Torrent (13 page)

"That's because the most famous Egyptian pyramids predate their Maya counterparts by centuries," I said. "Even millennia in some cases."

"Maybe so. But think about it from their point of view. It's as if the Mayas were too dumb to learn anything on their own. Instead, they sat around like brainless savages, waiting for the Egyptians or the Chinese or aliens from outer space to teach them the basics of civilization."

"But what if the people that lived in this canyon really did come from somewhere else? Maybe the Maneros find that offensive, but that doesn't mean it's incorrect."

"I don't disagree with you. Then again, that sort of thing doesn't bother me." Tum glanced at Miranda. "I'm tired. I think I'll get some sleep too."

As he trailed after the Maneros, the rain began to fall even faster. I looked at Graham. He shrugged.

Gingerly, I placed my left boot on the first step. A few wet vines squished under my heel.

Miranda clucked her tongue in disapproval. "You realize you're potentially damaging history right now, don't you?"

I felt a twinge of guilt. The pyramid had stood untouched for hundreds of years. And yet, I was stomping all over it like it was no big deal.

I turned around. "I don't have a choice."

"There's always a choice. Every time you touch that pyramid, we lose a little bit of knowledge."

"How am I supposed to find the library without touching anything?"

She gave me a haughty look. Then she spun around and began the long walk back to camp.

Taking a deep breath, I lifted my left foot out of the marsh. I placed it on the next step, squishing more vines.

Slowly, I ascended the staircase with Graham at my heels. My boots touched each step, crushing dozens of plants in the process. My initial guilt began to fade. A rising sense of exhilaration replaced it.

At the top of the steps, I saw the entrance to a small summit shrine. A stone table rested in the middle of it. Intricate murals covered the walls and ceiling.

I aimed my flashlight around the shrine. The murals were painted as frescos. They reminded me of the brilliant artwork at Bonampak's Temple of the Murals. However, the colors in front of me—blue, red, purple, green, yellow, sepia, and mauve—were far more vivid.

I turned to the west. A giant mural took up the entire wall. It showed a war party, outfitted with knifes, spears, and bows and arrows. They were marching away from a group of cheering villagers, en route to dark mountains in the distance.

I moved to the north mural. It depicted a horrific battle in a dark, grassy clearing dotted with small buildings. The Maya warriors were shown as tall, brave, and triumphant. Their opponents were shorter, devious, and possessed unusually elongated heads.

Turning east, I saw another mural. It featured a giant fire. Maya warriors appeared to be throwing prisoners into the flames.

I cast my beam at the ceiling mural. The background looked similar to that depicted in the north mural. The clearing was unchanged and the tiny buildings remained in place. However, the colors were lighter and livelier. A ramp led from the edge of the jungle to an unfinished pyramid. I saw workers, blocks of stone, and little things that looked like ancient cranes.

"I guess that settles it," Graham said. "The Mayas marched here. They fought a battle and sacrificed the prisoners. Then they built this pyramid."

My gaze lingered on the ceiling. "That's odd."

"What's odd?"

"It looks like they used a ramp to build the pyramid. But that doesn't make sense."

"Why not?"

"Look how long it is. It's almost to the jungle. Now, look at the pyramid. It's only about a quarter of the way to completion."

"Hunahpu must've steepened the ramp."

"It couldn't be too steep or the workers wouldn't have been able to drag the blocks up it." I frowned. "There's no way around it. As the pyramid got taller, the ramp would've had to be lengthened considerably. I'm not sure it could've fit inside this canyon. Plus, there are no signs of it anywhere. Where'd it go?"

"I don't know about the last part. But maybe he switched to a spiraling ramp. One that circled around the pyramid."

"It's possible. But it would've caused an engineering problem."

"How so?"

"The pyramid gets skinnier with height. A spiraling ramp would've been forced inward. Eventually, it would've completely covered the pyramid's lower half. Without a constant view, Hunahpu wouldn't have been able to build the top half with any kind of accuracy. And yet the pyramid's edges are remarkably straight."

