“Come on, Rowan. I need you to focus. The point is, she’s okay now. I don’t need you coming home. If you come home, she’ll know I called you and she’ll kill me. She made me promise.”
“So make a promise to me... if anything changes?”
“I’ll call you first, and the airline second,” Bahati said flatly.
“You’re a good friend,” Rowan said. “To me and to Lauren.”
“I love you both,” Bahati said. “I promise to make sure she takes care of herself.”
“I appreciate that,” he said. “I’ll call you this evening. We’re about to go diving in an ancient cenote in the middle of the Yucatán.”
“Was that part of the plan?”
“Enrique wanted me to see something in this cavern.”
“Lauren’s going to be pissed,” she scoffed. “You know how she feels about caves.”
“Which is why it’s better that I go without her,” he said. “And that she doesn’t know. I’ll make a deal with you. I will formally disavow any knowledge of this conversation if Lauren calls me, if you don’t tell her I went diving in a cenote,” Rowan said.
“Deal.” Bahati agreed.
Chapter 9
“Rowan? What are you doing here?” Lauren was startled by his appearance.
“If you think I wouldn’t come home when I heard you were sick, you’re crazy.”
“Dammit Bahati,” she muttered under her breath. “I didn’t want her to call you and I didn’t want you to come home just because I’m sick. I’m not even that sick,” she moaned.
“You’re sick enough that you’ve been hallucinating,” he said, sitting on the edge of her bed.
“I have?”
He nodded. “Is the baby okay?”
“Yes,” she said, putting her hand over his, moving it to where a foot pressed against her abdomen. “The baby’s fine.”
He looked at her cautiously, seeing the trouble in her eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m a horrible mother...” Tears flooded from her eyes. “The baby’s not even here and I can’t do anything right.”
“What do you mean? You’re not doing anything wrong.”
“I let myself get sick.” She sobbed.
Rowan shook his head. “You didn’t do this on purpose,” he said. “You can’t blame yourself. You’re going to be a fantastic mother.”
“It’s just... I never had a good relationship with my own mother” she sniffed. “She didn’t need another kid. My father left because of me. I was an oops. She never meant to get pregnant with me. If it hadn’t been for my extended family, I might have died.”
She had told him before about how her aunts and older brothers had practically raised her. She had always fought with her mom, and the two hadn’t spoken in years. Even at their wedding, Lauren and Diana had been distant. It was impressive the woman had even come.
Growing up, her brothers took her hunting with them, and taught her how to survive on her own, from the time she was little. The only brother she ever had issues with was Michael. They had a competitive and contentious relationship. He was always trying to one up her in everything. “You’re not your mother, Lauren.”
She reached for a tissue to dry her eyes. “I know, but what if?”
Rowan’s hands spread over her growing belly and he leaned over and kissed her stomach. He rested his head on its swell, listening with an ear pressed to her bare skin. “I know many things in this world, and the one thing I know to be true, is that this child will be well-loved and well-cared for. We don’t have to be perfect parents; we just have to love our child with all our hearts.”
Her hand went to his hair. She loved running her fingers through it. The dim light played in the short cinnamon-gold locks. “If I love our baby half as much as I love you, that will be true,” Lauren said, sighing.
“I love you.” He lifted his head and rose, leaning down and kissing her.
“I love you too,” she responded.
“Well, I love you, too.” Bahati sat on the edge of her bed, with her hand on Lauren’s hip. “Welcome back.”
Lauren startled. She looked around; confusion written on her brow. “What?”
“You’ve been pretty out of it,” Bahati said. “How do you feel?”
“I’m angry.” She snapped at Bahati. “You called Rowan.” She shifted in the bed, drawing up the covers.
Bahati’s brow rose, but she held her ground. “Of course I did,” she said. “He’d kill me if I let anything happen to you.”
“Well he didn’t need to come all the way home just for me,” she said, looking over Bahati’s shoulder toward the door. “Where did he go?”
