by Paul Knox
After walking for about an hour, Chang said to Reece, “Ask him if the story about the gold is true.”
“I speak English, too, Señor Chang,” Mario said. “They teach it to us at school.”
“Why aren’t you in school now, then?”
“The last day was November 15th. I don’t go back until the end of January. It’s our summer vacation.”
“Oh, well that’s good for us, I guess. So…is that story true?”
“Yes, Señor Chang. Very true. Would you like to hear more of it?”
Chang chuckled. “You sound pretty sure. But where’s the gold now?”
“We don’t know exactly, but Señora Reece can figure it out for us. She is special. I can tell.”
“It takes one to know one, Mario,” Reece answered. “And go ahead, tell us the story. It’ll help pass the time.”
Mario clapped his hands together. “I’ll begin where Chief Tekulut left off.”
Atl Balam and his people ran for days and days, barely stopping to eat or rest. Finally they arrived to a valley. Atl Balam gazed longingly at the majestic-looking hills which surrounded the landscape.
To his knowledge, the enemies had not followed them to this place.
He stomped on the ground with his right foot and pounded the blunt end of his spear into the earth. The sound reverberated throughout the valley, causing all who were near to take notice. Then he called out, “Perhaps this land can give birth to the next generation of our clans, and become our new home.”
Women sighed with relief, weary from their journey. Men nodded in agreement. The children sensed the change of mood and broke free from their parents, running about.
The first thing Atl Balam commanded in this new place was to begin work on a grand pyramid. The future home of two thousand one hundred and fifty-six gold tablets.
Chang interrupted. “Two thousand one hundred and what? How big were these tablets?”
Mario ducked under a branch, not fazed by the question. He plainly answered, “It has been said they were three kilograms. And some were larger.”
“Each?” Chang answered, intrigued. “So about seven pounds?—and some bigger?”
“Sure.”
“That’s a lot of gold.”
Mario paused, turned around and gave Chang a stern look. “Sacred gold. The gods keep it a secret until mankind will respect the true value, which is not monetary.”
“Um…right,” Chang said. “Please continue.”
Two days later, Atl Balam awoke in the middle of the night to the sound of war cries. Some of the screams were murderous, from killers. And some of them gargled, from victims.
Rushing from his tent, he witnessed one of his people being sliced clean through by an obsidian bladed sword.
Atl Balam had assumed wrong that they hadn’t been followed. The enemy had found them. And they had begun their slaughter.
He cried the warrior’s call and began fighting the enemy with unmatched ferocity. Atl Balam leaped through the air with a spear in each hand, digging them deep into two men’s chests.
Reece interrupted. “Whoa there, Mario. That’s pretty violent. Aren’t you a little young for all that?”
Mario puffed out his little chest. “I am eleven years old, you know.”
“That’s what I’m referring to.”
“Don’t you remember earlier?” Mario looked at her like she was crazy. “The Castro brothers frequently visit the village. That is much more terrifying than this story. I assure you.”
“You got me there. Are Rolando and Derian’s last name Castro?”
“Yes.” Mario peered into Reece’s eyes. “Can you stop them?”
“I’ll try. And wow—the Pipils are good storytellers. You really bring the narrative to life.”
“Not all the Pipil people. Just the chief, really. I learned it from him. And my parents too, before they…” Mario paused and clenched his fists. “I hate the Castros. I curse at their name!”
“Did they have something to do with your parent’s passing?”
Mario nodded, clenching his jaw. “They have a third brother. Kai.” Mario’s eyes filled with a piercing radiance. “He killed them while I was away at school. The coward!”
Reece was shocked. But not at Mario’s eruption, or because a Castro brother killed Mario’s parents.
She knew who Kai Castro was.
He was the one responsible for trafficking the women and abducting her father.
It’s all connected.
“There’s the road!” Chang exclaimed with glee, beginning to run to a dirt path up ahead.
Mario called out, “Be careful!”
No sooner had he spoke than Chang suddenly froze—or tried to. But his haste still propelled his body forward. He stumbled and tripped, going down into the grass.
Then he screamed in pain.
Reece and Mario rushed over to see a large Jumping Viper slithering away through the grass. Chang pulled his pant leg up to reveal bite marks.
Mario stared, wide-eyed. “Señora Reece, unless you perform magic, we need to get him to the hospital.”
Reece pulled Chang to his feet. “Hurry. We don’t have much time before the venom kicks in. And I can’t carry you.”
They began running down the path. About a mile and a half later they came to a row of small houses.
After trekking for hours lost in the jungle, seeing man-made buildings stirred one of the most wonderful feelings of relief Reece had experienced in a long time.
But the ordeal wasn’t over yet. Chang had just returned from the dead yesterday. And she couldn’t bear to hold him as he died a second time.
10
DUKE WILLIAMS hadn’t heard from Reece since she left. And he was worried.
Pacing around his apartment, he tried her phone for the umpteenth time. Still went right to voicemail.
Why is her phone off?
Convinced that Reece would never willingly turn it off, and should’ve called him by now, he tried to figure out what to do.
