“Javi, are you hurt?” Jack shouted.
“I’m all right thankfully, but I’m sinking. Hurry Jack. I don’t have much time,” he shouted back in panicked tone.
Helena and Duni stood at the edge of the pit and watched helplessly.
“Watch him. I’ll be right back,” Jack shouted frantically.
In seconds, he sped off. Running at full speed, he raced up the length of corridor. As he rounded the corner at the end, he angled his body and balanced himself with his hands on the walls, barely slowing as he entered the new direction. Charging up the next length of hall, his mind raced with fear. He felt panicked and consumed with grief. Realizing his deteriorating state, he forced himself to focus. Pushing the negative thoughts and emotions from his mind, he concentrated on formulating a plan once he had the rope.
In seconds, he rounded the next corner and now rushed up the incline toward Zeus’ golden statue. Pumping his arm and legs, he began to feel his breathing increase. He ignored his winded state and pressed on harder.
Rushing around the next corner, he used the massive statue as a means of balance. Body-checking the heavy object, he deflected off it and hurried higher up through the pyramid.
In his final push, he rounded the last corner and sprinted into daylight. As he exited the pyramid, he rushed to Javi’s jeep parked several feet from the entrance. Barely stopping, he grabbed the coiled rope and a jug of water and reversed his course. Now breathing heavily, he dug deep within him and pushed himself even harder.
As he descended down through the corridors, he could hear his breathing: loud and rapid. Seconds later, he rounded the corner by Zeus’ statue, and heard something else: the hysterical pleas for him to hurry. His mind now raced with terror. With each step he took, he could almost see Javi in his mind, sinking below the surface of the tar pit. The awful image was more than he could stand. He pushed himself to his breaking point, running on the edge of constant stumble, crashing into walls in a desperate attempt to run faster.
Rounding the last corner, Helena’s and Duni’s cries became even louder and more frightening.
“Jack, he’s under. His head is under. Hurry!” Duni shouted, his voice filled with panic.
Jack stopped himself abruptly. Seeing the ROV, he bent over it and secured one end of the rope around it. A long safety cable ran from the ROV from the other side, back up through the corridors to the surface. It was there in case the ROV ever became stuck and needed to be pulled out. It would now act as a firm brace for Jack to pull on. With the other two shouting for him to hurry, he uncoiled the rope and ran for the pit.
Without a thought for his own safety, he brushed past the horrified stares of Helena and Duni and leaped into the pit of tar. The drop felt like an eternity. A split second later, he was nearly up to his neck in tar. He tried to kick his feet, but the thick sludge prevented him from doing so. Quickly, he pulled on the rope and raised his arms above the surface.
He instantly began to thrash through the muck with his hands, searching for Javi.
“I can’t find him,” Jack shouted frantically.
“He’s a little to your right, Jack. Hurry!” Duni yelled.
Jack pulled on the rope, lifting himself out slightly, then flung himself back in again to the right. Immediately, he felt a solid mass below the surface. Holding his breath, he plunged his face below the thick sludge. He touched what felt like Javi’s shoulder. He ran his hand down around his neck and pulled.
Under the surface and desperate for air, he tugged hard on Javi while pulling on the rope. With each effort, he was running out of breath. His lungs became strained, screaming for him to breathe. He pulled harder. Slowly, he inched higher.
Jack felt the edges of faint approaching as he struggled below the surface. He knew he had only seconds before he too would pass out and probably die. He pushed his fear from his mind and concentrated the last of his strength on his effort.
With one last great surge of energy, he pulled on both arms, nearly bringing them both together, drawing both he and Javi higher. His head suddenly broke above the surface and he gasped for air. As the oxygen filled his lungs, his strength quickly returned. He pulled with even greater force.
Javi’s head broke the surface. Jack wiped away the thick tar from both their faces, then continued with his desperate task. As he pulled himself across the tar pit, Duni helped pull from above. Seconds later, he stared up at the fifteen feet he would now need to climb.
