Chapter 1

Ahmed Ghaffar had seen many beautiful women in his life, but none compared to the vision that stood before him in his bedroom. Her face and body were flawless, and although he knew she was not of Egyptian descent, she had charmed him with her flawless command of his native language when they met at the embassy function earlier that evening.

She had introduced herself as a liaison from some country or another, but he was so dazzled by her beauty and charms that he hardly cared which. Once she made it known the interest was mutual, Ahmed asked her to come back to his palatial estate outside of Cairo. His security officer warned against it, but Ahmed was not known for his discreet or prudent behavior lately. The woman was too young and beautiful to pass up, and Ahmed now watched as she loosened the long glistening dress, which was slit high up the side to reveal a tantalizing hint of her long shapely legs. Once she had it undone, she let it drop around her slender ankles, revealing her athletically toned body. The moonlight bathing the room through the huge skylight above the two cast a soft light on the woman's perfect breasts. Ahmed took a deep breath and held it as she approached Ahmed where he sat on the edge of his huge bed adorned with exquisite hand beaded covers and pillows. The woman wore nothing now except her white silk thong panties, strapped heels, and matching diamond bracelet, necklace and earrings.

Without a word, the woman kneeled and straddled Ahmed, who still wore his formal Egyptian military dress uniform, and placed her hands on his shoulders. Her plump mounds were inches from his face, as if she were daring him to take them in his mouth. Ahmed placed his hands on her small waist, amazed by the silk softness of her tanned skin. He reached around the curve of her hips and cupped her firm buttocks, lifting her up slightly so that he could have access to her nipples, one of which he slipped into his mouth and suckled. The woman gasped, sighed and leaned her head back as her hips began to grind on top of Ahmed. She could feel his erection growing and pushed her crotch down on his groin to make him grow even more.

Ahmed groaned. This woman fulfilled every one of his desires. He liked her eagerness, and he was aching to take her, but he allowed her to guide their erotic interlude by moving his head first from one nipple, and then the other. He was breathing heavier now, and a slight dizziness began to swell and buzz in his head. Ahmed assumed it was a combination of the alcohol he had consumed at the party, as well as this woman's mesmerizing effects on him.

As Ahmed continued licking and suckling both her breasts, one after another, he was unable to taste the chemical coating, which had covered the hard buds of her nipples.  The enzymes worked quickly, entering his system while he was fully aroused, and began the quick process of reversing the effects of international terrorist Savan's insidious virus. It had originally infected Ahmed through a handcrafted gold pen, which he currently kept at his writing desk nearby. When Ahmed suddenly froze and then slowly lay back on the bed unconscious, the woman watched with amusement.

'Another one succumbs to Dominoe's charms,' the CATT agent thought to herself with a grin as she stood up and looked over Ahmed, now in full slumber. The anti-serum, which Ahmed unknowingly consumed from the coated left nipple of the seductive super agent, would reverse the effects of the virus, which was designed to cause unusual behavior in its host. The knockout drug from the right nipple would keep him asleep for several hours. Now the plans of war with Israel, which were brewing in the virus-infected mind of the highest ranked military official in Egypt's army, Ahmed Ghaffar, would soon be forgotten.

 Dominoe had something else to worry about at the moment - how to get out of the palace in one piece. The security official was no doubt checking her background at this minute, and when her name would not show up on the embassy party guest list or names of any government staff, they would certainly come looking for her, despite Ahmed's wishes not to be disturbed for the rest of the evening. She had to move fast, and went to where she left her clutch purse on Ahmed's desk, where she also spied the gold pen. She spilled the few contents of the bag and then turned it inside out and began to pull the seams apart from the metal clasp. Inside the lining was a special CATT designed body stocking, which she unrolled neatly. Dominoe removed her heels and fake jewelry and placed them in a nearby waste can. She then slipped the form fitting suit over her lithe body, beginning at her pretty feet, then over her toned legs, shapely hips, and flat hard stomach. Then Dominoe slipped her arms into the sleeves and tugged the remaining sheer elastic material over her pert mounds. She was now covered from her feet to her neck.

