by Rai Aren
Rick looked up behind him. The men on the outer protective wall were all turned inwards facing their group, rifles still aimed directly at him.
He sighed, then turned back around, taking in more of the sights as they walked. Tall palm trees dotted the grounds, surrounded by shorter trees. Monkeys screeched overhead, watching the goings on below. Other men milled about, busy with work, seemingly unsurprised at the appearance of their guest. Rick surmised they had been waiting for him all along. He realized he had likely been set up from that very first meeting in the bar.
Rick turned back to Sergio for a moment. “Why lure me here?” he asked. “Why do something like this? I wasn’t going to hurt anyone.”
Sergio scoffed at his statement. “So you think.”
The two guards took up position closer to Rick, their faces hard, and their weapons half-raised, ready for trouble.
Rick took note of them, but pressed his line of questioning. He figured as long as he didn’t try to run they wouldn’t hurt him. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? I mean I just wanted to be a part of the history books, uncover an ancient mystery, be the one who finally succeeded where others failed. What’s the harm in that?”
“You are not wanted or welcome here,” Sergio said scowling.
Rick looked around. This was everything he had ever dreamed of finding. It was magnificent. At the very least, he could understand their people’s protectiveness around it. “Then why not just say that?”
Sergio stepped closer, keeping the gun pointed at Rick’s chest. “Because you white-skinned thrill-seekers never take no for an answer. I gave you plenty of opportunities to turn back, gave you all kinds of warnings, but you wouldn’t listen, you would not heed the warnings...to your own peril.” He glared at him with pure contempt. “You think you’re some kind of hero, so special. You are nothing here.”
Rick didn’t reply as he considered what Sergio said. He thought back on all of the ways Sergio had tried to dissuade him on this journey. He saw the pattern now. He hadn’t listened. He hadn’t wanted to.
Sergio lifted his chin, looking down his nose at Rick. “You look at the rest of us like we’re all just waiting around for your orders. To be your humble servants as we make it easy for you to pillage our homeland and take our treasures.” He laughed bitterly, his face full of scorn. “You are all like lemmings heading off a cliff when it comes to this city. So many of you are killed or simply disappear in your unbridled greed, and yet you keep coming back. You never learn. More pale-skinned moths to our golden flame.”
Rick shook his head. “All those expeditions to find the Lost City of...”
“This city, our city, has never been lost, you fool,” Sergio said, cutting him off.
Rick smiled ruefully. “And if you admitted that, people would never stop coming. They would only come in bigger and bigger groups...”
“And try to take what is rightfully ours.”
“The people who built this place...”
“Are our ancestors,” Sergio said. “We still follow the old religion. This is a place of worship, enlightenment, and transformation.”
Rick looked at him, his head cocked to the side in curiosity. “What do you mean by transformation?”
Sergio laughed, showing his uneven yellow teeth. “Some things we will keep a secret, Señor Rick.”
CHAPTER
9
Rick took a deep breath, and then glanced up at the huge pyramid structure, trying to guess what Sergio might be talking about. It sure didn’t sound like they were just protecting hordes of golden treasures. As he stared up at the temple atop the ancient pyramid of gold, his eyes became slightly unfocused and he noticed a strange tingling sensation going down his spine. He shivered in spite of the heat.
Sergio regarded him, taking note of his reactions.
Rick shook his head, closing his eyes for a moment. The tingling sensation slowly subsided. “Bizarre,” he whispered to himself. It reminded him of his experience in the crystal gorge. He swallowed hard. He looked to Sergio. He saw a flash of recognition in his eyes. He knew there was a lot he wasn’t telling him.
Sergio gave a knowing glance to the guards. They stood by silently.
Rick ran his fingers through his hair. It was full of dirt and bits of leaves. He shook his head. If he couldn’t get direct information, he considered, he’d press his luck and try an indirect approach. “So, your ancestors built this city, and your people have cared for it ever since?”