“What are you talking about?” Bahati asked. “Rowan’s still in Mexico. They went diving in a cenote.” She clamped her hand over her mouth.
“He went diving in a cenote!” Lauren started to sit up, but Bahati restrained her with a gentle hand. “What the hell is he doing diving in a cenote?
“What makes you think he was here?” Bahati retorted.
“I saw him. He was just... here” Lauren rolled over onto her back, pushing back her damp hair. “I swear. I was just talking to him. Don’t change the subject on me.”
Bahati’s hand went to her forehead. “You’re still burning up.”
“Why did Rowan go into a cenote? He knows how I feel about that.” She pouted, pushing Bahati’s hand away.
“Look, he’s an accomplished diver. He wouldn’t take any chances. Not now, with a baby on the way. I’m sure they took every safety precaution known to man.”
“Oh.” Lauren reached for the cup of water on the bedside table. She took a drink then shook her head. “I swear, it was like he was here. I could feel his hand on me... he kissed me.”
Bahati smiled at her. “Well, if I was going to hallucinate, that wouldn’t be a bad thing to envision.”
“Ew! Get your own husband!”
* * *
It was late afternoon before her OB came in to see her. “Full moon,” he said, as if it were an apology. “How are you feeling?”
“Better,” she said. “My back isn’t hurting as bad as it was.”
“Well, all your tests point to a kidney stone,” he said, confirming what the resident had told her earlier. He went over to the uterine monitor and studied the read out. “No more contractions since early this morning?”
“No,” she said as the nurse took her blood pressure and then her temperature.
“Fever’s down to 102,” the nurse said.
“Let’s do another round of antibiotics,” he said. “Lauren, I’m going to keep you one more night and see if we can’t get that fever under control and to keep you on IV fluids. Dehydration can be to blame for the kidney stone, but also for the contractions. The stone may have passed, but it might have just shifted. We can keep you comfortable, but I want you to lay off sodas, coffee, and tea as well from here on out.” Lauren nodded, but wasn’t happy about it. “I’m also putting you on bed rest until further notice.”
“Bed rest?”
“No physical activity, no sexual intercourse, and no more than twenty minutes out of bed a day. You can shower and make simple meals for yourself. You need to take it easy to make sure these contractions don’t start back up. I don’t need to tell you; 30 weeks is too early to deliver. Anything we can do to keep that baby in there for at least six more weeks, has to be done.”
“Can I do research with my iPad?”
“Yes,” he said. “But that’s about it. Rowan will have to do the housework, the shopping, whatever else needs to be done.”
“He’s still in Mexico.” Lauren pursed her lips, mentally going through her list of things she would need to have done for her, wondering how she would be able to do it.
“Is there someone that can help you until he gets home?”
“I’m sure I can get help,” Lauren said, meaning Bahati. She was confident she could count on her best friend.
“That’s good,” h
e said. “I just need to do a quick exam to make sure you’re not dilating.”
Bahati came back in after the doctor left. “So when can you go home?”
“Not yet,” Lauren said. “Maybe tomorrow ... if my fever goes down.”
“Bummer,” Bahati said.
“It gets better.” Lauren sighed. “I’m on full bed rest for the next six weeks, at least.”
“What does that mean?”
“No cooking, no cleaning, no shopping.”
“No working?”
“I can do research from bed,” she said.
“I’ll take care of anything you can’t do. You know that, right? At least until Rowan gets home.”
Lauren smiled, taking her hand. “Thank you.”
“I’m going into the office in the morning. I sent a request to the NTSB for a copy of the incident report on the socialite’s plane that crashed. A courier is supposed to deliver it.”
“Why the NTSB?”
“Because the FBI wouldn’t release the foreign criminal files, even with a formal Open Records request.”
“I wonder why?”
“They did tell me that two of the three kidnappers are currently up for parole,” she said. “I’ve found a couple of old news articles where they were eligible before, but their parole was denied.”
