HAMUNAPTRA AGAIN
Chapter 4 : Search and Rescue
It was the approaching footfall which woke Olia, and she quickly sat up, wanting to be on her guard. Thomas returned carrying her new friend, and when he set her down, Olia saw her face was bleeding, and even some blood was trickling out of her mouth. The tall man looked at her, then left, and once he was gone, Olia moved around on her pole, and reached out taking Evelyn’s hand in hers. She wanted to be brave like she knew her father had been, but this was scary, and if those people did make the city rise, then He who shall not be named, would likely return.
“You have to wake up now,” Olia said softly, but Evelyn didn’t move, and that was even more terrifying. Gently Olia put her hand down and struggled with the rope tied around her waste and the pole. She wanted to get out to get them both help, despite getting in trouble with the elders and her mother.
At the Med-jai village, Kyllie had gone to Olia’s room to find her gone, which was not all that uncommon. Her daughter often ventured off, so the young mother didn’t worry. Now she was trying to get the baby under her care to drink from the bottle as he had done before but he would not, and had been crying at a constant for almost an hour and a half. Kyllie took him to her room and rocked him, and he finally fell asleep. Tomorrow they would have to find out who his parents were. After she got him back on her bed, she went to her daughter’s room and sighed. Generally Olia returned before dark. Now it was dark, and Kyllie decided to give her another hour before she went to look for her. As she was going out of the room she heard Serus cry, and then he flew in her window and landed on his perch. Kyllie frowned and went over to the Falcon, and noticed that he had a red tie on his message band, which meant there was a message inside. She reached out and took the message from the tube, and read, and what she found made her heart turn cold. Very quickly she went back to her room and got out a blanket, then wrapped Alex in it, and went toward the commons building. No one stood outside, so she went in, and found some of the younger men in training. She waited patiently, and finally one of the elders noticed her. Daniel came to them noticing the worried look on the young mothers face.
“Kyllie?” he asked.
“Olia went to Hamunaptra and has been taken. She says there are people there who want to raise the city,” she said terrified. Since the city had sunk into the sand, the watch over it had not been as intense, and now that had all changed. With her words Daniel went off to find Ardeth-Bey. Kyllie closed her eyes hoping that her little girl was all right and would remain that way until help arrived for her.
It had been a long night and day of riding, and Rick was exhausted and worried. He wanted to get Evelyn and their son home to safety, and possibly out of Egypt if he could talk her into that. They had another full day to go, and he wished they would have gotten horses instead of camels, but it was too late for that now.
“Do you think whomever has my sister will be there?” Jonathan asked. Rick sighed.
“Likely so,” he said as they road on. They had lunch on the Camels, not stopping for anything to make sure they got there in the quickest time, and as Rick had expected it wasn’t long before a few Med-jai warriors road out to them surrounding them, as if ready to kill them.
“We aren’t here to go find the secrets of the City of the Dead,” Rick said, hoping at least one of them understood a bit of English.
“We come for you. Our leader is watching over the city, one of the children in our village has been taken along with your wife, he wishes to see you,” one of the robed men replied. From then on Rick and Jonathan road with the Med-jai to the look out over the city, and would arrive at dusk.
It was the throbbing of her head, and the pain in her lip that started Evelyn waking up. When she opened her eyes it was dusk. She looked around, for a moment confused, then slowly she remembered everything, including Alex being left in the desert to die. At the thought of him she noticed that her breasts were full and sore, needing Alex there to empty them. She tried to sit up and cried out as her upper chest stung in pain. It was her cry that woke Olia.
“You should be still. He was mad because you wouldn’t wake up, and he kicked you alot,” she said very softly cautious of the fact that The big scary man would come back and try to hurt her, though he had not so far. She closed her eyes then feeling as though they would never come out of this alive.
“Have they been able raise the city?” she asked softly, doing her best to ignore the pain she was feeling in all her body parts. Olia shook her head.
“He yells at me I don’t talk or I’m afraid he will hurt me,” she said scared for her life.
