The Vilcabamba Prophecy: A Nick Randall Novel (4 page)

Samantha
sat back in her chair, blinking her eyes. She felt like a boxer who had just
taken a right cross to the jaw.

In
all of his letters, her dad had never mentioned any of these details about this
odd tribe. Why? This was one of the most incredible discoveries of their time,
and her dad hadn’t mentioned a word about it to her.

“So
you’re trying to tell me that a civilization that was, what, 1,500 or 2,000
years old, had electricity?” she asked incredulously.

“We
carbon dated the tablets that contained the ancient texts and put their age at
4,000 to 5,500 years,” Francisco replied.

Sam
was stupefied, unable to respond to what she was being told. Every ounce of her
scientific being was unable to grasp her colleague’s words. If it hadn’t come
from Francisco, if anyone else would have told her these things, she would have
dismissed them as the ramblings of a demented individual. But this was Dr.
Francisco Andrade, one of the most distinguished and published archaeologists
in the world. He was respected, and even revered, in his field. He was also the
best friend her father had ever had and was a man who had defended her father
at a time when no one else would even take his calls—including her. He
was as close to family as anyone in the world, and he was dead serious.

“Samantha,”
Francisco was now speaking in a soft, almost apologetic tone, “there’s more. Do
you remember the night of your mother’s accident?”

His
words drew Samantha’s gaze back to his face.

“The
call she received was from someone who had a rare artifact that was critical to
your father’s discovery. The package she picked up was an item that would have
allegedly provided incontrovertible proof to his theory. Unfortunately, it was
lost along with your mother on that terrible night.”

Upon
hearing this, a cold shiver ran down Samantha’s spine. Somehow, she knew that
the medallion her father had left her in the safe deposit box, the one in her
backpack at that very moment, was the artifact. Somehow, her father had taken
possession of it, and only she and her father knew.

Sam
began to rub her eyes, hoping that she might just be dreaming and would awaken
from this nightmarish spider’s web in which she found herself ensnared. Sadly,
however, she wasn’t dreaming. This was real. She tilted her head down, sat back
in the chair and began to sigh and shake her head.

Francisco’s
voice was a whisper now. “I know this is hard, and I’m sorry to have to tell
you this under these circumstances, but you are the best hope we have of
finding your father. I need your help, Sam. I need you to lead another team
into the jungle to find the ruins. We’re running out of time. Your father is
running out of time. I’m not sure what supplies they have left, but I do know
that they can’t survive out there for more than a few days.” Seeing that she
was in a state of shock, Francisco waited patiently for her to gather herself.

Finally
she spoke. “When do I leave?”

CHAPTER SEVEN

As the head of the engineering division of
Gemini Orbital Science, a large aerospace company in Virginia, George Walker
was used to late nights. Tonight, however, was late, even for him. George
scratched his head and looked at his watch: 11:27 p.m. He was tired, but this
was an important night. It was so important, in fact, that the CEO of the
company personally asked him to meet with this client. Tonight, George was
meeting with the man who had ordered $1.2 billion worth of satellites from
Gemini Orbital. According to Mr.
Crespi
, the CEO of
his company, their client was in town on business and was leaving the next
morning. Tonight was the only time he could meet, and he had asked for George
personally. As the saying goes, the customer is always right, especially when
he’s spending a cool $1.2 billion.

George stood up from his
desk and walked the long hall that led to Test Bay 2. The moonlight filtered
through the window, casting shadows across the hallway. At the angle of the
moonlight, George cast a hideously elongated shadow upon the left
side wall
. He shivered for a moment and immediately felt
foolish that he, a fully-grown man, could be afraid of the dark, especially at
work. Finally reaching the door, George turned the handle and let himself in.
He sat down and waited near the fourth and last satellite of his customer’s
order.

As a firm that made
sophisticated componentry and satellites for military and communications
applications, Gemini Orbital had several cleanrooms, enclosed spaces in which
airborne
particulates,
contaminants and pollutants are
kept within strict limits. Test Bay 2 was the largest clean
r
oom
at the company. This was the room where a team of engineers assembled and
tested the latest satellites built for the company’s ever-growing list of clients.
It was also the home to the final satellite that George’s team had built for
the man he was meeting tonight. George was proud of his work, and it had been a
long road getting here. As a small boy, he had been sickly and was forced to
spend most of his time indoors. He had picked up the space exploration bug
during the long days stuck inside, reading books about space, while other kids
roamed around the neighborhood. Now, he mused about how he had turned a bad
situation into the passion of his life.

“Mr. Walker?”

