by S. E. Akers
I can’t put my finger on it, I pondered dazedly as I walked past two stone vessels. A blazing light caught my eye that forced me to look back. The damn things were now lit, raging with fire all on their own, and not a soul holding a smoldering match to be found.
Yeah… Definitely “off”!
To my surprise, the ball courts turned out to be just that — large fields surrounded by pictorial reliefs carved into sweeping rock panels where circular stone hoops hung sideways from the walls. Kind of like horizontal basketball. Who knew the Mesoamerican ancients had game? I eyed the carved stone panels as I walked the length of the green grassy field. The figures depicted weren’t human-like at all. Supernatural creatures that exhibited parts of animals (serpents mostly and a few vicious looking birds) inundated the graphic and barbaric reliefs. It was evident from their theme that the natives participated in a lot of human sacrifice. “Decapitation” seemed to be their pick of poisons. Talk about “winning motivation”. Lose a game — lose your head. Now there’s a REAL reason to strike!
A towering, ladder-clad pole erected near the entrance to the museum caught my eye. I’d arrived just in time to find a five-person, costumed troop called Voladores, standing on a small platform atop the soaring pole. While one of the men filled the air with the melodic sounds of a flute and banged on a drum, the other four of the Voladores flung themselves off its top, strapped to the tip of the pole with thick braids of rope, and commenced with a death-defying aerial dance as they gracefully swung around and descended to the ground. A guide announced that this custom was a traditional fertility ritual the local Tontonacs believed would bring harmony between the natural and spiritual worlds. It was gripping to watch. They looked to be a good eighty-feet up with no net in site. Dangerously dazzling, I thought. It reminded me of the first time I saw a trapeze act — in Huntington, on another class field trip over ten years ago. Katie was with me then, sitting right beside me and on the edge of her seat, but she wasn’t with me now. She couldn’t even see it if she were here. Despite the troop’s impressive spectacle, I turned to weave my way out of the suffocating crowd. The only thing that could make my emotions any worse right now was an out of the blue hormone-surge. Thank goodness it was nowhere close to my freakin’ period!
Tanner knew what I was in for today, I grumbled. Why didn’t he give me an amethyst!?!
I spotted Coach Hayes standing amongst the spectators. I ducked my head down so he wouldn’t see me. The last thing I needed was a snide crack coming out of his mouth. A familiar sound prompted a smile.
He really needs to reset that ring tone. I couldn’t resist peeking at the surly coach. However, by the look on his face and the way he hoofed towards the museum, I questioned if the rolling and repellant gassy sound had actually come from his cell phone.
I hope Mike didn’t use too much. A nauseating chill shook my shoulders as I thought about the guys’ laxative prank. I am sooo not touching that!
Parched and well on my way to a sweat-fest, I snagged a disappointingly warm Coca-Cola Light from one of the vendors. She claimed it was Diet Coke, but it tasted way too sweet to me. Some ice would’ve hit the spot, but the cosmos had already slated a crappy day for me. Why break the flow?
I spied Coach Hayes as he exited the bathroom, only to tighten his muscles before he made a hasty u-turn back inside. I shook my head sympathetically as I downed my last swig of soda. I knew it… They used too much.
I toured the air-conditioned museum for a spell, where numerous weathered fragments of the ancient city’s cultural artifacts were on display — sculptures, more reliefs, battered columns, daily items, and even a few dug up bones. The man-made model of the expansive complex struck a chord. Sadly, it reminded me of an HO scale train layout I’d help Daddy build years ago. I shook my head. Charlotte had forced him to get rid of it when she needed more room in the attic. I sighed. He loved that thing too.
Just as I was about to check my watch, Anna and Ethan flagged me down.
“Hey… Did you hear about Coach Hayes?” Anna asked.
I dusted off my innocent eyes and shook my head.
“He got really sick all of a sudden,” Anna said with a quiver. “Everywhere… The bus driver took him to find a hospital.”