“I wonder why?”
“No telling,” Bahati said.
“What happened to the third kidnapper? Why isn’t he up for parole?”
“He escaped in 2009 and was never seen nor heard from again,” Bahati said, pausing as she glanced out the window. “You know, this is probably a big waste of time. We don’t have any reason to believe that she has anything to do with that pillar at Chichén Itzá.”
“Just a glyph we can’t explain and a myth about time travelers.” Lauren conceded. “If nothing else, it makes for a good story.”
“Now I know you’re feverish,” Bahati said. “You’ve never been happy with a good story.”
“You’re probably right.” She yawned.
“Truth Seeker?” the voice came to her in the night. She was wide awake. The ceiling tiles above her were swirling in patterns, like Rorschach’s blots. “Why do you not sleep?”
“I’m not sure,” Lauren said. “My mind is restless.”
“Among all the things you need, little one, sleep is the most important,” he said.
“How is it you always come to me when I am troubled?” Lauren asked.
“You call to me,” he said. “It is part of the ancient gift. It is the bond we share.”
“What do you know of the ancient people known as the Maya?” Lauren said.
“They lived in the time of the All-Father when the gods walked among us. They shared their knowledge with the People,” he said. “Show me the writings you saw on the pillar, Truth Seeker.” The blots on the ceiling morphed in to assorted glyphs, but the only one that came clear to her was the one with the supposed parachute. “Ah, that is the Jaguar Queen. She was sent from the heavens to the Maya. She had the powers of foresight and prophesy.”
“Was she a goddess? Or was she ... like me?”
“Like you. But she did not have the same gifts bestowed upon her,” he said. “Her titles were given to her by the people of the region. She was cunning, and wise, and grew into a great leader. You have powers she could never understand.”
“Like what?”
“Like your ability to summon me and to speak the Ancient All-Language,” he said. “You summoned the Protector when you needed him. You have the ability to see beyond the dark and into the world of the gods. You who seek the truth, have seen it, and have made wise use of it; the gods smile upon you and show you favor.”
“But how can I help Rowan?” she asked. “I can’t even get out of bed.”
“You must rest now,” he said. “Your power grows stronger even as your stomach swells. It is in slumber that the visions will come to tell you what you must know.”
The perfume of herbs filled the air around her, and it reminded her of the medicine woman who had tended them in the cavern beneath Mt. Saint Helen so long ago. Chamomile, willow bark, tansy... the heady fragrance was like an anesthetic. She breathed deeply. Her eyelids grew heavy. Sleep came with a feeling of peace and well-being.
Chapter 10
“Wow!” Rowan glanced down into a crater that opened up in the middle of the jungle. “How far down is that?” Sunlight pierced the canopy and the whole cavern glowed.
“It’s about six meters,” Enrique estimated as he stopped and peeled off his backpack.
“How do we get down there?” Jean-René asked.
“Getting down is easy.” Enrique bemused, gazing down into the cenote. His eyes lifted to Jean-René’s. “Getting back up, not so much.”
Rowan inspected the ancient tree trunk and the cantilevered jib. There was a rusted pulley and ropes made of natural fibers. They were dried, and the fibers turned to dust as the crew started rigging the ropes, preparing the equipment to be lowered. “I suspect getting back up has something to do with this. What is this? A jib crane?”
“Exactly.” Enrique beamed. “The fun part is jumping in.” He turned and waved a hand towards the crew he’d brought with them. “These guys get to hoist us back up.”
“Is this thing safe?” Rowan inspected the jib dubiously.
“Please!” Enrique scoffed with a titter of a chuckle in the back of his throat. “Would I joke about your safety? I have been down here a dozen times. It has never failed me.”
Rowan wasn’t sure he appreciated the professor laughing about something so serious. “If safety is a joke, then death is the punchline,” he muttered.
“Of course it is safe,” Enrique assured him with a hearty slap on the back. “Trust me. The modern Maya are just as good at engineering as their ancient ancestors. I promise you, it’s safe.”