George jumped. “Yes?
Hello?”

Three figures moved out
from the shadows to face him as he stood by his satellite. Two of them were
burly men with short-cropped hair and hard, angular features. The third was
physically smaller, but walked with great confidence. The lead man had short,
neatly combed yellow hair, framing an oval face with tight, firm skin. His
hawk-like sky blue eyes conveyed an air of authority, bordering on
intimidation. George immediately assumed he was the client, but the presence of
the other men was odd. They were clearly his bodyguards, but why would he need
them for a meeting with an engineer? Uneasiness crept into George.

 
“Mr. Walker, I would like to introduce
you to Mr.
Dumond
. He’s the one who arranged for you
to lead this project,” one of the bodyguards said.

George stepped forward,
extending his hand to greet his guests.
Dumond
did
the same.

“It’s nice to meet you,”
George said. “Thank you for making this possible. I can’t tell you how pleased
we were when you hired our company to build the satellites. I was also very
flattered that you asked for me personally.”

“You earned it, Mr.
Walker, and I can see by this fine satellite that we chose our team leader
well.”
Dumond
spoke with an accent, but George
couldn’t place it. Perhaps it was French?

“Thank you, Mr.
Dumond
. As you know, this is the last in the series of your
four satellites and it’s scheduled to be placed into geosynchronous orbit next
month. This will give you some redundancy since you only need the three satellites
you currently have in place to cover the entire Earth.”

“Have all of the
arrangements been made for the launch? Is there anything else you’ll need to
do?”

“We’re all set.
The i
’s have all been dotted and the t’s have been crossed.
Our logistics team is all set to deliver this beauty to the base for launch.
All I have left to do is sit back and watch it fly.”

“Will your company need
you to be present for the launch, Mr. Walker?”

“No, but I’ll be there,
anyway. Watching one of these go into the sky is the big payoff for all of the
hard work we put into them. I haven’t missed a launch since I started in this
business!”

“Well, there’s a first
time for everything, isn’t there?”

“Huh?”

The two men flanking
Dumond
grabbed each of George’s arms. .

“What the hell are you
doing?”

Dumond
approached George, a large silver gun-like object in his hand.

“What’s that thing? Get
it away from me!”

A large, strong hand
covered George’s mouth.

“I can’t afford to have
my investment endangered, Mr. Walker. Besides, I need your expertise as an
energy engineer to help me utilize my new power source.”
Dumond
raised the device to George’s neck and pushed the trigger. George heard a soft
hissing sound like air escaping, and then everything went black.

CHAPTER EIGHT

The country of Peru is well known for the
many ancient ruins that dot the countryside. Probably the best known to the
general public are the ruins at Machu Picchu, preserved on an isolated
mountaintop site above the waters of the sacred Urubamba River. Most archaeologists
believe Machu Picchu was built as an estate for the Inca emperor,
Pachacuti
. Beside this well-preserved site lies the Sacred
Valley of the Incas, linking Machu Picchu to the ancient city of Cuzco, the
capital of the former Inca Empire. Cuzco itself is an ancient, colonial city,
dotted with countless churches and museums on its cobbled streets and leafy
squares. Overlooking Cuzco is
Sacsahuaman
, a
gargantuan complex carved into the lush countryside.

Aside from these are
other significant archeological sites including
Vitcos-Yurak
Rumi, an intricately carved granite boulder the size of a city bus;
Pisac
, notable for its Inca waterworks and beautiful,
curving agricultural terraces;
Ollantaytambo
, the
site of the Inca's greatest military victory over the invading Spaniards; and
the beautiful Moray, one of the best examples of Inca landscaping. The latter
site contains three enormous, concentric pits, each with beautifully curved
sides that staircase down like the interiors of titanic flowerpots. The pits were
carved out of the earth to depths of a hundred feet or more, causing variations
in the air temperatures between the top and bottom layers that differ by more
than 20 degrees.

In spite of the
circumstances surrounding her father’s disappearance, Sam still couldn’t help
but marvel at these incredible archaeological finds. She mused that one day she
would return to Peru and give them the attention they deserved, but not today.
Today, she had her sights set on finding her father.

The first part of their
journey was an uncomfortable jeep ride over unpaved dirt roads. Francisco had
decided to stay at the University in case Randall or his students tried to
contact him. He also felt that he could be more helpful serving as cover if
anyone asked questions about either of the Randall’s’ whereabouts. Instead,
four University employees accompanied Sam. Their next stop was the tribe to see
if they would provide another guide for the last leg of the journey.