“Really?” I replied, playing dumb. WAY too much. I tried shaking the mental image. No luck.
“Yeah,” Ethan confirmed with a stout grimace. “It must have been something he ate.”
Or drank, I thought confidently. “How are we getting back to Veracruz?” I asked.
“The driver showed us where we can catch a bus,” Ethan replied as he pointed towards a stand with a green awning near the entrance. “There are two busses headed to Veracruz. One of them leaves in ten minutes. We’ve been trying to round everyone up, but there’s no reception here. We can’t send out a text.”
“We found Heath and Tammy. They’re already on board,” Anna said.
“Yeah, in the back and steaming up the windows,” Ethan laughed.
Anna confirmed his remark with a quick shake of her head. “Have you seen Mike or Kara?” she asked. “We haven’t been able to find them.”
“I’ll see if I can track them down,” I insisted, knowing I was better suited for a speedy search. “I’ll make sure they’re on the next one headed back to Veracruz.” With precious seconds ticking away, Ethan and Anna went their way and I went mine, in search of the rest of our crew. Luckily I didn’t have to look too hard. I spotted Mike standing in front of one of the first buildings I came upon. He turned around as soon as he heard me calling his name.
“If it isn’t my keeper. What’s up?” Mike asked.
“Tell me?” I began to ask with a scolding glare, “Did you even read the directions on the bottle or did you just dump it in?”
“What?” Mike asked.
“Our bus driver had to take Coach Hayes to find a hospital,” I replied flatly.
Mike grimaced. “Shit… Is he going to be okay?”
You’re worried about that NOW? “I hope so. I’m sure he’ll feel better after he’s hydrated thoroughly and all that crap is out of him…literally.”
“It was just a little laxative,” Mike insisted. I sharpened my glare. “My bad?” Mike posed, showing only a miniscule amount of remorse.
I threw up my hand. “Save it. Where’s Kara?” I asked.
“I don’t know. Probably still at that last field, bitching because I won’t let her come with me tonight. Why? Are you missing your buddy?”
“No. But someone needs to tell her that we have to take a bus back to Veracruz.”
“What?” Mike shouted.
“There’s a couple out front.” I checked my watch. “One of them leaves in seven minutes.”
Mike pointed to a row of buildings. “Check that back field,” he urged as he started to leave.
I grabbed his arm. “Wait. Aren’t you going to help me look for her?”
“She’s not making me miss that bus. Malachi invited me to have dinner on his yacht this evening.”
What a gentleman was my first thought. My second prompted me to blurt out, “Is Tan— Professor Grey going to be there?”
“I don’t know?” Mike remarked and then grinned. “I’m starting to think Kara may not have been exaggerating. Do you want me to tell him that you said hello?”
“Don’t be cute. I just don’t think it’s a good idea to meet with Malachi alone…especially if Olaf is there.”
“Why’s that?” Mike posed, clearly offended.
“You know good ’n well why, truth-seeker. Nothing good can come from it.”
“Jeez, Shi! Enough already! You don’t have a dog in this hunt,” Mike yelled back as he checked his watch and then ran off.
I glared at the stubborn jock until my eyestrain forced a blink. I dug my foot into the ground and whirled around in the opposite direction to track down Kara. Selfish jerk!
To save time, I summoned the golden veil from my topaz and hightailed it to the back ball
field. It wasn’t crowded at all, so I spotted her red hair immediately. She was kneeling beside one of the buildings, tying her shoe. Just as I started to retract my spell, five men appeared from out of nowhere and surrounded her. My gut planted my Reeboks right where they were. Two of them jerked Kara to her feet while another tied a gag around her mouth and threw a sack over her head. They dragged her kicking and flailing towards the jungle.
WHAT THE HECK?
A man stepped out of the brush and waved the men over. My mouth fell open, stunned and panicked. I would know that creepy painted and pierced bastard anywhere. Valisco, I noted confidently, and I knew instantly what was going on. They had tracked the scent from last night, and it led them straight to Kara. That was the only logical thing it could be.
