Laura 02 The God Code

by Anton Swanepoel

  ***

  “Morning sleepy head.” Laura sits at the end of the bed, grinning widely at Victor.

  She is already fully clothed and is snacking on a banana.

  “What time is it?” Victor sits upright and looks at the food on the bed.

  “It is just after seven, Pepe brought us breakfast.”

  “Good, I am starving.” Victor pulls the food tray closer. There are two bowls of fruit salad, in addition to a plate containing slices of cold meat, cheese and two chicken wraps. A pot of tea is standing on the table.

  “So what are we doing today?” Laura asks as she sits down next to Victor, taking a chicken wrap.

  “I am going to show you the ruins, and then a spectacular view from the mountain. However, first we need to get new clothes in the market.”

  Laura lies down on her stomach and snuggles up to Victor. Looking up at him, she puts her chin on her hands then comments, “My own personal tour guide, awesome.” With that, she jumps up, kisses him and makes her way to the door.

  “See you outside, I want to enjoy the view.”

  Victor quickly eats a wrap, then gets dressed, his clothes still damp. He takes the bag with the items he took off Sally and takes out the pistol and knife. Victor places the items in the backpack with the money he dug up in Cayman, then swings the backpack over his shoulder. He will get rid of the other backpack with the wallets and his jacket when he gets to town. Victor closes the door as he exits the villa. Searching for Laura, he finds her wandering down one of the paths, admiring nature.

  “First time in the mountains?” Victor stops beside Laura as he speaks. Looking up, Laura smiles at him. Her face is glowing with excitement and happiness.

  “This is such a beautiful place, and so peaceful. I love it here; can we stay a few days?”

  “It would be best not to stay too long in one place, unless it is among people we trust, and since the scrolls will remain here, it is best if no one knows we were here.”

  Laura makes a sad face at his comment, and then excitedly replies, “Are we going to see Jose?”

  Victor laughs and gives her a nod. Laura must be eager by now to see a familiar face. Laura jumps forward and hugs Victor, then steps back confused, asking, “What happened to your clothes, they’re damp?”

  “Went out last night and hid the scrolls. Today we will just have some fun.”

  “Awesome, let’s go shopping before you catch a cold.” Laura grabs Victor by the hand and pulls him down the path towards town, while softly singing. She knows that it is best that she does not know where Victor hid the scrolls. Being a town built for tourists, with many hikers passing through to climb the Inca trail, they have no problem kitting themselves out with full hiking gear, including a small day backpack and lightweight waterproof ski jacket each. Victor then takes Laura to the craft market where he hands her some money while commenting, “Have fun Laura, I am going to get our bus tickets.”

  Laura looks at the money Victor gave her, and then hugs him tightly before turning around without a word and walking away.

  Laura wants to thank Victor, but she does not want him to see the tears forming in her eyes. Victor senses something is amiss, and watches Laura as she stops at a jewelry stall and inspects necklaces and armbands while he buys snacks and water for them. Satisfied she is okay he heads across the road to buy the bus tickets. As he passes a rubbish bin, he quickly dumps the backpack containing Sally and Norman’s wallets into the bin. His shot up jacket he will dump in another rubbish bin later.

  Victor does not know that Laura’s last boyfriend was an insecure control freak, who did not allow her to even spend her own money. She had to get his approval for everything she wanted, and then he would purchase it, using her money. Laura tried to leave him, but he would beat her, always on the body, never in the face as he was afraid of Laura’s roommate Susan, and her string of guy friends. Once he threatened to kill Laura when she tried to call the police. After two months of constant beating, Laura one night in tears told her friend about the beatings. Susan calmly picked up the phone and invited Laura’s boyfriend to dinner the next evening. When he showed up, he was greeted by six of Susan’s biker friends, who took him away for a chat, gently persuading him that Laura was not the girl for him, in addition to teaching him some respect towards women.

  Laura later learned that her ex woke up in hospital having spent two weeks in a coma. He left town as soon as he was discharged, failing to notice he was being watched.

