Page 63 of Fighting for Mallory

“Some imprints in the earth that led nowhere,” Judd replied. “You?”

“A cave with Egyptian symbols. We’re waiting to have them deciphered before heading back down. We didn’t examine the cave too closely.”

The sun set as everyone milled around, waiting. They drank water, checked their equipment, and wandered off to explore to pass the time. At eight o’clock, Clayton called it a day, and they returned to their motel.

Some of the men ambled to their rooms, but Clayton, Luca, Hutch, River, Faith, Judd, and Maverick hung out in the kitchenette. Hutch made a pot of coffee, and they snacked on bags of chips and cookies.

“News from home,” Hutch announced after he’d checked his text messages. “Brielle had to be airlifted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center due to dangerously high blood pressure. Justice isn’t sure at this point if she’ll be released before the baby is born.”

Faith almost dropped her coffee mug. “Oh, my God. Poor Brielle. Justice must be beside himself with worry.”

“He is. Brielle’s parents are in LA with Justice. Franklin and Adrienne are babysitting Noelle and Rosie.”

“Hutch, maybe you and I should go home. Justice needs us to help run the police department,” River suggested.

Hutch smiled. “He anticipated that and reiterated we’re not to come home without Mallory. He has plenty of good men and women stepping up.”

The words were barely out of his mouth when Clayton’s phone dinged with a notification. His eyes lit up behind his glasses. “‘Ask and ye shall receive saith the Lord.’ The symbols represent the seven principles of the Court of Ma’at.”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

28 September 5:58 PM

Twelve hours before the Harvest Moon reaches its full illumination

Ali hadn’t been back to visit Mallory, and she feared that he couldn’t bear to face her knowing he’d chosen not to help her. She could do nothing but wait for the end. The fire in her back grew worse. She needed another dose of antibiotics, but her hands were tied behind her back, so she couldn’t reach the medical bag.

Her stomach growled. The cheeseburger and fries had awakened her appetite, and now she craved food. She tried to focus on something other than her hunger, but to no avail. When she slept, she dreamed about food. And she dreamed about Luca. Her desire to see him outweighed her desire for food.

Mallory’s waiting came to an end when the handmaidens Ali spoke of entered the cavern. Six dark-haired young women of equal height and weight approached the river of fire. Their hair hung in shiny waves down their shoulders. Gold bands twisted into the shape of snakes adorned their arms and heads. They wore identical, flowing white gowns gathered at the waist with gold braids falling down the front and gold sandals on their feet. Two carried towels and washcloths draped across their forearms. Two carried clay pots, and the final pair carried gold platters filled with fruit, cheese, and crackers. In spite of what this meant, Mallory’s mouth watered.

The women set down their burdens. Four of them disappeared into a tunnel and dragged forth a large wooden tub. Then they made several trips into the tunnel with their clay pots that they filled with water from an unseen source. After each trip they laboriously heated the water and poured it into the wooden tub. Mallory watched their preparations with a fascinated but wary eye. None of them acknowledged Mallory’s presence until their task had been completed.

One handmaiden detached herself from the others and approached Mallory. She knelt and cut the cable ties around Mallory’s hands and feet. Freed at last, her mind leaped to a plan to escape. She knew the way out; she only had to get past these docile handmaidens.

As if they could read her mind, the handmaidens swiftly encircled her.

“Undress,” the one who freed her commanded.

“No.”

“Undress,” she repeated.

“No.”

The handmaidens stared at her. Mallory stared back in defiance. She remembered being a stubborn teenager who once willfully declared to her father, “Make me.” Well, he had, and she’d lost her privileges for a month due to her smart mouth. If these women wanted her to undress, they’d have to tear the clothes from her body.

The tension in the air increased when one of the handmaidens looked past Mallory and said with reverence, “High Priestess.”

As the circle parted for the newcomer, Mallory spun around to face the current threat. “You! I knew you were somehow involved in this.”

Dr. Patricia Samir appeared regal in her white flowing gown, gold adornments, and purple cloak made of dyed ostrich feathers. Unlike the handmaidens, her ebony hair sat atop her head like a dark crown.

“You only see the truth that skims the surface of things.”

“I see a murderess, and a high priestess over nothing but the worldly ego.”

“Your defiance does not serve you well.”

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