ANKH: Let those who dwell on earth know what's about to come next. Rev 3:10

By Sam Yacoub

The portal is open, and the world will never be the same. The ancient gods are anxious to return, to reignite their old glory. If unleashed, it will shatter man's hope for peace.

The Arab-Israeli conflict took a nasty turn; a dark cloud hovered over the entire Middle East as the world's armies launched toward the ultimate battle.

As the planet balances on the edge of World War III. Amidst the U.S. ground forces a group of archeologists go missing in the ruined city of Abu Simbel. A military team and scientists arrive in Egypt to investigate. It wasn't just old ruins and deserts to contend with. The mission became a survival run as political intrigues threatened to tear them apart.

The team must act fast to discover the truth deep into Abu Simbel. A mystery was present; an alien celestial artifact rests in those ancient ruins, a portal to somewhere else. It may be the key to finding the missing archeologists or the doorway to places beyond human conception.

And the story begins; They enter to face forces fighting a war older than time. Against all odds, a group of people frozen in time and waiting for a deliverer holding back the ancient powers. They were caught into a conduit across time to the middle Egyptian dynasty and confronted by a group of Hebrew and Egyptians escaping the Pharoh of Exodus and awaiting a message, the way to safety. To them, the Ankh was a sign, the way to life. But, the message was not for the escaping remnant but to the mission team, "The time is up; the Ankh returns."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 22, 2024
• ISBN: 9798888329146

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ANKH

Let those who dwell on earth know what's about to come next. Rev 3:10

Sam Yacoub

ISBN 979-8-88832-913-9 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88832-914-6 (digital)

Copyright © 2024 by Sam Yacoub

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Introduction

Total Recall

The Gathering

The Humanoid

The Cadre

Power Struggle

Adding Injury to Insult

The Cube

Abu Simbel

Voice and Whisper

The Interloper

Clash

Descending

Failed Scrimmage

The Fallen

Ankh

Abbas

Spine-Chilling

Grizzly Mule

The Visitor

Sakker

Feast Trap

Masquerade

The Unveiling

The Tunnel

Day of Hurling

Back to the Future

The Hiding Place

The Plot

Life in the Now

The Second Return

Sam's Transcript

Vortex Hole

Unwelcomed

John's Transcript

Solar Ship

Venessa's Transcript

Dive, Dive

John Yacoub (Technical Advisor)

Priscilla Wells (Style Advisor)

Fred Mantel (Ankh 3D Art)

Introduction

This book is about a collection of transcripts recorded by various people. It concerns prophetic and fictional events that are yet to take place.

Some are real-life characters with altered names to protect their identities others are fictional.

Take heed of reading it earnestly, it may save your life in times to come.

Total Recall

My ears kept ringing; I could only hear a whooshing noise with muffled voices.

Is he conscious?

He's drenched. Do you have another blanket?

A female voice answered, Here.

I had my eyes closed, wishing to get rid of the sound, but I couldn't shake it. I sensed many people around. Then came the hounding questions.

John, the team, where are the rest?

What happened?

The relentless questions kept exploding in my mind.

John, John, can you hear me?

I could hear their muffled voices and saw them like from behind a veil. They called my name, not sure if that was good or bad.

One of them asked, John, are you here with us?

I must look like a zombie.

His voice sounded familiar, but I didn't want to lift my eyes to see who it was.

Another softer female voice persisted. John, are you okay? It was coming from a device on the table.

I know you, I muttered.

She answered, It's Irma.

Half conscious, I pushed the oxygen mask off my face and asked for water. I was confused but knew I was being debriefed.

They started again as I sipped some water. Can you hear us well? Are you cognizant?

Feeling slighted by the questions, I defiantly yelled back, Stop screaming, all of you! I'm here, aren't I?

They quieted down, and another whispered, He's back all right.

The familiar voice asked again, Are you okay?

I nodded. Yes.

I saw him pouring more water from the corner of my eye and then looked up as he handed me the glass. It was Peter.

Doctor! I said.

