The Death Relic

by Chris Kuzneski

  Payne glanced at Maria. ‘What did you mean by that?’

  ‘Which part?’ she asked.

  ‘The part where you said this wasn’t your area of expertise.’

  ‘Well, it isn’t my area of expertise. Furthermore, you know it isn’t.’

  Payne didn’t like her tone, and he didn’t like her use of “furthermore”. The word was dripping with condescension. ‘Excuse me?’

  She glared at him. ‘You know damn well what my specialty is. Or don’t you remember roughing me up while I was searching for Christian artefacts in Italy?’

  ‘Roughing you up? What in the hell are you talking about?’

  Her voice was filled with venom. ‘Oh, I see how it is. You’ve beaten up so many women that you can’t possibly remember them all. Well, let me refresh your memory. When you tracked me down in Milan, you grabbed me by my hair, threw me on the hood of a car, then shoved a gun under my chin while threatening to blow my head off. Or was that someone else?’

  ‘Hold up,’ he said, confused. ‘Is that how you remember it?’

  ‘Yes! That’s how I remember it!’

  He shook his head. ‘Funny, because I remember it differently to you. I remember you and your mentor being international fugitives at the time, accused of mass murder and twenty other charges that would’ve gotten you fried. That forced me to take extra precautions during our first encounter. Furthermore – to use your word – I recall saving your ass on multiple occasions, clearing both of your names and helping you with the biggest discovery of your career.’

  ‘Yeah, but—’

  ‘Furthermore,’ he said angrily, ‘I also remember a phone call from you less than twenty-four hours ago when you were crying like a schoolgirl and begging for my help. So it might be nice if you dropped the arrogance for a little while and showed me some goddamned respect.’

  Furious, she cursed him in Italian.

  Payne turned towards Jones. ‘I don’t deserve this shit! I really don’t! You need to talk to your wife right now and get her ass in line, or you can handle this mess on your own. As far as I’m concerned, there are more than enough ungrateful people in the world. If they happen to lose their queen, it isn’t going to bother me in the least.’

  ‘Jon—’

  ‘DJ, I’m serious! She’s been giving me attitude ever since we arrived. First at the hotel, then in the car. Now she’s accusing me of beating women? What the hell is that about? I asked her a legitimate question about her area of expertise, and she hits me with a “furthermore”. Really? After all I’ve done for her? I ought to take that “furthermore” and shove it up her ass.’ Payne turned his head and glared at Maria. ‘But I would never do that because “I don’t hurt women.” ’

  Cursing under his breath, he stormed away from the Hummer and headed to the far end of the rocky shoal. Not only to calm down, but to give the unhappy couple a chance to talk in private. Payne knew his verbal confrontation with Maria would put Jones in an awkward position, forcing him to get between his best friend and his ex-girlfriend, but Payne didn’t regret anything he’d said. He truly meant it when he said he would walk away from the situation. Although it was against his nature to turn his back on someone in trouble, the only person who appeared to be in peril was Terrence Hamilton, who was a total stranger to them. With Payne’s military connections, he knew he could place a single call to the US Embassy in Mexico and convince them to assemble a team to investigate Hamilton’s disappearance. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he regretted not doing that at the very beginning. Heck, the only reason he hadn’t was because of Jones. Or, more specifically, Jones’s feelings for Maria.

  Payne knew Jones cared about her – more than he was willing to admit – and that he wanted to prove his worth by rescuing her from danger. As someone who’d been through a similar situation with his ex-girlfriend Ariane, he understood Jones’s desire to be a protector and wanted to help him in any way possible. At the same time, though, he knew he had to step in at some point and speak up for Hamilton. It was one thing to be a good wingman and help his buddy work things out with an old flame. It was another thing completely if Hamilton died or got hurt while Jones and Maria struggled through their issues.

  Payne thought Hamilton deserved better than that.

  He deserved their full attention.

  If Jones and Maria didn’t get their act together soon, he would be forced to call in reinforcements from the US Embassy. His conscience wouldn’t give him a choice.

