Page 3 of Major

Words were spoken, phrases were yelled, but in the end, the two knew that this was meant to be. Especially as they realized it was Magnolia who was the kidnapped American. It was all they could do to control Walker.

Sent home together to ensure Magnolia’s recovery, the team stayed put to try and find out what was happening.

When May and Thomas recommended that they connect with a friend of theirs who was an archaeologist, Major expected a short, fat, balding Egyptian man. What stepped into his path was anything but.

CHAPTER TWO

Elena Fayek had spent her entire life watching her father dig in the dirt and sand. All for the hope of finding one sarcophagus, one ancient treasure, a piece of stone with ancient writing, bits of wood, cloth, or a gemstone. Anything to tell him that his digging was worth all the missed social events, all the missed birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays.

Spending her years in boarding schools in London, her summers were spent with her parents in Cairo, Luxor, Sakkara, Karnak, and so many more.

“Who are you looking for now, Baba?” she asked her father.

“Oh, hello, my darling,” he smiled, turning to lift her into the air. Her father was an Egyptian-born, Oxford-educated man. His accent was a beautiful blend of his culture and his education.

“Hello, Baba. What are you looking for?” she asked again.

“I’m looking for something old and something special,” he smiled.

“Everything you look for is old, Baba. You’re an achee-, um, archaeologist.” He laughed, tossing her into the air again. The men who worked the dig with him knew her well, and they laughed with him.

“That’s true,” he smiled. “But we’re looking for something very, very old. It isn’t older than anything we’ve ever thought to find before, but it is more important and might change the world. Where is your mother?”

“She said she had things to do, and I was to stay with you.” She noticed the sad look on her father’s face as he nodded.

“Would you like to dig?” he asked her.

“Very much!”

“Alright. You must be very careful and not step on anything or touch anything without Efram’s approval. Follow him and do as he says.” Efram smiled at the little girl, holding out his hand.

“Come, princess, let’s find something special.”

She dug with them all day, and then again the next day, and the next. It turned into weeks of preferring to dig rather than spend time with her mother. She found small amulets, a few small bones, pieces of wood from a sarcophagus, and some strange material that no one could identify. It was fascinating.

By the end of the month, she’d barely spent any time at all with her mother, only her father. When he told her that it was too dangerous to enter the dig site, she had to sit back beneath the tent and watch from a distance.

Several of her father’s assistants were beneath the tent, washing and cataloging the items that had been found. Arabel and Dominique were very smart and were archaeologists as well. She talked to them for hours about why they loved their work.

Suddenly, there was a rush of men racing toward the dig. She stood, staring at the site below.

“What’s going on?” she asked the women.

“I’m not sure, darling,” said Arabel wanting to shield the little girl from what surely was a disastrous situation. “Come. Let’s go find some food.”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “Something is wrong.”

“Elena, come, dear.”

“No! No! Baba!” she screamed his name as she ran down to the dig site.

Efram caught her in mid-air, holding her tightly. As the sounds of alarms and warning sirens went off, Elena knew what had happened. The tunnel her father was in had collapsed.

While they searched and dug for her father, Elena sat with Efram.

“I’ll go get Zia,” said Arabel to the man. He nodded, and Elena stared at her. Zia was her mother, but no one ever seemed able to find her.

“How do you know where my mother is?”

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