CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Day. The sun rises behind the train as it races between giant golden sand dunes. A tight little passenger compartment.

Dakota drums his fingers on the windowsill and stares at Lock-Nah, who sits across from him and stares right back.

"Are we there yet?"

"No".

"Are we there yet?"

"No".

"Are we there yet?"

"No".

"Are we there yet?"

Lock-Nah leaps up and slams a knife blade down between two of Dakota's fingers, missing them by a hair. Dakota just stares. "Perfect aim".

"What are you talking about?" Lock-Nah yanks the knife out. "I missed". Dakota's eyes widened. Lock-Nah starts picking his teeth with the blade. Dakota glares at him. "You're lucky you are the lord Imhotep son, if you wasn't I kill you!"

"How long have you been working with them?" asked Dakota. "With Baltus Hafez I mean, he's the curator, high priest. About that lady Meela.."

Lock-Nah eyeing him. "What about her?" Dakota smiles, he likes the conversation.

"That she likes Imhotep".

"Because she is crazy. Why are we talking about this? get it she is like your father. Basically she will do anything to have Imhotep".

Lock-Nah eyes on him. "As for you? Imhotep is just using you for that all, he wants the bracelet not you. He doesn't care if you are his son or not, after he gets what he wants.. you are useless to him".

Dakota smirking. "I have to go to the bathroom".

The bathroom door opens and Dakota looks into the most rancid, filthy, disgusting, windowless craphole imaginable.

He looks up at Lock-Nah, and in a very dainty voice says, "Where's the bidet?"

"HURRY UP!"

Lock-Nah crosses his arms and stares down at Dakota. Dakota stares right back up at him.

"I can't go when someone's watching".

Lock-Nah snarls, then steps out and slams the door. Dakota looks around, disgusted and dejected, then he looks down into the toilet.

"Alright. All this was a lie. So I show them how I make their life miserable".

He gingerly grabs the rusty chain and pulls. There is a loud flushing sound. And then Dakota's eyes widened.

The bottom of the toilet has opened and is spilling rinse water right onto the train tracks.

Dakota quickly grabs the rusty toilet and pulls, peeling it back to reveal a hole big enough for him to fit through.

The tracks whizz past.

Since yesterday Evelyn was not in her mood, knowing what will happen next. Her mind was empty; she didn't know what to think.

All she thought was Dakota, his life at the hand of the bracelet. What will Imhotep do to Dakota?

Could be Imhotep brainwashed Dakota's mind so he will forget about her and who his mother was to him. His own mother, afraid that will happen right now.

Promising herself Imhotep will not be doing that, he won't hurt his own son.

Ardeth studied her from afar, he stood up then stood beside her, trying to comfort her again.

"I want him back, Ardeth. I want him back in my arms''. she hug herself. "I just wanted him back, that's all. I don't care if our world has ended, as long as Dakota is with me in my arms. I could die peacefully".

"You are talking like wasn't yourself Evelyn. You taught him well, he's smarter than you and he's tougher than you thought. Like I'd say Imhotep will not harm Dakota because Dakota is his son, he senses it, he knows Dakota is everything that you and Imhotep have".

Evelyn cried. "I love him so much, Ardeth. I just can't.. what if Imhotep brainwashed Dakota's mind and forgot about me for being his mother".

"He will not do that Evelyn. What makes you think Imhotep will do that to Dakota?" sigh, Ardeth gently patted her arm. "Dakota knows that. We'll get him back Evelyn. I can't promise but I will, let's say Imhotep wants to spend his time more than he ever had. Let Imhotep know Dakota, the bonding between the father and son".

"I don't trust them. I don't trust Imhotep, how could I trust them, you don't know them, Ardeth".

This now Ardeth sighs loud, inhaled and exhaled. His eyes on the view. "I know them more than you do Evelyn. Just they won't". he turned to Jonathan. "You alright my friends?"

"Should I? I have my responsibility toward my nephew, being up in the sky is the best thing ever you could barely imagine. Like you flying without wings".

Jonathan looks at Ardeth again. "It sounds like a song".

Ardeth laughed. "When you both decide to leave Cairo. I know exactly what happened to you Evelyn. McGowan told me something that made me realize I should do the same thing before I get old".

"Having a bunch of children? A wife?" Jonathan questions him.

Ardeth nods. "Family of my own. Just I don't know when or where. What does it feel like having a child, Evelyn?" Ardeth asks her.

Changing the topic, he wants Evelyn to forget all her words about Imhotep earlier. Maybe with this conversation she feels calm and relaxed.

"Disaster I told you this. Jonathan couldn't get enough sleep. Dakota always woke up and cried in the middle of the night until I told him about Imhotep. Dakota immediately falls asleep till morning. Was that miracle to you?"

Shrug. "Dakota knows you just talk about his father then fall asleep. Oh and yes, I received a letter from McGowan and he will soon be a father. Happy for him. That is what we call a circle of life. You live and die".

"So are you saying we were chasing this boy while the boy was abducted by his own father? This is a serious shit family matter". said Piper. "That is why we are stuck here in because of this, what he's gonna do over there".

"Taking over the world. That includes your ass". Ardeth laughed. Piper gulped. "That's what we are afraid of, we can know what capable Imhotep will take over the world. Wasn't just Imhotep I was talking about, the woman with them is more dangerous than he is".

Evelyn's eyes shoot at him. "Woman? what would she do to conquer the world together with Imhotep".

