“Let’s just hope there’s a place that’s not too high and easy to climb.” She smiled. “After all, I doubt your ancestor was an experienced climber.”
“Hope you’re right. But remember, if there were an easy way up or down, then there wouldn’t be any isolation of the things that supposedly live up there — according to Benjamin, it was supposed to have formed a perfect barrier against anything climbing up, or scaling down.” Ben got to his feet and held out a hand.
Emma grabbed it and hauled herself up. “I guess if we find the plateau, that’s something. But if we don’t get to the top, we’ll never know if it’s the right one.”
“We’ll get to the top,” Ben said confidently. “One way or the other, we’re getting up there.”
“Or at least a few of us will,” Emma added.
Ben squeezed her hand. “And no, you’re not going up by yourself.”
“Yes, Dad.” She grinned back.
The group marched on in silence. The rain set in again, and the jungle was thickening with all manner of strange plants that eluded all of Jenny’s attempts at identification. Pushing aside some fronds, Dan yelled in triumph and ran a few feet forward.
“Ha.” He turned and pointed. “The cliffs.”
Like the rest, Ben couldn’t help running through the ferns and vines to break through and see the orange-pink walls just peeking through the jungle. Their tops were lost in the ever-present low cloud, but he couldn’t stop the grin from splitting his face.
“Oh yeah!” He walked forward, looking one way then the next along the impressive sight. To their left, a waterfall tipped water from somewhere high above them to change to sparkling diamonds in the diffuse light. Both ways, the cliffs continued on until they vanished in the distance without any sign of them curving.
“It’s freaking huge,” Jenny said.
“I cannot climb this,” Nino said, looking pale. “Maybe those who do not climb should wait here.”
Ben nodded. “No one has to climb if they don’t want to.”
“That’s right, buddy. Feel free to miss out on all the fame, glory, and whatever amazing things we find up there.” Dan jiggled his eyebrows
Nino frowned. “There will be treasure?”
“No, unlikely,” Emma said. “Don’t listen to him.”
“But we don’t know exactly what’s up there now do we, hmm?” Dan replied. “So, could be treasure.”
Ben turned to Nino. “You don’t have to go up.” He looked skywards. “And frankly, unless we find an easier way up there, no one’s going anywhere.” Ben pointed along the leftward cliff edge. “I think this way.”
“Where to?” Steve asked.
“To an easier way up, I hope,” Ben responded.
Edward Barlow and his men were invisible in amongst the dense foliage. A small smile played on his lips as he eased his head around to watch as Janus Bellakov held small field glasses to his eyes even though they were only a few dozen feet from the Cartwright party as they approached — it didn’t matter as the blunderers made so much noise they masked any and all approach.
Barlow didn’t want any of them hurt; in fact, he needed them. The maps they had been following had now come to an end, and he cursed the bumpkins he had paid to retrieve the information. He had specified the notebook, and they had only brought him the notes.
He sighed; it was so hard to get good help, even in amongst the so-called specialty pool.
He watched as the group moved past, and his eyes narrowed. They needed to take care with the ex-soldier leading them on. Cartwright was a formidable man and only he presented any real problem — even Mr. Bellakov recognized it.
So Cartwright needed to be neutralised first.
CHAPTER 19
“We found it!” Emma yelled and plunged forward.
Ben chased after her, but then stopped dead and just stood with open mouth. There was a structure; temple-like, set into the side of a sheer rock face that vanished up into the clouds high above them. Holding it in a muscular embrace were gnarled tree roots as thick as his waist.
“Shit,” he breathed out. “It’s real.” The heavy cut stonework was moss-green with age, and everything about it exuded artistry, antiquity, and reverence.
“And so, here it is,” Dan whispered, but then threw his head back and whooped.
Ben dragged out his great, great grandfather’s notebook and looked from the sketch his ancestor had made to the prehistoric structure — it was exactly like in the pencil image — everything was there; the massive tree trunk that had thrown gnarled roots over moss-covered foundation stones, the tumbled blocks, as well as the stone guards, acting as a pair of monstrous sentinels.
“Holy crap,” Steve said, walking towards the colossal structure.
“Careful,” Jenny said.
“Huh?” Steve turned briefly to her. “Sure.” He turned back to the statues. They reared up, fanged mouths open. “Hey, no wonder our guides took to the hills; this is some scary shit.”
The ten-foot-high stone statues seemed to be two creatures, sort of intertwined. One was something that resembled a two-legged beast, huge mouth open as if in defiance or pain, as another monstrous creature with a long muscular body wrapped around it. Its fangs were long broken off, but they must have jutted down like twin daggers. It was finished with a pair of large unblinking eyes with slit pupils.
“Some scary shit is right.” Jenny looked skyward; high above them the clouds seemed to be lifting, and hints of green could just be made out flowing over the cliff edge. She smiled. “I’ll bet a month’s salary that up there is where those ancient tree spores came from… and everything else that’s unidentifiable down here.”
Ben had his hands on his hips, following her gaze. “Well then, we better find a way up.”
PART 2 — The Lost World
So tomorrow we disappear into the unknown
Ben finally pulled his rifle from over his shoulder and carried it cradled in his arms. On seeing him do this, Dan also drew his gun. But Ben waved it away.
“For now, keep it holstered. We’re all going to be a little jumpy, so let’s not inadvertently put holes in each other.” He slightly lifted the M4A1 carbine in his arms; the assault rifle was short but lethal looking. “I got this.”
Dan nodded and reholstered his weapon, and then Ben led them in. He had his flashlight gripped in the same hand as the barrel hand-guard, and the other on the pistol grip.
Ben swept the light beam back and forth; his eyes were hawk-like in their intensity. The doors to the ancient structure had long since rotted away, or perhaps they never existed. Inside, it was about the size of a large barn, empty save for a single altar at its centre. Around the walls, there were more carvings, depicting scenes of large unidentifiable animals that could have been prehistoric creatures, or perhaps beasts from the former occupants’ mythology.
“Hello!” Steve shouted, but there was no echo.
“Keep it down, smartass,” Dan shot back.
“No return echo means the bounce back was swallowed — there’s more openings somewhere,” Ben said. “Spread out.”
Multiple flashlights cut the dark atmosphere as the small group searched the structure. The temple had obviously been dug back into the cliff wall, or maybe there had been some sort of cave that they had modified in the past. There were no side rooms apparent, and the ancient stone blocks in the wall were occasionally forced apart as huge muscular roots poured through to then continue their journey on into the floor.