When the whooping sound of an alarm went off, followed by shouts and the thudding of fast moving footsteps, Domino glanced at the clock by the bed. The timing could not have been better. The agent grabbed the remains of her clutch purse and picked up a small contact lens case. She snapped it open and took out the special lenses and placed them over her large brown eyes.  Then she pulled the hood attached to the body stocking over her head, with a slit revealing only her eyes. The rubber-soled bodysuit was designed with a sensitive reflective material, which incorporated whatever its surrounding were onto its surface in a chameleon-like camouflage.

After she grabbed the pen and tucked it away, she obsessively straightened the other items on the desk. Then the lights went out, courtesy of some earlier top-notch computer hacking by Quentin Smythe back at CATT headquarters, who had tapped into Ahmed's computerized security system. He programmed everything to go off at exactly that moment, and Dominoe whispered to herself, "Good job, Quentin."

Her escape would be easier now, and Dominoe's eyes began quickly adjusting to the darkness, due to the special lenses on her eyes, which incorporated night vision technology in the glazing. The clasp of her purse was now folded into a hand weapon. When the first guard entered the room, she grabbed him from behind and placed a swift blow to his throat. He crumpled to the floor as the second guard entered, totally unable to see what had just happened. All he heard was the first guard's gurgled choking. Dominoe grabbed the barrel of his machine gun and simultaneously smashed his nose with her elbow.

 Dominoe relieved the two stunned but still-breathing guards of their weapons and made her way into the dark hallway, where she heard more guards coming blindly up the stairs. She took the first guard out with one burst of gunfire near his feet. When the shrapnel hit his legs, he panicked and fell backwards, colliding with the other guards and successfully bringing them all down the marble staircase, where they tumbled into a confused pile.

Suddenly a bullet flew past her head. It came from a muffled gun behind her, and she spun around to see a guard firing blindly in her direction. She fired a burst in his direction to back him off, and then turned to speed down the hallway and leaped at the large window at the end of the hall. She used her arms to cover her eyes and head as she crashed through the glass and frame. Adrenaline pumped through her body as she felt the free fall sensation overcome her while she dropped to the ground. She hit the lawn like a cat and rolled through the momentum to keep moving. If she stopped, she was sure to catch a bullet from anywhere, now that the almost full moon provided more light outside.

Ahead of her, Dominoe saw the high wall surrounding the palace. She sprinted for it, picking up speed as she went. From her peripheral vision, she saw a guard running, his angle about to intercept hers.

"Perfect," Dominoe said with a smile, leaping up just as she was about to collide with him. He was diving for her legs, and as he missed, Dominoe vaulted off his back and shoulders and up toward the top of the wall. As she scrambled over it, she blew a silent kiss at the bewildered guard. She jumped from the wall and hit the ground running. The CATT agent only got twenty yards when she felt a stinging prick in the small of her back.

"Damn," the agent whispered, as she tried to keep up her speed, but it was for naught. Her legs began to feel like heavy rubber, and the realization that she had been hit with a dart was further enforced by her sudden blurry vision and disoriented senses. She finally slowed and fell to the ground, breathing heavily. There was no way to fight the familiar effects of the fast acting sleep drug.

Everything faded to darkness, and the last scene that played though Dominoe's mind was of her words to her co-agents from CATT, Rook and Bishop, before this mission began. She mumbled a soft whisper as her eyes fluttered closed,  "No one dies."

 
Chapter 2

Lara Croft made the final adjustments to the harness around her torso as the young Egyptian man looked on with interest, admiring the attractive woman's form in her snug gray sleeveless bodysuit and thick boots. He could not believe this Englishwoman was daring to enter the secret tomb of an ancient sorcerer who once performed sacred duties for Dynastic rulers centuries ago. She seemed to have no fear, even after he informed her of the tomb's fatal curse. No one who entered returned alive. Instead she seemed consumed with the single-minded determination to not only enter the tomb, but to remove some artifacts from it. The Egyptian eased his own conscience with the fact that he had given her sufficient warning. If she still wanted to commit suicide and enter, it was her decision. Of course the fact that she had paid him a generous amount of money for his assistance in locating the tomb eased his mind somewhat. The Egyptian was one of only two people who knew the exact location of the tomb. The secret knowledge had been passed down from generations, but the Egyptian was not as high-minded as his ancestors, and he had a desperate hashish habit to feed.

