Dallas’s breath caught in her throat as one of the crow bars did something that caused a cracking sound.
Malcom Land jerked his head back to the door. Dust flew up around the door and the men started to cough. Then as the door was pried open a few inches, a blast of warm air reeking of sulfur jettisoned out of the doorway just as the large stone thudded to the ground, nearly crushing the leg of one of Train’s men and sending the crow bar the man was holding skittering toward Dallas. Malcolm Land ignored it and thrust a lantern inside.
Dallas, with one foot out the door, half turned to run, froze. The crow bar was within her reach.
Just then the three other men swore loudly. Between the two onyx statues, she could see the room illuminated by Land’s lantern was empty. The walls of the small inner chamber were covered in hieroglyphs. Train was swearing up a storm as he stepped inside.
“Where is the sarcophagus?” He reached over and picked Caldwell up by his shirt collar and then threw him against the wall. “Where is it?”
Dallas crouched and reached for the crow bar. Within seconds it was in the grip of her good hand. The worker had rallied and charged. She didn’t have time to raise the crow bar to strike him, but her left leg flew out and smacked into his chest. Thank you, CrossFit!
Before he could recover, her other leg swept underneath and knocked the man’s legs out from under him. Before she could regain her balance, Malcolm Land was barreling her way. She turned so her injured shoulder was behind her and braced for the attack.
Despite herself, she peered past Land’s charging body into the room he’d just emerged from. She saw Train pummeling Caldwell and swearing, as if he could beat the location of the mummified Cleopatra out of him.
Dallas held her arm straight in an attempt to conceal the crow bar against her leg.
By the time the older Land reached her she easily swung the crow bar up and into his crotch. He collapsed with a howl, having no idea what had hit him.
Dallas stepped over the two injured men and drew closer to the tomb.
Train and Caldwell still hadn’t noticed her or what was going on in the outer chamber.
That’s when she noticed the lower portion of the wall inside the tomb had a faint outline of three rectangles. She knew then—the tomb was lined with three shafts. They were sealed. But that’s where the coffin was. And all the queen’s treasures. Her furniture. Her special jewelry. Everything she would need for the underworld. And maybe the map to where the book was.
“If you can hear me,” she whispered into the camera’s microphone that dangled near her mouth, “I want you to notice the rectangular indents. Shafts. Sealed. Get someone down here and unseal them. That’s where she is. If I don’t make it out alive and you do get to her body, look for a map. It will lead you to a book. Destroy the book before men like Train can get it.”
Dallas knew then she was never going to make it out. It was up to Colton and Danny and Sam to stop these men. For a brief second, deep regret filled her that she wouldn’t ever get to see Colton again. She would never get to say yes to his mother’s invitations to holiday dinners. She would die unloved and alone.
Meanwhile, Train had apparently given up on beating answers out of Caldwell. The archeologist was slumped in the corner with a bloody lip. Train was pacing the small room, swearing, yanking at his hair, and looking around wild-eyed.
“There is nothing? This is her tomb? Where is her body? Where are her treasures? Where is the book?”
Dallas froze at the word. The book.
She backed out of the room and was halfway to the other door when Train turned. He took her in. He knew exactly what she was doing. She was about to run. She would have a head start, but that didn’t mean she could escape.
She wanted to run, but she needed to stop him before he found the book. She stepped back into the room. His eyes widened. His gaze flickered to the crow bar in her hand and he smirked. Then he hefted up another crow bar and slapped it against his massive palm.
They were equally armed. But he was bigger. And probably stronger. And didn’t have an injured shoulder.
Her options were limited. She might be able to outrun him. Casually, she tried to look off to the side at the dark tunnel. Train saw her look and smirked.
She swallowed and then her eyes grew wide. David Caldwell had crawled over from his spot against the wall to where the three rectangles were.
“Wait!” he shouted. Train half-turned. David Caldwell was crouched, examining the rectangular indentation. Damn, Dallas thought. He knows. Caldwell used his hand to sweep off a large swath of something that crumbled to the floor.
“Give me the bar. Now!”
For a brief second, Dallas could tell Train was torn—hurt her or find the tomb. She held her breath. Train turned and stepped back into the tomb.
Dallas knew she should run. It was her only chance to get away. But she was frozen. She had to see what was inside. It was impossible to leave before she knew whether Cleopatra’s mummified body was in one of the shafts. And whether the book was. She would do anything to stop these men from getting the book. She wasn’t sure what or how, but she had to stick around. If they found the book, she would sacrifice her life to get it away from them. She wasn’t sure how or if she had any chance of succeeding, but she knew she would at least die trying.
As she watched, Train leaned over and stuck the
