Kathlyn Trent, Marcus Burton 01 - Valley of the Shadow (16 page)

Gary scratched his head, looking particularly close at a cluster of three bodies piled on top of one another. "I've never seen an Egyptian tomb burial like this," he said. "It's not like this is some damn Sumerian burial, where the king takes his household with him. There are signs of violence all over these people."

"I noticed that," Marcus said. "Skulls bashed in, arms broken. One of them was covered in sheepskin which, as you know, Egyptians considered ritualistically unclean. It's weird."

Gary agreed. "It's more than weird. I hate to say this, but I think we may be looking at the remnants of a Jew chain gang."

"It's possible,” Marcus shrugged. “Kathlyn and I chewed on a theory that Horemheb possibly entombed all those related to Tutankhamen's assassination with Ay as punishment for their deeds."

Gary shook his head. "I don't think Ay assassinated Tutankhamen at all. I mean, he was the kid's grandfather. He had nothing really to gain by it. I think it was Horemheb himself."

Marcus was lured into the type of debate he loved best. "Horemheb was general of Tutankhamen's armies. He already had wealth, power, prestige. Even after the kid died, the royal family line was still very much in power, especially when Ay married his own granddaughter, Tutankhamen's wife Ankhesenamun, to solidify his claim to the throne.  The potential for an heir was strong."

"But Ay was an old man. He must have been shooting blanks because Ankhesenamun never got pregnant. Remember the missive she sent to the king of the Hittites asking for a son for her to marry because she was afraid? Then she drops off the face of the earth after that."

Marcus thought a moment. "Smenkhare was right before Tutankhamen. He suffered a very short reign, too."

"Smenkhare was Tutankhamen's brother. Some have said he was Tut's father but I don't think so. He was so young when he died that he couldn't have been unless he had been procreating since childhood."

"I agree completely." Marcus paused a moment. "Either the old guy in that sarcophagus in there killed his own grandsons to assume the throne or the big bad general did it and possibly killed Ay, too. Whatever the case, it's quite possible that all of these bodies in here have something to do with it."

Gary smiled at Marcus as if the both shared a monumental secret. "We're going to spend a long time finding out the truth, my friend."

Kathlyn had been standing off to the side the entire time, listening. She wasn't an Egyptologist, though she had her own knowledge and theories on things. As she stood there, her intuition began to tingle and gradually, the same ill feeling she had experienced the other day came over her.  She could feel the ghosts again, sweeping around her, and she struggled to shake them off.  They weren't particularly threatening but something in the middle of it was. The more she tried to ignore it, the more powerful it became.

Marcus and Gary were so consumed with their theories that they had forgotten that Kathlyn was standing there. They both heard a soft thud, like something falling, and turned to see Kathlyn on all fours, her face nearly into the dirt.

Marcus bolted to her side. "Kathlyn," he grabbed her to hold her up. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"

She was in turmoil, anguish she had never before experienced. It was foggy and hazy, ghosts filling her mind, a vision of something she could barely see. The State had come on too fast for her to resist and now she was in the throes of something she could not control.

"My God, Marcus," she clutched at him, her fingers biting into his flesh. "He's burying her alive. All of them; he's burying all of them."

Marcus' first thought was to get her the hell out of there. But something, perhaps morbid curiosity, wanted to listen to what she had to say. According to everyone, she had a sixth sense about things. He'd seen it in action when she had located the tomb. Now she was in the grip of something deep.

"Who?" Marcus hissed at her. "What's happening?"

He caught a glimpse of her face; it was snow-white, the pupils huge and dilated. It scared him but it also fascinated him. He'd never seen anything like it.

"He's so big," she mumbled. "She's crying and crying, and so are the people. So much pain and sorrow as he makes them... they come in here. The soldiers... they're hitting and killing them. He makes them stay in here and buries them, and some are alive...."

She trailed off, quivering and gasping. One look at Gary's face showed how terrified he was.

