“Even with a projected increase in tourism numbers each year, the addition of the Pape Ranch Cavern into the pool of tourist attractions around the San Antonio area would not make it economically feasible. It would in fact dilute the tourism pool. There is only so much money a tourist family is willing to spend on one day’s activities according to the tourism data from the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce. If they spend the average entrance fee‒based on all the regional caverns in the Texas Hill Country‒at the Pape Ranch Caverns, then they won’t spend it at the other caverns or tourist sites. And, if we charged the existing average entrance fee, we’d never make enough money to pay operational costs, let alone recover investment capital. I’m sorry, Max. The numbers just don’t support the capital investment required to develop the property.”
“And the final nail in the coffin has to be a little item we discovered in our market research. A natural cavern isn’t very high on the list of family tourist attractions. Kids today want action themed amusement. You couple that need with the fact that high-speed rail service between Austin and San Antonio is coming, well, it just doesn’t bode well for a natural cavern off the beaten path,” George added.
“That was the bad news, Max. I do have some good news. Do you want to hear it?” James Lee said.
“Of course,” I said.
“I have an interested buyer.”
Shane and Hannah looked at one another, the disappointment obvious on their face. “Did they say what they wanted the ranch for?” I asked.
“No, just that he wanted a big ranch in the Texas Hill Country. His name is André de Lionne. He’s from a very old French family. I met him by way of our mutual friend Tankut Güler. His daughter Cansu married into the de Lionne family. A distant cousin of André, I think.”
“Would he agree to keep the ranch intact?”
“That didn’t come up. When I told him about the Pape Ranch and that it might be for sale, he asked what the sale price was and I told him seven-point-five mil. He didn’t blink. I’d take it, Dad, if he’s still interested,” James Lee said.
“That seems a little low for acreage in this area of the county, but if he’s willing to pay that much, we should get the property appraised. Oh, and ask him what his plans are for the property?”
“Sure. And if he agrees to keep the ranch intact, will you sell it to him?”
Well there it was. It was decision time. I could see Shane watching me intently. Hannah was busy on her smart phone. I guessed she saw the writing on the wall and was sending out her resume. “For the right price; but he needs to understand what Shane is doing with the land reclamation. We can’t just walk away from the project and leave the land exposed. It wouldn’t be right. We need to finish reseeding and planting on the cleared sections, at least.”
“The sooner the better,” Shane added.
“I’ll mention that to him.”
I saw Hannah flicking her smartphone screen to enlarge an image and then squinting at the screen. Her lips suddenly puckered and the she said, “Oh-My-God!” We all looked at her.
“Sorry,” she said sheepishly. “Max, can I speak to you, outside.”
We excused ourselves and walked outside onto the front porch. “How much does James Lee know about the capstone?”
“He knows it was destroyed, but not by who, or what was on it. I was going to bring him up to date today.”
“Let me show you something. You know the X on the capstone etching; if you look at it more closely, maybe it’s not an X, it’s a religious cross, tilted to look like an X; as in, X marks the spot. It’s possibly more sleight of hand.” Hannah showed me the map image and enlarged it.
“Could be,” I said. I was taking her word for it. My eyes weren’t that good and the image before me was anything but clear.
“Let’s assume it’s a Templar Cross,” she said.
“You mean like in the Knights Templar?”
“Exactly. It’s always bothered me that a Jesuit caravan from Spanish Mexico was headed for French Louisiana, supposedly loaded with gold, when in fact it was France’s pressure on Rome that played a significant role in the breakup of the Jesuit Order in Americas and Europe. France and Spain were not exactly on good terms with each other or Rome. You see what I’m getting at?”
“Not exactly,” I said. I had no idea what she was getting at. It looked like a “X” to me. Some people saw what they wanted to see.
