There was a ruffle among the leaves. Miles slowly reached for his pistol lying beside him while he pretended to be asleep. A shadow crept out of the woods on all fours, followed by two other shadows, which crept toward the tent where the farmer was recovering. They appeared to be foxes foraging for food, nothing to worry about.
Robert suddenly came out of the woods and made towards the others who were sleeping. His steps were slow and unsteady, and he looked around uncomfortably. Then Jody appeared, followed by two men who were not a part of Miles's team. Miles kept his cool with his gun pointed at one of the men.
Jody was saying something to the strange men in a language Miles had a hard time understanding. The men sounded angry and kept pointing at the tent where the farmer laid.
Miles couldn't wait anymore; it was apparent these were the local men, and they had returned to finish their business with the farmer. Miles fired a shot in the air, and the frightened men made to run back into the woods. By now, Jacques and the others were awake, and a scuffle ensued. Jody screamed something in the strange language, and the men halted.
"Somebody, tell me what's going on here," Daphne said in a shaky voice.
"They say we have something they want," Jody replied.
"We want you out of our land, but not before you hand over that greedy man who tills our soil with no respect to our tribe," a man who appeared to be the leader of the attackers said. He was tall and lithe, and his shrewd eyes took in everyone's expression swiftly. They were all taken aback by his fluent English.
"What a fine example of showing respect. Creeping up on Ndziwe's daughter and insulting her friends in their sleep. The same friends who had to sleep in the woods at the mercy of the hyenas and the foxes in your territory." Jody rolled up a sleeve of her shirt and showed the men a tattoo on her left arm. They gasped in surprise and formed a circle around Jody, and they slapped her tattoo and face in turns. Miles moved toward them, but Ian held him back with a tap on the shoulder.
"It could be some strange homecoming ritual. She seems fine with it," Ian said.
The men pulled Jody to the fireside, and they formed a circle around the fire. They broke into a song they clapped to as they danced around the fire. Jody sang lustfully, and her clear voice rang out in the cool air of the early morning.
"We are sorry, Ndziwe's daughter. But the times are not safe for you and your friends to wander in these parts. Balanga made himself a leader, but his followers turned on him last night and ended his rule of tyranny. The farmer you protect is believed to be his accomplice in his greedy dealings, and we do not want anyone who would remind us of Balanga's bad rule," the local leader explained.
"Balanga lied to you," Miles revealed. "He exploited the locals and the foreigners, and when both sides complained, he set you up against each other to cover up his deeds."
"How do you know this?" The leader eyed Miles suspiciously.
"Because everyone far and wide has heard about Balanga's craftiness," Jody added quickly.
The leader looked from Jody to Miles. He had a wary look in his eyes.
"You have to leave here before the first light of dawn. There's a church a few miles from here, and you should be able to reach it before sunrise."
And with that, he disappeared into the forest with his men.
An uncomfortable silence followed the local men's exit. No one moved or said anything, but it was clear from their expression that another attack could be imminent.
As if on cue, everyone began to pack up. They could not hang around anymore.
Miles and his men set off into the cold, damp jungle. In addition to watching out for creepy nocturnal animals hunting for food, they had to listen for any approach from the attackers and take turns carrying the farmer. He was still knocked out from the anesthesia Rhoda had given him.
"I wonder what this guy feeds on. Certainly not just pickles and corn. He is as heavy as a cow, and I'm afraid to say carrying him could permanently deform anyone's spine," Kevin complained.
"Would you quit whining and just do your job?" Gary admonished. "Believe me, Kevin, it would be a great tragedy if you got hurt in this jungle."
Daphne walked very close to Jasper. She kept looking around and jumped at every sound. The team moved on, silently battling the mosquitoes and avoiding close calls with the unforgiving adders that hissed at the unwelcome intruders.
They had barely ascended a knoll when a frog croaked nearby. Daphne jumped out of her skin and clung to Jasper in fear.
"Daphne? It's only a frog. Although they could be poisonous but wouldn't hurt you if you mind your business," Ian said.
"I hear another one," Zoe observed. "Sshhh, everyone listen. There's more of them, and they sound too loud and irregular for frogs."
There were more croaks this time, and they were getting louder.
"Don't be silly, guys. Now that's a real bullfrog. He is the boss, and he is making that clear to every sucker who thinks…." Robert joked.
"Run," Jody whispered. "Now."
"What? Why?"
"Those are marauders announcing the discovery of prey," Jody explained. "Wait, don't run; walk faster. It'll make them think we are still unaware of their presence. The flight could make things worse."
Jasper picked up the farmer from Kevin's back and hung him over his shoulder like a damp towel. Everyone quickened their pace, but the undergrowth and the steep knoll made movement difficult.
They stopped at the top of the hill to catch their breath.
"Guys, we have to move faster! I can see them closing in on us… Run!" Gary screamed.
They stumbled over themselves as they descended the hill. Luckily the church was in sight, and they all made a mad dash for it.
The sun was barely peeking above the horizon when the group arrived at the church. About fifty worshippers gathered for the morning Mass when Miles and his team stumbled into the building.