"What's she talking about?" Gary whispered. Then he leapt to his feet. "I'm going for Abrahams."

"No," Marcus grabbed Gary and yanked him back down to his knees. "She'll be fine. She just... senses things."

"I know she does," Gary said, apprehension in his voice. "Everybody knows. But I've never been around her enough to see it."

Marcus held Kathlyn tightly, feeling her entire body quake with what she was feeling. If he had any lingering doubt in her abilities, now was the moment of truth. He was a true believer.

"It's okay, sweetheart," he kissed her forehead. "I'm here, nothing can hurt you. What are you sensing?"

Kathlyn barely heard him above the screaming that was echoing through her brain. "The army works for him," she mumbled. "She just stands there while they kill her people. He doesn't kill her, though. He wants her to suffer being buried alive."

"Who wants her to suffer?" his lips were against her forehead.

She didn't say anything. It was more important that she feel what her senses were trying to tell her rather than try to explain it. The visions began to move quickly now, like shooting stars, people and weapon and in the middle of it, the woman she had seen once before in the white robes. Her gaping mouth yawned wide and the moan emitting from it grew louder and louder, growing closer until all Kathlyn could see was her dark, open mouth. There was a physical impact, or at least Kathlyn thought there was, because she literally jerked out of Marcus embrace and landed flat on her back.

Eyes open wide, she stared up at the ceiling. The visions, the screaming, were gone and the silence around her was eerie. Marcus loomed over her, his face wrought with concern.

"Are you okay?" he pulled her up, slowly. "What's happening?"

She blinked as if waking up from a deep sleep. "Nothing anymore. Everything is gone."

Gary sat beside her, looking absolutely terrified. "Are you all right?"

Poor Gary. He wasn't used to any of this and she smiled weakly, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I'm fine,” she assured him weakly. “Sorry you had to see that."

He let out a sharp exhale. "Don't worry about me. But do you always go through that?"

She leaned against Marcus for support. "Not at all. This is kind of unique."

Marcus held her protectively. "Are you clear-headed now?"

"Clear enough."

"What do you remember?"

She was silent against him, her breathing heavy and steady. "Something horrible happened here," she said softly. "These people were brought here to die. All of that flow I felt in the valley, the sorrow and grief... I don't think it was for Ay. I think it was these people, knowing they were being brought to their death."

"That's pretty horrible," Marcus agreed. "You kept mentioning a 'she'. Who is that?"

Her mind was still a bit foggy, but she could recollect the sensations she had received. "His wife, I think," she ran her hand over her forehead wearily. "Ay's wife."

"Ankhesenamun?"

Kathlyn pushed herself up, staring at the room around her as if it was going to jump up and bite her. The memories of the visions were fading and she struggled to remember. 

"I see her here," she pointed to a spot on the far wall. "She was just standing there as the soldiers killed the people around her. Then this big guy was standing over here," she indicated an area over to her left, "apparently directing it all. I can see him just standing there, looking at the woman. He never says a word. But she screams. It's the screams that...." she trailed off, unable to continue

Marcus stood up beside her and put his arm around her shoulders. "I think that's enough excitement for today. I got exhausted just watching you. Gary?"

Crawford stood up, nodding his head. "I'm with you. Let's go back to camp and get something to eat. I'm starved."

Kathlyn knew they were trying to get her out of there, but she didn't particularly want to go.  She looked at the bones at her feet. "I think if we dig under these piles, we'll find the woman. I don't know why I feel that way, but I do. She's in here."

"We'll dig in good time," Marcus pulled her toward the entryway into Chamber E. "Right now, I want to...."

He came to a halt.  Standing just outside the doorway in the fabulous treasure room of Chamber E were Abrahams, Dougray, Bardwell, McGrath, and Lynn. With the exception of Lynn, they all stared at Kathlyn as if she had just grown another head. Lynn just stood there, unable to look at Marcus. He had brought the executives down to see the tomb and now he was sorry. They had all seen far more than just the tomb.

