"Rick?" I asked hesitantly, walking up to the cell. I gasped as I took in my brothers haggard appearance. His hair was now shoulder length, and he had an unkempt beard. He looked rough. How long had he been here?
He met my eyes and did a double take. He blinked twice, shook his head, then seemingly deciding I wasn't a figment of his imagination, gasped.
"Addy? Is that really you?" He asked me, his voice rough and scratchy. It sounded like he hadn't had water in days. I hated to think about what he might have suffered in this place.
"Yes, Rick. It's me." I told him and he took in my appearance. He was probably noticing the difference in how I looked from three years ago. After all, I've grown quite a lot since I was 18.
"I can't believe it. What are you doing here?" He asked me and his gaze shifted to Jonathan and Evie. They'd been observing this interaction in confusion.
"I'm with them. These are my friends." I told him.
Evie's gaze flickered between my brother and I. "Is this your brother? You said his name was Rick, right?"
I nodded. "You look alike." She observed and I grinned. Rick and I both had golden brown hair, but his eyes were blue while mine were a hazel brown. Other than that, we had very similar features. We might have been able to pass for twins if he wasn't older.
Rick looked at Jonathan and I noticed Jonathan looked uneasy.
"Don't I know you?" Rick asked him and Jonathan gulped. "And whose the broad? Well, guess she's not a total loss." Rick remarking, glancing at Evie. I rolled my eyes at this. I could tell he thought Evie was quite pretty by that comment.
"Broad?" Evie asked, outraged. I guessed she hadn't encountered as many scoundrel men as I had if 'broad' was the worst thing she'd heard.
"How did this happen, Rick? How did you get thrown in here?" I questioned him. He looked troubled and sighed.
"I got into a bit of trouble. They threw me in here. That was three years ago." He said and I sighed. That was why he hadn't written.
All this time I'd thought he'd forgotten about me.
"I thought you left me behind, Rick." I said quietly, my voice betraying how very afraid of that I was.
When we were younger, I'd always relied on Rick to protect me. After Hamunaptra, I had to learn to protect myself.
Rick sighed and gave me an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Addy." He told me as Jonathan walked closer to stand by me. He placed a hand on my shoulder and I glanced to him in surprise. I looked away as I saw Rick watching me.
"Sir, we found your puzzle box and we've come to ask you about it." Evie said, getting back to the point. Rick smirked at her assertiveness. "No, you came to ask me about Hamunaptra." He remarked.
"Have do you know about Hamunaptra?" Evie asked, placing her hat over her mouth in an effort to quiet their conversation.
"That's where I was when I found it." Rick told her, then peered beside me at Jonathan.
Jonathan removed his hand from my shoulder under Rick's gaze.
"Are you sure I don't know you?" He asked, with that look on his face I knew well. "I just have that face." Jonathan replied sheepishly. "Rick, don't—" I warned, but I was a little too late as Rick punched Jonathan right in the mouth.
"Jesus, Rick!" I said exasperatedly as Jonathan fell to the ground. I kneeled down to check on him. His eyes were closed and a mark was apparent close to his lips. He seemed unconscious and I figured there wasn't much I could do, so I stood up. Evie, not too concerned about his wellbeing, stepped right over him.
As I looked back over at my brother, I couldn't perceive the relief I felt to finally be with him again. The last three years had been nearly hell without him. If I hadn't met Evie and Jonathan, I'm sure I would be in jail too, or worse.
"Could you tell me how to get there?" Evie asked him suddenly. Rick grinned at her smugly. "Yes."
"You swear?" She asked skeptically. They seemed to forget I was there as they stared each other down. "Every damn day."
I scoffed. That was just like Rick; he always had a sarcastic comment ready. "That's not what I meant." Evie said frustrated, her brows furrowing. "I know what you meant. Do you really want to know?" He asked her.
Evie was about to answer when the guards came towards him and yanked him to his feet. "Stop!" I yelled at them, but it fell on deaf ears. The men continued pulling him back.
Evie leaned forward to hear Rick as he broke away and pressed his face to the bars. "Then get me the hell out of here." Rick said urgently, kissing Evie quickly before being dragged away.
Evie looked absolutely flabbergasted, and I could hardly register the shock as they took him away. I couldn't figure out what I was more shocked by; my brother randomly kissing Evie or him being dragged away before my very eyes.
"Where are they taking him?" Evie asked the warden curiously. "To be hanged. Apparently he had a very good time." The warden answered and I turned to look at the warden instantly. Hanged?
"No! Please! He's my brother! He's a good man!" I pleaded to the warden, but he simply brushed past Evie and I. Evie and I followed the man to his seat, desperately trying to bargain. "I'll give you 100 pounds for this man's life." Evie said urgently.
The warden scoffed at the offer. "I would pay 100 pounds just to see him hang." He said , and I turned to glare at him. I was liking this man less and less each minute.
I winced as the executioner placed the rope around Rick's neck. "300 hundred pounds!" I yelled to him. "And what else?" The warden said, placing a hand on Evie's leg. "I'm a very lonely man." I leaned forward to smack the man's hand away but Evie beat me to it.
She smacked his hand with a book, causing the prisoners to laugh. The warden exclaimed a command and the rope dropped. I let out a scream.
"No!" Evie yelled, jumping out of her seat. "Oh, his neck did not break. Now we must watch him strangle to death." The warden said in a mock apologetic voice.
This man was greedy. There was only one thing that would make this man stop. Treasure.
