The water sped up. Foam swirled in the river. The front of our canoe dipped down. Then it burst upward before crashing back to the water. The jolting impact nearly knocked me out of the hull.
I heard a strange clicking noise from somewhere overhead. My gaze shot to the limestone ceiling. It was twenty feet above us but the large stalactites made it feel a hell of a lot closer.
I narrowed my gaze. For the first time, I noticed a small ridge. It was positioned on the left side of the tunnel, not far from the ceiling. Abruptly, a giant creature burst out from behind one of the stalactites. Sweat poured from my hands as I watched it race across the ridge and vanish from sight.
How had it gotten into the cave system? Had it entered through one of the niches in the pyramid? Or had it followed Votan down the river?
Beverly cleared her throat. "Was that the nagual?"
I nodded.
A puttering noise caught my attention. A beam of light illuminated our canoe. Looking backward, I saw a raft slide around a bend in the river.
"It's Votan," I shouted.
Gunfire pierced the air. I ducked down and paddled faster. Moments later, I directed our canoe around a U-shaped bend in the river.
I turned toward Beverly. "Are you okay?"
She gave me a nod.
I felt a sense of relief. But it quickly morphed into something else. Votan had murdered Miranda in cold blood. Now, he was trying to kill the rest of us. I had to stop him.
I had to kill him.
Chapter 116
Beverly pulled her paddle out of the water. She stabbed it against the rock wall a couple of times, barely keeping us from colliding with it. "They're moving faster than us."
"Then we've got to speed up."
She stabbed her paddle against the wall again. As the river straightened out, we shot back into the middle of it. "Got any ideas on how to do that?"
"Not really."
"Do you have a plan?" Graham shifted his paddle in the water and drew alongside our canoe.
I shook my head.
"What about that ridge?" The doc pointed his paddle at the ceiling. "Maybe we can climb to it."
I glanced at the ridge where I'd seen the nagual. "That's not a good idea."
"Well, we'd better think of something. We're almost out of river."
The sloping river continued for another fifty yards. After that, there was blackness. A loud, roaring noise filled my ears. "That must be the waterfall. Anyone care to guess at its height?"
"Fifteen feet? Maybe twenty feet." Beverly shrugged. "There's no way to be sure."
"We can't stop," I said slowly. "And even if we wanted to take the ridge, we'd never reach it. Votan would just pick us off while we scaled the wall. That leaves us with just one option."
The doc's eyes studied mine. "You're crazy."
"Crazy like a fish." I grinned slyly. "Because we're about to go right over that waterfall."
Chapter 117
"Get ready," I shouted.
Our canoes hurtled toward the churning waterfall. I quickly stowed my paddle. Using both hands, I gripped the ancient hull.
The water roiled. The canoes jolted into a swift, shallow current.
"All systems are a go," Graham yelled at the top of his lungs. "We're good for launch."
Abruptly, I felt myself burst straight out into space. I chanced a quick look below. The river flowed beneath me, bubbling and frothing in the dimmest of light.
The canoe jerked in the air as its forward momentum stalled. It hung for a moment, as if stopped in time. Then gravity took over.
My stomach flew to my throat. Bending down, I stuck my head between my knees.
With an enormous splash, our canoe slammed into the river, spraying water in all directions. My body bounced off the hull and fell again with a jarring smack.
Cold water crested into the boat. It careened against my legs. Vaguely, I realized we were tipping backward toward the waterfall.
I reached for a paddle. But before I could grasp it, the waterfall released its grip on us and we spat out into the middle of the river alongside the other canoe.
I shook my head, clearing the cobwebs. High above, I caught a glimpse of two rubber rafts pulling to the edge of the waterfall. Metal glinted. Loud pops pierced the air.
Beverly slid into the hull and balled herself up. I flung myself on top of her.
The ancient boat vibrated as bullets barreled into it. The old trunk somehow managed to stop them, but I knew our luck couldn't last forever.
The gunfire ceased as the two rafts swept over the waterfall. They spun around for a bit, caught in the churning water.
Beverly pulled out her revolver. But the water was too choppy to aim it. Gritting her teeth, she holstered the gun and stuck her paddle into the river.
Abruptly, the canoe jerked forward as a fierce current caught hold of it. A relieved breath left my lungs as we swept away from the rafts.
The waterway sloped downward. The river flowed faster. Glancing to the side, I watched a strange landscape slip by me. Despite their relative distance, the dark, rocky walls felt close and tight. Long stalactites hung from the ceiling, shooting down like spikes. Rocky ledges sat on either side of me, twisting in tune with the waterway.
A dull roar rose in volume, drowning out the sounds of my paddling. A fine mist sprayed into the air. Looking to my right, I saw a majestic waterfall. Its contents tumbled over a twenty-foot high cliff and smashed repeatedly against a couple of giant rocks.
Beverly shifted in the hull. "Oh my God."
Following her gaze, I noticed some extremely choppy waters ahead of us. "Whitewater rapids." I exhaled. "Class Five from the looks of it."
"I'd put them at Class Six."
I'd navigated a couple of Class Five rapids in the past. They'd featured whitewater, huge waves, and other hazards. It had taken pinpoint accuracy and precise movements to pass through them without serious injury. Class Six, on the other hand, were plain impassable. The hazards they presented were so extreme no person could successfully navigate them.
"What do you want to do?" I asked.
"We've traveled at least a mile from the georeactors." She glanced at the ledge on our left. It sat just above the water, far below the ridge the nagual had used earlier. "I say we regroup on land. We can send the canoes downstream to throw Votan off our trail. He'll never survive those rapids."
I studied the ledge. Several tunnels led away from it.
It was a good idea, but risky as well. If Votan saw us, he'd just follow suit. And even if he didn't, he still might notice our canoes were empty.
I stuck my paddle into the water, slowing it down a bit. Turning sideways, I looked at the second boat. "We're going to shore. Feel like leading the way?"
Graham glanced into the water. "Do piranhas live in cave rivers?"
"I don't know. That's why I want you to go first."
Chuckling, he rose awkwardly on his good leg. Then he dove into the water. Using powerful strokes, he made his way to the ledge. Dr. Wu was next to stand. His face looked hollow, devoid of emotion. With an awkward leap, he jumped into the water and swam away.
Beverly pulled her paddle from the water. She rose to one knee and cast an eye at the ledge. "Okay. Let's—"
Dim lights flashed across the river. Twisting my neck, I saw the two rafts cut around a corner and turn toward us. They were far away, but it wouldn't take long for them to reach our position.
I rose to my knees. "Sorry about this."
Beverly's jaw dropped as I shoved her. Legs flailing, she toppled backward, disappearing into the choppy surf.
The canoe shifted slightly as it whipped over a small whirlpool. I fought to keep my balance.