Miranda was one of the most celebrated archaeologists in the world. But since she split her time between multiple dig sites, I'd wondered about the quality of her work. I was pleased to see the site was in excellent shape and the excavation appeared to be proceeding in an efficient manner.
She stopped next to a large breach in the ground. A thick slab of weathered rock, ten feet square, rested just outside the site. "It's a tomb," she said. "Based on some of the markings we've uncovered as well as the initial stratigraphy tests—"
I held up a hand to stop her. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm not here for a lecture. I'm here to see if I can help you. Nothing more, nothing less."
"But—"
"Just tell me about the layout."
Miranda sighed, clearly frustrated. She was used to dealing with careful, methodical people. People who took weeks to make decisions, months to act on them. That wasn't me.
Not in the least bit.
"We used ground penetrating radar to map the subsurface," she said after a moment. "This shaft goes down about twenty feet. The ruins of a stone staircase occupy one side of it. At the bottom, a tunnel branches off to the east. It leads to a large chamber."
"What's inside the chamber?"
She hesitated.
"I need to know what's at risk."
"The tomb is of Maya origin. But its exact contents are a mystery."
I nodded. "Tell me about the cave-in."
She pointed at the slab. "Until eighteen hours ago, that rock covered the shaft. We thought it was just a normal part of the tomb."
"What happened when you removed it?"
"Stale air rushed out of the interior. We heard gushing sounds. Then water appeared and flooded everything. So, we lowered Pacho on a rope to check it out. He reported a collapsed wall inside the tunnel." Miranda stared into the shaft. "We've done our best to monitor the situation since then. Based on the rate of deterioration, I figure we've only got a few more hours before the whole thing collapses."
I glanced into the shaft. Water shimmered and flashed in the blazing sunlight. I was tempted to dive in, anything to relieve the heat. "Why us?"
"Who else was I going to call?" She shrugged helplessly. "We're not trained for this type of work. And our civil servants are inept. Not to mention poorly equipped and greedy. Even if they got here in time, they'd either destroy the tomb or loot it."
I arched an eyebrow.
"Anyway the fewer people who know about this site, the better. This part of Mexico is mired in poverty. Thieves are a major risk."
"I understand why you didn't want to hire anyone else," I said. "But why call us?"
"Dominga Hoil recommended you."
I winced.
"She said you were a treasure hunter. But a good treasure hunter. A man who could recover anything from anywhere under any conditions."
"Did she tell you what happened?"
"Four months ago, she was excavating a small cave in the Maya Mountains," Miranda replied. "A minor earthquake struck the region, causing a partial collapse of her dig site. She said you managed to save some fine examples of Preclassic Maya pottery."
"That's not what I mean."
"I know what you mean. Those deaths weren't your fault."
"Agreed. But they still happened."
"Dominga told me you saved her life and her dig. Votan would've killed her and everyone else if you hadn't stopped him."
Votan was the moniker adopted by a ruthless treasure hunter. For the last six years, he'd ambushed remote archaeological digs throughout Central America, stripping them of valuable artifacts. Other than his name etched on rock, he left nothing behind.
Including survivors.
Until four months ago, just one individual had managed to flee his wrath. That person had reported extensive details to the media. So, when the black helicopter had opened fire on Dominga's dig site, we'd known it was Votan. Before we could react, he'd slaughtered two of her workers. We'd fought back, gunning down several of his men. Eventually, Votan had chosen to retreat.
Miranda gave me a hopeful look. "Will you help me?"
I glanced into the shaft again. After receiving her initial call, I'd thought about turning her down. For all intents and purposes, I'd retired from treasure hunting and salvage work.
And yet, here I was.
"Yeah," I said after a moment. "We'll take the job."
Chapter 2
"Yes, we're treasure hunters," I said. "But for the time being, think of us as salvage archaeologists."
Rigoberta gave me a skeptical look. "How do you figure that? Salvage archaeologists work ahead of new construction, racing to save artifacts from bulldozers."
"We do similar work, but we specialize in extreme salvage jobs. The ones where artifacts are in imminent danger."
"And you're good at that?"
"I like to think so."
"Hopefully, you won't have to excavate anything," Miranda said. "I'd just like the site stabilized. If it collapses, we could lose the context."
For the typical archaeologist, an artifact was a means to an end. A conduit to study an ancient civilization. But an artifact by itself had only limited use. It was often the context — the artifact's physical location and the composition of that location — that provided the greatest insight.
"Don't worry," I replied. "I get it. Your tomb is more than just a tomb. It's an event in time, a preserved piece of history."
Her face softened. "That's right."
"We'll do everything possible to minimize damage to your site. But I can't promise absolute satisfaction. Everything we do will cause some kind of contamination. Make no mistake about it. We're a last resort."
She sighed. "Unfortunately, this is a last resort kind of situation."
"Okay, we'll dry the site, clear the tunnel, and bolster the walls. If a collapse proves unavoidable, we'll remove as many at-risk artifacts as possible, along with the surrounding context. Is that satisfactory?"
She nodded.
I tilted my head at Graham. "He's got the contract. Beverly and I will start setting up while he takes you through it."
As she walked away, I knelt next to the shaft. The water probably originated from the nearby Candelaria River. By removing the slab, Miranda's team had broken a pressure seal, causing the river to flood the tomb. It was an ingenious trap. Simple, yet effective.
Devastatingly effective.
I groaned.
Can this get any worse?
Miranda could only offer us a small sum for the job. When all was said and done, we'd be lucky to cover our expenses. Also, the water had already wreaked havoc on the tomb. Artifacts and context were most likely damaged, if not outright destroyed.
"Cy?"
I swiveled my head toward Miranda. "Yeah?"
"There's something I didn't tell you about the tomb."
"What?"
"We believe it belongs to a man named Xbalanque."
"Does that matter?"
"He lived in the Maya city-state of Palenque during its twilight years."
"Then why was he buried out here?"
"I'm not certain. But he was the chief scribe for Wak Kimi Janahb' Pakal, the last known ruler of Palenque. It was around Pakal's reign that the Mayas started to abandon the southern lowlands."
I frowned.
"I have reason to believe this tomb holds definitive, primary source evidence for what caused the Classic Maya Collapse."
My frown deepened.
"It could be the most significant archaeological discovery in history. If you can save the tomb, you'll be a hero. If not, well …"
Icicles jabbed at my heart.