Museum Rescue or "The Golden Elephant" E-Book

Günther Lietz

• Herausgeber: novum publishing
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 571

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

Stefan "Charly" Bach is asked by Karen "Carry" Lund to help her search for a missing friend. Together they experience adventures that endanger both their lives and their love. Experience the two of them and their friends on the hunt for a criminal organization that spans three continents. And although the story takes place in exotic locations around the world, the biggest problems will be resolved in the idyllic Taunus region of Germany. So join Carry and Charly on their travels to far-flung destinations around the world and into the deepest corners of their souls. Museum Rescue or "The Golden Elephant". A story in which fact and fiction meet.

Leseprobe

Dedication

For "Carry"

(The author)

Foreword

In the 1960s and early 1970s, the number of grave robberies in Egypt rose sharply. While 54 robberies were registered in 1961, by 1972 the figure had risen to almost 4,000. This immense increase prompted the Egyptian government, in cooperation with the German Foreign Ministry, to set up a special unit in 1975. The "Museum Rescue" department, or MR.

After its foundation, it consisted mainly of archaeologists, but over the years more and more people with a background in criminology or special talents were recruited. This department is subordinate to the German Ministry of the Interior. In organizational terms, it is officially subordinate to the "Senckenberg Society for Nature Research".

This is the story of three friends who joined the department more or less by chance.

Part 1 - The beginning

Chapter 1.1 - In the café

"Boho, what a shitty weather," thought Stefan Bach, known as "Charly", as he emerged from the "Bornheim Mitte" subway station. Charly was in his mid-30s, but thanks to his short haircut and youthful manner, every estimate put him in his mid-20s. He was particularly popular because of his level-headed and calm manner. But he could also crack a joke and had the laughs on his side. His nickname came from his old soccer days, when he played in a team with three Stefans. And as he was the last one to join, all that remained was a corruption of his second name. He could live with it and so everyone who knew him well called him "Charly" for over twenty years.

He had already settled in for a cozy evening on the couch the night before when Karen Lund, an old friend, called him.

"You absolutely have to come, it's important!" she said in an energetic tone.

"Tell me, what could be so important that you summoned me so spontaneously?" he asked, quite surprised.

"I can't and won't tell you on the phone," she replied, "please come. I've already called Benny. He's accepted too!"

"Honey, you know I can't refuse you a wish. All right, I'll be at the Picnic Café tomorrow at 5:30 p.m.".

"Strange," he thought as he hung up. He knew Karen as a person who liked to make appointments in a week or two. She liked to plan ahead, which no doubt had something to do with her past, but more on that later.

Karen, Benjamin and he knew each other from a joint orthopedic rehab program that they spent in Oberursel. Charly had torn a cruciate ligament during a soccer match and had been suffering from it for a long time. Karen had fallen down the gangway of an airplane in bad weather and suffered a complicated femur fracture. And Benjamin had had such an unfortunate fall while cycling that his upper right arm was broken and tendons in his right hand were cut. In rehab, all three were made fit again after the operation. As they had a lot of time between treatments, there was plenty of room for conversation and a close friendship developed between the three of them that has endured over the years.

Charly arrived at the "Picknick Café" on time (a quality that everyone really appreciated about him). Karen Lund and Benjamin Sauer were already there.

"Hello everyone," he said to the group.

"Moin," came back as if from one mouth from the other two.

"What gives me the honor of this spontaneous meeting?" Charly asked the group without further ado.

"I'd like to know that too," replied Benjamin Sauer, known to everyone as Benny. "You sounded very mysterious on the phone, Carry!" Benny had red hair and his face was adorned with thousands of freckles. He was known for his direct manner, which sometimes came across as a bit cheeky. But he had his heart in the right place and was very popular with the others.

"Well, I'll get straight to the point then," replied Karen Lund, who everyone just called Carry. She was glad to have this nickname, as her real name reminded her too much of Ingrid Bergmann. Carry was a sporty woman in her mid-thirties with short brown hair, which she also liked to dye from time to time. She had dark brown, almost black, eyes and an expressive mouth. She had a small bump on her nose. This was the result of the accident on the gangway, in which she had suffered a broken nasal bone in addition to a broken femur. However, this small blemish did not detract from the pretty overall impression of her face.

"Do you know the Museum Rescue department, MR for short?" she asked.

"Never heard of it," replied Benny.

"Wait a minute, isn't that an organization that deals with grave robbing?" asked Charly. He had read an article about it by chance a few weeks ago.

"Exactly," she replied, "I work for them, me and Dimitrie!"

"That's a surprise," Benny blurted out. "I always thought you were a stewardess. And why haven't we seen Dimitrie all this time?"

"Yes, why not? As far as I know, the store is based here in Frankfurt," Charly asked.

"Now hold your breath and let me answer. Yes, I was a stewardess until MR poached me. Flying was too boring for me in the long run and when MR made me a good offer, I took it," she confessed. "And Dimitrie is in Egypt almost all the time. That doesn't leave much time for guest visits!"

"So, now tell us more. You didn't call us together to tell us about your professions," Benny prodded.

"No, there's another reason," she confessed. "Dimitrie has been missing for two weeks. He was traveling near Cairo to track down a sacred treasure, the treasure of the Chi. The Chi is an ancient religious community of the Egyptians. They worship their own god and are even supposed to make human sacrifices. They do this to please their god. They have plundered countless graves over hundreds of years because they believe that only their god is entitled to these treasures. Dimitrie has been following a hot lead. The last message contained coordinates in the middle of the desert. Since then, there has been no trace of him. He has disappeared from the face of the earth!"

"That's a thing," said Charly, "and the police in Egypt have no leads?"

"Nothing except the coordinates," replied Carry. "But it has to be said that the Egyptian police are chronically understaffed and can't deploy as many people as they would like. To make matters worse, our office in Cairo is also groping in the dark and can't assign anyone to the search due to a lack of staff!"

"Wait, wait, what's all this got to do with us?" Benny interrupted.

"You're my only hope," Carry replied quietly. "I've been assigned to his search, but I can't do it alone. That's why I presented my idea to Professor Neumann, my boss, and after some hesitation he agreed. You have to help me, please!"

