“It looks pretty full of stuff,” Katie noted.
Jake walked around to the back of the vehicle, opened the doors, and began an inspection of the equipment.
“Bedrolls, sleeping bags, field jackets,” he verbalized his mental checklist. Several minutes later, he began repacking the supplies. “Smells kind of musty, but if it was good enough for the Nepalese army in 1970, then it’s good enough for our little camping trip.”
After a stop at a local market to purchase food and bottled water, they drove north out of the city. Their plan was to reach the ancient monastic village of Lo Monthang by lunch and check into a hotel for the night, continuing north the following day. With Katie navigating their course from a map they had gotten from the concierge, they drove for two hours, slowly gaining elevation as they approached the mountains. When they were clearly on the only road that led to Lo Monthang, Katie put the map down and retrieved a folder from her backpack along with her grandfather’s journal.
“Been doing some research?” Jake asked as he glanced over.
“I was just thinking about the map that Dmitri drew in his journal. It’s always been a puzzle, but I may have found something on the Internet last night.”
“The real reason you were late this morning.”
“I can get lost on details.” She reached into the folder and pulled out several photos that she’d printed from the workstation in her room. “Dmitri’s map had several odd lines and geometric shapes. I compared them with some photos I found online. These were all taken around a river basin north of Lo Monthang. The river is called the Kali Gandaki. It flows out of Tibet through a really deep gorge.”
She handed Jake the photos.
He studied the first one in the stack. “A suspension bridge.”
“Which corresponds to the curved parallel lines between the two triangles on this page,” she said as she held up the journal page.
“What about that shape with the odd top?” Jake asked. “Is that some sort of building? A monastery maybe?”
“Take a look at the next photo,” she replied.
On the page was the image of a typical Buddhist monastery with a flat roof. Its terracotta exterior stood in bold contrast against an eroded stone mesa behind it. The mesa was dotted with what appeared to be caves.
“I’m missing the connection,” he admitted.
“My grandfather’s drawing had no perspective to give it depth. Look at the top of that rock formation behind the building. The curvature matches the top of the shape in his journal. The dots on the drawing could be these caves.”
Jake nodded slowly. “It’s certainly worth a look.”
As they drove on toward Lo Monthang, they realized that they were making better time than they had expected. Instead of stopping in the town to find a hotel for the night, they decided to push on into the mountains. The decision was also based on potential inquiries from the locals. Kidnapping, theft, and murder were common in remote places worldwide, but Jake and Katie had an additional problem. The border with Chinese-controlled Tibet was coming ever closer.
The gravel road on which they traveled generally followed the Gandaki River with the gorge below them growing steadily deeper as the elevation increased. When it was clear that the road moved off in a direction that would take them away from their coordinates, Jake pulled off onto a grassy knoll.
“Looks like it’s on foot from here,” he said checking his handheld GPS.
“How much farther?” Katie asked.
“Eleven miles or so,” he shrugged as he stepped from the vehicle. He walked around to the back and began removing their gear.
As Katie got out and joined him, she looked down at the yellowish-tan cliffs that rose above the river. The almost uniform color was dotted with occasional patches of sparse vegetation. In preparation for the trip, she had read about the Himalayan Desert climate. Outside of a few river valleys like this one, it was one of the driest and most inhospitable regions of the world.
“I don’t suppose we’ll make it today,” she said.
Jake shook his head. “This is my first trip to the Himalayas, but I don’t think they’re generally known for easy access. We’ll make camp in a few hours.”
After working their way down an animal herding trail that forked from the main road, Jake and Katie began their trek across the wide, but mostly dry riverbed. With the seasonal melt several months behind them, the Gandaki River had been reduced to little more than a series of creeks intertwined like sapphire vines as they flowed from the mountains beyond. This made for a relatively easy hike until the GPS showed that they had to leave the riverbed and begin their assent into the mountains.
When they spotted a mountain pass and started their way up, they came across a yak herder leading his mottled gray and white herd down to the river. Bags of salt and grain were strapped to their backs.
“Tashi deleg,” Jake spoke a Tibetan greeting. It was the only thing he’d managed to retain from a phrasebook he’d purchased from a small airport bookstore in Kathmandu.
The old, nearly toothless man smiled broadly and returned the greeting.
Katie asked him if he could speak Chinese. The man’s response started an awkward discussion with both of them stopping frequently to come up with enough words to knit together a conversation. Although the Chinese government had forced Mandarin to be taught throughout the country including Tibet, few of the older people had managed to grasp the language. Katie had spoken Chinese as a young girl but hadn’t used the language in years.
“Get anything out of that?” Jake asked after the man waved goodbye and followed his herd down to the river.
“There are glaciers a few kilometers beyond here,” she answered. “He said we would come to a plateau on which we’d find a deserted village.”
“What about the monastery with the caves behind it? Is it there?”
“I didn’t really understand his answer to that question. He said there was a monastery, but he said we should not stop in the village. If I understood him correctly, he said it was a place of ghosts.”
“A ghost town?”