“I won’t let that happen,” she said. She was almost ready just to raise the city and let them in to the cursed place, just so she could get away and try to find Rick, as well as get Olia to her people. Both of them heard footfall and Olia pretended to be asleep. It was Sylvia who entered the tent and she smiled as she found Evelyn awake.
“Good it is time for you to show us what we want,” she said. Instead of getting Evelyn up, she grabbed Olia who screamed when she was pulled up by her hair.
“Don’t you have any compassion in you at all. This child like my own did nothing to harm you, and yet you needlessly harm them just to get to something you don’t have any understanding of,” she said and moaned as she sat up. Her words did nothing to sway Sylvia, and in a moment Thomas walked in.
“You will show us what we want, or this child will die like yours,” he said, and then he made her stand despite how much pain she was in, and pulled on her. She gave in one good fight, and stuck her foot out tripping him, then grabbed Olia from Sylvia who had been stunned and started to run. When she couldn’t she pushed her away.
“Run Olia don’t look back,” she called as she fell down. For the first time in her young life Olia felt more terror than she ever had, and ran as fast as she could, not turning back, and got to her horse, Sienna, who had waited. She grasped a hold of her mane, and pulled herself on the horse’s back. Then she road off as fast as she could, trying not to cry, but she was afraid for her friend.
Thomas caught Evelyn, and again he beat her. He threw her to the ground a few times, and kicked her ribs and her stomach over and over until she was unconscious from the pain, then they put her back in the tent.
It was just getting dark when Olia arrived home, and after leaving Sienna in the fenced in area she ran to her home. Inside heard the baby crying, and the voices of a few women aside from her mother.
“Momma momma,” she called out, and in a moment Kyllie ran out of her room, and knelt down gathering her baby into her arms, concerned as her daughter who had never showed any sort of emotion cried. Kyllie for the moment let the other two woman try to get the baby to eat, and held her own.
“Shh,” she said stroking her hand over Olia’s black curls.
“Momma we have to help her. I think the baby’s mother is the one who is being hurt at the campsite,” she said, as she pulled away.
“We need to stay here. Ardeth and his Med-jai will take care of her, and help her away from there,” she reassured, but Olia ran out before Kyllie could catch her. She got back on her horse, heading for the rise where she knew they kept watch over the city.
It was his own fault, that he had let guard over the city of Hamunaptra slip, and after this day he would never be so careless again. Now Ardeth-Bey looked out of his binoculars, watching as a man, and a woman emerged from a tent. He had been watching their activity near the statue, thankful that they had not been able to figure out the secret to raising the city. Under his watchful eye he had also seen Evelyn beaten, and all he could do was wait for the full cover of night. When they had arrived after Olia’s message, Ardeth had seen Evelyn get beaten, and knew that they could not just go charging in as they had in the past, that it was a more delicate situation. He was still thinking about that, when he heard hoof fall and turned his horse to see Olia approaching. She slowed down and moved beside him.
“Evelyn helped me get away. That baby is her baby,” she said out of breath and afraid
“We have to help her.” He thanked Allah that she was safe, then lifted her off of her horse and held her for a moment.
“You were very brave to go try to help Evelyn, but right now I need you to go home and help your mother with the baby. Will you do that for me?” he asked. She nodded, and for once decided to do what she was told. After getting back on Sienna, she road back to her village and her mother.
It was dark when they arrived at the look out, and Rick was dismayed that Ardeth and his people hadn’t done anything to rescue his wife.
“We meet again,” Ardeth said.
“Yes. Why haven’t you gone down there to help My wife?” he practically yelled. Jonathan was just as displeased, only being a coward, he would let Rick handle the warrior.
“We would but those who have her have inflicted harm on her, and we need to have a plan to get to her without them being there to do her more harm,” he said. Once he learned she had been harmed he backed off a little, but he wanted to go down to her, and knew they had little time for waiting around. They got off of their horses and Ardeth explained to them the lay out of the city, as well as where the camp was, and made a rough plan.
