The Crypt Trilogy Bundle

by Bill Thompson

  Suddenly she jumped up and began to beat Mark’s chest with her fists. “Leave us alone!”

  Hailey pulled her away. “Alison, stop. This isn’t helping anything. Paul’s all we’ve got.”

  “Maybe it’s all you’ve got,” she said in a whisper Hailey didn’t hear.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  The next morning everyone rose as usual and Hailey immediately noticed Alison’s empty bed.

  “Hey, guys. Did anybody see Alison this morning?”

  No one had, but by the time breakfast came around, the mystery was solved.

  The hostages were sitting around the campfire as Rolando came out of his shack. This time he had company. Alison emerged behind him, her head bowed so she wouldn’t have to face the others. She was nude.

  “Good morning, everyone,” Rolando said heartily. “I want to show you my new toy!” He snapped at Alison, “Turn around and show them everything you have. Men, this is quite a treat. Maybe when this is all over I’ll share my new plaything with all of you!”

  She turned slowly around, covering her eyes with her hands so she wouldn’t have to face them.

  “Go back inside, mi gatita.” My kitten. “Although you have made me very tired already, I can use more of what you have!” His words were laced with sarcasm; on his face was a cruel smile. She walked back to his hut while he casually poured a cup of coffee.

  Ted said, “What’re you doing to her?”

  “I’m doing nothing except taking what she offered. She came voluntarily, you know. She is my sex toy now. She has given herself to me in exchange for freedom.” He burst out in laughter. “What some people will do – eh? Pardon me now. I have to go back to bed for a while. She will do anything when she’s desperate. Anything at all! Sorry I can’t stay and visit. My imagination’s already working!”

  Halfway back to his hut, he stopped and turned. “I almost forgot. Two more ransoms arrived while we slept. Thanks to you, Gavin and Dick, I’m an even more wealthy man!” He roared with laughter.

  Last night around midnight Alison had made a decision. Careful not to wake anyone for fear of being dissuaded, she walked to the sentry outside the entrance and pointed to Rolando’s shack. He smiled and took her there.

  El jefe va a ser feliz esta noche, the guard had thought to himself. The boss will be happy tonight.

  Alison made a deal, trading her body to the rebel in exchange for a guarantee of freedom even if her ransom weren’t paid. She had no hope left. In desperation she chose to trust a man who had no conscience, no morals, no sense of decency. A man who couldn’t be trusted.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  Paul’s only goal was freeing the hostages. The Spences, Gavin, Dick and Mark were safe in theory, because their ransoms had been paid. Everything depended on whether Rolando would keep a promise he’d already broken.

  Maybe Alison was safe for now as well. Paul had no idea if she had a plan or if she had given herself to Rolando out of sheer desperation. As long as Rolando wanted her as his toy, it made sense he’d keep her around.

  The Mexican guide, Julio, was also okay. Rolando didn’t put him in the ransom pool at all, apparently because he was a native.

  That left three whose futures were far less certain: Ted, Bart and Hailey. Paul picked Hailey to remove first. As a young female, she was most at risk.

  Paul thought about how Rolando could have learned two more ransoms were paid “while you slept,” as he had put it. He must have left someone back at the town with a shortwave radio, a man who could check a bank account and advise Rolando.

  The guards left Hailey alone. Now that Alison was being paraded around naked, they lost interest in the other female because she still had her clothes on. Despite Rolando’s orders to watch everyone, when Hailey walked away to use the toilet, no one gave her a glance.

  As Hailey peed near the cave entrance, she heard a rustling sound and stifled a scream. Paul stepped out of the bushes three feet from her and put a finger over his lips. She zipped her shorts and whispered, “Where have you been?”

  He whispered and then he slipped back into the jungle.

  The alarm on Hailey’s watch vibrated at 12:55 a.m. Careful not to wake anyone, she tiptoed to the front of the cave. Soon she heard a dull clang and looked out. The guard was walking away across the campsite, just as Paul had promised. She sneaked around to where she’d seen Paul earlier. He was waiting and they slipped away to Piedras Negras.

