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“Oh no,” Patricia said. “I left the cloth for wrapping the mummy in the hotel.”
“No time to worry about it. We need to get out of here.” Joe grabbed Julia’s upper arm, nodded at Ryan to take Patricia and then ran for the glass door that led out onto the patio.
“Gimme that.” Ryan tucked the mummy under his arm like a rugby ball and ran.
“Don’t squeeze, you’ll damage it,” Patricia said.
“If we don’t get over that wall, we’ll all be damaged.” Joe looked at the smooth wall encircling the garden. The smooth wall with glass shards embedded in the top of it.
“I’m sitting at the back of the neighbour’s house,” Callum said. “You get over that wall, you’re in their garden. Then there’s a fence between you and your ride out of here.”
“The security guys are in the house,” Ed said.
“Corner,” Joe snapped, and they veered to the corner. “Ryan, I’ll boost you. Cover the glass with your backpack and mine, then we’ll boost the women over one at a time.”
“Mummy first,” Patricia said.
“Mummy second,” Julia said as Ryan handed her the dead body. “You need to be over the other side to hold it.”
Joe boosted Ryan up, and he used the butt of his gun to flatten some of the glass. He took the camera out of his pack and tossed it over the other side, then used the padded material to make a seat. He pulled himself up, straddling the wall.
“I am seriously praying that nothing sharp is going to make it through this bag and damage the crown jewels,” he said.
Joe tossed up his backpack, and Ryan did the same thing with it. Then Joe held his hands out for Patricia. “Let Ryan help you over.”
She nodded and did as she was told. There was a tiny squeak when she landed on the other side. “I’m okay. I’m okay,” she called.
“Mummy.” Ryan held his arms out for it.
Joe took it from Julia and tossed it up to Ryan, who instantly tossed it down to Patricia.
“You’ve snapped a bone! I can’t believe you snapped a bone! This body has been perfectly preserved for over five hundred years and you break it the first time you touch it. As soon as we get back to England, I’m talking to your mother about you. You upset Julia, talk when you shouldn’t and now you’re damaging artefacts.”
“Hurry up,” Ryan said. “Patty’s threatening to tell tales to my mum.”
Joe made a cradle with his hands, for Julia’s foot. “Get up.”
Julia didn’t hesitate. “What about you?” There was worry in her eyes as she reached for Ryan. “You can’t stay behind again.”
There was shouting in the house behind them. Time was up.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be right behind you.”
She bit her bottom lip as Ryan fed her over the other side of the wall. “Get down,” Joe ordered, and Ryan jumped down the other side.
Joe took a few steps back and ran at the wall, using the corner to climb up to the place where Ryan had left the bags. He threw himself over the wall, feeling the glass rip his jeans, but not the skin. He took the backpacks down with him to the grass.
The relief in Julia’s face made him feel hopeful that he could get things back to where they’d been before Ryan had outed her. Later. After they’d made it out of this.
“Run. Get over the fence.” Beyond the tall fence, Callum kept the van running.
Ryan clambered over the fence like a cat, deftly managing to avoid the spikes atop it. There was shouting. The hired security guards were in the yard. Without having to be told, Patricia handed the mummy to Julia and let Joe help her over the fence.
“Don’t put any weight on the spikes. Take your time. Go up and over them. Stand on our shoulders. Use us like steps to climb over. We’ll help support your weight and keep you steady.”
“Are you sure you can be trusted with this, Ryan?” Patricia snapped.
“Absolutely.” He didn’t even try to sound sincere.
