‘The fifth century ancient Mayan site, you don’t think that’s pretty weird?’ Trish asked her.
‘There could be some connection between ancient human civilisations and Homo gigantis!’ Jason said, excited by the discovery. ‘It’s pretty mind-blowing, don’t you think? We thought so, anyway.’
Trish nodded in agreement, but Sarah remained unenthused.
‘Just because it’s in the same location doesn’t mean they have anything to do with each other,’ she told them. ‘That super ancient site we found on the parchment might be … what? Half a million years older than the Mayan site? Considering the number of human settlements in the world it seems only logical that some may tally up with any dwellings made by Homo gigantis.’
‘We didn’t think of that,’ Jason said, disheartened by the observation.
‘Don’t get me wrong, there could be a connection,’ she said, trying to bolster them a little. ‘I’m just saying, keep an open mind. In my opinion it just seems unlikely.’
‘Is it still worth going there, then?’ Trish said.
They gave her an odd look.
‘I’m just saying, since you couldn’t find the excavation device, is there any point in wasting our time? Especially with the meteor strike less than three days away and considering everything we’ve already found.’
Sarah contemplated the question. ‘No, I definitely think we should check it out. We’ve come all this way and now Jas has found the exact spot; you never know, we might get lucky again. We can still scan the area, so if we find anything we can come back at a later date.’
‘I suppose you’re right,’ Trish said.
‘Of course I’m right, I’m always right!’ Sarah said with good humour.
‘Even when you said Carl, the Vatican mole, was a nice chap?’ Trish asked.
Sarah grimaced. ‘Well, nearly always right.’
‘You’re nearly there,’ Jason said.
‘Where?’ Sarah was confused.
‘You’re nearly at my level.’
‘Level? What are you going on about?’ Sarah said, totally bewildered now.
He grinned. ‘Being perfect.’
‘Ha, perfect!’ Trish said, while Sarah laughed. ‘I’ve seen dog turds that are more perfect than you.’
‘Dog turds!’ Jason said in complaint.
Trish and Sarah cracked up as Jason sulked, then the waitress returned and the three friends decided to order some lunch.
After they’d sated their hunger, Trish proceeded to inform them about their travel plans. ‘I’ve booked us on the express train from here to Santa Rosa de Copán in Honduras. It shouldn’t take us too long, although there has been some activity in the region from an anti-government militia who operate in the area. They’ve been fighting the government for years against what they see as state murder of civilians who speak up against them.’
‘How will that affect the train?’ Jason asked her.
‘They’ve been known to hijack them, rob the passengers and extract any goods onboard.’
‘Ah,’ he said, ‘not good then.’
‘No, not really. Still, there’s nothing else we can really do. The bus services are being locked down across the borders due to curfews and road traffic has also been prohibited. I’d say catch a light aircraft, but even they are being strictly controlled, so foreigners booking with little notice are not going to get a flight; that’s according to the local British Embassy, anyway.’
‘Looks like it’s the train then,’ Sarah said. ‘When is it leaving?
‘Tomorrow, noon,’ Trish told her.
Sarah nodded and sipped her drink, content in the knowledge they’d soon be heading off to the location depicted in the ancient parchment. They stayed at the café a while longer, letting their meal settle, and then found a couple of cheap hotel rooms to stay in for the night. Waking early the following morning, the companions gathered their possessions and struck out for the train station. After making their connection, the locomotive departed the platform, a heat shimmer rising from the tracks ahead. Another clear blue sky and bright sunshine accompanied them, the countryside speeding past as the train reached maximum velocity.
Sarah looked out the window expecting to see the meteorite in the sky, although it supposedly wasn’t visible during the day on this side of the Atlantic. The great ocean and its massive expanse was a welcome barrier between her and the impact zone which, until very recently, had been far too close for comfort. Resting her eyes, she settled down once more, another journey and adventure within her sights. The freedom she felt was all encompassing and invigorating, especially compared to her dull existence back home with Mark in London. She might have more important matters to attend to, but this was definitely the life for her; this is what she had been missing. She’d found herself again, her purpose in life, and it felt like home. Her head lolled to one side as she dozed off to the drone and rattle of the express train as it surged onwards.
