Rhys cringes; with something as beautiful and pristine as the area they’re currently in, he wonders how anyone could be as careless as to litter. Then again, as they have learned time and again over the last few months, the world is an unexpected place.
“Ready to shove off?” Franks asks as she picks up one of the oars, ready to push them away from the landing.
“Wait a second,” Jason says. He stands on shaky legs, Rhys automatically reaching for him as Jason points back toward the Humvees, everyone following his line of sight.
Standing, Franks asks, “What’s up?” as she scans the shore, raising a hand to help shade her eyes to get a better look.
“Everyone remember where we parked!” Jason says, then eases down and gets re-situated into his seat.
Franks drops her head to her chest, shaking it after a few seconds. As Mendez, Proctor, and Gallegos push back and start their engine, heading out into the water, Franks finally looks up, catching Rhys’ eye.
“Can I throw him overboard?” she asks. “Please?”
Rhys looks over at Jason, who is beaming. “Yeah, but I kinda like the guy. Plus, you know—he’s kind of the key to this whole thing.”
Nodding in acknowledgement, Franks gets the boat off the landing and moves to the back, starting the motor and pulling them gently into the flowing water.
“However,” Rhys adds, “you do have permission to get him as soaked as possible.”
Jason just smiles, first at Rhys, then at Franks. “Bring it, flygirl,” he happily challenges.
That’s when Franks puts the motor into high gear, and they quickly start skimming the surface of the water. Rhys grins when Franks manages to get a few good splashes in, not minding getting wet himself in the process.
Chapter 23
The trip to Songwe Gorge only takes about ten minutes by boat, and by the expression Jason wears (albeit soaked to the core, even with his wet weather gear on), he loves every minute of it. The boat ride and surroundings remind Rhys of his college days when he would lead a team out into a remote area where he and his team would start a project for one of their classes. But that experience has nothing on traveling with the United States military.
The ancestral story is absolutely accurate, or at least Rhys thinks so when the Zodiac pulls into the area that holds Songwe Gorge. The water is falling at a rapid pace, but there’s something about the area that produces a higher than normal amount of mist. Plus, there is a unique formation of rocks protruding from the walls of the gorge, that, when the wind blows just right, causes twin mists to twirl off into infinity. Today, Rhys would recognize the pattern as just wind vortices, like what comes from the wings of an airplane in flight, but he can see how people from ages ago would consider the sight almost bird-like. He points up to the area, Jason following until he, too, spots it, mouthing, “Wow,” and giving Rhys a nod.
When they get close enough to the mouth of the Gorge, Franks takes the lead from the second Zodiac and aims for a break in the falling water, using hand signals to tell the airmen to follow her. Just as they’re going into one of the only dry spots, Franks nudges the boat a bit to the right, allowing a small part of the dinghy—the part on the starboard side where Jason sits—to get drenched by the falls.
“Oh jeez, that’s cold!” Jason manages over the roar of the water. While Rhys manages a laugh, Jason scoops up a cupful of water in his hands and flings it at Franks as payback for the shower, the captain dodging it skillfully as she guides the boat. Rhys’ laughter at the two’s antics is swallowed up by the roaring of the water surrounding them.
The Zodiacs are quickly benched in an area behind the falls and the team starts to unpack their supplies, stripping out of their wet gear and filling their pockets with what supplies they’ll need for an afternoon of spelunking and discovery. Each person is issued a flashlight, with Mendez and Proctor doing most of the heavy lifting of the supplies they’ll need. While it may be noon, with the sun situated high in the sky, the cave that begins just behind the falling water quickly turns dark.
“Here,” Franks says, handing Rhys and Jason some sort of device with a band on it.
Rhys takes off his glasses and rubs them on his shirt to dislodge the water droplets sticking there after crossing into the cave. Donning them again, he holds the device in his hands, realizing it’s a headlamp. He begins to put it on, fingers nimbly going over the exterior to figure out where the switch is so he can place it on top of his head. Once it’s on and the strap tightened enough to where it won’t come loose, he does a final check of his supplies and nods to Jason and then Franks that he’s ready to go.