“I googled André de Lionne. His family goes back before the French Inquisition in 1307 against the Order of the Temple of Solomon. André de Lionne is a descendant of a Knights Templar family that could have been part of the original Crusades. I need to do some more research, but I have a funny feeling about all of this. I think it’s more than just a coincidence that André de Lionne wants to buy the ranch.”
“How long do you need?”
“Give me a couple of days. Okay?”
“Alright, I’ll hold off on telling James Lee until you know more.”
. . .
That night, just a few minutes after midnight by the clock beside our bed, I was returning from the first run of my nightly trips between bed and bathroom. I had just crawled back into bed in my stealth mode so as not to wake Sunny when my cell phone started vibrating across the bedside table. I saw Emily’s face on the phone and answered the call immediately. There was no good reason for her to be calling me at this hour. I turned on the lamp on the bedside table. I felt Sunny lift herself up on one elbow to see what was going on.
“What’s the matter, Sweetheart?”
“It’s Elizabeth. She’s been in a car accident.”
Emily’s voice was trembling and my initial concern was more for her than her sister. “Is Ted there with you?”
“No, he’s in Abilene visiting his mother. I’m going to call him in the morning.”
“How is Elizabeth?”
“I think she’s going to be all right. Her husband died, though. The doctor thinks I should be the one to tell her, so she doesn’t know yet.”
“Okay. Sit tight, I’m on my way.”
“No, wait. That’s not a good idea, Dad. I can handle this.”
“I know you can. I’m coming to be with you. Elizabeth will never know I’m there.”
“Thanks, Dad. Bye.”
I stood up and paused a moment to look at Sunny.
“Well?”
“That was Emily. She’s at the hospital. Elizabeth was in an accident.”
“I’m sorry. Is she okay?”
“Emily said she was, but her husband was killed.”
“My, God. What happened?”
“I don’t know any of the details. I’m going into the hospital to be with Emily. Ted is out of town.”
“Maybe you should reconsider, given what’s happened between the two of you. I don’t think she will appreciate you showing up.”
“I’m not going to let Elizabeth see me. I just know Emily needs our support and Ted’s not there.”
“Maybe I should go with you.”
“I’ll be out the door in five minutes. If you can have a babysitter here and are ready to go by then, come with me.”
“You’d better call me back in thirty minutes,” she said.
I leaned over and kissed her. “I will. I love you.”
“Don’t speed.”
The waiting room looked like a crowded bus terminal. I saw Emily and walked over to her. She was dosing, her head back against the wall. She clutched her beg in her arms and was out cold.
“Hey,” I said, but got no response. “Emily.”
She opened her eyes and then sat up straight. “Oh, hi, Dad. I must have fallen asleep.”
I offered my hand to pull her up and then we walked outside into the fresh air. There weren’t two available seats next to each other in the waiting room.
“How are you holding up?”
“Okay. I’m just tired. I didn’t get much sleep the night before with Ted out of town.”
“I know the f
eeling. Did you find out what happened?”
“Scoot was drinking as usual. He hit the bridge abutment on Canyon Road.”
“What were they doing way out there?”
Emily shook her head. “Elizabeth wasn’t with him. She was on her way out there after the police called her. She was hit at a four way stop by another driver who didn’t stop.”
“Damn. Does she know, yet?”
“No,” she said and closed her eyes.
She leaned into me and I pulled her in close and wrapped my arms around her as I had done so many times in her life. It pained me that I could not give her sister the same comfort when she needed it.
My cell phone rang. “It’s Sunny,” I said before I let Emily go and reached into my pocket.
Emily looked at me as if to ask did Sunny know that was her ringtone. I ignored her look.
“Hey…. Yes, she’s right here,” I said and handed the phone to Emily.
When Emily and Sunny were finished talking, we went back inside and found two seats next to each other. Unfortunately, it was next to some big baby that couldn’t stop moaning. I sat next to him so Emily wouldn’t have to. There’s nothing worse than a grown man moaning like a little boy. It tells you everything you need to know about the man’s character, just like bad BO.