“I’m going to need your help on this one, guys. Helena, go sit on the ROV. Keep it from moving. Duni, after I tie the rope around Javi, I’m going to try pulling myself up. Sit on the edge and dangle your legs. I’m going to need them to climb up on.
“Got it, Jack. Hurry!” he shouted.
“Also, I’ll need your shirt. When I’m ready, throw it down to me,” Jack instructed.
“No problemo’,” he shouted back.
Jack hauled Javi out of the tar as far as he could, then tied a length of rope around his chest. Looking back up to Duni, he asked for the shirt. Duni tossed it down and Jack took a moment to clean the tar from his hands. He took a deep breath and began to climb.
Although he cleaned most of the residue from his fingers and palms, he couldn’t get it all. His hands began to slip. With each foot he ascended, he slid back almost half the distance. He ignored the loss and continued to work higher. The effort was frantic and exhausting. Half way up, the constant friction scraped any remaining tar from his hands, allowing him to move without slippage. He now scaled the remaining length quickly. As he reached Duni’s legs, he grabbed the material and pulled himself up and over the edge. With no time to rest, he rolled back over and pulled on the rope.
Javi’s lower body had sunk below the surface once more. With both Duni and Jack pulling on the rope, they quickly lifted him out.
“This is where it’s going to get real hard, real fast,” Jack said, his voice filled with desperation.
The two began to pull hard. Little by little, Javi rose higher. Both men strained their muscles to their limits. Blisters instantly formed on their hands as they continually re-grasped the rope while pulling higher.
Twelve feet…
Ten feet…
Eight feet…
Javi continued to rise. At six feet, Duni’s strength gave way momentarily. Javi dropped back down to the ten foot mark.
Jack looked back to Helena and shouted, “We need your help. Hurry.”
Helena rushed to their side. She grabbed the rope behind them and pulled with all her might. Seconds later, Javi rose above the highest point.
Four feet…
Two feet…
The surface…
Like a snake striking its prey, Jack lunged for Javi’s shirt and pulled. In a split second, he rolled him up onto the floor of the corridor.
“Bring me the water jug, quick,” he shouted to Helena.
A moment later, she handed him the water.
“I need your top too,” Jack shouted again while popping the top on the jug.
He could see apprehension on her face.
“This is no time to be bashful. I need to clear away the tar,” Jack explained.
Helena quickly stripped away her top and handed it to Jack. He ripped it from her hands and began to clean away the thick sludge from Javi’s face. Next, he poured water into his mouth and nose, then rolled him on his stomach. In a modified version of the Heimlich maneuver, he pushed hard on Javi’s lower back, forcing tar to dislodge from his nose and throat. He rolled him on his back and started CPR.
With air now being forced into his lungs, the lifesaving oxygen found its way to his still functioning brain. In seconds, he coughed. Jack rolled him on his side and he vomited small particles of tar and residue. For the next minute, he gagged and gasped for air as the tar worked its way from his throat and nasal passages. As his breathing returned to normal, Jack rolled him on his back once more.
“Welcome back,” Jack said, now smiling in relie
f.
“What the hell took you so long,” Javi shot back, mildly disgusted.
Jack smiled.
Looking up to Helena, he said, “I think it’s time to call 911.” Looking back down at Javi to insure his health, he added, “and I’m pretty sure we can do without the helicopter ride this time around.”
Javi smiled back at Jack.
“What a gyp. All this for a lousy ambulance ride,” he joked.
----- ----- ----- -----
Two weeks later…
Helena rushed up the switch-backed road leading to the great pyramid’s parking area. Seated beside her, Jack clung to his arm rest and grinned at her skill at negotiating the turns.
“Nice work. Where’d you learn to drive like this?” he asked.
“Athens. College,” she responded simply, concentrating on the road.
