Chapter 23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Oliver’s breath caught in his chest. Was he crazy to do this?
“Oliver…” Dave whispered from behind him.
“It’s okay,” Oliver replied without turning away. “He won’t hurt me.”
“Please don’t do this.”
“Just trust me.” Oliver cleared his throat and took a step back as the mummy moved closer. “ Amenmose, I’m sorry we disturbed you. You didn’t deserve any of this. It’s time to sleep again.”
“Mery.” The word was a bit more than a guttural moan. But Oliver understood, and his heart ached at the sound.
“I’m not him. Maybe you thought I was because I touched you when we opened the lid, but I’m not.”
“He touched it?” Gayle said in a quiet voice.
“Not important,” Oliver stated, keeping watch on the mummy.
“Mery.”
Amenmose moved faster than Oliver had anticipated. Fingers of bone clutched the tops of his arms, the nails sharp. Dried and sunken eyes stared into Oliver’s as the mummy leaned in. Its head was crooked, and its jaw slowly opened.
“Mery.”
He tried to step back, to get free, but Amenmose held him tight. Placing his hands against the mummy’s chest, Oliver shoved. The ribs gave way, and his hands plunged inside the empty torso. Ice cold terror flooded him, and his legs went weak.
“Mery!”
Amenmose drew him in even closer. He was stronger than Oliver had expected. The smell of dried flesh and damp linen filled his nose.
Someone whacked the back of the mummy’s head, sending it tilting toward him. Oliver tried to push it back, but he touched the hard knobs of vertebrae, and screamed.
The mummy released him and spun, allowing Oliver to pull his hands free. A jagged piece of bone scraped along his wrist, drawing blood.
Dave grabbed him around the waist and yanked him away. Detective Carter swung his crowbar like a baseball bat. It connected with the side of Amenmose’s head, and the dry crackling sound of tearing skin and bandages went through Oliver like a shot.
A shriek from behind them made Dave tighten his arms even more around Oliver’s chest as they turned.
A woman launched herself out of the supply closet shoving a custodial cart.
Her eyes were wide and wild, her hair disheveled, and her face smudged with dirt as the cart rattled across the concrete floor.
It took Oliver several seconds to recognize her.
Samira aimed the cart directly at Amenmose.
The mummy turned to confront this new assault, but Samira was driving it hard.
It struck the mummy at the waist, and Amenmose bent over it, waving its arms as it tried to find a grip along the slick plastic sides.
Bottles and cans of solvents and cleaners tumbled off and rolled in all directions.
Samira’s mouth twisted into a snarl, but her eyes never wavered from the mummy as she pushed, legs straining and teeth clenched tight.
Oliver hurried over to join her, and together they forced Amenmose up against the side of the coffin.
The mummy’s enraged roar rose gooseflesh along Oliver’s arms and neck.
Samira shouted back, digging her toes in and shoving harder.
Amenmose swiped off plastic gallon jugs and a number of smaller items that clattered against the floor as it tried to get to them.
Oliver continued pushing with her, keeping the mummy trapped.
They couldn’t keep that up forever, but maybe they had just enough time for all of them to get to the outer room and barricade the door.
“Get out of the room!” Oliver shouted, the others hurrying into the control room.
Except for Dave. He darted in from Oliver’s right side, holding one of the plastic jugs. Moving in close to the mummy, he splashed the contents across it, soaking it with a strong-smelling liquid that made Oliver’s eyes water.
“Stand back!” Dave instructed. He took Oliver’s elbow and moved him away from the cart and around behind him. “You too.” He gestured toward Samira, and Oliver grabbed her arm and pulled her back beside him.
Amenmose flung the cart aside, scattering the few items that remained.
The mummy clenched its bony fingers and shrieked at Dave.
It advanced, swiping at him, but Dave dodged the blow.
He was unsteady, Oliver could tell—most likely running on pure adrenaline—but he stayed on his feet.
Dave doused the mummy again and then threw the jug at it.
Amenmose batted it away, head shifting even more to the side.
“Get back.”
Dave glanced over his shoulder, checking their positions, then clicked the trigger on a long-barreled lighter. He ducked to avoid another swipe from the mummy and lunged in close.
The moment stretched out. Dave pressed the tip against the mummy’s chest. The flame guttered and nearly died. But then a quiet whomp of ignition devoured oxygen from the room and blew their hair back with a warm rush. The skin of Oliver’s face felt tight and crisp, and he turned away.
Dave put an arm around Oliver’s shoulders and rushed him and Samira through the door. The rest of the group stood in the outer room, watching through the glass as the flames climbed up Amenmose’s body. Bandages lifted as they burned, bits of ash tearing free and floating away.
Amenmose screamed.
The mummy waved its arms and started to limp toward the doorway, but got turned around and ended up by the coffin. One arm disconnected and landed in a burning lump. The wrist of its other arm bumped the coffin and detached. Flames crawled along the bandages that covered its head.
With an awkward twist of its torso, Amenmose managed to look through the window. Even without his glasses, Oliver knew Amenmose stared directly at him. He squinted, just able to make out Amenmose’s jaw as it worked, and even though he wasn’t able to hear the word, Oliver knew what he said.
Mery.
Oliver’s throat closed, and tears blurred his vision.
Amenmose’s legs gave out, and the mummy collapsed into a pile of burning bone and bandages.
“Jesus,” Carter whispered.
Samira had her back against the wall and she slid to the floor. Pulling her knees to her chest, she rested her head on her knees and sobbed.