Codex

by Bill Craig

  Eric Klausen had slipped away from his men and was making his way through the jungle to a spot well away from where the trail entered the valley. Let Schmidt waste his men in a frontal assault on the valley. Klausen would find another way in and he would recover the Eyes of Kukulkan. Then, he would use them to emerge victorious from the valley and return them to Der Führer and the glory of the Reich!

  Klausen wormed his way through the undergrowth, moving parallel to the rocky ledge above that seemed to indicate the outer wall of the valley. Under the trees, it was easier to breathe since the ash from the volcano was landing on the leaves above. Sometimes it would outweigh the foliage and tumble down almost like snow in a northern forest.

  Jake Fortune looked tired as he joined Mike Rogers at the trailhead. He had both of his pistols and his rifle along with spare ammunition. He peered through the falling ash, trying to spot movement.

  “Do you see anything?” Jake asked.

  “Not at the moment,” Mike replied.

  “Have the archers launch some arrows that will fall near where you last saw the Nazis.”

  “Aye aye, Captain,” Rogers said, and then he gave Chac instructions which the young Mayan guide passed down the line. Soon a flight of arrows was launched into the air. Screams from below indicated that the arrows had found homes in human flesh.

  Gunfire ripped from the jungle below. Fortune and his men fired back. For the moment at least, they were holding their own.

  Klausen snaked his way up to the ledge. He could see torches burning in a great plaza below. This city was inhabited! That was a shock, and certainly not something that he had expected. He had thought that all the Mayan people had died off centuries ago.

  To see that they were still alive, it was a most incredible thing. It should be no problem to capture one of them and force them to take him to the Temple of Kukulkan! He eased over the lip of stone and clung to the shadows, as he made his way into the valley. It would not take long for him to find someone that he could force to take him where he wanted to go!

  The regal Princess Mona smiled as she proudly walked the Great Plaza of her city. The falling ash didn’t bother her, though adorned in all her finery. The volcano had spit ash into the air before. It was nothing new to her. It was hot and muggy and she had decided to go to the Temple of Kukulkan to pray, longing for a cool breath of air. She was surprised when hands came out of the shadows and snatched her off her feet, one hand covering her mouth. “Make no sound!” a heavily accented voice snarled in her ear.

  Princess Mona was no shrinking violet! As a Princess of her people, she had been taught to fight and fight she did, driving an elbow back into the gut of the man dragging her into the shadows. His grip loosened for a second and then something slammed hard against her head, sending her plunging into darkness!

  As much as she had enjoyed wearing the dress given her by the Princess, Glory had changed back into her own clothes which at least for the moment were clean. Jake’s warning about the volcano had spooked her enough that she wanted to be prepared if they had to run in a hurry. Glory thought for a moment and then wrapped the two stone books in the dress and tucked them into her pack.

  Shouldering her pack, she left to search for Princess Mona. She had immediately liked the young Mayan woman and they had become fast friends. So, it was no surprise that when she spotted her beautiful friend on the Great Plaza, Glory started after her. She was starting to run to catch up when the Princess suddenly disappeared into the shadows. Glory had spotted someone lurking ahead and was getting ready to yell a warning when they struck, snatching the Princess and hauling her into the shadows. Glory moved cautiously forward, wondering who might have kidnapped the Princess. She was sure that it was none of the Mayan people because it was obvious that they adored her.

  Glory slowed, moving cautiously. She had no desire to become a second victim. Being kidnapped once on this trip was enough. She shrugged out of her pack and drew the revolver that Fortune had given her when they had rejoined the others in the swamp. It felt comfortable in her fist. She slipped her pack back on and eased towards the spot where she had seen the Princess being abducted . . .

  Jake Fortune ducked to reload his guns. He thumbed fresh loads into his revolver and then reloaded the magazines for his 1911A-1. Once they were full, he thumbed cartridges into his rifle. Mike had been covering for him. Jake lifted his rifle and fired, dropping another of the Nazis. Jake kept an eye out while Rogers reloaded. While he suspected that they had significantly thinned out their attackers, there really was no way of knowing, unless they went out to check. Personally, he felt it would be best to do that after the sun came up.

