Let's make a story!

[valanhb]

"Under the bush, I put it under the bush..."

"Jessi, they searched every inch of that block. I will let them know though. We can go out there again when you are better and see if you hid it so well that even the police couldn't find it." Mark smiled at her, trying not to be condescending. He knew that the painting was not there, though. He had been there when they searched, directing them to where he saw her run from. They tore that place apart, everything except uprooting the trees and shrubs.

"Jessica, there is one more thing...something more important than all of this." He was nervous, and she could see it. Instinctively she prepared herself for the worst. "Now, this may not be something you can answer right now, and I understand that. I have to ask now, though. I've thought it through, and it really can't wait..."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. A small tear streaked his cheek, as he slid from the chair.

"Jessica, I cannot live without you. I have never been so scared as I was when I saw that taxi...I couldn't imagine, I can't imagine being without you. Will you marry me?"

 

[jeanie g.]

Jessica had known the question would come, and ever since Mark was struck by the car, she had also known what her answer would be. But now the question hung in the air, and she found herself without words. She looked at the face she loved so much, now stained with a tear, and motioned for Mark to come closer. And when he did, she raised herself far enough to kiss away that stray tear.

His arms encircled her gently, and he whispered, "No one has ever loved anyone more than I love you now, Jessi. You are my life, and I want you in my life forever."

Jessica felt his heart pounding much like her own, but it was not lust that consumed her; it was love. Of that she was sure. "Oh, my darling, sweet Mark. Of course I want to marry you." Mark kissed her lips hesitantly, as if she were a delicate china doll, but Jessica threw her arms around him and kissed him with a passion she didn't even know existed. Their lips separated only briefly and then only long enough to speak of love, until Jessica forced herself to pull away from his embrace and lie back to catch her breath. She was exhausted from the effort, but her heart was singing joyously with a fast and steady beat.

Mark's hand shook as he reached for her left hand, and he slipped a beautiful marquise stone on her fourth finger. Now it was Jessica's turn to allow a tear to escape her eye. She said nothing, but placed her head on his chest. She knew that would be a place of comfort for the rest of her life.

For that moment there was no Jacques, no painting, no danger... nothing but love. It was a moment that brought strength and warmth to her soul. And the memory of that moment would last for a lifetime.

 

[valanhb]

Another two weeks of intensive physical therapy were needed before Jessica could be released from the hospital. Of course, Mark was there for everything.

Once she was allowed to leave the hospital, the first place she wanted to go was back to the scene. She had to see it for herself. Much to her surprise, much of the grass had already recovered from the accident. Although, looking for it, she could plainly see where the car had crashed the place of possibly two deaths. She walked around the scene with the help of a cane like a zombie. Mark and Phillipe both watched her carefully, occasionally giving each other very worried looks.

"I want to go down by the water," Jessica stated. Unfortunately she wasn't strong enough to make it down the slope, and definitely not strong enough to make up back up. Mark and Phillipe both hurried to her side to help.

She gazed at the dark water intently. "Where did he go in?" she asked.

"About 15 feet from the bank, according to the police's calculations. Obviously no one saw it in the darkness." Even though he hated Jacques, Phillipe was still saddened by the loss of his brother. He was sad for the possibility of could have been, a real relationship with a sibling, that now could never happen.

"What do you two think?" Jessica asked, her eyes not wavering from the water. "Do you think he's really gone?"

"I don't know," Phillipe answered. "Part of me hopes he is, part hopes he isn't. I know he's crafty enough to make us think he's dead. We did it with me how many years ago, but that was all planned from the beginning."

"I don't have a good feeling about him," Jessica continued as if Phillipe had never answered. "I don't trust him being gone without a body, and I still feel threatened. Maybe I'm just still paranoid, I don't know."

"You ready to go up?" Mark asked gently. He was very worried about her physical and mental wellbeing. He had never seen her this stoic. Much to his relief, she nodded and he and Phillipe pretty much carried her back up to the road.

She next made a bee-line to the bush where she had stowed the painting. With Mark's help, she got down on her belly to look underneath.

 

[jeanie g.]

Jessica eased her way out from under the yew. The branches slapped her in the face, as if insulted by her invasion. This was the shrub; she knew it. "How soon after the accident did the police search the area?"

Phillipe answered, knowing what his answer indicated. "The very next morning. We all helped. We had officers from several different precincts here, and the museum officials were here also, wringing their hands for fear we'd damage the painting. We have to face the fact that it's gone."

