by David Wood
They moved through the gate and down a paved walk that bisected a large courtyard littered with the stumps of broken pillars, toward an enormous stone building that appeared to be mostly intact.
“The Temple of Hathor,” Nora said. “Even though it was built by Greco-Roman rulers in the First Century C.E. the temple utilizes the most ancient and sacred style of Egyptian architecture—the mastaba. That word is Arabic—it means ‘stone bench’—but the Egyptian word pr-djed, translates as ‘House of Eternity.’ The oldest tombs in Egypt, pre-dating even the Old Kingdom, were mastabas. The first pyramid ever built, the Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara, is simply a stack of six mastabas, each one smaller than the one under it.”
The Temple of Hathor was not solid like a pyramid however. Halfway up its steeply sloping sides, the front wall opened up to reveal six massive pillars supporting the roof. Each of the pillars was topped with what appeared to be a female head with thick bundles of hair falling down to either side, but the faces had been erased by weather, or more likely, vandalism. Beyond the entrance, the dimly lit interior featured still more pillars and columns, all of them engraved with hieroglyphics and larger figures from the Egyptian pantheon, many of them trimmed with sky blue paint.
Nora led them through the large enclosure, which she identified as “the Large Hypostyle Hall,” and through a maze of passages to a set of stairs descending into the crypts beneath the Temple. Every square inch of stone bore some kind of carving or inscription, even the ceilings, and while some had suffered the ravages of time, other images were startlingly distinct. As they moved along, Maddock heard voices coming from further up the passage—two men engaged in conversation about the Temple and its decorations. He knew this because they were speaking English. He also recognized both voices.
“But you have to admit,” Max Riddle was saying, “It does look like a light bulb.”
“Does it?” countered Zahi Mohamed. “Have you ever seen a lightbulb with a snake inside? A light bulb coming out of a lotus flower?”
As Maddock and the others rounded a corner, they could see a small cluster of people in the passage ahead, bathed in the glow of artificial light from handheld umbrella lights.
“Well, no, but those could be symbolic,” said Riddle.
“Symbolic,” Zahi said, his tone victorious. “Exactly. But symbolizing what? The lotus flower and the serpent are found everywhere in the art of Ancient Egypt. They symbolize the fertility of the Nile—a symbol of enduring life for all of Egypt.”
Nora glanced back at Bones. “Told you.”
Their arrival once again attracted the attention of the production crew, but this time, Zahi didn’t wait for the “cut” command. When his gaze fell upon Nora, he scowled and pushed through the videographers to confront them. The lights and cameras followed him, as did Riddle.
“What are you doing here?” he demanded. “I already gave you permission to conduct your survey.”
Nora hastened to meet him. “Dr. Zahi, I have so much to tell you. We found the tomb of Smenkhkare and Neferneferuaten.”
Zahi folded his arms and scowled. “That is ridiculous. No such tombs exist.”
“I can take you there,” she insisted. “There is an entrance at Deir el-Medina. But first, I must tell you about Fayed—”
Maddock heard shouts from behind them. He turned, and saw a small knot of men hastening toward them. Most wore khaki uniforms with badges and dark berets, and had their pistols drawn and aimed at Maddock and the others. The only unarmed member of the group wore street clothes that were torn, and streaked with dust and sweat.
Nassir Fayed.
“Speak of the devil,” Maddock muttered.
FOURTEEN
Eyes blazing with righteous indignation, Fayed stalked toward them. “I knew I would find you here,” he snarled, then looked past them to Zahi. “I don’t know what lies they have told you, but these people are looters and terrorists. This woman lied to me about what she had discovered, and has been working with these men to steal the treasures for sale on the black market.”
“Dude, you know we just got here this morning,” Bones protested.
“And left a trail of destruction across half of Luxor,” Fayed shot back. “When I discovered their treachery, they tried to kill me, and were preparing to release a biological agent to hide their crimes.
“He lies,” Nora cried out. “He is the one who stole the treasures from the tomb. He was going to release these—” She pointed to the bags Maddock and Bones were still holding. “A toxin made from the mold found in the tomb.”