Franks pulls out the location device von Schoor had developed, turning it on and checking the massive cavernous area for the most accurate reading.
“Hold back a sec,” she tells Jason, who steps to the back so his necklace doesn’t interfere, and nods. The group begins to walk, the high-powered flashlight beams cutting through the darkness until they get to a forked area where they stop. Franks checks the device again, but before she can give the order, Jason just says, “That way,” pointing to the left.
“Huh?” Rhys asks.
Jason moves his flashlight beam to focus on an area just above the entrance he’s told them to take; the beam lands on the form of a large bird. It has the features of a hawk, but with a longer body and legs. It also has several feathers that stick out from its head like a dark feathered halo, and Rhys figures it would look more menacing if it weren’t so comical in appearance.
“Secretary Bird,” one of the airmen offers as the others take notice of the carcass above them.
“Okay, this way,” Franks says as she puts the device back into her vest and continues on deeper into the cave.
The team begins spotting different birds along the way, taking their cues from the way the carcasses are aimed to help guide them on their journey. It takes another twenty minutes before they come up to a small area blocked by a multitude of driftwood.
“This must be it,” Franks says as she pulls the location device out again, checking it once more.
“Yeah,” Rhys agrees as his flashlight lands on bird after bird that all seem to be built into every carved-out nook in the cave wall. Most of the birds are still surprisingly intact and in relatively good shape, while a few have slumped, with plumage scattered to the floor of the cave beneath them, victims of the moist environment.
Without being asked, Jason is first at the side of the makeshift door, pulling at random pieces of driftwood and tossing them to the side where they won’t trip anyone. The rest of the airmen pitch in, with Rhys and Franks holding flashlights and some sort of lantern, giving the men as much light as possible to complete their task.
“I think I’m gonna sleep for a week after this one,” Jason says as he tosses back yet another piece of wood. Even though both Rhys and Jason are in pretty good shape, Rhys notices that the airmen are hardly breaking a sweat while Jason is already starting to pant. Maybe they aren’t in as good of shape as he thought.
Once enough of the wood is moved, Franks takes the first steps into the inner chamber. “Jesus,” Rhys hears her say as he starts after her.
Entering, Rhys watches as Franks aims the powerful beam around the room. The sheer number of bird carcasses surrounding the room is enormous; he figures it must have taken the team that brought the beam down here quite a while to round up so many specimens. As he glances toward the beam, he has to step back, saying, “Oh God!” as his flashlight lands on the skeletal remains laying on the ground in front of the beam.
As the others file into the room, Jason spots the remains and approaches them. “He must have been left here when they walled in the beam,” he says, squatting down, his eyes never leaving the dusty bones. “How long does it take a body to get to this state, boo?” he asks. When Rhys doesn’t respond immediately, Jason reaches out and pats Rhys’ leg.
“Oh, uh…” Rhys responds. Coming out of his morbid thoughts, he considers the question
and pushes his glasses back up his nose. “Takes a normal body about fifty years to decompose down to the bone, but that’s if they’ve been buried. A little moisture can make that faster. But a body out here in the open like this? That’s…” He considers it. “I actually don’t know. There are a lot of factors that would go into it.” He tries to figure it out, but there are so many variables that it’s hard to discern. “Honestly, it could be anywhere from five years to five hundred years, depending…”
“Well he’s got to be from Grandpa Beauchamp’s time,” Jason says as he studies the remaining fabric of the skeleton’s clothes that hadn’t disintegrated over time. While there’s not much left, there are a few distinct patterns of fabric that give hints as to the age of the body. “Anybody got a camera?” he asks.
When no one comes forth with a camera, and even Rhys replies that he’d left his cellphone back in the Humvee because of the water, Jason nods. “Okay,” he says. “Captain Franks? Would it be okay if we sealed this area back up after we get the beam out of here?” As he stands, he studies Franks, adding, “He was left here for a reason; the least we can do is show him a little respect when we leave.”
