“Nothing. I just wanted to get away from Anhur. I feel there’s something strange about him. Do you all not notice it? We have been stuck here for nearly a day and he has not moved from the driver’s seat. I have not seen him take a drink of water and for sure he hasn’t said anything. And those gloves…he hasn’t removed them…not once.”
“Yeah your right.” One of them answered as they returned to their seats without offering any kind of explanation to Bud’s question.
A couple hours later Roche got up, wiped the dust from a side window and said, “Hey, everyone come look out here.”
Hot as they were and greatly opposed to moving they managed to get up and wipe the dust from the windows and gaze out on a miraculous view - the wind was dying down and the sand was beginning to settle.
“Now this is what we’ve been waiting for,” said Roche. “Lets see if we can get outside and determine what kind of condition this bus is in.
Going to the front entrance/exit door they immediately realized the sand had piled up so deep it was impossible to open the door since it swung to the outside. “What now?” Gabby asked. “See I told you we were going to die. Die right here in this miserable dust choked bus.”
“Thanks for your input young sis,” said Lou. “We’re not dying but I have an idea. It might just work. Roche look in the back and see if you can find the spare tire compartment and bring the tire tool back up here.”
In a couple of minutes Roche returned with the iron tool used to remove the lug bolts from the wheel and gave it to Lou. Handing it to Gabby Lou said, “Sis we’re going to let down one of the side windows so you can slip through the narrow opening and get outside.”
“Me? Why me?”
“Excuse me Gabby but you and Anhur are the only ones with butts scrawny enough to fit through these narrow windows. I believe I’m right, Anhur is useless, so you are nominated Gabby.”
Glancing over her shoulder and looking downward, “I don’t think my butt is “scrawny.”
“I don’t either,” Roche chimed in grinning.
“Once you get outside take the tire iron and snap off one of the hubcaps. Use the hubcap as a shovel and remove the sand from around the front door. Here’s a bottle of water. You’ll need it - the heat is brutal out there. Just remember we’re all depending on you.”
“Thanks - you really know how to make a girl feel appreciated. My butt’s not scrawny... give me your darn tire tool and get that dog-gone window open.”
* * * * * *
In a few minutes Gabby had wiggled her body out the window and stood surveying the surroundings. “What do you see?” They asked.
“Nothing. Absolutely nothing - sand, sand everywhere and not a drop to drink,” she said.
“I believe the poem was ‘water, water, everywhere...” responded Dr. Scarburg.
“Yeah, yeah, I know but the truth is still ‘not a drop to drink’ out here.”
Snapping the hubcap from an exposed wheel Gabby had the sand removed from the front door in a matter of minutes. Removing the sand allowed the door to open. The guys stepped outside and took in the wide expanse of nothingness. Sand and more sand as far as the eye could see. The remnants of the dust storm could still be seen moving toward the northwest horizon. Thankfully, away from their small band huddled around the mini-bus.
“Well, said Lou, “lets remove the other hubcaps and dig her out of the sand and get out of here. Someone get what’s left of the radiator water in the igloo and pour it back into the radiator.”
A couple of hours later the mini-bus was ready and all was prepared to resume the journey to Bahariya. The tarmac of the road was only visible in spots but enough open spaces could be seen to allow them to remain on the road. The road could be negotiated but their problem was water - they had none.
After a couple of attempts the motor coughed, black smoke emitted from the rear exhaust, and finally began to purr.
Pulling onto the road no one noticed the sun was in the wrong place. It was late afternoon - the sun should have been low on their left front it was low alright but on their left REAR. They were heading in the wrong direction!
Driving up the road they determined the Oasis should be reached in a approximately three hours. Anhur was no help - the sun should have been in his face but it was to his rear - as a local guide he should have quickly realized this mistake.
The passengers sprits were uplifted imagining they would be in a nice cool room at The Palm Valley hotel at the Bahariya Oasis sipping on some cool Pina Coladas soon. They remembered the travel brochure - the hotel was built in a semi-circle with a beautiful courtyard garden in the center, private baths, roof terraces and best of all air-conditioning.
