Curse of the Pharaoh: A Brock Stone Adventure

18 The Intruder

It took Stone a long time to fall asleep. After a hot bath, he dressed and stretched out atop one of the room’s twin beds. On the other bed, Alex was already sawing logs. Stone gazed up at the ceiling and meditated on the days to come.

In the morning, they would board the steamship Sudan for their journey up the Nile. Upon arrival in Luxor, they would hire a guide and begin their search for Kauketos. He ruminated on each challenge they faced and turned the problems over in his mind’s eye.

First, they would have to find a guide willing to lead them to one of the most forbidding wilderness areas on the planet. That shouldn’t be too much of a challenge. Thanks to his inheritance, Stone had money to spare. He would find someone.

The bigger challenge was locating the city itself. They had only a general idea of where it was. They needed more information, another clue. And what about the ushabti Orion had hidden in the library of the masonic temple? What was its purpose? Clearly, it was essential to their quest. Finally, thanks to Amit, their attempt at misdirecting Kane had failed. Another confrontation seemed inevitable.

He took a deep breath, cleansed his mind of dark thoughts. He focused on his breathing, tuning out the aches and pains, encouraging his body to heal. As the night wore on, sleep slowly crept up on him until he fell into a fitful slumber.

Stone awoke to the sound of shuffling feet. He was a light sleeper and was fully alert as soon as he sat up. A man was rummaging through his bag. Stone was on the intruder in a flash. Too late, the man drew a knife. Stone controlled his wrist and smashed the man’s hand against the wall until he dropped the blade.

“What is happening?” Alex mumbled.

“Turn on the lamp,” Stone ordered, pinning the man’s free arm behind his back. Light flooded the room and Stone’s eyes fell on a familiar face. “Professor Ratliff!”

“Let me explain,” Ratliff said.

“Make it fast, and it better be good,” Stone said.

“I am being pressured by someone powerful and dangerous.”

“John Kane?” Stone asked.

Ratliff hung his head. “He is one of them. The other is a gangster named Amit.”

Something clicked in Stone’s mind. “Were you behind the abduction of our friend?” The look on Ratliff’s face was all the answer Stone needed.

“Please, just let me explain.” Ratliff’s voice quaked. “A few years ago, I made the mistake of working with Amit to sell some items to private collectors.”

“Stolen antiquities?” Stone asked.

Ratliff nodded. “Since then, Amit has been blackmailing me. I have to provide him with at least one mark a month — tourists mostly. If I don’t, he will turn me in to the authorities, many of whom are on his payroll. And he has men inside every jail. I wouldn’t last very long.”

“How did John Kane enter the picture?” Stone asked.

“He took an interest in a map I acquired while working for a man named Crowley.”

“Orion Crowley?” Stone demanded.

“One and the same. He was looking for Kauketos, same as you. I found an old tablet that had been smashed to bits, but I was able to piece together enough of it to obtain a clue to the city’s location.”

“Kane already knows the way to the city?” Alex asked.

“I doubt it. It was only a single clue without context.”

“Tell me,” Stone said.

“Touched by the Head of the Serpent at sunset. That’s all I know.”

Stone didn’t trust Ratliff. He seized the professor by the collar, gave it a twist, and slowly lifted the smaller man off the floor until they were eye to eye.

“I don’t believe you.”

Ratliff’s eyes bulged and his face turned beet red. He made a squelching sound, his lips moved but he couldn’t form the words. Stone lowered Ratliff, let the tips of his toes touch the floor.

“That’s the only clue I have,” he grunted. “I swear it.”

Stone released his grip on the professor and shoved the man into a nearby chair. He crossed his arms and stood over the quailing man. “What were you looking for in our room?”

“Orion acquired what he called the ‘Key’. Kane believes you have it. Amit ordered me to search your room. I got here just as you arrived. I have been hiding in the closet for hours, waiting for you to fall asleep.”

“I don’t sleep very much. Too many things on my mind.” Stone narrowed his eyes. He had a hunch there was more Ratliff could tell them, but how to shake it out of him? He turned to Alex.

“We’ll need to dispose of his body without being spotted. Any suggestions?” He flashed a wink. Alex’s eyes twinkled. He understood.

“Cut him up and take him out inside our luggage? We could feed his bits to the crocodiles. I’ve got a blade attachment in my bag.”

“No!” Ratliff gasped. “I am certain I can be of use to you.”

“Why does Kane want to find the city?”

“He is working with the Germans. They seek to harness the dark powers of the Night Queen.”

“What are his plans?”

“They chartered a boat and will head upriver to Luxor. From there they will head into the Western Desert.”

“What other clues does Kane have?”

“None that he has shared with me. I’m telling the truth.” Sweat dripped down Ratliff’s face.

“All right,” Stone finally said. “We’ll let you live.” At Stone’s words, Ratliff smiled, his shoulder sagged in relief. Stone turned to Alex. “We’ll bind and gag him and leave him in the closet.”

“Won’t they find him when they clean the room?”

“Yes. That’s why you are going to go to the front desk and pay for another night. Leave strict instructions that we are not to be disturbed under any circumstances.”

“You can’t do that,” Ratliff said.

Stone leaned in until they were nose to nose. He cracked his knuckles and stared the man down.

“You arranged for criminals to kidnap the woman I love. Count yourself lucky I don’t take my friend’s suggestion and feed you to the crocs.”