"I think we've found what we are looking for," Hayden exclaimed.
"Great then, get to work immediately," Miles said.
Hayden obeyed at once while Robert, Jacques, and Gary offered the little help they could without getting in Hayden's way.
Miles was restless and couldn't hang around until Hayden made the fix. He had decided that at this point, he would have to go on to the core alone. He had caused them a lot of inconveniences, and this mission was for him, not them. Miles studied the map again to determine how far he had to go. Then making sure that no one saw him, he tore the map into two. One part led to the core. The other part would help his team find their way to the outside world should anything happen to him. He folded the letter and put it in his pocket before going over to Zoe to talk to her.
Zoe still kept Miles at arm's length. She had not gotten over what happened that night and gave Miles the cold shoulder. Miles pressed on until Zoe gave him her half-hearted audience. He gave her the second half of the map in his pocket when no one was looking.
It was time for Miles to leave, and Hayden was yet to progress with getting the radio back.
"Guys, I have to go now," Miles said. "You all are brave enough to come this far, and I hope this isn't the last place we meet. I have to go on to the core alone, and I will be back in no time. You all have to stay together until Hayden works something out. Hayden, get through to Doug as soon as you can establish communication."
There was an uncomfortable silence when Miles finished speaking. He turned to leave. As he went through the door, Miles wondered if he would see all those faces again.
___________
The church bell chimed, calling the faithful to worship, not too far away from where Jasper and Nicolas wallowed in a twenty-foot ditch with several other captives.
…and lust, oppression, crime.
As in the realms above.
The congregation's voice, which rose and fell in tune with the church organ, perfectly described the incidents in the last few days. Although it struck home that they were in a quagmire, it shed a tiny ray of hope. The singing meant that the guards were very likely to be in the church, thus giving Jasper and Nicolas a chance to escape the pit.
Jasper moved around, scanning the sides of the ditch for cracks or footholds. A few roots were sticking out by the sides, but most of them were broken by previous attempts to escape.
"We've been there, done that," one man said feebly. "Don't you think we would have been out of here if we could?"
"Don't dash his hopes; every newcomer brings something different with them. Everybody's eyes aren't as rheumy as yours," another replied.
"I'm hungry, not myopic. He'd better save some energy because he will need it to stay alive if he ever gets a chance to escape."
"We're all going to die anyway. So, there's no use trying."
Jasper paid them no heed if they wanted to stay in there; he needed to get out alive. He didn't come all this way to cower helplessly in a stinking hole. He thought of a human ladder, but the men were too weak to form one. Days of thirst and hunger were already taking their toll on them. Their clothes were too shabby to make any rope. But, of course, Jasper was not the first to come up with that idea, and the men had torn some of their clothing in a failed attempt to make some rope for themselves before Jasper's arrival. That futile attempt had only gotten one of them a twisted ankle when they all came crashing down.
Jasper noticed the only shade covering the pit was a tree whose branches bent right into the hole, but it was way too high for anyone inside to get to it. He could easily lift any of the men—two, even. But they were too feeble to even stand for more than a few minutes on their feet. Except for Nicolas, but he was way too short.
"Does anyone have any weapon or sharp-edged tool?" Jasper asked the men.
"I wouldn't be here if I had one. Oh, I would've ended my misery a long time ago."
"You think those skinny weaklings would have had a chance on me if I had something to defend myself with?" another man muttered. "I don't know if this might help…" He brought out a spoon from his shabby pocket and gave it to Jasper.
"Why would you have a spoon in your pocket? Do you go about helping yourself to people's food?"
"Shut up. I have a phobia of germs for anyone curious, and because of my work, I have to eat out every day. So, I always worry about sharing spoons with other restaurants, even though I know they are properly cleaned. I can't help thinking about what goes on inside their mouth."
"That's weird. But I think the spoon came in handy," Jasper replied.
Jasper began to dig into the side of the pit, and it was tedious work because the surface at that spot was dry and difficult to break through. Jasper had noticed that the pit sides had different layers of soil, which got easier to dig as he went higher. If he could dig footholds to a certain depth, Nicolas would continue until the top.
Jasper carried Nicolas on his shoulder as he dug the few footholds. They worked on different pit sides until they had made enough footholds for Nicholas to start climbing. Jason found a stick, and while Nicholas dug at one side, he dug at the other. The men below busied themselves with making a rope in case they needed it. This rope would double as a weapon, provided the guards were not armed with guns.
Nicholas dug as hard as he could, but he was not as strong as Jasper, and his arms were too short to make enough space for anyone bigger than he was. Worse still, the ground was very soft in some places, and the soil crumbled off easily. It was becoming too slippery to continue climbing. Nicholas kept digging, but he lost his hold and fell off his perch.
___________
Hayden's damp hair stuck to his sweaty forehead as he struggled with the equipment. Jacques sat in a corner with his head dropped in deep thought. Daphne was chatting away with Gary, who merely nodded and smiled half-heartedly. He was preoccupied with reflections on the next line of action. He wished Daphne would shut up, but ranting was all she could do to keep from bawling away her edginess.