"If it's gone, Jacques took it, then. No one searches an empty, overgrown lot for priceless paintings-especially not in the middle of the night. The question is, 'Where is he, and where is the Monet?' "

"Jessi, let's get you back home where you can rest and get your strength back. Christmas is coming and you'll want to be with your family. Let the authorities worry about the Monet." Mark knew, even as he spoke, that she would not forget the Monet. "Look, Jessica, because of you, we stopped Jacques in his tracks. His henchmen are all in jail, awaiting trial, and millions of dollars worth of drugs have been confiscated. You've done all you could do--and you did great! Come on, let's get back to the hotel and pack your things. The Boulangers want us to come over for a going away dinner, and look at you," he laughed,"you're covered with mud!"

"Well, I might be covered with mud, but I don't have blond hair with a half inch of brown roots," she laughed. Mark's attempt at a disguise hadn't worked, despite his best attempts, and he looked as ridiculous as her laughter hinted.

"All right, Miss Jessica, do something about it. Let's go pick up some dye. And if you're so ashamed of me, you can color it!"

The two lovers walked back to the taxi with Jessica leaning heavily on Mark's arm. "Phillipe, come on. We'll drop you off at the house." Jessica would do just what Mark suggested-for a little while, but she wouldn't feel safe. And the whole affair would not be settled until the painting was found and Jacques was behind bars. His threats rang in her head, and she knew none of them would be safe until he was found. Let them think it was over; she knew it wasn't.

 

[valanhb]

and many, many sessions of physical therapy, Jessica finally felt like her old self again. She was also growing quite restless being stuck at home for so long. She spent time planning her and Mark's upcoming wedding, but it couldn't hold her interest for very long at any given time. She'd become hopelessly addicted to adventures, experiencing new things, facing new obstacles. She definitely took after her father, much to her mother's dismay. Her father had barely escaped from more than one precarious situation. Her mother shuddered when he told his little girl those stories years ago, but Jessica hung on every word.

Mark could tell she was growing more and more restless every day. Although he would have loved to live a normal life, with a couple kids running around a picket fenced yard, he knew that he would never have that with Jessi. The exchange for spending his life with a woman like her was worth it, even if it would give him ulcers.

It came as no suprise to him that he came home to Jessica's to find her packing her bags, and had his suitcases open and waiting. Mark wasn't the only who noticed her waning zest for life being stuck at home, so her father arranged for them to join him on his upcoming archeological excursion. Destination: Egypt. There was a promising dig in the Valley of the Kings that he had been invited to oversee. Everyone had assumed that every tunnel had been uncovered and King Tut's Tomb was the last substantial find until the latest seismic technology was employed and found a series of tunnels which no one ever suspected to be there.

 

[jeanie g.]

"Jessica! What in the world are you doing? We can't leave right now. I have arrangements to make. I have to give Mike the specs for the new building, and.."

Mark seldom used her full name, so Jessica knew he was upset. As much as she loved her new husband, he was a bit on the cautious side.
"Hush, Mark." She spoke softly, as if comforting a frightened child. "I've called Mike and invited him to come over tonight. He has known for days that our honeymoon was to be in Egypt. Everyone at the reception knew! How long will it take? He's a qualified engineer. You worry too much!" Jessica gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and returned to the bags.

The advantage of being a partner in the engineering firm seemed almost a curse now. Mark knew the plans were all in order, and that Mike could easily handle the project, but he thought Jessi's dad would not be expecting them for a week. This was all a bit too sudden. But, if Jessi thought she could get a flight this quickly? He relaxed. That was next to impossible. Egypt was beautiful this time of the year, and the travel agents had taken advantage of the great fares to push the romance of the pyramids and the lure of the Nile.

"Well, Jessi, you're right about Mike. I'll fill him in over coffee and call the airlines tomorrow afternoon. Don't get your hopes up though, because.."

Jessica waved a packet of tickets seductively in front of his face. Her own eyes were shining with excitement. "The museum pulled some strings for me! Isn't it wonderful? I promised I would offer my services as an assistant to Dad if they could give me some time off and make arrangements for accomodations! Just think of the experience this will give me for the Fall lectures on ancient Egytian art. And maybe the government will allow me to make some purchases on the museum's behalf. Mark, get packed! We leave in the morning. Please be happy; most of the time will be our own, I promise."

She was so happy about the trip, Mark felt himself weaken. Jessica could be a very serious and thoughtful woman, but she was as giddy as a child tonight. He reached in the suitcase where the cat had just curled up, and handed it to his new wife. "OK, Jess! What time do we leave?"

