Luca brushed his thumb across Ari’s cheek. His eyes glowed and crinkled in a smile at her while he called, “Meg?”
Stepping out and wearing pants, she said, “Ready. Good morning, Boss.”
“Yes, good morning, Luca,” Joan said.
Luca nodded. “Meg, Joan. The others are up ahead with a guide. Stay close. Even though there is moonlight, it disappears frequently because of the fast-moving clouds. Use the flashlights to sweep the ground in front of us.” He turned on his headlamp and walked swiftly, the women trotting behind him.
“Boss, we need to go to the loo,” Meg said. “We’ll be as quick as we can.”
He pointed to a silhouetted group with flashlights. “We will wait.”
The women walked silently to the circle of flashlights. Ari felt more awake now that she was moving. In her haste to get ready, she had forgotten her flashlight. She must have left it on top of her bedroll, hopefully off or the battery would run down. “Um, Luca, I forgot my flashlight.”
Silence met her admission. She felt like a chastised child, and this early in the morning. “I’ll partner with Joan.”
He reached out, gently taking her by the wrist. “Why don’t you partner with me?”
A few of the team cleared their throats softly behind Ari and Luca.
Ari trotted to keep up with Luca’s quick, long strides. “Can you slow down just a bit?” she huffed.
“We are running late.”
“My body isn’t quite awake—” Ari stumbled into Luca when he stopped abruptly.
Colleagues stopped behind them. All talking ceased, and they held their collective breath, waiting for what would happen.
“We need to move at this pace or we will miss the sunrise. This is our only chance to see it, provided the clouds clear enough.”
“I’ll keep up with you, but I might bitch about it. Just letting you know. Nothing personal. I don’t want to miss this.”
He leaned forward. His loose hair brushed her face, his masculine scent washing over her, and his breath moist against her ear, whispering teasingly, “You do not want to miss anything with me, Ari.”
Ari shivered involuntarily from his promise, squeaking, “Okay.”
His smile was devilish, making her stomach flip. But it vanished before he turned and addressed the rest of the small group. “Stay close. Continue moving your flashlights around as we walk. There are animals about and others camouflaged but watching us. We will meet the other guides in about one hundred meters. You—”
An invisible menace thundered toward them, above the giant leaves of the canopy, drowning out his voice. He pulled Ari under his oversized poncho just before the heavy, hard rain pelted the group. So close, his masculinity was intoxicating. She wanted nothing more than to bury herself in it. He groaned as her body pressed up against his, then chuckled as the rain flattened the poncho around them, murmuring in her ear, “This is challenging.”
Large drops of rain roared and spattered, drenching those who had forgotten their ponchos or umbrellas. They stood pressed together, backpacks overhead in an effort to stay dry. Others struggled to don ponchos and open umbrellas as the clouds unleashed their flood and then, just as quickly, stopped. The roar rapidly subsided into loud drip-drops as the clouds dashed past them.
Joan sputtered. “Oh my word. That was like, oh my, as though an enormous spigot of water was turned on full force. Amazing. And now, poof, the rain is gone. I’m soaked through. Except for my head. A lot of good my umbrella did me, that downpour came in so fast and furious.”
“I realize many of you are good and wet; however, it is warm. You should not become chilled.” He greeted the guides who appeared out of the dark, dry and smiling. “Buenos días.”
Everyone else followed suit. Luca spoke with the guides and then introduced them, mentioning that one would be in front, one in the middle, and one would bring up the rear of the group. “Hopefully, your cameras made it through the onslaught of rain. Please, pay extra caution as we climb. The steps are steep and treacherous, even when they are dry,” Luca said. “The clouds have blown over, and it looks as though there is no mist this morning, so we should see a stunning sun—”
Natasha said, “Sorry to interrupt, Luca. I’ll walk with you, if you don’t mind. You know how I am with heights.”