"Nah". Ardeth breathed. "More than that. He will raise the army's of Anubis. I cannot let this happen. That's why we are here, if he did the boy in danger".

Evelyn shook her head. "I don't understand the part of that woman?"

"You will see Evelyn. She is capable of killing us".

Karnac. The brakes on the train suddenly lock up. The train starts to screech to a stop near the huge temple at Karnac.

Men shout in Arabic and broken English. Something about the boy has escaped!. Several men on top of the train open fire.

Imhotep hears them shooting at something, and suddenly he thinks about Dakota. He bolted out from the compartment. Baltus Hafez, Meela and Lock-Nah running through the corridor they see Imhotep.

Imhotep's boxcar doors crash open. Imhotep stands in the doorway. He sees Dakota, scurrying off through the ruins, heading for the temple, bullets ricocheting all around him.

Imhotep angrily looks up at the two men firing above him.

He raises his arms. The two men are suddenly picked up off their feet by an invisible force, lifted into the air, viciously slammed together, then flung like rag dolls into the ruins.

He turned to Baltus Hafez, Meela and Lock-Nah. "What happened!?" he barked, his eyes meeting Lock-Nah. "Did you!?"

Dakota vanishes into the temple complex. Meela and Baltus Hafez turn and glare at Lock-Nah, who angrily lowers his head in shame.

Dakota races into a temple room, panting from exhaustion. Suddenly, the room fills with a vision, it's the exterior of Karnac, only brand spanking new.

Then the vision races across the desert to the temple island of Philae, circa 2,000 B.C..

A giant man suddenly comes striding across the island. The Vision vanishes. It's Imhotep. He stops in front Dakota.

Dakota is suddenly levitated off his feet and brought up to eye level with Imhotep. Imhotep's face rots away a tiny bit more.

He looks worried and panic, wags a moldy finger at Dakota. "Put me down!" Imhotep did as he was told, promising himself not to run away. "You gonna kill me after you achieve your goals".

"I will not kill my son! why would I".

"It was the man who told me that earlier. You just want the bracelet not me, my mother was right about you. You just.. as you are".

Imhotep leaned closer to Dakota, his angry face met Dakota. "Don't you ever say that Dakota. Which of the men who say that I kill him. Never run away from me Dakota, just don't". Imhotep hugged Dakota and cried.

The blimp floats high over the Nile, backlit by another gorgeous sunset.

Ardeth and Jonathan are busy locking and loading, preparing for battle. "I can't believe you have this much loaded gun whatsoever".

"It was McGowan's idea. He knows that I need it if something happens. Imhotep's powers are weak, but he is still quite formidable".

Evelyn strolls up, looking very worried. "We had better get to Karnac before they leave it, or we won't have the foggiest where to go next".

Ardeth looks over at Piper, sitting up in the cockpit. "We'll be there before the sun rises. Cross my heart".

Ardeth gives Evelyn a look. Evelyn forces a smile and heads for the bow of the boat. Suddenly, her eyes start to glaze over and she goes into a trance.

Temple Pool. Same day. Imhotep is chanting over a tiny sacred pool covered in fog. Meela stands beside Imhotep stares into it, her eyes gluing, going into a trance. Imhotep stops chanting and turns to her.

"You want to know why I don't like you". Imhotep eyes and Meela is glued, gently she takes a seat beside Imhotep. "It is time to remind you of who you are".

He passes his hand over the fog, it begins to part, revealing not a pool but a vision of ancient egypt the pharaoh's palace.

We find ourselves in ancient times.

Two Egyptian princesses, their faces hidden by ornate gold masks, are engaged in hand to hand combat, these are the same two princesses depicted in the hieroglyphs at the beginning.

Imhotep and pharaoh watch, greatly amused.

"That is why you see a vision most of your time, me and Nefertiri. You know her just.. you don't remember".

Using small, hand held tridents, the two gorgeous women expertly punch, kick, elbow and backhand each other as they brilliantly fight across the palace chamber.

One of the princesses is viciously thrown to the floor, her mask is knocked off.

It's Evelyn. And the one princess is Meela. "That's me!" she pointed out. "I was one of them". At the same time Evelyn's eyes narrow suspiciously.

Night at pharaoh palace. Both Evelyn and Meela saw this. It was the same night before Imhotep was sentenced to his death.

This princess's name Amunet was the pharaoh's secret mistress who secretly fell in love with Imhotep.

Knowing Imhotep's love is for Nefertiri, she begins to spread bad news about Imhotep at the palace.

Including the pregnant maid that he hadn't touched or met before. Amunet was there when the pharaoh gave an order of Imhotep's death while Nefertiri begged to consider Imhotep's life.

The pharaoh didn't listen. Imhotep's eyes were staring at smirking Amunet, who was hiding between one of the pole palaces.

It was the last time Imhotep saw Amunet alive and the love of his life, Nefertiri.

Meela cries out, her eyes snap open as she backs away from Imhotep. Imhotep stands watching her. "It cannot be!"

"So you know why I never like you". Imhotep walked towards her. "You never give me a chance to live. Because of your jealousy I.. have been sentenced by the Hom Dai curse. It was all because of you I had to watch my Nefertiri marry Ramesses while you are happy to see me suffering!"

Imhotep breathed heavily, he spoke back. "You are the reason for everything that I will not forgive you until now Amunet!"

Imhotep turned his feet walking back to the train. Meela had nothing to say about this, and now she remembers. It was her destiny to destroy Imhotep's life and his loved one.

That was her chance. She will use this chance and never let Imhotep go.