He was right. She was nearly identical to Velori; more than anything, she felt a need to protect her. While she had sent images of the two sarcophagi in the other room to the landowner and was approved to remove them, she hadn't sent this one to her. And wouldn't. It went against her most inner Archaeological bones to hide an item that was found at a site but how could she not keep it? It was a statue of HER!
At Ben's words, her knees grew weak, just like before, but this time she didn't run from the tomb in a cold sweat.
"Vel? I'm serious, why does she look like you? Did you seriously call me out here on a prank? There are a lot of men out there-"
She interrupted him. "No! I swear! I don't know how I found it. I had reason to want to come here, and once I got here, it was just by chance that I found this place." She pointed at the ground. "And, why she looks like me," She tossed a hand toward the girl. "I was hoping you'd be able to help me with that. I have no idea. Can you read any of the hieroglyphs?"
"No!" He said almost defensively. His gaze swept the room and the same look from before had come back. Although he continued, like all was well, she had seen the sadness in his features. "Cept some of the names on the tapestry, I ain't never seen this type of writing before. Maybe a mix between Egyptian, and Mayan, but I don't understand any of it." This was coming from someone that boasted about his knowledge of past written languages.
Grinding her teeth, she started to pace the small exterior room. She stopped abruptly and looked back up at Ben with a look of worry, maybe even fear, in her eyes. "Do you still trust your men, or will you not be able to do this for me?"
He laughed his big deep laugh, shook his head, and said, "Honey, I would trust this crew here, with the Ark of the Covenant. You won't find no better." She smiled at his southern accent.
She rubbed at the back of her neck and closed her eyes, relief filling her. Ever since she'd walked into the cave and saw the statue, she'd been stressed more than she had in a long time.
He let out a long sigh and walked back over to her. Placing one hand on her shoulder and playing with her hair he continued, "Vel, it's obvious that you're tired and stressed. Maybe a little freaked. Hell, I know I would be too. If you're serious and this, isn't you doing this, I'd be more than a little freaked out. Anyone would be. So why don't you either go back to your hotel or home? You can rest easy knowing that your newfound babies are in the hands of the finest. And will be transported promptly to your doorstep the day after tomorrow."
"The day after tomorrow!?" She shrugged his hand off her shoulder and slapped at it. Being near the girl again had her skin itching and she was taking it out on him. "I want it there tomorrow. There's no reason it can't be. All you have to do is haul them out and crate them up. You have your cargo plane and plenty enough men here to do the job. If you haven't noticed, your payment's rather large." She paused and took in a short breath. "If you don't think you can do it. . ."
"Now wait one damn minute! You know that I can and saying otherwise is an insult."
She hit him right where it hurt. His ego. Mess with his life, his body, even his career, but touch that ego, and it was on. No matter the challenge.
"You'll have your precious "cargo" as you put it, right there at your pretty little doorstep. Waiting, tomorrow at nine-thirty sharp. You just best be there, you hear!"
"FINE, thank you! Was that so hard?" Her head jerked with a little crack in her neck, and she pushed a finger into his chest and continued. "The least you can do is thank me. It's not every day you get a haul like this, let alone get to play around with it. You ought to know a loss like that when you see it." She jerked her finger away and turned so quickly that it left his head spinning. He barely noticed her leaving the room and stomping down the stairs to her truck.
Of course, she was insinuating about the chance she'd given him that he missed out on, and she was right, he did regret it, the second he'd told her no. Bringing it up now stung his ego once again, and pride even worse.
The voicemail she'd left him was as much a shock to him as anything. The simple truth that she still trusted him, warmed his heart and made him happy. He turned back to look at the sculpture, and once again his brows went into a knit.
Why does she look like her? Will this finally force her to remember?
He walked towards it and placed the back of his hand on her cheek. It was hard, cold, and lifeless.
He pulled his hand away, feeling as if he dares not touch her again. His eyebrows went back into a furrow, and he strolled through the door to the edge of the cliff. Velori's SUV was gone, and the crew was lazing about in the tents.
"All right ya'll bunch a lazy know it all's," He yelled. "let's get to work." He heard them laugh as he turned and started back into the tomb.
This time, he passed the doppelganger and strolled straight up to the woman with the Eagles. His heart constricted once again as he lifted his hand to her cheek and moved his thumb across her bottom lip. "Yanna. Is it really you?"
Removing his hand from her lips, he shoved at the lid. With little effort, it shifted back to reveal only petite knickknacks and clothing inside. His constricted heart sank and tore, as he took in the sight of the nearly empty box.
Of course, she isn't here. He thought.
"Yo, boss! Did you just move that without equipment?"
The sudden voice pulled him from his brooding, and he turned to look at his foreman, without realizing the hate he was feeling was showing in his eyes. "O'course not Jeff! She must of opened it before calling us. I'm strong but don't blow my abilities up, people might get the wrong idea. The crew would make me do all the heavy lifting."
"Sure boss." He said with a laugh and a little confusion. "You want us to open them up?"
"No. She'll know if we do. Just lift the two in here, the one out there, and the tapestry on the wall behind it. Put them in her tents and then start compiling the rest." As an afterthought, he added, "Carefully." From there, he marched out of the tomb and away from the image of a woman he thought he'd never see again and the curse along with her.