♦
Santa Rosa de Copán in Honduras wasn’t a large place, perhaps home to one hundred thousand people. A small city, but located in a beautiful setting, with friendly welcoming locals. The centre of town looked as striking as the scenery surrounding it. Neoclassical buildings lined the cobblestoned streets and if it hadn’t been for the GMRC curfews it would have been pulsating with tourists. People usually flocked to explore the city and the surrounding areas, which included the Ruins of Copán and the Celaque National Park, with its subtropical cloud forest featuring mountainous elevations from four to nearly ten thousand feet.
As usual, sightseeing was off the menu for the team of three and they had already arranged transport to the ruins. A small bus regularly ferried locals and tourists alike to the Mayan site and they had lucked out, as a driver who took the route was a relative of the owner of their base of operations in town, a modest bed and breakfast run by a lovely old couple. According to the timetable, the bus departed in twenty-three hours and Sarah’s phone told her the impact was due to occur in less than twenty.
The following day they ate breakfast with the couple and then returned to their room to watch the television. Sarah flicked it onto a Honduran English speaking news channel and sat back to watch. They didn’t have to wait too long before the stunning, yet disturbing images of the meteorite’s final flight and impact were aired. The three watched in silence, punctuated by the occasional gasp from Trish and swear word from Jason, as the newsreaders covered and discussed the fallout.
Trish gave a shake of her head. ‘To think we were only there just a few days ago.’
‘That’s a sobering thought,’ Jason said, unusually sombre.
Perhaps even more worrying than the impact was the breaking news that China had launched some kind of attack on as yet unconfirmed countries. It may have even been nuclear. They watched the scenes of worldwide panic unfold and then a GMRC warning interrupted the programme. The organisation’s logo flashed up with a message. The phones that all three now had also chirruped as video text alerts came through.
‘It’s the same message as on TV,’ Sarah said, as she read the screen.
THIS IS A GMRC EMERGENCY BROADCAST
DO NOT ADJUST YOUR MEDIA PLAYER
THIS IS A CRITICAL ALERT
PROTOCOL ONE DELTA:
AN EMERGENCY WORLDWIDE CURFEW
WILL COMMENCE IN TWELVE HOURS
PROCEED CALMLY TO YOUR HOME
OR A PLACE OF REFUGE UNTIL
FURTHER NOTICE
LETHAL FORCE WILL BE UTILISED
TO PRESERVE THE PEACE
THIS IS EMERGENCY PROTOCOL ONE DELTA
THIS IS NOT A DRILL
‘Fuckin’ hell,’ Jason said. ‘This is going to screw us right up.’
‘I don’t think so; the bus leaves in a few hours,’ Sarah said. ‘We’ll be out before the curfew and when we’re in the wilderness, there won’t be any patrols to worry about.’
‘We won’t be far away from Copán Ruinas, the small town,’ Jason said,
‘so it’ll hardly be a wilderness.’
Sarah chose to ignore him.
‘What about coming back?’ Trish asked her.
‘We’ll speak to – what was his name, the driver?’
‘Javier,’ said Trish.
‘We’ll speak to him. I’m sure he’ll come back for us if the price is right.’
Jason looked unconvinced. ‘Not if a total curfew is in effect, he won’t.’
‘I suppose,’ Sarah said. ‘It depends how strict they are round here, they’re quite lax on most things so perhaps this will be no different.’ Trish and Jason looked at her with deep scepticism. ‘Anyway,’ she continued unperturbed, ‘they can only keep people holed up for so long. As soon as things calm down, the normal curfew times will be reinstated. Come on, it’ll be fine, stop being a couple of wusses.’
Trish and Jason muttered some choice words, but after some heated debate they eventually saw things Sarah’s way.
Not long after, they made their way outside the bed and breakfast, where Javier picked them up and their ride to the ruins began.
