Chapter 11

Gunn and Tyhad just finished installing the camera on the trunk of a tree that faced the opening of the chamber, and Gunn had crawled into the chamber to have a look around.

Ty stood outside. He'd seen enough but understood that Gunn would want to personally assess their grim discovery.

Just then, he heard voices in the distance. One was Cara's, the other…? He couldn't quite make it out, so he grabbed the rope and began climbing. As he neared the edge, he heard a man's voice say, "This site is in my jurisdiction, se?ora."

Fuck. It was Ramos. He'd recognize the man's condescending tone anywhere.

Fuck. Ty couldn't let Ramos see any activity on this side of the pyramid.

He quickly let go of the rope and slid sideways down the wall. Then he picked up his and Gunn's go-bags and tossed them into the opening.

He ducked his head inside. "We have company. Stay quiet while I go up and lose the rope. I'll toss it down for you to hide."

"Roger," came the quick response.

Then Ty went hand over hand, walking up the side and hauling himself over the edge before loosening the rope and tossing it down to Gunn, who gave him a thumbs-up, then quickly grabbed the rope and darted back inside the opening. Crouching low because he could hear them coming up the steps, he ran as quietly as he could, moving toward the base of the next step of the pyramid where the other men were working.

Before the pair arrived, he abruptly turned toward the steps and walked casually in the direction he knew Ramos and Cara were coming.

Ramos's head appeared first. Then Cara's coming up the stairs behind him. "Ty! There you are," she said, her eyes wide in warning.

Ty narrowed his eyes as he approached the officer. "This a little outside your patrol area?"

"This site is in my jurisdiction," the man said, his tone only slightly less cutting.

"What can we do for you?"

"I have come to see what you are doing at this site and find out how long you intend to stay."

"That's your concern…why?" Ty smiled. "Right. This site is in your jurisdiction."

"Exactamente. I wish to see Professor Arredondo or Professor Beacham."

"They're inside," Ty said, indicating the opening. "But watch where you step. They've been setting stakes and diagramming."

The man's eyes narrowed to slits. His English wasn't quite enough to understand what Ty was conveying. He ducked through the opening and entered.

When he disappeared, Cara walked to Ty and leaned against his chest.

Ty enfolded her in his arms. "That was close," he whispered beside her ear.

"Gunn?"

"Hiding in the hole. You figure out why he's here?"

"No, but something about the way he looked when he arrived…he knows."

Ty gave her a hug and then tilted up her face. "My gut says he's in deep. He might even be the one responsible for that mess below."

"Well, we only have a day or two to worry about him, and then he'll be someone else's problem."

They heard voices coming closer. Ty gave her mouth a quick kiss, then moved back, taking her by the arm as Ramos and Beacham stepped outside.

"We had to move up our timetable," the professor said, eyeing Ty and Cara. "Our sponsors have concerns after the kidnapping. Do you have any news to share?"

"None. Negotiations continue."

"That's a shame. I hate that we're leaving, and he's still being held by those animals."

Inwardly, Ty winced at his choice of words, especially if it was directed at Ramos.

"I'm sorry I can't be more definitive about when we're clearing out…" Beacham said, "but I have to wonder why you'd have any interest in what we do out here. Cara has already contributed to your department's fund."

Ramos smirked and looked at Cara. "This site is in my jurisdiction. I like to keep an eye on all activities. Somehow, you've made yourselves targets for criminals. I am only…concerned."

Cara gave a soft snort, and Ty pinched her side, warning her to behave.

"Well," Beacham said, sniffing, "if there's nothing else to discuss, I need to get back to work. The sooner we finish here, the sooner we can leave."

Ramos dipped his head to the professor and strode away, never once looking at Cara and Ty.

As soon as he disappeared down the steps, the professor heaved a huge breath and sagged. "That was…uncomfortable. What was that all about?"

"Let's just say it's best we interact with him as little as possible," Ty said under his breath. "Cara, you go see whether he's left. Gunn's still down there."

Cara jogged to the steps and then slowed and walked out of sight.

"You have the camera installed?" Professor Beacham asked.

"Yes."

"Do you have another we might have in this doorway? We can't close it properly until we finish our work, and that won't happen today."