"Are you saying we should look for him? That's absurd," Benny rumbled. "We're neither archaeologists nor police officers. We have no proper training, nor do we know our way around Egypt. We wouldn't last two days. Please give us a reason why we should take part in this suicide mission."

Benny had now really worked himself up into a rage. Then there was a brief silence.

"Well my dear, I can tell you why you should help me. Because Dimitrie is your friend and saved your and Charly's asses almost three years ago. If those aren't reasons, then I don't know," Carry interrupted the silence. She scowled at Benny as she said this. And Carry could look very angry. "Do you remember what happened then ...?"

Chapter 1.2 - The cave

"Good morning everyone," Dimitrie Maier greeted his three friends cheerfully at the entrance to a cave in the Eifel. He was German-Russian. His parents had emigrated from the Caucasus in the 1950s and had settled in Germany. Although Dimitrie was born in Germany, he had the unmistakable accent and manner of speech of any Russian who had emigrated or fled the former USSR. It was part of Dimitrie's character and made him so unique and endearing. He had also spent several weeks in the rehabilitation clinic because his collarbone was broken after a car accident. He used the conversations we had together primarily to improve his German.

"You call this a good morning? It's cold and it's pouring", Benny was obviously in a bad mood.

"I'm cold," added Carry, who was freezing in her thick jacket and hood. Her red nose and pale complexion completed her miserable overall impression.

"Come on, ice queen, a few minutes in a warm hut, a cup of tea and a proper thermal suit, then the world will look completely different," Dimitrie replied unimpressed in his slightly broken German. Charly had christened her "Ice Queen" in rehab when she had a cold for a few days and all color had disappeared from her face.

"Your word in God's ear canal," Charly interjected. So far, he had held back completely.

"What I'm going to show you will make up for it. I'm convinced of that," said Dimitrie, who, as a native Russian, hardly seemed to be affected by the cold.

And indeed, half an hour later and after a hot cup of tea, the four friends were able to explore the cave. They were all equipped with a thick thermal suit, a head torch and waterproof boots.

"So, we're going into the cave now!" Dimitrie walked forward with a firm step.

"Can we just go in there?" Carry asked with her usual caution. She wasn't going to shed her cautious nature until later.

"It's no problem, I'm a member of the team. I have permission from the team leader," he replied. "Besides, the rest of the squad will be here soon!"

"Well, nothing can happen then," Benny teased from behind.

So the four friends climbed into the cave. They didn't notice that the rain was getting heavier ...

"I hope the coachman knows the way," said Charly dryly. He had long since lost all sense of direction and relied completely on Dimitrie. The access became narrower and narrower and the masses of rock seemed more and more threatening. Now it was only possible to move one behind the other.

At least I have a nice view, thought Charly, who was walking right behind Carry, or rather stumbling. Easy, Brown, easy, don't even think about it. After all, she has a boyfriend. And so he concentrated on the path again.

"Don't worry, Dimitrie knows the way. It'll get better soon," Dimitrie reassured the rest of the troop.

And really, after another 50 meters, Carry thought the path would never end, the corridor widened again and a waterfall could be heard in the distance.

"Big surprise coming soon!" Dimitrie tried everything to keep his friends happy. And then they saw it: the dark cave was transformed into a sea of lights. They all looked up in amazement and saw a play of colors in blue, green, yellow and red.

"We christened it the chapel. I hardly need to explain why." Dimitrie's voice sounded reverent. "We discovered it four weeks ago. It's not open yet, but you can have a look!"

Everyone looked up and enjoyed the sea of colors.

In the meantime, the rest of the reconnaissance team had arrived at the entrance to the cave. The rain had continued to increase and it was no exaggeration to call it a heavy downpour.

"Boss, I don't think we're going to be able to continue exploring today. I don't have a good feeling. I think it's too dangerous. Something nasty could come down. And who knows what it looks like in the cave!"

The rain and wind had picked up to such an extent that Martin Schmidt literally had to shout at his boss Edwin Gruber to make him understand.

He shouted back: "I think you're right, Schmidt. I just hope that Dimitrie hasn't gone into the cave or is about to reappear, the car is here anyway."

"Yes, they must have gone into the cave. Four suits, four lamps and four pairs of boots are missing," a member of the research team called out to Gruber.

"Schmidt, request two ambulances and a rescue team. I don't want to take any risks. I hope they're not in the chapel yet or already on their way back. Otherwise, God have mercy on them."

"So guys, time to go. Team should be there too and should be here soon. Too tight for all of us then!" Dimitrie urged them to set off.

"Do you hear that, it's getting louder and louder," Bennie's voice became quieter and quieter.

"I can hear it too, like a tap being turned on full blast," Carry replied in a shaky voice.

As soon as she had said it, the noise grew into a rumble. The next moment they heard stones falling. Benny was hit hard.

"Come on, get out of here!" Dimitrie's voice was soon raised. He grabbed Carry by the arm and ran towards the exit, closely followed by Charly.

"Help!" the three of them suddenly heard Benny shout.

"Something must have happened to him," Charly shouted to Dimitrie. "Get Carry out of here, I'll take care of Benny!"

"You're mad, get out of here!" shouted Dimitrie. But Charly was already on his way back to help Benny.

Then Charly noticed how the ceiling of the entrance to the chapel came loose faster and faster. With a pike jump, he landed right in the middle of the chapel and only with great difficulty was he able to avoid being hit by stones. Where they had been standing just a few minutes ago, there was now water and Benny was right in the middle of it.

"The water keeps rising, we have to try to get out of here!" Charly shouted to Benny.

"I can't, my leg. I've got a stone in it!"

At that moment, the rumbling stopped. The entrance was completely buried except for a small gap. Only the water continued to rise.

"We can't get up there. The stones are too unstable, we'd just slip. And you won't be able to do it with your leg," Charly said.

"Then at least you try," said Benny in a shaky voice.

"Nonsense, I'm not leaving you alone. Besides, stones could come loose and hit you. No, the only option is outside help. Hopefully Carry and Dimitrie will make it!"

