Background
The Daredevil Girls and Guy are in a pyramid park that goes from fun to dangerous in the beat of a mummy's heart (if he had one). The participants take turns telling their parts of the story.
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Summary:
In the last chapter, Sally tells of how she, Kith, and Jason, escape the careful scrutiny of Mike Holly, who insists they eat drug tainted food. They manage to retrieve the cat, Sage, out of the duct work, who brings Akie's master key with her. Sally and Kith climb back out of the food chute. Sally hopes to rescue her friends at the top of the pyramid, while Kith gathers potential weapons from the amusement park.
And now, the story continues:
Sally took a deep breath and paused in her narrative. She folded her hands in her lap, and flashed an enigmatic smile. In that moment, she looked every bit the part of the little dark haired girl who had just outfoxed a villain.
"Okay," she said to the assembly. "I'm literally exhausted. I say we change speakers. Tabby, you want to tell what happened in the dungeon?"
"No, not yet. My story will make more sense once someone else tells what happened upstairs."
"Good point," Nancy said, taking charge. "Becky, do you want a turn?"
"I'd rather not. It wasn't one of my finest moments. Let Elizabeth tell it."
"I'd be happy to," Elizabeth said, "and, Becky, don't feel bad, we've all had meltdowns. It was just your turn that day."
Elizabeth stood and made her way to the podium. On the way there, she patted Becky on the back and squeezed her shoulder. Some memories, she knew, never completely disappear.
The audience, now accustomed to the routine, hushed as Elizabeth began her tale.
"My story starts with us locked upstairs in the penthouse. We had just been incapacitated by some sort of sleeping gas dispensed through the air vents. When we first stirred, we felt like Rip Van Winkle who awoke after 100 years to find the world changed. Like him, we were disoriented and afraid."
"Is everyone okay?" Nancy had asked, sitting up.
"I am," Bruce said, struggling to his feet. He looked around the room as though mentally counting us.
"We're two short," he said. "Tabby and Sally aren't here."
"Tabby?" Becky cried out. "Oh, no, remember what Ahmed said about sacrificing her to get his sister reanimated? If she's not here, then he's already taken her for the ritual. Guys, we've got to get to her before he can turn her into a mummy."
Becky tried to stand, but kept weaving back and forth like a drunken elf. Finally, she gave up and sat against the wall, her head buried in her hands.
"And what about poor Sally? He might have taken her, too," she continued.
"Please don't cry," Nancy said. "That isn't going to help us rescue either one of them."
"Rescue them?" Becky said. "We can't even rescue ourselves."
"Not if we just give up," I said. "Who are we?"
"I know what you're getting at; we're Daredevil Girls," Becky said, "but we're ones locked in a room about a mile above ground."
"That may be true," Bruce said, "but that's not what where we should focus."
"Where then?"
"To start with, how we are going to get out of here," Bruce said. "Becky, we've never given up before, and we aren't starting now. It's just like math. For every problem, there's always a solution. It might not be easy to figure out at first, but if you keep working at it, you'll get it."
"I hate math."
"Okay, then think of it this way. The world Akie came from is gone. It's our world now, and we are better equipped to handle it."
"We are still locked in a room at the top of a pyramid," Becky said, "and Tabby is still on her way to the basement to be mummified. Is there anything hopeful I'm missing?"
"The Sally factor," Nancy said, interrupting. "She might be missing, but I'm willing to bet she wasn't captured."
"How can you be sure?" I asked. "She looked bad when Akie dropped her on the floor earlier. He might have grabbed her and taken her down with him."
"I don't think so, Elizabeth," Nancy said. "Even he wouldn't try to carry two unconscious people down a flight of stairs."
"Then where is she?" Becky asked.
"If I know my sister," Nancy said, "she's following the Egyptian nutcase, and he doesn't even know it. Which means we have one of our own on the outside."
"But, she was unconscious," Becky said.
"She appeared to be," Nancy said, "but, by now, you know how resourceful Sally is. I wouldn't put it past her to have been putting on to distract Akie."
"Playing possum?" Bruce said.
"Exactly."
"But, still, she's just one person," Becky said. "What can she do without the rest of us beside her?"
"She'll do exactly what we will," Nancy said. "She'll use what she can find to her advantage."
"I hope she does," Becky said. "She's got lots of stuff to get hold of out there, but what do we have?"
"I see a promising sarcophagus on that shelf above the door," Bruce said smiling. "I say it's time we turn the tables on the ancient psychopath."
"Oh, how will we do that?" I asked.
"By setting a trap."
"For Akie?" Nancy asked. "He won't be coming back here until he's through with Tabby. We've got to do something before that happens."
