The Forbidden Script (22 page)

From within the cover of the trees, Jason could see Tony as he searched for him. It was too dark and far for his vision to see Jason as he sat with his back to a tree, tightening his belt around his leg to stop the bleeding. His body was battered and bruised from the airplane jump. His forehead has an open wound from hitting the rocks, and now he has a bullet lodged in his thigh.

Jason saw Sally and the others slowly move away from him. Angry with himself, knowing he could do nothing about it. How he longed to hold her safely in his arms, protect her from all of this. He watched the last glimpse of their flashlight as they faded away into the jungle. Jason managed to stand up against a tree, but the pain was excruciating. He took one step forward, forcing pressure on his wounded leg, then fell back to the ground in pain. He tried to stand up again, and managed to limp from tree to tree until he was in the opening looking down at the collapsed bridge as it dangled from both sides of the river.

He knew he had no time to waste searching for another way across. The only way down was by the dangling bridge. It would prove quite a task for him to climb down using just one leg. Jason tested the strength of the ropes, and then began to lower himself one step at a time. Each wooden plank served as a ladder rung, proving rather easy for him to descend. As he reached the last rung, he was looking at a drop of nearly fifteen feet. Large rocks and boulders were the only things to cushion his fall. He looked back up the way he had come and then down onto the rocks. Jason had to land safely, knowing if he broke one of his legs in the fall it would mean the end for him. With his sharp vision, he calculated the distance as he let go of the wooden bridge. The fall seemed to last for minutes, he could see himself falling through the air, and then he felt the hard rocks beneath his feet. On impact, he rolled over breaking his fall, landing in the river. The cool water was a relief to him. But now blood was seeping out from the bullet wound, coloring the clear water. Jason tightened the belt around his leg, grinding his teeth from the pain as he pulled harder and harder.

The flow of the river was not too strong, but had an undercurrent that knocked Jason of balance, dragging him underwater a few yards down. He emerged from the river, making it to the other side where he saw the other remains of the bridge. The six remaining wooden planks were way too high for him to reach. Then he caught sight of the ropes that held the planks in place. Fatigue was setting in, and he did not know if he had the strength to climb. Not giving in, he gathered his remaining strength, and heaved himself up hand over hand. With his good leg he managed to find a foothold, and then again, he heaved himself up another few more feet until he was within reach of the remaining planks of wood. With both hands holding onto them, he pulled himself up, slowly making it to the top. Jason now lay exhausted face up panting for breath. Looking up at the night sky, he saw dark clouds as they passed over the tree tops blotting out the moon. The smell of rain was in the air, meaning trouble for him ahead.

After driving for ten minutes, Andreas finally spoke for the first time during the Jeep ride.

“Rain!” He said, pointing his finger up to a cloudy sky.

Kate looked surprised but took his word for it. As they neared the campsite, the heavens opened up. Droplets the size of peas were pounding on the Jeep’s hood. Andreas stopped to pull up the soft top, despite both of them already soaked to the bone. With headlights on bright, they could barely see in front of them. Andreas shifted to second gear, slowly edging his way through the now muddy jungle road. He came to a stop just a few feet short of the trees in front of him.

Kate asked, “are we here?”

Without looking at her, Andreas nodded his head.

“Yes camp is here,” he said, looking in front of him.

Kate jumped out of the Jeep.

“Aren’t you coming?” She asked him.

She noticed he looked on edge as if frightened to step out of the vehicle.

“No! I go back now,” he said.

Kate saw nothing but trees and rocks all around her.

“Where is the camp? There’s nothing here!” She said.

Andreas outstretched his arm waving his hand back and forth as if he was shooing off some animal.

“You walk now! Fifteen minutes in a straight line,” he said to her.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” She said, raising her voice.

He reached behind his seat and took out a battery operated lantern, and handed it to her.

“You go now! Or we go back,” said Andreas.

Kate had no choice but to take the lantern. As soon as she was clear of the vehicle, Andreas turned the Jeep around, leaving her standing there with nothing but the lamp in her hand. She waited until the tail lights disappeared through the pouring rain before turning around. Remembering what Andreas told her, she started to walk in a straight line as she possibly could. The rain continued to pour down as if it would never stop.

As she walked through the dark jungle, she began to think strange thoughts. It was as if she were in a horror movie, walking alone through the trees with no protection whatsoever. She was expecting at any moment for someone to reach out to her from behind. She dismissed her thoughts and concentrated on what was in front of her. She looked at her watch, counting the minutes that had passed.

The campsite should be in sight soon, but with the rain pouring down, she could hardly see ten feet in front of her. Then all of a sudden the lantern she was carrying blacked out, leaving her in the dark. Kate started to shake the lantern, hoping it might light up again, but it didn’t work. Assuming the batteries had died out, she threw it to the ground and continued on her way.

