The Hunt for Atlantis (19 page)

Despite her growing fear, Nina felt oddly buoyed by Kari’s faith. “Okay, I do. But if we get killed—”

“We won’t.”

Nina let out a nervous laugh. “Promise?”

Kari nodded. “Promise.”

“Sunset’s in fifty-eight minutes,” said Chase, checking his watch. “So if you’re done with all the female bonding chick flick stuff, you need to be thinking more Tomb Raider-y.” One of the tribesmen emerged from a hut, carrying several long sticks with their ends dipped in what looked like tar. “Torches, eh? I think we can do better than that.” Raising both hands, Chase looked questioningly at the rucksacks, very slowly sidling towards them. All around him, bowstrings creaked as the hunters took aim. “Okay, just me being harmless, see, big friendly smile …”

Sweating, and not just from the heat, he reached the rucksacks. Acutely aware that one wrong move would bring about a rapid and extremely painful death, he gently slid an LED torch out of his pack. “See? Not a gun. Just a torch. Which is in your rules, right? Agnaldo, remind ’em that it’s in their rules?” He switched on the torch and shone it first at himself to show what it did, then at the hunters around him. Some of them jumped back in surprise, blinking at the bright light—but to his intense relief, none of them released their arrows. One of the men stepped forward and waved his hand back and forth over the lens, amazed that it gave off no heat. He said something to the elders, who considered it before giving di Salvo a reply.

“They’ll let you use it,” di Salvo told Chase.

“Good. Now, about those explosives …”

“We’re running out of time,” Kari said. She strode forward to the elders and held out one hand. Slightly taken aback, he placed the metal bar in her palm. “Okay. Nina, Mr. Chase, let’s go.”

“See you soon,” said Castille as the trio was guided to the entrance. “Please?”

The dark passageway was under six feet high. Nina and Chase could fit in it easily, but the top of Kari’s head barely cleared the ceiling, forcing her to duck under clumps of overhanging moss and creepers. The temperature and humidity dropped rapidly as they progressed.

Nina saw something on one wall as Chase swept his flashlight back and forth. “Eddie, hold it. Give me some light here.”

The beam revealed a long line of symbols carved into the stone. Familiar symbols.

“It’s the same language as on the artifact,” Nina confirmed. “It reads like … I think it’s an account of the building of the temple.” She leaned closer. Among the Glozel and Olmec characters was something new: groups of lines and chevrons. “I think they’re numbers. Could be dates, or maybe—”

“Nina, I’m sorry, but we don’t have time,” Kari reminded her. “They’ll have to wait until we get back.” Disappointed, Nina followed her and Chase down the passage.

About thirty feet in, they reached a left turn. Chase flicked the flashlight beam suspiciously around the walls and ceiling.

“Mr. Chase, what’s wrong?” Kari asked.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m getting a bad vibe from this whole ‘three challenges’ thing,” he said. “I just want to check that we’re not going to walk into any traps.”

“Eddie,” Nina sighed, “I already told you that even if there were any, they would have stopped working centuries ago.”

“Yeah?” Chase directed the beam back towards the entrance. “What if our feathered friends out there’ve been fixing them? Wouldn’t be much of a challenge otherwise, would it?”

“Oh.” Nina’s stomach clenched with the realization that he could well be right. “Then … let’s be careful.”

The passage seemed safe, so they set off again. Another turn soon presented itself.

“Challenge of Strength, you reckon?” Chase asked as they paused at the entrance to a small chamber.

It was only slightly wider than the passageway, about eight feet to a side. Against the right wall was a rectangular stone block running across the chamber at roughly knee height, like a bench. At its foot was another passage, little more than four feet wide. Above the head of the bench, disappearing through a slot in the wall, was a thick branch bound tightly in vines, a smaller branch attached to its end to form a T shape. Apart from that, the chamber was empty.

Chase held up a hand for the two women to stay back as he cautiously advanced. He shone the light down the narrow passage.