  Trying to calm down, Payne picked up a flat rock and tried to skip it across the undulating surface of the Caribbean. The rock skipped four times before it was swallowed by a turquoise wave. A split-second later, the wave crashed into a nearby reef, sending spray high into the air. Other than the surf and the wind, the only other sound was the rumble of a distant motor. Shielding his eyes from the sun, he gazed to the northwest and spotted two jet skis running parallel to the crowded beach, both riders zipping along at high speed.

  Payne smiled as he thought back to a recent trip to Clearwater, Florida. He and Jones had rented WaveRunners near Pier 60 and had taken them into the Gulf of Mexico, where they’d lucked upon a school of dolphins. For more than ten minutes, the dolphins had followed them wherever they went. Not in a predatory way. More like a game of follow-the-leader. Back and forth, side by side, as fast as they could go. It was, without a doubt, one of the coolest things he had ever experienced. Two species, intrigued by each other, sharing the open sea.

  Unfortunately, his smile quickly faded when he refocused on the current situation. For whatever reason, Maria was harbouring some serious anger towards him, and it had reared its ugly head on two occasions in the past few hours. Thankfully, neither instance had put them at risk, but he realized it was only a matter of time before it did. If the two of them were going to work together, Payne knew they had to come to an understanding. Otherwise, his involvement would cause more damage than good.

  For Jones’s sake, he was willing to try.

  He hoped Maria would, too.

  31

  Payne kept his distance for a few more minutes before heading back to the Hummer. Jones spotted his approach and intercepted him about 20 feet from the vehicle.

  ‘How ya doin’?’ Jones asked in a playful voice.

  ‘Not great, but better than before.’

  ‘Are you sure? Because I’d be happy to drive into the city and buy you some Prozac. Down here, they make it themselves and sell it behind the pharmacy.’

  Payne smiled. ‘As tempting as that sounds, I think I’ll pass.’

  ‘What about a beer? Maybe a Dos Equis or a Tecate. Oh, I know! What about a hooker? I bet they’re in the same alley as the Prozac.’

  Payne declined again. ‘No thanks.’

  Jones took a step closer and lowered his voice. ‘Listen, I know you’re tempted to bail on this, and if you did, I wouldn’t blame you at all. Maria’s behaviour was way out of line. That being said, I’m asking as your best friend, please hang in there a little while longer. I really need your help on this one.’

  ‘I know you do, but—’

  ‘But what?’

  Payne leaned away from him. ‘First of all, you’re a little too close to me right now. Please back up before I’m forced to give you a mint.’

  He smiled and took a giant step back. ‘Sorry.’

  ‘Second, you know how I feel about begging.’

  Jones rolled his eyes. ‘It should only be done by children in Third World countries, or in movies for comic effect.’

  ‘Exactly.’

  ‘In my defence, I act like a child quite frequently, and Mexico isn’t exactly a superpower.’

  ‘Those are very good points.’

  ‘I thought so.’

  Payne continued. ‘Thirdly, despite my recent outburst and my obvious frustration, I am not the main problem here. I think both of us know that Maria has a bigger issue with me than I do with her. As long as she harbours that animosity, the
re’s very little I can do besides staying out of her way – and that will be tough to do if I’m trying to protect her.’

  ‘Trust me, we’re in complete agreement on this one. As soon as she calmed down, I let her know that she was at fault and her childish behaviour would not be rolerated.’

  Payne smirked. ‘Yeah, I’m sure you said it just like that.’

  ‘Or words to that effect.’

  ‘That means you begged her to give me one more chance.’

  Jones laughed. ‘I will not confirm or deny the allegation.’

  ‘Personally, I don’t care what you said or how you said it, as long as her behaviour improves. If she pulls that argumentative shit when we’re in a dangerous situation, there’s a very good chance someone will end up dead.’

  ‘I agree.’

  ‘Does she know that?’

  ‘I’ll make sure she does.’

  Payne pointed at the Hummer. ‘Speaking of danger, I think it’s time you told me what you found with the artefacts. I need to know what we’re facing here.’

  Jones stared at him. ‘How do you know I found something?’

