Indisputable Proof

by Gary Williams

  Without a word, Tolen left the room through the low rectangular opening and returned seconds later with a pickaxe. He used the point to tap on the left wall, then the right. Jade heard the distinct thuds. These were solid stone walls.

  He moved beside Jade and Diaz and tapped on various places along the entire back wall. Each time he rapped on the stone surface, he heard a distinctive tinny sound, unique from the other walls.

  Jade’s eyes lit. “It’s hollow,” she said, nearly breathless. “This is a false wall!”

  Diaz remained nonplussed.

  Jade turned to Tolen. “How did you know?”

  “It’s the only wall precisely perpendicular to the floor.” He aimed his flashlight to the right. “That wall is slightly leaning in; the other two leaning away. Those walls are what you’d expect in a natural formation, but this wall is perfectly vertical. It may be manmade.”

  “Diaz, please go get the other pickaxe and give me a hand.”

  Diaz left the room. Tolen began to chip away at the wall. It gave way easily. Whatever the wall’s composition, it was not solid stone.

  By the time Diaz returned, Tolen had forged a tiny opening through the six-inch-thick wall. The instant he broke through, Jade signaled for him to halt. She crowded against the wall and aimed the flashlight through the opening. She placed her hand to her forehead as she felt her face flush. She could hardly believe the sight before her. Her next words came out excitedly, “There’s a large chamber beyond this wall. I believe it’s the tomb!”

  She could barely contain herself as she stared back in awe through the opening. The rush of excitement caused her to shake. Before she knew it, Tolen had placed an arm around her for support as he moved beside her, glimpsing inside using his own flashlight.

  Even Diaz seemed stunned by the visage beyond. “It’s unbelievable,” he said, his mouth gaping open.

  Jade turned to Tolen. As if the fog suddenly cleared from her mind, Jade looked down at Tolen’s arm and awkwardly pulled away from his grasp. “I’m…I’m fine,” she stuttered. She looked at Diaz, who was still transfixed before the opening. “Do you believe me now?” she called to him.

  Diaz said nothing. He silently picked up the axe and went to work on the wall. Tolen joined him.

  It was only a matter of minutes before they created an opening large enough for them to pass through. There was no hesitancy from Jade, who promptly went first, her flashlight stabbing into the dark hole where she disappeared. Diaz followed, and Tolen passed through last, each carrying a lantern and a flashlight. Diaz once again had the coil of rope hoisted upon his shoulder.

  Even by flashlight, Jade could tell the place was enormous. As soon as they turned their electric lanterns on, she gasped. The cavernous chamber was immense, like the interior of a massive cathedral. The circular walls curved upward, creating a lofty dome overhead. The room seemed to self-illuminate, the result of bright, bold images which adorned the ceiling: colorful pictures in hues of every color, orchestrated together in an elaborate fresco depicting men and angels, prophets and beggars, kings and servants, soldiers and priests.

  All three stood in place, marveling at the sight.

  “This is extraordinary!” Jade said in awe, her British accent heightened by her excitement.

  ****

  Tolen felt a chill race over his body. It was either from his still-damp clothes or the undeniable excitement he now felt. The dust became strong in his nostrils, and he could taste the flavor of ancient stone with each inhale. The chalky aroma was not pure; it blended with something else he could not distinguish.

  Around the chamber at ground level were niches carved into the walls every dozen feet or so. Each niche had a waist-high ledge containing a stone-carved cross. No two crosses were the same; each varied in height and width. Equally as remarkable, a large pond dominated the majority of the room. The base had apparently been carved out to form a subterranean pocket filled with fresh water. Where they stood, a narrow walkway ran the perimeter of the entire room, encircling the pond.

  There was absolute silence as they took in the grandeur of this monstrous cavity and the spectacle of its features and intricate artwork. It was unlike anything Samuel Tolen had ever seen. He felt a mild touch of reverence.