Lara was about to enter the opening, and she looked at the Egyptian with distrust in the back of her mind. In order to use the harness properly, she had to remove the gun belt holding her twin automatic pistols as well as her backpack. She had no choice but to believe he would not turn on her and leave her in the tomb to die and steal her belongings, as he was the only one who knew the secrets of the maze to find their way back out.

"All right, then," Lara said with a deep breath. "I'll be back soon. Just watch the pulley and make sure it remains secure. From what you've told me, it's about a hundred feet down to the floor. When I'm done, I'll call up to you and you reel me up by turning this lever, all right?"

"Yes," the Egyptian answered and nodded.

"Very well. I guess it's now or never. Cheers," Lara said and lit up a long green light stick. Then she braced herself horizontally across the opening, as if she were about to skydive into the pit. With one gloved hand on the rope clamp, she began the long descent into the eerie darkness of the tomb. She dropped slowly, the rope passing through the harness rings, her hand holding the control clamp at her side, keeping a smooth steady drop as she crossed her legs at the ankles to steady herself and maintain balance.

The light stick revealed little in the enveloping darkness. Lara could barely make out walls decorated with colorful and strange hieroglyphics. Then Lara heard an eerie sound, and chills covered every inch of her exposed arms. Her fear was reinforced when the glow of the light stick revealed the floor of the tomb. It was literally covered with a moving blanket of white asps, all without eyes, which would have been useless in the darkness, but Lara guessed nonetheless as fully deadly as their surface dwelling counterparts.

"Oh, bloody hell," Lara whispered as she grimaced at the discovery, her stomach churning with disgust. If the Egyptian was correct, there were the remains of countless souls who had entered before her underneath that slithering mass of reptiles. As she lowered herself closer to the sarcophagus placed atop a pedestal in the middle of the room, she could see that it was the only thing uncovered by the snakes. 'Thank goodness for small favors,' Lara thought. They were either unable or uninterested in crawling atop it, but she could still make out a dusty empty boot at the base of the pedestal.

The adventuresome blueblood daughter of Lord Henshingly Croft had little time for pity. She needed to get her little mission over with as soon as possible. She didn't trust the Egyptian for a moment, and just knew he had probably already run off and left her. The thought made her queasy, but it was a chance she had to take if she wanted her priceless artifact, which was only a few feet away. With athletic dexterity and careful maneuvering, Lara twisted her body until she was vertical and upside down. When her long ponytail dropped and bounced around to brush her face, she almost screamed, thinking it was a snake. She grasped it and quickly tucked it inside the top of her bodysuit to keep it out of the way.

Someone had already cracked open the sarcophagus, and all she needed was to shift the lid open about a foot so she could have easy access to its contents. Lara gasped with fright when the glow stick revealed the mummified face of the sorcerer, his mouth open in a silent scream, empty eyes looking out as if to protest her intrusion of his centuries old slumber. When the lithe tomb raider regained her composure, she began the search of the casket to find what she was looking for. After several minutes of brushing away dust and debris, Lara's heart leaped. There it was, on the right hand of the sorcerer.

Carefully, Lara Croft snapped the brittle fingers of the silent sorcerer apart until she was able to obtain the gold ring, which bore a life size jewel-encrusted beetle. The Scarab of Anubis was known to some as the Millennium Bug. Legend and prophecy told that once every thousand years, whoever possessed the ring gained unparalled powers that could begin or end entire civilizations. Lara herself scarcely believed such nonsense, only knowing that it was a profound artifact of infinite worth. Lara examined it, her eyes as bright as the scarab as the glow of the light stick illuminated the darkness. Once she determined it was the genuine article, she tucked the ring away into a pouch and then flipped her body in the opposite direction until she was right side up, the blood rushing back to give her a rush of lightheadedness.