"How long have you been standing there?" Marcus asked steadily.

McGrath scratched his graying head. "Long enough, Marcus."

He knew what McGrath meant. They had all seen Kathlyn's collapse. There was nothing she could do now to deny the rumors that the dig had taken its toll on her, mentally and physically.  She looked up at Marcus helplessly, but his face was like stone.

"I don't know what you all thought you saw, but just because she doesn't work like a conventional archaeologist doesn't mean she isn't the most competent scientist out of all of us," his voice was low and threatening. "She's been invaluable to me on this dig. We need her."

Walter Dougray was probably the man with the most money and power at his disposal of the entire group. He was short, African-American, in his mid-fifties. He was clearly in charge. Technically, Kathlyn was his employee and he didn't like at all what he had just witnessed. He had known her for a few years, professionally by the work she had done for his company, and the woman he saw before him was nothing like the vibrant archaeologist the world had come to love. He stepped forward, un-intimidated by Burton's size or demeanor. He had fried bigger fish, metaphorically speaking.

"I've seen more than I care to," he said. "I want Dr. Trent on the next plane to Tel Aviv. I'm not going to allow her to stay here and risk her life because you've decided you've got a crush on her. You’re risking this woman's health for your own selfish purposes and I won't stand for it."

Kathlyn had visions of Marcus plastering Dougray all over the walls of his beloved tomb. "Mr. Dougray," she said before Marcus could blow his top. "Dr. Burton is not being selfish. I want to stay here every bit as much as he wants me to stay. I can explain what you just saw, but I suppose it wouldn't do any good.  And as for Dr. Burton's 'crush' on me, I can assure you it is much more than that and quite mutual. We are planning on being married."

McGrath grinned from ear to ear and shook his head at the irony of it. Abrahams and Bardwell had no discernable reaction, while Dougray merely shrugged his shoulders.

"Congratulations," he said. "But that doesn't change the fact that my company is still sponsoring you. If I want you to go to Israel, then that's where you shall go."

"And if I choose to terminate my relationship with you?"

"Then you'll never do another article, or another cable program, for us again."

It was a blatant threat. Marcus stood back on this one; he would let Kathlyn handle it. She dealt better on the executive level than he could ever hope to. He watched her as she thought a moment and considered her options. It was difficult to tell what was going through her brain.

"Mr. Dougray," she said smoothly. "If that is your intention, so be it. But I happen to know that my cable programs are your number one money maker. Sponsors clamor to have their spots air during my programs. If you release me, the sponsors will pull out, and your World of Exploration channel will be in a tight spot. Are you sure you're so willing to terminate me? I can always go somewhere else, you know, and the sponsors will follow."

It was a shot right to Dougray's heart. "You have a no compete clause in your contract."

"It only covers television news and magazine programs," she countered immediately. "It was written specifically for current media programs and forbids me from writing or directing my own shows. You know, you really should read your contracts before you go around threatening people. The Search for Yesterday channel is a pre-recorded, series oriented show that would hire me on as a narrator, and not an actual writer or producer. They'd love to have me, and you know it."

Dougray wasn't ruffled in the least. In fact, he looked almost amused. "You'd do it, too."

"In a heart beat."

"So what do you want?"

She smiled amiably. "To stay here, of course, and write the best damn article your magazine has ever seen. Then I'll do a cable special that will blow everything else I've ever done out of the water. Why on earth would you deny your company that after you have made me what I am?"

Dougray stared at her a moment before finally shaking his head. He couldn't bluff this woman. She was tough.

"I'll counter that,” he said, enjoying the game. “You can stay here as long as it takes you to do the things you mentioned. But I'd still like you to go to Israel and do a bang-up article and program based on the Calvary Escarpment. You choose when you want to go; I won't pressure you. But I'd really love to have that done and you're the only person qualified to do it. Deal?"