Torrent

Over time, the plants had grown. Their roots and stems soon formed a dense underground mat. The artificial marsh became self-sufficient.

I couldn't help but respect Hunahpu's skills. He'd been an artist of exceptional quality, using the entire crater as his canvas.

I walked to the partially exposed Xibalban bunk. Some of the interior dirt had been cleared away and I noticed an object protruding from the southwest wall.

"It looks like a broken bi-facial point, probably an arrowhead," Beverly said from behind me. "I think it's made of chert."

"Good observation." Turning my head, I studied the rest of the visible wall. "There's an obsidian dart too. A real nice bit of craftsmanship."

She pointed her flashlight at the northwest wall. "Look at that."

Several marks were etched deep into the rock. They weren't hieroglyphics. Instead, they came together to form rather rudimentary drawings. They were far less artful than the ones in the summit shrine.

I focused on one in particular. Dark-skinned people lay on the ground, obviously in a state of distress. There were bits of color above them. "That looks like red rain."

My eyes shifted to another drawing. It showed a second group of people, surrounded by small yellow circles. The circles appeared to be airborne and small lines indicated they were moving as well. "And those are orbs," I said slowly. "Just like the ball lightning we saw."

"No wonder the Mayas thought this place was hell."

I left the bunk and walked under a large tarp. A frenzied atmosphere hung over the area. Graham, Tum, and Renau stood on the east side. Graham kept a lookout while the other two men carefully removed dirt from the wall and placed it into wheeled containers. Dora, Rigoberta, Miranda, and Emily took the containers to a separate station. Then they labeled them, noted their position, and covered them with small tarps.

It wasn't a perfect excavation. But it was exceedingly fast. Plus, the dirt, debris, and artifacts were being kept in good condition for later study. All things considered, it was a decent piece of work.

My heart pounded against my chest as I turned toward the pyramid. Behind some dirt, I saw a large stone block, adorned with ornamentation. A mural rested on its surface. Although the elements had laid waste to the colors, I could still make out what appeared to be a skeleton.

A strange hat topped the skeleton's head and he wore a long skirt attached to a basket. In one hand, he carried a stick. People lay at his feet. Blood poured from their faces. Fires consumed their bodies as they reached up to him. I didn't have to be a Maya expert to know I was looking at an image of one of the death gods.

For a moment, I listened to the telltale sounds of excavation. Soft grunts. Low voices. Shovels striking the soil. Pens scribbling notes.

The Maneros took a break. Adopting a leisurely pace, they walked back to camp. I grabbed a shovel and took Renau's place. Beverly put a container on the ground and I slid some dirt into it.

I worked for fifteen minutes. My shovel started to clink against the cement basin as I helped remove the final section of soil. Then Rigoberta got down on all fours. Gently, she cleared the remaining dirt from the area and our entire group stared at the sealed entrance.

Graham twisted around from the jungle. "Are you just going to stand there? Or are you going to see where that thing leads?"

Rigoberta climbed into the tractor. The rest of us secured steel cables to the block. She turned on the engine and reversed the vehicle. The block resisted for a minute. Then it slowly slid out of the pyramid and onto the ancient cement basin. A black void appeared.

Blades beat at the air. I ran to the edge of the overhanging blue tarps and stared into the sky. A large black helicopter appeared. It cut through the thick mist and hovered above the dry marsh.

"Oh my God." Beverly appeared at my side. "It's …"

"Votan," I replied tightly. "He found us."

PART IV The Library of the Mayas

Chapter 82

I twisted toward the others. They stared back at me, utterly dumbfounded. "Get to the jungle or we're all dead."

Emily ran across the cement basin. Miranda, Tum, Rigoberta, and Graham were close behind her.

I twisted west, but a hand grabbed my arm.

"Where are you going?" Beverly asked.

"Dr. Wu and the Maneros are back at camp. I need to warn them."

"I'm going with you."

I shook my head.

She frowned. "Didn't I tell you to stop trying to protect me?"

"I need you to do something else. Gather everyone east of the pyramid, just inside the jungle. Keep them together. I'll be there shortly."

She gave me a long look. "Okay."

As she darted after the others, I ran west and climbed out of the basin. Then I hustled toward camp.

Helicopter blades beat at the air. Powerful winds swirled. The heavy rain shifted course and began to circle me until it felt like I was standing in the middle of a maelstrom.

"Cy?" Dr. Wu ran outside his clinic. "What's going on?"

"Votan is here." I slid to a stop. "Where are the Maneros?"

"I thought they were with you."

"Dora." I cupped my hands around my mouth. "Renau."

There was no response. I ran to the dome tent. It was empty. I darted to their personal tent and checked it as well. It was also empty.

"They must be hiding in the jungle." I watched the helicopter descend into the now-dry marsh. "Follow me."

"But—"

"Now."

Yanking his arm, I sprinted toward the jungle, zigzagging along the way. I was surprised to hear no gunfire. During my last encounter with Votan, he'd started shooting almost immediately.

I cleared past the tree line and sprinted east. I ran past the pyramid. Then I veered north. "Where is everyone?" I called out softly.

Leaves rustled to the northeast. "Over here," Beverly called back.

We ran a little further until we reached Beverly. She stood with the others behind a couple of tall trees. "Have you seen the Maneros?" I asked.

She shook her head.

Emily stared at me with uncertain eyes. "Are you sure that's Votan?"

"The helicopter is an exact match for the one that attacked us in the Maya Mountains."

"But how'd he find us?"

I avoided looking at Miranda. But deep down, I had a feeling she was responsible for his appearance. It made sense in a twisted sort of way. She had a motive to get rid of the library. And Votan had the means to do it.

"I don't know," I replied.

The blades grew louder, chopping at the air. Leaning out, I watched the helicopter land in the marsh, not far from our camp. Its blades slowed to a halt. Masked men streamed out of its metal belly.

"What are we going to do?" Miranda asked.

"We're outnumbered. Outgunned too." I thought hard. "Does anyone have a phone?"

Emily shook her head. "I left mine back at camp."

I turned toward Rigoberta. "Didn't you and Pacho have one?"

"Yeah." She licked her lips. "Unfortunately, I think it's still in his tent."

"Without a phone, we can't call for help." Beverly pulled her revolver from her belt. "And without a working helicopter, we can't leave."

"Maybe we can hide." Emily looked around. "This place is pretty big."

"Good idea," Tum said. "How about that old wall? Maybe we can fit through one of the holes."

"They're too small," Graham replied. "And we don't have the tools to widen them."