Halfway through the next corner, her rear end broke loose and began to fishtail. She added gas and steered into the turn, powering through the curve. As she straightened out, she stomped on the accelerator with greater force.
“You know, I can appreciate your effort to scare me, but maybe you should slow down a bit,” he asked, trying to be delicate about his request.
“No way. We’re burning daylight and I want to see what’s in that chamber,” she shot back bluntly.
“You mean this isn’t about you trying to scare me? Please tell me this isn’t only about you getting to see Zeus five minutes earlier and putting our lives on the line to do so?”
Helena thought about Jacks statement. She realized the absurdity of her actions and took her foot off the accelerator.
Hiding the true nature of her behavior, she forced a smile and said, “Did I scare you?”
Jack felt relieved.
“You know, for a moment there, you had me going?” he said.
“Honestly Jack, you’d have to be a complete idiot to think arriving five minutes earlier is worth the risk of death,” she added.
“Or seriously obsessed,” he countered.
He stared at her for moment, reading her expression. Something didn’t seem right. She could feel his eyes and began to grow worried her cover could be blown. As they rounded the last corner into the parking area, she quickly shouted to cause a distraction.
“Hey, there’s Javi’s jeep!”
Jack broke off his stare and turned to look.
“Yup, and he’s here earlier by the looks of things. Must be eager to find Zeus,” he replied.
As they pulled in next to the jeep, she breathed a sigh of relief that she was able to redirect his focus.
Inside the utility trailer, the four discussed the plans for the day.
“The last fifteen feet should go pretty quickly. I’m guessing no more than ten to twelve hours. I’m certain we’ll be able to see inside the chamber long before we reach it though,” Javi said.
“Are you sure you’re feeling up to this?” Jack asked. “Maybe you’d feel better putting in half days for another week.”
“Are you kidding me? I’m going crazy sitting home doing nothing while you three are here hogging all the action,” he joked. “No… it’s back to the normal work schedule for me. Besides, I’m feeling fine.”
“If you say so,” Duni added.
“I do say so. Now, enough of this nonsense. Let’s get to work,” he ordered in mock authoritative tone.
An hour later, set up just inside the pyramids entrance, the four monitored the progress of the ROV. Like before, they continued to analyze the area for more traps. After nearly five feet of travel, the bright lights on the ROV began to shine directly into the chamber.
“I think I see a door!” Helena shouted.
“I think you’re right. Hard to make out what they say from our location, but I definitely see hieroglyphics on it,” Jack responded.
“If my calculations are correct, the chamber looks about the same size as Poseidon’s antechamber: twenty feet by twenty feet,” Javi added.
Helena thought for a moment. Disappointment crossed her face.
“So you think this might be an antechamber also?” she asked.
“It’s kind of hard to tell. We’ll know shortly though,” Jack replied. “With every foot forward we move, more light shines in. I’m guessing we should be able to make a determination in a couple of hours.”
Helena nodded and wrung her hands nervously.
An hour later, they now could see the edge of something large, off to the left of the doorway. Jack smiled.
“Ah ha, I think we have confirmation,” he said proudly.
“What? What is it?” Helena blurted.
She squeezed in between him and Duni, trying to get a better view of the computer screen. Her mind raced with anticipation.
“If my guess is correct, I’d say both this and Poseidon’s antechamber are looking identical,” Jack said.
“I tend to agree, Jack,” Javi concurred.
“Which brings up another complication,” Jack responded.
“What?” What complication?” Helena blurted again, struggling to contain herself.
“Well, the only way to open the Poseidon’s antechamber is with the crystal globe I found while diving off Caicos Island. If my guess is correct, we’ll be needing that for this chamber too,” he responded. Turning to Javi, he continued, “Will the museum loan the thing back to us, you think?”
“I don’t see why not, after all, it’s not theirs, now is it?” he said with a knowing smile.
“Whose is it?” Helena asked.
