ones on the other wall. Corresponding glyphs, perhaps.
Most importantly, just below the glyphs, which I understood now were markers, she pointed to something small and protruding from the wall. A stone lever. It made me a tad uneasy as she reached for it. “I hope this is what I believe it is.”
“ Me, too, sister,” I said, as she pulled on the lever.
Immediately, the ground began to shake. Ishi grabbed onto Marie, who grabbed onto me. Not quite the threesome I had in mind. A moment later the wall opened up. From beyond the wall, a golden haze greeted us.
“ What in the hell?”
Chapter Thirteen
“ I thought you said this was where the treasure was,” I said.
“ No,” said Marie, stepping forward and shielding her eyes, “I said this was the tunnel that led to the treasure.”
“ And where would the treasure be?” I asked.
“ That,” she said, turning to me and smiling as golden sunlight washed over her alabaster skin, “is the million dollar question.”
“ How about a ten million dollar question, instead?” I said.
Beyond, birds twittered. A howler monkey shrieked. Something heavy moved through the thick underbrush near the tunnel’s exit, then abruptly dashed off. Marie glanced briefly through the doorway, then back at me. “If the legends are even a fraction true, we might be looking at billions.”
“ You never said anything about billions,” I said. Ishi had stepped up behind me...and promptly dashed out the torch, its flame now unnecessary.
“ Perhaps many billions, Mr. Caine.”
“ That’s if Ciudad Blanca exists,” I said.
“ For a treasure hunter, Mr. Caine, you’re surprisingly cynical.”
“ Yeah, well, I’ve been burned one too many times. And I smell smoke all over this.”
She reached back and gently patted my face, a simple gesture that sent a thrill through me. Dammit. “Well, my doubting Thomas, there’s only one way to find out.”
And I really shouldn’t have been very surprised when she pushed aside a tangle of spider webs and marched through the narrow tunnel, her shapely figure now silhouetted against the bright light.
“ The girl has guts,” said Ishi.
“ I know,” I said, stepping forward, “It’s beginning to annoy me.”
* * *
The tunnel opened up into what appeared to be a deep valley. To either side rose steep cliffs covered in dense foliage. Before us was a rock-strewn path through even denser undergrowth. What lay beyond was anyone’s guess.
We caught up to Marie. Or, more accurately, she waited for us. Impatiently. Literally tapping her foot and folding her arms. Yeah, she was all types of bugging me.
We continued along with Ishi now in the lead. The Tawankan was unusually skilled at wielding his machete, which he did now, hacking a path for us through the vine-covered trail.
The jungle seemed particularly alive. Trees shook with the passage of various monkey species: howler, spider, squirrel monkeys, capuchins, tamarins...and a species I didn’t readily recognize. A larger species with long, shaggy hair. It swung easily in the branches above, moving with cat-like grace and agility, and watching us closely.
Ishi saw it, too, and paused briefly, machete raised high. I could be wrong, but I might have seen the Tawankan shiver slightly. Never a good sign. After a moment, he continued hacking and we continued following.
We did this for some time, following a hint of a game trail that meandered deeper into the valley. What valley? I hadn’t a clue. I thought I knew Honduras. In fact, I thought I knew it like the proverbial back of my hand. The same hand that sported a half dozens circular scars that were, unsurprisingly, the exact circumference of a piranha’s mouth. Long story.
We paused for some water a few hours in, finding a moss-covered log that could seat three and was critter free. It was coming on early evening and the sun had slipped behind the western valley wall. Soon, we were going to be in
Most importantly, just below the glyphs, which I understood now were markers, she pointed to something small and protruding from the wall. A stone lever. It made me a tad uneasy as she reached for it. “I hope this is what I believe it is.”
“ Me, too, sister,” I said, as she pulled on the lever.
Immediately, the ground began to shake. Ishi grabbed onto Marie, who grabbed onto me. Not quite the threesome I had in mind. A moment later the wall opened up. From beyond the wall, a golden haze greeted us.
“ What in the hell?”
Chapter Thirteen
“ I thought you said this was where the treasure was,” I said.
“ No,” said Marie, stepping forward and shielding her eyes, “I said this was the tunnel that led to the treasure.”
“ And where would the treasure be?” I asked.
“ That,” she said, turning to me and smiling as golden sunlight washed over her alabaster skin, “is the million dollar question.”
“ How about a ten million dollar question, instead?” I said.
Beyond, birds twittered. A howler monkey shrieked. Something heavy moved through the thick underbrush near the tunnel’s exit, then abruptly dashed off. Marie glanced briefly through the doorway, then back at me. “If the legends are even a fraction true, we might be looking at billions.”
“ You never said anything about billions,” I said. Ishi had stepped up behind me...and promptly dashed out the torch, its flame now unnecessary.
“ Perhaps many billions, Mr. Caine.”
“ That’s if Ciudad Blanca exists,” I said.
“ For a treasure hunter, Mr. Caine, you’re surprisingly cynical.”
“ Yeah, well, I’ve been burned one too many times. And I smell smoke all over this.”
She reached back and gently patted my face, a simple gesture that sent a thrill through me. Dammit. “Well, my doubting Thomas, there’s only one way to find out.”
And I really shouldn’t have been very surprised when she pushed aside a tangle of spider webs and marched through the narrow tunnel, her shapely figure now silhouetted against the bright light.
“ The girl has guts,” said Ishi.
“ I know,” I said, stepping forward, “It’s beginning to annoy me.”
* * *
The tunnel opened up into what appeared to be a deep valley. To either side rose steep cliffs covered in dense foliage. Before us was a rock-strewn path through even denser undergrowth. What lay beyond was anyone’s guess.
We caught up to Marie. Or, more accurately, she waited for us. Impatiently. Literally tapping her foot and folding her arms. Yeah, she was all types of bugging me.
We continued along with Ishi now in the lead. The Tawankan was unusually skilled at wielding his machete, which he did now, hacking a path for us through the vine-covered trail.
The jungle seemed particularly alive. Trees shook with the passage of various monkey species: howler, spider, squirrel monkeys, capuchins, tamarins...and a species I didn’t readily recognize. A larger species with long, shaggy hair. It swung easily in the branches above, moving with cat-like grace and agility, and watching us closely.
Ishi saw it, too, and paused briefly, machete raised high. I could be wrong, but I might have seen the Tawankan shiver slightly. Never a good sign. After a moment, he continued hacking and we continued following.
We did this for some time, following a hint of a game trail that meandered deeper into the valley. What valley? I hadn’t a clue. I thought I knew Honduras. In fact, I thought I knew it like the proverbial back of my hand. The same hand that sported a half dozens circular scars that were, unsurprisingly, the exact circumference of a piranha’s mouth. Long story.
We paused for some water a few hours in, finding a moss-covered log that could seat three and was critter free. It was coming on early evening and the sun had slipped behind the western valley wall. Soon, we were going to be in
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