"Bring me up!" Lara called, her voice echoing loudly in the chamber. For several seconds, nothing happened, and Lara groaned with the thought that she had been abandoned just as she had feared. As she was about to attempt a long hundred-foot climb, her anger turned to surprise and relief when the cable line began to pull her upward. Lara whispered, "Thank goodness."

Within minutes she reached the opening and began to climb through it. Then her heart began to race when she discovered to her dismay that the antechamber was filled with men in military fatigues armed with automatic weapons. Lara searched the room for the Egyptian and saw him casually standing in the back with a smirk on his face. She had been betrayed, certainly for more money, and Lara cursed herself for trusting him.

An officer, who appeared to be the commander of the armed men, had her gun belt slung over his shoulder, and asked Lara, "Who are you?"

"I'm no one of any importance," Lara replied.

"Is that so?" the officer said with an incredulous look. "Whom are you working for?"

"I'm not working for anyone," Lara replied, never taking her eyes from his.

"Give me what you took from the tomb," the officer commanded.

With resignation, Lara sighed and handed over the pouch. The officer took it, peered inside to verify the contents, and then tucked it neatly away in his shirt pocket as Lara mentally took note.

"What are you going to do with me?" Lara asked, increasingly nervous about her dire situation.

The officer looked at Lara, and then glanced over her shoulder at a soldier standing immediately behind her. Lara followed the officer's eyes and was about to turn around when the soldier took one step forward and thumped Lara in the back of her head with the butt of his machine gun.

"Unnnnhhhhh!" Lara grunted as she reached for the back of her head and pitched forward. She slowly crumpled to the floor of the chamber until she lay on her side, dazed and moaning from the blow. The young woman's eyes fluttered, and Lara felt as if she were waking from a dream. She heard the officer issue stern orders to his soldiers in his native tongue and then felt the soldiers grab her weakened arms and legs and begin to shackle them with cuffs and chains. She was limp and helpless to resist, and soon after, Lara felt herself being alternately dragged and carried through the maze-like corridors of the tombs, unknowing of the fate that could be in store for her.
 

Chapter 3

Jihan Suad was the beautiful but deadly female security officer assigned to protect Ahmed Ghaffar. With jet-black hair tucked under a beret, luminous jade eyes, and sensuous lips and facial features, she appeared almost too regal to be wearing a crisp military uniform and shiny high boots. She sat with her legs crossed in the back of a custom Humvee limousine as it rumbled along a desert road, idly tapping a leather riding crop across her thigh. Jihan waited and watched anxiously as her new prisoner slowly awoke from the effects of the drugged dart. Sitting next to her was a University professor from Mexico by the name of Dr. Carlos Cortez, who also watched patiently while Dominoe lay on the plush leather seat across from the two of them. The softly moaning CATT agent was bound with a leather torso harness consisting of a series of straps and buckles which held her wrists and elbows tight behind her back and also connected to a thick strap around her slender neck with another strap that covered her eyes in a blindfold. Her ankles were held with kid leather cuffs separated by a short chain, which would allow the captured agent to walk if it was necessary.

"She's very beautiful," Cortez commented as he puffed on a cigar and relaxed next to Jihan.

"Yes. Too beautiful for a common thief I suspect," Jihan replied.

"You think she is more than that?"

Jihan rolled a slim gold pen between her fingers; the pen which was discovered in Dominoe's possession after she was recovered outside the walls of Ahmed Ghaffar's palace. "I can't believe she would go to all that trouble just for a pen, do you?"

"I've stopped trying to figure out women a long time ago, senorita," Cortez smiled. "Did you tell Ghaffar of your suspicions?"

"The less he knows the better," Jihan said. "Besides, he was very embarrassed about the whole thing. He just wants me to get rid of her."

"I suspect you have other more interesting plans for her," Cortez grinned.