Women shrieked and ran behind men for protection at the sight of the invaders. Some nuns and priests scurried under the church pews while others ran around confused.
Jasper put down the farmer, who was bleeding again after falling off twice, and quickly bolted the door.
A priest came forward. He was shaking from head to toe, and his face was red with the brave effort he was putting in every step. He approached them cautiously, his hands trembling at his sides.
"This i-is a h-holy place," the priest stammered. "Do you seek anyone?"
"We are sorry to barge in on you like this, but we are under attack. We came upon some men in the forest," Miles explained.
A look of relief passed over the priest's face. He calmed down a bit, although he was still wary.
"The marauders. You must have gotten too close to their territory," the priest explained. "But what are you doing out there so early?"
"We thought we could camp out and study the nocturnal animals in the forest for research purposes," Ian put in.
"Oh…" A slow smile spread across the priest's face. "You are welcome then." The priest moved towards the door to open it.
"Do you think that's a good idea?" Kevin asked.
"The marauders can't come this far. We are all safe here," the priest replied.
Miles and his team sat on the pews as they waited for the priest to conclude the proceedings. The farmer had been taken to the small clinic close to the church, where he was given medical attention.
Occasionally, one or two people would steal a suspicious glance at the team, but there was one nun who wouldn't stop staring at them. They paid her no heed, probably because she was just as afraid of them as the others.
"I think I'll need a walk. This place is kind of claustrophobic," Jasper said.
"It's not a surprise considering your height," Kevin laughed. "I'll come with you."
"Me too," Zoe said. She felt nauseous and sick from all that running. Zoe had barely taken a few steps when she fell to the ground. In a flash, the nun who had been staring at them was beside her.
"Leave her alone," Ian ordered. "We will take care of her."
"I am a midwife," the nun replied quietly. "She is with child."
___________
North Johannesburg
South Africa
It was almost noon the following day when Miles and his team arrived at the site. Everyone, except Miles, was disappointed at the ruins. They had expected to get to some comfort, but here they stood in the midst of some ruins.
"Be careful," a bespectacled man called out from behind a huge block of stones. "The ground is treacherous and might cave in there." It was Jason, the assistant to the foreman who worked at the cave before the accident.
The team moved away from the spot.
"Hello, Miles," Jason greeted. "You kept me waiting, you know. But good thing you are finally here. I believe we can get to work immediately."
Jason scanned the faces of everyone on Miles's team. "Rough journey, huh? I see you handpicked these folks. Never seen a finer squad."
"We lost twenty men in the accident, and after the rescue team had done their job, we had to wait for orders to begin investigations," Jason revealed. "Every day, the mystery gets deeper. The more we unravel, the knotty it gets. I'm not surprised because that's what you get when you poke into the devil's business."
"The devil's business? What on Earth is that, and what are we doing here?" Kevin asked.
Miles ignored him. "How bad is it?" he asked Jason.
"Speak up, man!" Kevin yelled. "I demand an answer now!"
Miles let out a slow sigh.
"I'm sorry I had to put this off until now. We are here to find out what happened to the mine," Miles explained. "I apologize for my misconduct, guys. Mr. Wordsworth made me your captain, and that means I am responsible for each one of you as long as you are here."
Kevin approached Miles menacingly, his jaw taut with anger.
"You are no captain, clown. I have always known you had some tricks up your conniving sleeves," he spat.
"Yeah, you can’t just drag us halfway across the world to tell us this now. It's so unfair," Ian protested.
"There's a thousand-dollar check and a flight ticket for anyone who does not wish to go in there. I don't know what's in there, but many powerful people do not want us to find out. I would recommend that you take the money and leave."
"Better yet, I'll take it," Kevin hissed.
"Good idea," Miles retorted. "Does anyone else want to leave with him?"
Ian stepped forward. "I don't remember everything that happened during and shortly after the airdrop, but it was scary just hearing about it," he said uneasily. "I think it'll be best if I go back. I'm sorry; I wanted to be a part of this adventure."
"It's alright, Ian. You'll be fine," Miles said.
Zoe and some others stepped forward. Miles was down to only five men, but that didn't seem to deter him.
"We still need more hands," Jason said as they watched more than half of Miles's team exit.
"Not to bother, Jason. This number will do. We do not need a crowd," Miles reassured him.
"I think we would have to come back later for this," Jason said to Miles. "Perhaps when you have sorted things out. In the meantime, why don't we all get back to the base? The plane will pick up those who want to return, and the rest of us could do with a little break and a hot meal."
Jason drove them to the airstrip, where a plane was already waiting for them. The truck had barely come to a halt before Kevin jumped out. He seemed too happy to leave. He didn't even say a proper goodbye before leaving. Miles was secretly glad to see Kevin go. He was becoming a sort of problem with his endless opposition. If left unchecked, it could grow into a rebellion that could impede their mission.
Zoe, too, was going back to the States. She could not cope with her condition anymore. She had thought she was strong enough to defy all odds, but hyperemesis gravidarum had other ideas.
She gave Rhoda a hug before she left.