He popped the top of a beer and took a long swig, trying to calm his nerves. Something in his bones was rattling on about trouble.
What if she was falling for her ex-husband again? The fact that she took off to El Salvador with Chang was uncomfortable and frankly unnerving.
He straightened up the kitchen and got all the dishes done. He vacuumed. Then he finished his laundry and hung all the clothes up. When he found himself plumping up and arranging the couch cushions, he realized he couldn’t stand the tedium any longer.
Dialing Shanahan, Duke hoped he had some good news.
Nope.
“Sorry, Duke,” Shanahan said. “She’s missing. The plane supposedly crashed somewhere in the Salvadoran rainforest.”
Duke’s stomach dropped and his legs turned rubbery. “What? She’s dead?”
“I highly doubt that. Knowing Reece, she’s right on schedule.”
“Oh good—did she jump out of the plane or something!?”
“You don’t know?” Shanahan asked casually.
“What do you mean by that?”
“I guess you guys haven’t dated that long. She’s a skydiver. A pro. Been doing it since we were kids.”
“Is Chang a skydiver, too?”
“I don’t think so.”
Duke’s mind naturally went to the place of Reece surviving and Chang dying. Not that he wanted anybody dead.
Duke asked, “Can you do something?”
“I’m doing what I can. Sit tight and try not to worry so much.”
After Shanahan hung up, Duke finished his beer. Reece had never mentioned skydiving. What else didn’t he know about her?
Regardless, he was freaking out inside. They had just met, fallen for each other, and now she was falling out of planes, gone.
He looked at the picture of his late wife over on the TV stand. He had been alone for so long since her passing. Was he cursed to open his heart again, only to immediately have the door slammed shut?
&nb
sp; No way. I’m doing something about this.
He flipped open his computer and looked up flights to El Salvador. Nothing was available for purchase today—but there were flights taking off… Maybe he could get a standby.
Duke called someone who helped set him straight when he felt crazy. In fact, she had been there for him with a listening ear ever since he could remember. His mother.
“Duke, it’s so good to hear from you,” she said happily. “How’s everything goin’?”
“Hey mom, nice to talk to you, too. Glad you’re around. I’m actually a little worried about something.” Duke went on to explain the Reece-in-El-Salvador situation.
“I must admit, that all sounds quite fantastic,” she said. “But if this Shanahan guy is sure she’s okay, I would focus on that. It sounds like they’re professionals.”
“I think I’m going to fly down there, mom. I have to find her.”
“You think that’s a good idea, son? What if she’s busy working. And how long have you two been dating?”
“A couple weeks. But I think she would’ve called.”
“A couple weeks—and you’re going to pick up and go chasing her down in Central America? I think you should give her some time. Don’t you?”
“I don’t know…”
“Are you two kiddos in love?” she asked in all seriousness.
“Well…yeah. I think so. I mean, I really like her.”
“Has she said it to you?”
“Not exactly. But we did talk one time, and it was pretty deep. We care about each other.”
“Duke, you should do what feels right in your heart. But in my opinion, it might be a little soon to be chasing her down across the world for not calling one morning.”
“Maybe you’re right.” Duke paused for a moment. “Thanks.”
“Anytime. But now that I have you on the line, there’s something else I wanted to ask you about…”
Duke's mother chatted him up for a few minutes longer before he ended the conversation with a promise to call her again soon.
After setting his phone down, he hurried to his room and grabbed a duffel bag. He threw some clothes in it, his professional camera and lenses, and packed his toothbrush.
And then he headed to the airport.
* * *
Not more than ninety minutes later, Duke was in the air watching the desert disappear below and behind him. He had managed to get a standby seat on a flight to El Salvador. Eleven hours from now he’d be touching down and beginning his search.
At least he was in control of this decision, which slightly calmed his nerves. He hoped that by the time he landed, he’d find a text from Reece saying she was safe and missed him.
And maybe Chang was lost in the rainforest or had been eaten by a giant Anaconda. But no, he didn’t wish that on anyone.
One thing was for sure. Reece was definitely going to be surprised that he made the trip just for her.
11
DOWN THE DIRT PATH about a mile, Reece rushed over to the first clump of houses she saw. A woman meandered around the front of her quaint home. She turned, startled from the jungle-worn gringa running at full speed. The woman backed away slowly like a wild animal had just descended on her.
“Por favor,” Reece implored between breaths, “my friend has been bitten by a viper. Will you give us a ride to the hospital?”
The woman eyed Reece suspiciously.
“Pull up your pant leg,” Reece called to Chang, waving him closer.
He pulled it up while limping over. The little bite marks were hardly visible, but by the change in the woman’s expression, telling.
“And I can pay you,” Reece continued. “He’ll die without treatment.”
“Vaya pues,” the woman said, sighing somewhere between misfortune and duty. “Follow me.”
Reece, Chang, and Mario squeezed into the backseat of a dusty little red sedan about fifteen years old. An elderly woman who might’ve been the woman’s mother came out of the home to sit passenger.
