by K. T. Tomb
With thoughts of my own blame in the entire situation crowding my mind, I still stopped and focused on some of those intense, special moments that Eva and I had shared. Those thoughts would warm me for a moment as I remembered the sound of her voice, her touch and the feel of her lips on mine. The vision of her nude body was there too, but it had long since been crowded out by sweeter memories of looking into her sparkling eyes. But none of those moments could eclipse the last vision of her that I had in my head; the vision of tears streaming down her face as she begged for my life to be spared. Was it the last vision I would have of her before I died or would it be a vision an infinite number of times more horrible as Enrique plunged a stone knife into her chest, cut out her still-beating heart and raised toward the image of Kukulkan?
The thought of helplessly looking on while she was sacrificed to stone image of some ancient, mythical god was so unbelievable to me that it drew out deep sobs from my chest that were coupled by a maddening rage. I worked at my bonds, hoping that there was some give in them somewhere. I had tried brute force a number of times without success and I had followed it up with more thoughtful, intellectual ideas for getting free, but none had brought any results. I was still chained to the wall and running out of both luck and time.
My thoughts returned to the fantasy that had been running through my head for… well, since the first time that I had seen Eva, however long that was. Those impossible fantasies had, little by little, begun to take shape into something completely unbelievable. The ecstatic feeling of her touch and her lips pressed against mine had been such a silly, distant dream only a week before; just a few days before. My heart wasn’t finished just yet and it wanted more of whatever future we might have together, though that future, for all practical purposes seemed to be very grim and very short. Still, there was something deeper inside of me that simply would give up hope. Love will find a way, right?
With that hope as my focus, I tried to calm my mind, clear it of everything that threatened to hurl me back into despair. If Eva and I were going to get out of this, it was going to take every bit of rational intelligence that I had. Where was the best place to start? A little before noon on March 20th – which was anywhere from 8 to 15 hours away by my best guess – Eva was going to be led out into the Temple of Kukulkan in order to be sacrificed. What did I know about Mayan sacrifices?
I tried to recall all that I had read about the Mayan equinox ceremony and the process of human sacrifice in general. There was, of course, a great deal of speculation into exactly what took place during the ceremony, but at that point, it was all that I had to go on. I could only hope that historians and archeologists had been correct. The problem was that most of the actual, historical documentation came from the explorer Cortez and his descriptions were of the Aztecs. The Mayan ceremonies could have been completely different. I pushed the doubts aside and focused on what I had learned, hoping and praying that I would at least be able to find an opportunity in the process, somewhere, to disrupt things and save Eva. Losing my own life wasn’t nearly as important as making certain that Eva was saved.
It was said that most human sacrifices had been voluntary in nature; however, there was plenty of speculation that many of the earlier sacrifices had been provided by slaves of the Aztecs or Mayans. With voluntary sacrifices, the one who was going to be sacrificed went through a number of cleansing and preparation ceremonies, spending a great deal of that time in prayer, for obvious reasons. When it came time to come forth for the ceremony, the volunteer was often drugged with a very heavy narcotic that would cause hallucinations. It was speculated that whatever drug was used had a similar effect as an LSD trip, though I wasn’t sure how anyone knew that for sure and had often wondered if the person who had written about it had actually been on an acid trip.
It was said that even under the effects of the narcotic, some who were led to be sacrificed shed tears, screamed and struggled or relieved themselves in their pants as they were being led up to the temple; all of those things made them unworthy of being used as a sacrifice and those individuals were taken aside and killed for fear that they would be an insult to the gods. It was critical that the one be sacrificed came forth in silent dignity so as not to be an insult to the gods. Since their captors only had one shot at a successful sacrifice, it was essential that it not be botched.
In a willing person, an LSD-like drug might have provided a peaceful trip that would allow them to be directed to their death without objection, but what if the person was unwilling? The understanding that I had about LSD is that it simply heightened and added to thoughts and feelings that were already in the person’s mind; therefore, an unwilling person on an acid trip would simply become several dozen times more intense in their objections and be extremely difficult to handle. So there had to be a way to calm that person down. How would they do that? I wasn’t sure, but I felt like Andres had already begun part of the process when he was talking to her before. I tried to recall his words and heard them quite clearly in my mind.
Your final moments will be moments of extreme splendor. I’m willing to bet that in the history of Mayan civilization, there has never been one as perfectly suited for the great god than you. Embrace that. Embrace the heritage that comes from a small corner of your own Mayan heart… I think that there is a very good chance that you might actually return with the great Kukulkan at his side and rule the Mayan people for all eternity. You’ll be a queen, powerful and immortal. Over this, there is no reason to shed tears.
Suddenly, I realized that it wasn’t the words that he was speaking, but the tone and the actions that were taking place. He had been using a soothing and relaxing voice and had begun to make suggestions of getting in touch with her heritage. No doubt, once they were separated, he would begin working on her mind even more. There wasn’t enough time to brainwash her, but someone very skilled would likely be able to relax her enough to accept her fate. He might even lie to her and agree to set me free. And then suddenly I had an answer: hypnosis. Under hypnosis, he could connect her with something in her heritage and bring her to a willingness to help save her people. After that, the narcotic would have the desired effect.