  At exactly one o’clock Paul had tipped over a barrel next to the cook tent. It made enough noise that both the perimeter guard and the sentry at the cave entrance went to investigate. They’d find nothing, of course, and chalk it up to some animal’s nocturnal curiosity. They both returned to their posts, unaware that the first captive had been freed.

  It was late morning when one of the guards decided to count the hostages. Then the proverbial caca hit the fan.

  Paul was watching as the captives were pushed roughly into the center of camp. Rolando came out of his shack, a naked Alison stumbling along behind him. He dragged her by a rope tied around her neck. He spoke to his men – pistols were drawn and rifles raised. He pushed Alison to the ground, where she cowered like a beaten dog.

  “You have made a very bad decision, amigos. Where is Hailey?”

  Mark replied, “No one knows. She disappeared sometime last night. She didn’t tell us anything –”

  “Really?” Rolando interrupted harshly. “You expect me to believe an intelligent female like Hailey just decided to run away and take her chances out here in the jungle alone, unarmed and miles from civilization? I’ll ask you one last time. Where. Is. She?”

  Dick said evenly, “We really don’t know. When we woke up, her bed was empty.”

  Rolando was livid. His eyes blazed and he screamed, “Perhaps this will help you remember where Hailey is.” He pulled hard on the rope and jerked Alison to her feet. Then he hit her hard in the stomach with his fist. She screamed, doubled over in pain and fell to the ground, vomiting.

  Several of the men started towards Rolando, but the armed guards stepped in front of their leader.

  “For God’s sake, stop!” Mary Spence yelled. “We can’t tell you what we don’t know. She’s gone. We don’t know any more about it than you do, but please don’t hurt Alison any more. Haven’t you done enough?”

  “My dear Mrs. Spence –” he laughed cruelly “– I have hardly begun. I’m going to sacrifice her if you don’t tell me where Hailey went. Do you understand this word sacrifice? I’m going to gut her while she’s still alive, and all of you are going to watch her die. I’ll give you some time to think about where Hailey is. Not long, though. You’d better start remembering. Shouldn’t they, Alison?” He laughed at the pitiful girl.

  Rolando told them he’d gotten two more ransom payments. Now there were seven. His hard words were uttered with a cold smile. “I was pleased to get money from Win Phillips’s family. Isn’t that hilarious? They paid money to ransom a dead man!” He laughed exuberantly and then snapped instructions to his men. He told the guards to watch every hostage carefully. From now on, none could be alone. He dropped Alison’s rope and left her curled in a fetal position, sobbing in pain.

  “I don’t want this bitch anymore. She’s no fun. Tomorrow I’ll kill her.”

  As Rolando walked off, Doc Spence gently turned Alison over, removed the noose from around her neck, and examined her stomach. He went to the cave to get a painkiller, a guard following behind him.

  “Hey, asshole,” Dick yelled.

  Rolando turned sharply. “Are you talking to me?”

  “I don’t see any other assholes. Who else’s ransom was paid?”

  “Oh, my mistake. It was Alison’s. Another hostage who dies tomorrow even though her family came through. Oh well, such is life! And hey, asshole … I’m going to kill you tomorrow as well. Enjoy the hours you have left.”

  “Don’t … don’t let … him … kill me,” Alison wailed, heaving gasps of b
reath between her words. It was painful to inhale after the brutal punch to her midsection. The others tried to calm her fear, but no one had any idea what to do. Only Paul could save them now.

  Mark leaned in close to Alison and whispered, “Did you tell Rolando about Paul?”

  Alison shook her head. “But I am now. Paul rescued Hailey, didn’t he? DIDN’T HE? I’m not going to let Rolando kill me. I’ll tell him everything if he’ll let me live.”

  “None of us knows where Hailey is, Alison. I have no idea if Paul rescued her. If he did, that’s the first rescue – maybe we’re all next. Regardless of what you tell that monster, it won’t change his plans for us. Let’s work on helping Paul instead of losing the only chance we have. Not a one of us is going to make it out of here alive if Rolando kills Paul. So please … I beg you … please don’t betray Paul. All of our lives depend on that secret.”

