Torrent (34 page)

A heavy fist crunched into my jaw. My ears popped. My head flew backward and I sagged into the hull. The man reached down and picked me up by the shirt. I blinked a few times, clearing my blurry vision.

I heard more splashing noises. Twisting my head, I saw the first raft skirt across the rocky waves, regaining position behind me. The two gunmen rose to their knees and lifted their pistols.

I chopped at the man's neck. He let go of my shirt. I pushed him backward and ducked down.

Bullets careened into the man. He hovered for a moment. Then he slumped on top of me, his body riddled with holes.

I felt water splashing inside the canoe. The boat had held up remarkably well so far, but I knew it couldn't take much more.

The canoe trembled as the second man crossed into it. His arm snaked forward. He tried to steady a pistol.

I dipped behind the first man's corpse. Pushing with all my might, I thrust it toward the second man. The canoe shifted. The second man's eyes opened wide. He lost his balance and stumbled backward. I heard a soft yelp as he vanished into the rapids.

The canoe reeled to the left. Bloodcurdling screams erupted from the second raft as my boat ploughed into it. The raft veered out of control and collided with the rock wall. It flipped over, spilling its remaining occupant into the stormy waters.

One down. One to go.

Abruptly, the first raft shot out from behind my boat. It headed toward the right and then crept forward until I could almost touch it. Pistols swung in my direction, ready to fire.

I hoisted the corpse out of the hull. Shoved it into the water.

The two navigators widened their eyes. Thrusting their arms into the river, they desperately tried to redirect their raft. But they were too late. The raft smacked into the dead body and spun away from me.

I quickly retrieved my pistol. Lifting it, I took careful aim. The gun recoiled with a loud blast. A hissing noise sounded out. I took two more shots. Then the raft started to deflate.

The passengers screamed. The raft spun violently, pitching them into a whirlpool. I waited for the last one to disappear beneath the waves. Then I turned around and faced front. I was exhausted, but my adrenaline was pumping like crazy.

I was amazed to see my flashlight was still rolling around inside the hull. I retrieved it. The beam poured into the ancient cavern, marking the first time it had seen light in centuries. As if on cue, the current softened. My canoe slipped out of the rapids and entered a slightly calmer section of the river.

I closed my eyes and pictured my friends. I saw Beverly and Graham. Dr. Wu as well.

Another image thrust its way into my brain. I tried to ignore it, to shove it out of my mind. But Votan wasn't easy to forget.

The ground trembled. The canoe quaked. Chunks of rock slipped from the ceiling and splashed into the water.

The ground trembled again, this time a little fiercer. I realized the exploding georeactors had caused massive stress to the maze of caverns. Now, the caverns were starting to crack and crumble.

I kept a wary eye on the ceiling and did my best to navigate away from falling rocks. As I did so, memories of the rapids flashed through my mind.

I hadn't seen Votan in either raft. So, I couldn't be sure what had happened to him. But deep down, I knew he was alive.

An intense anger welled within me as I thought about the people he'd killed in the Maya Mountains. "We're not done," I vowed quietly. "We're not done by a long shot."

Chapter 123

Water pounded against rock. I tightened my jaw as I recognized the sound of yet another waterfall. It sounded bigger than the other ones put together.

The ground quivered again. Larger chunks of stone fell from the ceiling. Entire slabs of rock broke away from the walls and crumbled into the river. Above the din, I heard a soft scratching noise. It was accompanied by heavy breathing.

The breathing grew louder. It echoed in the massive chamber, bouncing off the walls. I turned my head, trying to get a fix on it. But the waterfall, coupled with the collapsing rocks, drowned it out.

I switched on my flashlight. Aimed it upward. The ceiling shuddered under my beam. I glanced at the walls. More slabs crumbled into the river. But there were no signs of life.

A tributary flowed into the river from my right, adding a massive amount of water. The river sped up considerably.

I raced further downstream and passed another tributary. More water poured into the main river. The canoe took off like a rocket.

About a hundred feet away, I saw the river pour into a giant underground lake. A rocky shore, soaked with water, rested a foot above the lake on the left side. Several passages led away from the shore, heading off to parts unknown.