“What do you see?” Kari asked.

“Little obstacle course. The passage’s about twenty feet long, but there’s poles coming down from the ceiling, so you have to twist between ’em.” He made a face. “Poles with spikes on. Guess they’re not for dancing.”

“What about the wooden thing?” Nina asked, indicating the bench.

“That? There’s stuff like that at my gym!” Chase nodded for them to come in, then straddled the bench, lying on his back under the bar. “I guess you lift it as if you’re doing a bench press, and if you’re strong enough, it opens an exit.” He realized there was an indentation in the ceiling directly above matching the size and shape of the bench, but couldn’t see any reason for it.

Kari took the flashlight, aiming it down the confined passage. It seemed to be a dead end—but there was something on the far wall, a square hole. “Or one person has to hold the weight up while the other goes down there and triggers the release. The elder said two people were needed to perform the challenges.”

“So why not just go down to the other end before anyone lifts the weight?” Nina suggested.

“’Cause that’d be way too easy.” Chase reached up and experimentally raised the bar. It moved easily for a couple of inches before encountering resistance. “So what do we do? Do I lift this and see what happens, or…”

Kari peered down the passage again. “We have to go down here anyway, so it might be a good idea to get to the other end first… What do you think, Nina?”

“Me?” Nina nervously regarded the two-inch barbs protruding from the maze of metal poles. There was enough room between them for even Chase to fit, but they would all find it tricky to avoid the spikes. She looked up, to see that each pole disappeared into a hole in the ceiling about five inches across. Oddly, the holes in the floor fitted them far more precisely. “I have absolutely no idea.”

“Fifty-three minutes, Doc,” said Chase, holding up his watch arm.

Hating being put on the spot, Nina looked to the end of the passage. The recess in the wall was big enough to reach inside; maybe it contained a lever to open a door. “Okay, well then … we’ll go to the other end. Once we get there, you lift the bar and we’ll see what happens.”

“Right. And Nina?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t get scratched. You neither, boss. Tetanus shots are a right pain.”

“We’ll try,” said Nina, almost smiling.

Kari went first, turning sideways and effortlessly slinking between the poles. Nina followed her more awkwardly. Without exchanging words, they fell into a routine: Kari lit the way and advanced a few steps, then switched the light to her other hand so that Nina could see as she followed.

“Keep talking,” Chase said. “Let me know how far you’ve got.”

“There’s about four meters to go,” Kari called out as she stepped forward. “I still don’t see an exit, but I think the recess—”

Clunk.

Something shifted under her foot.

“What was that?” Nina gulped. Dust trickled down through the gaps between the blocks. “Oh crap.”

“Move!” Kari shouted, grabbing Nina’s wrist and pulling her down the passage between the spiked poles as the entire ceiling started to descend with a horrific grinding sound, the individual blocks lowering in unison.

Even in the dim light, Chase saw the ceiling drop towards him too—as a door slammed shut, sealing the entrance. Now he realized the purpose of the indentation above the stone bench—it allowed the entire ceiling to descend all the way to the floor, leaving nowhere for anybody to hide—

No way to escape being crushed!

Oh my God!” Nina screamed as Kari pulled her between the poles.

A protruding barb slashed through Nina’s sleeve. She cried out, instinctively pulling away from the source of pain—and slamming into another one, driving a spike into her left shoulder.

Behind them, Chase desperately pushed up the bar, not knowing what else he could do. It was heavy, but not so heavy that he couldn’t support it, like bench-pressing two hundred pounds.

The ceiling slowed, but didn’t stop.

“I’m holding it!” he yelled. “Keep moving!”

Nina squealed in agony as Kari’s attempt to pull her onwards twisted the spike inside her flesh. Kari immediately let go and tried to turn back to help her—but the lowered ceiling forced her into a semicrouch, making it harder to maneuver.

“Keep going!” Nina shouted, pointing at the end of the passage. Tears streamed down her face.

