Addison Black and The Eye of Bastet

~ Addison Black and The Eye of Bastet ~
by MJ

Disclaimer... See Part 1

Any comments please send them to… mj_poet@hotmail.com

Part 3

Chapter 10

The scent of the shaft, shut off from human admittance for over five thousand years, was dank, grimy and stale. Fragments of dust and sand, undisturbed for centuries, floated through the air. There was an almost unearthly silence inside the passageway, a silence so dense it was palpable. Both agents relied upon their powerful torches to penetrate the curtain of darkness around them. Without the artificial light, progression through the passageways to Imhotep's tomb would be impossible. Addison ran her hands over the walls; she was astounded by the knowledge these shafts were, in all probability, dug out by hand.

Shrugging the backpack from her shoulders, Addison unzipped a side pocket, pulling out a bottle of water. Flicking the cap she took a short drink and then offered it to Skyler. The blonde accepted readily.

"So…" Addison shone the beam from her torch light back upon the wall. "Are you going to tell me what this says?" She moved the shaft of light over the hieroglyphics and then switched to the opposite wall. "They are on this one too. They look the same."

Handing the bottle back to Addison Skyler said, "They are. They say the same thing."

"Which is?"

Directing the beam from her own torch to the wall, Skyler took a step closer. "Well for a start it isn't a quote by Dante!" she said, referring to Addison's earlier comment upon entering the shaft. "Besides, I think we're looking at something much earlier than the fourteenth century." Her eyes scanned the symbols. "Basically it says, 'proceed only if your intentions are pure of heart'."

"Okay... now forgive me for voicing my confusion again, but I thought the burial chamber was supposed to be sacred and not to be crossed. Why are they offering a condition to enter?"

"I don't know." Skyler shone her torch down the dark tunnel. "But I bet it has something to do with that key the tablets mentioned."

"So what are we waiting for?" Addison placed the water bottle back in her pack. "Let's see where this adventure leads!" Situating the carrier upon her back, Addison stood before Skyler. "Let me lead though… just in case."

Skyler nodded. "Okay."

The agent turned and faced the tunnel ahead. Re-powering her torch with another shake, Addison began a slow, cautious walk. She cast her beam upon the floor, looking at the mix of sand and dirt beneath them. She got the distinct impression the pathway was sloping downwards. Great, she thought, I wonder exactly how far we will have to go? Addison continued walking no more than fifty feet before they reached a wall.

"A dead end?" Skyler asked in confusion. "It can't be."

Addison shone her torch around. "Look there." She shone the light up to the top right corner. "I think that means we go this way!" Placing her torch under her arm Addison laced her fingers together. "Want a boost?"

"Thanks." Placing her foot upon the agent's entwined hands Skyler lifted herself up and into the tunnel. She climbed inside, shining her torch around. "Looks like we're on our hands and knees. There sure as hell is no way we can stand in here." She shifted her body further into the tunnel allowing Addison access.

Pulling herself up and in behind Skyler, Addison found herself face to 'face' with Skyler's behind. "As much as I think I could appreciate this view… I still want to be leading the way here. Care to trade places?"

Skyler shuffled obligingly to one side. There wasn't exactly enough room for Addison to pass easily, but she managed to squeeze her way into front position. Crawling forwards she twisted her body to a slightly diagonal position in order to move past Skyler. The tunnel was neither wide enough nor high enough for her liking.

"Now I have the better view," commented Skyler.

Addison continued crawling through the tunnel. "Stop coveting my arse when I am in no position to do anything about it!"

"Spoil sport," Skyler muttered.

"Yep." Once more Addison began to feel the ground beneath them start to slant. The degree was steeper than the last. As Addison pushed her hands along the chiselled stone she could feel tiny pieces of grit and rubble bounce off her fingers and roll down the slope. "Sky?" she called.

"Hmm?" Skyler stopped, taking time out to re-energise her torch; once done she commenced her downward shuffle.

"What do you think it means by 'enter only if you are pure of heart'?" The phrase had been rolling around in Addison's head since Skyler translated the Hieroglyphics. "Sounds kind of dodgy to me."

"I'm not sure. It could mean many things. Enter only if you are a good person? Enter only if you are young?"

"Young?"

Skyler switched the torch between hands. "They do say only the young are pure of heart; that we all become tainted as we grow older... seven deadly sins and all that."

Addison stopped crawling and looked back at Skyler in the torchlight. "That's something else that's always bothered me. What's wrong with a good old healthy dose of lust? Personally I don't see much wrong with that."

"You wouldn't."

With a grin, Addison started moving again. They were approaching a corner that turned to the left. "Maybe it means 'enter only if your intentions are pure'?" Addison turned the corner and before her she found a ledge. She looked down. "Looks like a ten foot or so drop." She shone her torch onto the ground below. "It's a level surface." Twisting around Addison jumped down. She turned and looked up as Skyler clambered down after her.

Dropping to the floor, the blonde took the torch from her mouth. "We're moving further down than I thought we would be."

"You noticed that too, huh?" Addison shook a hand through her hair. She was hot and beginning to sweat. The grime within the air, mixed with beading sweat, was starting to make her itch. "Let's hope it's not too much further." Skyler agreed readily as Addison continued their trek.

Taking a turning to the right they walked uneventfully down a short, narrow tunnel. The floor level didn't slope and Addison took this as a good sign. Her optimism, however, was short lived as they rounded another corner to the left and found themselves face to face with a rockslide of large boulders. It blocked the entire pathway.

"Damn it," Addison cursed.

"I guess after five thousand years these passageways have become unstable."

The agent placed her hands on her hips. "That's hardly encouraging."

Skyler scowled saying, "Well there's no point in sounding so defeated."

"I'm not feeling defeated." There was a hint of anger in Addison's tone of voice, although it was directed more towards their situation. "I have never given up in my life and I'm not about to start now. That's not what bothers me."

"Okay, okay." Skyler's voice was calm. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "No need to bite my head off."

The agent took a deep breath and sighed. "I'm sorry, it's just that if this is as unstable as it appears I don't want you going any further. There's a chance that…"

"No," Skyler interrupted harshly. "Don't even start this, Addison. I understand and I appreciate what you mean, but you need me on this." Skyler knew the agent acknowledged the truth in her statement.

Addison pursed her lips. "You are, without a doubt, the most stubborn woman I know."

"It's one of the reasons you love me."

Skyler's overconfident grin tickled Addison and she couldn't hold back a smile. Throwing up her hands in defeat she said, " I know, but surely you can understand my concern. We're venturing further down into the earth, a place I'm not that comfortable with myself." She paused and her smile turned coy. "And you are right, it is one of the reasons." Winking she turned to face the pile of rocks. She wondered how best they could make a route through the boulders, removing as little as possible. Addison shone her torch upon the rocks. "There has to be a way through this."

The doctor began examining the rocks. "Of course there will be a way; there has to be." She shone her light through the gaps between boulders, trying to gauge how much depth the cave-in of rocks had. "There sure as hell isn't a back door to this place."

Addison released an overdramatic sigh. "Well thanks... there goes my back up plan!" Skyler shook her head as Addison knelt down. She began examining the lower edges of the boulders. Something caught her eye. "What do we have here?"

"What is it?"

"Hold on." Addison placed her torch upon the ground. She made sure the beam of light was shed upon the area she had just spotted. "Shine your light over there too, will you?" Skyler directed her beam around a large oblong rock as Addison wrapped her hands around it. "This one doesn't appear to be holding any other rock up and if I move it out of the way…" Releasing a grunt of brute force, Addison pulled the boulder away. "We have a… small… yet accessible… um… " She studied the size of the gap. "Well it is probably wide enough for us to slide through on our stomachs"

Skyler stooped behind Addison. "Maybe… we'll have to take our backpacks off though."

"Are you up for it?"

The doctor shrugged her pack from her shoulders. "Guide the way, oh fearless leader!"

Addison smirked as she began to pull the large, cool boulder away from the gap they intended to pass through. Skyler helped and together they carefully manoeuvred it to the other side of the tunnel. Brushing dust from her hands, Addison let the pack fall from her shoulders. It seemed the further down they travelled, the hotter it became. She pulled off her shirt as well. "I'm sweating like a pig!"

"If you're sweating like a pig that means you smell like one." Skyler held her nose.

Addison sniffed her right armpit before tying the shirt about her waist. She made sure her weapons remained above the shirt and were still accessible. "Luckily my natural sweet scent keeps any hog-like odours at bay."

Following suit, Skyler took off her jerkin and shirt. She put the jerkin back on and folded her shirt, placing it in her pack. "I take it you want to go through first?"