In the meantime, Carry and Dimitrie had reached the exit of the cave. Carry was now so exhausted that she had to lean on Dimitrie.

Thank God, those two are out. But where are the rest?" asked Gruber.

"I have to get in, two more inside. Give me the ladder," Dimitrie shouted to Gruber after dropping Carry off at the first ambulance.

"What's the situation?" he asked.

"Rubble, rubble everywhere and the water is rising in Kapelle!" Dimitrie no longer bothered to speak without an accent. "I have to get back inside!"

"This is madness, don't talk nonsense. It's too dangerous. Jesus, come to your senses!" Gruber's voice almost broke.

But Dimitrie had already grabbed a ladder and a rope and ran towards the entrance to the cave.

"Crazy dog," Gruber shouted, addressing Carry.

"That's true, but if anyone can do it, it's him," she replied in a weak voice.

"Well, I can't condone this," the head of the rescue team called over to Gruber. Why didn't you stop him?"

"Why? Try stopping the rain, it should have the same effect!" Gruber replied and said quietly, "God help him!"

"I've heard it. I can only agree with you," said Carry.

In the meantime, Dimitrie had reached the site of the entrance, which had been buried by rubble and debris. He saw a small gap at the top that was still open. If he could reach it with the ladder and the masses of stone did not give way, he would have a chance of rescuing his friends. But he also knew that sooner or later the pressure of the water, which was constantly rising inside the chapel, would cause the wall to collapse.

Come on, old boy. You're running out of time, he thought.

With this in mind, he carefully placed the ladder and climbed up.

Inside the chapel, the situation became increasingly critical. Benny and Charly no longer had solid ground under their feet. Benny was also writhing in pain. His leg was obviously broken and an infection seemed to be spreading through it.

"Benny, keep holding on to me. We'll make it." Charly tried to keep encouraging Benny, even though he hardly believed he could be rescued himself. He knew that if the scree wall could no longer withstand the pressure of the rising water, they would be swept away and buried under the masses of rubble. In addition, the cold water was soaking up his strength like a sponge. He was also at the end of his tether.

"Hello, anyone down there?" Charly thought he was dreaming. Was that Dimitrie?

"Yes here, right under you," Charly shouted with the last of his strength.

"Right, here's the rope," Dimitrie replied and threw the end of the rope in the direction of Benny and Charly.

If I survive this, I'll teach the guy proper German, Charly thought to himself. And despite the precarious situation he found himself in, he had to grin.

He tied the end of the rope around Bennie's chest and shouted: "Pull him up!"

The next moment, Benny lifted himself up as if by magic.

"OK, I've got him!" came the reply from Dimitrie.

"When you have him safe, take him out first. Then take care of me, you understand," Charly could hardly speak from the cold.

"No, if both," was Dimitrie's answer.

"Cut the crap. You know very well that the wall won't hold all three of us. Now get on with it!"

Charly suddenly felt as if he had had too much to drink.

It must be the cold, he thought. "Just don't let on, otherwise Dimitrie will get any ideas

By now, Dimitrie had grabbed Benny and was pulling him over the scree. It was nothing short of a miracle that the stones didn't give way.

"Dimitrie, get down from there now, I'll do the rest!"

Was that Gruber's voice? Dimitrie looked down and recognized his team leader.

"Boss, what are you doing here?"

"Go on, we don't have time," Gruber replied gruffly. And indeed, the water pressed against the scree wall and small rivulets of water poured down the wall.

"Get out, I'll do the rest," Gruber ordered Dimitrie again.

The next moment, he was already on the ladder and climbing up to the crevice himself. The rivulets were getting bigger and bigger and it was only a matter of time before the wall of rubble would collapse.

Meanwhile, Dimitrie took Benny in his Rautek grip to be able to pull him through the narrow parts of the entrance.

Gruber had reached the last step of the ladder. Now he was able to throw Charly the rope he had taken with him.

"Go on, grab it, we don't have much time left!"

With the last of his strength, Charly grabbed hold and let himself be pulled over. As if in a trance, he descended the steps. There he was caught by Martin Schmidt.

"Where do you come from?" Gruber asked Martin Schmidt.

"Do you think I'm going to leave you here alone?" he replied.

"Thank you Schmidt, now get out of here. I don't want to see the house of cards collapse!"

The three reached the narrowest part of the entrance when the scree wall gave way and the water poured towards the exit. They only managed to reach the entrance thanks to the fact that stones were wedged together at the narrowest point and the water was held back for about half a minute.

"Get away from the entrance, there's water coming out!" Gruber shouted and made a pike jump away from the entrance, not without giving Charly a good kick first, so that he also landed outside the danger zone. After that, Charly couldn't remember anything. He briefly lost consciousness. Schmidt did the same as his boss and landed right at Carry's feet.

"I've rarely been so happy to lie at a woman's feet like this," was his comment.

"There are worse things," Carry countered with a grin.

"You will have to answer for this behavior," the head of operations shouted angrily at Gruber.

"I'd love to, I have a clear conscience," Gruber replied in a calm tone. He and Schmidt would later receive a warning and the Rhineland-Palatinate Order of Valor for their actions.

When Charly regained consciousness, he looked into Carry's eyes, who was bending over him with concern.

"Am I in heaven now?" he asked her.

"What makes you think that?" replied Carry.

"Yes, aren't you a pretty angel?"

"Tell me, did you get something on your head too? I don't see any wounds," asked Carry in surprise.

"Nah, I'm just really cold. How's Benny?"

"You'll be fine with the cold. You're going to the hospital now and then you'll undergo heat treatment. Your friend is already on his way to the hospital. That was a last-minute rescue. I'm Edwin Gruber, by the way."

"How did you get into the cave?"

"You have Mrs. Lund to thank for that. She begged me for so long that I followed Dimitrie. If she hadn't done that, you wouldn't be here now!"

"Thank you!" said Charly, turning to Carry, "But an angel!"

Carry only acknowledged his statement with a charming smile.

Chapter 1.3 - In Cairo

"Well, can you remember now what Dimitrie did for you?" Carry had finished her story and looked piercingly at the other two with her big brown eyes.