Walking even slower than before she moved from tree to tree holding onto each one to prevent her from tripping. After another few more minutes, she came to a clearing, and in front of her, she saw the campsite tents. She wandered into the campsite, looking around making sure it was safe to proceed. The camp had that ghostly feeling, no movement at all, dead silence except for the patter of rain as it hit the tents and ground. Kate ventured further into the camp until she came to the tent entrance. Careful not to make a sound she unzipped the flap and stepped inside.

Relieved to be out of the rain, she stood still for a while, letting her eyes get accustomed to the dark. Her clothes were drenched, and she needed to get out of them. She looked around the tent that was made for two persons. A camp bed was on each side, with sleeping bags laid neatly on them. She went over to one of them sliding her hand inside, feeling the warmth and dryness. In the back of the tent lay a wooden trunk. Curious to know what it holds, she opened it to find men’s clothing inside that consisted of jeans and some shirts. Choosing the size that might fit her, she removed her wet clothes, dried herself and slid into a pair of jeans and shirt.

Kate knew she could do nothing else until the rain stopped, so she decided to take a little rest. She got into the cozy sleeping bag and soon drifted off into a deep sleep.

Only a couple of miles away, Jason rose to his feet as the rain poured down around him. The river began to rise at a quick rate and soon turned into a rough flowing water. Fifteen minutes later and Jason would never have made it across. His leg had become numb, so he loosened the belt until he felt the blood flowing again. What he needed was something to hold onto. Looking around, he picked up one of the wooden planks, using it as crutches to help him walk. Steadying himself, Jason continued through the jungle with only one concern on his mind, to get his daughter back safe and sound.

A loud clash of thunder startled Kate, waking her out of her sleep. She looked confused for a few seconds until she realized where she was. The rain was still coming down strong all around her, and it seemed it was not going to stop at any moment now. Kate needed something to keep her dry, but all she found was a large plastic garbage bag, so she cut out a few holes and wore it just like a Pancho, sliding it over her head. She was about to walk out of the tent when she heard sounds coming from the other side of the camp. Peering through an opening, she could see someone just beyond the larger tent. She managed to count four people in all who were coming her way. Not taking any chances, she quickly exited the tent and made a run for the cover of the trees from where she could get a better look at whom had entered the campsite. Keeping as low as she could, Kate moved closer to where the four people seemed to have stopped just outside the larger tent. They opened the tent and entered one by one, the taller one closing the zipper behind him. After a few minutes, the tent lit up, glowing in the dark. Kate felt safe knowing all were inside, so she approached the tent with caution trying to listen to what they were saying. With the noise of the downpour, it was nearly impossible for her to catch a word. She edged a little closer, as close as she possibly can, until she could make out the words. Kate was now only a few feet away, and she could hear two men who seemed to be arguing about something.

“You didn’t have to shoot him! Destroying the bridge was more than enough to stop him from following us! You killed an FBI agent for Christ sake! We’re as good as dead!”

Shocked by what she just heard, Kate stumbled backward, falling into the muddy pools of water. She covered her face to prevent anyone from hearing her cry.

“Jason is dead! They killed him!” She said to herself.

Kate couldn’t stop crying, and had no idea what she was going to do. All she could think of was to run and hide somewhere. As she passed the side of the tent, she heard a voice that she immediately recognized.

“He’s not dead! He’s alive and coming after you, just you wait and see!”

“It’s Sally! She’s still alive!” said Kate.

“Shut her up, will you! He’s dead. I saw him go down! We rest here for half an hour, and then continue on our way. According to this damn thing, the site should be a couple of miles from here,” said Tony.

Kate knew she couldn’t leave, knowing Sally was still alive. She felt it was her responsibility to help Sally for Jason’s sake.

She didn’t have a gun or knife, no weapon to protect herself. She knew where they were going, so she thought she would follow them, hoping to seize an opportunity to take Sally away from them. Kate decided to wait outside the camp perimeter until they left, keeping a watchful eye on the tent.

With both hands grasping the wooden plank, Jason was more determined than ever. Grinding his teeth together, knowing with each step he took would bring him closer to Sally. The raindrops hit him hard across the face, but it didn’t slow him down, he didn’t give into the jungle, despite all it unleashed at him.

Jason shouted out, “come on! Is that all you got? You sent spirits to stop me! Then the river! Now this downpour! Is that the best you can do?”

Inside the tent, Tony and the others rested for a while. Rosie lay down on one of the camp beds with Sally sitting upright at the bottom of the bed staring in front of her.

Travis questioned Tony again.

“What are we going to do now? The whole FBI force will be after us for killing her father, and why is she just sitting there staring into nothing?”

Tony stood up hovering over Travis.