"Yes." Addison's expression turned serious. "We'll place our pack in first and push it while we slide through as best we can." She examined the tight fit. "We should be okay." Placing her backpack inside the hole, she readied herself. "Here we go." Taking a deep breath Addison leaned upon her hands and knees. Moving forward she lay upon her stomach. With her torch in her left hand she began to work her way into the narrow space. She entered the darkness around her, feeling small stones roll under her chest and stomach. Addison took shallow breaths; the scent of grime was powerful. The precarious nature of the structure increased her caution.

"How is it?" Skyler asked as she watched Addison's boots disappear into the hole.

"Narrow," Addison replied. "Some of these boulders are really close. Just watch out and be extra cautious. We don't want to put any pressure on these rocks at all." Addison moved further, unsure how long she had left before she reached the other side. "You don't have a problem with claustrophobia, do you?" She kept her voice soft and even.

Skyler peered into the narrow space. "Well I didn't even think about that but thanks for mentioning it."

"Sorry… it's not that bad." Addison pushed her pack out onto the opposite side. "I've had worse than this." She crawled the remaining distance out of the narrow space, estimating it had taken her around two and a half minutes to travel the distance. "Your turn."

Placing her pack into the hole, Skyler lay down upon her stomach. "You know what I'd like to be doing right about now?"

"What's that?" Addison sat down, removing the bottle of water from her backpack and taking a long drink. The dusty air was irritating her throat.

Feeling herself become engulfed inside the coffin-like rockslide, the blonde said, "I'd like to be back home... in the states. I'd like to take you to meet my aunt Jen. She has this big cabin out in the middle of Virginia. We used to vacation there, Mom, Dad and myself, almost every summer." Skyler continued to talk, she needed to keep her mind off her very closed in surroundings. "She used to cook the most awesome feasts. My favourite was…"

"Don't tell me," Addison said. "Biscuits and gravy!"

"Hmm yes and fried eggs and potatoes."

Addison didn't find the food concoction all that appealing. "You're going to have to try harder than that to convince me, Sky." The agent saw Skyler's backpack emerge though the gap. She took hold of the strap, pulling it out of Skyler's way. The blonde came into view.

"How about a huge, cosy bedroom with a four poster bed, log burning fire and no interference?"

"Now that sounds like something I could get into!" Holding out her hand the agent helped Skyler from the rubble. She handed her the water. "Maybe we should take a trip there soon!" Skyler pulled the bottle from her mouth, a droplet of water rolling down her lower lip. Addison removed it with her index finger and placed it into her own mouth.

"Good?" Skyler asked, feeling a slight twinge in her lower stomach.

"Only one thing could make it better."

"Which is?"

Addison simply wiggled her eyebrows. "I'll show you later."

Skyler handed Addison her water bottle. "I look forward to it." She rose to her feet. "Ready?"

"Sure." Organising her equipment, Addison stood. Together they approached a left turning and shone their beams down the tunnel. It was long and narrow. There wasn't enough room for them to walk side by side. Addison stepped forwards first. She concentrated her torch light on their immediate surroundings. Again she could feel the floor sloping downwards, moving further and further beneath the earth's surface. She placed her free hand upon the wall, feeling the warmth and ruggedness of the rock. The time and effort it must have taken in order to create the tunnels and chambers astounded her. With very little in the way of today's state of the art stone cutting machinery, she appreciated how hard it must have been and how time consuming a task it was.

Walking in silence, Skyler followed Addison closely. While the dark haired agent looked upon her surroundings in wonder, she cast an educated eye over everything from the methods used to cut and form the tunnels to the little carvings she could occasionally see upon the walls. Though Skyler couldn't document any written physical evidence of what she saw, many mental notes were being taken. It was time like these the doctor praised her photographic memory. However, it wasn't particularly easy to do this in torchlight.

Noticing her light was getting a little dim; Skyler turned off the torch, shook it for another twenty seconds and then turned it back on. Her actions drew Addison's attention.

"We're still sloping downwards," she said.

Skyler looked to the ground. "I just noticed it got steeper."

"Yes, I…" Addison paused as she felt a different surface underfoot. A loud creaking became evidence of that recognition. "What the bollocks is this?"

Looking over Addison's shoulder the blonde said, "It looks like wooden boards. They must be covering a hole or something."

"The 'or something' is all that bothers me right now." Addison knelt down. "Do you think we're supposed to go down this way?" She moved an old plank of wood and shone her torch into the cavity.

"I highly doubt it, Addison. My guess is that they are just there to cover a dangerous hole."

Addison pushed her head into the hole. Even with her powerful torch light she wasn't able to see anything. She did, however, feel an intense heat radiating from inside. The agent felt the temperature prickle against her flesh. "Skyler… I think this is a crevice that goes deep down towards the earth's core." She pulled herself from the gaping hole. "How bloody far down are we going?" She examined the makeshift bridge. "It's not very long."

"I'd estimate it to be no more than three feet in length. Judging by the size and width of those planks of wood I think they are safe enough to cross. The hole isn't all that wide."

"No, it's just very deep." Addison placed one foot gingerly upon the wood. It creaked loudly, but otherwise remained stable. With another two steps she'd crossed the makeshift bridge. Turning around, Addison held out her hand for Skyler. The doctor crossed effortlessly, her frame lighter than Addison's. They continued down the sloping pathway. Addison felt the air change. A slight draft brushed against her face.

"Addison?"

"Yes?"

"Question."

"What?"

"When we've finished in here... do we seal up the entrance or leave it open for further excavation?"

"I don't know. What do you think we should do, Sky?"

"Obviously I'm all for leaving it open. If we find anything like what is speculated about Imhotep's tomb then it's surely worth it."

"Oh?" Addison's mind began to list through the possibilities. "Gold, silver, jewellery, precious…"

Skyler interrupted swiftly. "Actually no… more like medical texts, royal documents of the king, pyramid plans. Imhotep was a bit of a Renaissance man; he had his hands in many different occupations. It would be awesome to study this in greater detail."

"What ever tickles your fancy!"

"Pardon?"

Addison grinned. "Nothing. It's okay." She reached a corner and turned right. The air around them changed noticeably and Addison could see items reflect the light of her torch. She moved the beam around seeing shadowy forms of different shapes and images. "What do we have here?"

With more room to move, Skyler stood beside Addison. "Looks like we've found it." She stepped in further. "Oh wow!" A multitude of colours bounded off the walls. Addison entered behind her. Something caught her eye and she approached a stone pillar, no taller than herself, in the centre of the room. "Hey what's this?"

Skyler approached the pillar. She examined a rough wad of pungent material. It appeared to be wrapped around a wooden stake, which was inserted into the stone pillar. "I think it's a standing torch. Give me a light or some matches."

"Please!" Addison pulled a lighter from her pocket. "There you go, Miss Manners."

"Thank you," Skyler chuckled. She held the lighter's flame to the bundle of cloth. Nothing happened. "Come on, baby." She moved the flame over and around and suddenly… the torch burst into an impressive blaze. The chamber was bathed in light. Addison's jaw dropped as she received her first look at the room.

"Holy shit!"

Chapter 11

Standing in the centre of the chamber, Addison took in her surroundings with a three hundred and sixty degree turn. All around them the walls were covered in highly coloured and detailed depictions. The agent was unable to determine what they said or meant, but to her they appeared to tell a story. It was almost as though she was able to see a beginning, middle and end upon each wall. The beautifully hand painted drawings were, to Addison, inspiring. She wanted to reach out and touch them, to run her fingertips over the colours, still bright and enticing. By the wall opposite the entrance were two further passageways. Three stone statues stood around them, one in between and one either side. Though carved in sandstone the features were exquisite. The statues seemed to be standing to attention, each holding a spear in their right hands. In the centre of the chamber stood the torch and to either side of that was a single, small sarcophagus. Instantly Addison knew neither of them could belong to Imhotep, they were too small for a child let alone a full grown male.

Turning to her left Addison watched Skyler as she began to document the images upon the walls. Using a unique, S.O. issued Pictorial Imager she took accurate, digital pictures of each wall. The device was no longer than thirty centimetres in length and only a couple of inches wide. When turned on a beam was emitted which could be enlarged to the length of the area to be captured. Skyler simply held down the recording button and moved its beam over the wall.

"Sky," Addison asked, approaching the doctor. "These don't really seem big enough to hold a full size mummified body."

"No…" Skyler replied, though her attention was completely focussed upon her task. "I think we have to continue through one of those doorways." Finishing with the first wall, Skyler started on the second. "I think I've just discovered something else too."

