A shock wave rolled over me. I barely kept my balance. Dirt and stones dropped from the walls. The shaft began to shake.
"Take her up," I shouted.
The engine revved. Machinery clanked. The straps grew taut.
I grasped hold of a strap and held fast. Graham did the same. Then the entire load — Eve, the sarcophagus, Graham, and me — lifted into the air.
The surrounding walls started to give way. Dirt slammed into my face as the shaft exploded inward.
I lowered my head and held on tight.
Hang on. Hang on, damn it.
Chapter 9
Whirling wind engulfed the shaft. I tried to hold my breath but particles swarmed into my nose. I coughed, inhaling tons of dust in the process. I coughed again and nearly lost my grip on the strap.
I clamped my mouth shut and squinted in Graham's direction. Dust stung my eyes and they grew watery. I blinked a few times. At the other end of the sarcophagus, I spotted his huddled form.
I swung over to him. "Dutch?"
No response.
I grabbed his shoulder. His face tipped toward me. His tongue lolled out of his mouth. His forehead was a mass of matted hair and sticky blood.
I wrapped my arms around the strap and grabbed hold of his waist. My hands felt tired. Damn tired.
Can't … hold on … much longer.
Chapter 10
A dull glow burst through the dust cloud. I couldn't see much. Just a small patch of white light. Nevertheless, I felt a burst of energy. We were close to the surface.
Very close.
My fingers throbbed. I adjusted my grip on Graham but it didn't help. The throbbing spread to my wrists and then to my forearms. Before long, my shoulders started to tingle. Then my back began to hurt.
We rose higher. The light brightened. Pacho's face, several feet above me, came into view.
My fingers slowly uncurled.
Pacho frowned. "Are you okay?"
My hands separated. Desperately, I clung to Graham's shirt. "Help."
Pacho's arms plunged into the shaft.
Graham's body shifted.
My fingers stretched. Gritting my teeth, I hung on as long as I could.
Then my grip collapsed.
I tumbled backward. Graham's body slid along the stone surface. Helplessly, I watched him slide right to the edge.
And stop.
He remained still for a second. Then his body jerked. Slowly, Pacho hauled him to the surface.
I sagged. My vision dimmed. I sensed dirt exploding from all directions.
The sarcophagus tilted. I slid a foot. Then I felt myself tipping over the edge and plummeting.
Plummeting to my doom.
Chapter 11
Hands grabbed my leg. I jerked to a stop. Blinking, I stared directly into the collapsing shaft.
"Don't worry." Beverly gasped. "We've got you."
I clawed at the dirt as she and Tum pulled me upward. The walls crumbled beneath me, sealing the shaft.
I rolled onto my back. My leg ached. My fingers hurt like hell.
I hacked dust out of my lungs and wiped dirt from my face. Sitting up, I looked at Graham. He lay nearby, still as a corpse. He stirred and I exhaled in relief. Then I glanced at the sarcophagus. "We got it."
Pacho leapt into the air and pumped his fist. "Yes!"
The small clearing erupted into hoots and cheers. Yohl Ik’nal barked incessantly. Alonzo lifted his head and howled. Even Miranda, who looked frazzled and disoriented, joined in the celebration.
As I rose to my feet, Rigoberta maneuvered the backhoe. Eve's wheels touched the ground. Miranda's team gathered around the ancient coffin. Soft, excited murmurs sounded out.
Miranda sidled up to me. Her mouth moved but I couldn't hear her.
I slapped both sides of my head. Dirt poured out of my ears. "What was that?"
"I just wanted to say thanks."
"Sorry we couldn't save your tomb."
"It's not your fault." She sighed. "I should've listened to you."
"It could've been worse. At least we got Xbalanque."
She gave me a small smile and walked to her colleagues. I stood up and took a few practice steps. My legs felt wobbly.
I stared at the sky, watching the clouds move. For a brief moment, I felt at peace. But it didn't last long. Soon, bits of conversation drifted into my ears.
"… can't believe …"
"… Eve. We were …"
"… shovelbum. Who knew …?"
Miranda's shovelbum remark, although said with affection, stung my ears. Shovelbum was another name for a salvage archaeologist. It referred to the endless physical labor as well as the nomadic lifestyle. Some salvage experts wore the nickname like a badge of honor. Personally, I'd always despised it.
A typical archaeological investigation involved three phases. First, an archaeologist set objectives for the investigation and surveyed the site. The actual excavation came next. Finally, the excavation data was analyzed in terms of the original objectives and the results were published.
Three distinct phases. Survey, excavation, analysis. Arguably, the first and last phases required the bulk of the brainpower. The second phase was just digging and tagging, digging and tagging. That had been my role in Miranda's excavation. I hadn't located the tomb nor would I stick around to analyze it and publish data. I'd just swooped in and recovered the sarcophagus. In a short while, I'd swoop out again.
So, the term was accurate. And I couldn't really blame her for using it. After all, I'd told her to think of me as a salvage archaeologist.
But it still annoyed me.
"What happened down there?"
I twisted toward Beverly. "Things didn't go according to plan."
"Who screwed up?"
Part of me wanted to tell her about Miranda's mistake. But Beverly had a bit of a temper and the last thing I needed was for her to cause a scene before we got paid. "It was an accident. The sarcophagus was a keystone. It got jolted and the tomb collapsed on us."
"Jolted, huh?" She gave me a skeptical look. "Well, I'm going to check on Dutch. Do you need anything?"
I shook my head.
As she strode away, my side cramped up. I clutched at it, pinching my skin. The pain faded but only for a few seconds. Then it returned with a vengeance.
I rubbed my eyes. I was tired. Hungry too. I couldn't remember the last time I'd slept or ate a good meal.
I turned toward the jungle. A row of trees faced me, forming a nearly impenetrable barrier. I looked through the gaps but all I saw were more trees, lined up in neat rows.
Rows of trees. I wonder …
A soft breeze pushed at my back. Leaves reached out, beckoning me. Releasing my side, I limped toward the jungle.
"Hey Cy!"
I stopped. "Yeah?"
"Where are you going?" Miranda called out.
"I'm just taking a walk."
"Well, don't go far. I don't want you getting lost."
I gave her a nod and walked to the edge of the clearing. Then I strode past the tree line, letting the jungle swallow me up.
I knew I shouldn't have lied to Miranda. After all, it was her dig. But I'd already decided this would be my final job as a treasure hunter. And I didn't want it to end on a low note. I wanted to go out with my head held high.
I wanted to go out as something other than a shovelbum.
Chapter 12
"What are you doing?" The voice, sultry and feminine, floated into my ears.
I whirled around. "You followed me?"
"Of course." Beverly took a few steps forward. "Now, what's going on? And don't lie to me like you did to Miranda."