Team of Seven Heroes Short Tales 4 Chapter 7

7.

Junior

“I told you if you tear your pants, I will not patch them no more.” Abraham sat there without his pants. He has the grace of the shorts he wore beneath his pants. They are still on the train while the tracks were repaired. The train was late and had attracted the next Station Master to send the spare locomotive to check on the train. It found the stranded train and alerted the Station. The relief train came loaded with troops and then the repair crew.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, it will take about two days to repair the tracks and your stay here will be on the management. A caravan with luxurious fittings is coming to take you to the nearest town with the army protecting you.”

So, there was enough time to take for Abraham’s mother to patch the torn area. He couldn’t walk around without the pants then. He was concerned on the lady he saved. Her name was Lady Yukio Katana Jurio. She was the daughter of one named Lord Astana Jurio, the so named Lord of the Dark Ones.

“Why are you in this land?” Abraham had asked then before he lost his pants. They had sat there watching the wounded guard slept to recover from the wound. He was sleeping with some medicine given by Abraham.

“I come to see the pyramids. I have longed to see it.” Lady Yukio told him while she patted the lynx which was Hasnah’s pet. It had escaped the cage and wandered over to Yukio’s carriage. “Why are you here?”

“I came with my mother to deliver my father’s last request. He died last year.” That soon settled their introductions and Abraham noticed the tear in his pants. It was embarrassing and he excused himself.

“I need to find my mother.” Abraham had walked past the car and saw the Legionnaires were on their routine marching on the sands. At the next cars he saw the Adventurers were putting on bandages to the Major who had his right pinkie finger suffered a wood splinter removal. He was squirming during the bandaging.

“Stay still, Major.” The Lieutenant sounded out the commanding voice.

“I would if you don’t step on my toes.” With an apology the Lieutenant stepped back. By then Abraham had left the car and reached the next car. He came upon five revolvers aimed at him.

“Boy, you are in a rush.” The one who spoke was named the Boss. “In my ranch, they end up dead or worse lynched by the others.”

“Five guns on my son?” That voice belonged to Abraham’s mother who had went to look for him. “I think it’s an overkill.”

“Hold your triggers, boys. That boy has a mother.” It was how Abraham ended up losing his pants. That was not the most embarrassing his moment.

“Girls, watch how the stitches are done.” Abraham’s mother pulled at the thread with the needle while the bunch of rowdy men looked at her stitching.  “It’s all about getting the stitches at the right places. They should not pull at the fabric and leave an ugly mark there.”

The mother kept on explaining while Abraham sat there cross legged and reading the book given to him; Ancient Mysteries of Egypt. He had half the day to read without getting his hormones raging. The rowdies were no help when they are all gathered inside the cabin, and their stench was over whelming his breathing space. They were standing with their back to him, and with their unwashed body was not enticing when they leaned down to look at the sewing.

At the other cabin, the French team were busy with their discussion and then the leader voiced up.

“We have to meet Ahmer at the next stop. He will be local guide.” The man who spoke was elderly and think looking with the deep sunken eyes and receding hair line. He was called Professor Emile by the others. He held the magnifying glass over the map on the table. He had also placed the compass there alongside with the precious round metal case.

“The case contains the key to the vault.” The Professor explained. “It will show us the treasure we sought. One that rivalled the Solomon’s cache.”

“Professor, why do we have the Legionnaires with us? Are we under the protection of French Empire?”

“Yes and no, Pierre. They are under the command of General Antoine of the French Legionnaires at Algiers. They are assigned to protect us. This is bad lands and the attack by the bandits proved that.” The Professor replied. “Nothing should stop us from recovering the treasure. It will restore France to the glory days of Napoleon.”

The same seems to be on the five rougher gentlemen. The one named the Boss had retrieved his gun belt from the luggage bag. He wore a double holster with twenty bullets slotted on the belt. His handguns were the Navy 44 with the longer barrel. He had tucked in the ‘bowie knife’ into his right boots for the close fight. The others have donned their gun belt with the single holster holding the .45 Colt Peacemaker and twenty bullets. Each of those four men were mean ranchers help and knew their gun fight skills. One of them named Brady Right had an eight feet length whip on the belt.  

“Boys, this is our final stop ahead. We get down and then we find the local guide. He is formerly the Legionnaire and claims to know the whereabouts of the Hidden City. We find him, takes us there and we get the treasures. Then he dies there.”

“His name, Boss? I don’t; like to kill someone I don’t know his name.”

“He is Farood El-Harun. His father was the curator of the Citadel in Cairo before he went missing. The father’s name was Sheikh Omar El-Harun who went missing and was hunted by the Guild.”

“Who is the Guild?”

“A self-proclaimed group of Ancient Arts students once led by the aging Master of the Arts, Ali Mina Osis.”

“Boss, how do you know so much of this stuff?” Brady asked.

“I am half Spanish. My father side and my grandfather were once an experienced treasure hunter who used to work on this land. He was named Ortega Manuel Dian. I was named Ortega like him but I had it changed to Oliver when I came to Florida. His wealth had sustained my family for three generations.”

“Then it’s the Hidden City we will come exploring.” Brady hollered out and was cautioned by the Boss.

“Sorry, Boss. I won’t make the same mistake again.”

The next mistake was everyone assumed the caravan to be luxurious but it was not. It was rather a number of wagons pulled by the camels who kept on drooling on anyone who came near to its mouth. The journey on the caravan was short and they soon arrived at the small town of Nubiah but it held a number of accommodation abode for it was near to the River of Niles and some smaller burial sites for the tourists. It was off season when the caravan arrived and the guests were given the places to rest.

The next train was to leave at dawn tomorrow.

“We will attack after the train leave. Those who stayed back are considered dangerous.” Akbar told his brother. “There will be others joining us tonight.”  

It was not all that was keen to join the train.

“Boys, this is Farood. He has for us the horses and mules. We leave before dawn.”

“Members of the team, this is Ahmer. He will take over as guide for us. We have horses for us tonight. We leave in an hour.” Professor Emile told the expedition group. “It’s cooler to travel by night in the desert. Viva La France.”

It was the same for one named Major Chips. He was briefing his team of Adventurers. He was the most prepared team of the lot; the Lieutenant was already loading the crates on the horses they had on the cargo car. He had checked the weapons; the Enfield rifles and the Webley. He also checked the Vickers they brought along and with the crate of bullets. There was nothing the Intelligence Section missed for the team; they nicknamed the ‘Retired and Terrifying Seniors’ or RATS.

Abraham and his mother stayed back for the train. They don’t have any horses or guides.

And Madame Deauville decided to take a holiday. She has a house there on the outskirt. She was playing hostess to the Oriental lady and her wounded guard.