  ‘How? Because I’m fucking psychic.’

  ‘If that’s the case, then you already know what I found.’

  ‘Shit, I walked right into that one.’

  ‘Which proves you aren’t psychic.’

  Payne conceded the point. ‘Actually, when I pulled up, you said this was a good news/bad news thing. I’m guessing the artefacts are the good news. I’m still waiting for the bad.’

  Jones turned and faced the Hummer. ‘Then follow me. There’s something you and Maria need to see before we leave Cancún.’

  ‘We’re leaving Cancún?’

  He nodded. ‘The sooner, the better.’

  As they walked, Payne briefed Jones on the surveillance video and everything else he’d learned at the security office. He also showed him a photo of the two Latin men who’d broken into the suite. Maria heard the tail end of the conversation, but was reluctant to ask any questions before she had a chance to clear the air with Payne. Then again, even if she had questioned him, it wouldn’t have bothered him in the least. During his military career, he’d crossed paths with many people he didn’t get along with, and it had never prevented him from doing his job. It was a skill he’d learned at the academy and mastered during Special Forces training. Instructors had taught him how to compartmentalize his feelings, allowing him to focus on the task at hand while blocking out everything else. Compared to the horrors he’d suppressed on the battlefield, his issues with Maria were easy to ignore.

  Jones opened the driver-side door and reached between the seats. ‘As soon as I saw this in the trunk, I knew something bad was going on. I don’t know what, but something.’

  Maria stared through the open hatch. ‘Saw what?’

  The tarp, which had been rolled up from the rear of the vehicle to uncover the box of artefacts, had been stored behind the front seat. Payne and Maria had assumed it was wedged into an empty space, but was actually draped over a second, smaller box. Jones grabbed the middle of the tarp and yanked it into the front seat.

  Payne, who was standing nearby, opened the rear driver’s-side door for a better view of the hidden crate. Painted army green and made out of thick plywood, it looked like a thousand other crates he’d seen in his former profession. Most of them filled with danger. As soon as he saw it, a surge of adrenaline coursed through his veins. ‘What’s inside?’

  Jones answered. ‘A little bit of everything.’

  Payne leaned forward and opened the three front clasps. Then he tilted the lid back to see what they were dealing with. ‘Holy shit.’

  Jones nodded. ‘My sentiments exactly.’

  Known in Russia as an Avtomat Kalashnikova (or Kalash for short), the weapon is commonly called an AK-47 in other parts of the world. First developed in the Soviet Union during the 1940s, it’s a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62 x 39 mm assault rifle with a killing range of more than 1,000 feet. Unlike the Mexican handgun stashed in Hamilton’s briefcase, the AK-47 is an offensive weapon, capable of doing serious damage.

  Payne grabbed the top rifle and showed it to Maria, who gasped at the sight.

  ‘What’s that for?’ she asked.

  ‘It’s not for a Texas barbecue,’ Jones answered.

  ‘I know that,’ she stammered. ‘I mean, why does he have it?’

  Payne gazed into the crate. ‘You mean them.’

  ‘Them?’ she asked.

  He nodded. ‘Two AKs, plenty of ammo, some plastic explosives, a few detonators and a set of binoculars.’

  Jones corrected him. ‘Actually, they’re field glasses.’

  ‘Oh, in that case I feel much better about his box of weapons.’

  ‘Well, you should. They’re much more durable than binoculars. Believe it or not, field glasses have no internal prisms.’

  Payne rolled his eyes. ‘Thank God for that! I’m sure all of us will sleep a little more soundly with that nugget tucked under our pillows. Hamilton was armed for war, but at least we know his field glasses will survive if we knock them off the nightstand.’

  Maria ignored the sarcasm and focused on Jones. ‘But why does he have that stuff? He’s a scholar, not a soldier.’

  ‘I honestly don’t know. But it’s pretty obvious that he was keeping secrets from you.’

  ‘I guess he was.’

  Payne returned the weapon to the crate, then walked towards them. ‘Now comes the hard part. You have to decide what you want to do about it.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Do you want to wash your hands of the situation, or do you want to press forward?’