"Yes, we'll install one inside the door. It has infrared capability, so it amplifies what light is available. Although, if you have thieves enter here, they'll likely use flashlights. Either way, we will know, Professor Beacham. You did well just now. Ramos isn't very smart, but I think he's…instinctive. I didn't see any nerves—I don't think he did either."

"Very good," the older man said, "and the name's Roy."

When the man turned to leave them, Ty grinned. "Why do I feel I passed some kind of test?"

Roy glanced back and winked. "You're in the circle of trust."

Chuckling, Ty headed toward the steps. When he arrived at the top step, Cara was already running lightly up toward him.

"He left."

"Let's get Gunn."

That night,Cara couldn't help but notice the change in the atmosphere around their table. Although dinner had concluded some time ago, no one had made a move to leave. Everyone was alert but not especially tense. Laughter came easily. She thought maybe everyone here felt more purposeful and more connected with the group that shared secrets and a plan.

"We will be able to roll back the feed?" Roy asked Ty. They were talking about the cameras the guys had installed at the site.

"The ones here in the tent area are connected to the WIFI, so we can look at the feeds live anytime we want. Because we're out of range of the modem, we had to install motion-sensitive cameras that turn on when they sense movement. But we can remove their data cards and replay the feed to see if anyone's been there."

Roy turned to Paulo. "I think we should ask for cameras for our next rotation here. We've been lucky all these years, but I'd like to improve our security measures."

Paulo nodded. "Personally, I hope this is all for nothing and that we don't see anything."

Everyone nodded.

"I'm ready for boring," Cookie said. "Can I get anyone some mango fritters?"

So they stayed eating the sweet fritters topped with freshly whipped cream and decaf. When everyone parted for the evening, Cara felt as though she was walking on a soft, fluffy cloud.

"You look happy."

"I am. I like our crew." She bumped his shoulder. "You and Roy are becoming great friends."

He gave her a crooked smile. "He's growing on me."

When they reached the tent, as was becoming their habit, they gathered their shower kits and headed out to get cleaned up.

Ty entered the shower tent first and used his flashlight before giving the "all clear."

They entered their separate spaces and began showering.

"We're doing this out of sequence," Ty said from his stall.

"I have wet wipes," she said, smiling, intuiting that he was talking about having sex.

"Huh. Guess that'll do."

The outer tent flap opened.

"Both stalls are occupied," she called out. The tent flap whooshed closed.

She shampooed her hair and used conditioner, then grabbed her loofah.

A strange sound caught her attention, and she turned off her water and stuck her head around the curtain. "Did you hear something?" she asked Ty.

"No." He turned off his water. A moment later, he said, "Cara, don't move."

She froze. "What's wrong," she whispered.

"Snake. No, two. Rattlers."

"Where?" she said, alarm making it a little hard to breathe.

"Near the bench. Moving along the wall toward you."

She moved back against the canvas that formed the far side of her stall.

"I've got nothing to move them with."

"If we're still, they won't get agitated," she said. "Right?"

"If they pass your stall, I'll pick up the bench and herd them away from you. Be ready to run when I tell you to."

Only they didn't pass her stall. One slithered under her curtain. It was long and fat. Its head was raised, its eyes glassy. She wasn't usually unnerved by snakes—from a distance. This close, and with this one being so large, she had to remind herself to keep breathing.

"I'm heading out to get a stick," he said. "Don't move."

"I know," she whispered. "You already told me."

"Sit tight."

She heard his curtain swish and the sound of his footsteps on the gravel as he ran.

The snake in her stall jerked toward the sounds he'd made and began to coil.

Intellectually, she knew she could survive a snake bite. The problem would be getting somewhere quickly for treatment—somewhere with the right antivenom, which might mean hours of travel or waiting at the clinic in Ma'ax. Thinking through the logistics helped calm her mind…a little—until the door whooshed again, and the snake startled, hissing, and winding into a coil again.

"Gunn, hold back the door," Ty said in a tight voice.

Gunn was here? Dear Lord, she was naked.

She watched as a long stick lifted the curtain then moved toward the snake and entered the coil. The snake hissed, and its head darted toward the stick while its body unrolled. The stick went under the body and started to lift the creature's body in the middle.