"I'm sure we can still remember what happened in the cave," Benny replied curtly. "But it doesn't change my decision. It's at least one size too big for me. What do you say, Charly?"

"I need to think about it again, give me some more time," Charly replied to Carry.

"OK guys, you have until 12 noon tomorrow. Then I need a decision from you. Until then, the reservation of the flight tickets to Cairo is also valid. If I don't hear from you, you're out. The flight leaves Frankfurt tomorrow at 17:35. So you don't have much time to pack between the time you make your decision and departure!"

"You don't do things by halves, I'll give you that!" Charly remarked.

"We don't have time for half measures, my dear," and with these words, Carry left the café. Not without paying the bill for all three of them first.

"I'm going too," said Benny, "my opinion is clear. Take care and I can only advise you: Leave it alone, no matter how you secretly feel about her. It's out of our league for both of us. So make it good. I was still pleased to see you again. Bye!"

"Mmh," Charly replied to Bennie's final words and they both left the café.

It was 2:30 a.m. when Carry's phone rang.

"Yes," she said in a voice that was surprisingly clear for this time of day.

"Yes, this is Charly, so I've thought about it: I'm going. I'm going to Cairo with you, I owe it to Dimitrie. I thought I'd call right away before I change my mind!"

"I already figured it was you. And I also thought you'd say yes. I'm glad I was right," said Carry with relief.

"Has Benny contacted you again? He might have changed his mind!"

"No, he hasn't contacted me, he still has a bit of time!"

"Well, get a good night's sleep ... I'll see you at the airport tomorrow," Charly managed to stop herself. She still had a boyfriend!

"Yes, be on time. It's best to be there two hours in advance!"

"Yes mom, I will. Until then, good night, sleep tight!"

"I haven't heard that for a long time!"

"What?"

"See you later!"

"There was no opportunity!" he replied.

"That's right, have a good night's sleep too!"

"See you tomorrow and have a good dream," said Charly, who didn't feel like sleeping yet.

It clicked, the conversation was over.

Charly was at the airport on time in the afternoon. Carry was already waiting for him.

"Moin, is this the way to Cairo?" he asked, looking innocent.

"Come on, let me give you a hug first," Carry replied, without responding to his flippant greeting.

She smells so good, thought Charly. Carry and he had been friends for years and he didn't want to jeopardize that friendship with a thoughtless remark.

"Have you heard from Benny?" he asked after they had separated again.

"No, but I'm not surprised after his performance yesterday," Carry replied. "It's his decision, there's nothing you can do about it. The important thing is that you're there. Come on, let's drop off our luggage," she continued.

They joined the long queue and checked in their luggage. They then went to the duty-free store and passed the time until their flight departed.

"Last call for flight LH 787 to Cairo," resounded through the departure lounge. Carry and Charly had just finished checking in and were waiting for the shuttle to take them to their plane. Then they heard a familiar voice:

"Wait a minute, please let me through. Thank you, thank you, excuse me, excuse me!"

Benny pushed his way through the queue like there was no tomorrow.

Carry and Charly grinned at each other.

"Ah, the prodigal son," Charly remarked dryly when Benny reached them.

"Do you think I'm going to let you go on this mission alone? You'll do me stupid things later. I can't let you do that!"

"Well, well, the gentleman has changed his mind," Carry countered.

"I owe it to Dimitrie after all he's done for me," muttered Benny. "Only one thing surprises me," he continued, "I was able to check in unhindered. The reservation wasn't canceled, why?"

"I can tell you that," Carry replied, "I knew you were coming and I let the reservation go." And she grinned at Benny.

Our little ice queen has changed quite a bit, Charly thought to himself, remembering the shy girl he had once met. He secretly glanced over at her and once again fought against a feeling that had been coming back to him since their meeting in the café. He had had it before and thought he had finally overcome it.

"So, let's get on the plane, we'll be picked up at the airport in Cairo by an MR employee," Carry called out urgently, as all the passengers on the plane had already disappeared.

As a result, our friends landed in Cairo just under four hours later. Here they were met by Abdul Karim, who was already impatiently looking out for them.

"Welcome to Cairo," he greeted her with a beaming smile. "Carry, it's nice to see you again. How are you? You're looking great!"

"Thank you, Abdul. How are Amal and the two children?"

"Three children, three. Now little Omar has been added. And Amal is getting more beautiful with every child. I'll show you pictures when we get to the office!"

After a brief introduction, everyone made their way to the car and Abdul plunged into Cairo's evening traffic. This was a dangerous affair for a foreigner. There seemed to be no rules and Charly had at least four situations in his mind's eye that he felt would inevitably lead to an accident. But Abdul drove around each of these precarious situations with the aplomb of a local.

"How do you know German so well?" asked Benny, after yet another perceived accident situation had been overcome.

"Oh please, Abdul and "you". We'll certainly work closely together and it'll be easier to talk. I studied history for three years in East Berlin, which was still the GDR at the time. One day, Professor Neumann approached me after reunification and asked if I would like to work for "MR" in Cairo. Well, after I finished my studies, I went back to Cairo and took over the office there with Dr. Dubois!"

"And Abdul and I met on a mission a year ago," added Carry.

"Yes, you were brand new to MR and earned your first spurs with us. Guys, I can tell you, she's really good," Abdul continued with a beaming smile. He looked at Carry through the rear-view mirror without taking his eyes off the traffic.

The four of them reached the MR office on the edge of Cairo's city center unscathed. The office was located in a small villa and from the outside you couldn't tell that it was equipped with state-of-the-art electronics.

"So, in you go, Mr. Dubois is probably already waiting!" Abdul was in a bit of a hurry.

Frank Dubois was a short, wiry man in his mid-forties with a bushy moustache who could easily pass for French. Instead, he was a genuine Frankfurt native who owed his name to Huguenot ancestors who found a new home in Neu-Isenburg hundreds of years ago. There was a huge ashtray on his desk, which was usually well filled and sometimes overflowed during long nights of almost non-stop work. His office was the only room in the villa where smoking was allowed.

