward, careful not to incur the German’s wrath again for Elizabeth’s sake. She sniffled as she stumbled along, begging Richard to help her.

  “There’s nothing he can do,” snarled the man prodding her forward. “You better pray for mercy.”

  After a short walk, Richard and Elizabeth were ushered down the stairs to the chamber entrance.

  “We found these two snooping around outside,” one of the guards said in German.

  Wilhelm, who was studying the inside of the chamber with a flashlight, stood and turned around. He glared at Richard.

  “You found this man outside?” Wilhelm asked, poking Richard’s chest.

  The soldiers both nodded.

  “Your timing couldn’t be any more perfect,” Wilhelm said, his gaze still locked on Richard. “I need to send in another person to check for more booby traps. Unfortunately, I lost one of my men.”

  Wilhelm shined his flashlight down into the chamber, illuminating the impaled body of a member of the Reichswehr crew. Grabbing Richard’s head, Wilhelm forced his captive to stare at the dead man.

  “Not a pretty sight, is it?” Wilhelm asked. “But that over there is.”

  He then directed the beam onto the treasure chest situated in the corner of the room.

  Richard shrugged. “There’s nothing stopping you from taking it.”

  “Maybe, but I’m going to let you fetch it for me. I have a feeling you’ve been here before.”

  “If I’d been here before, I wouldn’t have left the treasure.”

  Wilhelm put his left hand around Richard’s neck and squeezed. “You better get in there and find me the treasure—or else your girlfriend here will pay a steep price.”

  Richard shot a glance at Elizabeth. Tears streamed down her face as she looked at him with pleading eyes.

  “I need a light,” Richard said.

  One of the soldiers handed a flashlight to Richard. Shining it on the ground, he gingerly stepped inside the chamber, careful to avoid the trip wire. He crept over to the treasure box and held it open. There were a few artifacts and a couple of gold pieces inside. When he first found the chest, the valuable items inside were scarce, though he’d managed to take most of them. However, the real prize was behind the hidden door.

  “That’s not what we came for,” Wilhelm said. “This is an entry chamber. The real tomb is behind that wall. Find it.”

  Richard watched as Wilhelm snatched Elizabeth by her hair and jerked her head backward, all illuminated by his flashlight. She screwed up her face, convulsing as she sobbed.

  “Please, help,” she said.

  The image of Elizabeth writhing in fear at the hands of Wilhelm pained Richard. He couldn’t let her suffer simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, thanks to his obsessive curiosity. If he could do everything all over, he would’ve taken her back and then returned to see what the Reichswehr unit was doing. This wasn’t the adventure either of them wanted.

  “Everything’s going to be all right,” he said. “Trust me.”

  “I did trust you—and look where it got me,” she said, her words biting.

  Wilhelm stamped his foot. “Enough. Find me that treasure now.”

  Richard turned his focus back toward the far wall. The night before, he’d peeped through a hole and into the actual tomb of King Tutankhamun, but he wasn’t sure how to get inside.

  Maybe the hole can help open it up.

  He stuck his finger inside and tried to move the wall. Nothing happened.

  “Quit stalling,” Wilhelm said. “Open that door.”

  Richard stepped back and studied the area once more, scanning it with his light.

  This has to be it. But where’s the key?

  Richard carefully moved around the room, searching each wall for something that could be placed into the hole. But there was nothing but ancient writing in a language he couldn’t understand. He studied the chest again to see if any part could fit inside. When he failed to find a match, he searched the area. Digging through all the items, he could only find rounded artifacts that were flat edged. A crown, rings, golden cups, coins, belts—none of them could fit into the hole.

  “If I have to send someone else in there, the first thing they’re going to do is drag your dead body out,” Wilhelm shouted.

  Richard glanced toward the open door, blinded by Wilhelm’s light.

  “I’m working as fast as I can,” Richard said.

  “Work faster,” Wilhelm growled.

  Richard turned his focus back to the chest. Studying it for a few more seconds, he tipped it up and looked underneath.

  This looks promising.

  Fastened to the bottom was a small stick that had several nodules jutting out around the center. The tip was narrow, the width widening toward the bottom. Richard dug the device out of its nesting spot and looked at it for a few more seconds before walking over to the wall. He knelt in front of the hole and placed the narrower end inside first. The sounds of gears clicking echoed in the room before a section of the wall slid aside and revealed the tomb.

  Richard gasped at the sight. Golden objects around the room glittered beneath the shine of his flashlight. In the center was a small sarcophagus.

  “It’s the boy king,” Wilhelm exclaimed. “Dr. Miller was right.”

  Richard turned and glared at Wilhelm. “And it’s a shame he’ll never be here to see this moment.”

  “Get me that treasure unless you’d like to join him,” Wilhelm said.

  Richard approached the sarcophagus, intrigued by the work of art that encased the body. Ornate carvings along with vivid paint decorated the box that rose about four feet off the floor. The walls were adorned in a similar fashion, a combination of chiseled out tributes to Egyptian gods and hieroglyphics.

  As Richard leaned over the coffin, he placed his hands on the side and it began to rumble. A few seconds later, it split open, revealing the mummified body. However, it was the golden death mask over the face that captured his attention—and Wilhelm’s too.

 
; While Richard had yet to inspect it fully, his initial assessment of the object was that it was the real treasure. Inlaid with colored glass and precious gems, it stood out in a room teeming with coins and other ancient artifacts that would fetch a hefty sum on the collector’s market.

  “Bring that mask to me,” Wilhelm said.

  Richard shook his head. “It’s wrong to disturb the dead.”

  “You can bury your own dead if you don’t,” Wilhelm said with a growl.

  Richard turned back to see Wilhelm jamming his gun into Elizabeth’s head as she groaned.

  With a sigh, Richard returned his attention to the mask. He studied it for a moment before wrapping his hands around the top and bottom and then tugging upward. He was surprised at how easily it lifted from its position despite its heavy weight.

  “That’s it,” Wilhelm said. “Bring it to me.”

  With Wilhelm creating a pathway with his flashlight, Richard moved steadily across the room toward the outer chamber. However, when he attempted to cross the threshold, the ground started to shake. He froze as a statue in the corner toppled and smashed onto the floor. Pieces of the ceiling crashed downward, stirring up dust. Quickly dropping to his knees, Richard covered his head.

  “I need that mask now,” Wilhelm said.

  Richard looked up and shook his head. “I can’t get this to you.”

  “Figure out a way,” Wilhelm said as he glanced at his gun.

  Before Richard could move, the tripwire he’d set snapped and the rocks tumbled down from above and partially blocked the doorway. There was little chance that he could fit through a small opening, though Richard assumed the odds that he would survive if he got through were lower with an armed Wilhelm just waiting for his prized treasure.

  As much as Richard wanted to keep the golden death mask out of Wilhelm’s hands, Elizabeth’s life was still at stake. Richard couldn’t just let her die.

  Scrambling over the rocks, Richard fed the heavy piece through the opening to Wilhelm. Once it was through, he picked up his gun and started firing at Richard. With the ground still moving, Richard darted away from the clearing in search of a place more difficult for Wilhelm to reach with his gun.