The Hunt for Cleopatra
The cold desert wind howled, sending waves of sand swirling into the air. Maahes grabbed the spy by the collar and shoved him forward.
"Move," he ordered.
The spy staggered, barely keeping his footing as he led them toward the place where he claimed Cleopatra had been left for dead. The group trudged through the sand, their torches flickering against the vast emptiness of the desert night.
After what felt like an eternity, the spy finally pointed ahead. "There! That’s where he left her."
Maahes stopped, his sharp eyes scanning the area. The sand had been disturbed, marks indicating something—or someone—had been dragged. But Cleopatra was nowhere to be seen.
One of the allies turned to Maahes, suspicion laced in his voice. "He's lying. There’s no one here."
Maahes exhaled sharply. "No," he said firmly. "He’s telling the truth." He crouched down, running his fingers through the disturbed sand. "Look at this. Someone was here. But someone else moved her."
The realization settled over the group like a suffocating blanket. The assassin sent by Akhenaten had been clever. He must have known the spy could be caught, so he changed plans.
Maahes turned to his men. "Spread out! Search every nook and cranny. Find her!"
The allies immediately fanned out, checking every ridge, every dune. They knew the urgency—Cleopatra couldn’t die. Not now. Not like this.
Maahes grabbed the spy’s collar again, forcing him to meet his gaze. "Think. If she’s not here, where else would they take her?"
The spy hesitated, his eyes darting in fear. "I—I don’t know!"
Maahes scowled and slapped the back of the spy’s head. "Try harder!"
The spy winced. "Wait… There was something. When we were coming here, I noticed Kadesh looking toward a cave."
Maahes narrowed his eyes. "A cave?"
The spy nodded frantically. "Yes! I don’t know why, but he kept looking back at it. It was like he wanted to stay in the cave instead."
A dark smirk crossed Maahes’s face. "Then take us there. Now."
The spy gulped and nodded, leading them toward the cave.
The air inside the cave was damp and heavy. The flickering torchlight barely illuminated the walls, casting eerie shadows that danced as Maahes moved forward.
"Stay back," he instructed his men. "I’ll go in first."
He stepped cautiously, his senses alert.
Then he saw him.
Kadesh.
The traitor was walking toward the entrance, completely unaware of Maahes’s presence. His posture was relaxed, as if he had just completed his task.
Maahes didn't hesitate. His fist clenched, and in an instant, a bolt of thunder struck from the heavens, tearing through the cave and hitting Kadesh square in the chest.
Kadesh’s body convulsed violently, his eyes widening in shock before he collapsed onto the cave floor, lifeless.
Maahes exhaled. "Traitor."
He stepped over Kadesh’s body and rushed deeper into the cave. His heart pounded as he called out, "Cleopatra!"
Silence.
He scanned the dark space frantically. Then he saw her.
Lying on the cold floor, her body still.
"Cleopatra!" He rushed to her side, his hands trembling as he touched her face.
For a moment, dread coiled in his stomach. Was he too late?
Then—a breath.
Shallow. Weak. But still there.
She was alive.
"Wake up," he urged, brushing her hair from her face. Her eyelids fluttered slightly, a faint sign of life.
Relief flooded through him. He wasted no time, scooping her up in his arms and heading back toward the entrance.
When he emerged, his allies immediately stepped forward.
"Get the horses ready," Maahes commanded. "We’re leaving."
They nodded and turned toward the direction of the horses.
But before they could move, a deafening sound erupted from the distance.
Boom.
The ground trembled slightly.
One of the allies stepped forward, peering into the darkness. "What was that?"
Maahes narrowed his eyes. Then he smelled it—gunpowder.
His body tensed. "Everyone, back into the cave. Now!"
The allies turned on their heels and rushed back inside. Maahes held Cleopatra tightly as he followed.
As soon as they were safely inside, he took a deep breath and turned only to realize that the spy was gone.