I shifted my gaze to the canyon walls depicted at the very top of the ceiling mural. "I wonder how the Mayas got here. Remember what Emily said? The canyon is sealed off. There's no way in, no way out."

"Maybe they climbed down the walls."

"I saw them before the crash. They looked pretty steep to me."

We drifted off into silence. Graham returned to the murals. Meanwhile, I exited the shrine and carefully descended a few steps.

Mist and dark clouds engulfed the elaborate roof comb above the summit shrine. I could just make out a giant stone mosaic. It depicted a strange creature with four legs, a long body, and ferocious jaws. For the most part, it looked like a cross between a jaguar and a scaly reptile. But its facial features appeared almost human.

I decided it was a
nagual
, or shape shifter. The Classic Maya, like many Mesoamerican communities, had believed certain people could transform into animals while asleep. Some of those animals were nice.

Others not so much.

I squinted at the nagual. Shadows of varying darkness covered every inch of it. But I could still see its unblinking eyes.

A shudder ran through me. Its eyes looked hollow, yet sparkled with an almost electric energy. They stared straight ahead, at some point in the distance.

Yet, they seemed to stare through me as well.

Chapter 39

Beverly looked up as I completed my fourth circle of the pyramid. "What's wrong?"

"Just trying to figure something out." I glanced at her. "What are you doing?"

She knelt next to the west wall. Her hands were poised above a large stone block. "I'm trying to identify this material."

The Maya had used all sorts of materials to build their cities. Limestone was particularly common thanks to its prevalence throughout the Yucatán Peninsula as well as the surrounding areas.

"It's sedimentary limestone."

She gently brushed some flakes of mud from the block. "I know. But if you look closely, you'll see traces of other minerals and metals embedded inside each block."

"I noticed that. Is it unusual?"

"Not really. But I'm going to take some samples anyway."

Beverly had packed a substantial amount of equipment in her luggage. I was completely clueless on how to use most of it. "Sounds good."

She stared at me for a long moment. "I'm glad we came here."

I arched an eyebrow. "You know we're stranded in an inescapable canyon, right?"

"It's better than Manhattan."

"That's your opinion."

"What happened to you anyway?" She shook her head. "Before Votan, you would've given anything to be on this expedition."

I didn't reply.

"Are you sure you aren't feeling guilty over those deaths?"

"I'm sure."

"Are you scared?"

"Not exactly."

Her gaze narrowed. "Explain."

A few long seconds passed. "When I saw those two people die, I thought it was you and Dutch. The two of you had been standing right near them." I exhaled. "If the shooter had shifted a fraction of an inch, you wouldn't be here today."

She was quiet.

"It used to be different. Back when I started treasure hunting, I didn't have to worry about anyone else. Now, I do."

"I can handle Votan."

"Agreed. You're the toughest person I know, bar none. But that only matters if you get a chance to fight. Those two workers died within seconds of the first gunshots. They never had a chance to defend themselves."

Her face softened.

"I realized something that day," I continued. "Treasure hunters die. Sometimes the tombs get us. Sometimes it's the authorities or people like Votan. Regardless, it's fate. The only way to avoid it is to get out altogether."

I didn't know what else to say. So, I took a step back and studied the entire wall. A sudden surge of shock passed through me. "I can't believe it."

She blinked as if lost in thought. "Can't believe what?"

"Do you notice anything unusual about this building?"

"It's an undiscovered pyramid in the middle of a sealed-off canyon. Everything about it is unusual."

"I've looked at every inch of it," I said. "I've examined the walls and the summit shrine. But there's one thing I haven't found yet."

"And what's that?"

"An entrance."

Chapter 40

"Where's the satphone?" Miranda lowered her voice. "I'd like to hang on to it in case something happens."

"In … in my tent." Pacho's mouth quivered when he spoke. "Largest bag."

"Thank you."

Miranda started to stand up. But a weak hand gripped her wrist. "I know what you did."

"Excuse me?"

Pacho's cheeks looked flushed. His eyes were unfocused. "I know about the apparatuses."

Miranda's heart raced. He was delirious. That was the only possible explanation. Wasn't it?