Luca rested a hand on Ari’s shoulder, stopping her from wanting to gnash her teeth. “Ari will stay in front of me. Matt and Meg, I would ask you to be on either end of our group to provide support for the guides.” Addressing the guide closest to him, “Raul, can you please follow Dr. Jordaan, in case she requires assistance? Thank you. Let us head out.”
Ari didn’t dare glance back, but she was certain Natasha was practically spitting with fury.
The group stayed in single file, following the head guide on a path that appeared to glow slightly through the jungle. Occasionally Ari saw the outline of large shadowy hills. She knew those were more unexcavated ruins. Recently, lidar technology had made a major archaeological discovery, uncovering and mapping over sixty thousand structures obscured by Petén’s dense vegetation, shaking up what experts and archaeologists knew about size and scope of Maya civilization. One of the structures was within Tikal, a pyramid over twenty-seven meters high, long been assumed to be a large hill.
From time to time, cedar and allspice bathed her in their aromatic scents. Before ascending, the head guide stopped close to a towering pale ceiba. He placed his hand on it reverently, sharing that it was not only the national tree of Guatemala but, more importantly, sacred to the Maya, connecting the underworld and sky with the terrestrial world. The group walked a little farther until they reached the base of the temple and then began climbing the long wooden stairs to the summit. The climb was slow and slippery. Several lost their footing or tripped more than once, Ari included. Finally, they made it to the top where their guides asked them to sit in silence.
Above them, voluminous clouds raced away, and the moon faded as persimmon orange and butter yellow tinged the predawn to the east. Below them, as far as they could see, the thick jungle canopy came awake—the birds, monkeys, and other animals taking up a full cacophonic melody. Ari sat serenely as the raindrops and dewdrops sparkled like diamonds in the rising morning sunlight. Luca’s hand reached for hers under his poncho between them. He stroked her palm with his fingers and then squeezed her hand gently. Wings fluttered in Ari’s stomach, and her heart glowed, grateful for his unspoken communication and beautiful moment.
After returning to Flores from the two days in Tikal, Luca and Natasha scheduled a team meeting before dinner. They planned to briefly go over the logistics of traveling the next day to Kanul—the location they would excavate and explore for the next ten weeks, into the second week of August.
“I need everyone’s attention.” Luca’s voice boomed over the chatter. It died down quickly. “Thank you. I trust that all of you were impressed by Tikal?”
Nods and affirmative responses answered him.
“Good. We leave tomorrow morning at 0400.”
Loud groans met Luca’s announcement. Ari felt tired just thinking about getting up that early. Mornings were not her thing. But then breakfast didn’t used to be either.
He held up his hand to settle everyone back down. “It is early. However, you can sleep on the shuttle. Or try to. You might pack something to rest your head on. The kitchen is supplying us with a light breakfast before we leave and snacks for the ride. Depending on how much you enjoy sleeping or how long it takes you to get ready, set yourself an appropriate wake-up call. I would suggest three o’clock since breakfast is at three thirty. I also suggest an early turn-in tonight. Please have your luggage ready tonight and on the shuttle before you go to breakfast tomorrow. Any questions?” Luca looked around the room. “No? Okay. We are done.”
Three o’clock came too early for Ari. She had crawled into bed, frustrated, insatiable gnawing at her insides, night tossing and turning after saying good night to Luca, and t
hat’s all it was—a spoken good night between them. Bleary-eyed, she crawled into her seat for the trip to Kanul, using her more lightly packed duffel as a pillow, having left extra clothing, like her skirt, sundress, and some personal items back in her room. She was able to catnap.
After the shuttle exited the main road, travel through the jungle slowed considerably. The shuttle jolted over rutted earth, becoming smoother as they neared the excavation. Hired armed militia waved the shuttle to a halt. Luca and Natasha presented paperwork and identification to them, and the shuttle was ushered on, coming to a stop in a sizable clearing.
Luca rose from his seat. “Your attention up here please. A few things before we exit. Other teams of archaeologists, specialists, and graduate students are already at work, as should be the local Maya helping us. The majority of students working the summer session here are with the MRP, the Maya Research Program’s field school out of the US. As I stated during orientation, some students will be here the duration, some for a few weeks. They will move between the excavations, as needed.”