  She answered without hesitation. ‘I want to press forward.’

  ‘Are you sure?’ Jones asked.

  ‘I’m absolutely positive. I need to know why I’m here. I need to know why someone trashed my suite and stole my passport. I need to know what happened to Hamilton. How can I ever feel safe without those answers?’

  She took a deep breath, then flashed a weary smile. ‘Besides, I can’t go home even if I wanted to. I’m stuck in Mexico until I get a new passport.’

  ‘True,’ Jones said, ‘but that doesn’t mean you have to stay involved. We can call the authorities and let them handle things.’

  She scoffed at the notion. ‘And what are they going to do? Impound the weapons, take the artefacts, maybe fill out some paperwork. Hamilton’s been gone less than a day, and there’s no hard evidence that he’s been abducted. The local cops won’t do a thing except get in our way.’

  Payne stared at her. ‘You’re assuming that I want to stay involved.’

  ‘Why wouldn’t you?’

  ‘Why? Because I’ve never met the guy and he has a box of weapons. Where’s my incentive? I felt bad for Hamilton when I thought he was an innocent victim. But now it’s pretty obvious that he’s into something shady. For all I know, he might’ve had it coming.’

  ‘And what about me? Do I have it coming?’

  ‘How should I know? I haven’t talked to you in years.’

  Sensing an argument, Jones quickly intervened. ‘Of course you don’t have it coming. You came here for a job and things went sour. It’s not your fault.’

  ‘Listen,’ she said, her voice much softer than a moment earlier, ‘I know I screwed up. I know I shouldn’t have come here without knowing all the details about the job before I left Italy. What can I say? I tried to be spontaneous for once in my life, and it kind of blew up in my face. Unfortunately, there’s no turning back now. I’m caught up in this mess – whatever it is – and I’m looking for a way out. Obviously, you guys know a lot more about these situations than I do, but I don’t think the police are the best way to go. I think we need to press forward. I think we need to find Hamilton so I can ask him about my involvement.’

  Jones put his arm around her shoulder and squeezed. ‘Don’t worry, Maria. Nothing’s going to happen to you. We won’t let i
t. Isn’t that right, Jon?’

  Payne sighed and nodded slightly. He wasn’t thrilled with the idea, not with so many unknowns, but at least her rationale made sense.

  Hamilton was the key to everything.

  He possessed all the answers.

  32

  While Payne and Jones talked strategy, Maria glanced through the artefacts, hoping to find the document Hamilton had gone to retrieve at the time of his disappearance. Before he’d left the bistro, he had claimed that her role in the project would be ‘right up her alley’, but so far everything in the back of the Hummer was foreign to her. Although she could appreciate the intrinsic beauty of the statues and vases, she simply didn’t know enough about the Mayan culture to assess their value. Were they first century? Ninth century? Twelfth century?

  Were they from the Yucatán or Belize?

  Did the colours and patterns have any significance?

  She honestly didn’t know.

  To her, it was like trying to learn an ancient language without any kind of primer. If she was given several months and the proper tools, she could probably grasp the basics and reach some general conclusions about the artefacts. But considering the time constraints and her current location, she knew it was an impossible task. So much so that she didn’t take any of the items out of the plastic bags or bubble wrap to examine them. Why risk damaging them if there was nothing to gain?

  About the only thing that made sense to her was a map of the region. She found it folded up and stuffed next to the centre console. Three places had been circled, all of them known for their Mayan ruins: Tulum, Cobá and Chichén Itzá. She didn’t know if Hamilton had been to the sites or hoped to visit them, but at least it was something.

  Frustrated by her lack of success, she sat on the back bumper of the Hummer and tried to recall her conversation with Hamilton. She figured if she thought about it long enough, she might remember an important fact that had slipped her mind. Maybe a hint about his predicament, or a subtle clue about her role in things. Ultimately, that’s what bothered her the most – not knowing why she was there. Why, after being in the field for several weeks, had Hamilton picked up the phone and reached out to her? Why was he willing to fly her halfway round the world and put her up in a five-star hotel? What did she bring to the table that no one else could?