‘How close will you be able to get us, Javier, to the co-ordinates we gave you?’ Sarah said.
‘Pretty close. You’ll only have a short walk. I don’t think the locals will let you do any digging or scanning; they can be pretty touchy about that sort of thing.’
Sarah exchanged meaningful glances with Trish and Jason. The locals might not want them to scan, but Sarah wasn’t prepared to abide to silly rules and regulations at this point. Their ground-breaking discoveries had put her well on her way to proving her theories and she wasn’t going to slow down now.
The bus, which was empty apart from them and a few locals, wound its way higher into the mountainous region. Creaking and groaning, the vehicle’s suspension buckled and dropped over the uneven road surface as the jungle slid by. As Sarah bumped around in her seat, she pondered the situation in China. Going there now to validate her finds would not be a good idea. International tensions would be at breaking point, or past it, and foreigners looked upon warily or with outright hostility. Where else can I go? she thought. Canada, perhaps, or France; Brazil, maybe? She needed to discuss things with the others at a later date before any firm plans could be made.
Sarah swayed in her seat as the bus came to an abrupt halt, bringing her out of her reverie. She peered out the front window to see a group of men with guns looking at the vehicle. Javier turned the engine off and got up.
‘Quédate aquí voy a averiguar qué está sucediendo,’ he said to the locals. ‘Wait here,’ he told the three companions in English and then he got off.
‘What’s going on?’ Trish said, worry etched on her face.
Jason looked similarly concerned. ‘I think they’re those rebel militia you told us about.’
‘They don’t look like government troops,’ Sarah said, ‘no uniforms.’
Javier had reached the rebels and now spoke to two of the men. Hands were waving and gestures being made on both sides. After what seemed an age Javier walked back to the bus and climbed back on, shutting the doors behind him.
‘They’re letting us through, I know one of the men from when I was a child. You three better stay down, though, or avert your faces. If they see outsiders, they might change their minds.’
He started up the engine and they pulled off at a sedate pace. Trish had sunk so far down in her seat she was hardly visible, while Jason had gone one further and sat on the floor. Sarah looked around and saw an old woman looking at her, so she got up and made her way along the aisle towards her.
‘What are you doing?’ Trish said, sounding scared. ‘Get down!’
‘They’re not blind,’ Sarah said. ‘Those men saw how many of us were on here. It’ll look suss if three suddenly vanish into thin air.’ She stopped in front of the woman. ‘¿Me prestas tu sombrero?’
The woman gave Sarah a blank look.
‘What’s disguise in Spanish?’ Sarah asked Trish.
‘Disfrazar.’
‘Sarah, we’re nearly on top of them!’ Jason said.
‘Disfrazar,’ Sarah said to the woman a note of urgency in her voice. ‘¿Por favor?’
The old woman smiled, removed her large hat and passed it to Sarah, who quickly sat down, placed it on her head and looked down at the floor. Out of the corner of her eye she glimpsed the militia on either side of them, assault rifles held loosely in their hands as they looked at the passengers as they drove by. Sarah held her breath and then they were past and picking up speed again.
Heaving a sigh, she took off the hat and handed it back to the woman. ‘Muchas gracias, señora.’
The woman smiled again and nodded in acknowledgement.
After their scare they made quick progress, although they did pass a couple of vehicles carrying more armed men on the way.
‘Aren’t there any government forces around here?’ Sarah asked Javier as they passed another one.
Javier shook his head. ‘No, señorita, they do not operate out here any more. It’s too dangerous for them.’
‘Does that mean there is no curfew in these parts?’
‘Yes and no,’ he said, ‘the rebels want to appear in control in the area, so they act like they are the government and try to protect the people as they would. They aren’t as strict, though, and they are more likely to just reprimand you rather than lock you up or worse.’
‘Good to know,’ Jason said from nearby.
Half an hour or so later they pulled up at a stop just outside of a small town. The locals got off first and then Sarah, Trish and Jason followed suit.