  Three months later he took out his anger on his new girlfriend, giving her a broken nose and three cracked ribs, causing her to be admitted to the local hospital for the night. While she was recovering, Laura’s ex was picked up by six familiar faces, never to be seen again.

  Laura watches as Victor walks across the road to a ticket office selling bus tickets from the town to the ruins. Victor said it is a two hour hike or half an hour bus ride up the mountain to the entrance to the ruins. Laura holds the money tightly against her heart. Victor has no idea how much so small an act of trust means to her.

  She turns and wipes the tears of joy from her cheeks, then starts shopping, bubbling with joy and excitement. Laura finds a pair of pink handmade lama hair socks and a matching jersey she likes. She also gets a striped light blue jersey for Victor. Happily Laura moves from booth to booth as she waits for Victor, getting herself a bracelet, sunglasses and a hat. Victor finds her at a booth selling books, reading up on the ruins.

  “I hope you know you are going to carry what you buy.” Laura looks up into Victor’s grinning face, inches from hers.

  “Not if it is for you,” she excitedly replies, proudly holding out the jersey she bought for him.

  Victor slowly takes the jersey from her, his face expressionless.

  “I can exchange it if you don’t like it,” Laura quickly says, seeing his reaction.

  Victor puts his free hand on her shoulder and looks her directly in her eyes before replying, “It has been a long time since anyone has given me anything, and even longer when it was done with love, thank you Laura.”

  “Thank you for giving me my own money and letting me buy my own stuff,” Laura replies, fighting to hold back the tears.

  For a moment neither moves, looking into each other’s eyes, then they embrace, holding each other tightly. They stand motionless for a few minutes, before Victor pulls back slightly and looks again into Laura’s eyes as he speaks. “You ready to see the ruins?”

  Laura nods her head yes, her eyes sparkling with love. Holding each other by the waist, they walk towards the bus stop. They stand only a short while in queue before finding a spot on one of the busses.

  In the distance, a train announces its arrival with short bursts of its whistle. Among the tourists is a backpacker with a worn-out backpack, out to kill Laura and Victor.

  ***

  The road to the ruins leads down the mountain from the town, and crosses the river by means of an old steel bridge. The bridge sways and bounces as the bus passes over, scaring Laura. Following an old narrow dirt switchback road, carved out of the side of the mountain, they make their way to the ruins, passing a few hikers who chose to hike rather than use the bus.

  Suddenly a bus rounds the turn in front of them and comes straight at them, then pulls to the side.

  Laura grabs Victor’s arm and digs her nails in as their bus speeds on without slowing down, passing the other bus while running on the edge of the road. The two busses almost touch, and Laura holds her breath as she looks down and sees one of the double back wheels hanging freely over the edge, a 200 foot drop beneath them. Just as they pass by the bus and Laura starts to relax, another bus approaches from the front, and the whole process is repeated. After the second nerve-racking bus pass, Laura starts to relax and enjoy the beauty of the road, surrounded by green lush forest. When they pass a small waterfall, Laura excitedly looks on as birds take a bath on the rocks where the waterfall forms a pool next to the road before running into a channel a
nd pipe under the road. Soon they arrive at the entrance to the ruins, and the bus driver drops them off next to the Sanctuary Lodge, the only hotel built on the ruin grounds. Laura and Victor join the queue to enter the ruins, where Victor shows their tickets and hands their passports to the security officer who scans them, then stamps their tickets. After passing through the security checkpoint, which reminds Laura of airport customs control, they head past eagerly waiting guides, all willing to show them the ruins for a few dollars.

  The path leads uphill and around the mountainside, temporarily blocking the view to the ruins, yet offers a stunning view of the town below, including the river snaking between the mountains.

  Laura stops and enjoys the view, not knowing that the early morning sunlight reflecting off her long red hair makes it look like her hair is on fire. Victor stands a few feet back, admiring her. Standing there, Laura looks so innocent and beautiful.

  Victor quickly takes his cell phone out and snaps a picture of her, before walking up to her.

  “Let’s go see the ruins.”

  Laura quickly turns to Victor, giving him a kiss on the left cheek before replying, “Thank you, yes, let’s go.” Laura energetically walks away, bubbling with excitement. One of her childhood dreams just came true, seeing Machu Picchu.

