Destiny of the Sands

by Rai Aren

  “At once,” Hans said, bowing his head. Then he left.

  “Soon, Khadesh,” Maximilian said, clenching his jaw, “I will know all your secrets.”

  Chapter 23

  Protection

  KHAMIR and the Americans arrived back at the house, shaken and exhausted. The ride back had been a silent one. They were shell-shocked after having narrowly escaped with their lives. They were incredibly relieved to have accomplished their tasks. The Pharom and other relics from the chambers were safe, out of the hands of their enemies.

  Bob, with his large round frame, was especially not used to the exertion. He set the duffel bag containing the stone chest and scrolls down on the floor, then immediately slumped onto the sofa to recoup his energy. “I think I almost had a heart attack back there,” he wheezed. “And I think I’m having another one right now.” His face was flushed and he was still perspiring heavily.

  Jack limped over to sit next to him with help from Khamir. “I think I broke my foot kicking Hans’ henchman.” He winced as Khamir helped him take his shoe off. “I got him good, though,” he said, smirking.

  Khamir examined his foot. “It is not broken, Jack, just bruised and sprained. I will get you some ice.”

  “I think it’s broken,” Jack whispered after Khamir left.

  Bob rolled his eyes.

  Mitch set the second duffel bag and chest down on the floor beside the other one. “Man, that Pharom weighs a ton,” Mitch groaned, as he rubbed his neck and shoulder. His neck still had a red mark where the duffel bag had cut into it during their escape from the Sphinx. His back was also bruised and sore from the contents bumping against him as he ran. He flopped down on the floor beside the bag and the chest.

  Alex sat down on the floor with him, on the other side of the items. She brushed stray hairs away from her face then leaned back against the sofa, closing her eyes. She sighed heavily. She had gone into fight or flight mode back at the Sphinx. Now the reality of what just happened was catching up with her.

  Mitch stared at the bags, thinking upon all of the events, both past and present, caused by their contents. ‘So much tragedy,’ he thought. He was afraid to know what was to come.

  Alex wiped a tear away, then excused herself to wash up and change.

  Khamir came back with the ice for Jack’s foot. He handed it to Jack, who placed it against the swollen and bruised area. He inhaled sharply as the cold hit his skin.

  “So, Khamir, what’s next?” Mitch ventured.

  “Some rest, my friends, and then some nourishment. I realize the hour is very late, but if you are hungry I could make another of your favorite dishes – Egyptian Koshary.”

  Bob eyes lit up.

  “Sweet…” Jack said, smiling, momentarily forgetting his pain.

  “After the meal, we will talk about what our next steps will be.”

  “Sounds really good,” Mitch replied. “Thanks.”

  Khamir headed to the kitchen to prepare the hearty food for his exhausted and stressed-out guests. He knew the popular dish of lentils, pasta, rice, and chickpeas would replenish their energies.

  Alex came back fifteen minutes later, somewhat refreshed. She and Mitch talked briefly, then decided to wait until after they ate to re-open the chests or to handle the Pharom any further. They wanted Khamir there when they went through things.

  Soon the aroma of Egyptian spices wafted in, as Khamir prepared his own unique recipe of the dish. Their stomachs growled. Food was the only thing they wanted to think of right now.

  The late-night meal was enjoyed at the simple wooden dining room table. Conversation focused on the details of the evening’s events and their narrow escape.

  During coffee, Khamir received a call. He got up to answer the phone. He greeted the caller, and then spoke a few rapid words in reply in Egyptian Arabic.

  Khamir returned to the table, to his four anxious guests. “Dr. Khadesh will return soon,” he said. “He suggested you get some rest while you wait. We can go through all of the items together once he returns.”

  Bob, visibly relieved that all was well for the moment, yawned. “You don’t have to ask me twice. I can barely keep my eyes open.” He rubbed his bleary-looking eyes, then scratched his beard.

  Jack yawned, too. “I’ll second that motion.”

  They retired to the basement guest room, furnished with two twin beds and a small dresser, that they were sharing.

  Mitch was about to head to his room as well, but Alex hesitated a moment. He waited for her.

  “Khamir, may I ask you something?” she said.

  “Of course.”

  “You have a lot of unusual skills for someone who works in the field of archaeology. Outrunning the Stasi…twice…cover-ups, drugging people, sonic grenades…” she paused waiting for a reply.

  None came.

  “What gives?” she pressed.

  He shrugged his shoulders, looking away. “We are guardians. We need to be prepared for almost anything.”