Franks glances down at the remains and stands with her hands on her hips. “We can do that,” she replies softly, giving Jason a somber nod. “We need to focus on getting this thing out of here first, though,” she says, hiking her thumb up to indicate the beam that sits on a large stone, giving it the presence of an altar.
Rhys finally abandons his thoughts about the human remains and walks to where the beam is situated. He shines his flashlight across the length, as his fingers brush off centuries of dust, blowing off the occasional errant feather. “Same wings as the other two beams,” he says as he studies the relic, automatically going into academic discovery mode. “And the constellations are definitely different, as well.”
As Rhys continues to study the beam, he hears Franks clear her throat, and finally looks up.
“Oh, yeah. Sorry,” Rhys says, blushing with the embarrassment of becoming engrossed in the beam and forgetting his surroundings. “Okay, so we’ve got the whole flight back to the states for me to study this thing,” he says. “Let’s go ahead and load ‘er up.”
Franks just gives Rhys a wink, and gets two of the airmen to carry the beam out of the chamber. Once it’s moved, she places the bright lantern on the opposite side of the cave wall, and each of the men helps move the logs back into place. Just before the last bit of the room is hidden away from sight, Jason leans up and shines his flashlight into the hole, whispering, “Thank you,” to the long-departed soul who was left behind with the beam.
The team works efficiently, replacing all of the wood into a neat stack within just a few minutes. Franks calls to Gallegos to grab one end of the beam as she hands the lantern over to Jason, freeing her own hands to pick up the other end. “Gotta pull my weight with the team,” she adds, and Rhys figures it makes sense.
Mendez and Proctor are already heading back with the supplies they’d needed, with Gallegos and Franks carrying the beam, and Rhys and Jason bringing up the rear.
“Wow,” he hears Jason say just as they finally turn a corner, light from the mouth of the cave trickling in along the cave walls, the water tossing in a hint of a strobe-like effect.
“You okay, Jase?” Rhys asks. His husband had been a lot quieter than normal since they’d walked away from the hidden chamber. He has to admit that his own thoughts had been spiraling out into the unknown, what with the new and exciting discoveries waiting for them once they get back to the states and are able to put the device together.
“It’s just…I dunno,” Jason starts, and blows out a sigh. He looks up, Rhys seeing the weight of the world in his expression. “It’s like a part of my life is turning a page, you know? All these new discoveries.”
“I know,” Rhys admits, though he can never really fully appreciate all his husband has been through, with family legends and history and magical beams.
Jason stops, glancing back to where they’d just come from. “I wonder if he knew my grandpa,” he says, and then clarifies, “Grandpa Beauchamp. I guess I was just thinking how awesome it would have been to be alive back in the day when this whole thing went down. You ever wonder that, boo?”
It doesn’t take long for Rhys to ponder his answer. “To be fair,” Rhys says as they come to a stop just behind where the military personnel are loading the beam and getting the Zodiacs ready to launch, “I think that whatever point in history where you are is where I’d like to be.” And with that, he leans over and plants a kiss on his husband’s cheek.
“Why, Rhys Morgan Tambor, I think that’s absolutely the most romantic thing you’ve ever said to me.”
“It can’t be all that romantic if it’s the truth,” Rhys counters. He’s quick with a wink and just as quick to change the subject. Emotions weren’t really Rhys’ strong suit if he was honest with himself. He’s just lucky that Jason ‘gets’ him. Or, as Jason likes to say, “I’m the crazy one who balances the brainiac that is my husband.”
Before Jason, Rhys had never even considered the term ‘soul mate’ being something he’d come to understand. That, like everything else, tumbled by the wayside nearly a decade before when Jason had quite literally stumbled into him on the Portland streetcar. They had gotten so engrossed in each other that Rhys had missed his stop, and when he realized it, he made his apologies and his exit. Once Rhys had disembarked, Jason went running after him to ask for his phone number. The rest, as they say, was history.
A grunt from one of the airmen brings Rhys out of his thoughts, though his smile never leaves his face. Glancing at the team as they try and load the light, but awkward, beam into the boat, Rhys asks, “How ‘bout we go give them a hand,” and walks toward the airmen.
“You sweet talker, you,” Jason says, walking over to offer his own assistance.
The Zodiac ride back to the boat launch area is quiet. Rhys is deep in thought about all that had transpired over the last few days, and all that awaits them back home. They pull up to the launch to ground the boats as Vu jogs back from where she stands guard. She grabs the ropes that are tossed to her and helps pull the inflatable boats far enough up the ramp that they needn’t worry about losing them to the current.
There’s momentary confusion about just what to do with the beam since it’s too awkward to hang through the cabin of the Humvees, but Gallegos and Mendez figure it out. They take the engines off both Zodiacs and put them inside one of the boats, then strap both boats together on one of the trailers. That leaves a free trailer to strap down and transport the beam. Once they are all happy with the beam’s security, they start their way back to the airfield.
It’s not long before they are underway again for the quick drive back to Livingstone airport. Rhys looks over at Jason, who has turned his attention to the beam strapped to the trailer behind them, staring at it in quiet contemplation. Rhys reaches out for Jason’s hand, taking it into his own as he closes his eyes for a quick nap, feeling Jason squeeze it as he leans his head back and falls asleep.
Rhys comes back to awareness as the Humvee stops at the airport, yawning and rubbing his eyes as he realizes they’ve completed the trek back. The airmen are already unloading the beam from the trailer and loading it into the cargo area of the C5 Galaxy.
“Morning, sleepyhead,” Jason says. He rustles Rhys’ hair, further waking the man. With a wink, he leans over and grabs a kiss, then steps out of the vehicle, stretching in the waning amount of sunlight. It’s hard to believe their time in Zambia has already come to an end, but at least it was productive.
Preparations for their return trip don’t take very long. Franks gets them into the seating area of the plane soon after the beam has been secured. After a few trips to the lavatory, and a quick briefing from the pilots, the plane is barreling down the runway and is soon airborne, headed for Japan.
Franks, who chooses the seat next to Rhys for the flight back, lets Rhys and
Jason talk quietly between themselves. As soon as there is a lull in their conversation, she leans over, garnering their attention. “So, I know the subject of this project is above my pay grade—even my new one—but as I’ve been informed, this is the last piece of some ancient puzzle that you’ve been brought in to solve?”
Nodding, Jason says, “Supposed to be,” with Rhys sitting next to him, acknowledging it as well.
“Once we get back…” Rhys starts, but Franks cuts him off.
“Remember, above my page grade,” she says, holding out her hand as a way of cautioning Rhys from saying too much. “Just wanted to say, before we get back, and I’m cut loose, that it’s been a pleasure to work with you two.”
“Well, we’re the ones that owe you,” Rhys says. When Franks gives him a curious look, he adds, “You know, for saving our lives and everything?”
Franks dismisses them with a shake of her head. “Just doing my job, fellas,” she says, and leans back into her seat.
Jason is first to nod off while Rhys takes advantage of the time to use his laptop. He goes through more of the queued up mail and reads a few reports, jotting notes for the teams and readying messages to be sent once they are back on solid ground. He gets up and takes his laptop to where the beam is strapped down, doing a little bit of investigation and documentation on the artifact, but it’s not long before he, too, is fighting yawns.
He looks up from his laptop to ask Franks a question and sees that nearly everyone from the rest of his team has succumbed to sleep. So, instead of getting a little work done, he shuts his laptop, puts it back into his backpack, and re-takes his seat. Strapping himself in, he closes his eyes and leans back in the not-terribly-comfortable seat, but soon manages to follow the rest of the team into slumber. Thoughts of the incredible journey they’ve been on the last few days jumble throughout his consciousness, and then themselves into his dreams.
Migration: Beginnings (Migration Series Book 1) Page 16