Sam was still trying to
sort everything out when she realized just how tired she was. She had only
gotten about two hours of sleep in the last two days, and it all seemed to be
hitting her on this bouncy jeep ride. She tried her best to close her eyes and
get some rest, but every time her body began slipping into a restful state, the
damn jeep would hit a bump and jar her back awake.

Finally dozing off for a
while, Sam awoke again just in time to see her new translator staring at her
from across the seat. The young graduate student looked away as Sam’s eyes
caught hers. Monica Solis was not a field researcher, but she was one of the
few people at the college who could communicate with the tribe. The language
they spoke was not a common dialect, and with Ernesto missing in action, Monica
was about the only person left. Sam shifted in her seat. After a few moments of
awkward silence, Sam addressed her admirer.

“How long have you been
studying at the University?” Sam asked.

“This is my sixth year.
I’m almost done with my Master’s thesis,” Monica replied quietly.

“That’s wonderful!
Congratulations, that’s quite an accomplishment!” Sam was genuinely happy for
her. She was always proud of anyone who made the sacrifice to earn an advanced
degree. “Your parents must be very proud of you.”

“I wouldn’t know,”
Monica
answered sheepishly, “I’ve never met them.”

“Oh,” was all Sam could
muster.

“I grew up in foster
homes, moving around every few years. When I was 18, I applied to the
University and was accepted. I received financial assistance, and between the
grants, loans and this job, I have been able to work on my degrees.”

Sam nodded her head in
understanding.

“Dr. Randall, we’re
here,” the driver said.

Sam looked out the jeep’s
window and saw that they had reached a clearing on the edge of a river.
Francisco had explained that the only access to the tribe was by boat. Sam saw
four workers packing supplies into what seemed like two very small boats to
carry them and their gear. This was going to be an adventure. One of the men
stopped packing and turned to Sam.

“Hello, Dr. Randall, I’m
Anselmo
and I will be piloting one of the boats up the
river today,” he said, stretching his hand out to Sam.

“Thank you,
Anselmo
, and nice to meet you,” Sam replied, shaking his
hand. “And who else do we have here?”

“This is Jorge, Rodrigo
and Daniel. Daniel will be piloting the other boat as we take you to the
tribe.”

Sam shook each hand in
succession, greeting each man warmly.

“Thank you all for
helping out on such short notice. We really appreciate your help!”

“You’re welcome Dr.
Randall, we only hope we can help you to find your father,” Daniel replied with
a serious look on his face. “We can only imagine what you are going through.”

“Thank you Daniel, you’re
very kind.”

The group finished
loading their gear and launched from the shore.

The two boats motored
slowly up the river. The views were breathtaking, but Sam couldn’t help but
feel a sense of nervousness about meeting the tribe. After Francisco’s
description, she felt very uneasy about the initial encounter. If Francisco
was
correct, the existence of this tribe, and the ruins her
dad was seeking, would change human history. There was also the fact that no
one had spoken to the elders since her dad went missing, and there was no
guarantee that they would be willing to help, again. Sam shook her head and
exhaled deeply as if trying to expel her uneasiness, rationalizing that there
was no sense worrying about it now. Besides, she would have her answer shortly.

It was then that Sam
first realized that something was not right. She glanced up at the others in
the boat, but no one else seemed to be concerned. They were going about their
business, steering the boats, and talking about what lay ahead of them. Despite
this, Sam couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right about the
river, and then it hit her: the noise of life on the river had come to a stop.
The birds and animals had fallen silent for some reason, and an eerie quietness
had descended upon them.

Suddenly, without
warning, the earth began to shake violently, as if the devil himself were
trying to force his way up to the surface. At first, the boats were
steady
, unaffected by the shaking of the land all around
them. But, seconds later, the waves started coming, and the boats began rocking
wildly from side to side. Caught off guard, Jorge, who was in the other boat,
lost his balance and fell headfirst into the water. Sam watched in dismay as
Rodrigo reached over and tried to pull his friend back in, just as another
rogue wave crashed into the side of the boat, sending everyone, and all of the
boat’s contents, into the churning water. The earth stopped shaking, but the
waves kept coming, pounding Jorge,
Anselmo
and
Rodrigo who struggled to stay afloat.

Sam looked at Daniel, who
was piloting their boat. His face was ashen. “Steer us closer to them—we
need to get them out!” The sound of her voice brought Daniel out of his trance,
as he forcefully steered the boat towards the three men in the water. Just as
Daniel managed to maneuver the tiny vessel towards the others, they rounded a
bend in the river, and the sight head made Sam’s heart stop cold. Ahead lay an
area of frothy water that spanned the entire width of the river, from bank to
bank, and was full of dangerously large rocks jutting out of the waves. They
were headed for the rapids.

