I Need You
By
Kamala
Chapter 1
Desert of Ahm Shere 2050 A.D.
"Report in."
‘Another Saturday night spent watching Cult of Imhotep members.’ Devi scanned the dark landscape.
Devi and her warriors lay in hiding in the sand dunes watching a series of buildings, as the sun was slowly
sinking into the horizon. They observed cloaked figures entering a large building in the center of the
compound. This was not how most people wanted to spend their nights; then again, most people had not
been bound for thousands of years to prevent an ancient creature from rising.
"Nothing happening here on the north side, Devi."
"East entrance is secure and clear."
"West is secure and deadlier than my sex life, Devi," Sasha, her second in command, said.
"Thank you for sharing that with everyone, Sasha."
Unlike their ancient ancestors, the Med-jai now used modern methods of warfare. Gone was the use of
swords to fight their mortal enemy; though they still trained heavily with them, for this was the only way to
destroy the mystical ones. Guns were more affective against the mummies. However, they were also a
liability in close quarters. They now used automatic weapons, desert bikes, and night vision goggles,
whatever it took to get the job done.
Movement in the building caused her to return to the here and now. Her night vision goggles allowed her
to see what was going on in the compound. There was excitement building among Imhotep’s followers.
She spoke into her headset her voice barely above a whisper, “"We have movement on the south side of
the camp. Move out. Seems our spies were correct. They have The Book."”
Her warriors moved across the sands, looking more like a commando troop than desert warriors.
"“When will these infidels learn,"” Devi said in her native tongue to her one of her warriors. She pulled out a
gun and killed the man in front of her.
"“They are fools,"” one of the other Med-jai warriors said over the din, "“They think they can control He
Who Shall Not Be Named."”
Devi spun and shot another cult member, who was coming towards her. "We must get The Book.”"
She charged up the stairs, hoping the intel that her people gathered was good and she was not running to
her death. She pushed or shot anyone who came between her and The Black Book of the Dead.
She fought her way down the hall, paused outside a large room and glanced in.. The Book rested on an
altar surrounded by a moat filled with scarabs. Surrounding the altar on her side of the moat were several
armed cult members, most of them were facing the altar where their leader stood chanting. She could
smell the incense burning, permeating the air with a musky scent. She listened to the words the man was
chanting. He was calling to Osiris to let them raise their forsaken lord.
She looked into the moat and knew what the scarabs were about.
‘Not your usual scarab.’
No, these were mystical creatures that had a taste for human flesh and would eat a human alive if given
the chance.
‘For once can’t the gods take pity on me and make this simple.’
Devi looked for away to get to the altar and not lose any body parts. She looked up and saw a large
beam running the length of the room over the pit. She pulled out her grappling rig and charged into the
room.
"“Cover me,"” she said running into the room, followed by her team.
Shots fired all around her but she continued forward.
‘Luck as always seemed to favor the foolish or insane.’
Devi swung the cord and let it fly. The hook swung around the beam several times. She pulled the cord
tight, so the hook caught. She wrapped the cord around one hand, held her gun in the other and took a
few steps back. She ran forward and swung over the moat.
She shot anything that was in her path as she lifted up and over the moat. She landed and spun returning
fire. Bodies fell to the floor. Soon, only her people remained standing.
She grabbed The Black Book of the Dead and saw the Key under it. She shoved them into her
backpack. The load was heavy. The Black Book weighed as much as a man and she grunted under the
weight. Praying that the cord held, she swung back over the moat, landing within inches of the edge. The
weight of the book on her back propelled her forward.
‘Isis, give me strength here.’
"“Search the place. I want any documents or religious artifacts found and taken,"” Devi ordered leaving the
room, "“Then burn the compound down."”
"“What of the surviving cult members?"” one of her men said.
"“They want to be with their so called Lord. Let them join him in the Underworld. They can burn with the
buildings,"” Devi said, her voice icy, "“Should they find a way out --the desert will take care of them."”
She met her second in command by the front door. Sasha was tall, blond haired with hazel eyes; he was
part Med-jai and Russian, a strange mixture but he was Med-jai to the core.
"“Sasha, Report.”"
The man turned to her smiling, "“They were waiting for their leader to come with the sacrifices for the
Bringer of the Dead. Also, they don’t know exactly where he rests."”
Devi nodded, "“Post lookouts. I want this area watched at all times. We may have The Book, but there
are other texts out there that can do the same job. A lot more bloody, but it would work."”
She looked out into desert. "“This set back will buy us time.”"
"“Will you be taking the book to the Temple of Isis?"” Sasha said, knowing the answer.
“Yes, the good sisters there will place it where it will never be found and along with everything else we
find here.”
He nodded, “The Chieftain and the Commanders will be happy with tonight’s work.”
He served as her second in command for two years now and had quickly risen to prominence within the
Med-jai. To serve in her command was considered a high honor.
Devi looked at the dark sky. “The moon rise after next will be a Blue Moon. If they are going to make an
attempt to raise him, it will be then. Osiris looks favorably on his High Priests during that moon. We have
until then to find him or fight him.”
“We will be there to meet him.”
Her men started to gather in the center of the compound, while she watched some of her team set fire to
the outlying buildings.
“Head to the transports,” Devi ordered, heading out into the dark desert not paying attention to the
screams of those left inside the burning buildings. Her goal had been met and that was all that mattered to
her; she had The Book and the Key.
About a mile northwest from the compound was their transports under desert colored covers. Devi pulled
the cover off the four-wheel all terrain bike she was using. She gestured to the others to secure what they
had found in the compound in the bike’s storage units.
“Tell the Chieftain, I’m taking all of it to the High Priestess of the Temple of Isis. I should be back in a
couple of weeks. I will wait to see what they can make of the other things we found,” Devi said to Sasha.
She got on her bike and secured The Black Book of the Dead in front of her.
“Be careful,” Sasha said, reminding her of the danger she had just strapped to herself.
She nodded and racing off into the night. She knew Sasha had reason to be concerned about her
welfare, she thought as the distance between her and the group grew. The feeling of magick off the book
was tangible as it passed through the heavy leather of her backpack. It was like a siren call. The Book of
the Dead was a part of Osiris placed in the hands of his High Priest. It seemed to recognize her as the
Chosen for Isis, mate of its creator Osiris. So the magick contained in the book flowed freely towards
her.
‘Damn, feels like I am sitting on a vibrating board or something. What kind of magic does The Book
contain? I am going to have to study it before locking up.’
It took her a day to reach the hidden valley oasis that concealed the Temple of Isis. Another day passed
before she reached the actual temple, a white marble construct in a tropical oasis concealed at the very
beginning of the Blue Nile.
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