The Mayan Priest (17 page)

‘Gosh, now you’ve got me. I think Ben is an oval with a few inner lines and Mac is a monkey,’ said Gillian, screwing up her face in reflection.

‘I can’t see how the face in the pyramid looks like either of the symbols you‘ve described. There is nothing that comes close to representing a monkey or an oval with a few inner lines,’ said Adam as a familiar sound emanated from above.

Gillian looked up in surprise as another helicopter hovered just above the thick treeline. A quick glimpse at the ground reconfirmed that it was not Georgio.

‘Who is it?’ asked Adam.

‘I’ve no idea,’ replied Gillian.

Gillian was close enough to see Georgio twist his neck in an effort to view the intruder and that his face had crinkled with concern. He gestured to Gillian to hurry.

The unidentified rival hovered for a moment before determining that the only suitable landing spot had already been taken. It quickly climbed back into the hot blue sky and flew off in the direction of Tikal. Gillian guessed that it was most likely rich sightseers who would undoubtedly be upset at having the opportunity to visit Uaxactún taken from them.

Gillian looked at Adam and they grinned in unison. The vision of Georgio’s red nose and chubby cheeks duplicated the image of a clown.

They laughed as Georgio hammered his hand against the helicopter door in frustration and irritation at being ignored.

‘In all seriousness, we’d better hurry. Storm clouds are closing in,’ said Gillian as they both looked up and noted an avalanche of dark clouds on the horizon.

‘Okay, let’s think like Kinix. He was an intelligent man who knew that no one in his foreseeable future would be able to uncover his secret. For one thing, no one could read Latin and secondly, he had taken great pains to hide his manuscript. He had no reason to suspect that anyone other than the owner of your disk and paintings would come close to uncovering his secret. The small tile did not need deciphering to open the obsidian box, so it stands to reason that it would be simple to locate the hiding spot here,’ concluded Gillian.

‘Then let’s presume he had used the circle around the numeral thirteen simply to highlight it and that the number was simply that – a basic counting configuration. Did you not say that thirteen was two lines of five and three dots on top of each other, a little like a pyramid?’

‘Yes,’ replied Gillian, her fair skin suddenly aglow with enthusiasm. ‘In the painting, was the priest pointing to the mask or above it?’

‘I thought it was at the mask, but the figure is quite small, so I could possibly be wrong.’

‘So, he could simply be telling us that it is thirteen steps above the mask. It is a step pyramid after all,’ suggested Gillian.

‘I thought you told me all pyramids were plastered and painted, so how would he know where the thirteen steps were?’ asked Adam, his question leaving her aghast at his stupidity until she remembered that he knew nothing of the Mayan culture until today. His intelligent answers and easy conversation had caused her to forget he was a beginner.

‘This pyramid was not like other Mayan temples that required constant maintenance to keep their beauty to an acceptable level for the gods. It was originally constructed with steps on each side so that the priest or king could walk up its surface with ease,’ replied Gillian, trying not to sound too condescending.

‘That makes sense,’ agreed Adam ‘so, let’s go and look,’ he said as he started to climb the crumbling stone.

Gillian laughed loudly as she clambered up behind him. She was so excited by their impending discovery that they did not notice the sound of the returning helicopter as it hovered momentarily just out of sight.

On reaching the thirteenth step and positioning themselves directly above the mask, Gillian knelt down to study the stone blocks. To the inexperienced eye, they all appeared identical, but the one in the very middle did not fit with the same precision. It was too small, out by less than just over an inch on both sides but clearly placed into the structure at a later stage.

Gillian took out a small nail file she carried in her bag and began to dig at the mortar when a shadow appeared from above. The rival helicopter had thrown its silhouette over the lush landscape like a spider web and two figures had dropped swiftly from the sky.

Gillian looked up in surprise, shocked that the intruders had returned but even angrier at her failure to hear their arrival. She had been so caught up in the moment that her senses had been dulled and she was like a horse with blinkers on. Stupid … she was stupid.

Gillian shook her head as she saw two men in black exit the helicopter, lowered to the ground by a winch and a rope. They were too far away for Gillian to make out the type of firearm they were using, but she could tell that they were pointed directly at their heads. They were clearly experienced, and the name ‘Samuel’ came to mind.

A quick calculation told her she had about thirty seconds to uncover the secret behind the block before their position was breached and the adversaries stole the treasure. She knew their situation was dire unless Georgio had also seen the arrivals. She hoped he was not taking the opportunity to have a nap considering he was a notoriously deep sleeper and often required a decent shaking to be woken.

She looked at Adam and motioned in the direction of their helicopter. He nodded and she knew that he had understood her intentions. Gillian kept working. It was imperative that she uncovered the treasure before they arrived, so she kept her head down.

Adam turned to discretely locate Georgio. He was nowhere to be seen.

Gillian glanced up from her work and noted the puzzled expression on Adam’s face. She knew that Georgio was not where he was supposed to be and this caused her heart to flutter in fear.

Where was he? He was their only source of protection.

‘Dig! Dig, Gillian!’ yelled Adam in desperation as he armed himself with a couple of stones and waited until their adversaries were within thirty feet of the top of the pyramid before aiming at their bodies. Adam was not a good shot and the rocks flung harmlessly into the air, missing their targets by an arm’s length.

