Codex

by Bill Craig

  The way that the great Eyes of Kukulkan had begun to flash with an inner brilliance as the groups had approached made him nervous. He feared the power that might well be unleashed, if either of the foreign groups were to get their hands on the jewels.

  “You did an excellent job of fortifying the place, Mike,” Jake Fortune admitted.

  “Just doing what you taught me, Captain.” Mike shrugged.

  “Yes, you did, Sergeant. I appreciate what you have done to keep this group together. But the Nazis are coming and we need to be ready to fight them,” Fortune told him.

  “I figured that out all ready.”

  “I know you did.”

  “So, what do you think we should do?”

  “I think we should get our asses moving and get the hell out of this swamp and onto solid ground. This place gives me the goddam creeps!” Fortune told him.

  “Agreed, but if we pack up now, how is the Professor going to get her rest?” Rogers asked.

  “We will give her a couple of hours and then pack up and move out. She can sleep on the raft,” Fortune said.

  “Uh, Jake, we lost Felix. He’s dead,” Mike Rogers said, softly.

  “How?” Fortune asked, his face suddenly pale.

  “A snake dropped out of the trees overhead, wrapped around him and crushed him quicker than we could act.”

  “Ah, hell, Mike. How did Tommy take it?”

  “Not really good, but he was with Felix when he passed. It seemed to help.”

  “Those two were close, more like brothers than friends. We’re down two men between Felix and Sam. Okay, the Professor gets an hour, and then we start breaking camp. We’ll let her sleep as long as possible before putting her on a raft. She can always sleep then.”

  “What about you, Captain? You look like you’re ready to collapse.”

  “I can sleep when I’m dead,” Jake Fortune said.

  Sturmbannführer Eric Klausen opened his eyes. He had been resting, drifting to sleep under the gentle motion of the Zeppelin as it sailed over the swampland. He had been dreaming of the future. A future of dropping down into an ancient place and killing any man who stood in his way, until at last he had possession of the two emeralds known as the Eyes of Kukulkan. Once he had possessions of the stones, he would ascend to godhood!

  Once that was attained, he would take over the world! He would stomp that little man idiot, Hitler, under his boots along with anyone who opposed him! Klausen stood and headed out of his cabin to hunt for Schmidt. With luck, the group leader would have located the Americans.

  “Chac, what can you tell me about the region we are going into once we leave the swamp?” Jake Fortune asked. The young Mayan guide looked at him. He unfurled the map and spread it out in the dirt.

  “We will walk for a day, to the edge of this valley. Once we enter the valley, we will follow the ancient road down into the city. There are some of the old ones still living there. I am hoping we can convince them that we are peaceful. If not, we could all die,” Chac replied.

  “Do these people have name?”

  “They are called the Valley People. They are the descendants of an ancient tribe, and they hold strongly to the old ways,” Chac shrugged.

  “Interesting. Do they still worship the old gods?”

  “They do.”

  “Tell me more,” Jake said, settling back against a tree.

  King Tikal sat on his throne. It was carved from a giant emerald and was adorned with a likeness of his God Kukulkan, the great Feathered Serpent of Mayan mythology. He was concerned, because his vision had foretold of a deadly battle that was coming. Men from the sky would attack, and allies would come from the swamp. Both groups wanted the Eyes of Kukulkan. The Eyes held power that should belong to no single man. No single man should possess this magic. Those powers belonged to the Maya and to them alone!

  If need be, he would wage war, as well, to defend the Temple and the Idol of Kukulkan. Already the Knights of the Eagle and the Knights of the Jaguar had faded into the jungle to better prepare to make war against the interlopers.

  Tikal sighed. He had been the leader of the tribe for many years. He had led the fight against other tribes who wished to take over their city and rule over his tribe. Tikal had prevailed against them. He started to chant, calling upon the great guardians of the swamplands, asking that they would be ready to strike if needed.