The river continued past the lake and into darkness. I couldn't see where it went, but the sound of crashing water spoke volumes.

Paddling hard, I broke away from the river and into the lighter waters of the lake. Small sheets of rock dropped from the ceiling. They disintegrated in mid-air. Dust shot in all directions until it became difficult to see.

Rocks slammed into wood. Shifting my beam, I saw several ancient canoes lying on the shore. Broken bits of rock surrounded them. The canoes were in extremely poor shape. As I studied them I finally understood their purpose.

They were escape vehicles.

Hunahpu and Xbalanque had sealed off the crater. But they'd never intended to seal themselves off inside it. So, they'd built the canoes in order to transport themselves and their workers to the end of the waterway.

However, Hunahpu and Xbalanque had died before it was time to leave. So, their workers had taken their bodies, climbed into the canoes, and sank the ones they hadn't needed. Then they'd navigated the cave river, abandoned the canoes, and gone outside, sealing the path behind them. They'd proceeded to venture deep into the jungle before finally building the sarcophagus and burial chamber.

I paddled the canoe to shore and climbed out of the hull. The ground quaked as I set foot on it. Rocks fractured from the ceiling. They crashed into my canoe, nearly missing my head in the process.

I looked at the various tunnels, trying to decide which one led outside. I couldn't wait to taste the fresh air, to feel the breeze wafting against my skin. But first, I had to find the others.

I heard footsteps and spun around. My beam illuminated a shadowy figure limping out of a passage. "Dutch." I waved my hand. "Over here."

His head twisted toward me. Blood ran down his cheeks. His face looked heavily bruised and he appeared exhausted.

"Are you okay?" I frowned. "Where's everyone else?"

Abruptly, Graham lifted his chin. "Get out—"

Something slammed into his head. He shouted in pain and fell to his good knee.

My eyes flicked to the person behind him. My heart raced.

"Hello Cy," Votan called out. "Welcome back from the dead."

Chapter 124

I never saw it coming.

The giant mass leapt from above. It soared through the air like a missile and smashed into me. Bowled me over. Dust kicked into my eyes. Wretched pain rendered the rest of my senses nearly useless. I blinked a few times and looked up. The nagual was perched on top of me. Its bright green eyes studied my face. Its sharp claws dug deep into my stomach.

I saw Beverly start toward me. But a menacing look from Votan, coupled with a pistol swung in her direction, forced her to hold up.

The nagual lowered its head. Giant curved teeth grazed my skull. I thrashed to the side but it held me down with ease. I tried to lift my right arm but a heavy paw stopped me short. I lashed out with my left one. But the creature easily shook off the blow.

It reared up. Coiled its muscles.

I unsheathed my machete. Slashed it through the air. It sliced into the beast's thick hide. The animal froze as I pushed with all my might, twisting the blade into its flesh.

The nagual snarled and leapt backward. The blade stuck in its hide for a moment. I tried to hold on to it, but the abrupt movement caused the machete to clatter to the ledge.

As I gained my footing, the ground shivered. Small stalactites, which until now had resisted the tremors, started to break loose. They fell to the ground and shattered into millions of pieces.

The nagual's first blow had been slightly off-target. A few inches to the right and it would've crushed me under its meaty paws. I doubted it would make the same mistake again.

I grabbed my gun. My finger squeezed the trigger as I searched the shadows for the animal.

But it was gone.

Show yourself, damn it.

"Behind you," Beverly shouted.

I twisted around.

The nagual sprinted toward me. It moved so fast I could've sworn its body was shape-shifting.

Beverly shouted and ran forward. Votan aimed his pistol at her. But she didn't back down. She swung a few fists at him, driving him toward the fallen Graham.

Emboldened, Dr. Wu limped out of the darkness. He headed toward me.

I took careful aim at the creature. Then I squeezed the trigger.

The nagual jolted. Seconds later, it smashed into my side. I spun around and lost my grip on the gun.

Votan pushed Beverly, knocking her to the ground. Before she could recover, he bent down and shoved Graham. The water splashed as the old explorer fell into the lake. Quickly, Graham drifted away from shore and toward the fierce current.