Jihan smiled back and leaned over to where Dominoe was finally nodding awake. It was safe now to remove the blindfold. There was no way that Dominoe would be able to determine where they were just from the surrounding landscape. What Jihan was unaware of was the special CATT constructed global positioning system tracking device, surgically implanted in Dominoe's belly button. Dominoe may not have known that she was being taken to a remote location of Egypt known as the Valley of the Kings, but the CATT eye in the sky did. The only problem was communication. CATT would be unable to make a move without confirmation from Dominoe.

Dominoe opened her eyes to come face to face with her captor, who the agent recognized from file photograph's as Ghaffar's security officer, as well as a brief glance after the embassy party, when Dominoe climbed into Ghaffar's limo while Jihan climbed into her backup vehicle with the security detail. As Dominoe's mind cleared, she was first stricken by Jihan's beauty and then alarmed when she discovered her stringent bonds. She watched as Jihan held up the gold pen by the tip and swung it in front of her face.

"Why was it so important for you to steal this?" Jihan asked.

Dominoe took a moment to gather her thoughts, and then responded, "I guess it's all I had time for before the alarms went off."

"So you freely admit that you are a thief? Not an assassin or a government agent?"

Dominoe shrugged, which was difficult to do in the harness. She squirmed a bit and asked her captor, "Is this really necessary? It's very uncomfortable."

"So very sorry, I am afraid it was not designed for comfort." Jihan smirked.

"Obviously not," Dominoe sighed.

"What is your name?"

"Does it really matter?"

"Of course."

"My friends call me Amber," Dominoe answered. "You can call me Ms. Adams. And who might you and your friend be?"

"My apologies, Ms. Adams," Jihan chuckled facetiously at Dominoe's smug attitude. "This is Dr. Carlos Cortez. He is a special guest visiting from the country of Mexico. I am Jihan Suad"

"Well, normally I would say it's a pleasure, but, well..."

"I presume you are an American," Jihan sneered.
 
"Your presumption is correct."

Jihan shook her head derisively. "Only an American would be so arrogant in the face of danger."

"Am I in danger?"

Jihan ignored her question. "What are doing here in Egypt, Ms. Adams? Besides stealing I mean."

"Vacation?"

Jihan turned and looked at Cortez, who raised an eyebrow and smirked. He was clearly enjoying the banter between the two strong willed women.  She then turned back to Dominoe and leaned close until the tips of their noses were almost touching. "Take good care, Ms. Adams. If you push me too far, I can make your life very unpleasant."

"Even more than it already is?" Dominoe replied with a raised eyebrow, never taking her eyes from Jihan's. The CATT agent was using a capture training technique. She would have to keep Jihan off guard with constant antagonizing words in order to keep her captor from her normal suspicions. But she didn't want to taunt too much, or it could be fatal.

Jihan's eyes flashed brilliantly and narrowed. She boiled for a moment and then smiled as she reached up and grasped Dominoe by the hair to yank it hard.  "We're going to have such fun you and I."

For one baffling instant, Dominoe felt a sudden and twinge of sexual tension, and she almost sensed that Jihan was about to kiss her. It seemed that every time someone or another put the demure agent into captive bondage, she felt curiously aroused, especially when a woman was involved. But the moment passed and Dominoe merely stared back coldly at Jihan. She had pushed her enough for now. It was time to be patient and wait for the opportunity of escape.

 
Chapter 4

Lara Croft was in the tightest pinch she had ever found herself. There was a dull throb in the back of her head as she fought to gather her senses. When everything began to come into focus, she was disturbed to find that she was positioned on her stomach atop a raised pedestal of some sort. Her body was contorted into a very uncomfortable position, and when she tried to move she felt some sort of cuff restraints on her wrists pulling her arms taut behind her back. She could also feel a thick strap of some sort wrapped around her elbows to keep her arms close together. Something was holding her head up by the hair so that she was almost looking straight up. It was a good thing she was in superb and flexible shape, or else the pain would have been unbearable rather than just merely excruciating as her arms were angled in an upward position.