Katie shook her head. “It’s not a term like the one you use in America. I think he literally meant ghosts. Superstition runs pretty high here.”
“All the same,” Jake smiled, “I’m scooting my sleeping bag next to yours.”
An hour later, just before sunset, the elevation crested at a plateau with a magnificent view of the lower mountains below. Sitting atop a rocky precipice was the monastery from the photo that Katie had found online. The once brightly painted structure lay in partial ruin above an abandoned village with buildings of similar architecture. Strung between them, a few strands of tattered and faded prayer flags fluttered in the breeze.
“I’d definitely call that a ghost town,” Jake commented as he took in the condition of their disheveled surroundings.
“Doesn’t look like anyone has lived here in some time,” Katie commented.
Their attention was suddenly drawn to a creaking sound that came from a shutter hanging from one hinge below a second floor window on the monastery. A chilling wind had picked up, carrying dust into the air from the graveled streets around the village.
“This is kind of creepy,” he said, “like a late-night horror flick.”
“You watch late-night horror flicks?”
“No way,” he replied emphatically. “I still close my eyes during the scary parts of Scooby Doo.”
Katie laughed. “Like it or not, I think we have to pick one of these buildings to call home for the night. The monastery looks like the one in the best condition.”
Jake nodded. “Ladies first.”
Although the twin entrance doors to the structure were closed, it was clear that someone had once gained access to the building by applying force to the locking mechanism. The wood on both sides was caved in and spider cracks in the paint emanated from the impact points.
Jake bumped the right hand door firmly with his shoul
der, forcing it to creak open. Once inside, he removed a small flashlight from his backpack and flipped it on. In the glow of its beam, elaborate and colorful wall murals came into view. Easily recognized paintings of the Buddha were interspersed among a variety of deities. There were also talismanic inscriptions recording some mantra from Buddhist teachings.
“A lot of work went into this,” Jake commented.
Katie nodded. Tired from their long hike, she unzipped her sleeping bag and laid it out on an uncluttered section of the earthen floor. Jake dropped his bag beside hers before walking over to a stone oven in the corner of the room. He examined the cast iron door to the firebox. Beside it was a small stack of broken branches, which had been placed there for firewood.
“If this thing still works,” he said, “maybe we can at least knock the chill out of the air.”
Jake opened the box, put in a couple of the smaller sticks of wood, and removed a lighter from his backpack. Five minutes later, a noticeable glow began to emanate from the vents in the door.
“You’re quite the Boy Scout,” Katie remarked.
“Cub Scout actually,” he replied taking a seat beside her. “By the time I was old enough for the green uniform, soccer was taking up most of my spare time. My parents made me choose.”
“So tell me something about you I don’t know,” she prodded with a smile.
“Uh-oh,” he feigned a nervous look, “twenty questions. This is usually where I get into trouble. If you like the person you’ve seen so far, can we just leave it at that?”
“Come on,” she nudged him. “You don’t strike me as someone who has something to hide. With all this running around, we haven’t had time to talk and I’m curious about your interests, your likes and dislikes.”
“Can you be more specific?” Jake kidded, dogging her questions.
Katie drew in her lips, crossed her arms, and squinted at him. “I see you’re going to make this difficult, so let me help you. For starters, what kind of movies do you like? What’s your favorite food? Are you the kind of man who isn’t afraid to show his emotions?”
Jake smiled. “That doesn’t sound too painful. Let me see—action adventure…most ethnic foods…and it all depends on if an emotional response is required.”
“Too easy,” Katie said. She raised her eyebrows as if in thought. “Let’s take this up a notch.”
“And here’s where the wheels come off the bus.”
“You’re not married. You could be dating someone. It at least begs the question of what kind of girl you’re attracted to.”
Jake held up his left hand and wiggled his ring finger. “No wife and no ex-wife. No girlfriend. Haven’t really had the time for that. And, the kind of girl I would be attracted to….? Let me see. Bossy, shopaholic, frivolous unintelligent conversation. Your basic high maintenance debutante.”
Katie tried to suppress a grin as she scooted closer to him. “You just described me.”
“I just described the complete opposite of you.”
“I can change,” she shrugged playfully.
Jake shook his head and looked into her eyes. “No, you’re perfect just the way you are.”
As he leaned closer toward her lips, they were suddenly startled by the sound of someone clearing his throat behind them. Katie shuddered as the surprise overtook her, but the sound was wholly familiar to Jake. He tilted his head back and looked at the unexpected visitor.
“Bad timing?” the man asked.
“What are you doing here?” Jake responded.
“Mom said you needed a chaperone,” his brother Sam answered.
“Mom or Bill Hendricks?”
Sam shrugged. “They’re kind of the same.”
“Mom?” Katie asked as she analyzed the younger man’s face. Although his frame was smaller than Jake’s and his hair was dark brown, the blue eyes were strikingly familiar.
“Katie Petrovich,” Jake said, “meet Sam Evers.”
“Evers,” she smiled. “You two are brothers. I see the resemblance.”
“I’m just the better looking one,” Sam replied as he stepped forward to shake her hand. “I can see why Jake’s been missing in action so much lately.”