“They usually go out alone to the Statue. When they do we will move in on them, and you go find Evelyn. I will leave Daniel with you to bring both of you back to my village and to your son,” he said. At his words Rick looked at him in confusion.
“Olia’s Falcon rescued him from being left in the desert,” he said. For one brief moment, Rick was ready to go and kill the people who had taken his wife and his son, and anticipating this Ardeth held him back.
“I know your anger, but right now your wife needs you, and your son is with people who will care for him until you have your wife safely where she belongs” At that Rick backed off, and once careful plans had been made, they set off for the city, and his wife.
Again it was pain that woke her. Her stomach hurt her worse than any place of all and she felt slickness between her legs. Since she was bound up she couldn’t reach down to see what was wrong, and it was once again dark. Usually she would struggle to be free but she didn’t this time, terrified that Thomas would come back and inflict more harm on her. From Rick she had learned to be strong, had even learned a little self defense, but she felt defeated. She had lost their child, and her heart was broken for that. She closed her eyes and cried softly into the sand.
Not far from the small camp Ardeth, Daniel, Rick, and a few other Med-jai warriors dismounted from their horses. Jonathan had stayed behind to keep watch, and Rick let him, not wanting him to mess things up, not when it was so important to keep Evelyn safe. As they were getting off of the horses a Falcon flew to them and Ardeth held up his arm letting it land. He pulled a message from the cylinder and looked at his friends.
“They have taken Evelyn to the Statue,” he said. That news wasn’t what Rick wanted to hear.
“Then your plan is all washed up pal,” he said, angry at this whole situation.
“Now we do it the way I want. I’ll go in for her, but you and your men need to create a diversion and I know your good at that. Just wait for me to get to her first,” he said. They agreed to that and all went toward the ruins of the city. Rick knew it was basically the same plan but he was tired of waiting for the right moment, and he wanted his chance to give these people a taste of his rage at hurting his wife.
She had been taken again to the statue, and Sylvia held her up as she could not stand on her own.
“All the pain will stop,” Thomas told her as he got right in her face.
“You just have to tell us how to get the city to raise,” he said. She leaned forward and bit hard on his nose, not letting go, and he screamed. For a moment she had satisfaction, but only a moment as he pulled away, and Sylvia dropped her. Once again she was kicked at and she curled up as tight as she could wanting out of the pain, and back in the arms of the man that she loved.
“Thomas stop if you keep that up you will kill her, and we really won’t be able to find a way. Perhaps if we had kept the baby the city would be up by now,” she said angry at his temper.
“Well Perhaps if you would have listened to me, and we would have used that little girl when we had a chance to, we could have been in there by now but the point is that we have this woman who seems to be bent on pissing me off,” he said, and kicked her once more in her stomach.
Not far from them Rick had seen the last kick and across from him Ardeth and his men were waiting. He used a match to signal them and an explosion went off not far from Thomas and Sylvia. It wasn’t large but it was enough to draw them away from Evelyn, and just enough time for Rick to get her. She was bleeding out of her mouth and her eyes were squeezed shut. He reached out and touched her hand, and she pulled away from him. That hurt worse than any knife cut, or bullet wound that he had ever experienced.
“Stop right there,” came a mans deep voice. Rick heard the click of the gun and he waited for it to make contact on the back of his neck. When it did he moved lightning fast, and spun twisting the gun out of Thomas’s hand. He heard a woman scream, but thought nothing of it, as he knew it wasn’t Evelyn. He punched Thomas hard over and over again until he lay crumpled on the ground. Then he drew his own gun and fired one single shot. Once that was done he moved back to Evelyn, and noticed she still hadn’t moved and her eyes were still squinted shut.
“Evie its me sweetheart,” She stayed still
“Shh,” he said and kissed her forehead then her dry cracked lips, and in that instant she responded sobbing out.
“OH Rick they left Alex he’s gone,” she said through her sobs. He knew she was badly hurt, and eased her so that her head was in his lap.
