Torrent (12 page)

"They weren't exactly pops, but I heard horn noises."

"Me too," Dr. Wu said.

The rest of us concurred.

"I guess that explains the crash," Graham said. "Helicopters are Faraday cages, so they're constructed to block external electric fields. But the antennas could've acted as holes in the cage."

"Yes," Beverly said. "And …"

Her voice died off. A heavy box slipped from her hands and crashed into the marsh.

I gave her a questioning look. Her eyes were aimed at a point somewhere behind me.

I turned around. My tongue grew huge in my mouth. I tried to speak but was only able to sputter nonsense.

A massive stone structure loomed before me, engulfed by mist and dark clouds. Strange vines, sparse grass and thousands of plants covered its smooth surface, forming a mat that pulsated with the breeze. Its sides angled slightly inward as they rose high into the air, forming an exceptionally steep pyramid. However, they didn't end in a point. Instead, they stopped short, forming a base. A separate, elaborate structure sat on top of the base.

I searched my brain for a Maya temple with which to compare it. But it was like nothing I'd ever seen before. It looked taller than Tikal's Temple IV. It seemed steeper than even the steepest side of Uxmal's Pyramid of the Magician.

Hard raindrops pelted me as I took a few steps forward. The mist, thick and moist, clung to my skin. The odors of chemical foam, mud, and trampled plants swirled inside my nostrils.

The pyramid was a remarkable piece of architecture. And yet, it gave me an eerie feeling. It seemed almost alive. But this wasn't a life I could celebrate. This life felt brutal, vicious.

Evil.

Chapter 36

"Put it down," Dr. Wu glared at Emily. "It's not going anywhere."

The crate suddenly felt heavy in my arms. I stifled a yawn as my initial adrenaline rush started to fade.

"What's the problem?" Emily asked.

"You're my problem. You and everyone else here. You shouldn't be working. You need bandages, medicine, and rest."

Beverly grunted as she flung a pair of duffel bags over her shoulder. "We can't leave these things here." She slogged through the marsh. "We might not find them again."

He opened his mouth to reply. But a scream, loud and high-pitched, cut him off.

Emily swiveled toward the camp. "What was that?"

Miranda swallowed. "It sounded like Rigoberta."

Bags fell to the marsh. Crates and boxes dropped, splashing lightly into the water. Then our entire group ran toward the camp.

Another pained scream sounded out. It pierced my chest and passed all the way to my heart.

I reached the edge of the marsh. Quickly, I clambered to hard ground, raced around the tractor, and entered the camp.

I saw twelve tents. I recognized one of them—a large dome-shaped tent—from the previous excavation. It possessed multiple openings and housed tables, equipment, tools, crates and other supplies. A second large tent, rectangular-shaped, was zippered shut.

Ten smaller tents of varying sizes were situated around the larger ones. I heard rustling sounds coming from two of them. I ran to the nearest one and quickly unzipped the flap.

"Help me," Rigoberta moaned. "My head … it's on fire."

Rain fell at a rapid clip. Thick mist was everywhere. But I still saw her. She looked awful. Her face was pale. Her nostrils looked swollen. Vomit dribbled from the corners of her mouth and dripped down her cheeks, staining her sleeping bag.

Dr. Wu pushed past me. Kneeling down, he opened a leather bag.

"What do you need?" I asked.

"Better medicine."

"What's wrong with her?"

He grabbed a vial and a needle. "I don't know."

As I left the tent, I saw the others gathered around a second tent. Alonzo lay next to it. His head shifted rapidly back and forth. His body trembled fiercely and I wondered how long he'd been sitting out in the rain.

Twisting my head, I looked for Yohl Ik’nal. But the little Chihuahua was nowhere to be seen.

"What should we do?" Miranda whispered. "He looks terrible."

"Nothing," Emily replied. "Let the doc do his job."

Miranda gawked for a second longer. Then she straightened up and walked to the dome tent. The others moved forward and took a peek before following after her.

After they'd left, I moved to the tent and took a quick look at Pacho. His symptoms matched those of Rigoberta.

"Come on, Alonzo." I stepped away from the tent. "Let's get you out of the rain."

He stood up and looked over both shoulders. He barked a few times. Then he dashed toward the dome tent.