I was convinced that I had discovered how she would be put into a trance and easily led to the sacrifice; however, there was still nothing that I could do to stop it. I would need to keep in mind that were I able to get free and break her free, I might have to deal with her while her mind was in an altered state. That might multiply my problems when it came to attempting to escape. I don’t need my problems multiplied. Escaping on my own or escaping and taking her with me is going to be difficult enough.
There was a distinct possibility that there would be a packed house for the sacrifice of the spring equinox, especially since it was the coming out party, so to speak, for a new priest. That could mean dozens or hundreds to dodge while trying to lead an intoxicated Eva through them or even trying to carry her through them. The conclusion at which I had arrived had the effect of dampening my hopes once more. Regardless of how well I understood what was going on, I was still helpless to stop it from taking place.
With the return of despair overcoming my best efforts to come up with a solution that would set Eva and me free, I lowered my head into my arms and placed them on my bent knees as I sank to the floor and gave in to hopelessness. Eva and I were doomed to die and there was nothing that I could do about it.
In the predicament that I was in, the last thing that I wanted to do was sleep; however, due to the fact that I had been through a very large number of very short nights in the past three days, not to mention several surges of adrenaline, I eventually fell asleep with my head resting on my knees.
Chapter Thirteen
I had no clue how long I had slept, only that I had dozed off. It could have been minutes or it might have been hours. I wasn’t pleased with the fact that I was too weak to stay awake when I ought to be planning, hoping, even praying. Our lives hung in the balance and it was no time to
be sleeping.
I recalled words from a Sunday School class some time in my youth. Simon, are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. “God, please help me stay awake. Please provide a way out of this,” I whispered aloud.
I had no sooner finished my simple prayer when I saw the curtain stir slightly and I focused my eyes on it. Were they coming for me? Had time passed by that quickly? Was it already time? It hadn’t seemed like enough time had passed, though I hadn’t been sure about any sort of timing from the moment Eva and I had tumbled into the snake pit. As apprehension and fear became more rampant in my mind, I heard a familiar voice whispering softly.
“Adam. Don’t shout or raise your voice. It’s Enrique. I’m coming in to talk to you, but you must remain quiet. Do you understand? I’m going to help you, but you can’t give us away.”
“I have nothing to discuss with you,” I replied. “You’re a traitor and a coward.”
No sooner had I finished speaking, Enrique pulled back the curtain and stepped into the small space with me. Had I been able to break free from the chains, I would have wrapped my hands around his throat and squeezed the life out of him.
“I understand how you feel, just hear me out, okay? I have a plan to get you and Eva out of here.”
“Why should I trust you?” I glared at him, though there was a great deal of the effect lost in the very dim light.
“I don’t suppose you should, but will you at least listen to me? Right now, I’m your only hope.”
What he said made sense, though I was struggling with his earlier betrayal. Had I not seen his downturned eyes and sensed his shame before, I wouldn’t have bothered to even attempt to listen to him, but the memory of his inability to look me in the eyes allowed a dim hope to begin to rise inside of me. ‘Never look a gift horse in the mouth’ worked in that situation too. “What do you want?” My tone communicated the fact that I was still extremely wary of anything he said or did, though I was at a point where I had nothing left to lose.
“Let me explain something first and then I’ll tell you my plan.”
The fact that he had a plan opened the door to hope a little bit more, but I was still skeptical. “I’m listening.”
“This human sacrifice thing has been a part of my heritage for thousands of years and the rites of priesthood that have been passed down through my family have been continued for those same thousand years. I’m sure you understand that the pressure to continue carrying out this tradition is enormous, but the problem is, I don’t think I can carry it out. No, I know I can’t. I have stood by my father’s side as an apprentice for several years.”
Enrique swallowed a lump in his throat and then continued. “I have seen the sacrifices being carried out. I have assisted in them and I have disposed of the bodies afterward. I tried to convince myself over and over that I would be able to carry on with this part of my heritage, even up to the point of putting snakes into the pit when you and Eva had fallen in. They were non-venomous, by the way, just so you’ll know that I have been faltering all of the way through. They are typically venomous and the hope is that the potential victim will be bitten and in their state of delirium more easily succumb to the sacrifice.
“As you know, both you and Eva were still mentally sound when you arrived. She will be placed into a state of hypnosis not long before she is to be led to the temple. Once she is hypnotized, she is to be given a heavy narcotic that will cause her to hallucinate. My father will carry out the hypnosis, but as the priest, I am to give her the drink with the powerful narcotic. I will substitute it with something that looks and smells like the drink, but is not.
“I have rigged your bonds as well as the six bindings that are fastened in place to hold Eva to the stone table. They will easily break free with a sharp tug. I will begin the ceremony in the usual manner and then I will clap my hands together. That action will have two purposes: to bring Eva out of her hypnotic state and as a signal for you and the others to move.”
