The Forbidden Script (6 page)

A small fixed winged aircraft took off from a deserted field with Carlos and Helen on their way to the States. She was guaranteed to be set free once her abductor was satisfied with her assistance. The aircraft had to stop for refueling, and then continued its flight to Florida, where they landed on a remote runway next to an abandoned hangar. They were met by a large black van. Helen couldn’t see the driver through the dark tinted windows and could barely walk from exhaustion after traveling for more than six hours nonstop.

At his large house, Tony Barrette was awaiting Helen’s arrival. A guest room had been set up for her to keep her as comfortable as he can. Tony needed to gain her trust, as he wanted Helen to be truthful when decoding the ancient tablet. He has been waiting years for an opportunity like this to happen.

Meanwhile, back inside the cavern, Jason begins to check the damage caused by the explosion. The large stone blocks from the wall above the entrance crashed down, making it nearly impossible for them to leave the same way they came in.

Jason said, “I should have shot that son of a bitch while I had the chance. He and Helen could be anywhere by now, and for all we know she could be lying dead on the other side of those rocks.”

Danny made an effort by clearing the smaller rocks, while Jason took one of the flamed torches and walked down to where the statues were standing. He suddenly stops where he is, feeling an icy chill all around him. Certain someone is standing behind him, he quickly turns around expecting to see Danny, but nothing, Danny is forty feet away removing rocks. Jason quickly dismisses it, blaming the aftereffects of the blast. He begins to exam each statue; his archaeological instincts takeover and soon forgets their situation. The engravings on the figures are incredible, the craftsmanship is stunning. He steps back a few paces to admire the statue in full view. Suddenly he thinks he sees something moving in a dark corner further inside the cavern, but like before he dismisses it for a rat or small rodent. He moves over to the next statue, and so on, one statue after the other.

Then he calls out to Danny, “hey Danny! All okay over there?”

“Would be faster work if you gave a hand!” said Danny.

Jason thought otherwise.

“What do you say we have a look around for another way out? Removing those rocks could take forever,” said Jason.

Danny agreed and walked down over to Jason. They each took a flame and began to look around. Jason thought it better if they both split up. So they each took one side in an attempt to speed the search up.

While both agents were busy looking for another way out, they failed to notice the dark figure hovering above the dead body of Diego. It was his death that brought the underworld spirit.

After death, the spirit leaves the body wandering and lost until it is shown the way into the spiritual realm.

Jason and Danny each entered one of the burial chambers but found no other way out. Danny was amazed at the sarcophagi, wondering how on earth did the ancient Mayan people manage to carry these solid marble coffins all the way down the long flight of steps. Jason, on the other hand, was positive there was another way out. He met up with Danny in the outer cavern.

He said, “you carry on moving those rocks while I check out that last chamber over there.”

Danny said, “okay for me, but I’m pretty sure there is only one way out of here. Might as well continue moving them darn rocks.”

So Jason heads over to the remaining chamber, and Danny walks over to the blocked entrance, passing by the dead body of Diego on the way. He stops to look down at the lifeless corpse and notices something peculiar.

“Hey Jason! Wasn’t this guy facing the other way?” Said Danny looking down at the body.

Jason comes over to have a look. He looks down at the corpse and then at Danny.

“You sure you didn’t move him? His back was facing the entrance, now it’s facing the other way. Are you playing a joke on me?” Asked Jason.

“No, of course not! Why would I do that?”

Jason then looked around the cavern. His vision penetrating the darkest of corners, but he saw nothing.

“Well, it’s either that! Or else we’re not alone in this place!” Said Jason.

Carlos pushes Helen into the back seat of the van and takes out a black cotton bag covering her head with it. They drive continuously for over three hours, when they stop outside Tony’s house. The driver parks the van in front of the door, keeping Helen out of sight from neighbors. Once inside, Carlos removes the bag from Helen’s head. She does not have the strength to put up a struggle and follows him into a dark library room where Tony is waiting her arrival.

Tony comes over to greet Helen with his hand held out, but Helen takes no notice. She just stares into his face waiting for an explanation as to why she was abducted and brought all the way back to the States. In front of her stands a middle-aged, blond-haired, good looking man, slim and broad shouldered. This man does not need money, she can see by the size and contents of the house that he is well off. So why would he break the law by abducting her for no apparent reason? Is he insane or maybe some sort of freak?

Carlos forces her to sit down, but Tony takes her by the arm.

“Carlos! That’s no way to treat a woman. Please will you show professor Shireberg to her room. I’m sure she would like to freshen up before we have dinner.”