“Silence,” Fayed barked. “You will see how we deal with foreigners and women,” by his tone it was difficult to guess which he despised more, “who try to destroy our heritage.” He turned to the closest policeman, who wore three stars on his epaulets, and barked a command in Arabic. The man repeated the command to his men, and they all swarmed forward.
Maddock quickly raised the plastic bag over his head, curling his fingers into the pliable surface. “You don’t want to do that,” he warned.
The policemen halted their advance, evidently understanding the threat, but did not lower their weapons.
“Shoot them!” screamed Fayed.
The police officers did not comply, but Maddock knew the standoff couldn’t last. They would have to surrender or be killed, and since he doubted they would be given anything remotely resembling due process in the Egyptian court system, their only hope was to convince Zahi that they were telling the truth.
Without lowering the bag, he turned to Zahi. Behind the archaeologist, Max Riddle and his crew had retreated a few steps, and were ducking low in anticipation of a hailstorm of bullets, but their cameras were still running, capturing everything.
“Look,” he said, striving for a calming tone. “We really did just get here this morning. We were surveying the well, just like we said we would, when someone bombed the entrance and tried to kill us. We swam out through the underwater passage and found the tomb. The treasure chamber had already been cleaned out. Do you really think we could have accomplished all that in a couple hours? We can take you to the tomb. You can see for yourself.”
Zahi stared back, his face a mask of uncertainty. “I would very much like to see this tomb. But you would have me believe that Fayed is responsible for these crimes? You would ask me to take your word over his?” He shook his head. “No, there will have to be an investigation, and until that time... I’m sorry, but you must be taken into custody, or face immediate consequences.”
“Don’t take our word for it. We can prove it,” Bones said. “I can show you right now.”
“Ridiculous,” Fayed snapped. “They are stalling. Shoot them.”
“Seriously, dude. You probably don’t want to do that. You know what’s in these bags. The Pharaoh’s Curse. Is that how you want to die? I can prove we’re telling the truth. I grabbed Uma’s SD card before Fayed’s goons dragged us out of the tomb. I’ve got video of the whole thing.”
For the first time since making his tempestuous arrival, Fayed looked nervous. “Video? That’s hardly proof of anything. You fabricated it.”
“See for yourself.” Bones turned and looked past Zahi to the Maximum Mysteries production team. “Max, you can do playback on your cameras, right?”
Riddle stood, a little hesitantly, and then, realizing that this was a chance at taking the spotlight, stepped forward briskly. “Absolutely.” He then faced one of his videographers, but instead of asking the man for his camera, he started speaking. “Folks, this is an incredible development. Not only are we about to see footage from an undiscovered Egyptian tomb, but we’re also going to solve a real-life mystery.” He paused a beat, and then in a slightly less solemn tone, continued. “That was good right? Yeah?”
Maddock glanced over at Bones, who just rolled his eyes.
Riddle turned to another of his crew. “Josh, let’s put this on the Max-Cam,”
“This is completely inappropriate,” Fayed cried. “If this
video footage exists, it should be seized as evidence.”
Zahi raised a hand to silence him, and in a calm voice, said, “I would like to see it.” The archaeologist then turned to the police officer and, still speaking English, added, “Captain, I think it would be best if you and your men put your guns away. Post a guard. No one should be allowed to leave.” His gaze flicked meaningfully toward Fayed.
Fayed whirled and tried to flee, but the way was blocked by the squad of policemen who, without needing to be told, had grasped the changing nature of the situation. One of them grabbed the hotelier by the arm and spun him around, propelling him forward again. The police captain gave Fayed a hard look, and then nodded to Zahi. “I too would like to see this evidence.”
Zahi turned to Maddock. “Does that satisfy you?”
“It’s a start,” Maddock answered, and then lowered the bag of mold toxins, placing it on the stone floor.