“I’m not leaving you!” Kari grabbed her hand. “Come on! You can do it!”

Holding in an anguished wail, Nina pulled free. Blood spurted down her shirt. “Oh God!”

“Come on!” Kari guided her through the poles. They were halfway down the passage, ten feet to go—but there were still more of the spiked obstacles to negotiate.

The ceiling kept descending, dust and grit cascading from the blocks. It was now almost at Nina’s head height, Kari hunched over ahead of her.

Chase held up the bar, his arms extended to their limits. At least he could support the weight almost in definitely …

Another clunk, the sound of something large and heavy moving behind the slot in the wall. A mechanism—

Bang!

The pressure on Chase’s arms suddenly increased.

“Jesus!” he gasped, caught by surprise. An extra fifty pounds, at least, had been dropped onto the weight he was already supporting. His elbows bent… and the ceiling began to move faster.

“Shit!” Muscles straining, he forced his arms straight again.

The descending stones slowed—slightly. The passage was only five feet high now, and still shrinking.

“Keep going!” Kari cried. Only eight feet to go, seven, but each step she took became smaller as she fought to keep her balance in her unnatural position.

Chase heard the mechanism rattle again. Teeth clenched, he gasped, “Watch out!” just as—bang!—another weight fell, even heavier than the last. He roared as he forced his arms to stay locked under the extra strain. He was now supporting well over three hundred pounds, and the impact alone when the new weight dropped had almost slammed the bar out of his grip.

One more like that, and the challenge would be over.

The ceiling jolted sharply downwards before slowing again. It hit Kari, making her stumble and fall against one of the poles. A jagged barb stabbed deep into her left bicep. She choked back a scream, trying to pull herself free of the spike, but the ceiling pressed relentlessly down on to her, driving the barb deeper into her arm.

“Nina!” she groaned through the pain. “I’m stuck! You’ll have to get to the end!”

Nina looked down the passage. Only six feet to go—but Kari was blocking the easiest route between the poles. “I can’t make it!”

“Yes you can! You have to! Nina, go!” Kari released her hand.

Sweat streaming down his face, Chase heard the mechanism again. Another weight was about to drop. “I can’t hold it!”

Nina moved.

Bent over, head scraping along the shuddering ceiling, she squashed herself as hard as she could against one wall and squeezed through the first gap. A barb ripped her shirt, but she was through.

Four feet.

Chase braced himself for the impact of the next stone, knowing he wouldn’t be able to hold it.

Nina twisted between the next two poles, but the ceiling was now too low for her to walk upright. She dropped to a crawl, another spike slicing one thigh.

The cold stone blocks pressed against Kari’s face and shoulders, forcing the spike deeper into her arm.

Two feet—

Clunk!

“Shit …” grunted Chase, every muscle tensing.

Nina saw the dark hole set in the far wall start to disappear behind the last ceiling block.

The pain in her arm became unbearable. Kari screamed.

As did Chase, his straining arms finally giving way under the pounding sledgehammer impact of the final weight.

The ceiling shot downwards.

Nina lunged for the hole as the last block dropped like a guillotine blade.

Her hand closed around something: a wooden handle. She pulled it.

Nothing happened—

Thunk.

With an echoing crunch of stone, the ceiling stopped.

Chase opened his eyes. In the distant light, he saw that the wooden bar was now resting an inch above his neck—and barely the length of a finger above that was the cold stone that had been about to crush him.

Kari held perfectly still. Any movement just made the pain in her arm worse. She tried to see what had happened to Nina.

Nina’s right arm was inside the hole in the wall. Trapped inside. The ceiling had dropped so low that she couldn’t pull it back out. Another inch, and it would have first crushed the bone, then sheared off her arm above the elbow.

With another monstrous grinding of stone and a flurry of dust, the ceiling started to ascend.

Chase glanced to his side. The door blocking the entrance opened again.