He pointed to the area behind him, which was littered with working students, academic leads, and tools. “This is Kaq. We will begin helping with excavation here today. For those of you who have not excavated or worked in the pits, the work is tedious. That said, finding your first artifact will connect you to humanity on a different level. What you know about your world is immediately broadened and deepened. Trust me when I say that discovering your first artifact is remarkable. I want you to experience this thrill and embrace the reverence of uncovering the past.
“As you can see, a grid system is in its infancy. Ari, Keaton, and Joan will oversee the gridding today. Several areas have been partially cleared, revealing the promise of structures. Ari is well versed in the methods of excavating. She has worked in sites throughout the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. She is our lone forensic anthropologist. Should you find any bone fragments or larger remains, stop working immediately and get her. Clear?”
The group was nodding and murmuring affirmative.
A Mayan man approached Luca and clasped his forearms. Both men broke out in large smiles. “Everyone, this is my friend and colleague, Carlos, whom I mentioned during orientation.” He turned to Carlos. “I am glad you are here, amigo.”
Carlos stepped forward to face the group after greeting Luca. They formed a loose circle around him. “Hello and welcome to Kanul. As Luca mentioned, I am Carlos Balam.” He glanced at Ari upon hearing her audible intake of breath and smiled. “Yes, jaguar. You know your Maya. You are?”
Embarrassed, heated blushing colored Ari’s face. “Ari Antony. I’m so sorry. Very little Mayan. Linguistics are Matt’s department. I didn’t mean to interrupt you, Carlos.”
Luca broke in quietly, explaining to Carlos. “Ari is a PhD, our expert on Mayan culture, including the Popol Vuh. She has extensive excavation experience and is a forensic anthropologist, which will be very beneficial should we unearth human remains.”
Carlos nodded to her, his smile making his eyes crinkle at their corners. “It is no problem. Nice to make your acquaintance, Dr. Antony.”
“Ari, please.”
“Dr. Ari,” he deferred kindly. He returned to addressing the group, his voice rising above the generator humming in the background. “My English is learned from taking English-speaking tourists through the ruins of my ancestors, primarily Tikal. I grew up in a small community within Petén and still here.”
His arms rose, sweeping the air around him. “Camp is set up as Luca requested. Behind me is your section of tents. Luca and Dr. Jordaan have cabin tents. The other tents sleep between two and four people each, which you are free to select. Mosquito netting has been placed inside the tents.” Pointing to his left, he said, “Beyond the tents, down the hill, is the canteen area. For safety, it is a distance from all tents. I understand Luca has covered camp and site safety with you, but I want to stress again to not have food in or anywhere within the area of your tents.” He pointed forward. “If you look behind you, past the field command center are the composting toilets, and farther away are the showers, indicated by the tanks sitting on top of the makeshift frames. Potable water is throughout the camps in jerry cans.” He angled toward Luca and nodded.
“Thank you, Carlos, to you and your men, for setting up ahead of time and for this orientation.”
“I will be around, amigo,” said Carlos, leaving, walking the direction of the kitchen.
“Tomorrow we will head over to Rax, roughly a five-minute walk. Today we work at Kaq. Leave your bags in your tents, then check in at the field tent to familiarize yourselves with the schedule. Your tools and individual excavation and camp chores assignments for today are there as well. We have arrived after the midmorning break, so I will see many of you at lunch. We will have a short meeting after dinner, which will be early, and then turn in for the evening. I assure you that you will sleep well tonight and every night we are here. Our days begin at 0600.”
Ari turned to go with the rest when Luca spoke, stopping her. “Ari?”
Before Ari could respond, Meg chirped behind her, “I’ve got you covered, mate.” She picked up Ari’s duffel and groaned. “Your pack is heavy.”
“I ha—”
Meg waved her off. “I got it. Does she need her backpack, Luca?”