  “There!” Wolfgang Schmidt raised a hand and pointed down. He had spotted an abandoned campsite, but it was one that looked to have been recently used by a large party, which meant the Americans.

  “Take us down so my men can inspect the sight,” Sturmbannführer Klausen ordered. Rupert Meijer glared at him, but the Fregattenkapitän did as he was commanded. He was loath to drop so low over the jungle, more aware than Klausen as to how fragile the container for the gas bags was to arrows and spears.

  He hated risking his ship for the mere whims of Klausen. Still, he had his orders, and he would obey them. Up to a point. If Sturmbannführer Klausen put his crew and ship in danger, Meijer would have no problem jettisoning him out a hatch to fall to his death in the jungle below.

  Meijer had always considered this particular mission as a waste of time and resources, but he had received his orders from Der Führer himself, and one simply did not refuse an order from Adolph Hitler! He gave the order and the airship dropped down out of the sky towards the small island in a near clearing among the mangrove islands of the swamp below.

  “We’re being followed,” Jake Fortune said, as he surveyed the sky. There were some large openings in the tree canopy over the swamp. Fortune had been studying the sky with a pair of binoculars.

  “How?” Mike Rogers asked, curious.

  “The Nazis have an airship. A Graf Zeppelin, similar to the Hindenburg that crashed last year up in Jersey,” Jake Fortune explained.

  “That means that they could possibly catch up to us at any time.”

  “Yes, it does, Mike. So, make sure the guys are ready if that should happen.”

  “Will do, Boss,” Rogers saluted him and turned and walk away to pass the word to the rest of the security team, what was left of it anyway.

  “Jake?” Glory Newkirk’s voice surprised him. He hadn’t realized that she was to be on the same boat with him.

  “Hey, how are you feeling?” he asked her.

  “Better, after some rest. How far behind us are the Germans?” she asked.

  “Not far enough. They found our last camp and are currently investigating it,” Jake told her.

  “That’s bad, isn’t it?” Glory asked.

  “It is. They have the capability to get ahead of us. Airships are good for that.”

  “We can’t let them get there first, Jake.”

  “You say that, but you really haven’t said why we can’t let them get there first,” Jake told her.

  “There is a legend, a Mayan folk-tale. It says that anyone who possesses the Eyes of Kukulkan, will be able to rule the world,” Glory shook her head.

  “You think that is true,” Fortune observed.

  “I do. I have my own theories about the Eyes of Kukulkan and their powers. Ones that I am pretty sure about.”

  “So, give me something to work with,” Jake ordered.

  “Like what?”

  “Like something that will explain why the Germans want them so bad,” Fortune told her.

  “It’s kind of a long story,” Glory sighed.

  “We seem to have plenty of time,” Fortune pointed out.

  “I promise I’ll tell you everything when we get to the city.”

  “I’ll hold you to that,” Fortune told her.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “I’ve got a plan for dealing with that damned airship,” Jake Fortune told Mike Rogers.

  “Glad to hear it, Captain. I’ve been trying to figure out how to deal with it myself,” Rogers sighed.

  “Once we spot it, we start shooting. Some of our bullets are bound to pierce the outer
skin and puncture the hydrogen bags, and with luck, hit the metal airframe and strike a spark that will ignite the whole ship,” Fortune explained.

  “That seems pretty brutal, Cap.”

  “I know, Mike, but they will slaughter us at the first opportunity. We have to be willing to be just as brutal as they are.”

  “The war sure hardened you, Cap.”

  “It hardened us all, Mike. Otherwise, we’d have never made it back.”

  “You really believe that?”

  “I do,” Jake Fortune sighed.

  “Then I’m kind of sad for you, Captain. I took this job, and so did the rest because we believe that we’re doing something good. Killing a bunch of guys, even the enemy by burning them to death, well that just doesn’t set so well with me,” Mike Rogers said.

  “Then come up with a better idea, Sergeant,” Fortune said before turning and walking away.

