The Mayan Priest (26 page)

‘No, the informer in Dale Bright’s team told us to locate a tunnel at the base of the shaft which was confirmed by a copy of the scans he provided. Breaking into the shaft and saving the archaeologists is a waste of our time,’ said Samuel with no emotion.

‘I was under the impression that they have the intelligence needed to help us locate the disk,’ replied Donnel.

‘Our directives have changed. Unfortunately the disk perished in the helicopter fire along with the woman and the Australian. We are seeking a far greater treasure.’ Samuel licked his lips at the thought of what they might find – gold, jade, precious artefacts. He could think of no other reason why the engineer of this tunnel would construct such an elaborate trap and treasure hunt unless the prize was precious beyond belief. Much to his pleasure, his ahaw had agreed with him and fully backed his endeavour to discover where the tunnel led.

He dismissed Donnel with instructions to keep digging, knowing full well that he would have him killed when it was over. Donnel was useful for keeping the men in order, but he was driven by his own agenda and was likely to steal from him. Samuel could not risk a loose cannon!

With the images of a vast treasure swirling around, Samuel considered his actions over the last few days. This had been his first espionage mission and he had been looking forward to it with great anticipation. In particular was the opportunity to use his mind and intelligence by hunting the woman and her Australian friend. Unfortunately the journey was fraught with dangers of the psychological kind.

By following them, he had gained knowledge of their behaviours and mannerisms which unwittingly caused him to lose his purpose. He found himself dwelling on the woman more often than he cared to admit, but his thoughts were not of a sexual nature. There was something about her that he admired, a strength accompanied by an indomitable spirit that he had not seen before. It was for this reason that he could not mention her name for fear of developing a familiarity he would only need to remove. It was so unlike him to suffer uncertainty that he took to asking the gods for their understanding of his weakness.

Samuel performed his usual bloodletting in the hope that the gods would forgive his traitorous thoughts, but even this tried and true formula did not distract him from a long lost emotion that had crept into his awareness. The sensation crawled about his body like a nest of invading ants as they explored every nook and cranny. It was a warm but tingly feeling of familiarity that he could not place and despite his every effort to quell the discomfort, it defied him and continued to grow.

Samuel was a strong man with a singular purpose to serve his ahaw, but even he knew that he must identify and shut down any emotions that could cause him to stray from his plan. His life had been formed by the unyielding and often callous hand of his ahaw. He had learnt the benefit of a strict training regime and the punishment required to bring out the best in a person. Fear was a great motivator as was the loyalty this created. Samuel ensured that he passed these qualities on to his men. They knew that disloyalty brought death. Still, with his steely resolve firmly in place, Samuel could not shake his sudden awareness of something other than hate, fear or determination. It was a long lost feeling that he was afraid to rediscover.

He frowned uneasily. The rain was pounding the waterproof canvas tent with an increasing intensity that could delay the dig. He knew the guise of restoration would only last so long and it was imperative that they finish within a couple of days at the outside.

He gazed at the door of the marquee furnished with a table, chairs, fold-up bed and superior bedding and hoped that the rain would ease quickly. Not only was the dig important, but he had intended to travel to Palenque tomorrow. Over the past couple of days, he had followed the woman, tracking her activities with a new high resolution Nikon camera. Despite her death and the now defunct necessity to get their hands on the disk, Samuel had the distinct feeling that there was more on her agenda than just saving the archaeologists. They were clearly following a trail of clues, reiterated by the three unusual paintings found at the Australian’s house. His curiosity got the better of him. His interest had been whetted.

Samuel’s moment of contemplation passed when an unexpected shout from the workers resonated across the lush landscape. He sighed and reluctantly stood up, moving away from the cooling ‘generator run’ fan into the stifling night heat. Samuel was well adept to the Central American weather, but he easily recalled his first forage from the cool haven of his home, deep in the bowels of the mountains into the temperature of the outside world. Initially he had been overwhelmed by the change in environment and activity surrounding him, but he absorbed the stimulation like drought ridden foliage. It had been a delight to his senses and he still revelled in the changes it offered, although tonight was a little too extreme. The rain-filled clouds trapped the humidity like a blanket and Samuel inhaled deeply as he went to determine the cause of the disturbance.