"Hello Mr. Dubois, here is our visitor from Germany!" With these words, Abdul entered Dubois' office with his three friends. He looked up and fixed his gaze on one person after another. When he saw Carry, he began to grin broadly and slowly stood up from behind his desk.

"Mrs. Lund, better Carry, I'm delighted to see you again after such a long time. A warm welcome to you all too!"

"Yes, even if the accompanying circumstances are not exactly pleasant, I am also pleased, Mr. Dubois. This is Mr. Bach and Mr. Sauer. Let's go straight into medias res," Carry urged somewhat impatiently. Charly was always surprised by her determination. What a change!

"Well, let's get started then, take a seat," replied Dubois. "I would like to emphasize that I am not exactly enthusiastic about Mr. Neumann's idea. Sending two people on this mission with no training or experience is more than reckless. Nevertheless, we have no other choice. Most of our people are on missions in southern Egypt and the Egyptian police are notoriously understaffed. Well, gentlemen, that's how we found you. Let me be honest, you're not my first choice, but we have no other."

"Mr. Dubois, we are fully aware of the problem. But give us the chance. We'll try to make the best of it," replied Charly.

"Well," replied Dubois, "the first MR employees were also just archaeologists and had to deal with criminals."

Then he continued: "What information do we have? Maier was on the trail of the Chi. Mrs. Lund has certainly already given you information about this group." The others nodded. "He's been after them for quite a while. And he stubbornly refused to call in another person. But that's how he is, like a lone wolf. The last time we had contact with him, he talked about a hot lead and navigation coordinates that he wanted to follow now. All we learned was that he had hired a guide to investigate further at the location indicated by the coordinates. This was the last report and last trace of Maier. The guide and he have since disappeared. It's been almost two weeks now, since the Friday before last to be precise."

"Is there no trace at all? I mean, a person can't disappear into thin air by themselves," asked Benny.

"Well, young man. The desert is treacherous. If someone is swallowed up by it, they may only be spat out as a corpse years later."

"We're not here to find Dimitrie's body. I still have hope that we'll find him alive," Carry interrupted him.

Dubois looked at her with a mild smile and said: "Still the old Lund. Biting into a lead like a terrier and only letting go when the case is solved. Careful gentlemen, the young lady will push you to your limits."

"I assume so," said Charly, who had been listening to the others very quietly until now.

"Well, that's enough for today, it's almost one o'clock. Abdul will drive you to the hotel now. I've taken the liberty of ordering a small snack for you. Abdul will also pick you up tomorrow morning. I think that's in your interest, the traffic in Cairo is not for the faint-hearted. I hope you get along well. Abdul will work closely with you."

"I think that'll be fine," said Benny with a smile and the others nodded in agreement.

"Well, let's say we meet back here at 10:00. Abdul will pick you up at the hotel at around 09:30. But be careful, ladies and gentlemen, when I say a time, I mean that time. Despite 15 years in Egypt, I have remained German."

"All right, back here at 10 a.m.," said Carry on behalf of everyone.

"Abdul, stay a moment longer," Dubois said to him. "What do you think of the three of them, Abdul?" he asked Abdul when the others had left the room.

"Well, we know where we stand with Carry. The other two I still find difficult to assess. But what choice do we have? They are our only hope of finding Maier and the guide again!"

"That's them, Abdul, that's them. I hope they make the best of it!"

With these words, Dubois shut down his computer and Abdul went to the three friends to drive them to the hotel.

When they arrived at the hotel, all three went straight to their rooms. Charly decided to smoke another cigarette on the balcony and then go to sleep.

As soon as he stood at the parapet, he heard someone inhaling a cigarette from next door. It was Carry, who had the room next door.

"Well, can't you sleep yet either?" whispered Charly, leaning close to the separation of the two balconies.

"No, there's still a lot of stuff going through my head," she replied, "especially the fear that we might not make it."

"Come on, don't worry, it hasn't even really started yet. Let it come to us first and then we'll see."

"Still the old Charly. Don't panic too soon, analyze the situation calmly first."

"Exactly, as long as there's no reason to panic, take it easy. Now let's see what the next day brings."

"The same thinking as back in the High Mark," she remarked. "I already knew why I wanted you there."

"So what, we did quite well back then. And you didn't want me there now just because of my analytical thinking, did you?" he smiled cheekily.

"Well, young man, don't get the wrong idea," she replied sternly. "Well, I'm going to bed now. It's been a long day. Have a good night's sleep, Charly," she mumbled, yawning, and disappeared into her room.

"Jo, have a good night's sleep, see you later," Charlie replied and stubbed out his cigarette. How he would have loved to take her in his arms right now. But what's not is not, he thought. Then he went to sleep too.

Chapter 1.4 - In Frankfurt

"Do you have something for me?" Torsten Neumann asked Thomas Berger, Chief Chemist at the University of Frankfurt.

"Well, Mr. Neumann, we've done our best," he replied.

"Then show me," replied Neumann. Torsten Neumann was the boss of MR-Weltweit. A two-meter giant with a round head and half bald head. He stood out for his absolute calm and his loyalty to his employees. A fact that did not always go down well with his superiors in Berlin. His unconventional work also meant that he was not always popular. But his employees went through fire for him. Neumann and Berger had often worked together in the past, sometimes interpreting the official channels somewhat freely.

"We have now studied and evaluated all the records of the Chi that we could get hold of and used them to develop an antidote to their 'death potion'. We didn't have much material. We mainly relied on the records of Professor von Sundheim," lectured the chemist.

"I know that the level of information is extremely thin. We only know most of it from hearsay and it's still very vague."

"All we know is that they are probably using a hallucinogen. This can also be used at their shows. It was extremely difficult to produce anything based on all the information available. But now we have developed an antidote. We hope it will help!"

"Good work, Berger. We don't even know if we need it yet. But if we do, it could be extremely valuable."

"I would also like to point out that it hasn't even been tested on animals. Strictly speaking, I'm not even allowed to give it to you."

"I know Berger, I know. If I should be asked, I got it off the internet and can't remember the site. But the Chi don't have clearance for their drink either, after all, and maybe they use it too. Then what I'm doing here is legitimate, isn't it?"