“Yes, our connection to the builders has remained an unbroken line. Our people come here to experience its unique...gifts.” Sergio paused, but decided to continue. “However, we realized that as the rest of the world modernized, we were in danger of losing our history and what belongs to us. We did not want to become victims to aggressors like so many before us, and lose this most precious place.”
The two guards nodded in agreement.
Sergio continued. “While the first world armed itself with ever greater technology and weapons, we knew we couldn’t keep up with that,” he said. He threw his shoulders back. “So we devised a different defense strategy. A shadow strategy.”
“You’ve been doing this for how long exactly?” Rick asked as he looked around. The area was obviously well-cared for.
Sergio smiled mischievously. “A very long time, longer than anyone knows. We allowed trespassers in once and let them leave to tell their tale. We were too trusting, too ignorant of the outside world. Ever since then, gringos such as you have kept coming back time and time again.” His expression darkened. “It’s a mistake we’ll never repeat.”
The men guarding him raised their weapons slightly.
Rick took note of their reaction, alarmed. “And do you usually tell them all the truth before you silence them?”
Sergio smirked. “Of course, that’s our favorite part. Seeing their smug faces fall as they realize they’ve been duped and outwitted. Right Eduardo, Manuel?”
The guards laughed roughly, gripping their guns.
“You’re not actually going to do this, are you?” Rick asked. “Sergio?” he prodded, his hands outstretched. Just then, he noticed another man approaching. He looked to be slightly older than the rest.
Sergio didn’t reply. He waited, standing at attention, for the older man to arrive.
The man reached them. Sergio and the guards all faced him. “Javier,” Sergio greeted him.
“Has he had any contact with anyone on the way here?” the man asked in a gruff tone.
Rick shrunk back. He didn’t like the sounds of this.
“None,” Sergio answered him.
“Good,” Javier answered. “Then, to business,” he said as he delivered a sidelong glare Rick’s way. He motioned the group to move out.
Sergio nodded, and grabbed Rick’s shirt collar, shoving him forward.
“So, what now?” Rick asked, trying to stand his ground, looking around him, and growing ever more nervous. He hadn’t noticed any non-Brazilians milling about anywhere.
Sergio didn’t answer. His face was stony. He avoided eye contact with Rick, and gave him another shove.
“You really just kill people you lure this far?” he asked as he started forward.
Sergio paused for a moment. “I’m afraid so,” he said.
Rick shook his head vigorously. This was making no sense. “I don’t get it, why not just kill me when we first headed into the jungle? Why go through all of this elaborate deception?”
“To learn about you,” Sergio answered simply.
“I don’t understand,” Rick said, his throat tightening. He shuffled his feet on the gravelly pathway and rubbed the back of his neck.
The other men glared at him and huffed. Rick suspected they had heard a variation of this conversation too many times.
Sergio indulged his question. “Every time one, or a group, of you fools works up the courage and bravado to search for this city, it’s because you’ve done some research, cooked up a plan, and
have convinced yourselves it can be done. We want to know what it is you’ve learned and then observe your tactics, what you bring along, hear your ideas.”
The others all nodded in agreement.
“That way,” Sergio continued, “we know how to combat you further, what to look and listen for, and what to do to throw you off the trail whenever possible. We have loyal people planted everywhere. People faithful to our cause of keeping our history, customs, and priceless treasures away from outside greedy, selfish hands.”
“It’s worked pretty well,” Rick said. “It’s incredible, that after all this time, so little is still known about this city, and those who have come in search of it. That’s quite the body count you have.”
“It’s a silent war we’re fighting. War always brings with it casualties. But when the cause is just,” Sergio said, tightening his fist and shaking it, “it’s worth fighting for.”
“Keep moving!” Javier ordered.
Eduardo gave him a hard shove and Rick obeyed.