Nina snatched her arm out of the hole and looked back. Kari’s face, lit spookily from below by the flashlight, was full of pain—but also an almost disbelieving relief. Nina picked her way back through the poles to help her. With a moan, Kari lifted herself off the spike. Blood gushed through the hole in her sleeve.

“Oh God,” Nina said, pressing her hand against the wound. “Eddie! Eddie! Kari’s hurt, she needs help!”

“She’s not the only one,” Chase gasped as he slid out from beneath the bar, then rolled off the stone bench. He pushed himself to his feet, aching arms barely cooperating. “I need some light.”

Nina took the light and directed it down the passage so Chase could make his way through the poles. By the time he was halfway through, the ceiling had returned to its original position and the awful noise had stopped.

There was another clunk, this time from the dead end of the passage.

Nina whipped the flashlight around to see an opening appear, one of the stone blocks in the wall pivoting backwards to reveal darkness beyond.

“Nina …” said Kari, looking at the blood on her shoulder.

“Forget about me, you’re hurt worse than I am. Eddie!”

Barely fitting between the poles, the barbs plucking at his leather jacket, Chase reached them. “What happened? Let me see.”

Nina held up the light. “One of these spikes got her.”

“Jesus,” Chase muttered, carefully peeling back the wet material for a better look. “That’s deep—and the first aid kit’s outside in the village.”

“Forget that,” said Kari, struggling upright. “We don’t have time, we’ve got to keep moving. How long have we got?”

Chase raised his arm to look at his watch, letting out a strained grunt. “Are you okay?” Nina asked.

“Feels like some bugger dropped a car on me. We’ve got… forty-nine minutes.”

“And two challenges to go,” Nina said ruefully.

“We can do them,” said Kari, no doubt in her voice. “Come on.”

Once through the opening, Chase insisted that they stop so he could treat the women’s wounds. By ripping off Kari’s torn sleeve he was able to tie it around her arm to slow the bleeding. The injury to Nina’s shoulder was less deep, so he wadded up one of her sleeves and used it as a makeshift bandage.

“That’s the best I can do for now,” he said apologetically. “You’ll both need stitches when we get back out. And shots too. Don’t want some nasty little bastard insect infecting you with anything.”

Nina shuddered. “God. I can’t believe how close that was.”

“Still got two more to go,” Chase reminded her.

“Yeah, thanks for the reassurance. And you’re sweating.”

“I think this officially counts as hassle.”

“We’ve beaten the Challenge of Strength,” said Kari, cautiously flexing her arm and wincing a little. “So we’ve still got the Challenge of Skill, and of Mind.”

“I was going to say that I hope they’re easier than the last one,” Chase said, “but… I’m not getting that feeling.”

“Nor am I,” said Kari. “But I know we can do it. How much time?”

“Forty-six minutes.”

“Okay, then. Let’s see what the Challenge of Skill involves.”

They walked cautiously down the new passage, which turned several times before the sound of their footsteps was joined by something else. Chase directed the light ahead. The corridor opened out into a larger chamber. “Water,” he said.

“Inside the temple?” Nina asked.

“You said it’s the temple of the sea god …” They increased their pace. “Definitely running water. Maybe that little river we saw by the village goes through the temple as well.”

His theory was proven correct moments later as the narrow passage widened out. The trio found themselves on a platform along the long edge of a giant rectangular pool of brackish green water. The ceiling above the platform was at the same claustrophobic height as the passageway, but the chamber over the pool was far taller.

Chase directed the light at the water, rippling reflections crawling over the chamber’s walls. The pool, at least a hundred feet long, was about twenty-five feet across. Spanning it was what Nina at first thought was a rope until she realized it was actually a narrow wooden beam, little more than an inch wide, supported along its length by poles emerging from the pool. The beam was two feet below the level of the platform—and only six inches above the sluggishly flowing surface of the water.

“Okay, now what?” Chase wondered.

Kari pointed across the channel. “What’s that?”