“So, what are you going to do now?” I asked her.
“I called her oldest son, John. He’s on his way here from Spring Branch outside of Houston. I told him I’d stay with Elizabeth until he got here.”
I nodded that I understood. I had never met my grandson, John, or knew anything about him, thanks to Elizabeth.
“He said he’d call the rest of the family.”
“I don’t guess that would include me.”
Emily patted my arm. “Give her time, Dad.”
“That’s not something I have a lot of.”
“It’s not your fault. Elizabeth is …., well, she’s Elizabeth. I’m gonna tell you something, but you have to promise me that you’ll never tell her I told you. It was kind of an inside family joke.”
“I promise.”
“When we were young-I think I was about eight-Mom’s boyfriend took all of us to the coast for the weekend. Elizabeth said suddenly from the backseat that she wanted to see a Quaker while we were in Rockport.”
Emily smiled. “She swore she had seen a road sign that said we were in a Quaker State now. Mom explained that the Quaker State Motor Oil signs were everywhere along the highways just like the shaving cream signs for Barbasol. When Elizabeth remained unconvinced, Mom made her boyfriend turn around and drive until we found the sign for Quaker State Motor Oil. When we did, Elizabeth swore up and down that wasn’t the sign she saw. If you asked her today about the incident she would tell you she saw what she saw and we didn’t drive far enough back toward New Haven to see the sign. I’m not casting dispersions because we both know where she got that stubborn streak from. It’s just that when she takes a position, Dad, she never changes. You have to accept that.”
“No, I don’t. She may not want anything to do with me, for whatever reason she has conjured up, but she is family. I want to end our estrangement before it’s too late.”
Emily patted my hand. I wanted to snatch my hand away for the condescending gesture and admission that nothing could be done. I didn’t though. I was supposed to be there for her, not me, and so I took her hand and held it for as long as she needed.
. . .
It was after lunch the next day and I was groggy from that extra half of a brisket po-boy I shouldn’t have eaten not much sleep the night before. I was about to fall asleep in my saddle as we approached the top of the mesa. I’d wanted James Lee to see the view before we sold the ranch. He had offered to take me up and land on the mesa in his two-seater, but it was beyond me why someone would want to fly when they could ride a horse.
As we approached the top of the trail, my horse, Sally, started getting skittish. She was good at letting me know when she was bothered by something. I leaned over and stroked her neck. I figured the jaguar was up on top of the mesa. When we crested the trail up to the mesa, I could see a rough lean-to next to the lone tree on the mesa. It was made of tree branches and had obviously been hauled up from below to provide shade for the jaguar. I stopped a few yards beyond the trail and dismounted.
I didn’t know how much George had told James Lee about the encounter Hannah and Shane had with the Mayan woman. I kind of suspected he might have kept some of it to himself.
“It looks like we may have some company. Better dismount and keep a tight grip on your horse’s reins,” I said to James Lee and George. I slipped my .30-06 deer rifle out of the new saddle scabbard and handed it to James Lee.
“What’s going on?” James Lee demanded of me more like he was a man who was used to being in charge than someone concerned about a big jaguar. I figured then George hadn’t said anything.
“Is it the jaguar?” George asked.
“What the fuck?” James Lee said.
My son was a succinct man and not prone to verbose conversations.
“The Mayan woman and the jaguar have been camping up here. They haven’t been exposed to you. Let me go have a look,” I said and handed Sally’s reins to George. “Watch my back,” I said to James Lee.
I heard James Lee question George as I walked over to the lone tree and the lean-to. “Jaguar, show yourself,” I said. I heard him growl and after a moment he came up over the edge of the mesa in one leap. He had been on a ledge along the side of the mesa, waiting.
“How are you, big fella? Come here,” I said in a firm but calm voice. He snarled and twisted his head upward and to the side, as if telling me he would when he was ready. I could hear the nervous horses behind me. “Come on, I won’t hurt you. Where is Magali?”