“There are others?” I asked.
“Yes. They will help to keep the Traditionals busy while you and Eva make your escape. My main concern is going to be my father. It is going to be a very difficult thing for me to do. Going against thousands of years of family tradition… well, you understand.”
“Why did you deceive us and bring us here? You could have just told your father, no. You know, the rebellious son thing. You didn’t need to drag Eva and I into this.”
“At first I was still riding the fence on it all, when I saw you… well, mostly when I saw Eva. I knew that she was the perfect representation of the sacrifice to Kukulkan and that small part of my heritage that still believes that the serpent god will rise up and return to power, made me think that maybe it could be the final sacrifice. Later, I came to my senses and, as I thought about it, the opportunity to play out another scenario that might completely expose and destroy the grip of the Traditionals over the people presented itself. You and Eva are now a part of that plan.”
“I don’t know that I like being a part of your plan.”
“At this point, there is little choice. It is your only hope to survive and to take Eva with you.” He paused a moment. “I admire you, Adam; she is a beautiful woman and she is in love with you. As much as I wish it was me that she loved, it is better to know that she will grow into the woman that she was meant to become. Please, play along with the ceremony and follow my instructions, for everyone’s sake.” He turned in order to slip back through the curtain.
“Why are you doing this?” What I had heard up until that point was swimming through my brain in a thick fog. I wasn’t expecting any of it.
“There is a portion of my people, a remnant, if you will, that believe that human sacrifice has never been a part of the Mayan tradition, that it was a heresy brought in as our culture mixed with the Aztecs. We have been gathering in secret and planning to restore the truth. Perhaps this is our opportunity. Maybe you and Eva can even help further our cause once you’re free?” He smiled slightly. The look that I had seen in his eyes before was missing, his eyes were worried and sad instead as he slipped through the curtain.
“It is the center tunnel,” he whispered through the curtain. “It is the only one that will lead you out to safety.”
Chapter Fourteen
There was no way of knowing what time it was, for all I knew minutes – which seemed like hours – had passed or hours – which seemed like minutes – had come and gone. The fact of the matter was that every moment that had been passed before Enrique came to me had been passed in hopelessness and every hour after had been passed in hope, but with an added mixture of wariness and doubt. Was Enrique on the level or was he playing some cruel mind game? The only thing that I really had to go on was his change of attitude; appearing to be ashamed and the fact that he seemed genuinely interested in working against his father and the Traditionals. In the hours or minutes that followed our secret conversation, I went over his words several dozen times, trying to find holes in it somewhere.
To be sure, there were plenty of things that could go wrong. To begin with, I was completely unsure of how many people would be looking on during this secret sacrifice and, in addition, what percentage of those people were Traditionals and what percentage was from Enrique’s group. That ratio could mean the difference between success and disaster. How convincing Eva and I were as actors would also be a factor. If we were not believable, the jig might be up and a real sacrifice at the hand of Andres and the Traditionals might take place anyway, with Enrique completely out of the loop. And, of course, my mind kept returning to the fact that it could all be a cruel game being played upon us; one that Enrique was going to get a kick out of and maybe even gain some brownie points with his father.
There was no sleep left in me after Enrique’s visit. Though I was still exhausted, I was nervously on edge, hoping that Enrique was telling the
truth and at the same time, hoping that I would be able to get Eva to safety. Enrique had given no details as to how the bindings on Eva had been rigged and I hoped that his rigging on her bindings and on my own would perform as planned. I recalled that there were heavy, leather straps that buckled the arms, legs, chest and hips to the table. If I had to unbuckle six leather straps… I didn’t even want to think about it.
I also spent much of my time visualizing the layout of the temple. Eva and I had entered from the tunnel on the stone serpent’s left side as it faced outward. There were three tunnels: one on the left, one in the center and one to the right. Only the center tunnel would lead us to safety. Another thought sprung into my mind. What if that tunnel was blocked? That question led to another. What if it’s all a shell game? What if Enrique isn’t on the level and only told me to go into the center tunnel where we would be recaptured…? I had to stop thinking that way. Just focus on the plan. If it works, we were golden. If it doesn’t, there is nothing we could do anyway. It was the only way I could approach the challenge ahead of me.
The curtain was pulled back suddenly and I let out a very audible gasp as a strange figure appeared in front of me. It took a moment for me to recognize the face of Enrique presenting itself in a very small portion of the ceremonial headdress that he was wearing. But as he spoke, holding a golden robe with all sorts of ancient Mayan hieroglyphs embroidered in scarlet and ivory thread, recognition hit me. To be honest, it was beautiful and I wanted to spend some time examining it.
“Put this on over your clothes.”
I did as he directed.
“Give me your shoes and put these on.” His orders were sharp, as though he was playing out a role. Likely, he was being observed. He glanced around quickly and then whispered. “Play along; clap of hands, center tunnel.”