Two hours passed then another with no sign of Bahariya. No problem...they probably just mis-calculated the time and distance. They were probably not as close to their destination as originally thought.
LJ was the first to speak up, “Lou I hate to say it but something is wrong.”
“What do you mean?”
“Doc, I know, like everyone else, the sun sets in the west. It is beginning to get dark and I just wiped the dust from the left side windows and I notice the sun is to our rear. Something is not right. It should be to our left, but in our front.”
“Roche and Gabby give me your assessments quickly.”
Roche answered first, “Doc LJ’s right. We ARE on the WRONG road, and heading in the wrong direction. We are heading north-northwest and should be traveling south-southwest.”
LJ agreed. “Wrong direction.”
“Don’t look at me,” said Gabby. “You know I can’t even read a roadmap.”
“Roadmap? Roadmap? Take a look at the map and see if we can figure this out.”
No sooner had Doc finished speaking when the mini-bus suddenly began to slow down and was preparing to stop. “What the…?” Doc said moving to the front of the bus so he could look out the front windshield.
What he saw as he peered out into the night were figures illuminated by the bus headlights. In addition to the manlike figures two camels lay in the middle of the road. Standing next to the resting animals were two robed and keffiyah draped fearsome looking individuals carrying Russian AK-47 automatic weapons. They were motioning the bus to halt.
Lonnie Joe and Roche had moved up so they could observe the obstruction in the road. LJ turned and spoke to Roche, “How many do you count?”
“Two.”
“Yeah, me too. We can take them, you ready?”
“Lead on.”
Stopping the bus Anhur opened the door and Lonnie Joe and Roche stepped out and into the headlights. Approaching the two men with the rifles the first man signaled them to stop. In Arabic LJ and Roche were instructed to stop and turn over any valuables.
Lonnie Joe and Roche both fluent in Arabic understood their demands but shrugged as if they didn’t. Out of the corner of his eye Lonnie Joe noticed two more bandits hiding just outside the bright headlight beams cowering in the shadows.
Speaking in Hebrew Lonnie Joe softly spoke to Roche, “There’s two more over in the shadows to the right.”
Responding back in Hebrew, “Roger... I’ll grab the first one you go for number two and take out the two shadow dwellers.”
Roche pretended he did not understand what the bandit was saying as he approached. When he got close enough to reach the rifle he rapidly and unexpectedly grabbed the rifle shooting both shadow lurkers. Then without a second thought he empted half the magazine into the upper torso of the first bandit.
At this exact moment Lonnie Joe attacked the second bandit catching him by surprise and smashing the rifle butt plate into the bandit’s nose driving his nose bone up into his brain, killing him instantly.
Standing over the two dead attackers, Lonnie Joe asked, “What happened to me getting the two in the shadows?”
“Sorry... guess I got carried away!”
Leaving the bandits lying stone cold dead in the cool night desert air
Lonnie Joe and Roche returned to the bus bringing with them the spoils of the fight: the rifles, some dried dates, goatskins of fermented camels milk and some dried cheese balls.
Grabbing one of the goatskin bags Gabby turned it up to her lips to get a drink of water. “Jeez,” she said frowning, spitting and wiping her mouth. “This isn’t water it’s sour spiked buttermilk!”
“Hold on Gabby,” said Lou. “These Bedouins cannot get water all the time so they rely on their camels for nourishment. The fresh camels milk is fermented and thustly can be kept longer. They call it Lehben. It’s a little like our buttermilk and just as wholesome. But it will refresh a dry tongue and throat. But go slow, it has an alcohol content close to our American beer. The cheese balls, called ‘Afigs’, are made from the Lehben but they are also very nourishing.”
“Good job guys couldn’t have done better myself,” Doctor Scarburg said grinning. “Pass me one of those goatskins, some of that cheese and the map. While we eat and drink I will show you where I think we are.” Positioning the map so all could see Lou explained, “ I’ve looked at the map and there is only one road we possibly could be on - it would be the el Betrol Road. It leads directly into Syria. Obviously - we have to turn around and retrace our route. We must have inadvertently turned onto this road during the sandstorm.”
