The Hunt for Power

Chapter 2

Ramses Kafre el-Kahir reclined against the wall with his hat low over his eyes. There wasn't much wine left in the bottle next to him, a fact that buzzed in his mind faintly. Might have to do something about that, he thought. But later, much later.

Rex and Zidan came through the door of the bar/restaurant that made up the lower floor of the boarding house they were staying in and saw him relaxing against the wall. They both grimaced and wordlessly looked at each other. So much for the rear guard.

"Ramses, you oaf! Get up!" Zidan shouted at his brother. "We leave you here to keep an eye on Dr. Fletcher's rooms, and this is how you act? Our mother would die of shame."

"Salaam, brother. Too loud. Not to worry. The rooms are safe, the place is quiet, and the wine is plentiful. Or . . . was plentiful," he corrected as he finished the last of the bottle, stood, and smiled at Zidan and Rex. "Besides, I would have looked suspicious sitting here all night and not drinking."

Ramses was Zidan's younger brother by only a year, but the differences between them were vast. Rather than the large, broad, digger's physique that Zidan had, Ramses was slight and barely over five and a half feet tall. But what he lacked in physical size, he made up for in cunning, charm, and sly intelligence. With seven younger sisters, it had taken both Zidan's domineering presence and Ramses' shrewd machinations to ensure that all seven married suitable spouses.

"And our mother has been dead for 15 years. You should stop hiding behind her and learn to fight your own battles," Ramses teased and waggled his finger under Zidan's nose.

"I'll show you a fight!" Zidan thundered.

"Oh big man, eh? I could take you with one hand tied behind me and both eyes closed!"

"Well, come on then!"

"Boys, boys," Rex said, casually leaning over and procuring another bottle from behind the bar. "Let's all take a minute to relax and celebrate our success." He didn't much envy trying to separate them if they started fighting. A solid six feet with an athletic, if unimpressive physique, Rex knew that brothers fighting rarely cared about who got in their way as they tried to inflict maximum physical damage on each other. Better to distract them with wine.

"You got it?" Ramses beamed, instantly dropping any aggression. Although they both acted like the other was incompetent, Ramses and Zidan had been nearly inseparable their entire lives and cared deeply about each other. Not that either would ever admit it. They had also traveled the world, taking part in archaeological excavations together and were highly sought after for their skills. Zidan's dig preparation and planning along with his ebullience with the crew paired well with Ramses' linguistic proficiency. Fluent in Sanskrit, Latin, Hebrew, Ancient Greek, and several other languages, plus the ability to decipher hieroglyphics and cuneiform with ease, made him a noted expert on ancient languages. Even when he had been drinking. Which he frequently was.

"We got it," Rex confirmed. He poured large portions for each of them and settled back in his chair. "The Mask of Agamemnon is once again safe. Zidan was able to create a distraction to draw the bidders outside while I swapped the masks. A simple bait and switch." He put his feet on the table and propped his cane up next to him.

"What kind of distraction?" Ramses asked warily. He had proposed a plan that Zidan and Rex had deemed too complicated. All it involved were five camels, a fake restaurant, several hot-air balloon rides, and Ramses impersonating a sheik. It would have taken five months to execute and possibly cost as much as buying the mask at the auction. Ramses had a flair for the dramatic and still didn't know why Rex and Zidan had rejected his plan.

"Nothing too flashy," Zidan said. "I just set a small fire in one of their cars. Maybe a truck or two as well. Unfortunately, the gas tanks caught and they exploded. And that storeroom looked like it might have started to catch fire as we were leaving too," he added sheepishly.