"Which is?" Addison looked down at one of the sarcophagi. There was a form of script carved onto the stone lid, but it wasn't written in hieroglyphics.

"I think initially this room was it. This was the end of the road. I think it was some kind of shrine or temple." Skyler turned to the last wall. She began recording the images. "Those two crypts… they're cat tombs."

"Mummified cats?" the agent asked in surprise.

Skyler nodded as she finished the final wall. "Cats were highly regarded in Ancient Egyptian times."

"I know, but a tomb for cats?"

Putting the Pictorial Imager back in her pack, Skyler turned to Addison. "They were buried with their owners… but these cats…" Skyler tapped one of the sarcophagi, "They were, for some reason, very highly esteemed. The writing is Demotic, but I'm not too good at translating that. The only fact I'm certain of is that they belonged to a pharaoh. I don't know who they were; it doesn't say."

"Bloody hell. You know… I had a cat when I was a kid. When it died I put him in a shoe box and cremated him in the woods."

"I thought you hated cats?"

Addison chuckled and shook her head. "I don't hate cats. We just have a mutual agreement for maintaining a healthy distance."

"You called Spike's chew toy 'pussy'!"

The agent snickered, but refrained from responding to that comment. She simply smiled at Skyler. "So what makes you think this room was originally the end of the road?"

Skyler arched her eyebrows, but decided to let Addison get away with changing the subject. "There was originally only one doorway by the guardians." She pointed to the left passageway. "That one. The second was cut out later as it removed the hieroglyphics upon the wall. There is a huge chunk of the writing missing." She pointed to the right passageway. "Wherever that one leads… and I presume to Imhotep's tomb… it was made later."

"So what's the original doorway?"

"I say we have a look." Skyler led the way through the left passage. They found themselves in a small, square room, six foot by six foot in size. There was no decoration upon the walls of any kind, but what caught their attention was the content. "Oh my god," Skyler muttered. She looked upon the small bounty of treasures in awe. "I think… I think they're cats' belongings."

"Cats?" Addison was incredulous.

"Well look at this." Skyler held up a small, jewel-incrusted band. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but this looks very much like a collar to me. And there…" She pointed to two stuffed fabric cushions. They were aged and slightly moth-eaten in appearance, but form and colour remained. "Cat beds?" she suggested.

Addison picked up a string of blue faience beads. "I can't believe cats got this kind of treatment." She twirled the beads around her fingers. "I can't believe they built a shrine for bloody cats!"

"I think the cats were placed there in honour."

"Of what?"

Skyler inclined her head back to the main chamber and Addison followed her into the highly decorated room. "These depictions on the wall… they talk of Bastet."

"And she was what, the feline pedicurist?"

Skyler scowled. "She was the cat-headed goddess and guardian of the Delta area. Her centre of cult was in Bubastis, which was a religious site."

"So you're saying this place was a temple to Bastet?"

"A shrine to the goddess, yes. The pharaoh's cats were placed here in her honour."

The frown upon Addison's brow increased further. "Okay, so I have a question. What does Imhotep have to do with cat-headed woman?"

"Bastet?" Skyler rolled her eyes. "I don't know. I've never read of any association between the two, but I can only presume Imhotep himself honoured her. It might have been his request to be placed here after his death. That would mean he would have planned this extra chamber of entombment while he was still alive."

"Do you think it has anything to do with the infamous key?"

Skyler shrugged at first, but then stopped and thought for a moment. Maybe there was no indicator of his tomb because he intended taking the key with him. That being said, her question remained: what was it for and why did he feel a need to hide it away from others during that period of time? What did the key unlock? "I think it does have something to do with that. I think they are all connected somehow."

Nodding slowly, Addison looked around her. She would admit to being totally clueless about what they were getting themselves into, but the unknown only added to her excitement in the quest. "Ready to continue?"

Skyler adjusted the pack upon her back. "More than ever!" Feeling increasing anticipation, Skyler followed Addison through the second passageway. Both women turned on their torches as their surroundings grew darker and darker. Addison took a turn to the right. She walked no further than five steps before she sensed another change in the air around them. It got unexpectedly hotter. She stopped, forcing Skyler to halt behind her.

"What?"

Addison shone her torch upon the ground and found the source of what had caused her intuition. An area of the pathway ahead of them had broken away. The fact that the tunnel was built over a deep underground cavern wasn't as bothersome or complex as the seven-foot area of footing which was no longer there. "We have another part of the pathway missing."

"You're joking?" Skyler looked around Addison. This time there were no wooden beams to pass over. "Shit. What do you suggest?"

Dark brown eyes scanned the stone tunnel in torchlight. Spotting something she presumed they could utilise Addison shone her light upon the edge of the wall where it met the floor. "There is a slight ledge here; if we take off our packs we could hug the wall and slide across. It'll be risky, but the ledge looks to be part of the wall, which is why it didn't fall away like the rest." Addison looked back at Skyler. "Are you up for it?"

"There isn't much of a choice."

"Well there is, but…"

"But you know I'm not going to wait here while you continue on."

"Yes!" Addison smiled. She released the pack from her shoulders and Skyler did the same. "It's handy to keep both hands free as balance remains better if you can feel the wall behind you with both hands. Wear your backpack like this." Addison pushed her arms back through the carrier so she was wearing it on her chest. "If it feels too heavy and like it might pull you forwards then give it to me. I've done this before with both hands full."

Skyler tested the pack on her chest. "I think I'll manage."

"You sure?"

Skyler moved her shoulders around and tested the weight. "Yeah, it feels okay. Yours is heavier than mine anyway."

"Okay." Addison stood against the wall, hugging it with her back. She motioned for Skyler to do the same. There was a small measure of apprehension in the blonde's eyes and Addison noticed this. With their hands against the wall Addison linked her little finger with Skyler's. She placed her torch in her mouth and winked. "Ready?" she asked awkwardly.

"I guess so."

Moving her feet to a diagonal slant, Addison began to edge her way along the ledge. She moved slowly, her finger entwined with Skyler's the whole time. As Skyler began to step upon the narrow ledge she held her breath. With the torch in her mouth pointing at a slightly descending angle, Skyler managed to resist the urge to look down. She kept her hands flat against the wall, the touch of Addison's little finger her lifeline. Feeling her heart increase its beat Skyler took deep, even breaths. She moved at a slow pace, sliding her feet along the ledge.

Though the moment seemed to last a long time they eventually found themselves on the opposite side of the cavity. Skyler released a deep sigh. "That wouldn't have been so bad at all if I didn't have to do this again on the way out of here."

Addison released the backpack from her chest. "Look at it this way. Before… you had to do it twice… now it is one down and only once more." The agent resituated her pack. She commenced walking, passing a dead end to the right and taking a turning to the left. "Also… think about this. We have to be almost there now and there can't be anymore surprises like this!"

"Well I suppose so." While she readjusted her own pack Skyler realised Addison had disappeared around the corner before she could catch up. When she noticed her absence she called out, "Addison?" There was no reply. Skyler looked down the right turning, but found it to be a dead end. She walked a little further and took the turning to the left. Addison's torchlight became visible. "Addison," she called again. There was still no answer, but she could make out Addison's form not far ahead of her. "Hey," she called. "What is it?"

"Remember when I said it couldn't get any worse?" asked Addison.

"Yeah?" Skyler felt a trickle of alarm prickle her senses.

"I was wrong."

"How?" Skyler reached Addison's side and looked ahead. "Oh God!"

"That's the tamer version of what I said!" Addison and Skyler stood on the precipice of a wide and apparently very deep cavern. There was no way to tell, just by looking, exactly how large it was, but it stretched out on either side of them into the distance. The only possible means of reaching the opposite side of the cavern was over an insubstantial looking rope bridge. Although Addison could only see a short distance down into the cavern she could feel the heat radiating upwards. The realisation that it may well be a lava flow occurred to Addison and concerned her. "How on God's green earth did those guys manage to build that bridge let alone carry a heavy stone sarcophagus over?

"Generally the sarcophagus would have been made inside the tomb," Skyler replied. "That still begs the question, how did they manage to build it?" She pushed one side of the rope bridge. It creaked under her manipulation. "How safe do you think it is?"

"I'm still trying to figure out how they built it!" Addison grasped a length of rope and gave it a pull. "It seems tight enough. I think it will hold." Cupping her hands around her mouth she shouted, "HELLO!" A second later her voice echoed its reply. "I've always wanted to do that."