“Once we’re at the Mayan site, they will never find us. That place has been hidden for centuries. They don’t even know where to begin looking. As for Sally, my only guess is she’s being protected by her mother’s spirit, or by something much stronger. Don’t ask me why? But I have a feeling it’s protecting her from this place, protecting her from something evil.”

Thankful for the plastic covering, Kate sat on a rock under a large tree, giving her some protection from the rain. She looked up at the night sky, which seemed to be opening up. She thought of Jason, not knowing if he were dead or alive. After a few minutes, the rain suddenly stopped just as instantly as it had begun. She got up to remove her plastic make do Pancho, when she heard the sound of the tent zipper opening. Moving back behind the tree, Kate waited for the occupants to come out. She saw Tony for the first time. His blond hair gave him a neon glow look as he stepped out into the open. He was roughly the same height as Jason and looked equally strong. Somehow he had managed to overpower Jason, which not many men can do.

Then Rosie and Sally emerged. She gasped as she saw Sally, relieved she looked alright, and without injury. Travis was the last to step outside. She knew it was him from the description Sally had given her. Kate looked carefully at her, thinking she must be drugged by the way she was standing there staring at the night sky.

Tony and Travis gathered what they could find from inside the tent, and again started on their way. They moved through the camp, passing the smaller tents and then the main tent where Helen’s murdered colleagues were found. Travis wanted to take a look inside for anything useful.

“We don’t have time! It will soon be dawn,” said Tony.

Kate stepped out into the open once Tony and the others were out of sight. As she approached the tents, she heard the rustling of leaves among the trees. Not knowing if it were a wild animal or something, she moved back behind one of the tents. Nothing emerged from the dark jungle, so she presumed what ever it was must have gone the other way. As she stepped out into the open, there standing in front of her was a large male puma staring her down. Kate froze with fright. She had never seen anything so terrifying. The cat’s large eyes shone in the darkness as it watched her every move. With its claws extracted, it was ready to pounce at kate’s slightest movement. Kate took a step back. The animal growled deeply as it took a step towards her, baring its two inch long canines prepared to kill the prey standing before it.

Without thinking, Kate suddenly turned around to make a run for it, but she lost her foothold and slipped on the wet soft ground. She rolled over onto her back in time to see the large cat make the fifteen foot leap into the air coming straight at her. Kate shielded herself with her arm, expecting to feel the animals large teeth sink in. Then out of nowhere, something got to the animal first. All she saw was a large plank of wood strike the puma’s side, knocking it off balance. Then she saw him crossing her path to where the large cat had fallen. It got to its feet, growling, then ran off into the jungle. Her Savior turned around and limped towards her. Kate couldn’t believe who she was looking at as he held out his hand, helping her to her feet.

“Jason! You’re alive! I thought you were dead!” Said Kate as she held onto him hugging him tightly.

“It’s going to take more than what I’ve been through to get rid of me.” said Jason, nearly toppling over.

Kate noticed the gunshot wound to his leg.

“You’re hurt! Is the bullet still in there?” She asked.

Jason held onto Kate as he looked down at his leg.

“Yep! Still in there,” he said.

“We have to remove it before the wound becomes infected. We can go after them when the bullet is out,” she said.

Jason looked at her.

“They were here? Did you see them?” he asked.

Kate looked up at him, holding his face in her hands.

“She’s okay. Sally’s not hurt,” said Kate.

Jason asked her, “which way did they go? I have to get her back!”

“No, Jason! Listen to me! We need to get that bullet out before fever sets in. You have a better chance of getting her back if you are stronger,”

Jason listened to her, knowing she was right. They went in search for a medical kit and eventually found one in Helen’s tent. Kate prepared the necessary things while Jason lay himself down on the camp bed. Taking Jason’s knife, she slits open his jeans leg to reveal the wound. While Kate attended to his wound, Jason narrated what had happened to him during his search through the jungle. Ten minutes later, Jason’s leg was bullet free, and his leg cleaned and bandaged. Jason stood up, relieved he could put pressure on his leg with much lesser pain than before.

They searched around Helen’s tent before leaving, hoping to find something that might help in recapturing his daughter.

“You stay here! It’s too dangerous for you to come,” said Jason.

Kate didn’t agree, “I’m coming with you! I’ve come this far, so now I’m going all the way.”

Jason knew it was a waste of time arguing with her, so he let it go.

“Okay then, are we ready to leave?” He asked her.

As they were about to leave, Kate noticed a small black book on a wooden table that caught her attention. The title read. “The Mayan Underworld And Its Secrets.”

“Jason wait!” She said as she picked up the book.

“We don’t have time to read books,” said Jason.

She ignored what he said. “It might help us understand what’s going on here,” she said.

“Well, be quick about it.”

As Kate ruffled through the pages. She paused midway when she came to the chapter. “Protective Spirits Of The Underworld.”