  Laura and Victor spend two hours walking all around the ruins. Although Victor had once been there, Laura knows all about the objects and their locations from all the books she read while working at the library. She quickly leads Victor to all the spots she wants to see, where on a few occasions they find other tourists with their guides. On three occasions Laura gets so frustrated by the guides giving false information about the objects, just to try to impress the people, hoping to get more tips, that Laura cuts them short and gives the actual story and meaning behind the objects and what is known about them. Soon Laura and Victor make a few new friends and have a small group following them all over the ruins, with Laura answering questions and happily telling people all she knows about the ruins. Laura’s knowledge about the ruins, and the ease with which she takes control of the group impresses Victor immensely. She is magnetic, and a natural center stage person, loving the attention.

  When the time comes for the group to catch their bus back to make their train, a few people cry in sadness at leaving, repeatedly hugging Laura.

  “Wow, that was so cool, there are so many friendly people here,” Laura comments as the last person walks away.

  Just then a helicopter flies over them and then hovers a while a short distance away from them, before continuing to make circles over the ruins and then head off towards the town below.

  “I didn’t know they have helicopters here.”

  “Jup, if you have the money. There is a helipad at the end of the town below. It is used to bring in emergency services or evacuate an injured tourist. However, it is also used for rich people that can afford to be flown in, not wanting to take the bus. They will stay the night at the Sanctuary Lodge, and do a tour over the ruins early tomorrow morning before being dropped off on a grass patch close to the guard house. The guests will then tour the ruins by foot until done, where they will then return to the helicopter, to be taken back to Cusco.

  “By the way, if you think the ruins are cool, wait till you see the view from the mountain.”

  “Mountain, what mountain?” Laura asks uncertainly.

  “That one there, Mountain Machu Picchu.” Victor points to a large mountain across the ruins as he speaks, then continues. “Come, we have only an hour left to check in. The gates close at 11, and it is roughly a two-hour climb to the top.”

  Laura hesitates, and then looking down, softly replies. “Uhmm…I don’t think I can do it, I’m afraid of heights.”

  Victor slowly walks back, then with his right index finger under Laura’s chin, slowly lifts her head up until he can look into her eyes.

  “One step at a time, and I will be with you all the way. The view from the top is magnificent.”

  “I don’t think I am ready to face that fear.”

  Smiling, Victor replies, “If we always wait until we are ready to do something, we will never do anything, and we will always be afraid to live life. Even if you go only half way up, it is farther than doing nothing.”

  Laura thinks for a moment, and then replies, “I can turn around any time I want?”

  “Any time you want.”

  “Okay, I will try, but if I get scared, you promise not to laugh at me?”

  “Well, umm, I will try not to, how’s that?” Victor replies, trying to make an innocent face, then takes Laura’s hand and pulls her towards the path leading to the entry gate to the mountain before Laura can reply. As they walk away, a man leaning against one of the stone houses picks up his old worn out backpack. He has been watching them from a distance for some time, waiting for the right moment to kill them.

  The path to Mountain Machu Picchu is located near the exit of the ruins, close to where Victor and Laura are. They follow a small path along some terraces until they come to a second path branching off to the right, up the mountain. Just as they start climbing the steps up the path, Victor glances down the path they just came from. There are a few visitors coming up the path, but one causes Victor to pause a moment.

  The man has short cut blond hair and is of average build, carrying an old worn out backpack. Victor had seen the man once or twice before earlier in the lower ruins. There is something about the man that bothers Victor, but he cannot place it.

  Visitors walk all over the ruins, it may be coincidence that the man is also intending on climbing the mountain. Victor waits for the man to reach the split in the paths to see if the man takes the same path he and Laura are on, but the man does not, electing to continue on the main path towards the Sun Gate, without giving them a second glance. Victor does not recognize the man as the same one he saw trying to get to the trains without a train ticket because the man had cut his hair short with clippers, dyed his hair and shaved his mustache, then used color contacts to change the color of his eyes.

  “You coming?” Laura asks, excited to try and climb the mountain.