Bones did likewise, and then took the postage stamp-sized SD card from his pocket. As he handed it to a waiting Max Riddle, he glanced at the relief carving on the wall beside him and did a double-take. “Huh,” he said, and then glanced back at Nora. “Sure looks like a light bulb to me.”
FIFTEEN
They arrived back in Deir el-Medina just as the sun was dipping behind the Theban Hills. Amun Ra, his crossing of the sky now complete, was about to begin his nightly passage through the Underworld, but this time, he would have some company, at least for the first few hundred feet of the journey. Dr. Zahi, eager to see the newly discovered tomb for himself, had insisted on going directly there from Dendera, and in a move that came as a surprise to no one who knew him, had agreed to allow Max Riddle to accompany him inside to record the moment for posterity. Maddock suspected that Riddle would have preferred to have Nora leading the tour of the tomb, for reasons other than her obvious expertise as the actual discoverer, but knew well enough not to challenge Zahi’s authority. Nora, too, seemed to understand that this would be Zahi’s show, and hung back with Maddock and Bones as the production crew moved into the descending passage that led down to the tomb’s rear entrance.
“Do you think they’ll be able to track down all the treasure Fayed stole?” Maddock asked Nora, as they waited their turn.
“If I know Zahi, he will pressure the prosecutors to offer leniency in exchange for cooperation.”
The video footage from Uma’s camera had been sufficiently damning to warrant Fayed’s immediate arrest. Maddock guessed they would be asked to testify against the man at some future date, and he wasn’t looking forward to having to explain some of the things they had done trying to stop Fayed’s mad scheme but, for the moment at least, no one seemed interested in holding them accountable.
“Well that’s a bunch of crap,” Bones said. “That assclown wasn’t just a tomb robber. He was planning mass murder.”
“Recovering the cultural treasure of Egypt is far more important than taking the proverbial pound of flesh.” She gave a weary sigh. “Of course, even if we get it all back, the damage has been done. The site is no longer pristine. We’ve missed our chance to examine the artifacts in situ.”
“Well aren’t you just a ray of sunshine,” Maddock retorted with a chuckle.
Nora managed a wan smile. “You’re right of course. This is an amazing discovery. And it’s all thanks to you two.” She gave him a sidelong glance. I guess you finished the job you came here to do. What’s next for you?”
“Finished?” Maddock replied. “By my reckoning, we explored less than a third of the passage. Who’s to say that’s the only tomb down there.”
Nora clearly had not considered this, and an eager gleam appeared in her eyes. “It’s possible,” she said, nodding. “And you would do that? Stay and continued the survey?”
“I hate leaving a job half-done. Or rather one-third done. Besides, we have to go back in to recover Uma’s computer. I hope Fayed didn’t send anyone back to get rid of Uma and the rest of our gear.”
Bones let out a menacing growl, “If that bastard did something to Uma, he won’t live long enough to beg for leniency.”
Uma wasn’t exactly where Bones had left her, but she was close. One of the production assistants had relocated the little submersible to the passage just outside the empty canopic chamber. Bones knelt and performed a quick start-up inspection.
The crew had moved on to the burial chamber. Maddock could hear Zahi expostulating about the history of the two little-known historical figures who had ruled Egypt in the brief interval between Akhenaten and Tutankhamun.
“Everything looks okay,” Bones reported. “We’ll need to get a new SD card and charge the batteries, but I think she’s good to go.”
“Then the rest of our stuff is probably still there at the entrance,” said Maddock. “We’ll have to get our tanks refilled, and maybe rent a compressor and a scooter. First thing tomorrow, we’ll have to drive to the coast and find a dive shop.”
“I can take you,” Nora said, then after a moment’s consideration, added, “I hope Fayed didn’t do anything to my car.”
“If he did, we’ll just steal one of his,” Bones promised, and then laughed at Nora’s horrified expression. “That takes care of tomorrow, but what are we gonna do until then?”
“I was thinking sleep might be nice,” Maddock said.
“Sleep? Dude, there’s plenty of time to sleep when we’re dead.” He turned to Nora. “So what is there to do in this town?”