"Of course, that's also one way of looking at things," Berger grinned. "I can assure you that only my assistant and I know about the development. We have filed the entire development under basic research, so nobody can do anything to us."

"Good, and our conversation never took place," Neumann added. "Mr. Berger, thank you!"

"Oh, here are the tablets. We were able to produce ten of them. We've also designed a container that you can wear around your neck without any problems. It is heat and acid resistant and opens like a blister pack," explained Berger.

"Great, it's almost like a spy movie," smiled Neumann.

"Well, that's it, I wish you all the best on your mission, whatever it may be, and I hope you don't need the tablets," Berger said goodbye.

"I certainly won't need it, but someone else might," Neumann replied.

Berger had barely left the office when Neumann picked up the phone.

"Hello Frank, this is Torsten. Frank, I'm about to send you a package by express courier. It should be with you the day after tomorrow at the latest. It's an antidote to the potion of Chi. But I can't put my hand in the fire that it will work!"

"Great Torsten, it's like open heart surgery. But it's still better than nothing. But you know how I feel about the whole situation. I've assigned Abdul to them and we know what to make of Carry!"

"I certainly hope it works. I'll be in touch!" Then Neumann hung up and looked out of the window at the Senckenberg plant. Let's hope for the best, he thought as he looked out of the window.

He ordered the courier personally.

Chapter 1.5 - In the desert

The next morning, Abdul was on his way to the hotel when his cell phone rang.

Oh, boss, he thought to himself.

"Morning, Abdul," he heard Dubois' voice. "Listen, warn the three of them that it's going to be hot today. They're going to pay a visit to von Sundheim. They don't need to worry about what to wear. I think we've got the right thing here!"

"All right, boss, we'll dress them first and then come to them!"

"That's how we do it, see you later!" Dubois was not a man of many words. As a native Egyptian, Abdul also had to get used to his boss's terse choice of words. By now he knew that this was not rudeness, but his way.

After Abdul had picked them up and they had all arrived at the villa, they went straight to the institute's clothing store.

"The tropical uniform doesn't look bad on you," Charly remarked after they had changed.

"Pffff," Carry commented on the compliment. She looked really good in her dark green persimmon blouse and matching shorts. The fact that she otherwise only wore long pants added to the charm of her outfit, as her long legs really stood out.

"We look like real explorers," Benny added cheekily.

"Come on now, enough fooling around, Dubois is probably already waiting for us," Carry urged us to hurry.

And sure enough, in a thick cloud of Egyptian tobacco smoke, Dubois was sitting behind his desk waiting for all four of them:

"Good morning everyone, I'll get straight to the point. First of all, you are going to pay a visit to Professor von Sundheim today. Sundheim is a proven specialist in chi and can certainly give you a tip or two. He has been researching it for 20 years. I don't know anyone who knows more about the Chi. Do you have any questions about yesterday?"

"Not at the moment," replied Carry.

"Good, I've put together another dossier for you on yesterday's topics. You can read it during the journey. Abdul will drive you now. Be prepared to arrive at von Sundheim at dusk. So make sure you take your overnight clothes with you."

"I've already stowed everything in the car," Abdul remarked.

"Remember, as hot as the days are in the desert, it gets cold at night. So use the sleeping bag you brought with you!"

"Mr. Dubois, I'm not a newcomer. I've been to the desert before," Carry Dubois reminded him.

"That's true, but it's the first time for your colleagues." Dubois again made no secret of the fact that he thought the situation with two inexperienced newcomers was extremely risky.

Half an hour later, the jeep was fully loaded and they drove out of the driveway.

"How long will we be on the road?" asked Benny.

"You Germans are always asking about times. An Arabic proverb says: You have the clock, but we have the time. You've heard, we'll be there at dusk. His camp is about 150 kilometers from Cairo."

"What, we need almost a whole day to cover 150 kilometers?" Benny couldn't understand.

"Boy, we're not in Germany here. We're still on a good road, but in 15 kilometers we'll be heading inland. There's no more road. Off into the desert!" Carry rolled his eyes.

"They're actually sending us to the desert!" Benny's enthusiasm was limited.

After an hour's drive, Charly raised his head and looked around: "I've read through the dossier, Dimitrie really seems to have been following a hot lead. He was very close to the Chi twice!"

"Nerd," returned Benny, whose comment Charly ignored.

"That's true," Abdul replied, "but they got away from him like a limp fish in the hands of a fisherman!"

"But if the Chi are so dangerous, why doesn't the government do anything about them?" asked Carry.

"Von Sundheim can explain that to you later," Abdul said mysteriously.

After a total journey of seven hours, they arrived at Professor von Sundheim's excavation site. It was already dusk. As Carry said, most of the route was unpaved and Abdul had to use all his driving skills to arrive at the camp in one piece. Professor von Sundheim was already waiting for them.

"So you're the newcomers from Germany and want to know something about the Chi," he greeted them.

"Good evening for now," Carry could no longer hear the comments about her inexperience.

"Well, come in first and fortify yourself. I can tell you something during the meal!"

"Has Dubois already warned you?" Charly asked curiously.

"He briefed me on the radio," von Sundheim replied taciturnly.

"Do you know him better?" came from Benny.

"We used to work together at MR. I was also at the store. But then I left, it wasn't right for me. Too much police work and not enough scientific research. But that's another story. You didn't come all this way to hear my life story, but to find out about the Chi!"

They entered a spacious tent where it smelled deliciously of a meat stew. Only now did they realize that they hadn't eaten all day and gratefully accepted a bowl of food.

"Are you all alone?" Carry asked curiously.

"No," replied von Sundheim, "most of my people are already in their tents and asleep. We always start very early so that we are not exposed to the midday heat!"

"Professor, please wait a moment before you start. I need to put something warm on now, I'm getting cold." Carry had already turned pale and her nose was red from the cold.

Just like an ice queen, thought Charly. He secretly regretted that she was now wearing long pants again, covering her long legs. "Idiot," he thought and avoided making a comment.

"Yes, yes, go into the tent next door. Josy has already taken your things there. Don't worry, the three gentlemen have the tent next door. You have one to yourself," von Sundheim explained.