 

[valanhb]

Jessica couldn't sleep that night. She was too excited to possibly get any sleep.

Mark slept fitfully too, but for an entirely different reason. He was very worried about Jessica. Her PT had gone well, and she had recovered from the accident very well considering all. He just couldn't shake the feeling that she was pushing herself too far too fast with this trip. He had listened to Jessica and her father James talk about the excavation. Although the dig sounded very promising even to his untrained mind, the thing that struck him was how far from everything the Valley of the Kings really was.

He hoped he was wrong, but even downtime with the woman he loved in the middle of the desert, in the middle of nowhere, in a country that was completely foreign to him, didn't sound like the great honeymoon he had planned for. Of course, Jessica could make almost everything an adventure. He prayed that it wasn't the same kind of adventure they had in Canada. This woman couldn't possible have that many adventures, could she?

 

[jeanie g.]

Morning came too soon for Mark, but Jessica was up, showered, and dressed before six. "Come on, sleepy head. We only have an hour before we leave for the airport.!"

Mark crawled out of bed, his hair rumpled from a fitful sleep, and staggered to the shower. The water felt like needles, but it helped him feel a bit more energetic. The newlyweds were facing a long trip. "Maybe I'll sleep on the plane," Mark reasoned.

The smell of coffee brewing was always one of Mark's favorite aromas, but this morning it seemed like a gift from the gods. Jessi poured him a cup and insisted that he have a piece of toast. Ignoring Mark's obvious lack of interest in food, she put the toast to his lips and urged him to hurry. "We should get a nice lunch on the way to Paris, but you need something. After our stop in Paris, we'll fly straight through to the airport near Luxor. Well, almost, anyway. We have to refuel in Greece and Giza, I believe. Dad will have a car meet us at the airport and take us to the hotel. Oh, Mark, I can't tell you how thrilled I am! This is an artist's dream for a honeymoon. Dad has told me stories about Egyptian art since I was a child, but I never thought I'd really see it at its source. Of course they might not unearth anything important, but just think--we can visit the tomb of Tutankhamun and see the Temple of Karnak! Did you know that several cathedrals could be placed inside its boundaries?"

Her enthusiasm was infectious and Mark began to look forward to the trip. He loaded the car, called Daniela, their neighbor, and gave her the itinerary and the number to the hotel. Daniela had been instrumental in helping them when they were in Montreal. She was supposed to feed the cats, but her legal expertise was invaluable. She was practicing law on a part time basis now that the baby was a bit older, but her office was in her home. So she and Jessi's mother would care for the pets and be their ties to home for the next four weeks.

An hour later the plane took off, and Mark grabbed some long needed sleep. Many hours, a couple of boring movies, and several packets of peanuts later, they landed in Paris and looked for a cafe. There was a two hour wait for the plane to Luxor, so Jessi walked leisurely, looking in the shop windows and people watching.
Suddenly, her face turned white, and she gripped Mark's arm so hard it hurt. "Mark, he's here. Jacques is here at the airport, and I think he saw me!"

 

[valanhb]

"I knew this trip was too soon for you!" Mark blurted out before he could stop himself. He immediately knew it was a mistake and braced himself for her backlash.

"Mark, I'm serious. He's here!" Her grip on his arm never loosened, and he knew that she was seriously scared.

"Where did you see him?"

"At the bar, right over there but don't look. How did he know we would be here?"

"Jessi, he couldn't have known we would be here. If it is him, and that's a big if, it has to be a coincidence. Now let's get out of here before you rip my arm off."

"Oh, gosh, I'm sorry." Jessica was suddenly propelled back into reality. It couldn't really be Jacques. Of all the places they could be, and they just happen to run into the one person in the world they want to avoid at all costs?

After a tense lunch, and a vow to return to Paris again so she could show Mark all the sights that he had never seen, the lovers returned to the airport in time to board their plane. They had purposely cut it a little close so they wouldn't have to wait at the gate very long. Their timing was perfect, and their rows were being called as they got to the gate.

Just as they entered the tunnel leading to the plane, Jessica had the eerie feeling she was being watched. She turned to look and her heart turned to ice. There was no mistake, Jacques was there, staring at her and Mark boarding the plane. She froze, and when Mark saw what she was staring at he literally jerked her down the tunnel into the plane and to their seats.

 

[jeanie g.]