Yes, John, we are all here. Matt, Tom, and the home team.

I started to recognize the faces—a few of my ground team and other military personnel—staring at me.

Peter waved everyone to the door. Please, give us some room. Other than the essential personnel, I need everyone out. He did not waste time but quickly lowered his glasses and looked me in the eye. John, can you tell me what's today's date?

I couldn't think of the date. I just watched as the team started to leave.

A few stayed: Matt, Zhang, Tom, and Venessa. The rest left the room.

I picked up the glass to take a drink and smirked. Where is here?

Zhang responded, "Patient's room, ACE¹ building."

I looked around and smiled at his friendly face, then noticed another reassuring face: Venessa's. Hey, beautiful, can you bring some coffee?

Venessa smiled and poured a cup. Here, my dear friend. I'm glad you're back.

Alive, I added.

Peter returned to the same question, John, do you know today's date?

I answered, No.

Do you remember anything from the time you left?

Yeah, sure. Rubbing my eyes, I looked around. I wasn't alone. Where are the rest?

Good, good, you remembered. They—

Before I got my answer, the door slammed open, followed by a few heavy footsteps. Seconds passed, and another walked in. The team surrounded me, and I couldn't see who it was until he said, Gentlemen, we take it from here. I recognized the voice—Warwick's.

Zhang responded, General, he is not in a state to be moved.

Warwick pushed his way in. Don't worry, we are not taking him far from here, just to a secure office in the back of the building.

Matt stepped between us. I have a few questions to go over before he is moved anywhere.

Warwick motioned to the military escort. No need. I am in charge now. I'll be asking the questions, Warwick said and motioned for the military escort to move me out.

*****

I stooped down without looking at anyone, picked up the coffee, and started to sip. The soldiers stepped back.

Warwick, Come on, John, you can drink all the coffee you want later.

Matt stepped between us. Warwick, what's the rush? Did you need a whole company detail to do this?

Warwick agitatedly pointed the guards to move in. Listen, I know you don't report to me, but this is my show now.

Matt shook his head. He is not moving. I spoke to the command, so don't flex your muscles here.

Warwick, in an angry tone, blasted, You don't tell me what to do Coo— but couldn't finish his offensive name-calling.

Matt pulled his service revolver and placed it right at Warwick's forehead. You SOB, say it, and I will empty this gun in your skull.

Matt's move was too fast that some soldiers fell back, and the whole place turned chaotic.

Warwick, Seriously, you are pulling a gun on me? You will be court-marshaled for this.

The soldiers looked at one another, not knowing what to do. The lead sergeant was about to pull his revolver when Tom stepped in between, holding his hand to halt the soldiers. Cool it, everyone. No need to escalate.

Matt was about to continue, but I shouted, Stop! I am going with them.

I had no choice; I knew they would ultimately take me into custody.

Warwick pushed Matt out of the way. You should've listened. Now your ass will be in a court-martial. He then pointed at me. He knows best.

My move ended the conflict, and I held my peace for an opportune time. I was escorted to an office at the back of the ACE building.

Warwick walked in, dismissed the guards, and closed the door. How come you did not use the cube?

I answered, You should know. They would have ended at the wrong place or time.

How would you know?

I know. They didn't use the cube to get there. They couldn't use it to get back.

He smiled as if he uncovered something he needed, then nodded. But you can?

I didn't answer, and he didn't wait for one, just raised his body and screeched in a diabolic voice, You are dabbling in my world, boy.

I froze, terrified, and couldn't say a word.

Then he calmly smiled and called the guards. Take away his satcom.

I tried to object, but my voice came out in pieces. Should it, me, until the mission review?

He responded as he was leaving the room, Your mission ended. I reviewed it.

The lead soldier disconnected my satcom, placed it in a black case, and left after posting two guards outside my holding office.

It did not take long for me to collect myself, and I began to put things together. I almost passed out, remembering what I had been through in the last few weeks.

The events I have recorded and am about to share with you involve many people through extraordinary circumstances.

Don't take it lightly; it may save your life.