As he walked, he let Sergio’s words sink in. “You know,” Rick said, hanging his head low as he shuffled along, “when I think back to how I got myself in this jam, I think my first clue should have been you telling me we didn’t need a bigger team for this expedition.” Rick shook his head and looked back up. “I really let myself be talked into doing something pretty stupid.”
“We like to keep it that way,” Sergio said, a sly smile crossing his face. “It wouldn’t have made a difference for you regardless of the size of your group. We try to involve as few people as possible to maintain a low profile, so if just one of you is idiotic enough to venture off with a stranger, then so be it, one of us goes with you. If there are ten of you, you will have ten of us.”
“Clever,” Rick said. “You’ve got it all figured out.”
“We do,” Sergio said. “We even keep an eye on your online discussion forums and blogs, to know when some of you will be headed this way, where you’ll be staying, and what you’ll be bringing with you. We also actively plant disinformation in all of those places, to keep you all off track a little.”
Rick whistled. He felt incredibly stupid and gullible. He thought back to that afternoon in the bar when he had first met Sergio. He had already had a few too many cervezas, and was probably talking too loud. He had hit the bartender up for information and, lo and behold, Sergio just happened to be there, exactly what Rick was looking for. Available. And he gave all the right answers, coming across so simple and unassuming. Rick had felt so cocky, like he had made it all happen by sheer force of his laser-sighted instincts for his treasure hunt. It had been too easy. He had considered himself a seasoned traveler and man of the world. No longer.
“So what does your wife think about your lifestyle and you leaving the kids to do such dangerous work?” Rick asked.
Sergio just scoffed at him.
“Right,” Rick said, feeling like even more of an idiot. “No family. More lies.”
The other men sneered at him.
Rick sighed. “I guess I deserve some of this. I’ve always been too careless.”
“You won’t be making that mistake again,” Sergio said. “As I said, we intend to keep our secrets.”
CHAPTER
10
“So,” Rick ventured, his desperation growing, “can we at least talk about this?”
The guards had now bound Rick’s hands behind his back with twine and marched him off towards a small wooden building near the far edge of the city. Javier had left them once they reached it and was confident Rick was secured.
The building was much rougher looking than the rest of the structures he had seen in the city. More of a shack really. It had no windows and the single door had a padlock on the outside. They stopped just outside the door. His heart thundered in his chest. ‘Was this where they did the deed?’ he wondered. Sweat trickled down his neck and back.
“Talk about what?” Sergio asked.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Rick replied, shifting his stance. “How about not killing me?”
Sergio regarded him for a moment, reveling in Rick’s fear. He took a deep sigh, drawing out the moment. “Well, we do keep prisoners from time to time,” Sergio replied. “Ones that will be of use to us here.”
Rick didn’t want to consider all the possibilities of what that statement meant. “I can do construction, repairs, cook a little...”
Sergio put his hand up.
Rick waited, biting his lip.
“You won’t get out of here alive, you know. Ever,” Sergio said, smirking. “Maybe you’d prefer a quick death. Work here won’t be easy, in fact it may be more than you can withstand over time. There will be no comforts of any kind.”
Rick managed a half-smile. “I’ll take that over an untimely demise any day.”
Sergio’s face was hard.
Rick’s smile faded. “So, do we have a deal?”
Sergio nodded to the guards. One of them opened the door to the shack. It smelled slightly foul inside. The other guard cut the twine that bound Rick’s hands and shoved him inside.
“Welcome to your new home, gringo,” Sergio said.
The door was slammed closed and locked.
* * *
The days in captivity were long. The guards would wake Rick up just before dawn each day. They’d bang on the door and leave him breakfast – some bread, usually stale, and fruit, such as mangoes and pineapple, and some kind of burned meat. He didn’t ever ask what it was. He was sure he didn’t want to know. Dinner was much the same, except the fruit was exchanged for some chuchu and cassava. Once in a while, he’d get lucky and have some pieces of yam on his plate. Those were the good days.