“I am here,” I heard her say from beneath the edge of the cliff. As Magali climbed up into view, the jaguar walked over to me and leaned into my leg. I reached down and stroke his black coat. “It is good to know you are well. I’ve seen where you’ve been taking your share of the deer. You are looking well fed.”
I felt the jaguar tense. He was watching the skittish horses and the two men watching him. “They are my sons and they won’t hurt you,” I assured the big cat. “James Lee, walk over here slowly.”
He was less than twenty yards away, standing with George and the horses. I watched James Lee hand George the reins of his horse and then take a moment to size up the situation as the warrior he once was. The jaguar crouched as James Lee walked slowly up to me and was ready to spring at him if threatened. I watched the jaguar and admired the strength in him. Every muscle in his body seemed to ripple beneath his black coat. James Lee never took his eyes off the cat and was equally prepared.
“Is he tame?” James Lee asked.
“Hardly,” I said and held out my hand for the rifle. I put the rifle into the crook of my arm. “My friend, find some shade. I need to speak to Magali.”
He snarled defiantly for show and walked over to the shade of the lean-to. His black coat had made him hot to the touch. I figured he wasn’t used to so much direct sun as we had here in Texas and he was really exposed here on top of the mesa.
“We have not found the Death Mask. Nor do I believe it was ever here.”
“It is here,” the woman said.
“The man that carried the Death Mask with him from Mexico City did not say anything about leaving it here in the journal he kept of the journey. I think this was merely a way point on his way to New Orleans. We have stopped looking for it and I am going to sell the ranch.”
“No,” she said emphatically.
James Lee and I looked at one another. The woman sounded like she had some say in the matter. To me her rejection of the sale of the ranch was a cry of desperation. She was losing all hope that she could escape her curse. She laid her staff on the ground and then stood up.
“If you think the Mask is still on the ranch, then you need to take it up with whoever buys
the ranch,” I said. “I will tell the buyer about the jade Death Mask and you can negotiate with the new owner after the sale. I’m done with the mask.”
“You have been chosen. You cannot sell what does not belong to you.”
“If you’re talking about the ranch, yes, I can, and I will. As far as the Mask is concerned, I agree, it belongs to the Mayan people, and I do not want to own it or sell it.”
I glanced over at the lean-to and the jaguar was gone. The spotted jaguar, Buster, had been an extension of Angelina’s will and I was concerned that the black jaguar would also do something because of Magali’s anger.
“Jaguar, show yourself,” I said and instinctively turned to look at where the horses were standing. The jaguar was less than six feet from George who was struggling to control the horses and didn’t see him.
“Jaguar, stop! Come to me. Do not listen to the woman.”
“You are a foolish and vain man. Gabor does not listen to you,” Magali said.
She mumbled something that I did not understand. I turned back to look at Magali. She had a two-foot long machete in her hand as she moved toward us. A huge rattle snake was uncoiling itself and searching for us with its heat seeking sensors. I couldn’t let myself be distracted from the jaguar and protecting George nor could I turn my back on the woman. There was no time for debate.
I had been around guns and hunting long enough that a weapon was an extension of me; meaning I rarely had to use the sights to hit my target for a close-up shot. I shot the woman through the heart in my mind before I had the safety off and rifle aimed. As soon as I fired, I saw her left shoulder jerk backward and I slid the bolt back and loaded another round and pivoted. Mentally, I already had the jaguar in my sights. The sound of the gun shot and the closeness of the Jaguar panicked the horses and George was struggling to calm the startled horses.
“Jaguar, do not make me kill you. You are free now.”
The big cat leapt straight up into the air, threw all four of his legs into contorted configurations, as if he were trying to shake off some invisible netting and still he somehow landed on his paws facing James Lee and me.
The Turbulence of Butterflies (Max Howard Series Book 6) Page 26