"Maybe so, but at least it's a plan for now. If something more brilliant comes to mind, please feel free to let me know. In the meantime, I'm setting a trap."
"Fair enough," Nancy said. "What do you have in mind?"
"You know what a pendulum is?"
"I do," Becky said, looking up now. "There's a weight called a bob on a string, and it sort of swings back and forth on a stand."
"That's the general idea," Bruce said. "We'll use the cable holding the screen as a string, and the sarcophagus as a bob. I'll climb up and tie the cable to the bottom of it, and the other end to the doorknob. When Akie pulls on the door, the sarcophagus will swing down and hit him in the chest."
"What if it's too heavy for him to pull?" I asked.
"I don't think it will be, it's kind of small," Bruce said pointing upwards.
"But will it be effective, then?" I asked.
"It won't kill him or anything, Elizabeth-- he's a big guy, but it might knock him off his feet."
"Or, at the very least, disarm him," Nancy said. "Bruce, this just might work. Come on, I'll help."
"But what about the rescue attempt for Tabby?" Becky asked.
"As Bruce suggested, we can keep thinking about it as we work," Nancy said, "but for now, we'll have to rest our hope on Sally."
Becky nodded and stood up to help us set the trap. Working together, it didn't take long before the task was complete. We were Daredevils again-- victors not victims, and it felt good.
When we were finished, we sat together on the bleachers and fell into idle chatter, which was something we had learned to do long ago. When all else was out of kilter, we leaned back on camaraderie. I told them Cherokee legends, Bruce explained more about Egyptian history and traditions, and Nancy told stories.
Finally, we heard the sound we had been waiting for-- footsteps outside the room. We stood to our feet and edged towards the door, holding each other's hands for support. Nancy stood in the front, and the rest of us behind. We held our collective breaths as a key turned in the lock. There were a few thrusts against the door, and then another stronger one. The door cracked open a few inches. Another push, and it burst open pulling the sarcophagus from its perch.
Nancy was the first to see our visitor, and she screamed in horror. Our own faces turned ashen as we watched the sarcophagus bob hit Sally square in the chest and sent her sailing back through the door.
Author Notes
A very special thanks for the artwork, "Tunnel #1", by Bellgee1
General Summary of book:
Nancy Jordan is a teacher in an ordinary small town middle school. She is living a safe, uncomplicated life when suddenly her past comes back to haunt her--literally. Her students have somehow found out that she was once a member of the world famous, Daredevil Girls from Bunker Hill, a group of young people who fought evil supernatural beings in the early 1980's.
She is asked by her principal to share stories from her youth once a month in an assembly. Reluctantly she agrees. In the first assembly, set auspiciously on Halloween, she is joined by the former members of the Daredevil Girls, who are now grown and have lives of their own. With their help, she retells two of their adventures. After the last story is told, Nancy finds that her past has become a part of her present---will she be forced to fight again?
Characters:
Nancy Jordan: Now a teacher, once the leader of the Daredevil Girls From Bunker Hill
Emily Jordan: Nancy's mother
Mrs. Pierson: Nancy's boss and Miltonville Middle School Principal
Victor Brewer: Coach teaching across the hall from Nancy, perhaps a romantic interest.
Sean: Caterer and old acquaintance. Also known as the "Prankster".
Mildred: Witch and head of an organization of evil creatures. Locked up, for now, in a jail for supernatural beings.
Gregor: Werewolf accomplice of Mildred.
Ahmed: Tour guide. Looks to be about 25. Well built, engaging eyes, from Egypt.
Mike Holly: Ahmed's illusive boss.
Sage: Sally's wise beyond her species, cat sidekick.
Kith: Eleven year old boy Sally runs into in the Pyramid-a helper for Sally
Jason: Kith's shy little brother who is in poor health-a helper for Sally
Daredevil Girl Supporters: Also students in Nancy's classes
Tina Alice: Leader of the supporters, tiny in stature, student all teachers love, very level headed. Blonde
Belle Conner: Girl twin who is larger than most kids in her grade and very outgoing. Dark hair
Billy Conner: Male twin who is a football player, large, strong, outgoing and plagued by a need for "fairness." Dark hair
Rasha: Athletic, smart, bouncy, African American
Julia: Small, energetic, speaks before she thinks sometimes, Hispanic
Sally Jordan: Nancy's little sister
Tabby: Daredevil Girl member-fast, smart, popular, African American
Elizabeth: Daredevil Girl member-strong willed, short, chubby, Cherokee heritage
Becky: Daredevil Girl member-Tall, gangling, awkward, slow in school, smart in ways of nature and the woods.
Mr. Jordan: Nancy and Sally's father. Very involved in the Daredevil Girl adventures, is later killed by a drunk driver.
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