Beth followed Ashley through the hallway to the school gymnasium, where Marcus and some of the other seniors were working on their project for the annual Halloween Haunt House. Beth asked, “So, what are Marcus and the others working on in there anyway?” “It was Marcus’s idea,” Ashley replied. “They’re doing a spooky Egyptian Tomb complete with mummies and stuff. Marcus said the concept was that it’s the resting place of an ancient Pharaoh and his concubines.” ...
The Pacific Ocean, East of Micronesia. June 1936. Calder Motram gripped the railing, knuckles white with effort. Only the force of his will kept him standing. Despite clinging tightly to the rail, he could barely keep himself upright. His heart raced, but not from the exertion. The intense feeling of anticipation was enough to overcome even his physical infirmity. Across the bay, his goal was visible. At a distance, the temple ruins resembled the bones of a dead animal decaying into the jungle. It was an ugly sight, but he’d seen enough of the glittering blue waves of empty sea and the deceptively pretty waters of the Pacific Ocean had lost their charm. ...
How different things would have been if I hadn’t decided to stop for a drink: a small bar on a small square in a small village in the remote French countryside that is La Creuze. I had parked my motorbike on the square and sat down on the terrace for a glass of cool beer. She was beautiful, the woman who served me. Thirty, probably, older than I would usually feel attracted to, ten years older than I was. But she was different, intriguing, full of a fascinating natural deepness … and very, very beautiful. Slender and curvy at the same time. Raven hair down to her shoulders. Huge hazel-brown eyes. She exactly ticked every box on my wish list. ...
continued from part one Part Two “Ok, looks good. Fan out in pairs and get started. I’ll watch for sentries.” Nodding, the others fanned out silently. Watching them go, Melissa Roberts sighed with relief. On her first, nearly disastrous, trip to Egypt’s past, she’d come alone. This time, she’d brought a team. This meant support, even if it did require a certain loss of modesty. Glancing down at herself, Melissa shook her head ruefully. In the interest of speed and security, it had been decided to send the team together all at once. With such a large send, the power demand was very nearly at the limits of the system, so in order to reduce demand, the team had been allowed nothing that would increase the mass of the send. Unfortunately, this included clothing. Basically, the entire team had arrived at their destination totally naked. ...
The glow of torches faintly illuminated the cold stone blocks forming the walls of the empty room. Slowly, the glow increased, until, without fanfare, the torch bearers entered, a pair of dusky beauties wrapped in gossamer robes. As they entered, they separated, moving to the corners, then turning and silently striding to the rear corners. As they did so, four muscular men in loincloths entered, carrying between them a burden that writhed and grunted. A second pair of torch bearers came next, moving to the front corners of the room. Finally, a tall, almost painfully thin man wearing white robes entered. ...