  “Guardians,” she repeated.

  He looked at her, his dark eyes sparkling, his face showing the faintest hint of a smile. “Get some sleep, Alexandra. It has been a difficult night.”

  yyyyy

  Dr. Khadesh returned almost three hours later. Khamir filled him in on everything. Everyone else was still asleep, so they waited for them to wake up, knowing they needed some rest.

  A couple of hours later Mitch came wandering down the hall. “Dr. Khadesh, you’re back,” he said, stifling a yawn. He was still waking up. “Why didn’t you wake us?”

  “Hello, Mitch. We wanted to let you all rest after your ordeal. You needed it.”

  “I guess so,” he said, trying to stifle another yawn. “I’ll go get Alex.”

  He didn’t have to.

  The door to her room opened. A blonde, disheveled head peeked out of the doorway. “Hi. Are you all waiting for me?”

  “No,” Khamir answered. “Jack and Bob have not come upstairs yet.”

  “I’ll get them,” Mitch said.

  Everyone gathered in the living room a short time later. Jack and Bob, who had been dragged out of bed, looked even more tired than before they laid down for naps.

  Alex giggled at their appearance. Jack had a big cowlick on the back of his head and he had sleep creases across his cheek. He was rubbing his eyes. Bob’s hair and beard had taken on a wild, untamed look, like they hadn’t been combed or groomed in weeks. He kind of reminded her of a Sasquatch at the moment. They both looked grumpy as well, their faces scrunched up in frowns.

  “What’s so funny?” Jack asked.

  Bob looked at her quizzically, his eyes slightly glassy looking.

  “Nothing,” she said smiling to herself. She looked away to keep from giggling any more.

  They joined the others, sitting around the duffel bags, which remained untouched since their arrival.

  “Are your preparations complete?” Mitch asked.

  “Yes,” Khadesh said. “There is the first part of the plan.” He pointed to what looked like a simple wooden box sitting on a side table.

  They all looked at it for a few moments.

  “Wow,” Jack deadpanned. “Nice wood box. So glad you didn’t come with us to the Sphinx to meet our Stasi friends. That must have been a really challenging task for you.”

  Bob elbowed him.

  “Ow!” Jack frowned. “I’m just saying what you’re all thinking…” he whispered.

  Dr. Khadesh laughed. “I had hoped it would seem quite inconspicuous and ordinary.”

  Khamir grabbed the box and brought it over to the center of the room, setting it down with a thud beside the duffel bags. It was far heavier than it first appeared.

  “This box is actually a specially designed container fo
r the protection of the Pharom,” Dr. Khadesh said as he took out a long, slender key. He knelt down and placed it in a simple-looking lock on one side of the box. He turned the key and up snapped a long, rectangular metal hinge that looked like the flap to the lock. It was much more than that. It revealed a digital panel with red blinking lights, next to a small screen.

  “Whoa,” Mitch said.

  “Please forgive my bluntness, but would you all please look away while I enter the code? It is better for your safety if you do not see this.”

  “Of course,” Alex said.

  Everyone but Khamir turned their heads as Khadesh entered a 15-digit code then placed his thumb on a small scanner. The lid snapped open.

  “You can look back now,” he said.

  The inside of the box gleamed with high-tech sophistication.

  “Holy crap!” Bob exclaimed.

  “Forget what I said earlier,” Jack said. “That’s amazing! What is it made of?”

  “It is much like a dry cask used for storing radioactive waste,” Dr. Khadesh replied, looking rather proud of his handiwork. “It has a steel cylinder encased in concrete, surrounded by another layer of steel. It contains fire resistant insulation between the layers as well. I also picked up polystyrene foam that will expand to surround the Pharom within a protective cushion inside the casing. And one other thing,” he said as he got up and picked up a plastic storage bag from the table, “this will ensure everything is also waterproof. This was all designed to keep the Pharom safe from damage and prying eyes.”

  “Impressive. Where will you store it afterwards?” Alex asked.

  Khadesh smiled.

  “Right. Top secret,” she said, a little disappointed.

  Khadesh looked at her with an enigmatic expression on his face. “Alexandra, whose name has ancient Egyptian origins, would you expect anything else? This is not a time where I will light your way.” His eyes sparkled with depths of mystery.

  She just looked back at him with a furrowed brow, not knowing what to say to the strange response.