The nagual was a blur of motion. But I caught glimpses of its horrible face, its head. I saw dark matted fur. Powerful limbs. A long sleek body. And teeth. Those horrible, bloodstained teeth.

I kicked out hard. My boot slammed into one of the beast's legs. It lost its balance and spilled to the side. I caught a quick glimpse of a crisscross pattern on its rear right heel pad.

A mid-sized stalactite splintered. It collapsed to the ground in a heap. Votan lost his balance and fell over. Beverly shot me a quick glance. Then she dove into the water. Using powerful strokes, she swam after Graham.

I scrambled away. But the nagual was up in a flash. It charged me. I rolled, barely avoiding its sharp claws.

I grabbed my pistol and took another shot. A bloody hole appeared in the beast's thick hide. But it refused to back down. Instead, it circled around me like some kind of demon, oblivious to its gaping wounds.

Votan backed into the passage from which he'd arrived. Then he pointed his gun in my general direction. His finger squeezed the trigger.

Dr. Wu froze. A look of disbelief came over his face as he toppled forward. He rolled onto his back, gasping for air. Horrific amounts of blood poured out of his side. Squirming, he tried desperately to breathe.

My stomach clenched and I ran toward him. But the creature slid between us. At the same time, Votan leveled his gun at me. However, he didn't take the shot and I realized he was letting the nagual do his dirty work.

It hurt to breathe. My ribs felt cracked, maybe even broken. I grabbed my pistol and backed away. Then I shot a quick glance toward the river. Beverly had reached Graham and was trying to revive him. However, the current was pushing them dangerously close to the waterfall.

Mid-sized stalactites started to fracture in large numbers. They crashed against the ground, causing mini shockwaves in the process. I was forced to keep one eye on them as I circled the beast.

The nagual paused. I could see its silhouette in the blackness. It looked tense, fierce, and angry.

I pointed my pistol at its face. "Let's do this, you son of a bitch."

It lowered its head.

My finger touched the trigger.

The beast raced toward me, moving at ferocious speed. I couldn't see its face or body. It was just a massive shadow, steamrolling in my direction.

I waited until the last possible second. Then I squeezed the trigger.

The bullet spiraled into the beast's body. I dove to the side. Claws swiped at me. I felt searing heat in my right leg.

I rolled and took a few breaths. My lungs felt like they were on fire.

As I stood up, I snuck a glance at Votan. He was still in the passage, aiming his gun at me. Twisting my neck, I saw Beverly and Graham. Graham had stirred. But he and Beverly were even closer to the waterfall.

A larger stalactite, the biggest one yet, crashed at my feet. I stumbled backward. The pistol shook violently in my hand.

The beast lurched. Then it spun around.

My blood pumped faster.

The beast took a step toward me.

Then another.

And then another.

Why won't you die?

Chapter 125

I inhaled again but my lungs couldn't get enough air. I circled around, moving close to Votan. But my eyes never left the nagual.

It charged again.

I holstered my pistol and grabbed my machete from the ground.

A small stalactite smashed behind me. Cursing softly, I looked up and saw more wavering rocks.

The nagual drew close. Saliva thickened in my mouth. My brain screamed at me to run. But I held my ground.

The nagual picked up speed.

I shifted the machete. Steeled my muscles and swung with all my might.

The blade cut into the creature's mouth, slicing it wide open. The nagual faltered for a brief moment. Then it sagged to the earth.

My legs felt wobbly as I stared at the dead creature. My fingers unclenched and my machete clattered to the ground. I thought about picking it up, but I could barely lift my muscles.

Move. You've got to move.

I spun around. Barreling toward the tunnel, I slammed into Votan. He grunted as I tackled him to the ground. His gun popped out of his hand and fell onto the ledge behind me.

He snapped a fist at my jaw. Stars exploded in my eyes as my head reeled to the side.

He gained his feet.

I did the same. My jaw was sore. My body hurt all over.

Looking over my shoulder, I saw Beverly and Graham swim away from the waterfall. I breathed easier, but only for a second. If I didn't defeat Votan, he'd shoot them before they reached land.