  Paul listened to it all. He wasn’t surprised about Rolando’s outburst. He also knew the sadist would kill Alison – and Dick too – to make a point. He wasn’t bluffing and he was a psychopath. The entire group was in mortal danger and there was very little time left.

  Paul also heard what Mark said to Alison. He was disappointed the archaeologist had decided to tell them he was nearby. He wasn’t mad – Mark was the most levelheaded one in the bunch. If he’d felt compelled to reveal the secret, then there must have been a good reason. It did make things much more difficult, though. Especially if Alison revealed the secret to Rolando.

  He had to move quickly.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  As they walked to Piedras Negras last night, he’d told Hailey what had happened the past couple of days. He spent the first night in one of the archaeology shacks from ten years ago, but the next day he found a cave he’d read about. Shortly they were standing at the rim of the pit themselves.

  “Be careful. We have to go down about twenty feet on a path. Just hang on to the branches that stick out of the side of the sinkhole and you’ll be fine.”

  The rocky pathway was nearly four feet wide. It was simple during the day, but tonight it was a challenge. Paul pointed out each handhold as they carefully descended. The cavern wasn’t visible from the surface; if Paul hadn’t known from Isaiah Taylor’s journal to look for it, he’d never have found it. It was the perfect hiding place; even if they built a fire, it couldn’t be seen from above.

  Paul pointed out the packs of supplies, glanced at his watch and said, “It’s nearly two. I have to get some sleep so I can be back at the camp tomorrow. There’s no telling what Rolando’s going to do when he finds out you’re gone, but I have to get the others out. Feel free to use whatever you want from the supplies I brought.”

  “Who are you? What part of your oil business training taught you how to rescue hostages?”

  “Actually, the military did that. I was part of a search-and-rescue team for a while.” More lies.

  Hailey had escaped with nothing but the clothes she was wearing. Paul offered her a T-shirt and a pair of shorts. “They may be a little big, but if you want fresh clothes, go for it.” She appreciated the gesture but hesitated to take some of the few clothes he must have with him.

  “I’m okay. I’ve slept in my clothes for a week. I guess I can do it again!”

  Paul took blankets from one of the packs and spread them on the floor. “It isn’t home, but it’ll do,” he quipped. They lay three feet apart. Dead tired from the stress, both were asleep in seconds. It was the first full night’s rest Hailey had gotten since the ordeal began.

  Safe, she thought as she fell asleep. Safe at last.

  She awoke refreshed around seven, heard him snoring, and went outside to use the bathroom. When she came back, she saw him rummaging through the supplies.

  “Coffee,” he muttered groggily. “Can you grab some wood out there?”

  She collected some sticks and helped build a fire. Ten minutes later a metal army-issue canteen was functioning as a pan to heat water. Soon they had instant coffee. He tossed her a granola bar and said, “Eggs Benedict for milady.”

  She laughed and nibbled on it as he pulled a shirt and a pair of shorts from his pack.

  “Time for a change,” he said. “I think four days in the same clothes is enough, don’t you?”

  “Absolutely. I’ll wash ours while you’re gone.”

  “That would be great. Okay, here goes. Modesty’s not one of my virtues, so if nudity bothers you, now would be a good time to turn away.”

  Hailey had liked Paul when she’d first met him, and she had great respect for him and what he was doing to help the others. He was a different guy than she’d ever known. Some people would consider her damaged merchandise after what Rolando had forced her to do. She didn’t think Paul was like that, and she hoped she had a chance to get to know him better. Lots better, actually. She decided to just be herself.

  “Naked’s never been a problem for me. Go for it!” She sat cross-legged on the floor by the fire and watched as he unashamedly shrugged out of his T-shirt and dropped his shorts. She was surprised to see no underwear.

  “Voila!” He chuckled, doing a spin.

  Laughing too, she clapped at his little show. Then he put on clean clothes.

  This feels good, she thought. Even with the mayhem all around us, I feel really comfortable with him. And he’s sure not bad looking either. He thinks he can save all of us. And I think he can too. There’s something about him … something different.