It was two hours since Miles was gone, and there was no prospect that the radio might come on. Hayden was doing his very best, but nothing worked. Everyone got restless.
"You all might hate me for what I want to say right now, but I have to speak my mind," Robert started. "I've always known there was something off about that man, Miles. We've all gone through thickets and briars together, and now he's told us we have to stay back and stick together while he goes off to the core."
"If he wanted to kill us, he would have done it long ago. So, stop being paranoid; I'm trying to figure out how to get this thing working," Hayden retorted.
"How are you sure that's not dead equipment he's kept you busy with, so we might think he has given us a chance to get back to the surface? He could be a trafficker, keeping us, and off he goes to seal the deal."
"What nonsense are you talking about, Robert? Why didn't you think of that before you signed up for this?" Jacques asked.
"I suggested we leave this place and get back to the surface and find our way from there," Robert suggested. "Zoe, don't you think you should come with me? The air atmosphere down here is too stale for your baby and could only worsen nausea."
"You'll make such a great daddy, Robert. But no, thanks. I am just as healthy as every other person here, if not stronger. So, stop treating me like I'm disabled or something.
"You can go ahead, Robert. I think we're safer down here, and I believe Miles will be back soon," Rhoda said. "He wanted us to stay back so we don't get into any more trouble. But, unfortunately, we are not the only ones trying to get to the core, and it gets more dangerous along the way."
"Guys, we got a connection," Hayden announced.
Everyone cheered and hugged each other. Robert looked defeated, but he quickly came up with an excuse for being anxious. No one paid him any heed as they all gathered around Hayden.
"Hello? Hello? Can you hear me? Is anyone there?" Hayden spoke into the radio.
A volley of wor
ds they could not understand came through the receiver before the radio died again.
"It's alright, guys. But we can't give up now. It'll be back in no time."
It took Hayden another half hour to get things working again. This time they got to the gamekeeper's office. A short-tempered man, who sounded like he had a stick up his ass, answered the radio. Unfortunately, he was useless with geo-location and was less helpful with any details about getting through to anyone they could trust.
Another attempt reached an Indian housekeeper who refused to believe that Jacques wasn't her Spanish boyfriend, who had promised her years ago that he would return to Africa. She was too excited at first to say anything coherent. She screamed, sobbed, and went on and on about how much she had missed him. Jacques had to play along so he could get the much-needed details from her. In between chiding and lofty dreams, she told Jacques what he wanted to know.
Jacques felt terrible about lying to the poor girl, and he knew her heart would break into a thousand pieces when she found out that no Spanish boyfriend was coming back. But he assuaged his guilt with the thought that their survival depended on it.
Then the line went dead again.
"See, this is all planned out. First, he leads us to some shabby equipment, then conveniently disappears for hours. He is probably on his way out of Africa as we speak, and here we are resigned to our fate just the way he wanted," Robert ranted.
"Okay, Robert, how would you find your way if you wanted to go back? You've got no map," Gary said.
"I was looking over his shoulder the whole time he had the map in his hands. Why do you think I stand close to him when we are on the move? I have a good idea of the tracks here."
"Why should we trust you and your photographic memory, Robert?" Daphne asked.
Everyone stared at Robert. The expression on their faces echoed the same question Daphne asked.
16
Chapter Sixteen
Houston, Texas
April was driving home, and she was in a good mood. Work had been quite fulfilling, and she got a lot more done. More people were now visiting April's Nest. Although she was surprised that Roman Catholicism was more attractive to people than sexual orientations, it made her very happy.
She stopped at a Burger King and ordered a burger, large fries, and a Coke. As she made her way back to her car, the hairs on her neck stood on end as if she was being watched, but the feeling stopped when she got into her car, so she just shrugged it off.
She drove back onto the highway and started bobbing her head to the song playing on the radio while she munched down on her burger. Her thoughts suddenly drifted to Miles and the team in Africa. She wondered what they were up to at the moment, and she made a mental note to call Doug and ask about them when she got home.
"What the hell..." April muttered as her car started sputtering and slowing down. She managed to swerve off the road before the car completely stopped.
"Not when I was just having a good day," she grumbled and popped open the bonnet before getting down from her car. She was not even close to being handy and had no idea what she was supposed to be looking for as she lifted the bonnet above her head. Yet, everything looked acceptable to her. She groaned and walked over to the passenger's side to grab her phone. It was way too dark for her to be stranded.
She was about to dial her dad when a car pulled up behind her with full headlights. She froze for a minute, thinking she was about to get mugged or worse. But, instead, she quickly grabbed her purse and reached inside for the pepper spray she carried on her at all times.
"Hello! Do you need help?" a man's voice called out to her. He switched off his engine and stepped out of the vehicle.
"My, my car just stopped. I'm not sure why...I'm about to call for help, thank you."