The plane ascended from Cannes, but Jessica's hands gripped the arms of her seat long after they were safely in the air. Memories of Montreal and the lost Monet masterpiece chased one another across her mind. And into those memories the face of Jacques intruded-Jacques of the scarred, thin face framed with long, straight, blonde hair, a face that spoke of evil. And this drug lord had not stolen only the Monet; he had stolen her sense of safety-for herself and her family. She finally released the arms of her seat and turned to Mark.

"Mark, where is our next fueling stop? We have to watch every man who gets on the plane. He might disguise himself and--"

Mark put his arm over her shoulders, and now it was his turn to convince her. "Jessi, there's no way Jacques could have known we'd be stopping in Paris. I didn't know about the route until last night. If that was Jacques,..."

"It was!" she interrupted, "And I know he saw us board this plane!"

Mark shrugged. "Yes, it looked like him. I agree. But we could be going to Greece. That's our next fueling stop. And it's a far more logical honeymoon spot than Luxor. You're a rare woman, Jessica. Most women, especially art experts, would have preferred France, Italy, and Greece. If he decides to look for us, he won't look in Luxor. But now we know where he is, and I will speak with the staff about making an emergency call to the police in Cannes. Believe me, they'll be interested in searching for him!"

That logic, that cautious, sensible logic that so complemented her brilliant, sometimes impulsive personality! It comforted her almost immediately. Jacques would have to be a mind reader to have known their plans. Jessica relaxed as Mark spoke intensely with an attendent. He smiled and reassured her action would be taken.

The hours passed rather quickly as the honeymoon couple marveled at the Alps and the blue-green expanse of the Mediterranean. The stop at Corfu was brief, and noone who boarded had the least resemblance to the evil that they had confronted briefly in France.

Not long after their ascent, only a few hours after they flew over Crete, the continent of Africa came into view. The vast and sandy desert was in sharp contrast to the mountains, forests, and grasslands of Europe. It looked like a page from a child's book of fantasy. There was a brief stop in Giza, not really long enough to do more than stretch their legs. It would be several hours before they would step from the plane and stand on the ground at Luxor- formerly Thebes, the home of the New Kingdom, Tutankhamun, and Rameses. Jessica stepped from the plane with a sense of awe. She would be stepping into the early history of mankind. Jacques and Montreal were left behind as she again realized the significance of this trip. The mysteries and art of the ancient tombs awaited. She took Mark's hand and walked toward the terminal.

 

[valanhb]

Jessica ran from the small plane to greet her father with a big hug. She couldn't believe she was really here! She had dreamed of coming to Egypt from when she was very little, as she sat on her Daddy's knee while he described how Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon made the archealogical find of the century - a King's tomb, unpilaged and unspoiled.

Mark almost felt like a third wheel as they were driven out to their lodgings - a large tent set up in the middle of the desert. This wasn't what he had in mind for a honeymoon, but their excitement was certainly contagous. Perhaps his engineering skills could come into play, and he could actually do something constructive while he was on this expedition with the experts. Finally, his embarassment of his lack of experience that they shared was overcome by his curiosity.

"John, I'm new at this so you'll have to excuse my ignorance. Can you explain some of this in plain English?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry Mark," Jessica's father said. "I forget that you aren't familiar with my line of work, please ask any questions that you may have. As for what Jessica and I have been talking about, there is an amazing possibility that we are still getting the preliminary data on. We've had planes flying almost daily taking sonograms of the area where I am convinced there is another tomb that has not been seen for thousands of years. We're talking a discovery on the lines of Tutankhamun. The sonograms are showing more and more precisely that there is an area that has not been excavated that has definitely been disturbed by humans at some point. It has the right size and dimensions, including what appears to be a caved in passageway, that is indicative of the tombs we know about in the Valley of the Kings. We'll be doing ground walks with the equipment starting tomorrow and then plan out where we will begin the excavation."

 

[jeanie g.]

Egypt was like a dream world to the newlyweds. Neither of them was provincial, but they were in a world they had seen only in silly movies about walking mummies and documentaries on educational television. Egyptian officials were ever present, most other men wore cloaks, and there were booths with souveniers anywhere they were allowed. Mark and Jessica had mixed feelings about the commercial aspect of such a historical place, but bought small gifts for their friends, nevertheless.

The two young people learned as much as they could about the site. Jessica discussed the exciting archaological possibilities, while Mark talked shop with the engineers. The site was promising indeed. They attracted some onlookers, but the real excitement was generated by the dig at KV5, the tomb of the sons of Ramesses II, where 100 or more rooms had been discovered. Although it was not open for public view, it attracted many would be scavengers, who haunted the general area much like vultures around a newly killed animal.

