The Exodus Quest

III

Khaled advanced slowly into the treasure chamber, artefacts glowing as his torch ran over them, before dying back down to a reddish smoulder. He couldn't believe his eyes. More gold than he'd ever dreamed of; and he'd dreamed a lot. He'd be the wealthiest man in Egypt with all this, the wealthiest in all the world. Houses, yachts, planes, women, power: everything he'd ever coveted, that he'd always believed his due. But how to make it his? How to get out of here and make it his?

'Guard my back,' he ordered Faisal. 'No one comes through. Understand?'

'But we can still-'

He thrust his face into Faisal's, jammed the muzzle of the AK-47 into his belly. 'That was an order,' he yelled. 'Are you going to obey it?'

'Yes, sir.'

He turned face front again, searching the golden nooks and crannies with his torch. The woman Gaille was lying on the floor. At first he assumed her dead, but there was little sign of blood or trauma. He stooped, checked her throat, found a flutter of pulse. Still alive. Maybe he could use her. He stood up, aimed down at her face. 'Come out,' he shouted, his voice ringing around the chamber. 'I'll shoot her if you don't. I mean it. Come out.'

Nothing happened. Not so dumb. He considered executing his threat, but decided against it. Killing her would only show the others for sure what fate awaited them, encourage them to fight all the harder. He advanced further, jagging his torch sharply this way and that, hoping to catch them by surprise. An intake of breath to his left, he turned towards it, his torch lighting up Lily cowering behind her forearms in the narrow gap between a throne and a painted wooden chest. She gave a soft whimper when she realized he'd seen her, began to shriek and carried on shrieking. He slammed the butt of his AK-47 into her forehead, if only to shut her up. Her temple smacked against the chest, she slumped unconscious at his feet. With two women now captive, the dynamic had changed. He could shoot one simply to show he was in earnest, then threaten the other to force the man to reveal himself. He aimed down at Gaille once more. 'You've got five seconds,' he said. 'Four. Three. Tw-'

A blur in the reflection of one of the golden sarcophagi; the man launching himself from the stacked treasures, swinging a mace in both hands. Khaled ducked, but not quickly enough. It caught his shoulder, leaving his left arm dangling numbly, his torch clattering to the floor. He swung the AK-47 around, catching the man across his cheek, the mace spilling from his grasp. He grabbed for it but Khaled clubbed the AK-47 on the back of his head and he went down hard.

Noise way back down the passage. A man yelling out and splashing through water. He recognized his voice too. That damned policeman Naguib! And he'd be here in a minute, no doubt bringing others with him. Hatred twisted Khaled's heart like a towel being wrung dry. He'd only wanted to make a half-decent life for himself. What had he done to these damned people, that they insisted on ruining it?

The man groaned and turned onto his side. Khaled's left arm was still too numb to use, but he didn't need it to fire the AK-47. He aimed down, was about to pull the trigger when he had a better idea. He turned the gun on Gaille instead, wanting the man to watch these two women die, to know that all his efforts had been in vain. He felt a gloating sensation in his belly as his finger tightened on the trigger. The loudness of the shot in the confined space took him by surprise. The way it echoed, the orange glow of muzzle flash reflected in all this fabulous gold. The AK-47 dropped from his grasp, clattered to the ground. He was surprised to find himself falling then lying on his side, saliva leaking from his mouth, the salty taste of it. The second shot punctured high on his ribcage, kicking him onto his back. He looked up to see Faisal standing above him, Faisal of all people, pointing his own beloved Walther down at his chest, a look of perfect calmness on his face.

He tried to ask the question, but for some reason his mouth wasn't working any more. He had to ask it with his eyes instead.

'She gave me chocolate,' answered Faisal. 'What did you ever give me?' Then he raised the muzzle to Khaled's face and pulled the trigger a third and final time.