Skyler looked into the cavern. Picking up a stray rock, she dropped it into the infinite darkness. "Did you know a duck's quack doesn't echo?"

"Really"

"Yep, it's one of those strange but true facts."

"Sky, how the hell do you have room for all the information your mind is able to store?"

"Just a curse I guess."

Addison smiled. Looking out over the bridge she decided it did at least appear stable. None of the rungs were missing and each rope looked intact. The problem was that it didn't look particularly inviting. She wondered, after so many years, just how much it could take. Would it be as strong as it was at the time it was built? "I'm going to try it out."

Skyler's head shot around to Addison. "What? Are you sure? Addison, it looks fragile."

"Well how else are we supposed to get over there?"

The doctor pursed her lips. "Addison, please be careful."

"I will, Sky. Trust me."

Taking a set of pulleys and a Para cord from her backpack, Addison handed it to Skyler. She then pulled out a mechanical insertion device. She attached the pulleys' hooking system to the device and held it against the stonewall. Flicking a red switch the device drove the pulleys' mechanism into the rock. Addison then attached the Para cord. "I'll take this over with me. This thing is strong enough to hold almost a ton in weight. It's just an added safety net."

"It's a good idea. Thank you." Skyler took Addison's hand and brushed her thumb over the back of it. "Tread carefully."

Not letting go of the doctor's hand, Addison kissed her fingers. "See you on the other side." With one last reassuring smile Addison released her hand and stepped towards the bridge. Making sure the other end of the cord was attached to the hook at her waist, Addison took her first step out onto the bridge. The creaking was louder this time and it swung slightly under her weight. Testing the rungs with her feet, Addison took another step. She held onto the rope on both sides. With every cautious step Addison walked further across the bridge. Each step was accompanied by a groan as the bridge adjusted to her mass. By the time she was halfway across, Addison's confidence began to increase. "It seems to be holding up well," Addison called. "How's the length of Para cord doing, Sky?"

Skyler checked the pulley system. "Still plenty left."

"Good, there'll be plenty to…" Addison froze as she felt the bridge slacken. "Shit," she whispered. A sound, very much like that of many snapping guitar strings, came from the ancient ropes. "Oh crap!"

"Addison," Skyler called in warning.

Knowing she had little time to lose, Addison began to run. More 'pings' and 'twangs' followed and before Addison could reach the opposite side, the bridge gave way and her pounding feet met nothing but air. In a desperate attempt not to fall, Addison grabbed onto the rope handrail with both hands as the bridge started to fall. "Oh Shiiiiit!" she yelled. Addison felt her body swing through the air, her hands firmly wrapped around the rope. She collided with the rock wall on the other side of the cavern. Addison felt the air leave her body upon impact.

"NO! Addison!" Skyler yelled in desperation. The agent had disappeared into the darkness. "Addison?" Panic set into the blonde and nausea curdled her stomach. "Addison, are you there? Talk to me."

Hands wrapped around the rope, Addison shook her head and tried to catch her breath. The side of her arm stung from where she hit the wall and scraped along the rough, jagged surface.

"Addison!" Skyler yelled.

"I'm here." The agent took a breath. "I'm here."

"Thank god. Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Addison's hands shot to her waist and she checked to make sure the Para cord was still attached to her waist. "Everything is cool," she said in relief. Readjusting her body, Addison placed her feet against the cavern wall. Leaning out she began to walk her way back up to the other side of the rope bridge.

Skyler shone her light down the remainder of the bridge, which was now hanging down the side of the cavern. She saw Addison emerge as she climbed up the wall. "God I was so scared."

Reaching the ledge, Addison pulled herself up and back to safety. She sat down with her back against the wall. Beads of sweat trickled down her forehead. Skyler shone her torch light over the cavern and even from an almost fifty meter distance she could see the blood down Addison's arm. "You're bleeding. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Just scratches," Addison replied. Not wasting any time she took the mechanical insertion device back out of her backpack and attached a second pulley. She drove it into the wall and inserted the other end of the Para cord. Addison pulled it tight.

Standing on the other side of the cavern Skyler called to the agent. "Um, Addison, I really don't think I want to make my way across this."

"It's perfectly safe, Sky. I promise you."

"I do believe you." Skyler looked down into the cavern. She had desperately wanted to see this to the end, but after seeing Addison almost fall into the depths of the chasm's unknown she was having major doubts. "I don't like my chances swinging my way across. I'm…"

"It's okay." Addison understood. Although she was sure Skyler had the upper body strength to carry herself it was a daunting prospect. Only god knows how deep the cavern actually went. "Sky, do you want to continue using eyes and ears?"

The doctor smiled. "I was just about to suggest that myself." From separate sides of the cavern both women pulled out their equipment. Skyler opened her laptop and booted the receiver. She sat down, shaking her torch and then adjusting the light from a straight beam to lantern mode. She was instantly bathed in a bright glow. On the other side of the cavern Addison opened her glasses and placed them on. She attached the transmitter to her belt. For Addison it was like wearing a standard pair of spectacles. It was only when she pulled them away from her face that she was just able to make out the network lattice, video transmitter in each lens. Inserting the ear piece Addison said, "Hey, Sky, do you read me?"

"Perfectly, Addison," came Skyler's response. "Keep your torch ahead of you so I get the best possible vision."

"Will do." Addison turned to the passageway and entered. Skyler watched her progress on the laptop monitor. The agent walked over twenty yards before she spotted something potentially dangerous. "Sky, are you getting this?"

"Yes… It looks like beams of wood have been wedged into the roof in this part of the tunnel to prevent the loose rocks from caving in. How safe do you think it is, Addison?"

"Hmm…" Addison shone the torch light across a fallen beam and several boulders. "Not very safe by the look of it."

Skyler scanned the monitor. "Addison, be really careful crossing over that area. Those beams may have been wedged in well, but degrading of the wood plus natural shifts within the earth's mantle have caused it to become unstable."

Addison looked up at the roof. A number of beams did seem somewhat precarious. Any kind of jolt could cause more to fall. She moved slowly, reaching the diagonally leaning beam and stepped over it as best she could without disturbing the calm of its otherwise precarious nature. Once she had passed the beams she took a turning to the left and then another to the right. The path ahead grew very steep. She walked down cautiously. "Hey, Sky," she called. "Do you want to hear a joke?"

"Oh brother." Skyler had become aware of Addison's methods of easing a tense situation. "Okay. What do you have for me?"

Addison snickered and thought for a moment. "A Chinese man calls up his boss and says, 'me sick, me no work'. His boss says, 'when I feel ill I go home and fuck my wife, that always makes me feel better'." Addison began to feel the ground was slowly evening out. "So the Chinese man goes away and calls back two hours later. He says, 'me better now. You got nice house'." The agent started to chuckle but heard nothing from Skyler. "What… don't you get it?"

"Addison, that is so lame."

"Are you disparaging my material?" The ground evened out completely and Addison found herself in another chamber.

"With jokes like that of course I am. That's…" Skyler saw the image on the screen change as Addison's torchlight began bouncing off nearby objects. "That's… you're… you're there, aren't you?"

Finding another pillar Addison took out her lighter. "I think I am." Striking the flint until she achieved a flame, Addison lit the torch. Skyler's jaw dropped as she beheld Addison's view. Before them lay a large stone sarcophagus.

"There he is," she whispered.

Chapter 12

Skyler pulled the laptop onto her legs, her once simmering anticipation overflowing into pure excitement. Her eyes moved over the screen seeing everything Addison saw. If she'd had time to stop and think she would have felt the disappointment at not being in the tomb with Addison, but for the moment she was too much in awe.

Across the chasm Addison gazed at the furnishings around her. The knowledge that she was the first person to enter the chamber in over five thousand years instilled within her a feeling of humbled honour. This was a moment she wanted to savour. Stepping away from the flaming lamp, she watched shadows bounce upon the colourful walls. There weren't many objects in the room... a large vase, an ancient torch and a low stone altar holding some small vases and a slightly larger, faience statue. In the centre stood a beautifully sculpted stone sarcophagus. Addison approached the coffin and looked down at the inscription. Skyler observed Addison's actions. She leaned closer to the screen.

"Addison, can you use your flash light also? I need as clear and bright an image as possible."

Acknowledging Skyler's request, Addison shook her torch and turned it on. She shone its beam upon the sarcophagus. "How's this?" The inscription, carved in stone, became much clearer.

"That's perfect, Addison, thanks." Skyler read the hieroglyphics. "It really is him. That really is the tomb of…" She paused as a question entered her mind. "I wonder if…" She tried to dismiss the idea.

"What… wonder what?"