  Tolen turned to look at the niche behind when he heard Jade audibly inhale a second time. He spun around to see what had caught her attention. Diaz was already staring out at the water.

  “My God,” Jade said, “look.” She pointed to the center of the large pond.

  Tolen spotted a miniscule round island slightly elevated from the surface of the pond; a gray dimple in the middle of the watery landscape. It appeared as a hump, made of smooth stone and no more than nine feet in circumference.

  This was not what had caused Jade’s reaction, however. It was the large circular boulder sitting in the middle of the island that had made her gasp.

  “It’s another stone sphere!” she exclaimed.

  CHAPTER 17

  September 11. Tuesday – 4:19 p.m. Northwest Coast of Costa Rica

  It all felt so surreal to Jade. It was the archaeological discovery of a lifetime; of a hundred lifetimes.

  Without much thought, she sank to the stone floor and began taking off her wet tennis shoes.

  “What are you doing?” Diaz asked.

  “That stone over there is our next clue,” she said, tugging off one shoe. “Look around. The tomb’s not in here, but it must be nearby. That sphere will tell us where it is. The first jar is probably inside it, like the roll of parchment was inside the stone sphere at Harvard.”

  Tolen stepped to the edge of the walkway and looked down at the water with a flashlight beam cutting through the surface. “I’d advise against swimming, Jade.” He bent down, placed a finger in the water, and raised it to his lips.

  “You can advise all you want. Nothing’s going to stop me from getting over to that tiny island and examining that stone.”

  Tolen pointed down. “It’s saltwater. I didn’t recognize the scent before. It was masked by other smells.”

  “Salt...fresh...doesn’t matter,” Jade said, ripping off her second shoe and rising.

  Tolen continued. “The water is very deep. It’s not a gradual drop off like a beach. The flashlight beam doesn’t reach the bottom.”

  “I know how to swim,” she said, making her way beside him.

  She started to squat in preparation for lowering herself into the water when Tolen grabbed her firmly by the underarm and kept her standing.

  “What the bloody hell are—!” she cut herself off. Where Tolen had aimed the beam into the water, a large, dark, torpedo-like shape flashed by underneath the surface. She involuntarily gulped so hard her throat burned.

  “What in God’s name was that?” Diaz barked.

  She saw another black form move past. This time it had a wide, thick, perpendicular appendage at the front of a body of considerable girth and length. Surprisingly, it turned and was lost from view underneath where they stood on the perimeter walkway.

  “What we’re standing on is not solid,” Tolen said. “It’s a ledge over water and runs in a circle along the wall of this room. Somewhere below, probably underneath the ledge, this pond leads out to the ocean. This ocean water was already in this cave before Joseph of Arimathea carved this room. It’s a natural body of water.”

  Jade continued to stare into the water. Ghostly large figures moved by more frequently now. Each had the trademark feature jutting out to either side of its head. “Hammerhead sharks,” she finally realized with a sigh.

  “Not good,” Diaz added.

  “Hammerheads rarely attack humans, but as I said before, I would advise against going in the water with them.”

  Jade felt a sting of defeat.

  Unexpecte
dly, Diaz pulled his pistol and aimed it at the water.

  “Please don’t,” Tolen commanded firmly. “That will complicate any chance we have of making it to that stone. If you fill the water with blood, even shark’s blood, you’ll create a feeding frenzy that will exacerbate the situation.”

  Diaz eyed Tolen with disdain. It was obvious to Jade the inspector did not like being told what to do. For a moment, they remained locked in a stare.

  “Let’s reconnoiter the cavern to see if there are other options,” Tolen finally said breaking the silence.

  Diaz grimaced momentarily then begrudgingly re-holstered his weapon.

  Jade watched Tolen as he used his flashlight to examine the walls and ceiling. Something in the distance caught his interest. “There’s a cone extending down from the ceiling. It appears to be directly over the small island.”

  Jade raised her flashlight beam above the island. Sure enough, nine or ten feet up, the cave dipped to a point like a large stalactite. “Manmade?”