The flashlight revealed a glinting golden dagger, resting point-down inside a shallow recess directly above the opposite end of the beam. About ten feet above that was a ledge running along the far wall, but there didn’t appear to be any way up to it. “Well, that’s the Challenge of Skill,” said Nina, moving to the edge of the platform and crouching for a closer look at the wooden beam. “You have to balance on this thing and walk across to get the dagger.”

Chase found something else of interest, at one end of the pool against the stone wall. “And then that comes down so the others can get across.” On the far side was a narrow drawbridge, held up by ropes. He traced an arc from its upper end with his forefinger, all the way down to the edge of the platform on which they stood.

Nina looked more closely at the pool. At each end of the chamber she could just about make out the arched top of what she assumed was an aqueduct, channels for the water to flow through. “Why not just swim across?” she wondered aloud. “I don’t know how deep it is, but—”

The dull green surface of the water suddenly exploded into life. A set of gaping jaws burst out of it, lunging at Nina—

Kari seized her by her collar and yanked her backwards as the caiman’s mouth snapped shut where she had been a moment earlier. The twelve-foot predator thrashed and clawed at the side of the pool, trying to pursue its quarry, but was defeated by the vertical stone wall. Unable to gain traction, it dropped back into the water with an evil hiss.

Nina was too shocked to speak. “Are you okay?” Kari asked as Chase let out a considerably louder shout of “Jesus!”

Her voice returned. “Oh my God!”

“That’s why you can’t swim across,” Chase said. “Wouldn’t surprise me if there’s piranhas in there too.”

“How did that thing get in here?” Nina yelled, her whole body shaking. “We’re in a five-thousand-year-old fucking temple!”

Chase warily examined the pool, watching the ripples subside. “Same way the traps still work—those bastards outside.”

“Nina, it’s okay, it’s okay,” said Kari, trying to comfort her. “Mr. Chase, can you see anything else?”

Keeping his feet a cautious distance from the edge, Chase leaned out over the pool, shining the light up at the ceiling. “There’s something up here, over the beam, but I can’t see what it is. Like a recess in the wall.”

“Can you reach it?”

“No, it’s too high … Oh, I get it. To get a proper look, you’ve got to cross the pool to where the dagger is.”

Kari let out a long breath. “Okay. Then I suppose I’m going to have to go and get it.”

“You?” Nina objected. “But you’re hurt!”

“You sure?” Chase asked. “I mean, it’s a narrow beam, but I could probably make it…”

In reply, Kari effortlessly cartwheeled into a handstand, holding herself on just her uninjured right arm before flipping back elegantly onto her feet.

“Okay,” said Chase, nodding. “So you go and get the dagger…”

Nina looked at the pool, worried. “Kari, are you sure? If one of those things sees you …”

“We don’t have a choice,” Kari said, going to the end of the beam. “How much time have we got?”

“Forty-one minutes,” Chase told her.

“Then I’d better hurry.” She stepped down carefully from the platform onto the wooden beam. It creaked, flexing slightly. Chase held up the flashlight to illuminate her path. Composing herself, Kari slowly stretched out her arms for balance, holding in a little moan as pain jabbed through her injured arm. “Okay. Here I go.”

She took a first step. The beam creaked again, more loudly. To everyone’s alarm it also wobbled, the supporting poles swaying in the water, causing ripples.

Other ripples appeared in the pool, near the aqueduct at the downstream end of the chamber. The sinister eyes of a caiman broke the surface, the rest of its long body barely visible beneath the algae-filled water. “Kari…” Nina warned.

“I see it,” she said, returning her full attention to the beam as she advanced, step by careful step. She was at a point halfway between two of the support poles, and the beam was sagging alarmingly, only a couple of inches above the water.

The caiman moved, its tail undulating sinuously from side to side as it drifted towards her.

Kari ignored it, concentrating solely on keeping her balance. The next support pole was now almost beneath her. That stopped the beam from sagging—but the whole affair was still wobbling. It took all her effort to keep upright.