“Good,” Joe’s deep Southern accent brought his mind back to the phone call. “You need to go to the Grand Canyon.”
“I’ve been there before. Not sure if I’m going to have time to do it again today, buddy.”
“Not for sightseein’,” McElroy corrected. “Tommy gave me the interpretation for the second stone. I believe that the first part of the clue leads to Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico. It talks about two lions guarding the way.”
“So, why the Grand Canyon if the first place is Bandelier?”
“Tommy is already headed to Bandelier. The next part of the riddle talks about eagles’ wings guiding the way. I didn’t really think about it while I was on the phone with him, but I did a little looking around after we hung up.
“There is a place called Eagle Point at the Grand Canyon. That’s where I think another piece of the puzzle is.”
“Are you sure? I mean, there could be a few dozen places named after eagles or other birds in this country. Why that spot?”
“It’s the only one that makes sense. If we go on what we know based on the first chamber, the people that left the clues did so in a general area. All the ones we found before were within a few hundred miles of each other. Stands to reason they wouldn’t change that method now.”
“OK, ignoring the fact that these locations are much farther apart, before one clue led to the next. You’re making it sound like there is no order to it this time.”
“I thought about that too. This new riddle is different. Even though the location perimeter might be similar, the way to get there doesn’t have to be. From what I can tell, you don’t need to visit the spots in any order this time. Well, except the last one. Plus, you will need to find three items. They should look like leaves. We are still working on the third location. I’ll let you know if we find it.”
Sean smiled. He realized that Adriana had already found one piece of the puzzle. “We already found it, Mac.”
“Really?” Joe sounded amazed. “How’d you do that?”
Sean looked into the back of the cargo area. A towel lay on the floor, bundled as if it was wrapped around something. “It’s a long story. I’ll explain when we get back.”
“We?”
“I’ll explain that too.”
Adriana swerved onto a side street then another, trying to lose their pursuers.
“Thanks, Mac. I gotta go.”
“No problem, Sean. I’ll let you know if I can figure out any other part of this thing.”
Wyatt hung up the phone as Adriana pulled the car into an alley between a pawn shop and a tattoo parlor.
“What are we doing?” He asked.
She glanced over at him. “Giving them a chance to lose us.”
A few tense minutes went by as they waited to see if the people chasing them would appear. The only thing that cut the quiet in the air was the easy hum of the engine and the gentle blowing of the air conditioner.
Adriana turned to Sean. “Who was that on the phone?”
“My friend Joe. He’s an expert in Native American history. Says we should go to the Grand Canyon.” She looked uncertain. “He said he thinks that Eagle Point is where we can find another clue. It’s a rock formation in the middle of the canyon. Apparently it’s pretty close to one of the tourist stops.”
“Is he sure this is where we should go next?” Emily asked.
“I wondered the same thing. Joe said he thinks that’s it. I trust him.” He paused. “You ever been to the Grand Canyon?”
Emily shook her head.
“What about you?” he asked Adriana.
“No,” Adriana answered bluntly.
“Oh,” he smiled. “Now there are two reasons for us to go.” A cute grin crept onto the side of her mouth as she eyed him.
She didn’t say a thing as she stepped on the gas and steered the Audi back out onto the road toward the interstate.
Chapter 26
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Tommy and Will had taken the agency jet from Atlanta to the desert Southwest a few hours before. Will had gotten clearance from the boss to provide police protection for Tommy, which meant he had to go wherever the archaeologist went. The pilot was not exactly happy about having to file a flight plan on such short notice, but then again, he knew the deal when he signed up for the job. It was good pay and really very few hours. The only catch was that sometimes Schultz or Wyatt needed to fly somewhere on short notice. It was early in the afternoon when they had landed in the high desert. The sun beat down warmly on the tarmac as they exited the plane and hopped in the car that had been made ready by agency connections at the airport. Nothing fancy, but it would do the job.
Tommy guided the gray Chevy Cruze down the highway leading out of Santa Fe toward Bandelier National Monument. He had been paranoid, constantly checking in the rearview mirror to see if they were being followed. There hadn’t been anything out of the ordinary, though. The craggy desert mountains that had lingered in the distance were now surrounding them as the straight road became curvy, weaving in and out of the dry terrain. Cypress trees dotted the landscape along with some Schultz didn’t recognize, their pale green foliage splashing a contrast of color onto the natural canvas setting. The drive up had been somewhat silent. Both men were tired from the events of the night before and didn’t feel much like talking. Tommy was OK with that. He didn’t like forced conversation anyway.
“That the place?” Will broke the long silence.
Up ahead, the tourist and information center for Bandelier National Monument appeared in a clearing situated in the middle of a rocky canyon.
Tommy eased the car into an empty parking spot in front of the building. The air was cool and dry, fairly typical for the high desert during that time of year. In the winter, temperatures could reach zero at times while the summer sported highs well over a hundred.
Will took a deep breath. “I love the air out here. Clears up my sinuses,” he said with a big smile.