I followed after him. On the way, I noticed a fire pit. A lean-to had been constructed to shield it from the rain. The pit looked like it hadn't gotten much use as of late.

As I entered the dome tent, I saw more supplies including tarps, blankets, sleeping bags, dried food, bottled water, and a myriad collection of saws, axes, and hammers.

Graham looked at Miranda. "How long have they been here again?"

"Two weeks."

"And when was the last time you heard from them?"

"Forty-eight hours ago."

"Did they mention any health problems?"

She shook her head.

"What are we going to do?" Dora asked.

"That's up to Dr. Wu," Emily said.

"What if they need a hospital?" Dora waved her hand at the chopper. "We can't exactly fly them out of here."

"Don't worry. I lined up a rescue crew in the event something went wrong. If Rigoberta and Pacho need outside help, we'll get it for them."

"How far away is the crew?" Renau asked. "Can they get here within twenty-four hours?"

"Maybe. Maybe not." Emily brushed her hair back. "We're in the middle of nowhere, miles from the nearest city. You can't expect immediate service."

A stiff wind appeared out of nowhere as they continued to argue. It howled at my ears and ripped at the tent, threatening to yank it out of the ground.

I looked outside. Lightning flashed across the sky. It lit up the pyramid. The light blinked out a second later, but the image was burned into my mind.

The escalating argument faded from my ears. I didn't care about my aches or pains. I can't care about the damaged helicopter. I didn't even care about the mysterious disease. I only cared about one thing.

The strange closed-off canyon had allowed the pyramid to remain hidden for over a thousand years. But that period of isolation was now at an end. It was time to enter the pyramid. To find the library.

To discover its secrets.

Chapter 37

"I'm not going to sugarcoat this," Emily said. "We're in a tough spot. But we'll get through it if we work together."

The rest of us, still gathered inside the dome tent, hushed up.

Her neck was bruised. Her face was flushed and sweat dripped down her forehead. Like the rest of us, she was wrapped in gauze and heavily bandaged.

It was early evening. Several hours had passed since the crash. We'd helped the doc turn the rectangular tent into a clinic. Then we'd resituated Rigoberta and Pacho inside it. While the doc made them comfortable, we'd retrieved our gear from the marsh. Afterward, he'd examined us in turn.

"First things first," Emily said. "Exercise caution while you're here. Don't take unnecessary risks. Stay away from the jungle. Report any and all injuries to Dr. Wu as soon as possible."

Several heads bobbed.

"Rigoberta and Pacho should be treated as if carrying communicable diseases. It's just a precaution. But please wear respirators and latex gloves when visiting them."

Beverly raised her hand. "Did you call the rescue crew?"

"That won't be necessary. Dr. Wu believes they caught the flu or maybe a flu-like illness. They should be fine in a few days."

"Isn't it better to be safe than sorry?" Graham asked.

"As you know, secrecy is essential to our success. If the world finds out about this place, reporters, bureaucrats, and looters like Votan will swarm it. That's why no one—not even the rescue crew—knows our exact location. I intend to keep it that way unless absolutely necessary." Emily took a breath. "Okay, onto other things. Has anyone seen Yohl Ik’nal? The doc says Rigoberta has been asking for her."

I looked around. I didn't see her, but I noticed Alonzo. He lay inside the dome, facing the southeast entrance. Every now and then, he'd lift his head and bark at the jungle.

"I haven't seen her," Renau said. "Then again, I haven't been looking."

"The crash must've scared her." Tum looked thoughtful. "She probably ducked into the jungle."

"Please keep an eye out for her." Emily glanced toward the pyramid. "Locating and excavating the library remains our primary objective. Cy, you're the point man. Miranda, you and your team will provide support. As we've discussed, you'll also focus on analyzing the site and prepping it for a full-fledged excavation."

Emily moved onto other topics such as foodstuffs and collecting rainwater. Then she adjourned the impromptu meeting.

My body felt exhausted, but I wasn't tired. So, I set out across the marsh. My heart pounded with every step I took.

Slowly, the pyramid grew larger. The mysterious roof comb vanished into the mist, even as the lower walls became increasingly visible.