When the woman started the car, Reece handed her one hundred seventy-five colons, equivalent to about twenty bucks USD. “Here, thank you for your kindness.”
She nodded appreciatively but put her hand up, denying the money. “My husband makes more than enough. And I will try to hurry.”
“Thank you,” Reece said. “How long until we get to the hospital?”
“Nacional de Suchitoto is about twenty minutes from here. But I might be able to make it in fifteen.”
“Uh-oh,” Mario announced in the way a pre-teen boy gets. “His leg might need to be amputated.”
Reece grimaced and gripped Chang’s hand. “Stay with me, Chang. We’ll be there soon.”
He closed his eyes and leaned back into the seat, remaining silent while they bumped along the cracked and uneven road. He was sweating profusely, but Reece didn’t know if it was from the run or if the venom had taken ahold.
Reece turned on her phone—service!—and checked the INSITE app. To her relief, Sandy’s tracking beacon still flashed at the coast. He hadn’t moved yet.
She also had a couple texts from Duke and one from Shanahan. She texted them back that she was fine and would call when she had a chance. No one immediately responded, and Reece turned her phone off to conserve the battery.
After some time passed, Reece asked Chang how he was holding up.
He took a breath before answering. “So far so good. Shouldn’t I be woozy by now?”
Reece looked questioningly at Mario. “What do you think?”
“His leg looks better than most. But I’ve seen people walk perfectly fine until they fall over stiff.”
Chang hung his head and muttered, “Great.”
Soon the forest and fields turned into houses and shops. As soon as they made it to the hospital, Reece helped Chang out of the sedan, and they all hurried inside. A doctor saw him immediately and administered anti-venom.
“I think it was a dry bite,” the doctor finally acknowledged in English.
“A dry bite?” Chang asked.
“Yes. You were very fortunate. About twenty-five percent of the time, a Jumping Viper’s bite doesn’t lead to venom being injected. However, if any did, you’ll be fine now. Regardless, I suggest you rest for the remainder of the day.”
As they left the hospital, Reece turned her attention to Mario. “Will you be okay if I leave for a while?”
“I want to go with you, Señora Reece. Please?”
She shook her head no. “I wish you could. You’re a very brave young man, Mario. As soon as I return, I’ll get you back to your village.”
Mario looked over at a bench nearby and said in all seriousness, “I guess I’ll just wait right here.”
“That’s not exactly what I had in mind.” Reece turned to Chang and explained the new plan.
“While we were inside, I called a rental car agency who delivered a car for me. I’m going to the port.” She removed a fob from her pocket. “Already got the key.”
“They dropped the car off?” Chang asked quizzically.
“A truck. I paid extra,” she answered. “And I just called a taxi to take you and Mario to a hotel called Los Almendros de San Lorenzo. A room is ready and waiting.”
“A hotel? I feel fine, Reece—”
“I insist. No arguing. I’ll be back to pick you guys up tomorrow…if all goes well.”
Chang groaned her name slowly. “Reece…”
Great. I have two kids—with no babysitter. She gave him a no-nonsense stare. There was no way he was getting in her rental. “The taxi will be here soon. I need to leave. Wish me luck.”
Chang frowned, reluctantly nodding.
Reece smiled at Mario before departing, walking around back to the parking lot.
Soon she was throwing her bags in the backseat of a white Toyota pickup. It still smelled new. Nothing fancy, but it would suffice. She inspected the controls and ran her hand over the manual transmission gear shifter.
But the tracking beacon had moved.
It took a moment before she remembered to breathe again. Pozo de Fuego was now out on the open waters.
12
REECE tore off from the hospital toward the eastern edge of El Salvador, still two-and-a-half hours away by road. As soon as the small town of Suchitoto was behind her, she dialed Shanahan.
“Reece, I never doubted you were alive…but it’s still great to hear your voice. What happened?”
“You’ll never believe it.”
“Try me.”
Reece gave him a rundown of the escapade thus far, including the gold necklace she had found with the green dragon inscription.
“Xie suspects The Association is reforming. And it sounds like there’s a new green dragon. I think you might’ve walked into a trap, Reece.”
“Don’t worry about me. But I’m going to need air support to reach Sandy, and I can’t trust any agency down here. I need your help getting it.”
Only silence returned Reece’s statement. “Hello?” she asked.
“I’m here—just figuring this thing out. Listen, remember how Jessie’s dad was CIA before he died?”
“I like where you’re going with this.”
“Jessie is still good friends with one of his agent’s daughters. The agent’s name is Kennedy Ross. I’ve met her a few times over the years and she’s a good person. If there’s anybody she can trust down there, I’ll ask her to get a helicopter at El Jocotillo ready for your arrival. But if she can’t, or there isn’t anybody, I’ll arrange what I can. And we’ll have to roll with it.”
“That’ll work. You’re the best, partner. I wish you were down here with me. Chang’s abilities are a little lackluster.”
“Do you trust him?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Do you still have feelings for him?”
“It’s not a secret I’ve had feelings for him every day the past seven years. You know that. It’s a little tough trying to rewrite my brain.”