Carlos again grips Helen by the arm, leading her out of the library, and up to the guest room. He pushes her inside, locking the door from the outside and waits with his back to the door until she is ready.

Finding herself alone, she runs to the window, trying to open it, only to find it nailed down. She looks outside onto a large garden with trees blocking her view of the neighboring houses. She then lays down on the large bed, staring up at the ceiling. Helen just realized it has been quite a while since she’s slept in a comfortable bed. She stretches out her arms, feeling the softness of the silk quilt cover. The room around her is large enough for two people. The walls are covered with flowered wallpaper giving it that feminine look. A soft fitted beige carpet, so soft you could actually sleep the night on it. On the opposite wall stands a large white wardrobe. Helen walks up to it and opens the two doors revealing the many different clothes hanging inside. She takes out a pair of dark blue jeans and a green cotton top. Next she opens a door by the large wardrobe and walks into a decent sized en-suite bathroom. Helen opens the hot water ready to take a relaxing bath.

“Might as well take the opportunity and soak myself with a hot bath,” she says to herself.

Danny was the first to draw his weapon this time. He looked around the cavern, half expecting to see someone behind him.

Jason said, “I think it’s better we stick together. Follow me to the last chamber, and watch my back.”

Danny nodded in approval as they made their way over to the other side of the cavern. Danny soon realized this place was getting to him and wanted to get out as soon as he could. They walked up the long passage and into the king’s burial chamber. Jason inspected the inside of the sarcophagus. He saw that it was much larger than the others, and took mental measurements of the corridor entrance and the width of the coffin.

“No way they could have got this thing through that door! There has to be another way out of here!” He said.

“Danny check the walls for anything out of the ordinary. There has to be a way out from inside this chamber.”

They continued for at least an hour. Feeling all four walls for a crack or hidden handle. They even lifted the dead king’s body, hoping to find a key or lever. Danny was on the brink of giving up, when Jason had an idea.

“How much do you think that sarcophagus lid weighs? A hundred and seventy, hundred and eighty pounds?” said Jason.

Danny took a feel of it and said, “I guess so. Give or take a few pounds. Why? What’s on your mind?”

Jason went over to one of the walls.

“We could use it like a battering ram and see if one of these damn walls give way.”

Danny shrugged his shoulders.

“Anything to get out of this place. Let’s give it a try.”

Jason took the front end of the marble lid while Danny got hold of the other end. Lifting it above their heads, they quickened their pace ramming it into the left side wall. They hit the wall right in the middle, expecting it to crack, but it didn’t even make a mark. The impact made a sound confirming the wall was thick and solid, impossible to break down. They took a five-minute rest and then tried the opposite wall of the entrance to the chamber. Jason and Danny hit it even harder than the other wall. This time the sound was hollow, even vibrating from the blow.

Jason said, “did you feel the difference? It sounded hollow. Let’s give it another try. Give it all you got Danny.”

Again, they lifted the heavy lid. Moving further back, they made a faster run, striking the wall dead in the center, hitting the weakest point. To their amazement, it did crack, it cracked a good twenty inches. With the lid still above their heads, muscles aching from the weight of the solid marble, Jason motioned for Danny to drop the lid breaking it into pieces large enough to hammer the wall with. They both picked up large chunks of marble and one after the other they struck the wall, making a large enough hole for them to look into.

Danny lay down his backpack and took out his flashlight, handing it to Jason who had already seen the inside of another room before Danny gave him the light.

He said, “I was right! It’s another room. Not so large as this one, and there seems to be some kind of wooden ladder or steps.”

It took them just half an hour to make a gap large enough for them to squeeze through. Once inside, they saw the ladder that Jason had described. The room had much more headroom than the chamber. The walls were made of some sort of prefabricated rock, very rough to the touch.

Jason said, “this must be an antechamber to the king’s own resting place. It was sealed up, making the way we entered from the jungle the only way inside the underground cavern, and that wooden ladder right there is our way out of here.”

He looked up at the ceiling where they saw a large stone hatch with two metal rings hanging from it.

“That’s the way out Danny! We made it! Now let’s get the hell out of here!” said Jason as he climbed the wooden ladder.

After making their way out of the underground cavern, Jason and Danny surprisingly found their way to the Mayan temples of Chichen Itza. From there, they contacted chief Berks on the kidnapping situation. They had no idea of the whereabouts of professor Helen Shireberg.

Chief Berks was furious and demanded a full report immediately once Jason and Danny returned to the States.