  Jake found a small crate away from everybody where he could sit and think. So far, all he had been able to do on this trip was react. He had been reacting when they were attacked in New York. He had reacted when they were attacked when the steamer had arrived in Mexico. He had reacted when the Jaguar Tribe had attacked them, and again when Sam had kidnapped Glory.

  What he needed to do was to act first! He needed to throw their pursuers for a loop. The question was how? How could he set a trap that would make them react instead of acting? He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

  “Penny for your thoughts?” Glory was standing next to him. He was surprised he hadn’t noticed her arrival before she spoke. He shook his head. He must be more tired than he had thought.

  “They aren’t worth it,” Fortune said as he looked up at her. He glanced at the empty space on the crate beside him. “Have a seat.”

  “You look a little lost,” Glory observed.

  “I’m feeling a little lost at the moment,” Jake admitted.

  “Why?” Glory asked.

  “For one thing, nobody has told me the truth about this expedition from the get go. I’m supposed to provide security, but nobody is willing to tell me exactly what I am providing security for. You’re after some lost city and an idol with two gemstones for eyes that you claim has magical properties, yet you refuse to explain exactly what it is that they can do.”

  “Jake, I’m sorry. I should have told you before we started on this trip.”

  “Yes, you should have,” Jake told her.

  “The Nazis want them because Hitler is a big believer in the occult and the existence of occult magic. He thinks that the gemstones will help him win the coming war and conquer the world.”

  “Can they?”

  “It is possible, at least, in theory,” Glory sighed.

  “Well shit!”

  “Well shit, indeed.”

  “How do you plan to stop them?” Jake asked.

  “I hope to use the gems against them,” she said dejectedly.

  “Oh, my God,” Jake Fortune shook his head.

  “I’m sorry, Jake. I never thought that they would come after us.”

  “Really? Even after they attacked us back in New York?”

  “I was hoping that was a one-time thing.”

  “I’ve got news for you. It isn’t,” Jake sighed.

  “Yeah, I know that now,” Glory shook her head, her curls swinging around her face.

  “So exactly what the hell do these emeralds do that makes them a weapon?”

  “They are rumored to give whomever possess them the power of an ancient god. That’s why Hitler wants them so bad.”

  “He thinks they will help him win a future war,” Fortune shook his head.

  “And that is precisely why we can’t let his people get their hands on them,” Glory sighed.

  “What makes you think that they will be any better off in your hands? That sounds like too much power for anyone, Kid. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

  “That’s why Hiram King wants them as well. So that he can attain absolute power.”

  “Wait a minute! Isn’t he the guy that tried to snatch poor Webber before he left Chicago?”

  “The one and the same.”

  “So why am I just now finding out about this?”

  “I couldn’t tell you before now, Jake.”

  “Why not? It really seems like something I should have known about.”

  “Uncle swore me to secrecy. He felt you might not have agreed to protect the expedition if you had known before,” Glory raised her head and looked at him with those beautiful green eyes.

  “Your uncle was probably right. Now, I don’t have much choice. You know those bastards have an airship? I’ll pass the word that we need to move faster,” Jake told her, walking away. Glory put her face in her hands and began to sob. She hadn’t seen Fortune so angry.

  An hour later the rafts reached dry land. Fortune started everyone unloading. They would only be taking what the twenty of them could haul on their backs. Crates were broken up and supplies were divided among them. He and Rogers made sure that the rafts were secured where they wouldn’t float away and would be there if they were needed to return to civilization. Fortune wasn’t entirely sure any of them would survive. Not with the Nazis hard on their trail.

  “Jake, I’m sorry,” Gloria said as she closed her pack.

  “I understand your reasons, Kid, but I’m still not happy about being left in the dark for so long.” Fortune picked up her pack and helped her get it settled in place. Then he grabbed up his own and swung it onto his shoulders.

  “You’re right. I should have told you sooner. I was afraid you wouldn’t go through with it if I did.”

  “I might not have. But now, I have no choice but to see it through. I made your uncle a promise and I took his money. I’ll do the job I was hired for,” Jake told her.