‘Sir, we have had an intruder,’ a slender young man exclaimed frantically as he pointed towards the line of vehicles parked within the boundary of protection.

‘That is not possible,’ scowled Samuel as he surveyed the fleet and noted that one of the four jeeps was missing.

‘I cannot accept that one of the captives escaped or that we have a traitor in our midst!’ Samuel raged. He was furious and longed to punish whoever was responsible.

The young man shrank back in fear as Donnel stepped forward and looked Samuel in the eye. ‘All captives are accounted for as are all of our men,’

‘Well, who the bloody hell took it, then?’

No one responded.

Samuel was so angry that he longed to remove the heads of the guards who failed to protect their belongings, but he knew that would achieve little. It was one thing to keep a tight rein on his men, but he also wanted them to work hard for him and he knew there was a fine line between loyalty and mutiny. Anyway, another almost impossible thought had entered his conscience. What if the woman had survived! Their helicopter was destroyed and this camp was the only place that would contain the means for escape. He deliberated thoughtfully. If this were the case, the dark and hazardous conditions of the jungle would mean they could do little tonight.

He would wait until the morning.

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

Georgio stepped from the cavern with caution, followed closely by Adam. It had been decided that Georgio would go first considering he was the one with combat experience and Adam was the beginner, although he was catching on fast. He had learnt more about conflict and survival in the last three days than he had in his entire life although he was yet to decide if he actually enjoyed the fast paced, adrenaline filled existence. There was something considerably more enticing about sitting in the safety of his small home than being dragged through a hazard-filled jungle in Guatemala.

The weather had taken hold and although it was pouring with rain, the heat was oppressive and Adam removed his jacket.

‘Put that back on,’ ordered Georgio as Adam glanced questioningly at him. ‘Your green shirt looks like a vibrant parrot and could attract unwanted attention.’

‘It’s not bloody bright anymore, Mate. Look at the amount of dirt it has on it,’ Adam complained as he hoisted his brown jacket onto his shoulders.

‘It’s hard to imagine you’re a clean-cut schoolteacher,’ commented Georgio in good humour as Adam gazed at himself.

It was true. His kids would not recognise him like this. His slacks, shirt and jacket were ripped, burnt and dirty. His face and hands were full of abrasions and minor cuts and his hair looked as if it had developed a will of its own. He would give anything for a shower right now.

‘Come on, Professor,’ Georgio teased as Adam placed one foot at a time on the mud track. It was so oily that one false move could mean capture and possible death, forcing Adam to follow Georgio footstep for footstep.

As they encroached on the outer positions of the camp, Georgio put his hand out to stop Adam from colliding with him. ‘Over there,’ he gestured, pointing towards a nearby tree which provided a small amount of protection for the guard it sheltered. The guard was pressed as close to the tree as possible, his rounded shoulders, ducked head and general disposition clearly revealing that he was far more worried about how uncomfortable he was than the possibility of attack. He was an easy target.

Georgio crept up behind him using the cover of the night and curtain of rain as protection. He was within striking distance before the guard detected his presence, but by then it was too late. Georgio struck him viciously at the base of the neck, rendering him instantly unconscious.

Adam exhaled. He was glad that Georgio was here to do the dirty work.

They pulled the body up behind the tree, ensuring that all appendages were well hidden from any potential viewer before proceeding to crawl across a small open space using the remains of a boundary fence as cover. They quickly reached a grass-covered ruin with a wide archway and buckled walls, taking a moment to enjoy the shelter from the rain and stretch their aching legs.