“Anhur turn the bus around and let’s go back and find the el Bahariya el Wahat Highway. When we find the Bahariya Highway we must turn right.”
Speaking to the others Lou said, “We should be in Bahariya sometime in the early morning. I think we drove about three hours on the wrong road. Once we find the correct road our hotel should be only a couple hours from there. In a few hours we should be enjoying a nice cool bath and something a lot better than water floating around in freezing cold ice. All served in a frosty glass.”
“Hush Bud, I’m so hot and thirsty I believe I could actually eat the icemaker about right now,” said Gabby.
As Anhur turned the bus around to retrace their previous route the headlights swept across the top of a nearby barren sand dune. Well almost barren. If the passengers had been looking they would have caught the glimpse of just the head and shoulders of...of...
...a small man in a golden suit adorned with an ethereal golden medallion and golden chain -watching their every move.
* * * ~~~ * * *
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
BAHARIYA, AT LAST
♪She’ll be comin’ round the mountain, she’ll be comin’ round the mountain♪, they sang at the top of their lungs as the silver mini-bus finally pulled into the parking lot of the Palm Valley resort. To little sleep and to much Lehben had the whole bunch high as a spring sailing kite. Fortunately Anhur did not partake or they would still be driving around in the desert lost as needle in a haystack.
Despite seeing two roads leading south Dr. Scarburg’s analysis was right on the money. They reached The Palm Valley hotel just as the sun was beginning to peek above the eastern horizon. The sky displayed a warm color from the east to directly overhead. Although tired and drunk they still took a staggering moment to observe Mother Nature’s magnificent beauty as she was switching the day’s light back on.
After checking in Dr. Scarburg called the group together to give them their ‘marching’ orders. Letting out a big belch, Lou said, “Lets all go into the restaurant and grab a bite of, uh, uh, breakfast - for those of you that can eat - then everyone go upstairs take a cool shower and get some rest. Let the abundance of the camel’s milk libations wear off, today is going to be a day for rest. What do you say we meet around sundown this evening for as Grandpa Scarburg says ‘supper’ and we will map out our strategy for tomorrow.”
The sun had barely dropped below the western horizon when they all met for “supper” in the spacious lobby of the beautiful Palm Valley resort. Well it is better say just met, dinner was another matter, maybe after the Lehban they better order just tomato juice.
Hopping down the stairs two steps at a time came LJ. Peering out across the lobby he announced, “What’s going on? Why is everyone is such a somber mood?”
“Oh shut up!” Said Gabby with her head cupped in her hands. “My head hurts...even my hair hurts!”
Pulling a metal flask from his pocket LJ, over-doing his natural southern drawl, replied, “What you need is a taste of this here ‘Hair of the Dog’ or maybe ‘Hair of the Camel’ I do believe this’ll fix you right up little lady.”
“Let me tell you something Mr. Lonnie Joe Wheeler, Mmm Ddd...if I ever see another camel, smell another camel or even hear the name camel I’m going to kill you...kill you...get it...kill you and the camel you rode in on!!”
“My your in a fix aren’t you? Come on into the restaurant and I’ll get you some of that good ole tomato juice. That’ll make you feel better.”
Seated at their table the orders were for coffee or tomato juice, or both. No food could be tolerated this evening. When the food arrived Dr. Lou should have noticed that under the white apron the waiter wore was the body of...of...
a small man in a golden suit adorned with an ethereal golden medallion and golden chain - watching their every move.
* * * * * *
Their day’s activities had been discussed and mapped out the night before for. After breakfast they once again gathered together at the fountain in the central hotel garden. Standing over in the shadows was Anhur al-Busiri their guide waiting to transport them to their destination.
The previous evening they had decided Dr. Scarburg and LJ would go to the Department of Antiquities, a small museum housed in a former warehouse, where the mummy XM-78 was being kept in a glass case. Gabby and Roche were to proceed to the excavation site and examine the tomb and the hieroglyphics on the walls.
Dr. Hazi Wallasi discovered the mummy in 1996 but it was just recently the Egyptian Department of Antiquities had undertaken an examination of XM-78. Dr. Wallasi found the gold locket and immediately notified Dr. Robert Edward Scarburg, Jr SCAR’s director in Washington, D. C.