“Jason! This is what you experienced in the jungle. The mist and dark shadows you mentioned says a dark force will guard the underworld against any threat.”

Looking puzzled, Jason asked, “so why now and not when we were here with professor Shireberg?”

Kate continued reading in search of an answer.

“Did any of you find and disturb the ruler’s tomb when you were here?” She asked.

“It must have been Carlos and his companion when they took Helen. One of them carried a haversack that he held onto tightly. They must have been looking for treasure and needed Helen to guide them. That’s the only reason I can think of why they went down into the cavern and didn’t take her away as soon as they captured her,” said Jason.

“But why are the spirits protecting the ruler’s tomb after it has already been disturbed?” Continued Jason.

She looked up at him.

“What if the ruler’s tomb hasn’t been disturbed? I mean the tomb, which Carlos opened might not have been the rulers resting place at all. Maybe it’s still down there, waiting to be discovered,” said Kate, all excited.

“Well, spirit or no spirit is not going to stop me from getting my daughter back.” said Jason.

Kate found one of Helen’s flashlights. She checked the batteries to make sure they were fully charged. It was then she remembered what she had seen on the airplane just before Jason jumped out. She turned to look at Jason, who was waiting for her to speak. He already knew what was on her mind.

“You don’t need this do you?” She asked as she held out the flashlight.

It was Jason who now was holding her face in his hands.

“No, I don’t. I will explain it to you, but we don’t have time right now. We have to go,” said Jason.

Not too far away, Tony was leading the way. He could feel the adrenaline rushing through his veins as they approached the site.

“Hurry! We’re soon there,” he said.

But Tony wasn’t the only one who knew they were near the Mayan underworld. Sally suddenly held back, refusing to go further. Rosie still holding onto her hand was trying to pull her along, but she didn’t move an inch.

“What’s wrong with her? Why has she stopped?” Called out Rosie.

Travis took hold of her other hand, but Sally fought back, digging her heels into the ground, pulling away from Travis.

“Leave me alone!” She shouted out.

Tony went over to her. He raised his arm and slapped her across the face with the back of his hand. She fell to the ground but shed no tears. Sally tried to make a run for it, but Travis was ready for her.

“Hold her still, will you!” Shouted out Tony.

He looked into her eyes.

“Well! Well! She’s back! Your mother’s, not going to protect you now,” said Tony, “drag her by her hair if necessary.”

As they came closer to the site, the GPS started to beep continuously. Then it suddenly changed its tone into one long beep. Tony looked at the screen.

“We’re here!”

They had come to the precise spot where Helen had stopped with Jason and Danny. Travis looked around pointing the flashlight in all directions.

“Where is it then? There’s only large boulders and trees,” he said.

“You idiot! Do you think it’s going to have a sign above the entrance? It’s here alright, just not visible in the dark. Give me the flashlight, you stay here with the girls and keep an eye on Sally,” said Tony.

While Tony searched for the opening that Carlos had described to him, Travis went and sat down opposite the two girls. Sally focused on her surroundings, scanning the trees beyond her. She was not afraid of what is planned for her. She still had protection from her mother and from someone else who has been with her since they boarded the plane.

Sally then said, “you have no idea what you’re getting into! This place is evil, and none of us are welcome here!”

“Shut her up will you!” Shouted Rosie.

“She’s just trying to frighten you, which seems to be working,” said Travis.

Tony whistled for them to come forward as he opened the moss curtain revealing the narrow passageway inside. One by one they entered, disappearing into the bedrock.

Not too far away, Jason and Kate were catching up fast. Jason was able to move more freely through the trees despite his bandaged leg. Kate was only a few steps behind following his every move.

“So are you going to tell me how you are able to see so clearly in the dark?” she asked.

Jason looked at her, his pupils shining like silver pearls.

“I was born with this rare condition. My eyes let in more light, just like cat’s eyes do. Doctors were baffled when my parents admitted me to hospital. They were worried it would affect my eyesight as I grew older. After numerous tests, it was confirmed my eyesight would not be damaged in any way. You’re one of the few persons that know about it. Not even Danny knows.”

Wishing she hadn’t mentioned it right now, she quickly changed the subject.

“Are we heading in the right direction? You still remember the way?” She asked.

“Besides my perfect sight. I have a very good sense of direction,” said Jason with a smile.

The air in the jungle gave off a moist sense of smell after the rains had stopped. The usual sounds of crickets were heard again. As dawn approached, the night wildlife settled into their burrows, making way for the daytime creatures. The howling of monkeys sounded in the treetops, playfully chasing eachother. Now and then there was silence, the rustling of leaves giving away a predator on the prowl. Kate kept close to Jason, who seemed entirely unaffected by the dangers the jungle had to offer.