David Meyer
Torrent
Dedication
To Julie, Bruce, and Haley
Thanks for your loving encouragement, the wonderful memories, and all that is to come.
PROLOGUE
The Undertaking
In life, they'd carried a fearsome reputation as scavengers, thieves, and murderers. But as Hunahpu laid eyes on their corpses, he was astonished to see they were far shorter than the average Maya warrior. And that wasn't the only odd thing about them. Their eyes were bright red. Dry flakes covered their cheeks. And their skulls were elongated in a way that made his blood run cold.
Hunahpu lifted his chin. The jungle lacked sunlight, thanks to the strangely persistent cloud cover. Gnats pricked his arms. The air stank of blood and sweat. The sweltering heat made his head hurt. Indeed, the conditions were downright miserable.
And yet he felt elated.
Some two-dozen men, their olive bodies plastered in blue paint, glided silently past him. Some carried carved pieces of wood, capable of launching atlatls at long-distance targets. Others held short knives constructed from chert. But most of the warriors wielded long spears topped with sharp-looking obsidian points.
Hunahpu's bare feet padded against the earth, passing over stones and clumps of dirt. He walked to the edge of a clearing. It was shaped like a bowl, with its sides sloping gently toward a depressed center.
It was the end of the tenth b'ak'tun and thus, a major cause for celebration. Like his fellow Mayas, he'd eagerly anticipated the rare change in b'ak'tuns. So, it was especially jarring when Wak Kimi Janahb' Pakal, the divine ajaw of Palenque, had ordered him to skip the festivities and instead, accompany the military expedition to the city in which he now stood.
But he hadn't resented the order. This was, after all, no ordinary job. It was the most important job of his life. The building that would one day fill the clearing would seal his reputation as the greatest architect in the history of the Maya civilization. Nobles, scholars, priests, and other elites would come from as far away as Óoxmáal to study, reflect, and bask in the glory of his creation. The very thought made him shiver with delight.
He stared out at the clearing, at the sturdy yet pitifully simple limestone buildings left by its former inhabitants. His imagination kicked into high gear as he began to envision a structure that would be remembered and revered far into the future.
Loud thrashing noises rang out from the surrounding jungle. An ear-splitting scream pierced the air. Hunahpu nervously edged into the clearing as warriors dropped into crouches and veered toward the trees.
Four warriors darted out of the jungle, carrying something between them. A small crowd surged in their direction.
"Hunahpu." Xbalanque, a scribe of considerable fame, ran across the clearing. "You need to see this."
"What happened?" Hunahpu asked.
"It's one of the warriors. Something attacked him."
Hunahpu hustled to the crowd. As he pushed through it, he drew a deep breath. The warrior's head had nearly been ripped clean off his body. His chest had been torn open, exposing his bloody organs. "What did this?"
No one answered.
Leaves rustled as a soft gust passed overhead. Hunahpu licked his lips, tasting the salt. The clouds thickened, casting more darkness upon the clearing. He sensed evil in the air.
A strangled shout erupted from the middle of the clearing. Startled, Hunahpu spun toward it. He saw a man crawling across the dry earth. The man tried to shout again, but only managed a hoarse whisper before collapsing to the ground.
"It's Xmucane." Xbalanque's eyes widened. "He was leading the expedition."
"How long has he been gone?" Hunahpu asked.
"Nearly a full k'in."
Hunahpu hurried forward. Cautiously, he felt Xmucane's forehead. It was hotter than fire. "What happened to you?"
Xmucane licked his chapped lips. Dried vomit was plastered across his chest. Blotches and other marks covered large portions of his bare arms. "We're …" He licked his lips again and tried to control his quivering mouth. "We're not alone."
His whisper sent a wave of murmurs through the crowd.
"I don't understand. Where's the rest of your expedition?"
"They're dead." Xmucane grabbed Hunahpu's arm and pulled him close. "You have to stop them. They're real. They're …"
His voice drifted away. His head sagged to the ground. His breathing ceased.
Hunahpu's chest cinched tight. He could scarcely believe it. And yet, he knew it was true all the same.
"No, it's impossible." Xbalanque's face turned red. "He must've been mistaken."
"Their existence would explain many things," Hunahpu replied quietly.
"But they're just legends."
"Are they?"
Hunahpu peered again at the clearing. A vision formed in his brain. But it was different than the previous one.
His building would require a massive undertaking, far more ambitious than any project ever attempted throughout the Maya kingdom. It would be, without a doubt, his greatest achievement. And yet he no longer felt excited about it. Instead, he felt overwhelming sadness as his dreams collapsed around him.
He would receive no glory or fame for his efforts. Indeed, no one outside of him, Xbalanque, the workers, and Pakal could ever know about the undertaking.
The survival of his people, even the very world, depended on it.
PART I
The Tomb
Chapter 1
"That's him?" The hushed whisper oozed contempt. "Wow. He even looks like a grave robber."
I gritted my teeth. Inhaled through my nose. Exhaled through my mouth. I'd heard those words before, many times, in a dozen different variations. They all boiled down to the same thing.
Who the hell is this guy? And why are we letting him near our dig site?
Beverly Ginger sat in the passenger seat of the old truck, leaning casually against the windowsill. I couldn't help but stare at her. Even after several months together, she still managed to take my breath away. "Well, this should be fun."
"Don't get me wrong," she said quietly. "I'm glad we're here. But why'd you pick this job? What's so special about it?"
I shrugged.
She turned to face me. A pair of large sunglasses hid her eyes. "It's not even close to the rate we used to get."
"We've been paid less."
She lifted her shades, propping them high on her forehead. Her violet eyes sparked with intense curiosity.
I exhaled. "We should get to work."
"Fine." Beverly flung open her door and stepped lightly out of the truck. "But we're going to talk about this later."
I watched her saunter away. She possessed endless curves and long, shapely legs. Her face was perfectly tanned. Her chestnut brown hair had more waves than the ocean. Her violet eyes shone brighter than a pair of lighthouses. But it wasn't just her looks that captivated me. She also possessed something unique, something intangible. She had that rare ability to leave men and women tongue-tied in her wake.
Shielding my eyes from the hot sun, I climbed out of the truck. Dutch Graham, who'd exited a few moments earlier, stood near the cargo bed. A large object, covered by a tarp and held in place by over two-dozen steel cables and multiple heavy-duty blue straps, sat inside it. He gave me a nod as he started to work on the cables.
Three other people, two women and a man, stood a short distance away. One woman held a small black Chihuahua. Its loud bark grated on my ears.
I strode over to them, my boots pressing against the dry earth. "Which one of you is Dr. May?" I asked even though I already knew the answer.