Tommy laughed. “Well, we do live in one of the worst places in the world for allergies.”
“I think I remember reading about that.”
The two men closed the car doors and made their way into the wooden structure and over to an information desk. There were only a few tourists milling around inside, probably belonging to the two other cars that were in the parking lot.
Behind the desk, a happy-looking Native American woman stood next to a computer checking something on the screen. As they approached, she turned and greeted them with a robust and genuine smile. Her round face and long black hair framed the squinting eyes and huge grin. She was fairly short but stood proudly in her park ranger uniform. “Welcome to Bandelier. Can I help you gentlemen?” she asked in a perky tone that surprised both men. Apparently, she liked her job.
Schultz returned the smile. “Yes, we are doing a little research on ceremonial artwork of Native Americans from this region, and we were wondering if you could show us where the stone lion sculptures were located.”
“Actually, we have a replica of the sculpture right outside that door over there if you would like to see it. It was cast directly from the original.” She pointed past some display cases to a door off to the side of the large room.
“I don’t mean to be rude, but would it be possible to see the originals? I’m kind of a history buff.”
She opened up a drawer and pulled out a small piece of paper with a little map on it. “The original site is right here,” she pointed to a spot on the map that had a drawing in the likeness of the sculpture. “Just take this trail to get there. It’s only a short walk. “We do ask,” she added, “that you treat the location with care. It is a sacred site for our people and should be treated with great respect.” Her smile had been replaced by a solemn look.
“Understood,” Tommy replied. “We will leave no evidence we were there. Thank you so much.”
The two men walked out the door and found the prescribed trail.
“What wa
s that all about?” Will asked. “Sacred site?”
“Ancient Native locations are all some of these tribes have left of their ancestors or their traditions. Most Native Americans had everything taken from them in one form or another. The last few spots they can cling to must be respected by all since they are their only direct link to the past.”
Will nodded silently, understanding the gravity and implication of Schultz’s words.
The path was actually well maintained, evidence that the place they were going was still visited consistently. There weren’t a lot of sounds along the desert path that wound through the canyon. An occasional bird would chirp for a minute or two in one of the scattered trees nearby. Tommy wondered if they might see any snakes. He and Sean both had a healthy fear of that particular reptile, venomous or not. In the area they were walking through, rattlesnakes were common. Even though they had their patented warning sound that resonated from their tails, rattlers didn’t necessarily use them all the time.
The two men plodded their way through the warm air until they came around a small curve in the trail and found themselves entering a small clearing. The scent of sage filled their nostrils. It seemed the plant grew vigorously in the high desert. Then up ahead they noticed a circle of large stones. Each rock was laid on its end as if pointing to the sky, and they were all packed in tightly next to each other. In the middle of the stone circle, two ancient pieces of what appeared to be boulders lay side by side. As the men drew closer they began to see clearer the design of the ancient sculptors.
The stones were carved in the shapes of two mountain lions, both facing the same direction. It was unlike anything Tommy had ever seen before.
Even though history or archaeology wasn’t necessarily Will’s thing, he still had an odd sense of reverence about him as he observed the site. “What did they use it for?” he asked just barely above a whisper.
Tommy shook his head. “I’m not sure. I believe they currently use it mostly for ceremonies. Originally?” He shrugged. “I’m hoping that we’re about to find out.”
He stepped around the circle carefully, looking at every angle, trying to see if he could notice anything out of the ordinary. Nothing jumped out at him, though.
“See anything?” Will was copying Schultz but was essentially useless. He had no idea what he was looking for.
Tommy appreciated his help, though. At least the cop was trying. “No. Not a thing.” He put his hands on his hips and let out a deep sigh of frustration. Whatever was there had been hidden for thousands of years, so he doubted it would be easy to find, if it was even still there.
The possibility that ancient looters had taken whatever had been hidden was always something that endangered any artifact recovery mission. He’d seen it dozens of times in the years since the IAA had been founded.
One of the more noted instances of such a problem was the Great Pyramids in Egypt. Grave robbers had taken nearly all the treasures from them centuries ago.
“What was it Joe said about these lions?” Will wondered out loud as he stepped lightly around the big rocks.
Tommy set down the small backpack he’d brought on the trip and reached inside, pulling out a circular piece of stone. He palmed it reverently as he spoke. “The riddle says that the lions watch the gate.”
“Is that the one from Georgia?”
Schultz nodded. “I thought it might come in handy,” he said as he ran his fingers along the smooth stone with the spider engraved on one side, the ancient text on the other. He eyed the unique piece’s carvings. His mind went back to the lions in front of him. It didn’t make sense.
He stared at the time and weather-worn faces of the old sculptures and wondered. The only thing that lay beyond them was desert plains and cacti. “I can’t figure out what it is they’re guarding,” he said finally. “According to the message on the stone, they are supposed to be guardians, but the only thing that lies in that direction is desert. We could walk for miles and still not see anything.”
Will turned around and looked in the direction Tommy was pointing. Then he spun back around and pointed at a rock formation in the canyon’s edge behind where Schultz was standing. “What about back there?”