"Gunn, stand as far away from the door as you can—and Cara, keep still just a little longer," Ty said, his voice moving away. "I still have the second snake to catch."

In the distance, she heard the clang of metal—likely the trash can outside. Footsteps neared her stall, then paused just outside it.

Hissing sounded, and Cara closed her eyes tight, praying Ty would be okay. She heard feet crunching on gravel, a soft curse, and then footsteps retreating and another clang of a trash can lid.

"Give me that flashlight," Ty said.

Cara kept her eyes shut and her back to the canvas, not daring to move until Ty told her it was safe.

Suddenly, the curtain swooshed, and arms surrounded her. She sagged against a moist chest and thought, I sure as hell hope this is Ty.

When hands tilted back her head, she blinked her eyes open and quickly looked downward. "You were naked, dancing around with a snake."

"Yeah, gave Gunn and Cookie quite the show."

"Don't you know it's true," Cookie called out.

"No more snakes?" Gunn asked.

"No, we'll get dressed. I have to run those snakes down the road. They're protected in this area, but I don't want them coming back."

"We'll stay outside, guarding the can," Gunn reassured them.

Ty let go of Cara and stepped backward, retrieving her towel from where she'd slung it over the cord holding up the curtain. "Here, get dried."

They quickly dried and dressed and then gathered their towels and dirty clothing before stepping outside.

"One snake would be an unhappy accident," Gunn said. "Two is a damn strange coincidence."

Ty nodded. "We should check the feed."

"I guess it's back to the mess tent," Cookie said, "and be sure to use your flashlights. If someone dropped two snakes in that tent, they could drop them anywhere."

Ty nodded and turned to Gunn. "Bring the trash can and make sure that lid's secure."

They walked as a group toward the mess tent. "Is there a problem?" Paulo stepped out of his tent, his eyes blinking.

"Two large rattlers in the shower tent," Ty said.

Paulo's jaw sagged, and his gaze went to the trash can. "Two? I mean, that could happen, but given everything else?—"

"Yeah, we're heading to the mess tent to check the feed to see if we had visitors. After we're done, Gunn and I will take a short drive and free the snakes. Warn the others to keep an eye out for more snakes."

"I will. I'm glad no one was harmed."

In the mess tent, both Gunn and Ty opened apps on their phones. "I have the shower tent," Ty said.

"I'll look at the motor pool entrance," Gunn said.

Cara sat close to Ty, leaning against his shoulder as he backed the feed up to the time just before they'd entered the shower tent.

She watched as she and Ty entered, smiling. A few minutes later, a figure dashed around the side of the tent with what looked like a pillowcase, opened the shower door, and shook the contents on the floor before running back around the tent and into the forest.

"Too bad he's wearing a hoodie," Cara muttered.

"His build is too slender to be Ramos," Ty said.

"There are headlights approaching the motor pool," Gunn said. "A vehicle stopped maybe a hundred yards out. There's our hoodie guy. He climbed out of the passenger side, so Ramos could've been driving."

"Can you make out what kind of vehicle it is?"

"No, it's just headlights. Too dark and too distant for me to make out any details."

Both men set their phones on the table.

Ty ran a hand over his face and then glanced at the trash can. "We should take the truck. One of us has to sit in the back with the can."

Gunn raised a finger. "Since you caught them…"

"That's another attack, another intrusion," Cara said.

"Someone's really getting nervous," Gunn said. "They want us gone now."

"One good thing, though," Ty said, and everyone looked his way. "No one here, on this site, was involved."

"You thought someone might be?" Cookie said.

Cara shrugged. "Everyone was a suspect at first."

"Me too?" Cookie said, looking kind of flattered by that thought.

"Especially you," Cara said, laughing. "You had to be a plant. You cook too well."

"You're always chipper," Ty said. "No one's that damn happy."

The four of them laughed, and Cookie's face turned a pretty shade of rose.

Ty glanced at his watch. "Damn, we better get down the road, Gunn. We all need some sleep."

Everyone pushed up from their seat.

Cara yawned, covering her mouth.

Ty bent toward her. "Sleep," he whispered, then gave her a stern glare.

Like that was going to happen.