  “Not sure. Leave one of the lanterns here, and we’ll take the other two.” Tolen began walking counterclockwise, following the stone pavement along the wall. Jade fell into formation behind Tolen and Diaz, eyeing the water nervously and remaining as close to the wall as possible.

  They passed one niche after another. Jade longed to stop and examine each of them, but that would have to wait for another time. Each unique cross was carved out of natural rock polished to a smooth shine and was adjoined to the solid stone altar. Some had squared sides, some had rounded edges. The craftsmanship of these ornate crosses was unsurpassed. By her reckoning, in order to complete the several dozen in the room, plus the idyllic frescoes upon the domed ceiling, it would have taken either many years or many artists working on them simultaneously, or both. Joseph of Arimathea’s stories of Jesus must have had a dramatic effect on the locals to garner the amount of skilled artistic labor needed to create this magnificent place.

  She looked across the water at the large stone mounted upon the island as they followed Tolen. It seemed perfectly round, and much larger than the Harvard courtyard stone. Jade now wondered if this sphere on the tiny island might have been the first stone sphere carved; the parent of all the rest the Costa Rican villagers created over the last two millennia.

  Then an even more astounding thought struck her: Could this be the original stone which once covered Jesus’ tomb?

  The thought was mind-boggling, and she shook it off just as Tolen came to an abrupt stop. They were about a third of the way around the circular cavern. The craggy entryway was still visible across the water where they had left the first lantern.

  Tolen faced one of the niches. He looked at Jade. “Why do you think the stone sphere was placed in the center of the room where it’s inaccessible?”

  “It may be a test. We’re not supposed to be able to get to it easily.”

  “Very unlikely,” Diaz retorted. “You think someone wanted to test our fortitude 2,000 years after constructing this place?”

  “Not necessarily us, but someone,” Jade responded. “Why leave clues and riddles? Joseph of Arimathea wanted someone who was righteous and diligent to follow the path he had laid out.”

  “Look,” Tolen pointed to the niche at their side.

  It was not that different from the others they had passed, although the cross was the smallest one yet. Jade knelt down to examine it closely, drawing her flashlight to illuminate the small cross and the concave wall behind. There were tiny dark splotches near the four ends of the cross, and more dark stains scattered on the wall at the rear.

  Jade looked over her shoulder at the men quizzically. “Blood?”

  Diaz squatted, nudging beside her. He seemed just as intrigued as she was. “What could it mean?”

  “This is the starting point,” Tolen said.

  Jade rose, not understanding the message Tolen was trying to convey.

  Tolen spoke, “If you’re trying to reach a destination, there are always three possible choices: ground level, which, in our case means swimming through shark-infested waters; underground, which is obviously not an option; or, lastly, above ground.”

  Tolen guided the beam up the gray wall immediately above the niche. Jade followed the light. She spotted a small groove of cutout stone with a solid piece the thickness of a broom handle embedded within. She had no idea what she was seeing until Tolen roamed the light upward, and continued to trace a path to the ceiling and out over the water. The procession of carved handholds continued every several feet, blending into the fresco overhead, and finally stopping at the point of the inverted cone which stretched downward toward the tiny center island.

  It was a way to get to the stone sphere.

  CHAPTER 18

  September 11. Tuesday – 4:41 p.m. Northwest Coast of Costa Rica

  Jade appraised the line of handholds cut into the stone. It was a test, she thought, not only of spiritual belief, but of strength.

  Tolen wasted no time. He pocketed his flashlight and stepped onto the niche altar, avoiding the small cross. The first handhold was at the top of the six-foot-high niche. He gained a grip and hoisted himself up using only his arms. His muscles tightened like a twist of iron, and he pulled himself upward and grabbed the next handhold with his free hand. Once again, Jade noticed the lengthy scar on Tolen’s right forearm and wondered what had been the cause.