“How ancient is this though?” The old rope ran through his fingers and fibers sloughed off into dust. Rowan stepped back and stood with his brows lifted and his hands on his hips. He glanced down in the hole, then back at the jib. “We could just send the ROV.”
“Chicken.” Jean-René cackled at him from behind the camera.
Rowan flashed a bright smile. “In the famous words of my wife...” He held up his middle finger at Jean-René and the camera. With a chuckle of resignation, he started peeling out of his backpack. “Let’s do this.”
“I’m not jumping with the underwater camera,” Jean-René shook his head.
Rowan’s head shot up as he turned and locked eyes with his Chief of Photography. “Who’s chicken now?”
“You can hoist it down,” Alejandro suggested.
“I’ll stay up here and run the ROV,” Jean-René volunteered, staying well back from the edge of the crater. “We can film video with it. Looks like the water is really clear.”
“Alejandro? You want to come down with us?”
“No, I think I’ll stay up here with the hoist team,” he said. “You’re a pretty big boy. I’m not sure these guys can hoist you up. Besides, if that pulley snaps, you’re going to want me top side.”
Rowan glanced at the four guys Enrique had brought along. Not a one of them was much taller than Tuuk, and Rowan probably outweighed all of them. Alejandro, on the other hand, at least had a chance, especially with Jean-René to help.
“Okay,” Rowan said. “Looks like it’s you and me, Dr. Rick.”
Enrique chuckled. “That’s funny.” The professor grinned. “I like that one.”
“Suit up, let’s go,” Rowan said, looking directly at the camera, a look of annoyance on his face.
* * *
Once they were in their dive suits, Rowan stood at the cavern’s edge. He steeled his courage. “Six meters, huh?” He took a deep breath.
“More or less,” Enrique said, with a wave of his hand. “After you.”
“Uh, yeah.” Rowan shook his head. He glanced at Jean-René and the camera. “What the hell, right? Her
e goes nothing.”
Rowan took a running start and leapt out into the air. He seemed to hover at the apex of his jump for a split second before he fell straight down. He had the good sense to straighten his body like a pencil, rather than going for a cannonball. He cut through the water with almost no splash. He went deep but popped right back up, with an enthusiastic cheer. “Whew!”
“I told you that was the fun part!” Enrique called down as Rowan swam to the side of the pool.
“You didn’t tell me it would be so cold!” Rowan called back. His voice echoed.
Enrique took a running leap himself. “Banzai!” He jumped and landed a few feet from Rowan, splashing him.
* * *
It took some time to get the equipment down to them, including their diving gear and the cameras. Rowan was shivering by the time they were all set to go. Enrique led him down into the dark depths. The water was as clear as glass. The effect was disconcerting. After a while, Rowan wasn’t sure which way was up and which way was down. If it weren’t for the bubbles, he could see how someone might get lost.
“How deep is the water?” His voice sounded hollow through the intercom built into his dive mask.
“About 38 meters,” Enrique answered.
“That’s what?”
“About 125 feet.” The professor knew exactly what Rowan was asking about. “Americans and your lack of metric comprehension.”
“Sorry,” Rowan said. “They stopped teaching it when I was in third grade.”
“There are a series of tunnels at 30 meters. They’ve started collapsing, so it’s not safe to explore,” Enrique said. “But I think you’ll be interested to see something over here.” Rowan followed him down all the way to the bottom. There on a stone shelf, they found an altar, much like the one at the circle of standing stones. A pile of human skulls lay on one side of it. Skeletal remains lay scattered on the other side. Below, was a second shelf littered with more bones.
“The Maya believed the humans were made from corn and the blood of the gods. In order to appease them, blood had to be shed. Human sacrifice was a common practice. You know this,” Enrique said. “However, this site when it was in use, it wasn’t under water. These altars were on dry, hallowed ground.”
The Jaguar Queen Page 7