"He knows the location of Hamunaptra." I said quickly, glancing worriedly at Rick who was struggling for breath. "You lie!" The man exclaimed, looking at me in disbelief.
"She would never!" Evie said, offended at this man's accusation. "We'll give you ten percent of our findings." Evie continued.
"Twenty."
"Fifteen!"
"Thirty!"
"Twenty five!" The warden countered and then looked disappointed with himself.
"Ha! It's a deal!" Evie said and the warden exclaimed, "Ah! Cut him down!"
I watched as Rick fell to the ground, gasping for breath. I rushed over to him immediately. "Rick!" I said, helping the rope off of his neck. He looked up to me, gasping for air. "Addy, you saved me." He said gratefully, but I shook my head. "That was all Evie." I told him and watched as Evie and Rick exchanged a long look.
>>>>>>
Giza Port, Cairo
I lingered by the ship with Evie and Jonathan. We were taking a fairly large cargo ship to a village close to Hamunaptra. After that, we would ride into the city on horseback.
I knew Evie and Jonathan were placing all of their trust in my brother to guide them. I was too, although I was a little nervous about the trip.
"Do you think he's going to show?" Evie asked us, glancing around the dock.
"With my luck, yes. I know his breed, he's a cowboy. His word is his word." Jonathan answered and I couldn't argue with that. Rick always had been a man of his word.
"Well, personally I think he's filthy, rude, a complete scoundrel." Evie said for what had to be the fiftieth time in the last day. She'd been complaining about Rick ever since he'd kissed her suddenly yesterday. Jonathan and I had listened and nodded our heads, pretending as if we hadn't heard her complaints the first twenty times.
"Anyone I know?" Rick said suddenly from behind us. We all swiveled and I saw Rick had gotten a shave and a haircut. He looked like his old self again. The Rick I remembered.
I watched in amusement as Evie's mouth fell open. "Oh, um. Hello." Evie finally stuttered out.
"Smashing day for the start of an adventure, eh, O Connell." Jonathan said, patting Rick on the chest.
I snickered as Rick looked inside his coat pocket to make sure his wallet was still there. "Yeah, smashing." Rick said sarcastically. "Come on. I'd never steal from a partner, partner." Jonathan joked. "You steal from everyone, Jon." I said and he gave me a playful glare.
"That reminds me, no hard feelings about the-" Rick said, gesturing a punch. Jonathan flinched regardless and I had to snicker. "No, it happens all the time." Jonathan said, and I nodded. "It's true. You wouldn't believe the amount of times he's been punched." I added and Jonathan nudged me in the side. I giggled and Rick noticed this.
"Addy. I didn't know you were joining us on this little voyage." Rick said, grinning at me mischievously. I grinned back. "You didn't think I'd let you go to Hamunaptra by yourself twice, did you?" I replied and Rick smiled at me.
"Speaking of Hamunaptra, Mr. O Connell, because I'm warning you if this is some sort of flim-flam-" Evie started and I smirked at her. Evie always tried to be scary, but she was the kindest person I knew. She wouldn't hurt a fly.
"You're warning me? Let me put it this way, lady. My whole damn garrison believed in this so much, that, without orders, they marched straight from Libya into that city. And when we got there all we found was sand and blood." Rick ranted, looking passionate about the subject.
I guessed he was trying to scare Evie, but she was looking at him with a rapt attention. I recognized that look. She was starting to get a crush. Great. My best friend and my brother. At least I didn't have to worry about Evie not being good enough for him.
"Here, let me take your bags." Rick said. picking the bags off the ground and walking onto the ship.
"Yes, filthy, rude, a complete scoundrel, nothing to like there at all." Jonathan teased Evie.
She glanced back at him with an eye roll and I fought a grin. It instantly fell as I heard a familiar voice.
"Bright good morning to all." I heard the warden call as he walked onto the ship.
"Oh no, what are you doing here?" Evie exclaimed in exasperation, and the warden grinned. "Protecting my investment." He said and I rolled my eyes. I didn't want to spend another second in that guy's company.
I walked off in the direction Rick had gone, and saw him standing alone. "Rick." I said, trying to get his attention.
Without warning, he turned and lifted me into a hug. "Can't breathe." I muttered and he set me down.
"I missed you, Addy." He said and I grinned. "And I missed you, Rick. I actually thought you ditched me. I should have known better." I told him, my voice growing slightly sadder and his face fell.
"I'm sorry you felt like I would leave you, Addy. I know I haven't been the best brother to you lately." He said, guilt marring his features. "It's alright. Besides I've had Evie and Jonathan to keep me company."
He smirked at this.
"What's the deal with that? Are you good friends with them?" He asked me, trying not to seem interested in my answer. I could tell he was very interested though, probably in Evie, of course. I doubted he liked Jonathan that much, what with the stealing and all.
"Yes, I met them at the Museum of Antiquities where Evie works. Evie is a great friend to me, actually my best friend, and Jonathan, he's a great.. friend." I said, hesitating slightly before I said Jonathan was a friend and Rick chuckled.
"As long as he's only a friend." Rick said playfully. I shoved him. "He is. Besides I'm twenty one years old, don't you think I should have some choice?" I said quickly, feeling very defensive.
I don't know when I had gotten so weird about Jonathan , but I was sure it would pass. It was just the fact that my brother was around, I thought hopefully. He grinned, he knew I hated it when he treated me like a little sister, even though that's exactly what I was.