Dr. Wallasi and Dr. Scarburg had been friends since their days as PhD candidates at Oxford many years earlier.
After Dr. Wallasi’s description of the XM-78 artifacts Director Scarburg, who had been present in Cambodia when XM-78 was abducted, immediately realized his SCAR team must examine XM-78 in detail.
If Dr. Lou had glanced back over his shoulder toward the hotel as the mini-bus pulled out of the Palm Valley’s parking lot he would have noticed the curtain was pulled back in the dining room and he would have seen the body of..of...
a small man in a golden suit adorned with an ethereal golden medallion and golden chain -watching their every move.
* * * ~~~ * * *
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
MRS. FRIEDMAN UNDRESSED
The Toyota bus pulled up to the warehouse where Dr. Wallasi and his staff of two research assistants were standing in front waiting to greet the SCAR visitors. Stepping from the cool interior of the bus onto the blazing hot asphalt parking lot Dr. Scarburg and Dr. Wheeler were greeted by Dr. Wallasi’s outstretched hand.
The Antiquities director introduced his two assistants who seemed quite nervous. Neither smiled and both their faces remained expressionless. The first assistant was a handsome dark haired young man with an abundance of facial hair by the name of Babu. The second assistant was a beautiful woman with long jet-black hair that perfectly complemented her soft fair complexion. Isis was her name. Both wore matching silver chains with a small round silver medallion attached.
Dr. Scarburg bowing and shaking both assistant’s hand commented, “Hummm...‘Babu’ translates to ‘Osiris’s firstborn’ and “Isis” is ‘Sister to Osiris’ are you two related? Ah ha...no you say. How coincidental for both of you to have such similar descriptive names.” He noticed too that both medallions had a bull, lion, man and a bird inscribed on them. “What beautiful silver medallions you both have. Is there some meaning to them? No...Only tourist trinkets sold in the markets you say?” ‘
Hummm’, Doc thought, ‘interesting, they both look identical too! And look similar to the one our taxi driver wore - except his was gold.’
After introductions the two SCAR scientists, Dr. Scarburg and Dr. Wheeler, wanted to go directly to the object of their inquiry - XM-78. Dr. Wallasi readily agreed and directed his helper Babu to provide assistance to Gabby and Roche by taking them to XM-78’s mountain burial site.
It was stored in a sealed glass case saturated with nitrogen gas. This procedure is quite necessary since mummies deteriorate rapidly once they are removed from their tombs and exposed to the outside air.
Dr. Scarburg and Dr. Wallasi, with the help of LJ and Isis, gently removed ‘her’ from the glass-resting place and lay her on an examination table. The second assistant Babu left the room along with Gabby and Roche to check out the mummy’s excavation site.
A range of black granite mountains created a natural valley surrounding the Bahariya Oasis. It is here, surrounding The Valley of Golden Mummies, Mrs. Helga Friedman’s final resting place was discovered.
* * * * * *
Anhur, seated in his driving position, was on the fifteen-passenger Toyota bus, otherwise, the bus was totally empty. As he ascended the steps Babu stared intently at Anhur. His eyes were frozen on the driver as he positioned himself in the seat directly behind Anhur. If anyone had been observing closely it would have been apparent that Anhur and Babu were not strangers.
Following immediately behind Babu were Gabby and Jacque. They passed Babu and proceeded to the rear of the bus. Sitting down close to each other in the back seat they whispered and laughed as the mysterious Babu directed the equally mysterious driver to an ancient cemetery a few miles from the Antiquities Department.
Anhur exited the road into the desolate desert burial site and stopped the bus. They were parked in front of an ancient Egyptian cemetery. Roche and Gabby stepped down the steps out into the hot, arid Egyptian sunlight. A slight hint of a breeze brought the smell of death and decay. The smell was more like rotten wood with a slight brush of mold rather than death. It reminded Gabby of the old barn smell back on Pa’s farm in Alabama. As they grasped the rusty iron latch and pushed open the large entrance gate they immediately noticed a series of large holes in the ground. Gabby’s first thought - ‘grave robbers’.