by Allie Burton
“I’d rather focus on getting rid of the burnout.” As a teen I knew my feelings changed by the minute like the latest trends, but since stepping into this room I’d felt so many different things. Fear. Sadness. Even love and hope. I was slipping emotions on and off like a runway model changed clothes.
Normally, I go with the flow. Put my feelings aside to get a job done for Fitch. Now, all I could think about was what I was feeling. You’d think with a guy’s soul inside me I’d be less emotional, how guys are less emotional. Or at least they acted that way.
Xander slapped his thigh and dust flew in the air from the dirt on the homeless man’s pants. He scrunched up his nose and waved the dust away. “Jeb’s study. All the texts and scrolls are stored there.” Holding the vessel, Xander scurried down the hall with purpose.
I hurried to catch up to him. “How much time do we have?” The clock ticked. Society members could come home soon.
“I don’t know.” He skidded to a halt in front of a room lined with bookshelves and a fantastic view of the Pacific Ocean. The house hung over a cliff and the waves crashed below on the rocks. Seagulls soared overhead.
I forced my gaze past the view to the hundreds of books. The daunting task weighed on my shoulders. “Where do we start?”
He took a short step inside and stopped as if an invisible force field held him in place. “The study was strictly off-limits to me.”
Fitch’s bedroom was restricted to all the kids in our house. If we even dared breathe in the room’s direction, he’d whip our butt.
“We’re already trespassing.” I refused to let fear paralyze me. We were in the house and had a job to do. An important job. A life-or-death type of job. My life-or-death type of job. I moved around Xander and stopped mid-room. “What’re we looking for?”
“A plan. Instructions. Maybe a recipe on what to do with the essential oils.” His legs jerked walking into the room. “I’ll look on the shelves and you search the desk.”
I wheeled a chair back from the desk and sat down. I yanked on a drawer. Of course, it was locked so I took out my pick set and in seconds had all the drawers open.
My fingers shook even though I kept telling myself I was a professional, but I really wasn’t. I’d completed one job—the amulet—and not very well. I rummaged through the file drawer. None of the tabs jumped out at me, so I moved to the next. Stapler, scissors, tape. Nothing unusual. If I didn’t know better, I’d think this was a regular business person’s desk.
“Find anything?” Xander pulled out another section of books and flipped through them one at a time. He moved at a fast pace.
“Nope.”
“They’re not going to keep anything in plain sight.” He shoved a book back on the shelf with a little too much force. “With your, um, experience, can you get into his computer?”
“Of course.” I slid out the tray holding the keyboard and turned on the computer.
The monitor blinked and the password box came up. I typed in a code and waited. A clock popped up and whirred around. Just like my stomach. The code opened a backdoor in most systems. If it backfired, then I’d be locked out and the owner would know the computer had been tampered with.
The clock disappeared and a second box popped up. I typed another code. All part of Fitch’s training when we were dealing with complicated security on a heist. This I was comfortable doing.
The desktop opened and I let out a quick breath. “I’m in.” I tapped my fingers on the keyboard. “Any idea what I should search for?”
“Power instructions?”
P-O-W-E-R, I typed before realizing Xander had sounded sarcastic.
“Yeah, right.” It couldn’t be that easy.
The computer dinged with a series of possible folder hits.
“Gas and power bills.”
“Powerful Ancient Egyptians.”
“Tut’s Powers.” I clicked on the folder.
The title of the first document jumped off the screen. “Ways to use Tut’s power to rule the world…”
My heart pumped and squeezed tight. Could this be what we were looking for?
Chapter Eleven
Xander
Xander’s mind swirled with the possible meaning. A shiver of horror crept up his spine envisioning the future. The picture of men wearing white sheets—forcing everyone to wear white sheets—ruling the armies and running the banks and governing people everywhere. The scenario made his skin itch.
The Society had been his life. He was raised to believe in their plans for the world. But he hadn’t been included in this part of the plan. Even though he’d be the one hosting the power, they’d not told him a lot. He’d never suspected the worst.
“The Society plans to take over the world.” Each word socked him in the gut. He’d been so stupid, naïve, blinded.
Olivia’s fingers slipped off the keyboard. “What?”
He rushed to the desk, his mind matching his steps in a hurried blurred vision of what the future could bring. “What else does it say?” Maybe he’d misinterpreted.
“Um,” her voice quivered. “The other file names are Oil Retrieval System, Drought Enhancement Steps, Demand Letter to US President.”
“Say what?” The question trembled out of his quivering lips. He’d believed the transition would come smoothly. That he’d receive the power and the news would travel the world. The true calling would be reborn and everything would fall into place.
Naïve would be an understatement. He’d been gullible. A total sucker. The Society planned to use him and his powers to do unspeakable things. Things he’d never agreed to if he’d known.
She clicked on the last file. “It’s a letter addressed to the President saying the Society will destroy the environment and the world if their demands are not met by…oh my God that’s only five days away.” She shot a glance at him trying to gauge his reaction. Did she think he’d known their devious plans?
He found it impossible to believe. How could he have been so stupid? “What else does it say?”