The Gathering

My name is John Jacob. I worked as the information officer to Colonel Sam Beckman, the Pentagon's advanced weapon technology science liaison. We reported to the joint chiefs of staff's vice chairman, General William Paxton.

My primary job was to update Sam on data feeds related to his area of responsibility and coordinate with military contractors and other civilian organizations.

A few months ago, we were having lunch at a DC restaurant with two colleagues and a third-party development contractor. As we were just about to finish, Sam excused himself and started toward the washroom. I glanced at my buzzing phone; it was a distinct emergency signal universal to all Pent² personnel yet unnoticeable to most people.

A few minutes later, he returned to the table with a somber look. Immediately I had to come up with an excuse to leave. Glancing at my watch, I said, Colonel, we do not want to miss the meeting with the general.

Sam faintly smiled as he bid the contractor goodbye. I look forward to our next meeting.

We walked out in a hurry as Sam muttered, Thanks, good move. You know how it goes with these contractors.

I smiled. They would brag about their access to national security.

Sam added, Yeh, our abrupt departure would be on the news before we get back.

While driving back, I checked my phone for any special instructions. The signal designated a rally site and a call-back code. We had fifteen minutes to get around.

My mind drifted back to 9/11. A dreadful question flashed in my mind: Are we under attack?

Before I voiced my concern, Sam did. It couldn't be! We didn't hear anything. It was a weird moment, a 9/11 synchronicity flashback. But there were no explosions and no sirens.

I thought, Whatever the emergency, it must be somewhere else.

We arrived at an obscure facility, an office building on the outskirts of the Pent's grounds. We entered after being identified at a checkpoint. We were led into a sizeable low-ceiling room typically used to hide surveillance equipment. The place was full of military and civilian personnel. You could see the anticipations and concerns painted on everyone's faces.

A guard in civilian clothes pointed us to a side seating area, apparently designated for our group. I recognized the fellow—General Paxton's personal bodyguard. A bit strange, I thought.

At the guards' call for attention, General Paxton walked in and sat at the head of the briefing table, joined by some joint chiefs and other high-ranking officers. The general started by signaling for silence, then addressed the civilian group, seemingly brought to the meeting in a hurry. Before we begin, I would like to have you briefed on the circumstances that led to this call. He paused, looked at his notes, then continued, Because some of you have limited information on the political and military status of the recent middle east conflict, I've asked Major Prusakowski to give you a contextual briefing. Then, looking at the major, he asked, Are you ready?

Prusakowski answered, Yes, sir, and then started to narrate a video presentation.

As the major began his briefing by summarizing the past few weeks' events, my mind drifted to the time when the recent Arab-Israeli conflict took a nasty turn. The day Israel's prime minister was assassinated, a dark cloud hovered over the entire Middle East and the world. A stealth investigation by Mossad and US intelligence progressed rapidly. The uncovered details were not bolstering to anyone; they pointed to a terrorist group that planned to use a VBIED³ while the prime minister visited a middle school in Ramla.

Just before the gigantic story was shared with the news outlets, we received the intelligence briefing at the State Department with a host of foreign diplomats. I recalled an exchange with an Israeli political attaché; he wished the assassination would have been an internal bad business between Israeli factions rather than all-out war with the entire Muslim world.

Then the news outlets broke the silence. Two Saudi Arabian princes formed an unholy alliance and financed Hamas to orchestrate the assassination. Saudi Arabia's king and the ruling family were outraged and pledged to execute all involved, within and without.

But then Israel would not have it any other way; they moved swiftly and rocketed a convoy with the two princes. It seemed as if their move ended the conflict—an eye for an eye—but no such luck; Murphy's law always strikes back at the wrong time. A senseless miscalculation, and the source of Mossad's intel was somewhat skewed. The procession was the crown prince's. Saudi Arabia had secretly arrested the two princes and all members of the doomed gang. The crown prince was on his way to handle the case at a government site close to the Jordanian border.