There wasn’t a bathroom inside the small, dark shack. Only a bucket that he had to take outside each morning and clean. It was disgusting to him. He tried to hold it overnight, but he wasn’t always successful.
The bed was a thin, dirty cot and they left him with a rough woolen blanket that had seen better days and probably many owners. No pillow. He had grown used to the myriad of kinks in his neck. The floor was bare dirt and he tried not to think about all of the insects that shared the space with him. His skin crawled whenever he did. At least the slivers of space in between the wood planks that made up the walls allowed him to see outside a little. It kept him from going crazy in the six hours they kept him cooped up alone each night.
They furnished him with a canteen of water each morning. Some days it tasted a little off. He suspected they were having some additional fun at his expense. At least he was able to refill it outside himself. They’d toss him some jerky and bread at lunch. Occasionally he had some watery soup. Needless to say, weight gain was no longer an issue for him.
Work was punishing and there were no days off, no R&R. They had him doing cleaning and repairs on all of the buildings and fences, plus the maintenance of the grounds. The area was huge. It was swimming upstream all the way to keep up with their relentless demands. Every night he went to sleep exhausted to the point of breaking.
* * *
One night they’d forgotten to lock the door to his shack. Rick noticed they had been behaving strangely all day. There were more whispers, more furtive glances, and a buzz of activity around the complex. He could feel a strange energy and tension permeating the very air, and all of the people. Even the jungle seemed hushed.
Not long after they threw him back in his shack, he heard even more voices than usual. He had also noticed for the first time since his captivity the sounds of female voices. It was a welcome change.
‘They must have had company arrive,’ Rick thought to himself. ‘I wonder what the special occasion is?’
At first he stayed quiet in his shack, eating his meager dinner on his cot. He placed the plate to the side of the door, then sat back down. He kept his ears trained. He sensed something different was happening. ‘Probably why they forgot to lock me in, they’re distracted,’ he thought. His heart beat faster and his mind raced at
the possibility. He wanted to make use of this chance. He may never get another. Rick decided he’d stay quiet, try to figure out what was happening, and if he thought the coast was clear, he’d try to make a run for it. He shook his head at the sheer madness of that thought. He was completely unprepared and without any kind of supplies. No compass, no food, no extra clothes, and no weapon of any kind. Nothing. He also knew how dangerous the jungle would be at night. ‘But,’ he thought, ‘what do I have to lose at this point? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.’
Rick waited and listened, peering out into the night through the small cracks in the walls. He could see the night was bright and clear. Exceptionally bright, in fact. The stars shone in front of their inky backdrop. At first he thought they must have some kind of artificial lighting set up, but then he noticed it. A huge, brilliant full moon shone overhead, casting its light over the city. From his vantage point, he could only see the very top of the golden pyramid, but he could tell something was going on up there.
He shifted his position on the dirt floor to get a better view. The temple was not only bathed in silvery moonlight, but it was glowing from below as well. He moved spots again, so he could see a little more of the temple. The people had lit tall torches around its base, giving the golden coating a striking shine. The combination gave the temple an otherworldly glow in the star-filled night.
Rick kept watching and listening, trying to determine when he could make a move. Then he heard it. Soft at first, then it grew louder. Chanting. Primal chanting. Something about it was compelling, mesmerizing. He looked around as best he could. He hadn’t seen nor heard anyone near his shack for some time. From the sounds of it, they were all occupied with whatever ritual was underway at the pyramid. This was his chance.
He stepped to the door. His hand shook a little as he reached for the rusted metal handle. He took a deep breath. He was perspiring in spite of the coolness of the night. He listened again. Still no signs of activity near him. He inched the door open and peered out. His heart thundered in his ears. He opened the door a little more, cringing as the old, warped wood creaked. He stood still as a statue for a moment. No response to the sound. He opened it enough to get his head out. He looked from side to side. There was no one around. The chanting grew louder. He made his decision. He ran.
