The One He Wants

Tyson

I used the handkerchief from my pocket to wipe the sweat from my brow. It came away as mud. Between the sweat and the blowing sand, I imagined my face was probably caked with dirt. Looking around the people milling about the dig site, I knew I blended in. It was like there was a dress code for visiting or working an archaeological dig in Egypt. Everyone was in khaki cargo pants and loose, long-sleeved white shirts.

Technically, it wasn’t all that hot in Egypt, but the April sun was hotter than it was back home in Philadelphia. I scanned the area, searching the sea of white and beige against the dark earth being neatly piled around the holes being dug. I saw Alec and waved. He was talking to a thin woman with her hair pulled back into a ponytail. Alec was always talking to a woman.

I waved again to get his attention. He finally noticed me and headed my way. “Hey, boss,” he said with a cheesy grin.

“I’m not your boss.”

“You are paying me to be here. Therefore, you are my boss.”

“Did you find anything?” I asked him, getting right to the point.

He nodded. “I’ve authenticated the dig and I think it’s definitely a dead body in there.”

“Is the man in charge around?” I asked.

“He’s in a hole.”

“What?”

Alec sighed. “He’s underground. He’ll be up in a bit. Let’s go to the tent and you can see what they have.”

“Has it been recorded?” I asked, wanting to speed up the process of getting the artifacts back home to my museum.

He led the way to a huge white tent that had been set up. “Yes. Some of these things were uncovered over six months ago. Layla brought them out for you to see.”

I walked into the tent and immediately headed for the first table with an assortment of antiquities laid out. The first table was filled with coins and other artifacts that were rather common. They didn’t interest me. I was more interested in a death mask or something I didn’t already have. I milled about the tent with Alec on my heels.

I stopped dead in my tracks when I came upon a shabti that was different than the hundreds of others I had seen. “That,” I said, pointing to the statue. “I want that.”

The woman Alec had been talking to earlier appeared out of nowhere. “That’s not for sale.”

I looked at her, raising one eyebrow before looking back to Alec. “I’ll buy that one, and to sweeten the deal, I’ll take some of these other common artifacts off your hands.”

The woman put her hands on her hips and shook her head. “Alec,” she said in a British accent. “Tell your friend here it isn’t for sale. I don’t think he understood me.”

“His friend understands English quite well. I flew all the way here to find something unique. Carl promised me unique. What I see here is common, the opposite of unique. That statue is what I want.”

She laughed. “You are very American.”

I shrugged. “Is that supposed to be an insult?”

Alec put a hand on my shoulder. “Let’s talk about this—rationally and calmly.”

“I am calm,” I replied. “I want that.”

Layla threw her head back and laughed. She was laughing at me, which I did not appreciate. “Look, whoever you are—”

I stopped her. “My name is Tyson Helms. I own several museums and often sell some of my rare finds to avid collectors. I am not the kind of man that takes no for an answer. Your boss, Carl, told me he was excited to show me some things. I’ve dealt with him on numerous occasions, and I assure you, he knows the coins and baubles would not excite me.”

She rolled her eyes. “I get the distinct impression there is very little that impresses you.”

I looked to Alec. He was my wingman. He was the charmer. He schmoozed people. I was great at identifying a piece and could authenticate an artifact, but people didn’t like me. I had very little people skills. I was a nerd. I loved reading and studying. I had double-majored in college because I loved the idea of making money and I loved archeology. Unfortunately, the two were mutually exclusive. That led me to become an antiquities dealer. I never had to doubt what I was buying was the real thing.

Alec was also an archeological sciences major, and when I couldn’t verify the authenticity of a piece, he could. We could divide and conquer. I sent him all around the world while I covered the other half as we searched for unique finds.

Unique, as in no one else had one. A concept Layla was clearly confused about. “I’m impressed by a number of things, including that,” I said, pointing to the statue that was larger than the others I had seen. I wanted to get my hands on it. I wanted to know whose tomb the statue had been placed in. I wanted to research the shit out of it and put together a beautiful package that would be on display in my Egyptian-relic museum.

“I’m sure we can work out a deal,” Alec insisted.

“No deal,” Layla answered.

“Who are you?” I snapped. “Why are you speaking for Carl?”

“I’m his daughter and I’m telling you this isn’t going home with you.”

I smiled. I loved a good challenge. Alec must have seen the look on my face. He faded into the scenery as I took a step toward Layla. I was a tall man. Some people thought I was intimidating. Deep down, I was convinced I was a soft teddy bear, but my exterior was on the rough side. I enjoyed working out and I loved ink. I had numerous tattoos on my biceps, chest, and even one on my hip that was seen by very few people.

She looked intimidated. Finally. She took a step back.

“What’s it worth to you?” I asked her.

“It’s an exquisite piece of history,” she said, nervously licking her lips.

I nodded. “It is. What’s it worth to you? You have a number in mind. Spit it out. We’ll go from there.”

She opened her mouth and snapped it closed again. “I told you, it isn’t—”

I stopped her. “Yes, you’ve said that. You put up a good fight. Now, what is it going to cost me to get that statue?”