"No we probably shouldn't," Skyler replied.

"What were you thinking, Sky?" Addison's mind pondered over Skyler's words. With a smile Addison pulled the glasses from her face, the earpiece remaining in her ear. She turned the frames around to face her. "You want to know if I can open it, don't you?"

Addison's face filled the laptops screen and Skyler smiled at her quirked eyebrow. "Yes. I was wondering if it was possible to open the coffin. I'd really like to see what it's like in there."

The agent grimaced. "How about an old dead body wrapped in tatty rags?" Addison placed the glasses back on. She looked down at the sarcophagus. Speckles of age-old dust covered the lid and she brushed her hand over the warm stone. Her action revealed more markings in the stone. "Hey, Sky, can you see this?" She shone the torch beam upon a single clear stone embedded into the lid.

"What is it?"

Addison tried to manipulate the sparkling glass in an effort to remove it. It was wedged in tight. "It looks like crystal. Have you ever seen anything like this before? Do you know what it means?"

Skyler's head moved to the side as she studied the image before her. "I have no idea. It looks remarkable though. You can't move it?"

"No." The agent ran the palms of her hands over the edge of the lid. Taking a step backwards she tried to push, but it didn't move. "That's really heavy, Sky." Addison tried again using more force. The sound of stone scraping against stone rose as the lid moved scant millimetres. "Whoa!" Addison pushed again. The lid moved, producing a four-inch gap. Taking her torch, Addison shone its light inside. She detected a pungent and peculiar aroma that she presumed was associated with an entombed, embalmed body. It wasn't as unpleasant as some scents she had encountered, but that was not to say it was agreeable.

"What do you see, Addison? I can't make out the image on screen."

Peering further through the gap Addison moved the torch light around. "Can you see that?" she asked, seeing the obvious outline of a human corpse.

"Just barely, yes." Skyler began tapping several keys on her laptop and the computer started a digital video recording of everything she saw. "Addison, can you open the lid any more?"

Bracing her feet and hands in position, Addison pushed again, but to no avail. "I'm trying, but it isn't moving any further." Gritting her teeth the agent tried once more. The heavy stone lid refused to shift a millimetre more. Addison grunted in exertion. "It wont budge... bugger it." With a sigh she stepped away affording Skyler a wider view of the chamber.

"Addison, what's on the walls?"

"Huh? Oh!" Addison turned to the left and faced the wall covered from top to bottom in Egyptian hieroglyphics. She stepped closer in a move to give Skyler a clear image of what she saw. The doctor took a still recording of the wall and enlarged it in a separate window. "The opposite wall is the same. Do you want that one as well?"

"Yeah, thanks."

Turning in a half circle, Addison faced the opposite wall. She moved into a position that gave Skyler the best shot of the wall. Addison thought they both looked the same yet she knew Skyler would be able to decipher the symbols. "Do you have them both?" she asked.

"Uh huh." Skyler had each side wall open in a different window on her computer and was already reading through the ancient symbols. "The first one talks of Imhotep and his works in medicine mainly." Skyler enlarged part of the screen. "The second one talks of his life and places of worship." She ran her index finger over the hieroglyphics. "This is interesting."

"What's that?" Addison asked as she faced the doorway from which she entered. The wall was bare apart from a row of hieroglyphics above the entrance. It was Imhotep's name; that she easily recognised by now.

Skyler's lips moved in silence as she read the symbols and eventually she spoke. "On the second wall… there is a part here that talks of Imhotep's 'locked' temple in Bubastis."

"Locked," Addison echoed.

"Locked," Skyler repeated.

"As in needs a key to open?"

"That's what I'm thinking."

"That is interesting." Addison pursed her lips in thought. She turned to face the final wall. "And talking of interesting." She took a step closer to the picture upon the wall. It portrayed two priests, standing with their arms held up in a worshiping manner towards the night sky. In front of the wall stood the low, stone altar covered with the same decorations as Imhotep's sarcophagus.

"Addison," Skyler's voice called. "Can you get closer to the objects on the altar? I want to see what they are."

"Sure." Addison stepped closer and knelt down to transmit a close up image for Skyler. She adjusted the spectacles on her nose. There were several wide figures surrounding one large clay statue. "What are these things?" the agent asked. "They look like…"

"Canopic jars," Skyler replied. "They're canopic jars."

Addison ran her right hand over the centre statue. It stood at twenty centimetres tall and was made of dark creamy clay. The body was human yet the head was that of a cat. Addison almost asked what it was, but something inside told her she already knew the answer. "Sky, this statue… it's that goddess Bastet, right? The cat-headed goddess?"

Skyler took a still image and expanded it to full screen. "That is Bastet, but…" Skyler enlarged the Goddess' head. "I've never seen her portrayed quite like this before."

"How is she different?" Addison picked up the statue and turned it around in her hands. The figure was in perfect form; not a single chip or crack marred the delicate clay. Still not hearing a response from Skyler, Addison asked again. "How is she different, Sky?"

"Well… it looks like she is winking. Am I right? Is that what you see too?"

Addison gazed upon Bastet's face. "One eye is closed and the other open… either she is winking or she has something in her eye and is trying to blink it away." Addison moved her index finger over Bastet's eye in small circular motions. "Sky, her eye is made of a different material. It's black and a hell of a lot smoother and very cold to the touch."

"What do you think it is?"

"No idea." Addison weighed the statue in her hand. "It feels heavier than I would have expected though."

Turning back to the walls of hieroglyphics, Skyler continued reading. She frowned. "Addison?"

"Yes?"

"Do you see anything else in the room apart from what we've already encountered?"

The agent looked around. "No I don't."

"Okay." Skyler paused. "Addison, I think ... I don't know how… but I think that is the key."

"Bastet?"

"Yes. There is something peculiar about her. I think she is the key. Everything seems to lead to that probability. Somehow and in some way she is definitely the key."

"But how?"

Skyler sighed. "I don't know… I haven't figured that part out yet… consciously anyway."

"Consciously?"

"Addison, I know that stature of Bastet is the key. I don't quite know how I am so sure of this yet. Sometimes my mind works on a deeper level and my subconscious has worked it out before I'm fully aware." Skyler hoped Addison would accept her explanation.

"Trusting one's subconscious? I'm not sure about that, Skyler, but I do trust you." Addison placed down the figure and picked up a canopic jar. "Are you sure the key isn't one of these or in one of these?" She shook the jar lightly.

"Eww… Addison… canopic jars don't contain keys; they contain extracted internal bodily organs."

Addison placed the jar down with a grimace. Taking the figure of Bastet she rose to her feet and turned to face the sarcophagus. "And you are as positive as you can be that the key is not inside the coffin?"

"It's Bastet."

"Right." Untying the shirt from around her waist, Addison laid it over Imhotep's sarcophagus. She placed Bastet's figure on top and started to wrap the fabric around it. "I'll need your shirt as well, Sky. I want this as protected as possible. I had no idea this key was going to be so fragile."

"No problem."

Once the small statue was wrapped, Addison placed it carefully inside her backpack. Sealing the carrier she placed it back on her shoulders. "Is there anything else we need?"

"No, I think you better get back over here now. We don't want to be in here too long." The question of how Addison planned on crossing the chasm was the reason Skyler didn't much relish the idea of having to cross it herself. However safe Addison said that cord was, it was still too intimidating for Skyler.

"Right." Exiting Imhotep's tomb Addison began making her way up the deep slope that originally paved the way into the chamber. She leaned forwards, literally having to place her hands upon the ground as she ascended the slanted floor. Reaching the top she turned left and headed back to the cavern, down the long passageway and cautiously past the caved in part of the ceiling.

On the other side of the gorge Skyler saw Addison appear. "Are you okay?" she called.

Taking a pair of fingerless, leather gloves from her pocket, Addison slipped them on. "Oh I'm just great." She flexed her hands.

"Addison, how do you plan on using the Para cord to cross the cavern?"

Reaching up to the thick cord, the agent wrapped her hands around it. "Basically… like this…" Lifting her feet off the ground Addison began manoeuvring herself across the cavern. Hands passing, one in front of the other, she travelled across the Para cord in a slow and steady advance. She didn't look down, not wanting to gaze into the ebony abyss below her.

Skyler watched the agent, her fists clenched in nervous anticipation. "Come on, Addison," she whispered. "God I hope that contraption holds half as much as you say it does."

The Para cord dipped as Addison reached its centre and, legs hanging limply above the chasm, the agent felt nerves tingle in her toes. The feeling was thrilling for her. She held onto the cord tighter and continued to move. She had ventured over halfway across before her eagerness to reach the opposite side caused her to move a fraction faster. "Hey, Sky, do you want to hear another joke?"