Since the excavation had not begun in earnest, Mark and Jessica, like other tourists, marveled at the tomb of the young King Tutankhamun, and then, as a huge moon arose, donned light jackets and visited the Temple of Karnak. Mark knew the effect it would have on Jessica, but was shocked to see the immensity of the huge temple, and envious of the skilled hands that built it. Neither of them spoke. They stood in the darkness, silenced by awe, and dwarfed by the magnificence of the landmark. The silhouette, lighted by a full moon, was breathtakingly beautiful.

The silence was broken by the sound of two men talking. Jessica turned around but couldn't see the men who had disturbed them.
"The new dig, that's where!" she heard one voice clearly. It was filled with an almost angry impatience.

Then both listened more carefully. "The night guards are dolts, and sleep most of the time! It will make things easy for us."

The voices were European, but neither Mark nor Jessica could place the accents. "And how do you know so much?" his companion asked, rather sarcastically.

"Because I overheard Rankin discussion the possibilities with the American archaologist. I know what I'm talking about. Why don't you listen and learn?"

The name Rankin caused Jessica to cover her mouth for fear she'd make an audible sound. Then the voices gradually began to disappear, as if the men were walking away.

 

[valanhb]

Not even the immense Pharoh gods could keep them at that temple. Silently the pair rushed to the awaiting jeep and told the waiting driver to hurry back to base camp. Not knowing who they could trust anymore, they remained silent the whole ride back.

Once they cornered Jessica's father alone, they told him what they heard. He was understandably very concerned and outraged.

"This has to be an inside job! Mark, you and I don't talk that much out in the open. Who could do this to me?"

"Dad, did you run background checks on the workers?"

"Jessica, dear, this is not America. This is Egypt. Most of these people have never seen a computer. There is no central database to do the checking on, not where these people come from. These small desert communities don't have much of a justice system like you are used to."

"Well, what about Mr. Zahwi? Couldn't he help?" Mark asked.

Mr. Zahwi was the representative of Egypt assigned to oversee this dig. Nothing happened with archeology without him present. He was the one who approved everything, from which film crews are allowed inside the Great Pyramids to where a shovel was placed. After Tutankhamun, with the British and Americans making off with much of the historic finds, the Egyptian government really cracked down on who was allowed to work. Their hands were in every dig, literally.

 

[jeanie g.]

Mark and Jessica sat in the back of the jeep for the ride back to the hotel, and John rode in front with the driver. The chill that crept over the terrain at night was especially disturbing this particular evening because it was accompanied by the equally chilling possibility that one of their own associates had a plan to sabotage the dig.

At the hotel, John motioned for the young couple to go to their room. He stopped and left a message for Mr. Zahwi to call him at his earliest convenience. He sat for a few minutes in the lobby, then stepped outside to enjoy his pipe. The hotel was elaborate, a successful attempt to attract rich tourists. Palm trees dotted the irrigated land surrounding the hotel, and not too far behind the luxurious building flowed the very reason for this location of ancient and modern day Egypt, the mother river, the Nile. John suddenly stood straight, knocked the ashes from his pipe, and hurried through the lobby to the elevator.

Mark opened the door for his father-in-law. Jessica had already showered, and was in bed.

"Mark, I know the conversation those men were referring to! You and I were brushing some shards of sandstone, and I told you about the dig near the center of the Valley, near KV 62, Tut's tomb. Those men are close to a breakthrough."

"I remember that. You told me that it had been suspected that Tut had reinterred members of his family after the death of his father, Akhenaton. The return to the old religion made their burials seem inappropriate, and the experts suspect that Tuthankamun had used many of the funds intended for his own burial to relocate his family members."

"Yes, and I told you how close some colleagues of mine had found what they thought was the opening to a tomb close to Tut's. Whoever overheard us must have thought we were talking about our own dig. If Tut's burial site seemed small and spare for that of a pharoah, can you imagine what might be found in the tombs of his family members?"

"Good Lord," Mark muttered. "Who could have overheard that? And why is it we didn't see anyone?"

John shook his head, and the two men sat quietly in the dimly lit room. They had been alone that night; that was a certainty. And no amount of discussion could change it.

 

[ghostuser]

They were silent for a moment.

And then he said...

 

[jellybelly]

"Don't worry, get some rest for now. We'll discuss it in the morning."

 

[ghostuser]

But something made him change his mind...