I heard splashing. Twisting around, I saw Beverly, Graham, Tum, Miranda, and the Maneros plodding after me. I waited for them to catch up. Then we marched in silence toward the giant pyramid.

As I got closer, I marveled at its daunting scale. It was wide. Steep too. Enormous blocks of weathered stone comprised it. Mounds of plant life covered them. A breeze passed through the canyon and the foliage shifted gently, like a dark emerald cloak.

It was an ancient, majestic structure. Yet, it brimmed with evil. It was the type of building where one expected to find demons and ghouls. The type of building that inspired fear in even the bravest of souls.

Squelching noises sounded out as Beverly split away from our group. Without hesitation, she headed toward the west wall.

I kept my gaze locked on the pyramid. It was so tall, yet so steep. How was it built? Where had its materials come from?

I walked to the southwest corner and aimed my flashlight beam at the edge as it rose into the sky. The mist obscured my view. But the south and west walls appeared to meet in a perfectly straight line.

I walked along the west wall, passing behind Beverly in the process. Then I took a fleeting glimpse at the camp. The dim light and heavy mist made it difficult to see.

I turned at the northwest corner and the camp vanished behind the pyramid. An uneasy feeling stirred in the pit of my stomach. For a brief moment, I felt completely alone in the strange canyon.

I stopped halfway down the north wall. My eyes wandered up the steep limestone surface. Numerous minerals were embedded into the individual blocks, giving them a speckled appearance.

A branch snapped. Grabbing my pistol, I spun around and stared at the northern jungle. I didn't see anything. But I sensed various animals hiding in the shadows, watching me.

With my back to the pyramid, I eased my way around the northeast corner. I checked a few stones on the east wall and saw more speckling.

As I walked toward the southeast corner, Graham rounded it from the opposite direction. "Pretty amazing, huh?"

I nodded.

He gave me a wily grin. "How do you feel about climbing it?"

I cocked my head.

"There's a staircase back there." He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. "It leads to the top."

Chapter 38

My heartbeat quickened as I followed Graham to the south wall. It looked similar to the other three walls. Large limestone blocks, cut into perfect rectangles, were stacked high into the air. Strange vegetation covered them. Looking closer, I noticed traces of speckling on the individual stones.

For the most part, the blocks were set close together. This resulted in pyramid steps that only jutted out a few inches. A single stairway, twenty feet wide, rose up the south wall. Tangled vines and other plants twisted across the steps, forming an intricate weave of foliage.

Miranda, Tum, and the Maneros stood at the bottom of the staircase. Tum's attention was fixed on the jungle. Miranda peered at the pyramid with a cold, clinical eye. The Maneros also stared at the pyramid, albeit in far more reverential fashion.

"The ancient Mayas sure knew how to build things," Renau said quietly.

"I wonder if Hunahpu built it from scratch." Graham said. "Or if he added to a building that was already here."

Rain fell faster. Deafening wind swept over the area. The available moonlight, already dim, shrank to near nothingness.

"Either one is possible," Dora replied. "But personally, I'm betting on the latter. Our work indicates the Mayas repurposed the gold plate from the sarcophagus, as well as the ones for their library, from an earlier civilization. We believe that civilization lived in this canyon prior to Hunahpu's arrival."

"Agreed," Renau added. "And if Xbalanque was willing to repurpose gold plates, it stands to reason Hunahpu might've done the same thing with Proto-Maya buildings."

"The civilization that lived here might not have been Proto-Maya," Graham said. "There's plenty of evidence suggesting other cultures braved the oceans before Columbus."

"Lies. A bunch of racist lies." Renau breathed through his nose like a dragon. "It's been a long day. I need some sleep."

My jaw dropped as he and Dora walked back to camp. It took me a minute to find my tongue. "What was that about?"

Tum sighed. "The Maneros take their heritage very seriously."

"I don't understand."

"In other words, they don't take kindly to the idea of pre-Columbian contact between the Old and New Worlds."

"It's just a theory," Graham said.

"Let me put it this way. Ancient and massive pyramids exist here and in Egypt. So, lots of people wonder if the Egyptians sailed across the oceans and taught the Mayas how to build them. However, no one ever considers the reverse. No one ever wonders if the Mayas sailed across the ocean and taught building skills to the Egyptians."