Georgio chuckled at the sight of Adam’s strained face before drawing his attention to a small window that provided a perfect view of Samuel’s undertakings.

Adam gazed out of the window, thankful that Samuel had chosen to work through the evening. He had provided a flood lit arena that allowed them see where they were going and it was to their advantage.

‘There are three men to the east and the west. Directly in front of us are another dozen men guarding a collection of heavy machinery and we know that there is nothing behind us. I would conclude that the cars are beyond the machinery,’ observed Georgio.

‘I’d take my chances with the group to the east. For one thing, they look considerably more relaxed in comparison to the ones to the west who seem on high alert as if they are guarding something,’ offered Adam.

‘Well noted. I’d agree with your observations, but it leaves me wondering who or what they are protecting.’

‘It might be the archaeologists. Perhaps the shaft is down there,’ offered Adam.

‘I don’t think so. From what I’ve heard, the shaft is sealed within a group of ruins and not out in the open. Anyway, Samuel does not wish to save them, so protection would be low on his agenda. I’d lay my bets on the men sent by General Bright. They are highly trained combatants, used to situations exactly like this. If they were allowed to escape, they would pose a major threat to Samuel’s activities and could quite possibly shut him down,’ said Georgio.

‘Doesn’t that make you wonder how they were captured in the first place?’ mused Adam, his question bringing about a frown of concern from Georgio. Adam looked at the well-muscled, tanned face and noted deep lines of unease appearing in the corners of his mouth. It was clearly a question Georgio had pondered but could not answer. He did not reply and Adam dared not to press, knowing that the men were part of the group Georgio had served with over the years on their various missions. He would know each man intimately and understand the frustration they must be suffering at their capture.

‘If we had time, I would free them, but the possibility of being caught would risk the lives of the men, Gillian and the archaeologists.’

They moved in an easterly direction beneath the darkness of the tree line, stopping only to avoid the occasional startled animal. Adam shivered. The forest was full of life with the sound of the howler monkeys and shadows of unidentified creatures adding to the eerie atmosphere. It was further enhanced by the thick teeming rain, dark forest and uncanny glow omitted by the portable generator-run lights Samuel had installed.

Taking care not to create any undue noise, they timed their approach by throwing a stone to create a distraction. When the three men turned their backs to identify the cause of the sound, Adam and Georgio snuck in behind a small overgrown building situated thirty feet from the required position. It created the perfect opportunity to study the challenge ahead and they quickly noted the three men relax after determining the noise did not pose any threat.

Despite his strict regime, Samuel had also provided the men with the protection of a portable shelter made of four retractable legs and a weatherproof canvas roof. It had the dual effect of keeping out the rain but also of lulling the men in a false feeling of security. Within moments they were busy chatting and lighting cigarettes.

It was time to strike.

Georgio looked at Adam as an unspoken understanding passed between them. Adam instantly realised that Georgio did not expect him to take the lead but to protect his back from any unexpected attack. He nodded in agreement.

His body was tense and his nerves on edge, but Adam felt clear of mind and prepared to do whatever he needed to assist Georgio. He sprang to his feet as Georgio leapt forward, targeting the man closest to him. The medium height, balding man did not even see it coming. With stealth-like ability of a man half his age, Georgio ran low to the ground, covering the thirty feet in a few leaps. He wrapped his thick arms around the man’s neck and snapped it in an instant.

In the moment it took for the two other men to realise their companion had died, Georgio had made a beeline for a tall, black-haired Asian. The benefit of surprise had been lost and the Asian reacted instinctively by swinging a left hook at Georgio. Georgio ducked and slammed a fist up into his unprotected rib cage. He gasped in surprise but returned the punch with his right fist. The rain was impeding Georgio’s efforts and he slipped when he attempted to return the attack, but he used his misadventure to his benefit. He slid along the ground, grabbing the man by his knees and pulling him down with him. They rolled over with Georgio eventually getting the upper hand and pinning the man beneath him.