My stomach clenched and I ran toward him. But the creature slid between us. At the same time, Votan leveled his gun at me. However, he didn't take the shot and I realized he was letting the nagual do his dirty work.
It hurt to breathe. My ribs felt cracked, maybe even broken. I grabbed my pistol and backed away. Then I shot a quick glance toward the river. Beverly had reached Graham and was trying to revive him. However, the current was pushing them dangerously close to the waterfall.
Mid-sized stalactites started to fracture in large numbers. They crashed against the ground, causing mini shockwaves in the process. I was forced to keep one eye on them as I circled the beast.
The nagual paused. I could see its silhouette in the blackness. It looked tense, fierce, and angry.
I pointed my pistol at its face. "Let's do this, you son of a bitch."
It lowered its head.
My finger touched the trigger.
The beast raced toward me, moving at ferocious speed. I couldn't see its face or body. It was just a massive shadow, steamrolling in my direction.
I waited until the last possible second. Then I squeezed the trigger.
The bullet spiraled into the beast's body. I dove to the side. Claws swiped at me. I felt searing heat in my right leg.
I rolled and took a few breaths. My lungs felt like they were on fire.
As I stood up, I snuck a glance at Votan. He was still in the passage, aiming his gun at me. Twisting my neck, I saw Beverly and Graham. Graham had stirred. But he and Beverly were even closer to the waterfall.
A larger stalactite, the biggest one yet, crashed at my feet. I stumbled backward. The pistol shook violently in my hand.
The beast lurched. Then it spun around.
My blood pumped faster.
The beast took a step toward me.
Then another.
And then another.
Why won't you die?
Chapter 125
I inhaled again but my lungs couldn't get enough air. I circled around, moving close to Votan. But my eyes never left the nagual.
It charged again.
I holstered my pistol and grabbed my machete from the ground.
A small stalactite smashed behind me. Cursing softly, I looked up and saw more wavering rocks.
The nagual drew close. Saliva thickened in my mouth. My brain screamed at me to run. But I held my ground.
The nagual picked up speed.
I shifted the machete. Steeled my muscles and swung with all my might.
The blade cut into the creature's mouth, slicing it wide open. The nagual faltered for a brief moment. Then it sagged to the earth.
My legs felt wobbly as I stared at the dead creature. My fingers unclenched and my machete clattered to the ground. I thought about picking it up, but I could barely lift my muscles.
Move. You've got to move.
I spun around. Barreling toward the tunnel, I slammed into Votan. He grunted as I tackled him to the ground. His gun popped out of his hand and fell onto the ledge behind me.
He snapped a fist at my jaw. Stars exploded in my eyes as my head reeled to the side.
He gained his feet.
I did the same. My jaw was sore. My body hurt all over.
Looking over my shoulder, I saw Beverly and Graham swim away from the waterfall. I breathed easier, but only for a second. If I didn't defeat Votan, he'd shoot them before they reached land.
"You killed Dora," he said.
"That's too bad." I steeled my gaze. "I was trying to kill you."
He clenched his jaw.
I heard a giant stalactite splintering behind me. Swiftly, I grabbed his shoulders and rolled onto my back. Then I kicked my legs, sending him over my head and sprawling onto the ledge. He came to a halt next to his gun.
I rose to my feet.
"You know, I was trying to figure out how to get this back." Votan grabbed his gun and stood up. A wicked grin crossed his face. "In the next life, watch your surroundings."
"You should take your own advice."
The giant stalactite cracked. It hurtled to the ground and smashed into Votan. Seconds later, large amounts of blood poured out from under the crumbled fragments of stone.
Staggering forward, I retrieved my machete. Then I looked at Votan. His face was completely pulverized. His body was even worse. I knew his death had probably been painful, but I felt no sympathy toward him. He'd done far worse to other people.
Beverly swam to shore. She helped Graham out of the water.
I hobbled to Dr. Wu's side. I didn't bother to check his pulse. Instead, I used what little strength I possessed to lift him off the ground.
Beverly half-carried Graham toward me. "Where are we going?" she asked.
I snatched my flashlight off the ledge and scanned the various tunnels. My beam illuminated some ancient etchings that appeared to be Maya hieroglyphics. "That way," I nodded at the tunnel. "And make it fast."
As I dragged the doc toward the tunnel, I took one last look at the massive chamber. Votan lay dead under a pile of rock. The nagual was also dead and half-buried under collapsed stone.
Stalactites started to fall faster, slamming into the river as well as onto the shore. I knew the cavern had only minutes left before it ceased to exist. Turning around, I limped forward, heading into an uncertain future.
EPILOGUE
Simplification
"Well?" Beverly gave me a hopeful look as I limped out of the small clinic. "What's the prognosis?"
"The doctors are still running tests." A smile crossed my face. "But they think I'm clean."
Her hands wrapped around my neck. She drew my face close to hers and kissed me on the lips.
I kissed her back. "How's Dutch?"
"Still weak. But he'll heal."
Four days ago, the American satellite Cay Bridge had detected a small 'double flash' in a remote region of the Eastern Mountains. Cay Bridge, launched just two years earlier, was equipped with an advanced sensor array specifically designed to identify nuclear explosions. In addition to detecting gamma rays and neutrons, its sensors could also perceive the two flashes of light that commonly occurred during an atmospheric detonation.
The purpose of Cay Bridge, according to the U.S. government, was to help enforce the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Mexico, which had signed the treaty in 1968, was designated as a nuclear-weapons-free zone. Thus, the double flash, now known as the Cay Bridge Incident, had raised plenty of suspicious eyebrows.
The ensuing investigation revealed the satellite’s equipment had not malfunctioned during the detection. Several potential sources, including lightning as well a meteorite, were quickly ruled out. Within hours, researchers concluded the Cay Bridge satellite had indeed recorded the presence of a low-yield nuclear explosion, in the range of one to two kilotons.
The Mexican government had emphatically denied any participation in a nuclear weapons test. Aided by its U.S. counterpart, the Mexican military swiftly launched a top-secret operation to investigate the Cay Bridge Incident. Twelve hours later, a fleet of helicopters flew to the Eastern Mountains. One of the pilots, an observant fellow, had spotted a couple of folks waving at him from near the base.
He'd quickly landed and his team took us — Beverly, Graham, Dr. Wu, and me — into custody. They'd relocated us to a hastily constructed facility. We were in sad shape at the time. The explosion had been small and relatively contained. And the limestone rock had swallowed up its most vicious effects. But all of us had suffered welts, bruises, burns, and deep scratches among other things.
"Hey Cy."
Shielding my eyes, I glanced at Dr. Wu. He sat on a blanket in the middle of a small clearing. A tattered notebook, filled with scribbled handwriting, rested in his lap.