"Oh, that's thoughtful. I thought I was going to have to spend the night with these two libertines," Carry replied with a laugh.

"Josy is my assistant, by the way, you'll meet her tomorrow morning," he explained to the friends with a wink.

After Carry had changed his clothes, von Sundheim puffed on a pipe and began to talk. You got the feeling he enjoyed talking about his favorite subject:

"Well, ladies and gentlemen, you want to know something about the Chi. Then I'll get started. The Chi are a radical religious community that I believe has been around for several thousand years. They follow the idea of obeying only one god. All other gods that the Egyptians have ever believed in are therefore only messengers of the devil for them. It is therefore legitimate for them to plunder all the tombs they know and discover. The place where they collect their loot is also their temple, where they pay homage to their god. So far, no one has discovered this temple. All the people who have made the attempt have never returned. The head of a falcon is said to be their symbol of belonging. They believe they can also appease their god with these stolen grave goods. It is also rumored that they do not shy away from human sacrifice. They are said to be particularly fond of white blondes, but there is no solid evidence of this. They also reject any secular form of government and it is rumored that even high-ranking politicians at least sympathize with the Chi, if not are members."

"That would answer Carry's question from this afternoon about why the Egyptian government isn't doing more about the Chi," Charly interjected.

"Even when I was still at MR, we did some research. But we came to no conclusion. There had to be a mole somewhere who was supplying the Chi with information," added von Sundheim darkly.

"Maybe that's also the reason why we were sent on Dimitrie's trail. We are now completely unsuspicious," Benny combined aloud.

"It may be that Neumann sometimes tends to use unorthodox methods. That's why he's so popular with his staff and so frowned upon by politicians. But let Dubois tell you something about that. I've been out of it too long."

Abdul just smiled knowingly.

Von Sundheim took a deep puff from his pipe and showed the four of them a map. "Look here. These are all burial sites, probably looted by the Chi."

"But there are hundreds of them," Carry remarked.

"That's right, and I don't think they all are."

"Then they must be worth millions and their stash is huge," Benny concluded.

"Yes," said von Sundheim, "do you understand now why the Chi are so powerful? If they wanted to, they could buy and rule every government on this planet. It's just our luck that they don't seek worldly power. Not yet, but let one come from their ranks who is clever enough to use the Chi for his own purposes. One who wants world domination. If that happens, then God have mercy on us all. Tell me, Dubois spoke of some coordinates that Dimitrie relayed. Do you have them here?"

"Yes, of course," replied Carry, quite happy to be able to contribute to the cause.

"Then show me," muttered von Sundheim, comparing the coordinates with the information on his map.

"There, here's the place that matches the coordinates. It's right in the center of the robbed graves. Has anyone been there yet?"

"Not yet," said Charlie. "But I think it will be our next destination!"

"Then take good care of yourself. They are very bad people. They'll stop at nothing in their madness. And above all, take care of the lady," he looked at Carry for a long time.

"The lady, as you say, can take care of herself," replied Carry. "After all, I'm old enough!"

"Well then, I hope the best for you!"

Charly had the feeling that von Sundheim hadn't told them everything about the Chi. There was something he wasn't telling them.

"Well, I'm in favor of going to bed now. It's going to be another difficult day tomorrow. Just thinking about the journey back," Benny sounded anything but enthusiastic.

Abdul was also closer to sleep than wakefulness and joined in.

"But first a goodnight cigarette," said Carry, who didn't seem as tired as the others.

"Join me," said Charly. "Mr. von Sundheim, thank you for the detailed briefing. And you can rest assured that we'll look after the little lady."

"Well, that makes me feel much better," countered Carry.

But she always has to have the last word, thought Charly, Ice Queen!

After the last cigarette, which everyone enjoyed in silence, our friends went to their designated tents. Carry went to one and Abdul, Benny and Charly to the other.

"Carry, don't let them steal you," Benny called after Carry.

"Charly, watch out for the cheeky bastard, otherwise he'll do something stupid tonight," countered Carry.

"I will do my best," Charly called over.

"So Carry doesn't notice anything," Benny whispered to Charly as they snuggled into their sleeping bags.

"What should she have noticed?" Charly asked him.

"Well, the way you keep looking at her. A blind man with a walking stick can see that you have more than friendly feelings for her. And it's not just since yesterday. I know that. Come on, you can't fool me."

"Oh Benny, let me sleep now. I'm tired," Charly turned onto his right side.

"It's interesting that you don't deny it, though."

"No, are you happy now," hissed Charly, "but not a word to Carry."

"I will be afraid of sins. Nah, nah, let her figure it out for herself. Good night."

"Night Benny, promise?"

"Good night Charly, I promise!"

"Good!"

"Tell me guys, what are you still whispering about? It's like being in a girls' boarding school."

"Worse, much worse," Benny called over to Carry. Then they all fell asleep.

The next morning, Charly was woken up by the sound of a shower.

Shower in the middle of the desert?, he thought and walked out of the tent. Sure enough, there's a shower back there, let's go. Then he stripped down to his shorts, grabbed his towel from the tent and headed for the shower.

As he rounded the corner to the shower, Carry, dressed only in a towel, came towards him. They both looked at each other a little sheepishly.

"Good morning Charly."

"Good morning Carry." He was embarrassed by the situation. At the same time, he enjoyed the sight that presented itself to him. Her athletic body was fully illuminated by the morning sun and scattered drops of water on her skin glistened in different colors.

"Uh, I just wanted to take a shower," Charly stuttered.

"I've just had a shower," Carry stuttered.

What an inane dialog, thought Charly. It's almost as stupid as 'I was wearing a bowler hat'. God, I'm confused. It's not the first woman's body I've seen. He could only shake his head at himself.

"I'll see you at breakfast," he heard Carry say.

"Yes, see you in a minute," he heard himself say and went to take a shower. He didn't notice the furtive look Carry gave him ...

Half an hour later, all four met for breakfast. Von Sundheim also sat at the table. This was also where they met Josy, von Sundheim's assistant. Josy was in her late thirties with brunette hair that she had tied back in a ponytail. She and von Sundheim made no secret of the fact that their relationship was not just about scientific work.

