Before Helen could answer.
Jason said, “if camp was set up next to the site. It would be like we’re inviting thief's and vandals to gain access. Like this, it will still be hard to find. If they find it that is.”
The team began their journey consisting of four local helpers, Danny, Jason, and Helen. Two of the local helpers Emilio and Angelo took the lead. Andreas the guide had left earlier this morning back to the Mayan temples of Chichen Itza.
The morning was becoming warmer, with the sun shining brightly through the jungle trees. Jason packed his Colt in the back of his jeans, and then took out a large ten inch hunting knife. He began notching a tree, marking one every ten yards. Every now and then Helen would look around, carefully scanning the trees. She seemed to be on edge, expecting trouble at any moment. Danny was oblivious to it. But Jason noticed the nervousness within her. He sensed the fear and carefully kept an eye her.
The terrain was tiring, and rough, forcing them to cross over fallen trees and pass through thick bush. Helen decided to stop and rest for a while. The insects were a constant threat. Mosquitoes the size of flies attacking from all directions. Then there were the snakes, which they had to go around, not daring to step over one. The nearest hospital was half a day’s journey away. It was unlikely you would survive the trip once bitten.
Danny took the opportunity to ask Helen a few questions before continuing their journey.
“Is it alright if I ask you a few question?”
He sat down next to Helen, who smiled.
“Of course you may, agent langley?”
Danny said, “agent Mallock and I have read the report, which the local police force sent to us. It mentions you were inside the Mayan site that you discovered when your colleagues, Mr. John Haynes, and Mr. Paul Franklyn were at camp. They were busy entering data about the discovery and itemizing the artifacts that were found. You arrived back at camp before dark to find them dead with their throats slit.”
Helen looked down, as she remembered the scene she found on her return.
“Yes, that’s right,” she said.
Helen’s eyes swelled with tears. Danny gave her a moment to recover; then he continued.
“There were no signs of a struggle, suggesting there was more than one person in the tent with them. It says their bodies were found sitting in their chairs. The intruders caught them by surprise. Miss Shireberg, do you have any idea who could have killed them?”
Helen turned towards Danny, tears rolling down her face.
“No, I’m sorry, I have no idea who would do such a thing. John and Paul were just doing their job. There was no reason to kill them.”
Danny could see Helen was becoming emotional, and thought it would be wise not to continue with any more questions for now. He patted her on her hand reassuring her it’s okay.
Jason watched carefully as Danny questioned Helen. He noticed something in her eyes that Danny had missed.
“Can we get a move on now? It’s getting damn hot here,” said Jason.
Everyone heaved their backpacks on again and quickly moved on to avoid the heat. They walked in single file. Jason at the rear, not trusting anyone walking behind him. He sensed something was not right here.
It took them just over an hour to reach the site and were glad to stop and rest again. Jason looked around him. They were still in dense jungle. All he could see were rocks and trees.
He looked over at Helen and said, “how far to go?”
Helen caught her breath, “we’re here,” she said.
Both Danny and Jason looked around again.
Danny said to her, “where is it? Where’s the entrance?”
One of the locals looked over at Helen, awaiting her approval. After taking a drink of water, she gave him the go ahead. The local helper Emilio got to his feet and walked over to an enormous boulder half embedded in the rock face. Large layers of moss were covering the boulders that are quite natural in these parts. There seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary to Danny and Jason, when suddenly Emilio disappeared into the rock face. Danny gasped in awe as Emilio reappeared.
He said, “my god! I could have gone right up to the entrance and not even notice it was there. That’s amazing.”
Jason went up to the boulder and touched the thick coat of moss.
“How did you know where to look?” He asked her.
Helen stood up excited to explain how she discovered the entrance.
“Well, really by plain luck. I ventured over from Chichen Itza, where we were studying one of the temples over there. I kind of got lost and sat down to rest right here on this rock. I then heard a fluttering of leaves coming over from where you’re standing. Next out of nowhere appears this raccoon-like mammal. I mean it wasn’t there and then suddenly it was! I thought that’s weird as I would have heard it coming, or seen it as it moved quite slowly.”
Helen approached Jason pushing aside the moss like curtain to reveal a three foot opening in the rock face. It was large enough for a grown man to pass through with ease. Jason peered inside the darkness, which seemed like a cave entrance. Helen instructed two of the locals to wait outside for them.
“Shall we proceed inside?” said Helen, who was excited to show them what she had discovered.
The other two locals led the way inside with a large flashlight showing the way. Jason entered last.
The pathway was barely three feet wide, causing them to walk at a slow pace for at least ten minutes. The air inside was moist and sticky. The walls were apparently cut by man as chisel marks could be seen on each side. It must have taken years to dig this far inside.
Helen stopped as they approached an opening.
“This is it. This is the room we discovered,” she said.
Everyone stepped inside. The room was well-lit up by their flashlights. It was a large square room, fifteen feet by twenty. The wall to the right was covered with Mayan hieroglyphs and were really well preserved, hidden from the elements after all these years. Jason studied the writing. He was amazed at what he saw.
“Can you read this?” He asked Helen.
She came over and stood next to him, then started to interpret the meanings, explaining each word carefully.
“The passage to Xibalba, the name used for the underworld. Ruled by the death gods and their helpers. There are twelve gods, or powerful rulers, also known as the lords of Xibalba.”
Helen continued to explain that the first among the Mayan death gods ruling Xibalba were Hun-Came (one death) and Vocab-Came (seven death). Hun-Came being the senior. The remaining ten lords are referred to as demons and are given commission, domain over various forms of human suffering: to cause sickness, spiritual fear, pain and then death.
Helen continued explaining the hieroglyphs while Danny and Jason listened with great interest. The remaining writing, as Helen explained, told these lords worked in pairs and are Xiquiripat (flying scab), and Cuchumaquic (gathered blood), who sicken people’s blood.
Helen was on the last line of the hieroglyphs.
She said, “the remaining words say the names of the other lords and their purposes.”
Jason turned to Helen and Danny and said, “so this place is considered the passage into the Mayan underworld. No wonder it’s way out in the jungle, far away from the other Mayan temples.”
They remained inside the room checking every crack and crevice. The walls were amazingly smooth to the touch, as if they were cut with a laser. One of the mysteries still not solved about the Mayan people.
Helen then showed them another doorway that led them to yet another passage descending deeper underground. The walls resembled the passage they first entered, rough to the touch. In front of them stood an archway, with two dug out sections in the wall.