Tommy spun around and looked at the smooth rock face of the canyon with several large stones standing at its base. Random holes and mini-caves dotted the wall, probably worn out by time. Some were probably used by Natives from the local tribes in ancient times, accessed by ladders in case of flooding or attack.
“The lions are supposed to be guarding the location,” Tommy responded. “They would have the gate to their back if that’s the case.”
Will frowned, deep in thought. “But the clue said they ‘watch the gate.’ If that’s the case, wouldn’t they be looking at it?”
Tommy pursed his lips. Will was right.
He turned around and faced the reddish-tan stone of the canyon wall then looked back at the lions. Cautiously, he straddled the stone perimeter and stepped into the sand-filled circle where the lions rested silently. There was a narrow space between the two figures, so Tommy got down on the ground and wedged himself into it. He peered at the wall from the point of view of the sculptures. A fairly large, rounded piece of sandstone lay directly ahead abutted against the canyon wall about fifty yards away. “It’s over there,” he said confidently.
Will leaned over trying to see exactly the spot where Schultz was pointing.
“See it?”
“Yeah,” Will nodded. “Let’s check it out.”
Tommy stood up and dusted off the sand from his jeans and flannel shirt and made his way out of the circle, grabbing his backpack off the ground.
Will joined him on the other side, and the two started walking toward the area.
“It’s interesting,” Tommy spoke suddenly as they crested a small sandy hill and descended down the other beyond sagebrush and some small cacti. “These little hills hide that spot unless you are looking at it from just the right angle. The dip in the terrain reveals the location. Otherwise, no one would think that big rock was anything out of the ordinary.”
Will nodded in agreement.
Suddenly, the sound of a rattle began shaking nearby. Both men froze instantly.
Chapter 27
The Grand Canyon West, Arizona
It had taken a little under two hours to make the drive from Las Vegas to Grand Canyon West. The occupants of the black Audi hadn’t said much except for comments on how desolate the area was on the way.
Emily had asked a little about Adriana’s past, where she’d gone to school, lived, worked, those kinds of things. The answers had been an intriguing hodgepodge of seemingly random locales and activities. Adriana had come from a town about thirty minutes from Madrid, as Sean had already learned. She left home, briefly, to attend high school in Copenhagen, Denmark, until she was seventeen years old. When her mother had become sick, Villa returned to Spain. From there, she went to Boston College in the United States, majoring in history with a minor in chemistry.
“That’s an odd combination,” Sean had commented.
Her reply was cryptic. “The chemistry has bailed me out of trouble more than once.”
He hadn’t followed up with the line of questioning.
After earning her undergraduate degree, she had worked for one of her father’s enterprises for a short time, establishing a global network of coffee growers and partners. They had coffee fields in Central and South America, as well as a few locations in Uganda, Kenya, and Ethiopia.
“One of the primary things I wanted to do with our company was improve the quality of life in countries where people were in need. We established fair trade coffee farms and helped the ones that already existed get better international distribution. “Because of the work of our company, more than ten thousand people have jobs with decent wages or own their own businesses. Infrastructure and education has improved in those places, as have the lives of the populations.”
“All from coffee.”
Sean said, quietly thoughtful.
“Mmhmm,” she confirmed.
Shortly after the drive through the outpost town of Dolan Springs, the paved roads came to an end, and they found themselves cruising down a dirt and gravel road that led through the desert. Joshua trees and sage grew intermittently in the sandy, rocky earth. Huge stone formations jutted up into the sky and loomed ominously near the dusty road that wound its way through a ravine. Eventually, they ended up on a sort of plateau that ended at the Grand Canyon West visitor’s center.
Helicopters buzzed around the area like bees in a hive. A few were flying high above the canyon, giving their passengers a bird’s eye view before diving down into the colossal crevasse. Others were sitting with rotors turning slowly, either just returning from a flight or about to head out.
After parking the SUV, the three got out and headed toward a white fabric-domed building. The ceiling of the structure was held up by air pressure from the inside, a fact that was reiterated by the revolving doors at the entrance and exit.
Sean made his way over to one of the information desks while the women looked around the room at the various souvenirs and trinkets available. A cheerful-looking Native American woman with long black hair and a narrow face stood behind the desk, smiling as he approached.
“Good afternoon,” she greeted him. “How can I help you today?”
He returned the smile while he answered, “I was wanting to take a look at Eagle Point, preferably as close as possible.”
Her grin turned to confusion. “I don’t understand.”
“I’d like to get close look at the location called Eagle Point. What’s the best way to do to that?”
His new explanation didn’t help her out much. “Sir, Eagle Point is a rock formation in the middle of the canyon. You can’t get close to it.”
He thought for a minute, uncertain what to do.
“You could take a helicopter ride. That could get you pretty close to it.” Her suggestion seemed like a possibility.
After a few moments of contemplation, he thought that doing a little recon work first might be the best course of action. “Can I just get three tickets to take the short tour around the area?”
Sean Wyatt Compilation Box Set Page 38