  The red reflections on the clouds were getting brighter and even the thick falling ash couldn’t dim them. The rumbling of the volcano was growing louder and it worried him. It worried him a lot. If the volcano were to blow, they would have to run and hope for the best. There was no way that this valley would not be flooded with burning lava.

  It made Fortune sad, because he felt that there was much that could be learned from these modern descendants of the ancient Maya. He liked and admired King Tikal, as well as their young guide, Chac. They were both men of honor. That was something that Jake Fortune could understand and admire.

  The ground was shaking more often now. It was nerve-wracking to say the least. He nudged Rogers. “Yeah, Captain?” Mike Roger asked.

  “I want you to let the others in our party know. That volcano could erupt at any time. If it does, they need to be ready to run right then. I think we’ve killed off most of the Nazis, but they need to be ready to fight if I am wrong,” Jake explained.

  “I’ll spread the word,” Rogers said, backing down and moving away. Jake frowned. He was getting a bad feeling that he was missing something. The bad part was he couldn’t figure out what it might be.

  Eric Klausen struggled with the young woman as he dragged her back out of sight. Finally, he punched her hard enough to put her out. She was a feisty one for sure. Hopefully, she would be able to lead him to the Temple of Kukulkan when she woke up. He used vines that he had cut in the jungle to bind her hands behind her back.

  Klausen struck a match so he could more readily assess his captive. He was surprised at her exotic beauty. She was dressed in blue. He remembered that blue was a color favored by Mayan royalty. That might well prove helpful in his retreat from this godforsaken place. She might prove to be a valuable hostage!

  He shook out the match and dropped it on the ground, then picked up the young woman and put her over his shoulder and headed off into the darkness. Totally unaware that he was being followed.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Wolfgang Schmidt had three men left. All the rest were too severely wounded to fight or were already dead. The Americans and the natives had proven far more determined to defend the valley that he would have imagined possible. And yet, defend it they had, against a vastly superior armed force. Even worse, Klausen had vanished sometime during the assault.

  He was concerned about Klausen. The man was obviously become unhinged in his quest for the Eyes of Kukulkan, and his belief in their mystical powers. Schmidt wanted the two fist sized emeralds for their value, not because he believed any of that mystical hocus pocus! In fact, he thought most of that hocus-pocus stuff was just a bunch of hooey! Just like religion, it was something that the government used to keep the people in line and subservient!

  The ground picked that moment to jerk under his feet and Schmidt and his men dropped into a crouch to keep from being tossed from their feet. The earthquakes were getting more violent. Just then the volcano above them roared as orange light played brightly on the clouds. The volcano was becoming a growing concern, as thick bunches of ash drifted down out of the night sky. “We need to find a way to sneak into the city,” Schmidt told his men.

  Jake Fortune wiped the sweat out of his eyes. The heat was growing worse, and he knew it wasn’t just regular humidity. The volcano above them was putting out
more heat, as it grew closer to erupting. He had a feeling that there were already rivers of lava running down into the jungle around them.

  He was tired. “I spread the word, Captain,” Mike Rogers dropped down beside him.

  “Good. How rested are you, Mike?” Fortune asked.

  “More than you, Cap. You need to go get some sleep.”

  “I do, Mike. I’m worn out.”

  “Go get some sleep. If we need you, I’ll send somebody for you.”

  “I appreciate it, Pal,” Jake said, easing down from the embankment that formed the lip of the trail. When he was far enough back, he stood and headed for the palace. Jake Fortune was dead on his feet. When he reached his room, he stripped off his guns and boots and collapsed onto the beadroll. He was asleep before his body landed on the mattress.

  Glory stole along in the shadows, following the man that had kidnapped the princess. She moved as stealthily as possible while following the man. She drew comfort from the feel of the pistol gripped tightly in her fist.