The local police were contacted and informed of what had happened at the newly discovered site. Jason and Danny were to be kept updated on any new leads that might spring up.

So the next day Jason and Danny took the next available flight home and were to report back to work on their arrival.

As for Helen, she soaked herself in a hot bath for a full hour before emerging from her unlocked room. She found Carlos waiting for her further down the hall. On seeing her, he immediately rose to his feet and escorted her down the stairs and into the dining room where Tony was waiting.

Tony said, “Miss Shireberg, please take a seat. Dinner will soon be served.”

Helen took a seat at the furthest end of the table, still curious to know why she had been kidnapped from Mexico, and been brought back to America. She stood up as anger built up inside her.

She said, “who the hell are you? I demand to know why you kidnapped me. I’m damn sure it wasn’t to invite me to dinner!”

Carlos came up from behind her, forcing her back down in her seat again.

Tony smiles and introduces himself.

“My name is Dr. Tony Barrette. I am a doctor of anesthesiology by profession, but my real passion is communicating with the dead, spirits from the other realm, a medium if you may call it. I have a very special gift also. I see things, spirits from the other side that no one else can see. In other words, it’s the dead that seek me out. I am able to show them the way to the other side.”

Helen looked confused and said, “what has all this bullshit have to do with my kidnapping?”

Tony again smiles. “I need your expertise professor Shireberg. I have a small task that I would like you to solve for me.”

It was Helen’s turn to laugh. “Really now! And what may that be?”

Before he could answer her question, a young man walks in serving them dinner and a bottle of red wine.

“Let us eat first and after I will show you something very extraordinary.”

Tony then looks over at the young man. “Thank you, Travis. I will call you if I need any further assistance.”

Over at the Miami headquarters, Jason and Danny entered Chief Berks office. They expected the usual hassle from their superior. Jason was ready for it, but Danny kept one step behind. Jason produced the full report on Matt’s desk. Surprisingly, Matt didn’t say a word. He asked them to leave while he took his time reading the report.

Jason went to pour himself a strong cup of coffee, when his cell phone rings. He answered to the Sergeant in charge of the Mexican police.

“Agent Mallock, this is Sergeant Guero from the Mexican Police force. I believe we have news about the missing archaeologist professor Shireberg.”

Jason puts down his cup of coffee.

“You know where she is you mean?” asked Jason.

Sergeant Guero continues. “Well, not exactly agent Mallock. Eyewitnesses saw a woman being forced into a small aircraft by a well-built man of Mexican origin. That very aircraft was later reported to be seen over the Mexican border heading to the United States. Professor Shireberg is no longer in Mexico.”

Jason thanked the Sergeant and then explained to Danny about the phone call.

They finished dinner, and Helen again urged Tony for an explanation to why she was kidnapped. Tony then stood up, ready to leave the table.

“Please Miss Shireberg, follow me.”

They left the dining area, and Tony opened the door leading to the basement. He led the way down the wooden stairs, with Carlos at the rear. They then entered a room filled with old objects of the past, dating back to the beginning of the century and even to the early Aztec and Indian tribes. He had in his possession Mosaic masks, knives and pottery, even real human skulls. The collection was huge and went on forever. Helen was amazed at the collection and age of the items.

She asked, “how have you managed to collect these things? They should be inside some museum on show for the public to see, not locked down in a basement.

Tony explained to Helen. “I cannot tell you how I came to acquire all these possessions, but believe me, I have been searching many years for something that finally has come to me out of sheer luck. You may have noticed that most of the items in this room have to do with the summoning of the spirits. What I have acquired holds the key to enter the spirit realm, not just mentally, but also physically. There is one problem though.”

“And what may that be?” asked Helen.

Tony looks at Carlos, who then takes a stand behind her.

Tony responded, “it needs to be deciphered. The hieroglyphs are not like any I have seen before. That’s where you come in, Miss Shireberg. I need you to translate an ancient tablet.”

Helen looks curiously at Tony. “What tablet?” She asked.

He then walks over to a locked cabinet and takes out the stolen item. As Tony unfolds the cloth that is wrapped around the ancient object, Helen immediately recognizes the same piece which had been taken from the underground cavern.

Helen begins to have gruesome flashbacks of her two colleagues that were found murdered at the camp site. Their throats slit. Blood soaked shirts dripping on the floor. Tears start to swell in her eyes. She instantly makes a run for Tony, only to be held back by Carlos, who was just a few feet from him. She lashed out with her hands in front of his face.