Can you imagine the upcoming king of the Saudi throne, the religious successor to the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and the custodian of the two Islamic holy cities killed by Israeli missiles? The news turned the whole world upside down. Riots and violence erupted in almost every nation around the globe, followed by a host of military deployments by all the countries surrounding Israel.

The world became closed once more. The COVID-19 closer of 2020 was a relatively peaceful setback, but this one caused extreme worldwide fear of the final Armageddon. We gave it the unofficial code name The Gathering, as the world's armies launched toward the Middle East.

The United Nations intervened by sending peacekeeping forces to prevent a colossal conflict. As usual, the United States led the charge by deploying the most significant military forces of the international coalition. The American troops under the UN flag took positions in various places, from the Mediterranean to Southern Egypt, along the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.

Sam nudged me out of reminiscence as the major finished his briefing. Paxton asked an intelligent army officer to brief the group on the events leading to this meeting.

The intelligent officer proceeded, saying, "The evening of March 3, a group of Egyptologists had an accident while examining an area around the ancient site of Abu Simbel, in particular, the submerged land span on the western bank of the Nile, at the ancient temple's original site. The group was excavating the site with Meritage Maritime's help, and archeologists from the Egyptian Historical Commission specialized in underwater excavations.

They encountered a problem with one of the amphibious excavators. At their request, our ground forces sent a group of soldiers along the Sudanese border to help restore the sinking excavator. Additionally, two of our peacekeeping boats joined the rescue operation. At 1900 hours Cairo time, an accident occurred while the operation was going in full force. The officer paused as if he was looking for the right words. They disappeared, he blabbered out and stopped. It seemed he was not ready to give all the facts and decided not to elaborate.

When the group realized he did not intend to continue, they burst out with questions. The intelligence officer looked at Paxton for help, and the general nodded for him to continue.

As he proceeded to speak, all quieted down. The circumstances around their disappearance—again, he paused to look for the right words—was somewhat supranormal, he muttered.

It was hard to hear him, and the questions streamed again.

What did he say?

Is there such a word?

"Do you mean supernatural?"

Who disappeared?

He put his hand up and, in loud distinctive words, said, The entire group of Egyptologists, amphibious personnel, equipment, boats, and excavators, all disappeared.

All became at a complete silence. There was not even a hiss.

The general slowly stood up and took a mic. "We are not quite sure of the whole darn thing. That is why you are all here. We are not using supernatural to describe the incident because we don't know the origin or cause. You heard Prusakowski speak of the Russians' behavior. They did not conform to or cooperate with the UN. For all we know, this could be another Russian ploy. The Turks didn't share their plans. They deployed several navy vessels south of the Mediterranean."

One of the chiefs started to comment, but Paxton motioned for him to wait and looked back at the group. That is why you are here. We are forming a task force among you, others, investigators, scientists, and military experts to find out what happened. He stopped and looked at his joint chiefs. Now the chiefs will further clarify the situation and answer your questions.

Then he motioned the navy chief to continue, who said, Although we were aware of Turkey's political alliances, it was unfortunate to depart from the coalition's objective and, as you may have heard, their expulsion from NATO. A move that poses some challenges to our forces but should not impact your mission.

The group started to question the joint chiefs, who in turn gave the answers as they related to their areas of responsibility.

One of the teams revisited the navy chief's comment.

Why do you think Turkey's situation may impact our mission?

I didn't say it will, but some of their people were involved in the digs around Abu Simbel. We don't believe their disappearance will impact your mission.

Any risk of intrusion?

"No chance. As you may have heard, their navy was neutralized by Israel's air force. And we declared the region an NFZ⁴."

Are we commissioned to visit the site?

At that, Paxton interjected, Some of you will. Listen, we completely control the area regardless of the other players. Your mission will be supported by the best military forces, so leave that task to us. I know you have more questions. Next, you will have time to discuss your personal concerns with the coordinating staff. Still, before you do, I want to thank you for your service, contributions, and sacrifice, leaving your families and commitments. None will be forgotten, and I am entrusted to seeing all your personal affairs are looked after. Then he motioned for the lead coordinator to take charge and started to leave with his group.