She glanced at Dr. Wu. He knelt over the now-sleeping Rigoberta. "What about them?" she whispered softly.

"I know what you did. I know everything."

She gritted her teeth. "Did you tell anyone back home about this?"

"Not … yet. Wanted to …"

Pacho's mouth quivered for a few more seconds. Then it went still. His eyes slid shut. His cheeks began to contract and expand at a slow pace.

"I think it's time I got some sleep." Miranda turned to Dr. Wu. "Thanks for looking after them."

The doc flashed her a tired smile. "No problem."

Miranda pulled off her respirator and ducked outside the clinic. A soft rain splashed onto her face. She pulled her hood over her head and started to walk through camp.

Soft snores sounded out from all directions. Apparently, the others had finally gone to sleep. Even Alonzo, who'd been restlessly barking for the last hour, was quiet.

She stopped in front of Pacho's tent. The man had been acting strangely for months. He no longer worked closely with her. Instead, he kept his distance. His manner, once warm and inviting, had grown increasingly cold.

She looked around to make sure no one was watching. Then she unzipped the flap and crawled inside his tent. A single sleeping bag lay on the floor. Duffel bags were piled high next to it.

She grabbed the largest duffel bag and opened it wide. It contained numerous sets of clothes. She quickly sorted through them. At the bottom of the bag, she found the satphone. She took it and zipped up the bag.

She hesitated for a moment. Then she opened another bag. It was stuffed with stapled papers. Her heart pounded as she studied the documents.

She opened another duffel bag and searched it. Then she opened a third bag. Each bag was similar to the last one.

After a few minutes, she zipped up the bags and restacked them. She'd dreaded this day with all her heart. And now, it had finally come.

As she exited his tent, her heart pounded uncontrollably against her chest. She knew what Pacho had discovered. Fortunately, he'd never get the chance to take it public. Good thing too. His discovery wouldn't just ruin her.

It would ruin everything.

Chapter 41

I wrenched my back off the sleeping bag. Perked my ears and listened hard. Through the heavy rain, I heard a soft bark.

My brain felt foggy. But I figured it was Yohl Ik’nal, finally making her way back to camp.

I tried to fall back asleep. But the barking grew louder, more strident. Finally, I sat up again. Allowed my eyes to adjust to the darkness. The tent was small but waterproof. A mesh window rested just above the flap. Two sleeping bags took up most of the floor. My duffel bag and satchel, along with Beverly's equipment, took up the rest.

I looked at Beverly. Despite the humid air, she was curled up in her sleeping bag. Streaks of dried mud lined her cheeks. Over a dozen bandages covered her usually perfect skin.

I crawled to the flap and opened it. A steady shower fell over the campsite. The marsh looked increasingly like a quagmire. I'd been in the canyon for less than a day and I was already sick of the rain.

Beverly stirred. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I said. "I'm just going to get some fresh air."

Her eyes opened. "I'm coming with you."

"I'll be fine."

"I get it. You're trying to protect me. Well, stop."

I blinked.

"We're in this together, Cy." She climbed out of the bag. "Wherever you go, I go."

The barking increased in volume. It sounded a little too deep throated to be coming from Yohl Ik’nal.

I put on my boots and grabbed my machete and pistol. Then Beverly and I slipped outside. Ferocious rain pounded my head and shoulders. The odors of damp grass and mud invaded my nostrils. Mist was everywhere, coating everything with a fine layer of bluish whiteness.

To the southeast, I saw Alonzo. He stood in the rain, just inside the area encompassed by our camp. He barked loudly at the jungle.

"What's the matter, boy?" Beverly asked.

He barked louder and took a hesitant step forward. Then he retreated a few steps and barked louder still.

I aimed my flashlight beam at him. He was hobbling a bit. Cuts and puncture marks adorning his trembling body. Trickles of blood oozed out of the wounds, staining his fur.

"What's wrong?" Graham stumbled out of his tent and limped toward us. "I heard barking."

"Something attacked Alonzo," I replied.

His jaw tightened.

Aiming my beam at the ground, I saw paw prints, roughly six inches in diameter. Five pointed toes surrounded each roundish heel pad.