"Mmmmmp!" Lara grunted angrily when she suddenly tasted something bitter between her teeth and plump lips. Apparently it was a thick rubber tube secured around her head to gag her. She realized a slight burning soreness in her thighs, and turned her head as far as she could. Lara happened to spy her reflection in a nearby antique framed mirror, and she blushed pink at what she saw. Lara's black bodysuit had been removed and she was now wearing only her fingerless gloves and thong panties. The voluptuous adventurer's long shapely legs were bent sharply at the knees and cuffed at the ankles. Two short chains attached to the rubber-lined cuffs led up to a single link just above the small of her back. The cuffs on her wrists were also connected to the same link, and then one single stationary chain led up to the ceiling where it was attached to a large mounted pulley. Lara saw that her ponytail had also been clamped at the end and connected to the link as well. The flexed position Lara was in caused her back to arch like a bow so that only her soft stomach touched the surface of the table. She turned angry with humiliation in her degrading predicament when she saw a thin line of saliva dripping from the corner of her mouth and down her slender neck. Lara gave a few cursory tugs and pulls, but that only succeeded in causing stabs of pain throughout her limbs and torso as her plump breasts bounced about. How dare they bind her up and allow her to be exposed like this! And damn that Egyptian for betraying her into the hands of these cruel captors.

It was times like this that Lara Croft almost regretted choosing a life of hunting ancient artifacts and perilous adventures.  If only she were free and armed with her trusty pistols! She would gladly turn all these cursed men into mincemeat. As it was, all she could do was twist and groan pitifully as she tried to make herself as comfortable as possible. Where in blazes were her captors? Someone would have to show up sooner or later, wouldn't they?

A door opened suddenly and in walked Mohamed Badran, the Egyptian military officer who captured her in the tomb. Lara soon regretted her wish when she saw where his eyes were staring, and she blushed in humiliation again. She shot the officer a rueful look and moaned loudly to get his undivided attention, "Ummmmppphhh!"

Officer Badran smiled lasciviously with one hand in the pocket of his fatigues. He took his time as he approached Lara on the pedestal, infuriating her to no end.  Badran made his whimpering captive even angrier when he placed a hand firmly on her tight ass cheek, then giving it a gentle squeeze followed by a playful pat. Then he leaned down and spoke pleasantly into her ear, "My name is Mohamed. I will be your interrogator, today."

"Unnngh!" Lara responded with a muffled growl as she tugged hard at her rattling restraints. She couldn't stand the thought of this animal with his hands on her, but there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. All she could do was respond to his grinning expression with a hard glare.

Badran unbuckled the rubber tube gag and told Lara, "Before we begin, I have to say that you are one of the most beautiful women I have ever had the pleasure of interrogating. I sincerely hope that you will refuse to answer many of my questions so that I will have the chance to sufficiently torture you."

"Sod off, you desert pig!" Lara snarled at Badran. "Release me immediately and I promise I'll kill you painlessly!"

Badran chuckled at Lara's defiant attitude. He was going to take immense pleasure in taming that spirit right out of her. He reached to palm her firm breast and gave it a vigorous fondling, making Lara spit and curse as she tugged desperately at her cuffs. "Damn you! Stop that immediately!"

"Let us pick up where we left off earlier," Badran said as he rolled her pink nipple between his fingers. "Whom are you working for?"

"I told you idiot! I don't work for anyone," Lara grunted, trying her best to pull away from Badran's meddling fingers. "Now get your bloody hands off me or you'll pay dearly I promise you!"

"You English are just like the Americans. Always full of arrogance and big talk," Badran sighed as he shook his head back and forth. He ran his finger across Lara's naturally pouting lips. "Well, I have just the thing for that busy mouth of yours."
 
"What?" Lara inquired as she watched Badran walk over to a table to retrieve a few items. He came back with a dark rubber device with a tube and ball attached. As he brought it closer, Lara was quite shocked to see that it resembled a large thick penis. Lara's attitude changed quickly, and she began to nervously stammer, "Wait! What are you going to do with that? Don't you even think of it!"

