Betsy looked toward the door, aware that Ian was doing the same thing and they watched as the door pushed against the crate, groaning under the stress.
"I know you're in there." Derek's muffled voice came through the door before he strained against it again. "I knew you'd find the first coin. And now you're trapped." He laughed, the sound sending chills up Betsy's spine.
Betsy pointed toward the narrow spiral staircase in the corner. Ian nodded, grabbing her hand and pulling her forward. When they reached the metal stairs, she hurried up as fast and quietly as she could, not that Derek could hear. He was still pounding on the door and yelling, every thud moving the heavy crate just a little farther into the room.
When she reached the top, Betsy pushed open the trap door beneath the Sultan's Castle and pulled herself up, then waited for Ian to crawl out beside her. They lowered the door and looked around, Ian pointing to a large dresser across the room.
"That should slow him up for awhile," he said as they pushed it on top of the cavern entrance.
Betsy nodded as the floor beneath her began to vibrate with a dull thudding sound. "Just in time," she said, trying to catch her breath. she ran out of the small side room and into the large guest chamber where the mostly male guests in long togas reclined on creamy chaise lounges while staff dressed in authentic harem costumes served and doted on them. Staying to the side where hopefully no one would see them, she moved quickly along the wall until she found the office door and ducked inside, Ian close behind.
Collapsing on a distressed leather couch, Betsy pulled the map page out of her bra and unfolded it, scanning the clues as Ian sat down beside her.
"It says we need to go ten steps south, and then look behind the fabric wall." She frowned. "Which way is south? I'm horrible with compass directions. We should find a GPS."
Ian chuckled, taking the map from her. "You don't recognize the layout of the ranch?" He pointed to one of the crudely drawn squares. "This is where we are, I think. Ten steps south would be the salon, don't you think? Taking into consideration where the other buildings are located, anyway." He passed the paper back to Betsy and she peered closely at it.
"I guess," she said, folding it back up with a sigh. "Could it really be that easy?"
"She's your friend," Ian said, pushing to his feet and holding a hand out to help her up. "You said she was just hiding it for fun, right? So why would she make it hard?"
Betsy shrugged, following him to the door. "I just assumed it would be, I guess." She watched Ian open the door a crack, looking one way, then the other before motioning for her to follow. "Do you think he's strong enough to move the dresser?" she whispered, hugging the edges of the room again until they reached the main doors. She followed Ian into the hall and around the corner, nearly having to jog to keep up with his easy stride.
He shook his head as he led her down a short flight of stairs. "I doubt it, but he had a pretty big head start. I think the larger question is, why didn't he find the coin before us? And it seems awfully convenient that he showed up just when we found it, don't you think?"
"You think Derek followed us." Betsy stepped out of the building, blinking her eyes at the bright light. It felt good to be outside again, free from the stifling confines of the tunnels. The feeling was short-lived though as they counted out ten steps to the building next door and went inside.
"Yes," Ian said, almost whispering as he stopped in the narrow staff hallway. "But I doubt he got out of the harem fast enough to follow us over here, so we may have just bought some time." Somewhere down the hall a blower turned on, and the chemical stench of hair and nail products made Betsy wrinkle her nose.
"I have no idea why looking good has to smell so bad," she commented, falling into step with Ian as they went down the hall.
Ian shrugged, looking into
"I know you're in there." Derek's muffled voice came through the door before he strained against it again. "I knew you'd find the first coin. And now you're trapped." He laughed, the sound sending chills up Betsy's spine.
Betsy pointed toward the narrow spiral staircase in the corner. Ian nodded, grabbing her hand and pulling her forward. When they reached the metal stairs, she hurried up as fast and quietly as she could, not that Derek could hear. He was still pounding on the door and yelling, every thud moving the heavy crate just a little farther into the room.
When she reached the top, Betsy pushed open the trap door beneath the Sultan's Castle and pulled herself up, then waited for Ian to crawl out beside her. They lowered the door and looked around, Ian pointing to a large dresser across the room.
"That should slow him up for awhile," he said as they pushed it on top of the cavern entrance.
Betsy nodded as the floor beneath her began to vibrate with a dull thudding sound. "Just in time," she said, trying to catch her breath. she ran out of the small side room and into the large guest chamber where the mostly male guests in long togas reclined on creamy chaise lounges while staff dressed in authentic harem costumes served and doted on them. Staying to the side where hopefully no one would see them, she moved quickly along the wall until she found the office door and ducked inside, Ian close behind.
Collapsing on a distressed leather couch, Betsy pulled the map page out of her bra and unfolded it, scanning the clues as Ian sat down beside her.
"It says we need to go ten steps south, and then look behind the fabric wall." She frowned. "Which way is south? I'm horrible with compass directions. We should find a GPS."
Ian chuckled, taking the map from her. "You don't recognize the layout of the ranch?" He pointed to one of the crudely drawn squares. "This is where we are, I think. Ten steps south would be the salon, don't you think? Taking into consideration where the other buildings are located, anyway." He passed the paper back to Betsy and she peered closely at it.
"I guess," she said, folding it back up with a sigh. "Could it really be that easy?"
"She's your friend," Ian said, pushing to his feet and holding a hand out to help her up. "You said she was just hiding it for fun, right? So why would she make it hard?"
Betsy shrugged, following him to the door. "I just assumed it would be, I guess." She watched Ian open the door a crack, looking one way, then the other before motioning for her to follow. "Do you think he's strong enough to move the dresser?" she whispered, hugging the edges of the room again until they reached the main doors. She followed Ian into the hall and around the corner, nearly having to jog to keep up with his easy stride.
He shook his head as he led her down a short flight of stairs. "I doubt it, but he had a pretty big head start. I think the larger question is, why didn't he find the coin before us? And it seems awfully convenient that he showed up just when we found it, don't you think?"
"You think Derek followed us." Betsy stepped out of the building, blinking her eyes at the bright light. It felt good to be outside again, free from the stifling confines of the tunnels. The feeling was short-lived though as they counted out ten steps to the building next door and went inside.
"Yes," Ian said, almost whispering as he stopped in the narrow staff hallway. "But I doubt he got out of the harem fast enough to follow us over here, so we may have just bought some time." Somewhere down the hall a blower turned on, and the chemical stench of hair and nail products made Betsy wrinkle her nose.
"I have no idea why looking good has to smell so bad," she commented, falling into step with Ian as they went down the hall.
Ian shrugged, looking into