“You are the one responsible for the deaths of John and Paul! You son of a bitch! Do you really think that I’m going to help you with your insane quest of entering the spirit realm? You’re crazy! You need to be locked up!”

The next thing Helen feels is pain across her right cheek. Tony slaps her so hard that blood starts to drip from her lips.

“Sit her back down in her seat!” Shouts out Tony.

While continuously staring at him, Helen wipes the blood away with her sleeve.

“Miss Shireberg. This is how it’s going to be. You will help me with what I want or else!”

Helen looks at him, her eyes red with rage.

“Or else what? Kill me? Go ahead do it. The secret you murdered my friends for will be taken with me to my grave!” Said Helen.

A smile appeared over Tony’s face.

He said, “I don’t think so Miss Shireberg.”

He went over to Helen and placed a picture in front of her of a very pretty twelve-year-old girl. Helen was shocked.

“How did you get this picture? That’s my niece, my sister’s daughter.”

Tony slammed his hand down hard on the table.

“You will help me, or it will be the second child your sister will lose this year. She lost her baby boy only five months ago. I have done my research professor Shireberg. Now do we have an understanding between us?” demanded Tony.

Helen had no choice. She picked up the photograph of her niece and herself together at the beach.

“I swear, If you harm one hair on her head, I won’t rest until your buried six feet under.”

Tony took the picture away, and instead of it placed the Mayan plaque in front of her. She picked it up, turning it over, inspecting it to make certain it was the same one she had discovered. After a while she began to translate it to herself, when suddenly she stopped.

“I can’t carry on. It’s not all here,” she said looking at it with care.

Tony replied, “it’s all there. You just can’t see it that’s why.”

He then took the plaque away from Helen and with a quick jerk he pulled it apart revealing the smaller hidden plaque inside. He handed it to Helen, who was stunned at the marvel of the ancient Mayan. She gently placed it on the table, afraid it might break into small pieces if held too long in her hands. Tony sat down beside her.

He asked, “what do you think? Isn’t it amazing? Are you able to translate it?”

Helen seemed to forget the aspect of the situation.

“This is remarkable. I have never seen hieroglyphs like these. It must be some very rare dialect from the first Mayan civilization. Do you have a magnifying lens and a pencil and paper?”

Tony indicated to Carlos to get what Helen wanted. She took the lens and went over every description on the small plaque. She then turned it over and again carefully studied its detail with precise care. Tony sat impatiently, waiting for a response from Helen. She took her time, despite the feeling of tension building up in the room.

“Well, can you decipher it?” asked Tony.

Helen seemed to take no notice of what he was saying and kept on studying the writing. Then in her own time she put down the magnifying lens and said.

“Yes. I believe I can, but it will take time.”

Tony stood up. “How much time do you need?” He asked.

“I’m not sure. Five days, maybe six. I need to do research, plenty of research. This could be more than two thousand years old. It could be the first of its kind.”

Tony shook his head. “I can’t wait that long. No way. You got three days, no more, and I want every single word precisely translated.”

Helen thought of her niece and had no choice but to agree with Tony.

Later during the day at the FBI building, Chief Berks called in Jason and Danny after going through the report. To their surprise, standing behind Matt was David Hewitt his superior. Seeing Mr. Hewitt was enough for Jason to speak his mind.

“What the hell is he doing here? I’m out of here Chief. You know he’s only going to disagree with everything I say.”

Jason was about to leave the office, when Matt stopped him.

“Agent Mallock! Get your ass back in here,” he said.

Danny said to Jason, “let’s hear what the chief has to say.”

Matt cleared his throat. “We have read your report, and understand the situation you both went through. You were not expecting any trouble down in Mexico, which is in your favor, but letting the assailant get away with professor Shireberg and not knowing her whereabouts is another thing. You should have got more information from her, which could have given us a clue to where the kidnapper might have taken her.”

Jason stood up in protest. “That’s bullshit! You had warned me before I left for Mexico that I was not to pull another stunt that might risk the injury of a civilian, and that’s what I did. You know I could have taken that shot with precise accuracy. I could have blown his brains all over the wall, but held back as agent Langley warned me not to put Miss Shireberg’s life at risk.”

Matt cleared his throat again. He knew Jason was right, but had orders from his superior, leaving him with no other choice.

Matt said, “I’m afraid you have just three weeks to get professor Shireberg back. If not, then I have orders to take you off the case.”

Jason looked at David Hewitt, who had a smug look across his face. He knew it was his doings. Jason stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind him. He needed to let off steam, and fast before someone gets hurts.