"Open those pretty lips of yours," Badran ordered as he tapped Lara on the chin with the rubber.

"Never!" Lara snapped. "You bastard! I promise I'll make you...Mmmmbbbllllmmm!!!"

Lara mumbled and protested as the inflatable gag was shoved past her lips and into her resistant mouth.  Badran patiently secured the gag around her head and then began to pump air into the rubber phallus. "You should have spoken while you had the chance. Now it's going to be awhile before you can talk again."

"Unnnnnnnnggggghh! Ulllppp! Erruuummmmmmph!" Lara mumbled as the gag slowly filled her mouth, stretching her soft lips into a perfect oval shape. After Badran filled it as far as it would go, he gave it a few extra pumps for good measure.  Then Lara looked on stunned as Badran removed something from his pocket and held it up for Lara to see. It was some kind of steel clamp with rubber pads on the tips. Lara began to shake her head when she realized Badran was about to place it over her nose to seal her nostrils shut. She looked up at him with pleading eyes as she inhaled as much air into her huge lungs as possible.

Just as Badran placed the clamp on Lara's nose, Security Officer Jihan Suad walked into the room with Dr. Carlos Cortez close behind. Badran jumped to attention and saluted at the sight of Jihan, clearly respectful of her rank.

"Who do you have there, Mohamed?" Jihan asked curiously as she sharply returned his salute.

"I am trying to find that out now, commander," Badran replied as he nodded at the slowly suffocating Lara.

"I can answer that," Dr. Cortez informed Jihan as his eyes brightened with recognition. "That, my dear, is Lara Croft."

"Lara Croft? The one you told me about?" Jihan exclaimed as she noticed the look of keen interest on the face of Dr. Cortez. "You never told me you came to know of her."

"I only know of her by reputation," Cortez answered with a sly grin on his face. "I have not had the pleasure of meeting her in person until now."

"What exactly are you doing there?" Jihan asked Badran as she tapped her riding crop at the side of her leg impatiently.

"I am interrogating her," Badran replied. "We found her in the tomb just as she was retrieving the scarab from the sarcophagus."

"Oh, that is exciting news. Did you hear that Dr. Cortez?" Jihan asked with a smile as she watched Lara's face turn red as she struggled to hold her breath.

"Yes, very fortunate," Cortez nodded with amusement as he casually removed a large cigar from his coat pocket and began to light it up in private celebration. It seemed as if his plan had worked exactly as he wanted it to. "Where is the ring now?"

"It is safe in my quarters, Dr. Cortez," Badran answered.

"Go get it and bring it to Dr. Cortez," Jihan ordered her soldier. "But before you go, tell me what you were you trying to get out of her, Mohamed."

"I wanted to find out who she was working for."

"Do you know the answer to that, Dr. Cortez?" Jihan inquired of her companion.

"She does not work for anyone," Cortez answered simply. "She is more or less an independent thief of valuable relics; a tomb raider as it were."

"And now she is here trying to rob my tomb I see," Jihan said to no one in particular as he dismissed Badran and stepped over to the pedestal. She removed the clamp from Lara's nose, allowing Lara to gasp in precious air through her flaring nostrils.  "She is very attractive, don't you think Dr. Cortez?"

"Absolutely. Even more beautiful than the photographs I have seen of her."

"She is almost as pretty as the American," the intrigued Jihan commented while she ran her cool fingernails along Lara's arched back and then over the edge of her breasts, making Lara's nipples harden involuntarily. "What do you think we should do with her, since she was so kind as to get the ring for us?"

"Well, it is obvious that we have a slight dilemma on our hands," Cortez said. "We have two lovely candidates for the ritual tonight, but only one of them is needed for our special purpose. I suggest we devise a suitable way to determine which one is absolutely worthy of the sacrifice."

Lara Croft perked up at the mention of the last word. What in the world were they on about? First she was tricked, captured, knocked out, kidnapped, tied up, molested, gagged, suffocated, and now she was being threatened with potential sacrifice. What more could go wrong for her? She wished she had never come to Egypt.

End of Chapter One.