‘Will you be going back from here tomorrow?’ Trish asked Javier.
‘Yes. When I was speaking to the men in the road I asked them if I could keep running my service even after the GMRC alert. They said I could, although I may have to pay some kind of toll for the privilege.’
‘That’s great,’ Sarah said, ‘does that mean you’ll be travelling as normal throughout the week?’
‘I hope so,’ he replied.
That was excellent news, as Sarah was unsure how long they would be there for. Thanking Javier for the ride and bidding him farewell, they picked up their gear and made towards the location Jason had brought up on his phone.
He pointed due west. ‘It’s about three hundred yards that way.’
They stood near the top of a valley and the view was stunning. Tobacco farms dominated the lush, green and fertile landscape. A variety of animals and birds made their presence known in and around them as their squawks and calls drifted along on the light breeze, the tall trees set against a clear blue sky. A river could be seen in the distance, weaving its way through the landscape, glistening like crystal clear diamonds.
‘Have either of you ever been here before?’ Sarah said, taking a deep breath and filling her lungs with the fresh sweet smelling air
‘No, but I’ve seen pictures,’ Trish replied.
‘I know someone who’s been here,’ Jason said, ‘they told me it was breathtaking in the height of summer and the Mayan ruins are something else.’
It looks pretty idyllic now, Sarah thought as they made their way down through some sparse trees and plants which had been cultivated in order to provide easy access to the complex.
The ruins appeared deserted; tourists had stayed away for obvious reasons and the local workers had apparently thought likewise. The meteor had its advantages after all, it seemed, as digging about in a world heritage site without authorisation was a sure way to get arrested.
As they moved towards the interior of the long abandoned city, Jason carried the scanner and pulled other gear – including the precious canister – behind him in a small trolley. Sarah and Trish had the tubing on their backs containing the bones, plus they also bore food and camping supplies. Their bulky clothes and other non-essentials for the search had been stowed back at the bed and breakfast accommodation.
Approaching a clearing, Sarah was able to make out a large stone st
ructure through the trees.
Trish let out a shriek. ‘What the hell is that!’ she said, pointing into the undergrowth.
Sarah squinted into the shadows to see what had terrified her friend and then she saw it, a large black shape moved in the bushes. She took a step back as it headed towards them.
Jason laughed when a pig-like creature came ambling into view. ‘Oooo scary,’ he said.
Sarah grinned in relief and Trish gave him the finger as he continued to chuckle.
With the less than frightening creature snuffling its way back into its habitat, they forged ahead once more. As they bypassed a large monument, the view gave way to reveal low slung pyramids, and a massive stepped building with a huge tower reaching towards the skies.
‘Wow, that’s pretty spectacular,’ Trish said.
Sarah had to agree, it was a marvel to behold. She paused for a moment, taking it in, and then reinstalled the reason for them being there in the forefront of her mind. ‘Jason, where now?’
‘Err—’ he murmured, as he pointed his phone around in front of him, ‘there,’ he said, at last getting a fix. He now pointed at a large temple right next to the imposing tower.
Sarah glanced up at the sun pulsating directly overhead. ‘Let’s get going then.’ She gestured at a smaller enclosed temple off to one side. ‘Trish, you set up camp inside there. Jason, dump your stuff and get the scanner ready.’
He saluted her. ‘Yes, ma’am.’
‘Very good, soldier,’ she said with mock gravity.
Sarah dropped off her burden and joined Jason as he made his way to the scan site. They calculated exactly where the search area would be, marked it out with some tape and sticks, and then got underway. It was quite a large grid to cover so they took it in turns to carry the heavy scanner.
Many hours had passed by the time Trish called them for dinner and the two trudged back to the camp looking as weary as they felt.
‘Any luck?’ Trish asked them.
‘None so far,’ Sarah said. ‘We’ve nearly covered the area, but we’ve only been scanning at one level due to having to penetrate the dense rock of the temple. We’ll have to go over the site a few times at various depths to make sure we don’t miss anything.’
Revelations Page 26