Ian was sad to leave, but he had to. He kept looking back as he walked to the plane.
No one else made any move to leave after Ian.
"Anyone else?" Miles asked.
"We changed our mind at the last minute," Gary said. "There's no way you are going to do this all by yourself."
Gary wanted the money, just like the rest. The thought of going home with more than a million bucks far outweighed the initial disappointment and anger they felt.
Jason took Miles and his team to the base, where he introduced them to his own colleagues. There was a junior archaeologist who worked with the research institute in Florida and two other men who assisted Jason.
Miles and his team were shown to their quarters, where they cleaned up before joining Jason for lunch. They were more than glad for the meal. It had been almost forty-eight hours since they had such comfort.
Halfway through the meal, a rather willowy man walked into the dining hall. He seemed to have lost his way. No one paid him more than a glance when he approached the table. They assumed he was just one of the butlers who worked at the base.
"Dr. Samuel," Jason called out. "I sent for you but learned you had gone off to town for some errands."
The man ignored Jason and pulled out a chair for himself beside him. Jason touched his arm slightly to draw his attention and repeated what he had said.
"Oh, I had to replace this," Dr. Samuel replied in a very thick Indian accent as he fished out a hearing aid from his pocket.
Jason hit his fork against his glass to draw attention. "Guys, I want you to meet Dr. Samuel, my colleague and trusted friend. Dr. Samuel, this is Miles and his team. They are here to join us in solving the mystery."
"I am sorry I didn't quite get the last part, Jason. But it's a pleasure to meet you all." Samuel smiled.
After lunch, Dr. Samuel and Rhoda struck up a conversion about medical technology while the rest of the group sat together in the drawing room to discuss their next line of action. Jason revealed for the first time that the last team of investigators had gotten so close to the excavation site before tragedy struck. So much had been unraveled, and they were very close to revealing the truth before they died mysteriously. Mr. Woodsworth was unaware of this.
Miles was a bit taken aback by this new information and wondered what else was there for him to discover. Jason figured out that if they were to get to the bottom of the issue, they had to find out what happened to the others so they wouldn't fall victim.
Nicholas suggested that the mine required some blood sacrifice as access to whatever lay in the secrets of its depth. He had heard the story from his grandfather and another account from an uncle.
Miles and the others simply laughed it off. Nicholas's theory sounded like a fable, and it had no logical or scientific backup.
Jacques suggested that the high level of poisonous gas present in such places could be the reason behind the mystery. Although reports stated otherwise, it didn't rule out the possibility that there could be such an occurrence. Miles seemed to agree with Jacques, although he wasn't satisfied with either answer.
On inquiry, Miles learned that the last team had documented every bit of their findings and other activities electronically and manually. Everything disappeared strangely after the tragedy. Nothing was found in their rooms or in the backpacks they had carried along with them to the site.
"The luggage must have gotten to you by now,” Dr. Samuel said in whispers as he spoke to a caller on the phone. “I made sure it was delivered by the best. That is all there is at the moment. A new flock of curious monkeys arrived today, sent by you, I suppose, haha. They look so eager to jump on their foolish course...No, their leader smells like trouble. Miles, is that his name? Trust me, he won’t be a problem. I have to go now. I expect to get your call in the morning." The doctor took out the hearing aid from his pocket and fixed it back on with a leer on his face.
10
Chapter Ten
North Johannesburg
South Africa
"Wait," Ian
suddenly said as they approached the jet meant to take them away. Kevin groaned but stopped and turned around to face him. Zoe stopped too. She looked fidgety, but Hayden kept moving toward the jet.
"What? What the hell is it?" Kevin asked. He seemed very jumpy and eager just to leave everything.
"I don't think this is the right thing to do," Ian confessed, turning his head to see that most of the other people who decided to leave had turned back with Miles.
"You're willing to risk your life for that asshole who didn't feel we were important enough to know the details of everything we're supposed to be doing here? Look, people have died because of this shit. I love my life, and I'm not about to throw it away for money I'll never get to spend," Kevin stated. He was unshakable.
"I agree with Ian," Zoe added. "We all knew there was a certain risk in coming here, and we were all willing to take that risk. I think it's hypocritical to leave."
"You're pregnant, for heaven's sake!" Kevin exclaimed, thinking Zoe would be the last person to put herself at risk. But she just folded her arms and stared at him defiantly.
"Whatever," Kevin said with his hands up. "Suit yourself."
He turned back toward the plane and walked away, leaving Ian and Zoe.
"He's right, you know. You're pregnant. You shouldn't be doing this."
"Don't tell me what I should and shouldn't be doing!" Zoe snapped and started walking to the hanger where they would find someone to take them back to meet the team. Ian stood still for a while, wondering if he had made the right choice. He watched Kevin and Hayden enter the plane, then waited until the plane took off.
"Well, it's too late now," he muttered to himself and jogged to the hanger where a Jeep was waiting to take them to Miles and the team.
"Why were you just staring like that?" Zoe questioned him when he sat next to her in the Jeep.
The Lost Treasure of the Aztec Kings Page 9