"So, ladies and gentlemen, I don't want to be uncomfortable, but you should set off slowly. That way you'll arrive in Cairo before dusk. You're lucky you have air conditioning in your car, otherwise you'd only be able to drive at night."

"I also think we should hurry, I'm already warm," added Benny, who had just eaten his third fried egg. Although he was lanky in stature, he could eat for three full-grown men. Charly sometimes wondered where he was putting it all.

"What a shame," said Josy. "I would have loved to show you our excavation site. Well, another time!"

"We'll do that," replied Carry, who had already packed her rucksack and stowed it in the jeep.

I hope they come back, thought von Sundheim with a worried expression.

As von Sundheim stood a little to one side, Charly seized the opportunity and stood next to him.

"Professor, you have a reason for your warnings and you're not telling us anything. May I know the reason?"

Von Sundheim looked at him for a long time.

"Young man, you're absolutely right. You know, I was married once before. My wife and I worked for MR back then. She looked almost like Mrs. Lund. Was also the same age. We were on the trail of the Chi. I was deputy director in Cairo at the time and she was in charge of the mission. One day they had a hot lead and went into the desert to excavate the supposed temple. I never saw her again. After that I resigned from MR and went back to the excavations. Now do you know why I told you last night to keep an eye on the little lady?"

"Now I realize a few things. The way you looked at Carry, there had to be more to the warning. Professor, I'll do everything I can to make sure nothing happens to Carry. I promise you that!"

"I fully accept your promise, young man. I didn't miss the looks you gave her last night either. There's more to it than friendship, am I right?"

"Could be, I'm not sure myself."

"If it's you, then tell her."

"Let's see how everything develops. But now we have a tricky mission ahead of us. And that's what we need to focus on."

"Charly," von Sundheim addressed Charly seriously, "keep a close eye on her and don't make the same mistake I did. I left my wife alone back then!"

"I promise," said Charly and held out his hand to von Sundheim. "We'll meet again when it's all over and we've found Dimitrie again. One more question: may I tell the others your story?"

"Fine by me," replied von Sundheim briefly.

"So, gentlemen, let's get going," von Sundheim quickly changed the subject as he saw the three others coming around the corner.

"We just wanted to say goodbye and collect Charly," said Benny, tugging Charly by the arm. "Come on, you dawdler, we won't wait forever!"

After everyone had said goodbye, Abdul drove off. Charly gave von Sundheim one last look and nodded his head slightly. Von Sundheim nodded back.

"Do you think they'll make it?" asked Josy von Sundheim.

"I don't know," he replied, "I can only hope."

With these words, he went into the tent. He wanted to be alone. "My God, Margot, she's so much like you."

When Abdul had driven a distance, he asked: "Well Charly, what did you discuss with the professor?"

Charly waited a moment and then said: "I now know the reason why he didn't tell us everything." He looked around the room. "The professor was married once before. He lost his wife during a mission against the Chi. He wasn't on the mission himself. She led the mission and never came back. That's why he warned us so urgently!"

"But he could have told us that straight away," said Benny.

"Sure, but maybe it wasn't the right time for him yet, who knows."

Charly avoided looking at Carry at that moment.

After a no less strenuous return journey, Abdul's cell phone rang as they reached the outskirts of Cairo. It was Dubois, he asked about the conversation with von Sundheim and said: "Please come to my office tomorrow at nine o'clock. I have something to discuss with you. It's about the next steps!"

"Right, boss, I'll pick the others up tomorrow morning and we'll be at your place on time," Abdul replied. "But you'll have to wear normal street clothes. We're not going on safari, are we?" he continued with a wink.

"That depends on the outcome of the conversation you will have tomorrow. Be prepared for anything," Dubois replied. "See you then!"

Click, that was the end of the conversation.

"Typical boss, he always keeps you in suspense. We should put on our safari clothes to be prepared for anything. Carry, I'd advise you to put on long trousers first tomorrow, though. Who knows what Dubois has planned for us."

"I will," came the short reply. All three were exhausted from the long drive back and longed for a hot shower and a warm bed.

Later, as Charly stood on the balcony smoking his last cigarette of the day, he heard Carry smoking again from the side.

"What do you think we'll be facing tomorrow?" he asked her over the parapet.

"I can't tell you," came the reply. "I'd like to speak to the head of the guide agency now. Maybe he knows something else. Then I'd like to go to the place that the coordinates have indicated. I have a feeling we'll find something there. In any case, I'll make the suggestion to Dubois tomorrow!"

"Yes, but that's enough for today, I'm going to bed. Good night," Charly said more to himself. He was exhausted.

"Sleep well," replied Carry. She stood on the balcony for a while and thought about the past day. Above all, the fact that von Sundheim had lost his wife really bothered her. It was hard for her to imagine if something were to happen to Charly or Benny. After all, she had talked them into it.

With these thoughts, she also went to bed and fell into a dreamless sleep.

The next morning, all three were in the hotel lounge on time. Abdul came around the corner in a bit of a hurry.

"Sorry, but little Omar has been screaming all night. He has his mother's temper."

"Well, if you're up to the temperament, then it's all good," Carry responded with a grin. "Come on, let's go, we're late!"

When they arrived at the villa, Dubois was already waiting for the four of them in the meeting room. "I thought it would be a bit more comfortable here and not so cramped. But I would ask you not to extend the meeting for so long. I'm not allowed to smoke here," was his comment.

The others just grinned.

First, Carry reported on her conversation with von Sundheim.

"Did he tell you everything?" was Dubois' first question.

"Yes, I think so," Charly spoke up. "Or rather, he told me and I was allowed to tell the others!"

"Mmh, you must have made a certain impression on von Sundheim. He's not exactly peddling his past."

Charly thought to himself. He kept to himself the fact that the warning issued by Sundheim mainly concerned Carry.

Dubois continued: "The loss of his wife has affected us all deeply. The two of them were MR's dream couple. They got to know and love each other at the company. They were a very good match both personally and professionally and were a great team in all areas. We haven't had a duo like that since."