The doctor's shoulders slumped. "Addison, do you really think now is such an appropriate time?"

"No time like the present," the agent responded. "Okay, you should like this one better than the last. Why don't witches wear panties?"

"Addison!"

"Come on, Sky. Why don't witches wear panties?"

Placing her hands on her hips Skyler said, "I don't know; why don't witches wear panties?"

Addison reached the other side with a grin. "So they have extra grip on their broomstick!"

Skyler snorted despite herself and took a step backwards as Addison jumped onto the ledge. "Where do you get these jokes?"

"Internet," Addison grinned. Taking the pack from her back she placed it on the floor and knelt down. Skyler followed as the agent handed her the wrapped statue. She opened it carefully.

"My god, this is… it's beautiful!" Skyler held the figure up and turned it in the light. "She really is exquisite, and you're right, her eye does appear to be made of some form of cold glass stone." Handing the statue back to Addison she took her own shirt from her bag and gave it to the agent. "This will add some extra padding around her."

Wrapping the statue with as much cushioning as possible Addison placed the bundle back in her backpack. "We need to get out of here." She paused and looked over to Skyler. "You really are sure she is the key, right?"

With a nod Skyler rose and led the way back down the passageway. "At first I wasn't. When I saw that picture of the two priests on the wall, worshiping the night sky, I didn't think it could be. However, after reading about Imhotep's temple in Bubastis and seeing all the evidence here today, how can it not be?" Skyler waved her hands back and forth. "Two plus two makes four." She walked for a few moments in silence before speaking again. "Hey, do you want to know something interesting?"

"What?"

"The city of Bubastis used to have a festival once every year and it allowed for excessive drinking and free sex!"

"That is interesting," Addison said with a throaty laugh.

The women carefully crossed the gap of missing floor and turned back into the original chamber. The torch was still flaming bright. "Addison?"

"Yes?"

"I have a question."

The agent stopped by the left cat sarcophagus and turned to Skyler. "What is it?"

"Do we really have to go back to London and hand Bastet over to Roman Leeds? I would love to follow the lead on this and see what she opens and how."

Addison leaned against the sarcophagus. "I understand, Sky, but we have completed the orders and besides, this really isn't part of Special Operations. Sometimes though I guess it pays to have friends in high places... just like Roman Leeds. We got what we came for and gathered information that should help the authorities. Our work is done."

"And that's it?"

"Mark will follow up the investigation and any further involvement will be instigated by him."

Skyler turned, looking at the ancient relics around them. "For my first assignment this has been really interesting and actually quite fun… in a way." Skyler followed Addison as she began heading out of the chamber. The doctor continued talking. "I suppose not all missions are going to be like this?"

"No," Addison replied. "Sometimes it can be full of hell-raising danger and fly by the seat of your pants excitement."

Skyler stopped in her tracks and stared at Addison's retreating back. "And why do I get the impression you simply revel in that?" With a wide grin Addison looked back at Skyler. She jiggled her eyebrows silently. The doctor shook her head. "I bet you were one of those kids who played chicken on busy roads for fun."

"Actually no," Addison responded. "But I did taunt security guard dogs and get them to chase us. Oh, and once we hung from electric pylon wires to see who could stay there the longest. There was also this time when I…"

"Okay, okay." Skyler threw her hands up in the air. "I get it, I get it. Basically you were the type of kid who licked a battery to pass the time."

The agent's smile turned lascivious. "I'd lick anything I could!" Her eyebrows danced upon her forehead once again.

"Ugh!" Skyler felt her cheeks infuse with a warm glow and she moved forwards, pushing Addison into action. "Let's get back and end this assignment. I'm starting to remember why I was so looking forward to our weekend together." Clearing her throat, she passed Addison and took the lead. In a whisper Skyler said, "James Bond gets his rocks off more times than a frigging bunny! Curse standard procedures and rules of abstinence."

Addison passed Skyler again and led the way over the boards that covered another hole. "At least they don't rule out the act of self entertainment."

"Self enter…" Skyler's jaw dropped. "Oh you're just trying to kill me, aren't you?"

The women reached the cave-in of large rocks. "I'm not trying to kill you, Skyler, I'm just giving you something to look forward to."

Skyler shrugged the pack from her back and placed it in the hole. "You are in so much trouble when we get back!"

"Can't wait," Addison responded, watching the doctor's behind disappear into the small tunnel.

They made it though with little effort and had to face the next obstacle when confronted with a ten-foot high wall. To venture further meant entering the tunnel at the top of the wall. "Any ideas?" Skyler asked.

"One," replied the agent. Jumping up and down four times on the spot, the agent ran towards the wall and straight up, clasping the ledge. She pulled herself up easily. Remaining on her knees she turned and held her hand down to Skyler. "Ma'am." Skyler accepted the offered hand and Addison pulled her into the low tunnel. "Wasn't so hard, was it?"

"I think I handled that quite well."

Addison rolled her tongue over her front teeth. "Uh huh!" She let Skyler crawl past her and followed directly behind. Turning right they felt the ground beneath them start to slope once again. It felt harder to keep a grip while moving up the crawl space, but they were just able to keep stabilised. Skyler reached the ledge. She turned and dropped to the floor below.

"Almost out," Skyler stated.

"Thank god." Addison took a short breath. "It will be so much nicer to breath in the fresh air again. It should still be dark out there so the air will be cooler and fresher as well." She dropped to the ground beside Skyler. Together they travelled the short distance to the broken wooden hatch that stood as the point of entrance. Addison looked up into the night sky littered with twinkling stars. "That does feel good." She closed her eyes as a cool breeze fluttered over her face.

Skyler took a deep breath of clean air. "Come on, let's get out of here."

"Ladies first." Addison laced her fingers together and helped Skyler out into the dark Egyptian night. "How's it feel out there?" she called. There was no response. Addison climbed out of the tunnel. She found a silent Skyler standing with both hands raised in the air and surrounded by armed gunmen.

"Bollocks!"

Chapter 13

During the hours of darkness large spotlights placed strategically around Djoser Pyramid Complex illuminated the area. They provided ample lighting to penetrate the darkness with a warm, inviting glow. That feeling, however, was less alluring when faced with the reality of a group of almost twenty armed ruffians. They stood around the entrance to Imhotep's tomb, weapons held high and aimed upon both Skyler and Addison. The women emerged from the underground passageways with their backs to the wall and the three standing statues from where they had entered. Addison decided to use this as an advantage.

From the centre of the assembly a young man stepped forward. Addison thought it peculiar that he wore tinted shades and a dark red baseball cap at night. She noted the emblem upon the cap; it was that of an English soccer team. The agent filed that piece of information away for later use. The young man had yet to speak and so Addison took advantage of the time to survey their surroundings and size up their opponents. She knew these men meant business; they carried top specification weapons and stood in a typical open ambush pattern.

Addison turned to Skyler. She felt a sense of reassurance to see the doctor, although nervous, appeared confident and ready for whatever happened next. She knew to follow Addison's lead and would do so without hesitation. Skyler waited for the experienced soldier to make the first move.

The surrounding men kept silent; it was obvious who was in charge here. Addison watched as the young man before them readjusted his cap and pulled a revolver from the waistband of his white linen trousers. He scraped the barrel down the side of his face, relieving an itch, before he spoke. With an expression of disinterest he shrugged and said, "Just hand over the key."

Neither woman replied, but both noted his English accent.

"I don't really want to dive into clichés such as 'we can do this the easy way or the hard way.' I think the odds speak for themselves. Hand over the key and I let you walk away with your lives. Believe me, you wouldn't like the alternative."

Addison didn't believe he would let them live if they did hand over the key and she was by no means prepared to do that. Her lips quirked to a smirk and she looked over at Skyler who looked back at her with a similar expression. Addison turned back to the young Englishman. "Here's a cliché. You don't know who you are playing with, kid. Back off while you are still able to do so."

Noticing Addison had yet to raise her hands he yelled. "Put your hands in the air. Now!"

"Well I would," Addison replied. "But my arms are kind of tired."

"It was tough work getting that key," Skyler added.

Addison smirked again. She knew they were playing with fire, but she was determined not to let this person feel he could get the upper hand over them. Even if the odds did appear to be twenty against two.

Lifting the revolver level to Addison's face he said, "Choose the easy way out, Inspector Black."

"Well you see now you have me at a disadvantage. I think it is only common courtesy that we at least introduce ourselves. You seem to know who I am, don't I deserve the same respect?"