"April?" The man's voice was heavily accented, and he sounded a bit familiar, but she could not see him yet.
"Who are you?" she asked, holding the pepper spray up.
"April, it is me...Raul. Professor Raul?" She finally stepped up to him, and she could see his face. Her jaw dropped in surprise.
"Professor? Wh-What are you doing here? Why...wow…" She was beyond shocked. Professor Raul Gonzalez had taken to her in art history when she was at Yale. He had been one of her favorite professors and always gave her special attention. Some of her friends teased that it was because he liked her, but she believed it was because he wanted access to her father.
"What a small world!" he exclaimed, laughing heartily. His salt-and-pepper beard had become more salt than pepper over the years, and he was not as fit as he used to be when she was in college.
"Yeah! I'm so surprised to see you and happy also. The universe must be looking out for me."
"Indeed," he chuckled and stepped closer to her car. "What seems to be the problem?"
"I have no idea! It just started making these awful sounds and slowed down. I tried looking into the battery or something, but who am I kidding? I don't know what's wrong with the thing."
"It's probably an engine problem."
"I'll have to call my dad to send someone."
"You stay at your father's?"
"No, but it's close..."
"Let me drop you off at home. You can call him tomorrow. He's probably swamped, you know?"
April smiled because she was reminded of how he always talked about her father when she was in school—constantly asking her questions about him and discussing his achievements with her.
"You're probably right. Are you not headed somewhere yourself, though? I can order an Uber."
"Nonsense," he said with a wave of his hand. He was wearing leather gloves. April frowned. It was summer, and the air was musty. What was the reason for the gloves? She did not ask, though. She assumed it was a personal choice.
"Come on. I'll take you home," Raul insisted and walked back towards his car without waiting for an answer. April sighed and grabbed her car keys and purse, then followed him.
"So, what are you doing in Houston?" April asked as they drove off.
"Just on some research business. Where is your house?"
"Woodland. Just drive. I'll give you directions."
"Alright."
They fell into silence, and she watched his grip on the steering wheel. It seemed rather tense. She felt her stomach grumble and suddenly wished she had carried the rest of her food from the car.
Raul broke the silence. "I have been reading your blog, by the way."
April turned her head to him in surprise. She never pegged him for the type to read blogs. Instead, he looked like someone who only read old books and newspapers.
"Really? That is surprising, Professor."
"Please, Cara. I am no longer your professor. Call me Raul."
"Okay, Raul..." she said slowly, and blushed for reasons she did not even know.
"Yes. It's fascinating to see your views on sexual orientations, on the alphabet community." Raul's voice was filled with disdain as he spoke.
"They do not like to be called that, "April said, and he scoffed.
"You believe that love is love?"
"I do because it is."
"That's ridiculous, Cara. If love is love, then if a brother loves his sister, it should be allowed?"
"No, that would be incest."
"So why is incest wrong and being gay is not?"
"They aren't related."
"Come on, Cara. There's a natural order of things. God has ordained that a man is with a woman. Anything else is simply wrong. Incest is wrong just like homosexuality or any other types that there are..."
"So, you're saying that a woman who feels love for another woman is wrong because of religion?"
"That feeling is not natural."
April paused and looked at the older man again. She had argued with many people about this, but it was apparent that she would not get anywhere with this man.
"They cannot control it, and it is not a choice. It is how they feel."
"Of course,
they can control it, and it is a choice! Think about it this way, Cara. Someone has psychopathic thoughts about killing people. It is how their brain is wired, but it doesn't make it right. We don't say because he cannot control it, it is right for him to kill people, do we?"
His argument stumped her for a minute, not that she agreed with him, but she did not know what to say to any of that. So, finally, she turned her gaze to the road.
"Take a right here."
He turned and chuckled.
"I swear you children are so hell-bent on breaking the rules and doing the opposite of everything that you have created more rules for yourselves. It's just like the issue of marriage. And you believe it's not 'til death do them part?"
"I believe that a marriage should exist as a sanctuary, something that both parties are happy about and thrive in. If it is toxic, abusive, and all of that, it should not exist."
"Hmm, interesting. I suppose you do not believe in God then."
"I believe in a higher power. What I don't believe in is allowing people to control and dictate my life using ancient books and doctrines." April knew her answer would irk him, but she was starting to feel entirely irritated herself. She wished she had called her dad like she wanted to instead.
"I see," Raul muttered. April gave him a side glance but did not say anything. Then, suddenly, he swerved sharply and drove onto the freeway, leaving the route to her house behind.
"What are you doing!" April screamed and turned her head back to see if there was something he was trying to avoid. Then, she faced him and yelled at him for an answer again.
"Be quiet!" he snapped.
She looked down and saw that he was pointing a gun at her stomach. She gasped and sank back into the seat.
"Why are you doing this?"
"I said be quiet!"
She flinched at the harshness of his voice and tried to remain calm. Her fingers moved carefully into her bag to try and fish out her pepper spray.
The Lost Treasure of the Aztec Kings Page 15