This is BAD…
Invisibly, I raced across the field and followed them into the jungle. I cussed the entire way (mostly at myself). Within a few minutes, they had stopped in a small clearing and threw her on the ground. Valisco ripped the sack off her head swiftly and loosened her gag. Kara pushed him away from her and cried out for them to “leave her alone”. The men slowly stepped back and turned their heads. I followed their gaze. Oh no! I already knew what was going to happen before the crazy cat prowled out of the brush.
Just like in my vision.
The closer the jaguar inched towards Kara, the more she screamed. She tried to run, but when the supernatural cat laid his paw on the ground, the earth around Kara’s limbs humped up and wrapped around her like arms, pinning her helplessly. The jaguar sniffed around her while she lay there trembling. When finished, the supernatural creature shifted into the shape of a man, the same man in the black cloak from the other night. Kara’s eyes about bugged out of her head. Mine twitched a little too, but after seeing Lorelei, nothing was going to top that freak-show.
“This is her,” the man growled to Valisco as he knelt to stroke Kara’s face.
“What do you want?” Kara cried.
“You have something of mine,” he revealed.
“N—No… No, I don’t,” Kara quivered and shook her head, trying not to look into his swirling blue-green eyes.
He turned her head towards him. “Oooh, but I think you do,” he crooned and placed his hand on her chest. Kara let out a shriek. “Something that’s hiding deep inside you.”
I clutched my own chest automatically. Oh no. My worst fears were confirmed. Something did happen last night, something more than me getting knocked into a wall by some magical light. I couldn’t pinpoint anything specific, but I knew.
The leader pulled Kara’s gag back up to her mouth. “Come, Valisco,” he said with a snap of his fingers. Kara wrestled her hands out of their earthy restraints and tried to run, but his thugs grabbed her before she could get away and threw her back on the ground. Valisco pulled out the same skull-topped crooked staff from the other night as he approached her. Absolutely petrified, Kara closed her eyes and trembled while he waved it over every inch of her body.
“He’s not in there,” Valisco announced aloud, seeming confused.
“WHAT?” the leader raged. “He has to be in there. This is the girl from last night. CHECK AGAIN!”
“No, it is not,” Valisco charged as he rose to his feet. “You question my magic?”
“You question MY POWERS?” the leader piped back forcefully. “It is HER SCENT!” the man yelled.
Valisco grabbed Kara’s arm and sliced into her skin with his sharp, pointy black nails. She didn’t even have time to flinch. He gave her limb a hard, long squeeze until the blood dripped down onto the ground. Valisco shoved her away and started rubbing his hands in the dirt, mixing it with her blood. He scooped it up and held it in front of the leader.
“See for yourself. This is NOT the blood of a supernatural. She is human,” Valisco stated doubtlessly. The leader lowered himself to the ground and ran his fingers through the bloody earth. He confirmed Valisco’s assertion with a horrendous growl. He shot up and began pacing in a fit of rage.
“I WANT THAT GIRL!” the leader roared and turned to Valisco. “I don’t care how. I don’t care if you have to tear down the gates of Hell to summon enough dark magic, BUT I WANT HER FOUND AND BROUGHT TO ME!”
Valisco nodded towards Kara. “And this one?” he asked.
“Kill her,” the leader instructed, like he had asked him to squash a pesky, insignificant bug.
“NO!” Kara mumbled through her gag, shaking her head fiercely. Valisco knelt down beside Kara and pulled out a long, saw-toothed machete. The sight of it was paralyzing, especially for Kara. His made the one in Ms. Lá Léo’s shop look like a butter knife. He circled her face with the tips of his gruesome nails and rubbed them back and forth across her neck.
“Yours will be an adequate addition to my collection,” Valisco snarled as reached into a satchel that stretched across his hip. He pulled out a strung up clump of wrinkled, pygmy-looking gray heads and dangled them in her face. “Don’t you think?” he cackled. Kara screamed loud enough for the both of us. And that was through her gag.