The young man shook his head. "I prefer it this way. You are Inspectors Black and Tidwell from Scotland Yard. I know all I need to know and as far as I am concerned... so do you." He cocked the revolver. "Now hand over the key."

Addison pursed her lips in thought. "You know, I don't think I want to."

Eyes widening in anger the man turned to his nearest gunman. He motioned for the armed enemy to advance upon Addison. "The hard way it is," he said as the shadowed man approached Addison.

Dark eyes zeroed in on the approaching figure yet still remained fully aware of every other threat around her. Addison felt the world dip into slow motion. She would have only one chance; failure was out of the question. As the armed henchman approached and aimed his submachine gun directly at Addison's face, the agent took action.

Reaching out she took a firm hold of the machine gun's barrel. Addison pulled with tremendous might, dragging the gunman towards her and swinging him around. She wrapped her finger around the trigger and firing at the threat around them. In fear of being shot, the surrounding gunmen dove for cover. Yells of caution rang out as they leaped behind ancient walls. The young man who had stood before Addison seemed to vanish. As the rapid shower of bullets exploded, Skyler dropped to one knee and pulled out both her Taser and Browning pistol.

Addison redirected the aim of the submachine gun. She fired at the spotlights, taking out four of the beams. The complex fell into semi-darkness. Though lights further along the complex remained in action, the ones in their area were now destroyed. Turning the man in her arms around, Addison knocked him out with a single punch to the face. He fell unconscious into the sand.

Rising as Addison pulled out her Berettas, Skyler surveyed the area. They needed to find cover. In front of a wall and surrounded by armed men was tantamount to being before a firing squad; it wasn't the best of positions. A wall to their right and behind the present building was their best means of escape. It was essential to get out of the enemy's field of shot. "Addison, this way," Skyler called, running to the right. She disappeared around a corner. Addison followed, both women alert and ready to fire upon the threat.

"Sky," Addison called. To her left two men appeared from behind Heb-Sed Court. Their weapons were aimed and ready. Only one bullet was fired before Addison released a single shot into the head of each man. She had seen they were wearing Kevlar vests when she first exited the tomb. With only half the lights working, semi-darkness had rendered the area to a shadowed dusk. She had to be vigilant.

Reaching Skyler, Addison stood beside her, their backs against the wall. She was careful not to put any pressure on her backpack. It was imperative no harm came to the statue of Bastet. "I think I took down about eight or nine."

"I took down three." Skyler motioned to the bodies on the opposite side of the wall. "Addison, who was that person? He knew who we were."

"He knew Inspectors Black and Tidwell of Scotland Yard." Addison peeked around the corner of the wall. The men were approaching. "Talk later. We need to get away from here." Addison looked around; in the distance she saw at least four vehicles illuminated under a distant spotlight. "We have to get to one of those jeeps."

"Easier said than done." Skyler heard the sound of cautiously approaching footsteps shuffling through the sand. "Addison!"

"I know." Addison closed her eyes for a brief moment. She then looked over at Skyler in the near darkness. "About three my side and three your side," she whispered.

Skyler nodded and slid over to the other side of the wall. Dropping to her right knee she peered around with caution. There were indeed three men advancing on her position. Skyler waited for them to get closer. She remained perfectly still, her focus solely upon the approaching threat. She could hardly make out their features, but knew they wore dark clothing and carried sophisticated weapons.

"Keep your guard," whispered one of the men.

Sensing the front man was close enough, Skyler struck. Darting forward she kicked out, knocking him down. At the same time she fired two shots with her Taser into the men's legs and incapacitated each of them. She then turned her weapon on the first man she knocked to the ground and hit him with a bolt of electricity.

At that exact same moment Addison ran out, shooting down the first two men. The third was further back with another man behind him. As they fired upon her Addison ducked and dived into the sand. Keeping low she released another round of bullets into the advancing men. They fell unceremoniously to the ground and Addison looked over to Skyler. "Sky, keep down!" Skyler did as told and lay low upon the sand. Addison crawled over to her. "There's about four or five more out there, plus 'Man U' guy."

"What?" Skyler said in confusion.

"The one who appeared to be in command; he wore a Manchester United ball cap. It's an English soccer team." Addison scanned the layout. "They're out there."

"Waiting for us."

"Listen." Addison moved a fraction closer to Skyler. She could feel the sand insert itself around the nooks and crannies of her clothing, but paid little heed. "Primary aim is to get to the vehicles. While I cover our approach I want you to take out the other Jeeps. Leave us one for escape."

"Tyres… engines?"

"Do whatever you can."

Skyler nodded once. "Will do."

"We go east, around the back of the east court and then straight ahead. You see those lights to the left?"

"Yes," Skyler whispered and mentally estimated how far they were from their current position. It was no more than sixty yards, she decided. Skyler jumped and looked straight ahead at the sound of a hidden gunman shouting and shooting random warning fire. She was unable to understand what he was saying.

Two incapacitated men lay close by and Addison shuffled over to them. She took their weapons and holstered her own. "Might as well use something capable of causing more spectacular fireworks." She held a submachine gun in each hand. The weapons were heavy, but much experience with such weapons had strengthened her arms enough to easily withstand their weight. "This way," whispered Addison as she moved towards the rear of the east court ruins.

"Addison," Skyler called to her in a forced whisper. "This may not be the best time to bring this up, but I have real issues about you using those things here. This site is over five thousand years old and…"

"This isn't the best time, you are right." Reaching the back wall of the east court, Addison stood on her knees. She held the weapons up and ready in each hand. Skyler knelt beside her. "Sky, right now all I'm interested in is getting our backsides out of here alive." Addison turned on the heat sensor tracker on her watch. Taking into account the green dots representing chip-wearing agents, Addison surveyed the red threats. "Okay, when we head out … there will be two guns ahead of us, one at two o'clock and four at three o'clock. I'll take care of them. You disable the jeeps. Leave us the closest."

Skyler increased her grip on the weapons she held. She swallowed hard and took a deep breath. A definite feeling of nervousness battled with her courage, but she wouldn't allow it to win.

"Are you ready?"

"Lets do it."

"Okay… on my word we go. You know the drill, yes?"

"Keep behind you… cover the rear and disable the other vehicles."

"Right." Addison didn't wait for Skyler to think a moment more as she whispered, "Now!" In less than a heartbeat they moved out. At a speed no faster than a slow jog they ran out into open territory. Becoming instant targets, Addison was alert and sensitive to every nuance of movement and sound around them. She held her weapons, one facing ahead of them and the other to the side, poised and ready for attack. Skyler remained close behind; she kept her attention focussed upon the rear. Though she was sure they had eliminated all threats behind them, no chances were to be taken.

A voice suddenly penetrated the darkness. "East… two o'clock," it called.

"Here we go." Knowing the approximate locations of the gunmen, Addison wasted only a fraction of a second before opening fire. Squeezing both triggers she released a shower of bullets in the directions of their attackers. The closer she and Skyler got to the remaining lights, not only did the gunmen become more visible but so did they. Addison remedied this by destroying all but one of the last lights. She knew Skyler would need one to see the vehicles she was to disable.

As they reached the jeeps Skyler ran to the left. She moved around the vehicles. Using her pistol, Skyler shot two of its tyres. She repeated this action on all but one of the vehicles, deflating and rendering their tyres useless.

Against an ancient wall Addison had discarded the submachine guns once they were out of ammunition. Using her pistols she fired out into the darkness towards the direction of their threat. As the last bullet left her pistol Addison proceeded to re-load her Berettas. The sound of a dull thud landing very near caught Addison's attention. Slapping the clip into place she holstered her right weapon and looked down to the left. In the dusky faint light she saw it, dull metal catching a low beam of light. Without a moment of hesitation Addison picked up the grenade and threw it. She knew in exactly what direction she was aiming the grenade and only hoped Skyler would forgive her. As the explosive device left her hand she called to Skyler, "GET DOWN!"

Having just entered their new transportation, Skyler dove into the seats. She closed her eyes, knowing something was about to happen. Sure enough it came… the explosion seemed to rock the very foundations they stood upon and the jeep shook around her. Skyler winced, her fingers digging into the leather upholstery of the seats.

"Skyler?"

The doctor turned to see an outline of Addison standing at the driver's side of the jeep. She stood in front of the light, her frame casting an imposing silhouette. "Addison!"