“We will begin an apocalyptic drought beginning with the evaporation of the San Francisco Bay. This will disrupt shipping, harm wildlife…” Each word she read stabbed his gut.
“Kill the environment.” He ran a shaky hand through his hair. His muscles felt weak. Everything he’d believed about the Society and the powers and what they planned to achieve had been a lie. He’d been told the transition would be smooth and conflict-free. People would see the truth and believe.
But this wasn’t about installing Tut’s true beliefs about love and worship. A belief that would save the earth and its people and stop countless wars. This was about controlling the world.
“We have harnessed the mighty force of the sun and to demonstrate take note of the sudden increase in temperatures in Northern California and the lowering of high tide on the west coast.” Her voice went higher and higher.
Xander held his breath still not believing the words she read. Still not believing the plan was even remotely possible. He’d only received religious training and sanctimonious preaching. Jeb had instilled the true teachings with a belt when necessary. If Xander spoke up or questioned, he was whipped.
Xander sunk onto the desk top and let his shoulders droop. “The letter doesn’t say anything about Tut’s beliefs. The Society planned to use the sun’s power to force governments to comply.”
“How did you think they planned to do it?” This was all new to her—the Society, their beliefs, the power. And yet, she seemed to see more clearly.
“I don’t know.” He ran his fingers through his hair again and stared at the carpet blindly trying to get a clear vision of what his past had meant and where his future was headed. “I just thought we’d show them the true beliefs and it would…just happen.” At first, he’d wanted to be loved by the Society members, and then he’d craved the power to prove his worth. “I guess I didn’t think. Didn’t want to know or didn’t care. I just wanted Tut’s beliefs to be restored.�
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He’d lost more than the Society when Olivia had swiped the amulet. He’d lost a part of himself. Or so he’d thought. Now, things were lining up in a different order. Maybe since there was no one to follow and no one to please, he could find his own truth. His own calling.
“Who’s to say what is right to believe? They would’ve used you to blackmail the President of the United States. Now, they want to use me.” Her voice shrieked a little higher.
The Society thought they could push him, and now Olivia, around like pawns in a chess match. Use them for their own wicked purpose until they had control of the world. They didn’t care if she burned out and died. Which meant they hadn’t cared about him either.
“They can’t use you unless they catch you. We’ve already put them behind schedule.” He needed to keep it that way. Keep Olivia out of their reach. Stop their evil plan.
One facet of Tut’s beliefs stuck. He was a warrior for goodness and light.
“Even if they did catch me, I’d never help with their scheme.” She closed the letter and the folder listing reappeared.
A file titled ‘Anointment of Essential Oils’ caught his attention. “Try that.”
“That looks important.” She hit it and tapped her fingers lightly on the keyboard as the command processed. The file opened on the screen.
Worry gnawed in his gut. They’d spent too much time here. The house wouldn’t stay empty for long. He glanced over his shoulder. “Print the pages and let’s get out of here.”
She hit the print key. The printer whirred and clicked. His stomach whirred along. Green lights flashed a harsh glare. The first piece of paper shot out.
A door slammed.
He jerked. Things had been going too smoothly. With the Society searching for them, the mansion should have had people coming and going. He’d been shocked to find it mostly empty and had worried it had been a trap. Not that he’d told Olivia.
Her fingers jumped off the keys. “What was that?”
The second page printed. The printer’s noise would alert whoever had entered the house.
“Front door. We need to get out of here. Shut it down.” His heart revved. He crept to the doorway and peered out.
“It’s still printing.” The third page slipped out of the printer.
She continued pounding on the keys. The printer whirred. It spit out a fourth page.
Male voices echoed down the hall. Xander froze, listening.
“You should go.” She barely glanced up as she continued typing.
How long did it take to shut a computer down? He might not have fully understood his role in the Society, but he understood his new position. “I’m not leaving you.”
“At least one of us will get out of this mega mansion monstrosity.” Her terminology had his lips twisting in a smile. She had unique ways of expressing herself. “If I get caught, you can call the cops.”
He wasn’t about to leave her behind. If he’d learned anything about himself, it was that he needed to protect her at all costs, whether she liked it or not. “I know where to hide. How to get out of here.”
She pinched the printed pages between her fingers waiting for the rest. “Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up.”
“They’re coming this way.” His muscles went taut, wanting to run. “We need to get out. Now.”
“But the printer—”
“No time. Let’s go.” He peered out the door and held out his hand willing her to come.
She dashed around the desk and grabbed the fifth piece of paper from the printer. Then, she darted toward him.
He hoped no other pages popped out of the printer. If so, the Society would see the other pages and know someone had been there. Someone who had found the file and printed it.
When she didn’t take his offered hand, he dropped his arm in rejection. With his adrenaline at a fever pitch, he’d forgotten she couldn’t touch him. Good thing one of them remembered.
He nodded that the hall was clear, and he led her in the opposite direction of the voices, toward the back of the house.
Footsteps followed. Whoever had entered the house headed their way and didn’t care if they were heard.
His body shook with each step. It was like walking during a seven-point-one earthquake. The voices got louder. If they attempted escape out the back of the house, they’d get caught. They needed to hide.