  She had no idea who the mystery man was, but she was not about to let him hurt her friend any more than he already had. She was going to stop him, and she was going to do so without asking Jake for help!

  Eric Klausen picked his way through the alleyways of the great Mayan city, stumbling when the earth moved beneath his feet. The weight of the girl across his shoulder was negligible. He knew that it would not be long before she woke up, and once she did, he would force her to lead him to the Temple of Kukulkan. Once he was there, he would pry the emerald eyes from the statue and use them to make his escape!

  Klausen finally found an isolated spot well away from the rest of the city. He put the girl down and took a few deep breathes to get his breathing back to normal. He was out of shape. He had spent much of the war behind a desk and it was starting to catch up with him.

  He had to get the woman to talk. Once she did, it would only be a matter of time before he was able to locate the temple and snatch the jewels from the statue’s eyes.

  Glory slipped along like a silent shadow, her heart pounding in her chest. Even holding the revolver in her tiny fist, she was uncomfortable. Still, she would not call for help. This was her expedition and she would lead it one way or another.

  The sky above was bathed in a hellish red-orange light from the volcano, but it deepened the shadows between the stone buildings of the city. The man that had kidnapped the princess was wearing a Nazi uniform. She had seen that much when he had struck the match to examine his captive.

  Glory was willing to bet that he had no clue as to whom he had kidnapped! That was something that she might be able to use to her advantage. She was going to rescue the princess, no matter what!

  Jake Fortune had settled into a restless sleep. He was tossing and turning in the bed, his body sheathed in a cold sweat. He awakened with a scream! Sitting up in the bed, his eyes searched the room. There was no immediate danger, but he felt an overwhelming sense of dread and foreboding.

  Rising, Jake walked to the antique ceramic bowl used for washing and splashed tepid water on his face to rinse away the last vestiges of sleep. He dressed quickly, unable to shake the feeling of dread that enveloped him. He pulled on both his shoulder harness and his belt holster, placing the loaded guns with before shaking out his boots and pulling them on.

  Shaking his boots was an old habit that came from growing up in the desert Southwest where scorpions and tarantulas were a common problem. He snatched his brown felt fedora and headed for the door.

  Something was wrong, and he was determined to find out what it was. Jake headed for the palatial Throne Room. He wanted to talk to King Tikal and ask some questions about the volcano.

  Wolfgang Schmidt and his men surreptiously entered The Lost City of the Mayans. They had managed to elude the guards that were watching for them. Now, like silent shadows they infiltrated the city of the Mayans.

  Schmidt wanted to find the Temple of Kulkukan and recover the emeralds that made up the Eyes of Kulkukan. Once he had the stones, he would flee the city and make his way back to the downed airship. The Zeppelin would take him away.

  Once he had control of the Zeppelin, he would use it to drop him in neutral territory and he would sell the emeralds and then disappear from the face of the earth.

  Jake Fortune had a pistol in hand as he reached the street leading to the Great Plaza. The sky was a blazing red and orange inferno as the erupting volcano was closer to a final eruption. The ash falling was like a heavy snow. Jake made his way to Glory’s quarters. The rooms were empty. Where would she have gone? It was something that he needed to know. He looked around but could see none of the expedition members. He would have to find her on his own. So which way would she have gone?

  Fortune thought about it for a moment. She had made friends with the king’s daughter. He headed for the throne room. Maybe King Tikal would have some ideas.

  Glory trailed along in the shadows, taking care not to make a sound. On the plus side, at least, the thick coating of volcanic ash didn’t crunch under the soles of her boots like snow would. Finally, she spotted him entering a low stone building. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, she thumbed back the hammer of her revolver, using her body to muffle the click.

  Sticking to the shadows, she edged forward towards the doorway that the man carrying the princess had gone through. She wanted to catch him unawares, and the best way to do that was to sneak up on him. She paused for a long moment, and then stepped towards the dark opening again . . .

