They stood facing the stone. A decayed wooden chest rested nearby on the chamber floor like an afterthought. Sam cleaned off a thousand years of calcium that had accumulated on the emerald face with his bandanna and they took in the way the jewel refracted the light, glowing as if possessed of an inner energy. The stone was clear, nearly flawless, and easily the size of a grapefruit. It sat in a hand-beaten gold casing with stylized depictions of Quetzalcoatl on it.
“It’s stunning,” Lazlo whispered. “Like it has a life of its own. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Remi moved to the side and crouched down to study the remnants of the chest, the wood long ago rotted away, only the rusty bindings hinting at its original form. “I’d say it’s safe to assume that the Toltec made it into Inca territory. The emerald would have had to come from the Inca empire in what’s now Colombia. Look at these statues.”
Antonio nodded. “This is truly a priceless find.”
“How many carats would you say the emerald is?” Lazlo asked.
“I wouldn’t even know how to guess. Is ‘huge’ a number?” Sam said.
“Close enough, old man. Well played, by the way, all around. Been a busy week for the Fargos by any measure.”
“Yes, we’ve been very fortunate,” Remi said, returning to his side. “But now the real work begins. Antonio’s team needs to take over and make sense out of all this. All we did was follow a few clues—which we couldn’t have done without your help, Lazlo.” She paused. “As I’ve said numerous times, you’re a genius.”
“Never argue with a lady,” Lazlo said, beaming.
Maribela glanced at her watch. “I just realized that with all the excitement we haven’t eaten since breakfast. Does anyone want something for a late dinner? I can run to the nearest town and get something. The officers will want to eat, too.”
Sam turned. “Good idea. There’s not a lot more we can do here other than ensure nobody disturbs the site until we can get it properly secured.”
“I’ll go while you’re taking photographs. Are we planning on staying here tonight?” Maribela asked.
“I suppose so. No way I’ll be able to get any sleep now,” Remi said. “Tell you what, I’ll go with you.”
“No need. It could take a while to find something that’s open. Are chicken enchiladas good for everyone?” Maribela asked.
They all nodded.
“Perfect. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Do you want some money?” Sam asked.
“I’d say that you’ve made enough contribution to Mexico over the course of this adventure that we can buy you take-out food. It’s the least I can do.”
When Maribela had gone, Antonio looked around at the cave. “I’m going to get one of the work lamps from the temple so we have light.”
“Good idea. And while you’re at it, see if you can arrange more security. Finding this changes everything,” Sam said.
“Will do.”
Lazlo moved to the chest and examined the icons, careful not to touch them. Antonio returned a few minutes later with an LED lamp and set it near the Eye of Heaven so Remi could get photographs of everything. Once she’d filmed each item in the cave, they moved back to the landing, where she repeated the process with the carvings. When she was finished, they wearily climbed the stairs to the temple, Sam leading, Antonio behind him, Remi and Lazlo bringing up the rear.
An explosion of gunfire erupted from above, sounding like cannon fire in the enclosed space. The body of one of the officers tumbled down the stairs, his rifle clattering next to him. Sam stopped the man’s fall, checked his pulse, and grabbed the rifle as Antonio freed the man’s service pistol. Nobody said a word, their ears ringing, the policeman’s lifeless form blocking half the stairway.
Janus Benedict’s voice called out from the temple above.
“Don’t do anything stupid, Fargo. This isn’t the hill you want to die on, old chap. I assume you’re down there and by now have your hands on the guard’s rifle. Just put it down, nice and easy, and come out with your hands up.” Janus Benedict’s voice was calm and reasonable, like he was discussing a chess move.
Sam’s eyes searched the opening. “How do I know you won’t butcher us like you did this poor man?”
“Not my style. But my local partners aren’t as patient as I, so if you don’t drop any weapons, you’ll be facing a group you have no chance against. And they look jumpy.” Janus paused. “And, of course, there’s the Mexican woman. They’re holding a gun to her head. If this goes any further awry, it’s on you. Put down the pistol and it will all work out. You have my word.”
“Your word? A thief and a murderer?” Sam spat.
Janus’s tone hardened. “This is your last chance and then I’m afraid the lads here will shoot the young lady and toss her body down to you as an indication of their resolve. We don’t have a lot of time to quibble now that there’s been gunfire. Reinforcements will be here soon and I intend to be gone by then. So what’s it going to be? Prove a point and the girl gets it, or be sensible and live to fight another day?”
Antonio exchanged a look with Sam and shook his head, but Sam rose and tossed the rifle through the gap. Antonio scowled and then tossed the pistol up.