Jake glanced over at Katie. “He’s also the charming one.”
Sam took a seat at the end of his brother’s sleeping bag.
“So why are you here?” Jake asked.
“Bill’s not sure your decision making skills are up to snuff. He thinks the blood loss or something else,” he looked at Katie and winked, “may have affected your thinking.”
Katie laughed.
“So he sent you? Not Murray, not Dan—you; my gung-ho, never-looks-before-he-leaps brother?”
Sam nodded. “Pretty much.”
Jake shook his head. “Hope you brought a sleeping bag.”
“I was kind of counting on sharing yours.”
“You’re going to have a cold night.”
“Jake,” Katie said in a lightly scolding tone.
“I was only joking. Of course you can share my sleeping bag. I’ll unzip it all the way so we can both use it as a cover.”
“Just like old times,” Sam replied. “You don’t still have that bed-wetting problem do you?’
Katie snickered.
“Don’t push your luck.”
“Just want to make sure this young lady understands what she might be getting into.”
“You’ve come at a good time,” Katie said. “I was just beginning my interrogation.”
“This should be fun,” Sam replied. “If he lies, I’ll give you a signal. By the way, do you guys have anything to eat? In my haste to get up here, I forgot to stop by the Quickie-Mart.”
“How did you know where to find us?” Jake asked.
“Wade’s computer finally cracked the code. There was only one village that could have corresponded to the drawing from that journal you showed me. We found it on Google Maps. I came in here by chopper about lunchtime today. I’ve been wandering around until I saw smoke coming out of the chimney here. I guessed it was you.”
“Where did you find a helicopter?” Jake asked.
“Red Cross, Kathmandu. They have a pilot and an old Huey. I told them I was looking for a couple of hikers who went missing a few days ago. When I said that I would pay their fuel bill with a little more to boot, they agreed to take me here. You know pilots. If someone offers to buy the gas, they’re always willing to fly.”
“That’s very efficient,” Katie acknowledged.
“But I’m sure Jake’s plan was more romantic,” Sam smiled, “though a little bit out of the way.”
Jake shook his head and laughed. No matter how aggravating his brother could be at times, he was still Jake’s most trusted friend. Three years his junior, Sam Evers was like his older brother in many ways, but still unique. Both shared a love for science and history and both were committed Christians. Sam’s uniqueness came in his almost uncanny ability to understand mechanical things. When he wasn’t traveling the world on some TERA mission, Sam could usually be found in his garage working on a project, most recently the restoration of a 1971 Dodge Challenger.
After a lively conversation prompted by Katie asking numerous questions about their childhood, the three turned in for the night as a light snow began to fall outside. When Katie awoke the next morning, she glanced over at the rolled sleeping bag beside her and realized that Jake and Sam were nowhere to be seen. Using her fingers as a brush, she aggressively tossed her hair before getting up. Further into the catacombs of the monastery, she heard movement and muffled voices.
“Good morning,” Jake greeted her as she entered the room where they were standing.
“What are you guys doing?”
“We were just checking out the place,” Jake answered.
“Yeah,” she shrugged. “I really couldn’t find much about it on the Internet.”
Sam looked up at the crossed timbers above them. “Typical Tibetan construction. The walls are built
of wooden beams filled with rock and smooth coated with a crude cement. The roof is flat to keep the heat inside, and the walls are sloped to prevent damage from earthquakes.”
Katie gave Jake a surprised look.
“You’ll have to forgive my brother,” he said. “He’s an architectural nerd.”
“Structural engineer I believe is the term you were looking for,” Sam corrected, “or have you forgotten that gravity defying suspension bridge you had me build in Togo last year. Remember, the one that allowed the missionaries to reach that village in a fraction of the time that it had once taken.”
“We shared a room growing up,” Jake continued. “The shelves on his side were covered with Lego buildings of every shape and size.”
“Oh yeah,” Sam retorted. “At least my side of the room wasn’t cluttered with hundreds of little plastic dinosaurs.”
“They were fossils….and scale models,” Jake corrected him.
“I still have Barney nightmares,” Sam insisted.
“I would love to have had a sibling,” Katie said.
“You can have mine,” the two brothers responded simultaneously.
Katie laughed, shaking her head, as she stepped past them and examined the wall at the far end of the room. Diffuse sunlight from a closed shutter filtered onto the plaster. There was a line of indentions where the paint, plaster, and mortar were missing.
“What caused all these holes?” she asked.
Sam looked pensively at Jake.
“The same thing that caused these stains,” Jake replied pointing to a dark section of the floor just beneath the wall. He held up a spent rifle case that Sam had located earlier. “7.62 by 39. It’s the round used in AK-47s.”
“An execution?” she spoke with alarm.
Jake nodded. “That’s what we guessed. That may explain why this place is called a ghost town. Something horrible happened here.”
Katie took a couple of steps forward to consider what she was hearing. She began to recall the stories that her grandmother had told her about the communist takeover of Tibet. Although she didn’t know the details, her grandfather had fought for the resistance. Thousands were killed in the slaughter.
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