“This way.” He opened a familiar door and stepped inside.
She squeezed in and sagged against the closed door. “Will they look here?”
If Jeb knew he was home, he’d surely look in his bedroom. But Xander had secrets of his own and knew this was the best place to hide. Because he’d done it before. “They don’t know we’re in the mansion.”
“Not yet.” She shoved the crumpled papers in her back pocket and rushed toward the picture window. “What about escaping out the window?”
“Too high up on the cliffs. Too big a fall.” He’d contemplated escape in the past. A quick run in the park, a peek at the local kids heading to school, a pick up soccer match—none of which he’d ever accomplished.
The window looked over a cliff. A sheer drop to a point where waves crashed over harsh rocks.
Turning, she gripped the overly-long curtains hanging by the window. “Where are we?”
Her gaze roamed the all-white, large room, past the king-sized bed raised high on a pedestal with a silk-draped canopy. He wondered what she thought of the bedroom. The bed wasn’t very masculine. Not that he’d had a say in the décor. Dozens of pillows decorated the lapis blue quilt. The headboard featured an ankh sign—the symbol of life.
“This is where I slept.” He didn’t want to claim it as his bedroom, didn’t want her thinking this would be what he’d choose. It was too ostentatious.
She scrunched up her nose. “The room doesn’t say much about you, does it? No personality. Sterile.” She swiped a finger over the dresser and inspected the tip. “Not even a speck of dust.”
He ignored the insult picking up on one thing. How many boys’ bedrooms had she been in? “This room was designed for the future host of King Tut. Technically, it would be your room now.”
“Wow.” She pivoted in a circle, her eyes going wide taking everything in. “I’ve never had my own room. Not even my own bed.”
His jaw dropped and his mind went back to his earlier question about boys’ bedrooms. “What? How many…”
She slit her eyes and glared. “I share a bed with the younger kids.”
Heat rushed up his cheeks. He really knew how to step into a mess. He stayed by the door listening for approaching footsteps.
She walked over to the bookshelf that covered one wall. Books on ancient Egyptian history filled the shelves. They were living through Egyptian history right now.
“I could totally read all these books.” Her brag punched his gut.
He’d studied the ancient Egyptian language for hours and spent even more time reading those books. Gory tales about warriors and the sun god Aten. Sacrifices. Death.
She twirled the globe by the window. Her fingers brushed Egypt and she jerked away as if the country had stung her.
Hearing footsteps, he stiffened and put his hand on the globe to stop the spinning.
“We need to find them before anyone else,” Jeb’s voice boomed by the bedroom door.
“Sefu, call a few loyal members and have them search the city.” Jeb’s voice continued to carry into the bedroom even though he’d walked further down the hall. “Get a hold of the captain.”
“Quick.” Xander opened a closet door. “We’ll hide in here until they leave the mansion.”
“Does Jeb realize we’re here?” She took a step and stopped in front of the closet.
“Didn’t sound like it.” The man must not have gone into his office, but he would soon. “Come on.”
“A closet, really?” She scoffed and didn’t move. Her face paled. “You don’t think that’s the first place he’ll look?”
&n
bsp; “Trust me.” Xander had hidden from Jeb before and this wasn’t a normal closet. “Get in.”
Edging into the closet, she said, “This closet is bigger than most normal bedrooms.”
He shut the door behind her and tried to look at the closet from her point of view. The walk-in closet had one wall of shelves, mostly empty, and two walls with rods filled with clothes. Suits, dress shirts, casual shirts, jackets and pants hung on hangars.
“If I could afford a closet this size, it would be filled with the latest designer dresses. Unfortunately, none of my clothes are designer anything.”
“I might’ve had clothes, but I’d had no one to appreciate them.” He’d rather have parts of her life. Sounded as if she was close to some of her thieves. “This way.”
He pushed the hanging clothes out of the way and bent down to stick his fingers in the grooves of a recessed two-foot by three-foot panel. Using a secret motion, he twisted and took the panel off. “This is where we’ll really be hiding.”
She froze. “It’s really dark in there. I-I’m sure they won’t look in the closet. I’ll stay here.”
“My bedroom and it’s closet is one of the first places Jeb would look if he realizes we’re in the house.” Xander’s brow furrowed. Why was she acting like a skittish colt? “Get inside.”
Seeming to swallow, she peered into the secret space. “What is this place?”
“A good place to hide. Believe me.” He grabbed a backpack off the floor of the closet and shoved jeans, sweater, and gym shoes into the bag. “Hurry.”
She dropped to her knees and crawled inside like a slug. Her gaze kept swiveling back to check that he followed. A bead of sweat formed on her forehead and it wasn’t that hot.
Quickly, he arranged the hanging clothes to cover the opening, crawled in beside her, and set the panel over the hole.
“Now what?” She tugged at the collar of her shirt.
“We wait.” He flicked the light switch wanting her to see his real room. A room he claimed as his own.
The secret space wasn’t large. About four feet high, the space was tall enough to move around but not stand. He could fully lay down when alone, his hair and toes brushing each of the walls. His shoulders relaxed and he took a deep breath.