  Although she kept in shape, Jade knew this was going to be difficult. She had been a gymnast in college, but that had been more years ago than she cared to consider. She tried mentally to block out the fact they would be moving over water where sharks awaited any slip.

  “Jade, you go next,” Tolen said, after lifting high enough to lock a foot in the lowest handhold.

  Jade jumped up on the small altar and grabbed the first handhold. She was straining to support her weight while she reached to grab the next one. Tolen snagged her hand and pulled her up. It had been unasked-for assistance, and she did not appreciate the assumption she needed help. She looked up and started to object, but then saw the earnest gaze in Tolen’s eyes. It was not one of pity, but of caring. Once Jade secured her grip, Tolen turned and continued to climb. Jade followed, but at a slower pace. Soon Diaz was also scaling the wall, muttering and complaining.

  Once she got her feet in the holds, the climb became much easier. The light from below elongated her silhouette, casting an eerie shadow on the wall above. She moved slowly, ensuring each grip before she released the other hand. The walls were cold and reeked of dust, and the only sound in the massive chamber was the heavy breathing and grunting as the threesome climbed.

  Tolen quickly arrived at the curvature of the domed ceiling. “This is where it gets tough,” he called back down.

  Jade paused and looked down. Diaz was laboring to catch up. She wondered if the man was up for the challenge.

  Below, the lanterns kept the cavern lit, but the surface of the water remained dark. Jade saw black shapes patrolling the depths, indistinguishable forms swishing past as if waiting for their opportunity to feast. They occasionally created large eddies where their hulking bodies meandered close to the surface. Jade felt her breath catch at the sight. She paused and looked away from the water, staring at the wall inches from her face. She had to remain calm and fight the panic that was on the verge of setting in. Jade took a deep breath, exhaled, and looked up at Tolen.

  Tolen swung out to one of the handholds at the curvature and was now dangling precariously. Jade watched him stretch to the next higher handhold. He moved slowly. The handholds here were closer together, accommodating the strenuous climb. When Tolen was four handholds away, Jade followed.

  She was not prepared for the pain which enveloped her arms and shoulders as she strained to secure her grip to each new, higher hold as the ceiling curved up. It was a grueling endea
vor, and she forced the thought of both the pain and the sharks from her mind. Beads of sweat broke out on her arms, face, and neck, and she prayed her hands would not become slippery. Her muscles ached, and her body twisted back and forth as she slowly proceeded. On and on she went, pulling herself up and over, following in Tolen’s path. Behind, she could hear Diaz struggle as he breathed mightily.

  As she went, she was vaguely aware of the marvelous artwork on the ceiling. She was too preoccupied to pay it much attention, yet she knew it was truly masterful. Even after all this time, the faint smell of paint oils was still detectable, commingling with the aged stone.

  Ahead, she saw Tolen moving lithely, swinging from side to side as he pirouetted in mid-air from one handhold to the next. She followed after him steadily, trying to ignore the intense burning of her arms. When she had secured her very next hold, she ventured a look back at Diaz. The man was closer than she had expected; his face red from the effort. Sweat was pouring from his brow, and he grimaced as he went. “This is not where I imagined myself: hovering above hammerhead sharks!” He shouted cynically.

  Suddenly, a harsh pop sounded. Jade was so startled she nearly lost her grip. She struggled to secure two hands on a single handhold as the echo bounced from the far side of the massive cave. She looked down toward the direction of the sound. Near the entrance was a man clad in dark pants and a light shirt holding something. There was a flash of light and another resounding pop. Jade felt something whiz by her face. Rock fragments scattered above her head, ricocheting into her cheek.

  The man was shooting at them!

  “What the hell?!” Diaz yelled from behind.

  Jade looked to Tolen in desperation. Her mind was reeling, and she was seconds away from losing her grip on the handholds. Everything was happening so quickly. She watched Tolen reach to his holster and withdraw his pistol as he held on with one hand. He swiveled his body in the air and fired a shot at the man.