Nora opened her mouth to answer, but then closed it again and frowned. “I think we’ve already done it all.”
“Well, crap,” Bones said, laughing. “You know, we wouldn’t be having this problem if we’d gone to the other Luxor.”
Maddock just shook his head.
If you enjoyed Destination-Luxor, try Outpost, book one of the Elementals trilogy!
Want to keep up with David’s work? Join his mailing list for updates, new release announcements, and book giveaways, and receive a free ebook when you confirm your subscription.
For more information on Sean Ellis and his work, visit his website.
BOOKS and SERIES by David Wood
The Dane Maddock Adventures
Dourado
Cibola
Quest
Icefall
Buccaneer
Atlantis
Ark
Xibalba
Loch
Solomon Key
Dane and Bones Origins
Freedom
Hell Ship
Splashdown
Dead Ice
Liberty
Electra
Amber
Justice
Treasure of the Dead
Adventures from the Dane Maddock Universe
Destination-Rio
Destination-Luxor
Berserk (forthcoming)
The Tomb (forthcoming)
Devil’s Face (forthcoming)
Outpost (forthcoming)
Arcanum (forthcoming)
Magus (forthcoming)
Brainwash (forthcoming)
Herald (forthcoming)
Maug (forthcoming)
Jade Ihara Adventures (with Sean Ellis)
Oracle
Changeling
Exile
Bones Bonebrake Adventures
Primitive
The Book of Bones
Skin and Bones (forthcoming)
Venom (forthcoming)
Jake Crowley Adventures (with Alan Baxter)
Blood Codex
Anubis Key
Brock Stone Adventures
Arena of Souls
Track of the Beast (forthcoming)
Myrmidon Files (with Sean Ellis)
Destiny
Mystic
Sam Aston Investigations (with Alan Baxter)
Primordial
Overlord
Stand-Alone Novels
Into the Woods (with David S. Wood)
Callsign: Queen (with Jeremy Robinson)
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Dark Rite (with Alan Baxter)
David Wood writing as David Debord
The Absent Gods Trilogy
The Silver Serpent
Keeper of the Mists
The Gates of Iron
The Impostor Prince (with Ryan A. Span)
Neptune’s Key
The Zombie-Driven Life
You Suck
BOOKS and SERIES by SEAN ELLIS
THE NICK KISMET ADVENTURES
The Shroud of Heaven
Into the Black
The Devil You Know (Novella)
Fortune Favors
THE ADVENTURES OF DODGE DALTON
In the Shadow of Falcon’s Wings
At the Outpost of Fate
On the High Road to Oblivion
Against the Fall of Eternal Night (with Kerry Frey)
THE MIRA RAIDEN ADVENTURES
Ascendant
Descendant
Magic Mirror
The Sea Wraiths and Other Tales
Camp Zero
WarGod (with Steven Savile)
(with Jeremy Robinson)
Prime
Savage
Cannibal
Empire
Herculean
Helios
Flood Rising
Callsign: King (novella)
Callsign: King—Underworld (novella)
Callsign: King—Blackout (novella)
(with David Wood)
Hell Ship
Oracle
Changeling
Exile
Destiny
Mystic
Outpost
Arcanum
Magus
Destination-Rio
Destination-Luxor
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
David Wood is the USA Today bestselling author of the action-adventure series, The Dane Maddock Adventures, and many other works. He also writes fantasy under his David Debord pen name. When not writing, he hosts the Wood on Words podcast. David and his family live in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Visit him online at davidwoodweb.com.
Sean Ellis has authored and co-authored more than two dozen action-adventure novels, including the Nick Kismet adventures, the Jack Sigler/Chess Team series with Jeremy Robinson, and the Jade Ihara adventures with David Wood. He served with the Army National Guard in Afghanistan, and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resources Policy from Oregon State University. Sean is also a member of the International Thriller Writers organization. He currently resides in Arizona, where he divides his time between writing, adventure sports, and trying to figure out how to save the world. Learn more about Sean at seanellisauthor.com.