  “Yes, you seem in a hurry,” Victor replies as he turns, giving Laura a wink, then indicates that she can lead. The path leads through some growth, with places totally covered with foliage. After 10 minutes of climbing, they arrive at a gate, where a sign states that it is the entrance to Mountain Machu Picchu and that all visitors must have an electronic entry ticket and must sign in. Victor and Laura greet the two security guards and show them their entry tickets. One guard stamps their tickets, while Laura and Victor sign the entry book. After taking their tickets back from the guard, they start the rest of the climb.

  The main mountain is far higher than the more popular Hayana Picchu, in addition to being more dangerous and harder to climb. However, the view from the top is absolutely breathtaking, worth the climb. Victor smiles. Laura will love the view. Besides, the scrolls are safe, why not have some fun?

  Five minutes after they passed through the entry gate, a man with an old worn out backpack reaches the gate.

  “Good morning sir, may I have your ticket?”

  Nikolai Novikov hands his ticket over, sizing the two guards up.

  “I am sorry sir; only visitors with a valid entry permit can climb the mountain.”

  “What do you mean? I have an entry ticket for the ruins.”

  “Yes sir, however you need an additional add-on ticket to climb the mountain. Only 250 visitors are allowed to climb the mountain each day.”

  “So where can I buy a ticket?” Nikolai is getting annoyed. It is the second time not having an entry ticket has stopped him from completing his mission. He eyes up the guards, he can kill them both easily and then follow Victor and Laura. However, many of the early morning visitors are making their way down the mountain, signing out. Nikolai decides that the risk of getting caught is too high as it will create extra complications for him to exit the ruins. The Peruvian g
overnment has many police and guards all around Peru, especially Machu Picchu, to protect their most valuable income, tourists.

  “You can buy a ticket in the town below. However, the gate closes in 25 minutes for starting the climb up. You can come back tomorrow,” one of the guards says as he hands back the ticket.

  “How long is the climb up?” Nikolai asks as he grudgingly takes his ticket.

  “For many it is about one and a half hour to two hours up and about the same down.”

  “Thank you,” Nikolai says as he turns and walks away. Nikolai had quickly scanned the entry book as other tourists signed out and seen the false names Victor and Laura signed in with. He now knows how long they will take to return, giving him the opportunity to plan an ambush. Nikolai suddenly stops and turns to look up the mountain, then comments to himself, “Very clever Victor, hiding the scrolls at the top of the mountain with only a few people climbing it a day, and being access controlled, perfect.”

  Nikolai has followed Victor and Laura from just after they entered the ruins, and he never saw them hiding the scrolls. Victor will probably hide the scrolls on the mountain.

  “Enjoy your climb Victor, it is the last thing you will do,” Nikolai comments beneath his breath as he resumes making his way back to the exit point of the ruins and the busses. Victor and Laura have to take a bus back to get to the train station, and the exit from the ruins is in perfect view of the restaurant, allowing Nikolai to sit at his leisure while he waits for them. Nikolai is known for not giving up, and being ruthless in his tactics when needed. He originally thought of using his silenced pistol to kill the two, however with all the tourists around, he would need to do it from a distance. He smiles as the weight of the fold up sniper rifle he has in his backpack shifts. He almost left it behind in his hotel room, now he is glad he did not.

  ***

  Laura and Victor are slowly making their way up the mountain.

  The path opens up soon after leaving the checkin gate, and is made up of three feet wide stone steps. Multiple small rocks form the steps, with no railings on any part of the path. On many places, the path has a sheer drop off as it snakes along the side of the mountain, and Laura has to push herself not to stop. She is climbing on all fours up the mountain, partly from fear and partly from the steepness of the path. Twice she glances to her side, looking down at the sheer drop, and both times her heart almost stops dead, causing her to focus only on the steps in front of her. Laura’s body is shaking, cold perspiration from fear drips down her face, yet she refuses to give up. Her determination is partly due to Victor’s calm warm hand on her shoulder each time she stops, and her stubbornness. Both give her courage not to give up and hug the mountain, refusing to move on.