Page 2 of Escape to Egypt

"You’re actually at the museum right now? Come on, Charlotte. You can't tell me those mummies won't wait another day to be gawked at."

"Dean, they've waited a couple millennia; it's not them who are on a deadline." My patience was wearing thin like the varnish on an ancient sarcophagus.

"Fine, if you want to spend your night with a bunch of stone-faced Pharaohs instead of—"

"Goodnight, Dean." I interrupted before he could finish. He huffed something unintelligible and ended the call. I was sure Queen Nefertiti's bust eyed me with a look of pity.

With a sigh, I returned my phone to my pocket and stepped back with my hands on my hips, surveying the room. A satisfied smile spread across my face, warmth flooding through me despite the sterile chill of the museum air. The exhibit really was coming together beautifully. The soft overhead lights cast a gentle glow on the artifacts, accentuating their allure and whispering of ages past, and my heart swelled with pride.

Just then, the piercing wail of the alarm cleaved through my moment of triumph, shattering the quiet like a sledgehammer through ancient pottery. My heart slammed against my ribcage, and I clapped my hands over my ears, spinning frantically.

"Seriously?" I groaned, my voice lost amidst the relentless blare. "Not now!"

With a speed that would impress an Olympic sprinter—had any been around at this ungodly hour—I dashed toward the security panel. My mind raced faster than my feet, cataloging every step I took during setup, trying to pinpoint how I could have botched this so spectacularly.

"Come on, Charlotte, think!" I muttered, skidding to a halt in front of the keypad. My fingers hovered, trembling, debating which code would silence the chaos. "You're smarter than this, you’re..."

I punched in a series of numbers and thankfully the alarm ceased, granting me a precious few seconds of silence before it went off again, this time with renewed vigor. I cringed.

"Okay, guess that wasn’t the one," I said, trying again.

My second attempt was luckily successful, and I exhaled, allowing myself a sliver of relief before turning back to the exhibit.

"Damage control, here we come,” I muttered, knowing that security would arrive within seconds to find out what had tripped the system. It was so sensitive, even an errant dust particle had been known to sound the alarm.

But as I approached the carefully arranged artifacts, a chill ran down my spine that had nothing to do with the museum’s climate-controlled environment. Something was amiss—a gap amid the treasures, a void where once there had been something absolutely priceless.

"Wait, what?" My stomach dropped to my knees, and I rushed closer, praying my eyes were playing tricks on me. "Please be there, please be there," I chanted under my breath, skidding to a halt before the glass case that had cradled the Jewel of Isis, an ancient amulet purported to have mystical properties. My gaze scoured the velvet lining, once home to the gem that glinted with the secrets of millennia.

But the case was as empty as my suddenly hollow chest.

"No, no, no," I groaned, pressing my palms to the cool glass. The jewel wasn't just any trinket; it was the centerpiece of our new Egyptology wing. Its loss would be the coup de grâce to my already precarious career.

The sinking feeling in my gut turned into a full-blown nosedive. I leaned closer, as if proximity could change the glaring truth. But no, the jewel had vanished, leaving behind nothing but the ghost of its sparkle on the cushion.

"Great, Charlotte. Just great." My voice echoed back at me, mocking. "Lose one artifact, shame on them. Lose two—" I cut myself off, refusing to finish the thought. What was next? The museum's prized T-Rex spontaneously deciding to go for a walk?

"Get it together, Bray," I muttered, straightening up. My mind raced, trying to piece together the sequence of events that led to this moment. The museum was more secure than Fort Knox during a zombie apocalypse—how could someone pull off a heist like this?

"Okay, so you've made a tiny mistake," I said, forcing levity into my tone. "Two tiny, totally career-ending mistakes."

I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply. I’d put myself through college with money I’d earned from working as a nanny, and I hadn’t changed all those diapers for nothing. It had taken me twice as long to get my degree in Fine Arts as everyone else, but I’d been determined to do whatever it took to make my dream come true. There was no way I was going to let an art thief steal that now, too.

The shrill ring of my phone made my heart leap yet again, and I fumbled for it with shaking hands.

“Charlotte Bray speaking," I managed, voice steady despite the adrenaline speed-skating through my veins.

"Charlotte, it's Malcolm." His voice was devoid of its usual warmth, and that alone sent a fresh wave of panic through me. My boss, the man who normally chuckled at my zeal for Zoroastrian artifacts, was using his 'board meeting' tone.

"You're suspended, effective immediately," he said, and I could almost hear the gavel fall on my career. "We need to investigate the missing artifacts."

My heart plummeted so far down I was sure it would leave a dent in the floor. Suspended. The word echoed in my skull, mirroring the way my hopes for the exhibit had crumbled into dust. I slumped against the wall, the cool surface a stark contrast to the heat flushing my cheeks.

"Understood," I whispered, but Malcolm had already hung up.

Silence enveloped me once more, save for the incessant ticking of the clock that now seemed to be counting down my tenure at the museum. But I’d never been one to surrender without a fight, and I wasn’t about to do so now, not when my entire future was on the line.

"Okay, think, Charlotte," I told myself, straightening up with resolve. I took a deep, grounding breath. My mind, usually filled with a jumble of historical facts and figures, kicked into overdrive, seeking a solution amidst the chaos. "You've cracked the code of the Pharaoh's secret chamber, remember? You can crack this."

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