The helicopter swiveled and dipped. My heart pounded as I turned my attention to the window behind me.
"Get ready." Emily sounded like a kid at Disney World. "You're about to see one of the last untouched places on Earth."
The interior lights flicked off. The cabin grew dark. Staring outside, I watched the clouds as we drifted downward.
The rain picked up speed, thumping relentlessly against the helicopter. A minute passed. And then another. My chest pounded almost as hard as the rain. My eyes dried and started to hurt. But I refused to blink.
Without warning, the clouds parted. I saw thick, impenetrable jungle. It was an ancient jungle. Ancient and magnificent, rich in greens and many other colors.
"What kind of trees are those?" Graham called out. "Does anyone know?"
"I see Mexican elm and tropical American mahogany," Tum replied loudly. "The ceiba too."
"Can you tell us anything else about the jungle?"
"I'd put the average height at about one hundred and twenty feet. That makes it much taller than the Lacandon Jungle. But of course, that doesn't give the true picture. The canopy looks like it could be well over two hundred feet tall near the edges."
I scanned the jungle for a few seconds. Then I looked toward the marsh. Unfortunately, thick clouds appeared, cloaking it.
I twisted away from the window and exhaled, letting out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. The jungle and mountains were impressive to say the least. But I felt a vague sense of disappointment as well.
When I'd first heard about our destination, I'd immediately pictured the stuff of dreams. Giant temples. Ancient observatories. Strange columns and pillars, covered in hieroglyphics. And all of it cloaked in mist and overgrown with jungle. But I saw nothing even remotely resembling that image.
"Oh my God." Graham spoke slowly, pronouncing each word. "Would you look at that?"
I turned back to the window. Squinting, I stared through the pouring rain. Lines, once separate and distinct, joined together. A shape materialized.
"Good lord." I inhaled sharply. "It's massive."
A giant pyramid stretched to the sky. A marshy clearing consisting of long grass and short shrubs surrounded it. Further back, I saw packed vegetation and tall trees.
The pyramid's weathered sides looked strangely smooth. They jutted out near the peak, forming a decorative roof comb structure. The entire building seemed to pulse under the rain. It was mysterious and ancient, seemingly as ancient as the canyon itself.
"That's the pyramid I told you about." Emily's voice turned soft, reverential. "And it's magnificent."
Chapter 33
"Umm … is anyone else seeing this?"
I heard urgency in Beverly's words. Reluctantly, I tore my gaze from the pyramid. "Seeing what?"
"Just look." She pointed her finger toward the sky. "Up there."
And so I did.
My jaw dropped. I completely forgot about the pyramid and the Library of the Mayas.
What the hell is that?
Chapter 34
I touched the window. The view outside was now gone, completely obscured by a giant cloud. But this wasn't an ordinary cloud.
It was dark grey. And yet, it blazed with a sort of electrical brightness. Peering deep into its innards, I saw tiny white dots. There were hundreds of them, maybe thousands.
The tiny dots moved closer together. Individual dots stretched out to other ones. And when they finally joined forces, they pulsed and shuddered like living, breathing creatures.
There were just as many lights as before. But now, they were a little larger, a little more dazzling to the eye.
"Cy?" Beverly cleared her throat. "Did you see them yet?"
"Yeah." My eyes remained glued to the bright, glowing orbs. "Any idea what they are?"
"Not yet."
A few seconds passed. The cloud grew dense. I could still see the little orbs, but my visibility was limited to no more than a foot or two.
Abruptly, the helicopter jolted.
"Oh my God." Dr. Wu's voice screeched out of the speaker. "What the hell?"
Emily shifted in her seat. "Doc?" she shouted. "What's wrong?"
A few seconds passed.
"If you aren't buckled in, do it now." The doc's voice sounded muffled as it exited the speaker. "We've got problems. Serious …"
The speaker sizzled. Then it went silent.
"Doc?" Emily yelled.
A faint voice came from the cockpit. "Electronic systems … failing … navigational equipment … failing … even the compass … spinning like a windmill … how is this possible?"
"Can you land?"
"I can't see." His voice rose to a muffled screech. "So, yeah. I can land. Whether we'll survive or not is a whole other question."
"Gain some altitude. Maybe we can hover until the clouds clear up."
"Negative," he shouted. "I can't—"
Wind swirled into us. Dr. Wu fought to keep the craft steady. We hovered for a few seconds, tipping from side to side.
Terrible noises filled the air. They sounded like horns. I clutched my ears. Doubled over in pain.
Panic filled Emily's voice. "What's our status?"
"Nothing's working," he shouted. "We don't have power. Not a goddamn bit of it."
The chopper tipped sideways. My back slammed against the bench. Gritting my teeth, I tried to concentrate. But my brain felt scattered, ripped into a thousand pieces. It was hell.
Pure hell.
The engine noise drifted away. Then the whirring chopper blades faded to silence. Even the voices quieted down. Soon, the only sound I could hear was rain. It pounded against the chopper with the force of a giant waterfall.
We hovered for a few seconds. Then we plummeted toward the ground.
Wind rushed at my ears.
A single thought raced through my mind.
We're going to die.
I jolted. Pain erupted in every inch of my body. Darkness seeped in from the corners of my vision.
And then I swirled into a sea of blackness.
PART III
The Pyramid
Chapter 35
"Wake up, everyone! Wake up!"
My eyes fluttered open. The cabin was dark, nearly pitch black. The only illumination came from small flickering lights within the cockpit. I felt ice cold. And yet, I sensed blistering heat licking my skin.
I lifted my chin a few inches. My neck felt stiff. Taking a deep breath, I twisted it to my left. Beverly was slouched to the side. Her head rested on her shoulder. Soot covered her drawn cheeks. Her shirt had been ripped and torn in multiple places.
Across the aisle, Crowley appeared dazed. Emily's hair was askew. Small bruises covered her neck.
Graham stirred to my right. He was slumped in his seat so I couldn't really see him. But he appeared to be moving.
"Hey! Can anyone hear me? Get up!"
This time, I recognized Tum's voice. But my brain was slow to respond. Instead, my eyes were drawn to the cockpit. Above several fallen crates, I saw small flames.
"Get up!" Tum struggled to his feet. "We need to get out of here."
My senses exploded as my brain woke up. My mouth tasted like ash. The smell of smoke overwhelmed my nostrils. And my ears rang so loudly I could hardly think.
Tum made his way to the door. He yanked on the metal handle, but it didn't budge.
I unbuckled my seatbelt and stood up. My legs wobbled. It took me a second to catch my balance.
I shook Beverly. "Are you okay?"
Her eyes flicked open. They widened quickly.
"We need to hurry," I said. "Wake the others and find the fire extinguishers."
"What about you?"