“It’s mine, of course. I loaned it out. It’s now part of a display that travels around the world,” Jack explained.
“So where is it now?” Helena asked, with dread.
“It’s in the United States right now, on display in Washington D.C., at the Smithsonian Institution,” Javi cut in.
Helena’s face revealed her disappointment. Even if they cleared the chamber that day, it could take days before the crystal globe arrived.
“But don’t worry, ole Jack here knows some people in high places. He can have that ole bowling ball here by tomorrow, if need be,” Javi added jokingly.
“I think there’s a need,” Jack responded. “I should probably call them ASAP. Can you guys handle this?”
“It’s all routine at this point, Jack. Call away,” Javi replied.
As Jack left the pyramid, the three continued their search for traps. An hour later, he stepped back into the pyramid’s entrance and watched the action. All eyes were glued to the computer monitors. Now just feet from the doorway, the room was brightly lit. Just like the antechamber higher above in the pyramid, this room was also octagonal in shape and measured thirty feet across at its farthest point. Spectacular hieroglyphics covered the walls, floor to ceiling. At the far wall, two bronze statues resembling Atlantean warriors, guarded a large door. The floors appeared to have ornate tiling, and to the left, a great altar could be plainly seen, leaving no doubt this new chamber was identical to Poseidon’s antechamber two hundred feet higher. As the ROV’s cameras rotated, sending images back to the computer screens, all eyes stared at the grandeur of the room. Not a sound was made as they digested the magnitude of its beauty.
“Damn, I really wish I had known this sooner. They can’t get the crystal to me until the end of the week, four days from now,” Jack said, breaking everyone’s concentration.
“The end of the week?” Helena said, now visibly angry. “Jack, if you’re worried about postage, I’ll pay to get it here sooner.”
“Helena, it has nothing to do with cost. Although Javi’s reference about it being just a bowling ball may have indicated it didn’t have much value, the fact is, it’s a priceless work of art and certain precautions have to be taken to protect it. Actually, I’m kind of surprised they’re getting it to me so fast,” Jack explained.
Javi could see Helena saddened demeanor and tried to cheer her up.
“Helena, even if we finish today, we still have to examine the room with the RO
V, then do the physical walkthrough. We’re talking another three days at least. I believe the crystal will get her right on time,” he said encouragingly.
Helena only nodded.
----- ----- ----- -----
Four days later…
For the previous three days, the four did exactly as Javi had predicted. Every inch of the corridor and chamber were cleared of traps. No crack, no tile, no seam, was left unchecked. Feeling confident, the only thing left for them to do was to wait for the crystal.
As the morning broke and the sunshine filtered in through the blinds, Helena was already up and pacing nervously. Every few minutes, she checked her watch. At 8am, she couldn’t stand the wait any longer. She reached for her cell phone and dialed Jack’s number.
“What took you so long?” Jack answered.
“Huh?” Helena responded, caught off guard by Jack’s greeting.
“What took you so long to call? I really figured you would’ve started calling me at 4am. Kind of late, aren’t ya,” he teased.
“Ha… very funny. Now get your butt up and let’s get going. That crystal should be here in two hours,” she demanded.
“Don’t worry. We’ve got plenty of time. Javi’s picking it up from the local DHL office, so we have a couple of hours to relax.”
“Well, just the same, I think we should get over to the chamber and prepare for when Javi arrives.”
“It’s all done. We’ve cleared the area for traps and I know just how to operate the crystal to get the door open to the main chamber. Piece of cake,” Jack responded nonchalantly.
“Well, I’m not waiting around in this little shanty when I could be inside the pyramid, enjoying history. I heading over there now,” Helena said, feeling frustrated by Jack’s lazy attitude.
“Ok, ok… I’m getting up. Man, you’re such a slave driver,” he teased.
“I’ll see you over there,” she shot back.
As she hung up her phone, it immediately rang back again.
Tomb of Zeus (Atlantis) Page 10