  Paul interrupted her reverie. “I have to go in a minute. I want to tell you something first. Do you know what a ushabti is?”

  She snapped back with a grin, “Am I working on a PhD in Egyptology? Is that what you meant to ask? Of course I know what a ushabti is. Every first-year student knows that. It’s a funerary figurine used in pharaonic burials. What does that have to do with us, here and now?”

  “Because here and now, there’s a ushabti in the tunnel back there. At least that’s what I think we’re going to find.” He pointed to the back wall of the cave and she noticed the four-foot hole for the first time.

  He told her what he’d read in the BYU archaeologist’s notebook and cautioned her about going into the tunnel when he wasn’t here. “I haven’t had time to check it out. I have no idea where it leads or even if it’s a passage at all. It could be collapsed a few feet in, or it could be full of poisonous snakes. There’s no way to know what’s back there until we can explore it, and we need to both be here when that happens, just in case.

  “Right now my priority’s getting people out before Rolando starts killing again. I’m going back to the camp – just stay here. You’ll be safe until I get back. I wish I could leave you the gun, but I’d better keep it.” He pulled out a Bowie knife. “I doubt you’ll need this, but it might help your peace of mind.”

  Knowing even this early how impetuous she was, he added, “If you decide to start poking around by yourself and you happen to see the ushabti, please leave it in situ. If it’s there, I’d like to see it where it lies.” One last time he stressed the danger of crawling into the tunnel by herself, then smiled and handed her a headlamp.

  “When you decide to ignore my warnings, you’ll need this.”

  She promised to watch herself. Without thinking, she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. “Be careful.”

  As soon as Paul left, Hailey went to the back of the cavern to have a look at the tunnel. She saw a small hole in the shadows, roughly circular and about four feet in diameter. She turned on her headlamp and slithered inside. Hailey wasn’t prone to claustrophobia, but she did hope this very narrow crawl space didn’t get any smaller or – even worse – stop entirely. She’d have to snake her way out backwards if that happened and she didn’t look forward to it. Speaking of snaking, she also hoped that wasn’t part of the agenda here in the cramped passage.

  She crawled like an iguana on elbows and knees for six feet and then came to a sharp right turn. Resting against the wall was a small figurine. Clearly o
ld. Almost certainly Egyptian.

  The ushabti. I’ll be damned. She looked at it but didn’t touch. She left it against the wall exactly where she’d found it.

  Around the corner the tunnel expanded, becoming wider and higher. If she crouched a little, she could walk now. There was another sharp turn and she popped into a room about twenty feet square with a fifteen-foot ceiling. Her headlamp battery was fading and she could barely see something on the far wall. Was it a carving? She walked across the room to see.

  How’s this possible?

  She was dumbfounded. If she wasn’t in a remote site in Guatemala …

  But she was. She was at Piedras Negras. And here was the confirmation of her theory, absolute proof of the connection between ancient Egypt and the peoples of Mesoamerica.

  If she weren’t in a remote site in Guatemala, she could easily be standing in a tomb in the Valley of the Kings.

  I’ll be damned.

  She studied the single brightly painted wall more closely. It was covered with hundreds of beautiful, colorful hieroglyphs so akin to those she’d studied in one certain Egyptian tomb that they could be duplicates. There was even … Oh God, she thought suddenly. Is that what I think it is? In the excitement, she’d failed to notice the faint outline of a door with light impressions all along its seams.

  Déjà vu. I’ve seen all this before. Not just something similar – this exact thing. This is a duplicate.

  She examined the seals closely. As she looked at one, then another, she knew what would come next and in what order. Anubis the jackal. The bound captives. Horus, the man-bird figure. Sobek, the crocodile-god. Seals carefully stamped into the mud while it was drying, all in the same order as the ones she’d seen before. These were necropolis seals – Egyptian seals marking a tomb. But who could possibly be buried here? Why were there Egyptian glyphs eight thousand miles west of Egypt? How old were they? Most importantly, why would this doorway be stamped with identical death seals to that of a tomb she knew well, a burial place in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings?