Forty minutes later with Eric's gun still pointed at Dad's head, we arrive at the spot by the river mouth. This place is where they took Mom. Had she not been alive there would be no way on earth I would set foot here again. But here she is. Squashed next to me in the back of a hijacked Jeep. Dad's eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror. He's trying to tell me something. What? I ask back in silence through my frowning eyes, to which he replies by looking up at the sky. The sky? Oh. The bird. I get it, so I nod my eyes.
Eric unties Sam's hands and instructs him to untie ours again. He apparently thinks Sam is the least threat to him. Little does he know how far he has come on this journey.
"Now get out and start walking to the beach."
I clear my throat to get his attention and push out some muffled sounds from underneath the gag.
"What do you want Agoraphobe?"
Oh hell no! If one thing is clear, then it is that I have long passed carrying that label.
I am Alex Hunt. Daughter of the famous Hunt Chasers and.... Relic Hunter. There's no giving in now, so I try talking again.
Eric stares at me in irritation and yanks off my gag.
"Spit it out Daddy's girl. What do you want?"
I could head-butt that red freckled nose in right now but see Dad's eyes cautioning me not to react.
"Why would you want to dive if you can access the cave from out here?" nodding my head toward the trees.
"Aah, so you've been holding out on me after all? What are you waiting for then? Start walking."
Dad's eyes smiled while Sam's frowned. I never told him about our brush with the bird and managed to mouth 'trust me' while Eric's back is towards me.
The trees have grown denser over the past three years, and I pause to look up and around. I recognized us being very close to the edge of the bird's lair. Under normal circumstances, I would pray there is no bird, but now, now I need this bird to come to our rescue.
"Why are you stopping? Keep moving!"
He's at the back of the line as I lead us through the trees. His gun wedged firmly into Mum's back. Come on bird! Where are you? I see the remnants of a fresh carcass up ahead and turn to look at Mum and Dad behind me. They both notice it, and Sam astutely caught on that something's about to happen. Eric, totally oblivious that he's about to face death, kicks a coconut sideways like he's trying to score a goal.
What an idiot. I'm sure by now whoever he is in cahoots with has discovered we're not at the safe-house anymore so this boy is as good as dead... either way.
The familiar flapping of wings rushes up from the side followed by a shriek so loud it pushes us to the ground. Dad seizes the moment and kicks at Eric's face rendering him lights out next to a previous prey. With our hands still tied behind our backs and our mouths gagged we each head to a tree for cover. Using the razor sharp edges of the palm tree, I cut through the thin ropes and pull the gag from my mouth. Use the tree to cut your cords, I yell across to the others. Sam's break free easily and I watch as he runs across the lair to Mum's tree.
What the heck is he doing? He's going to get himself killed, but he makes it and frees her hands.
"Dad? Are you okay?"
"All good here Alex. Now what?"
The bird turns and dives down to where Eric still lies passed out in the sand. His gigantic claws clutch his limp body as he ascends above the trees.
"Guys! I think I see a hollow in the bushes. Look. Over there! We can hide in it! Let's make a run for it before it turns around again."
"Okay, let's do it and hope the shelter is large enough for all of us."
"It looks fine Dad, come. On three okay? One... Two.... THREE!"
I eject myself from the tree trunk and sprint across the lair, crushing several skeleton bones under my feet. I look back to see the monster bird dipping low for another dive. My foot hits the remains of a dead animal or something, and I fall flat on my face next to it. I look up to see the rest all safely inside the inlet shouting at me to get up.
"GET UP!!! HURRY!!"
My hand sinks inside the rotten animal as I push myself up. It's disgusting but I start running for the inlet. I get there split seconds ahead of the bird who comes in for another dive. Mum pulls me in by my arm with a strength I didn't know she possessed. Before I knew it, she had me soundly in front of a wall of hanging tree roots. The Raptor, apparently upset by us making it to the inlet, swooshes over us and turns to come in from a different angle. Dead ahead the raptor makes a clear descent straight towards us.
His sharp beak is open and ready to devour us. Clasped together and paralyzed with fear, we stand frozen solid as we realize the bird trapped us with no way out. There is a clearing directly in front of us with the enclave half mooned around us and the bird coming straight for us. My mind is working in overdrive. We step back between the roots and fall back against a stone wall. Instantly the wall swivels round and deposits us on the other side in sheer blackness. I frantically try to untangle myself from a string of cobwebs. It's pitch black, and I can't see my hand before my face.
"Mum, Dad, Sam?" My voice is hollow and bounces back at me with an echo.
"Yeah, I'm here," Dad says, followed by a "Yup" and "I'm here too" from Mum and Sam.
"Okay great. I have my flashlight in my pocket. Just stand still, I'm trying to get it out."
Seconds later the light from my flashlight shines across a dark underground tunnel. We are unable to see the curtain of tree roots. Solid walls encircle us. No doors or windows. The walls and floor are solid stone, and ancient engravings and abstract symbols lie splashed across them. I spot the archaic flame torches against the wall and hold one out to Sam.
"You have a match somewhere?"
"Matches and bandages Ms. Hunt." flicking the match against the stone wall.
I turn and run toward Mum where Dad is already by her side.
"I can't believe you're alive! All this time we thought you were dead and he had you locked up in the safe-house? I don't know why we never thought to go there. I'm truly sorry Mum."
"Hush sweet girl. You couldn't have known. The authorities were in on it."
"My dear Izzy. I should have known. What an idiot I've been."
"We can't change it now, Charles. Let's not dwell on the past okay? Now is someone going to introduce me to this strapping young man?"
"Oh sorry. Mum. Dad. Meet Sam Quinn. He's Professor Keating's best student and also happens to be a qualified medical practitioner.
"I'm honored to meet you both Professor Hunt, Mrs. Hunt. But if you don't mind me asking, where the heck are we and what the hell was that thing chasing us?"
Our laughter fills the hollow chamber. Had this been under any other circumstances Quinn would have been all over them. His heroes.
"Oh, I forgot to mention, Sam Quinn is a rookie Archeologist, so this is his first" straining not to laugh again.
"I haven't the foggiest Mr. Quinn. That thing was from the pits of hell if you ask me."
"Do you think it's the Rapturous bird everyone's been talking about?"
"I don't know what else to think Mr. Quinn. I've never seen anything like it. But if the rumors are true, then yes. It's quite possible."
"Please Professor, call me Sam.
"Isn't this place spectacular? It looks like some underground passageway. I have no idea how we got inside. I can't see any doors or anything."
"More importantly, we need to figure out where it's going and how to get out" Dad remarks.
I turn around touching the stone wall we swiveled through for any signs of a latch or handle. Not that I am eager to face that bird again.
"There's nothing here. I can't see any exit. Let's move this way."
Torch in hand, I move forward ahead of them.
"Be careful Alexandra. There could be booby traps. These tunnels usually have snares everywhere."
Mum barely gets a chance to speak her words before the floor gives way, and I jump sideways, avoiding a sheer drop into a pit of darkness.
"We're going to have to try balance along the wall on the ledge and then jump the last stretch. Do you think you can do this?"
"Heck yeah. Piece of cake" Sam says.
Dad smirks at Sam's evident over-expressed courage.
"Like the doctor says. Piece of cake so let's go for it."
The ledge is narrow and holding a firm footing isn't easy, but we make it across. I lost my torch when the floor gave out. I never heard it fall, so that speaks volumes about the depth of the chasm. As soon as I reach the other end, Dad throws his torch to me and starts off on the ledge. With us all safely on the other end, it's as if someone pushed a remote button and the stone floor straightaway closes up again behind us.
"Gosh, and I thought Egypt was tricky? That was a brush with death if ever I've seen one."
"Remarkable. It must operate on a weight switch. Astounding."
"We're onto something here Dad. The raptor-bird-thing didn't want us coming in here. It was protecting it. All those dead people in its lair obviously came too close."
"You're right. Have a look at this. What do you make of it?"
I stop in front of a stone carving. It reads —
Feed me, and I live, yet give me a drink, and I die
"I have no clue. Everything lives with food but what will die with a drink? What drink? Alcohol? Poison?"
"Can you perhaps spot anything else anywhere that might help us decipher the riddle?"
We hold the torch up against the stone walls and inspect block by block.
"Nope, only another torch. Bigger than this little one. Here, hold this please, Mum?" I still can’t believe she’s alive and well and I blow her an air-kiss.
I light the torch with her flame and hold it up casting a glow across the entire passage.
"Oh. My. Gosh, Mum. Look!"
Painted on the wall is the Raptor-bird protecting a city adorned with gold and gems. Images of bags filled with spices and weapons lie scattered around a temple.
"It's Rhapta! Mum! It's Rhapta! This has to be it! We found Rhapta!"
I couldn't ask for anything better right now. I haven't felt elated like this ever. I have the two people who mean the most to me right here by my side, and we just found Rhapta!
"There is a good chance here. It does look like it Alexandra, but I'm going to play it cool though okay? Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I'm still stuck on this riddle and let's not forget we need to find a way out of here.
I look at the clue again.
"What dies when you give it a drink? Think. What liquid can kill?"
We pace forward and backward until Sam speaks.
"Well, water can kill a flame..."
"Sam! My golly my man! You're more than just a pretty face. It's a fire."
Dad pats a congratulatory hand on his back, apparently impressed with his quick thinking. Why am I feeling so proud of him right now? That was quite impressive I have to admit. Sam Quinn has undoubtedly changed my opinion from that first meeting on the plane. This man has many hidden talents.
"Okay. It's a fire. Now what? We light the torch above the riddle. That's burning a flame. What are we missing here?"
I step back a couple of paces and look above and around the riddle. A tiny furrow seems to outline the puzzle and lead all the way around the image on the wall. I can't see the detail clearly so I hold the torch almost on top of it, hoping to see more writings on the wall. The furrow catches alight and pushes the flame through it, all along the walls. Like a massive labyrinth of golden passages made from fire.
"What in blue blazes?"
"Let's follow it. Look, it's carrying on over there."
Before we knew it, we're running through the underground tunnel following the map and tiny kindles of fire which comes to a standstill at the start of a massive pond. Seconds later the pool explodes into an enormous mass of flames, in turn, igniting several other canals with fire. I've never been more in awe of ancient ingenuity. We are standing in a massive chamber, entirely illuminated by trenches of fire all around us.
"Mum... Look there!"
We turn to where the fire stops and encircles an enormous shrine by a ring of fire. Above it is the soaring Raptor bird, we ran from and in its claws, a rectangular box close upon identical to the one we found the scroll in. On this box, written in ancient Greek, it reads
R-H-A-P-T-A
Mum's legs collapse from underneath her, and she falls to her knees. The tears stream down her cheeks in sheer delight.
"Is this true? After all these years of digging and believing in something we have not had any evidence ever existed, we found it!"
We found Rhapta - The Ancient Lost City of Africa!
"Yes, Mum. You did it! You REALLY did it!! Your dream has come true and look... you're sitting right in front of it! You found Rhapta!"
Dad leaps to Mum's side, and Sam comes over and hugs me as we sit in adoration soaking it all in.
"Do you think that the box holds the treasures?" I dare ask; As if I need anything more than this.
"I am convinced it looks precisely like the one we found. If it is, it can only mean that there's something hidden inside it. What it is, we are about to find out."
We walk over to the shrine. Standing at the foot of it, it towers high above our heads. The bird is life size and scares us all over again.
"What if the thing comes to life when we touch the box? It could be booby-trapped, you know?"
"Nah. I can't see anything indicating that it's alive. What I see though, is a box looking for a key."
"A Key? Like a real key?" Sam pipes up.
"Certainly looks like it. The box resembles our one but look here. It's a hollow engraving of some sorts. Almost as if we're supposed to place something on top of it to unlock it. I just don't know what yet? It's not very clear."
Inspecting it at close range, it's just astonishing. The sheer detail perfection. My fingers trace the odd shape on top of the box. It looks familiar. Very familiar. My hand reaches for the relic knife I hid in my sock before we left for the safe-house. I hold it up against it.
"Well knock me with a feather! If it isn't the knife. The knife is the key! Alexandra, my clever girl. I think this time it's clear. You have your mother's brains after all."
"Mum, you do it."
She takes the knife from me and places it onto the box. A series of loud clicking sounds fill the chamber all around us as we watch the box release latch after latch. And there, in front of our eyes, the box unlocks a drawer filled with gold coins and jewels of all descriptions.
And behind the shrine, a stone wall slides open, and the bright sun shines its rays onto our faces.
Afterword
Thank you for purchasing my book. I sincerely hope you enjoyed it!
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About the Author
Urcelia Teixeira is an emerging Author in Young Adult novels, spanning across the Action/Adventure, Romance, Science & Fantasy Categories.
As a mother of four children, two of whom are Young and New Adults, she experiences life through their eyes on a daily ba
sis.
She has a personal preference to have her children escape with novels that are packed with action and fantasy, filled with inspirational stories but, are exempt from excessive swearing, explicit sexual content or sorcery.
And the latter three are precisely what her books don't have!
Instead, she bases her novels on true-life historical legends, which she turns upside down into page-turning Fantasy and Adventure fiction.
While she also aims to increase her readers' general knowledge, she takes them, on action-packed adventures to faraway fantasy places, awakening their wildest dreams and imaginations.
For more information
www.urcelia.com
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Also by Urcelia Teixeira
Little Darling - The Secrets of Hidden Bay #1
Constantine's Secret - The Secrets of Hidden Bay #2
ALEX HUNT and the Chase for Rhapta Page 16