"We have to get out of here," said the agent as she boarded the vehicle and placed her backpack on the rear seat beside Skyler's. She was relieved to find keys in the ignition. Starting the engine, Addison reversed out at top speed. Swinging the vehicle around and causing a gust of sand to fly into the air, she sped off into the night. Skyler leaned out of the window. She aimed her gun at the lame jeeps and opened fire. Her third and final shot hit its mark, puncturing the petrol tank of one of the jeeps. It exploded into flames. Due to the close proximity of the vehicles, the eruption set off a chain reaction and one by one each car exploded.

"Holy Shit!" Addison laughed as she looked behind her. "Keep that up and I'm going to lose my reputation for blowing things up!"

"Just making sure." Skyler released a breath of tension that she'd held since the moment she climbed out of the passageways to Imhotep's tomb. "You didn't do so bad yourself. I didn't know you had any explosives with you."

Addison saw the flames begin to disappear from sight in her rear view mirror. She had reached the main road and was following it into the closest town. "I didn't. I used one they threw in our direction."

"And you threw it back?"

Addison paused a moment before she replied saying, "Well... not exactly."

The doctor frowned. "What does that mean?"

"I um… I threw it in the direction of the entrance to the tomb."

"WHAT?"

"Before you go all crazy on me, listen. We know where it is and what lies beneath the sand. I didn't want it left open, not now and not with what has just happened. The site is going to be crawling with the authorities."

Skyler closed her eyes and rubbed her temple. "My god… what just happened there? A fucking gun fight at the site of the oldest and first ever Pyramid!"

Addison hardly ever heard Skyler use bad language. "We did what we had to do, Sky. He wasn't going to let us walk out of there alive!"

"I know, but…" she sighed again. "I can't believe that just happened. How did they find us? Who was that man and what the hell is so damned special about this key that they are willing to kill for it?"

"I don't know, Sky, but Roman Leeds has some questions to answer."

Skyler pushed a loaded clip into her Browning. "Do you think he knows?" She holstered the weapon.

"He knows something. I don't know what or if he does know how apparently popular this statue is, but he knows something." Addison saw the first signs of a town emerge in the distance. "If the key is so valuable people are willing to kill for it then I'm going to find out why."

*********

London, Special Operations

In a small, square room with little else inside but a rectangular, metal table and four chairs, Addison, Skyler and General Blithe sat in contemplative silence. Upon the table stood the statue of Bastet, the so-called key. Mark Blithe sat at the head of the table, his hands clenched upon the surface, fingers entwined together tightly. The chair opposite him was empty. To his left sat Skyler, her back to the doorway. She sat straight, her folded arms rested upon the tabletop. Addison sat opposite. She was slouched down in her seat, one leg curled around a chair leg, the other stretched out under the table. One arm lay across her stomach, her other arm cradling her chin in a warm hand.

"The P.M. threw a fit," said Mark. "He demanded to know if I had any intelligence on the people behind the incident at The Djoser Pyramid Complex."

Dark brown eyes turned from Skyler to Mark. "What did you tell him?"

"I told him I had none, but I'd look into it if he wished."

"Did he?" asked Skyler who was beginning to feel an intense need to get out of the clothes she had been wearing for the last couple of days. A shower was first on her agenda.

"No. He said the Egyptian authorities can handle it, but he would agree to help if it was requested."

Skyler knew that although they ultimately answer to the British Government they were still a clandestine organisation within a clandestine organisation. Not even their own superiors knew half of the incidents and operations in which they were involved.

Turning his attention to the statue of Bastet, Mark reached out, taking the faience figure. "This really is a key?" He turned the statue around in his hands, rubbing his rough fingers over the clay. Mark had never been interested in history let alone archaeology, but he found the statue fascinating.

"It's a key of some fashion," replied Addison. "And since it appears to be considered worth killing for I figure we ought to know why."

"We can't necessarily believe there is anything more sinister here than stealing simply for the want of selling to the highest bidder, Addison. You did say the man who appeared to be the leader didn't match the description of the person impersonating William Bryson. Maybe word got out and the criminal underbelly of Egypt wiggled out from the stones they were hiding under, lured by the scent of a possible lucrative sale."

"Maybe," Addison conceded, "but I wont dismiss the fact either."

"And when Roman Leeds arrives we shall question him on this."

"Is he on his way?" Skyler asked, a thought entering her mind.

Mark gave a nod. "I informed Jonathan as well so they will both be here. I have a driver collecting them. It will be approximately two hours before they arrive."

Skyler arched her brows. "Does that mean we have time to take a shower? I swear these clothes will get up and rid themselves of my body if I don't do it first."

Mark laughed and looked over at Addison. "I'd say there was time for a shower and change of clothing. Addison?"

Lifting the front of her tank top, Addison sniffed the material. "Nah, I'd say I'm good for a while longer."

"Even the flies buzzing around your head don't agree with you there, Addison."

The agent looked down her arm. "I suppose I should get this cleaned up." She picked at the scabs from the injury caused when the rope bridge snapped.

"Yeah… I'll help you with that. You might have some grit and dirt in there." Skyler turned to Mark. "She only swung into a chasm wall!"

"I didn't have much choice in the matter," Addison defended herself as she rose to her feet. "You'll read all about that in the report," she said to Mark. Running a hand through her hair, Addison scratched her scalp. She did need a shower. The salty residue of sweat irritated her skin.

The general smirked. "I look forward to it. Okay, you two go and clean up. I'll send word when the men arrive."

"Thanks." Addison opened the door saying, "Come on then, Sky. Let's get you dunked in the sheep dip."

"Sometimes, Skyler, I wonder how you put up with her," Mark laughed.

Skyler rose, eyeing Addison. "That's the real reason for the Taser request. I never know when I may feel the need to quiet her for a while."

"Good idea."

Addison simply rolled her eyes as she and Skyler exited the office. They walked directly to the underground shuttle that would take them back to Headquarters. Addison hoped that after this assignment was over she and Skyler could finally take advantage of some free time together. They had waited long enough and Addison knew teasing Skyler was affecting her as well. However much they were trained to switch off their emotions in the field it would only work to a certain extent. They were human after all and right now Addison's basic instinct was calling. She had only one thought on her mind. Licking her lips, she looked to the doctor. "I was thinking."

"About?"

"Things."

"Care to narrow that down a bit?"

"Not really."

Skyler looked over at Addison in confusion. "Am I supposed to guess or were you simply making a noteworthy statement?"

"You have to guess." Addison entered the underground tube-way behind Skyler. The shuttle was used only by Special Operations to get to and from off-site buildings. A train was already waiting and they boarded to take the three-minute ride back to H.Q.

Skyler's mind began to wonder. Noting the expression upon Addison's features she didn't have to think for long. "Does it have something to do with me?"

"Yes."

"And you maybe?"

"No maybe about it."

Skyler grinned as she felt a flutter of excitement. "You and me together?"

"Uh huh."

"And are we devoid of clothing?"

"Oh you are so good at this."

The shuttle sped along with a low hum. Skyler had heard enough. Twisting around she situated herself on Addison's lap. The compartment was similar to a typical underground train. It was long and narrow with a row of seats against either side of the train, facing each other. Thankfully they were the only occupants of that carriage.

"What are you doing?" Addison asked.

Skyler pushed herself a little closer until their chests were touching. "I'm cutting to the chase."

"Sounds good to me." Addison's eyes fluttered closed as Skyler planted tiny kisses up her neck, over her chin and onto soft, waiting lips. They kissed gently at first, relishing the contact that had seemed so long denied yet so long desired. Addison ran her hands up and down Skyler's sides. Material from the doctor's shirt bunched in her hands. It didn't take long for the kiss to inflame their senses and infuse into a deeper, more probing exploration.

Skyler wrapped her arms around Addison's neck. Her tongue curled languidly around Addison's in a dance that wasn't rushed, but simply relished. She couldn't suppress a low groan as Addison pulled her hips tighter against her stomach. After so many days of craving this contact, Skyler couldn't get enough. Her body was already responding in pleasurable twinges. When Addison pulled away to take a breath, Skyler said, "You better be thinking of finishing what you've started here, Addison, because I…" Addison's lips silenced the doctor. They kissed, deep, long and sensual.

Sensing the shuttle was coming to a halt, Addison pulled away again. "We're here." She stood, taking Skyler with her. The doctor let her legs uncoil from around Addison's waist and drop to the floor. Addison cupped her jaw. "Care to indulge with me in a long… hot…shower?" Skyler groaned. She took Addison's hand and led her off the shuttle. No more words were spoken as Addison followed Skyler towards the private showers.

End of part 3

Continued...

MJ's scrolls
MJ's scrolls co-authored with Cephalgia. (2nd page)
The Athenaeum's Scroll Archive