  “Wow, I’m impressed, too,” Mitch said, tapping the side of the box. He was changing the subject. He knew Dr. Khadesh wouldn’t say anything more and how bummed Alex was. He felt the same way. They kept finding the Pharom, then relinquishing it. It was torture for two curious archaeologists. He examined the container more closely. On the outside it was an ordinary wooden box, but it was incredibly solid inside. He lifted it. “Heavy.”

  “How did you get that done so fast? It looks custom,” Bob said, moving closer to examine the work. As a lab tech, this fascinated him.

  “It was not easy,” Dr. Khadesh said, “I can assure you of that.”

  “Let us place the Pharom inside,” Khamir said.

  Alex unzipped the black duffel bag containing the device. Inside was an ancient chest. Its lid intricately carved, depicting two beautiful figures. They were facing one another, each down on one knee. Both figures held a long scepter, which rested on the shoulder of the other.

  Khamir pulled the chest out of the duffel bag and set it down on the floor. He reverently traced the lid’s images with his fingers, whispering an ancient prayer.

  Mitch and Alex looked at one another. It sounded like he could be speaking the Kierani language, but they weren’t entirely sure.

  Khamir pulled the lid off of the chest, setting it down gently. Inside was an obelisk-shaped metallic device.

  Khadesh stepped in closer. He ran his hand down the side of the object, touching it ever so slightly. His fingers tingled at the touch. “Astonishing,” he said. “It still emits a faint energy, even when not activated by the platform in the chamber.”

  They all gathered around to look at the mysterious object. The soft lighting in the room hit its surface, and as before, the object glimmered softly with patterns of colors and waves within it. Though it felt solid, its depths appeared almost liquid-like.

  “It still takes my breath away,” Mitch said, gazing at the hypnotic patterns swirling within it. “It’s incredibly beautiful.”

  “And deadly,” Bob added, raising an eyebrow. “Let’s get it safely tucked away before anything bad happens.”

  Alex reached into the chest and picked up the cloth-wrapped white crystal that lay next to the Pharom. She unwrapped it. Its faceted diamond-shape had initially helped them find the resting place of the Pharom below the Sphinx. She remembered Mitch placing the crystal in the tall limestone obelisk in the first subterranean chamber, and how she had shone her flashlight through the crystal, the light reaching into the second chamber and reflecting off of the previously invisible lion image on the wall. “This had illuminated our path, it had helped to point the way to where the Pharom had been hidden.”

  They all gazed at it for a moment, reflecting on the importance of those past events. Alex then wrapped the crystal back up and set it on the floor beside the Pharom’s chest.

  “What about the other chest?” Jack asked, reaching for the second duffel bag. He unzipped it and pulled out the smaller stone chest. “We should decide what’s going to happen with the scrolls and the crib notes.” He looked at the lid, adorned with an ankh, intricately carved, approximately twenty inches in length. He lifted the lid. “Remember these?” he asked, lifting out two metal cylinders, each with a jewel-embedded ankh carved into both ends. The multi-faceted jewels, the colors of ruby, sapphire, emerald, and topaz, still sparkled brightly in the room’s soft light. The cylinders contained scrolls with partial written records of the Kierani people. He handed one to Khadesh and the other to Khamir.

  They admired the beautifully crafted items, both choosing not to open them.

  “The rest of the items will be kept in a separate location far from the Pharom,” Dr. Khadesh said. “It is too dangerous to have these items close.”

  Alex scooted over beside Jack. “There’s also something else,” she said. “Mitch, hand me your pocket knife, please.”

  He fished around in a side pocket of his pantleg and handed it to her.

  “Thanks,” she said, as she slid the knife along the inner side of the chest, and tipped it over. “Got it!” she said as she pulled out the chest’s false bottom. Hiding underneath it were the ‘crib notes’ they had discovered. “What about this?” she said as she handed Ziploc bag containing the papyrus to Khadesh. “That’s the key to unlocking the Kierani language.”

  He looked at the glyphs with reverence. “This must be kept elsewhere, apart from the scrolls. It is the only way to protect this secret. Maximilian knows nothing about these items and we will keep it that way.”

  Khamir nodded.

  They all sat quietly for a few moments, thinking about what they were doing, reflecting on the past, and on what was to come…

  Finally, Mitch spoke up, “We need to figure out what we’re going to do next.”

  “What do you mean?” Bob asked, dreading the answer.

  “Maximilian must know about the secret chambers now.”

  “Thanks to us,” Alex said wryly. “If only we had some more time to close the entrance properly.”