He nodded, looking serious, “Always.”
Looking back and forth, a knowing smile crossed Meg’s face. She said, “See you two later.”
“I really should handle my own responsibilities,” Ari said to Luca, uncomfortable as she watched Meg stumble between the two bags.
Luca’s arms were crossed, his brow furrowed. “Your responsibility lies with something else right now. Do you have water?”
“A little. How much do I need?”
He stilled, and his lips formed a firm line. Displeasure rolled off him. “What are you to do about water?”
“Fine. I’ll top it off. Where is the closest source?”
“Try a field tent behind you.”
“Are you really going to wait? What’s this all about, Luca?”
“Make it quick. Please.”
Irritated, she huffed and turned her back on him, missing the smirk on his face. Her bottle was almost empty, so it was a good reminder that she needed to be more aware of when it was low, like refilling her tank when gas was at a third full.
He was right where she had left him. “Come with me.” His light voice took the sting out of the command.
Ari followed along his side, miffed at being singled out when they had just arrived, peppering him with questions. “Why? Where are we going?”
The jungle erased their path quickly. “I am going to help you address a few things. We will take a short walk north to a large hill, due north, and rest where limestone juts out of the ground.”
“How do you know this?”
“Carlos has told me. He knows where we have gone. If we do not return in the hour, they will track us.”
The canopy and understory thinned out suddenly, revealing a large hill and evidence of a structure ahead of them.
“What things, Luca?”
He slowed and stopped, holding his arm out in front of her, signaling for her to do the same. “Look down.”
A long trail of ants carrying bright green leaves moved on an unseen highway in front of her. She knelt and watched. “Wow! Are those leaf-cutters?”
“Yes. They work very hard, carrying up to twenty times their weight. They transport flowers also. Do not get too close,” he said, gently stopping Ari, who had edged closer on her heels. “They will bite. It is nonvenomous, but I understand it hurts.”
“How do they eat all these leaves?”
“They do not. They feed on the leaf sap. The leaves or flowers are chewed to a size they can carry and take to their underground nests.”
“Fascinating. I can’t even imagine lifting my own weight.”
He could imagine lifting her petite lean body and havi
ng her toned legs wrapped around his waist. He cleared his throat and the image from his mind. “The ants grow a fungus by exuding a fluid from their bodies onto the leaves or flowers, contributing to an established fungus garden, which is food for their larvae. Their society is based on ant-fungus mutualism. The fungus needs the ants to stay alive, and the ants need the fungus to stay alive. Let’s take a big step over and keep walking.”
Ari and Luca reached the limestone. “You can sit here. There is enough shade to keep the direct sun off you.” He placed his backpack at her feet. “I’ll be back.”
“Wait. Where are you going?”
Luca’s answer was a quick smile at her before he stepped into the understory, disappearing.
“Luca?” she asked, her voice rising slightly.
“I am very close. Keep talking. I enjoy the sound of your voice.”
“Why are we here?”
He came out of the leaves. “Do you trust me, Ari?” he asked quietly.
Speechless, she only stared back at him, on guard.
He opened his right hand. In it was a hairy spider, a tarantula much smaller than the one he had picked up on the way in to Tikal. Ari scooted back, her heart beating wildly against her ribs. “Shit, Luca. What the fuck?”
“I have it. Just breathe. I will hold it.” He took his sunglasses off, allowing them to hang by his Chums. His eyes were calm yet full of concern. “Look at me, Ari.” He placed his free hand on her wrist, encouraging her to move closer.
“If we are calm, it remains so. When threatened, its preference is to run and hide or rear up on its hind legs. Spiders are a bundle of nerves, much like you are now.” He took off his safari hat and placed the tarantula on the wide brim. It just sat there.
“Tell me about what happened.”
“Huh?”
“Take off your sunglasses and talk to me. Please.”
She slipped them off, letting them hang from a cord around her neck, like his. Blinking, she tore her gaze from the tarantula.
Afraid to Fall (Ancient Passages Book 1) Page 13