“No honey he is alive. One of the Med-jai’s Falcons brought him to their camp and he is being cared for there. With that news she just held onto him and cried.
“I hurt Rick, I want my baby,” she sobbed. He looked up as Ardeth and the other Med-jai came, and for now she would have to stay here. She was too hurt to withstand a ride to their camp. He stood, and lifted her into his arms flinching at her cries of pain, and walked with them back to the camp. Once in the tent he put her on a bed roll.
“Bring my son,” he told Ardeth. The Med-jai leader left them also intending to bring with them their medicine man.
“I want my baby,” she said. He laid next to her.
“I know honey they are bringing him,” he said, and held her to him for a moment, then went out to their supplies and brought some fresh water for her. He held the skin to her lips, and helped her sit up and she drank greedily, but he wasn’t going to let her get sick. When he took it away she sobbed out.
“Shh, Not too much right now okay,” he said. She nodded and for a little bit they rested.
At the village Alex had finally cried himself to sleep refusing bottles and even another woman’s breast, only wanting his mum. Kyllie had just put him down when a soft tap was heard at the door. Olia ran to get it and found Daniel there.
“We need to take the baby to his mother,” he said to Kyllie, more than Olia.
“I will take him,” Olia replied. Daniel knelt down.
“Your friend is injured very bad, and you have been instructed to stay here. When she is able to be moved they will bring her to our village, then you can see her. Olia nodded and went to her mother hugging her. Kyllie smiled.
“Come my child lets get him ready for his journey,” she said as she led Olia into her room where the baby slept.
It was the sound of a baby crying in the distance which woke Rick first, and he easily slipped from his wife’s side, and went out of the tent. It was early morning, and he idly wondered how much time had passed, then walked toward the cries of his son which he knew well. When Alex was hungry, he let everyone within a ten mile radius know. It was Jonathan who had him, and a look of relief washed over his face as Rick came to them.
“They said he hasn’t eaten in a day and a half,” he informed. Rick took him and carried him to his and Evie’s tent, and found her awake as he entered, though she couldn’t sit up. He brought Alex to her and sat down helping her lay on her side. Then helped hold him until he latched on. She winced in pain but it was the kind of pain she accepted in order to let him nurse. He quickly settled down, and nursed for ten minutes without letting up, and Evelyn’s eyes had closed. As much as she wanted to stay awake her own body was too weak to do so. Having watched her feed him countless numbers of times Rick knew when Alex stopped suckling to take him away, and even when he did Alex got restless. Rick sat against one of the tent posts and held Alex to his shoulder patting his back.
“Hey big guy shhh,” Rick said. At the sound of his voice, or maybe just exhaustion, Alex calmed down, and in a moment he burped two loud burps, and Rick took him back to Evelyn to let him finish. Once he had all he wanted of her milk, he went right to sleep, and Rick lay next to Evie letting Alex sleep on his chest, or started to, when Ardeth came with a man whose face was covered in tattoos.
“I know she was hurt. This is our Medicine man, he will examine her if you want him too,” Ardeth said. Rick nodded and laid Alex on another bed roll covering him, then went to Evelyn.
“Honey there is a doctor here to look at you,” he said kissing her lips. She slowly woke up and endured the pain of the medicine mans hands her to find her injuries. He spoke in his tongue and Ardeth told Rick what he was saying.
“He thinks she has cracked ribs, and will wrap her for you. Evelyn spoke something to him and he nodded and she closed her eyes.
“There was bleeding,” Ardeth told him
“He says that she will need to see her doctor when she gets to Cairo but blood from her birth canal may mean damage there,” He said. The medicine man wrapped Evie’s chest, but left her breasts uncovered enough so she could continue to feed her baby. He also gave her some herbs in a hot cup of water to drink, then he left her and Ardeth followed. Rick helped Evelyn sip the tea until it was gone, then at her request he brought Alex to her, and she held him, and he held both of them as they all drifted to sleep.
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