Adam swore loudly as the challengers boldly approached. They clearly thought Adam and Gillian were alone and that this was going to be an easy task. Their smiles were almost visible on their faces as Gillian broke through the mortar and ripped the block from its position. She reached in and dragged out a familiar obsidian box, her discovery seen by the arrivals.

Two shots rang through the air!

The next few moments passed in slow motion for Gillian who watched in disbelief as a shower of blood burst into the air, covering her arm as it gushed in a downward trajectory towards her right knee. The first of the intruders had lost the side of his face and he tumbled sightlessly in Gillian’s direction just as the remaining mass of bulging tissue fell from the skull and bounced down the temple stairs. If she was made of less substance, she would have screamed, but Gillian was too intent on missing the second body to think about it. The other man had been shot in the side of his upper torso and he did not die instantly. Gillian heard him gasp in shock and look down at his chest, the realisation of his imminent death bringing disbelief to his eyes.

Her humanity came to the fore and she was just about to rush to him when he raised his arm and fired his pistol in her direction. Adam was standing slightly upward from Gillian and upon seeing the intended murder, he leapt downward, impacting Gillian’s upper body and forcing her off balance. The bullet crashed harmlessly into the stone as both Gillian and Adam tumbled down the steps and landed on top of each other in a tangle of arms and legs.

It took a couple of seconds before Gillian was able to move her body. Adam had cushioned her fall, but every bone and muscle felt as if it had been stretched and pounded to its capacity. She cringed at the thought of her impending pain as the muscles stiffened over the next couple of days but managed to lift her body off the ground and gaze down at Adam. He was not unconscious, but his strained and reddened face revealed the agony he was in. He winced as she reached to help him to his feet, but the continued cascade of bullets that rained upon them from the retreating helicopter forced them to ignore their aches and pains. They stooped low and ran for the cover of the treeline as return fire from the opposite side of the pyramid continued until the helicopter disappeared from earshot.

‘Bloody hell,’ swore Adam as he gazed at his bruised and bloodied arms.

‘Yeah, I agree,’ complained Gillian as she held up her left hand and noted that her knuckles were stripped of their outer skin. She had clutched the obsidian box with such determination that her inner palm had been sliced by the edge of the box and the blood had begun to ooze down her wrist. The pain was excruciating, but she had barely noticed it until they paused for a breather under the trees.

‘Are you okay?’ asked Adam, his genuine concern touching Gillian who could not help but draw comparisons between him and her less caring fiancé.

‘Yes, but I am worried about Georgio.’

Her fears were unfounded when the small man came running from beyond the ruins and into the open like a bulldog on a mission. The expression on his face was of anger and sheer determination, allowing Gillian to understand why her father valued him as backup. Georgio was strong, reliable and extremely cunning and he grinned in delight.

‘Stupid idiots. Did they really think we were dumb enough to fly in here unprotected?’ and then in his second breath, ‘We’ve gotta go. I’m positive they will return with reinforcements.’

‘Okay, but if I’m correct, we’ll still need to fly to Palenque,’ her comments ignored as Georgio ushered them quickly to the helicopter, ignoring their pleas of pain.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The large metal cross rattled slightly as Pastor Peter Bright opened the solid oak door. His bathrobe and haphazard impression were a clear indication that he was not expecting guests, causing Dale to straighten the old man’s glasses before they fell off his nose. Without a word of greeting, Dale stepped into the aged building and gave the shrunken man a hug befitting a close family member.

Peter instantly beamed and wrapped his arthritic arm around Reynata’s waist before marching her through the antique wooden pews and out into the adjoining kitchen. It was a warm kitchen, reflective of the years prior to electricity when everything was cooked over a wood stove and ornaments hung off the walls. The cabinetry was old but maintained and ran in a U-shape around the outer walls. A white-painted trestle table sat in the centre of the room with pots and pans suspended from the ceiling above. Peter had a pot of hot chocolate simmering on the stove and a loaf of freshly baked sliced bread on the centre bench. The smell was amazing and Reynata inhaled in delight.

‘Did you bake this’ she gestured to the bread.

‘Of course. I am a man of many talents, but if you can excuse me for a moment, I need to have a chat with Dale – men’s business, if you know what I mean.’ Peter winked and followed Dale back into the church.

‘Is she the one? She looks as I imagined.’

‘Yes.’

‘Has she come willingly? We both know that it won’t work unless she is ready to reveal the information,’ said Peter as he sat down to relieve his tiring legs.

‘I have told her that the lives of archaeologists and millions of potential drug victims are relying on her recollections.’

‘I know the drug ring bit is true, but I haven’t heard anything on the news about a group of trapped archaeologists,’ reprimanded Peter as he waved his fingers in rebuke.

‘No, it’s true, Uncle … all of it. It’s hard to explain right now, but the archaeologists have stumbled across a secret that is somehow related to the religious beliefs of the sect. Any information Reynata can offer may help save their lives. Their time is limited to thirty hours at best and although Gillian is helping, she may not unravel the clues in time to save them. It’s important to obtain any information we can.’

‘I can understand, but I’m also worried that you’re doing this for your own benefit. I know who you think Reynata is, but have you thought of how this could impact Gillian if it’s true,’ said Peter, his grey eyes reflecting his deep concern.

‘I have, and I admit that my reasons are also selfish, but I have waited for so many years for answers, Peter. It is the right time, even if it only helps to save the archaeologists.’