  “Is that the only reason?” she asked quietly, her eyes looking hurt. Fortune looked back at here for a long moment.

  “No,” he said, and then he winked at her and walked off. Glory managed a smile, glad for that wink. It spoke more than the man himself was likely to.

  Chac led them back into the jungle and started the trek into the mountains. Jake Fortune was right behind him, followed closely by Glory Newkirk. Mike Rogers was bringing up the rear. Tommy Glover was in the middle, as was Don Franklin. Cliff Shaw was back near Mike, helping with rear security. Walter Bosley was helping in the middle. It turned out the animal expert had some military experience.

  Glory kept the map and she showed it to Chac when they reached certain points. The sky above was filled with dark clouds and thunder rumbled ominously in the distance.

  “The storm is getting close,” Chac advised, when they stopped for a rest.

  “How much farther?” Fortune asked. He was also eyeing the clouds. Growing up in the west, he knew how dangerous flash floods could be. Going up a narrow mountain trail in a storm was inviting disaster.

  “Two, maybe three hours,” Chac waved his hand. Fortune considered that. Lightning flashed in the clouds above as the winds began to pick up. Palm fronds above them were whipping around, some taking to the air.

  “I think maybe we should hunker down here, let the storm pass,” Fortune announced.

  “But what about the Nazis?” Glory asked.

  “They’ll be grounded too. No Zeppelin could stand up to these winds.”

  “Are you sure of that?”

  “As sure as I can be.”

  “Then set up shelters to protect us from the storm,” Glory said.

  “Good idea,” Fortune told her, as he spread the word. Soon the entire team was in action and tents were quickly erected against the storm. They had just finished getting them into place when a torrential downpour hit, immediately blotting out everything else as a heavy rain pounded down on the land.

  “Why are we stopping?” Eric Klausen demanded, charging out of his cabin aboard the Zeppelin.

  “We can go no further in the storm,” Rupert Meij
er told him.

  “Why not?” Klausen demanded.

  “The airship cannot withstand the forces of the wind. We must land and sit the storm out on the ground,” Meijer replied.

  “We cannot let them reach The Lost City first!”

  “If we fly into the storm, we will die. Lightning will strike the shell and ignite the gas bags. If that happens, we will all die, do you not understand?” Meijer said in a matter-of-fact voice.

  “Take us down then. We will wait out the storm,” Klausen said.

  “This storm sure feels like bad luck,” Clifford Shaw said, as he looked out at the falling rain.

  “This storm may just have saved our lives,” Fortune told him.

  “How so?” Shaw asked.

  “Because it slowed the Nazis down. There are more of them than there are of us.”

  “You seem sure of that.”

  “I am.”

  “Do

  “We might, Pal, but there are no guarantees.”

  “That will just have to be good enough then.”

  “Yes, it will,” Fortune told him.

  “Jake? Can I speak to you for a few minutes?” Glory asked him.

  “Sure thing, Glory,” Fortune told her. He followed her a short distance away from the others.

  “What’s up?” Fortune asked, biting the end off of a cigar and spitting it out. Then he pulled out a Zippo lighter and fired it up.

  “I just wanted to say thank you for following through on this,” Glory told him.

  “Like I said before, Kid, you didn’t give me much of a choice. But I would have done it anyway.”

  “I know I’ve put us all in grave danger, Jake. But I did it for the right reasons.”

  “I know that, Kid. Say, if we manage to survive this mess, would you be willing to go out to dinner if we get back to New York?”

  “I’d love to,” Glory smiled.

  The rain was falling in solid sheets of water and it was impossible to see out of the windows of the Zeppelin. Klausen paced back and forth like a caged tiger, muttering to himself. Rupert Meijer watched him warily. It was clear that the man was not sane anymore. At least by no normal measure. It worried Meijer for many reasons. He shook his head and headed back to the control room. He would be far more comfortable there than watching that fool try to wear a hole in the floor!