“Hurry! If we don’t get
them out of there, they’ll be killed on those rocks!” Sam yelled.

The boat, fighting the
current, inched its way closer to the three members of the team in the water.
They had all seen what lay ahead. Two of the struggling men were swimming with
all of their might, trying desperately to reach the safety of Sam’s boat. The
third appeared barely able to stay afloat, though screaming desperately for
help.

Sam reached over the side
of the boat, stretching her body out in an attempt to help one of the
crewmembers out of the water and into the safety of the vessel. She was more
than halfway out of the boat, grasping at the exhausted man’s arm, and would
have fallen into the river, herself, if Monica hadn’t grabbed her around the
waist and held her in place as she heaved Jorge over the side. The rapids and
jagged rocks drew nearer.

“Hurry!”

The second person to
reach Sam’s boat was
Anselmo
, who was clearly drained
and, therefore, unable to climb into the boat using his own power. Daniel
grasped him by the arm and pulled him halfway out of the water, causing the
boat to dip heavily to one side. In a state of panic, Daniel unintentionally
released
Anselmo’s
arm, causing him to drop back into
the churning river and out of sight.

“No!” Sam screamed, jumping
into the water after him. Sam dove under the waves, searching frantically for
Anselmo
through a cascade of bubbles caused by the churning
water. She pulled her body through the river using long strokes, scanning for
any sign of the boat pilot. There was no trace of him. She kicked, turning at a
right angle and looked into the deeper water.

Karachi, a species of
native Peruvian fish, darted past her, their sleek, muscular bodies cutting
through the water with ease. Sam was beginning to tire, having been under the
water for nearly two minutes searching for
Anselmo
and fighting the currents. Her lungs burned as she drained the last bits of
oxygen from them. A long, dark figure appeared in her peripheral vision. Sam
spun in the water. Her eyes met
Anselmo’s
which
were wide with fear. Sam kicked with her remaining
strength, scooped him under his armpit and pushed toward the surface. The pair
broke through to daylight, Sam gulping air as they breached the water.

 
“Grab his arm!” Sam screamed. Monica and
Jorge grabbed
Anselmo’s
limp body and hauled him into
the boat like he was the catch of the day. Sam grasped the side of the boat,
which was now sitting dangerously low due to the added weight of two additional
people. She scanned the water, looking for Rodrigo. She could no longer see
him, but she could faintly hear him calling for help near the side of the other
capsized boat that had drifted only a few yards from the rapids.

Sam took a deep breath
and was about to push off the boat when several arms, grabbing her and pulling
her upward, yanked her out of the water. She tumbled helplessly back into the
boat. Sam then realized that she no longer heard Rodrigo at all. Struggling to
her knees, she glanced out and saw the now shattered remains of the second boat
drifting down river. A few moments later, a badly beaten body floated up to the
surface of the water—face down.

“Sam, are you okay?”

Still foggy from the dive
into the cold water and the shock of seeing Rodrigo’s dead body, Sam didn’t
respond. Her mind was in a cloud, and she felt numb. She stared blankly at her
hands, which felt as if they belonged to someone else. Finally, reality began
to seep slowly back into her shock-addled mind.

“Sam, you’re scaring us!
Are you alright?”

Monica was holding Sam’s
face in her hands, staring into her eyes. Sam nodded in response and slowly
regained her grasp of the situation. “Yes, I’m fine.”

Using the motor on their
boat, they were able to steer clear of the worst of the whitewater and finally
arrived at a calmer point in the river. Their party had been reduced to five,
now.

No one spoke for some
time as the boat slowly glided forward, the only perceivable sound was the
rhythmic whir of the engine. Finally, they rounded another bend in the river
and an encampment came into view. From a distance, the village seemed like any
other they might encounter on a trip to this region. Small thatched huts
littered the shoreline. Expanses of dirt were interrupted with fire rings made
from local stones. Sam saw several people milling about on shore. As they drew
closer, she could see the faces of the tribe members more clearly, and she felt
a mix of awe and surprise. Just as Francisco had said, they were diminutive in
size, no more than four feet tall. Their heads were unusually large for the
size of their bodies, and their eyes were too big for their faces. However,
they also had full heads of hair and bronzed skin. Their appearance was
striking. As the boat inched closer, Sam realized that the people waiting on
the shoreline were wearing fine headdresses and were standing in a semi-circle;
almost as if they were waiting for Sam and her team to arrive.