  “Señor Fortune, what brings you here at this late hour?” King Tikal asked. It was obvious that he thought Jake had word about the invading force.

  “I was wondering if you had seen Professor Newkirk? She was with your daughter the last time I saw her,” Jake explained.

  “No, I have not. In fact, it has been some time since I have seen my daughter. She had mentioned that she was going to go to the Temple of Kukulkan and pray to the Feathered Serpent for aid against these strange enemies that have followed you to our valley,” King Tikal replied.

  “Where is this temple?” Jake asked, suddenly very afraid for not only Glory, but Princess Mona, as well.

  “It is near the far end of the valley. Why do you ask?”

  “Because I think the women might be in danger!” Jake exclaimed.

  “Then, I will show you where you think they are, and some of my personal royal guard’s wills join us,” King Tikal said, jumping to his sandaled feet. He called for his guard and together they left the Throne Room at a run.

  Schmidt and his three remaining men managed to successfully infiltrate the valley, well away from the original trail that they had followed. He was fairly certain that they had discovered the same entrance to the valley that Klausen had used. It appeared that the Sturmbannführer had already penetrated the valley, while he and his men had been fighting tooth and nail to survive. That was one more thing that he would be holding the Sturmbannführer accountable for when they found him!

  They eased out into the falling ash. The clouds above them still bathed in the hellish light from the molten lava inside the cup of the volcano above. Schmidt ushered his men across the plaza and into the shadows of the stone buildings.

  Glory was almost to the doorway, the cocked revolver in her fist. She had brushed ash off her face and away from her eyes. She was almost to the doorway when a hand snaked out of the darkness and covered her nose and mouth. Her finger squeezed the trigger and the revolver in her hand discharged, the bullet ricocheting away off the stone of the building. Something struck her head and everything went black.

  Jake Fortune heard the sound of the gunshot and he took off at a ground-breaking lope that taxed the abilities of the king and his guards to keep up with him. He had recognized the sound of the revolver that he had given Glory after she had been kidnapped by Sam Morris!

  Jake ran faster! Glory was in trouble and it was up to him to save her. He could hear King Tikal shouting behind him,
urging his men to keep up. The surviving Nazis had managed to infiltrate the valley. He had no doubts about that. And now, they had Glory in their clutches!

  “Sturmbannführer Klausen, I know you are in there,” Schmidt called softly from the doorway.

  “Schmidt is that you?” Klausen called from the darkened interior of the stone house.

  “It is, Sturmbannführer,” Schmidt replied.

  “Enter,” Klausen commanded. Wolfgang Schmidt stepped into the doorway, knowing that he was silhouetted by the orange night sky. “I have someone who can take us to the Temple of Kukulkan.”

  “And I have someone who was about to shoot you,” Schmidt replied, shoving Glory Newkirk into the room.

  “Ah, Miss Newkirk. Your uncle is about to pay the ultimate price for defying me and Der Führer! Your life will be forfeit!” Klausen smiled at her.

  “You can attempt to kill me if you wish, but Jake Fortune will stop you!” Glory yelled at him.

  “Jake Fortune? You mean your so-called protector? He has no idea where you even are! You see, Professor Newkirk, I spotted you following us almost immediately. Your savior has no idea where you might be,” Klausen laughed.

  “Jake is much smarter than you give him credit for,” Glory spat back at him.

  “No, he is busy fighting the men he thinks are assaulting the main entrance to the valley. He has no idea that I have you and this young native woman in my clutches,” Klausen laughed. Glory hid a smile. Klausen had no idea that the young woman was the daughter of the king. She had to keep him from finding that out!

  Glory looked at the man that had just entered. Schmidt, Klausen had called him. He was clearly hiding something from Klausen. It was obvious to her that Klausen had become unhinged in his hunt for the Eyes of Kukulkan. She had to wonder if the same was true of Schmidt, for maybe other reasons.