That did not stop the last voice from the back: You didn't say to rescue them.

Paxton stopped and looked back. What!

The voice was one of the female civilians'. You said to find out what happened but did not mention rescuing the missing teams.

Paxton, Of course, to rescue them as well.

The Humanoid

On the way out of the briefing, Paxton looked in our direction, pointed to a side room, and shouted, Sam!

Sam, in turn, motioned for me to follow him. I hesitated, thinking, The general may have a private meeting, but followed.

Sam walked into the room, greeted the high-ranking members, then looked at Paxton. You know John. Is it okay?

Paxton replied, Of course, the Encinco man.

Sam laughed. No, General, I call him En-psycho because of his limited brain activities. Everyone else calls him Captain Encyclopedia.

All burst out laughing as one of the high-ranking officers remarked, Yes, we all know John. You couldn't discuss any topic with him without feeling ignorant.

Another added, He is the most well-read person we've ever encountered. We tried many times to get Sam to let go of him.

Thank you, sirs. I couldn't pass on the opportunity to tease my boss. You didn't tell me about this job opportunity.

All burst into laughter again.

We sat around a long table with Paxton at the head. He pointed Sam to an empty seat at his side.

I thought, Boy, this was planned from the start.

Immediately he proceeded. Sam, you know… Then he stopped, apparently changing his mind, and said, No, first, how are you? How are Charlene and the kids?

Although the general was over ten years older and ranked at least three times higher than Sam, they often got together socially.

Great, all is well, Sam said with a question mark on his face, then nodded. General, is all okay?

No, nothing's wrong. Sam, I will not ask you to get involved without taking care of everything you need.

Sam smiled but did not respond.

I can't wait to hear what Paxton has in mind.

The sudden disappearance of the group was not just a supernatural accident. Mysteriously, a strange sequence of spectacles took place at that same time. Paxton paused and lifted an eyebrow. The eyewitnesses, military and civilian, reported an unusual massive water opening on the Nile's surface and laserlike lights bursting from the bottom as they disappeared.

Laserlike? What type of laser? A beam directed at what? Sam questioned.

One of the joint chiefs answered, We are not quite sure. The eyewitness did not agree on the kind of light except that it was emitted from an endless crater through the Nile's floor.

Paxton continued, Sam, we need your direct involvement. Then he leaned back and added, Also, there is the issue of the plunged artifacts.

What artifacts? Sam stooped to hear clearly.

Ancient Egyptian, I've been told. A great mass of earth surfaced out of the water as the water returned. You will know all about it when you get there.

So I am going?

No, not just going. You will spearhead and coordinate the operation. Sam, you worked with all joint branches. Heck, you know everyone around the table and worked with their people. Listen, your research on laser technology will be indispensable for this mission. We need to find out the source of the unusual mayhem. We need to know what the Russians are up to, and if not the Russians, then who?

Sam took a few seconds to answer and straightened himself in his chair. Bill, you know my circumstances… He was about to enumerate when Paxton cut him off.

Sam, believe me, Evelyn will be with Charlene as needed. I myself will be watching over the case.

The eyes around the table pendulumed between Paxton and Sam with some curiosity; after all, no subordinate called Paxton by his short first name.

Paxton removed his eyeglasses and looked at Sam. We need you on this mission. This case is freaking out everybody in Washington. You know what I mean.

Sam sat back, unmoved for a few seconds, then leaned forward. When will we leave?

The whole room came back to life. Everyone straightened themselves in their chairs, the buzz started, and the operation's details were spilled out.

The ranking officers laid out the primary support resources. The air force chief went through the transportation plan. You will have a Gulfstream G550 in your command with no flight restrictions. Should be ready first thing in the morning as your teams assemble. Another C-20 will be available with the next deployment.

*****

When they finished sketching the details, Paxton took back the lead. Sam, go home. Talk to Charlene and the kids. By the time you get back, the coordinators will have finished their teams' assignments, and you will be able to work out the details with them. Next, he looked back and forth at us to see our