I couldn’t afford to blow my cover with an all-out supernatural diamond wand attack. They still hadn’t seen me, so my identity was safe, but I had to do something. My mind raced for anything that would draw their attention, something foolproof to get as many of them away from her as I could. Quickly, I rattled the bushes around me. Valisco lowered his long knife and pointed to one of the men.
“Go see what that is,” Valisco ordered. He watched patiently while the man disappeared into the brush, headed my way. I reached into my purse and wrapped my hands around my hilt. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
The thug edged towards me, spear drawn and ready to strike. One quick slice was all it took. He didn’t even have time to scream. The only sound he made was when his head hit the ground.
“Arandi,” Valisco yelled. “What did you find?”
I retracted my blade and peeked through the brush. They stepped away from Kara curiously, headed towards the bushes, but that was as far as they came.
“Arandi?” the leader yelled. “ANSWER!”
Valisco motioned for two of the others to check on him, but the leader halted them with an adamant, “No! Kill her first, then go.” I had to give it to him. He was smart.
This should do it. With a puckered mouth I snatched up Arandi’s head and drop kicked it over the bushes to them. Gross. It got their attention, but it ruined my new shoes. They couldn’t have looked any more stunned. The leader ordered Valisco to stay with Kara and had the other men follow him into the brush. I hurried around to the other side of the clearing, closest to Kara. With Valisco watching for any movement in the jungle, I sent Kara a quick message.
Run away from here…as fast as you can! NOW!
Kara tried, but Valisco grabbed her arm before she could get away. He wrestled her to the ground and tilted back her head. “Where do you think you are going?” he roared. With a sadistic and blood-thirsty glare, he arched the blade high over her head.
Without a second to loose, I rushed over and snatched the knife out of his hands. As soon as Valisco whirled his head around, I swung the machete towards him. It stopped in mid-swing, just shy of hitting him. I could feel an aura of mystical energy that had halted my blow. I tried two more swings, but the blade wouldn’t move any closer.
Valisco jumped back and belted out a wicked laugh. “Whoever is there, you should know, my blade has been spelled. It won’t allow anyone to even so much as scratch my skin.”
Witches, I grunted as I stared at the useless weapon, noting there wasn’t a speck of diamond-dust to be found. I flipped the machete in the air and grabbed hold of it by its blade. Valisco was still laughing so I swung its metal handle like a major-league batter into the side of his hideous face. I actually felt the rattling crush of his gruesome jaw.
That works, too! With him cowering on the ground several yards away, I pulled Kara to her feet and pushed her into the jungle. Though she didn’t need any
incentive to run, I did have to give her a couple of taps in the right direction. I tried not to nudge her too much. Every time I did, she just called more attention to us by screaming her head off. We hit the wide-open ball field with the sound of the jaguar’s ferocious growl on our heels. Kara panicked and darted into one of the buildings. Not the “best” plan. I followed her inside swiftly. A couple of bad turns later, we found ourselves trapped in a dark, dead-end chamber.
The jaguar’s roar echoed throughout the ancient building. He was closing in on us, fast. Helpless and scared, Kara dropped to her knees crying. My golden aura illuminated a large stone slab that looked like some sort of primitive door. One good shove was all it needed. Unfortunately, that did nothing for Kara’s already frazzled nerves.
Step one, I thought regretfully over her rolling scream. Now, step two. I quickly placed my hand on the stone slab and recited the same words I did in the Drive-In with Ty, but this time I added Bea’s trustworthy snap. It did the trick. Within an instant, a subtle shimmery light enveloped the walls of the room. Good thing Kara couldn’t see it. The band of thugs had already figured out where we were and started pounding on the stone door. Kara’s tearful cries softened into pleading wails as she slid down the wall. I felt horrible seeing her like this. They finally gave up after what seemed like an endless amount of attempts. I’m sure that “suspected-Talisman” number-one and “witch doctor” number-two had already figured out they couldn’t get in.
