Buried Secrets Read online

  “Some of it is his, and the rest he borrowed from a friend.”

  “Do you know what to do with it?”

  “I’ve done a little in the past, but nothing serious. I got a crash course from Hawke earlier, though.” Sipping his coffee, he walked back to the table and set the mug on it. “Are you sure you want to do this after what happened with your father?”

  “I—I—want to try.” She was trying not to think of what was to come.

  “I’d feel better if you stayed behind. I didn’t even want Hawke coming, though he offered. It’s too dangerous.”

  “That’s why I’m going. You shouldn’t go it alone.”

  “But, Maggie—”

  She pressed her fingers to his mouth to still his protest. “I’m coming. We’re in this together, so you’re stuck with me.” Her hand dropped to his shoulder.

  He grinned. “It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it.”

  “Funny.”

  He moved in close, locking his arms about her. “We should celebrate.”

  “Dr. Collier, we’ll celebrate when we find the Aztec treasure.” She was having a hard time thinking straight with him so near.

  “Dr. Somers, you’ve got yourself a date.” He nuzzled even closer.

  The very idea of going out on a real date with Zach sent her heart pounding against her chest. Nothing about their time together had been real. What would it be like?

  “If I’m going to be worth anything tomorrow, I’d better head to bed,” she said.

  “The voice of reason.”

  “One of us has to be.” She stepped out of his embrace, immediately missing the feel of his arms about her.

  Maggie headed into the living room, catching sight of the laptop on the coffee table. A thought teased her mind. She came to a stop next to the computer. “When you were reading the Spanish part of the diary, were there any misspelled words?”

  “I don’t think so. There were so many more pages in Spanish. If there were, only a few. Why?”

  “Just an idea I had. I thought he might have hidden something in that part, as well, like a clue to help us in the cave.”

  Zach slipped down onto the couch and switched on the computer. “Let me take a look. You might as well go to bed.”

  She sat next to him. “No. It was my suggestion. The least I can do is keep you company while you look.”

  “One of us should get some sleep.”

  “And we will, after you check it out.”

  “Your Spanish is good. You take the right page while I read the left one.” He indicated the first entry on the screen, opened like a book. When they were finished reading one entry, Zach scrolled to the next one.

  On the fifth one, Maggie pointed at the computer. “There’s a missing O in this word, I think.”

  Zach checked it out. “Yes. Okay, that’s one.”

  Fifteen minutes later Zach found another missing O, then shortly after that Maggie came up with a missing P.

  “So far that doesn’t spell anything. Hopefully there are more letters.” Maggie returned her attention to the screen, even though her eyes burned with fatigue.

  “I’ve got an L. That spells loop or pool, unless there are more letters.” Zach jotted it down on a piece of paper on the coffee table.

  “Why didn’t we catch this before?”

  “Because we are so familiar with Spanish. It’s like in English, when a word is misspelled we often don’t notice because we read it the correct way. I’m not as used to Latin, so it stood out to me after the fourth mistake.”

  When they’d completed scanning the pages, Maggie leaned back against the cushion, her shoulders and back stiff from holding herself so rigidly.

  “I think Father Santiago meant pool. A cave is more likely to have one of those,” she said.

  “Or maybe there’s a loop in one of the tunnels.” Zach rose and held his hand out to her. “The only way we’ll find out is by going there.”

  She let him pull her to her feet and lead her toward the hallway to the bedrooms. “Sooner than my body wants.”

  At her door Zach reached around and opened it. “Go to bed, Maggie. We’ll know soon enough if we’re on the right track.”

  “We’ve got to be. I don’t want to think of the alternative if we are wrong.”

  “Praying will help.”

  “You think?” Would God listen? She’d turned away from Him when she should have turned toward Him. Would He forgive her for doing that?

  Zach’s gaze seized hers. “Yes, I know it will. We need all the help we can get, and who better than the Lord.”

  “Good night.” She entered the room and closed the door, listening as his footsteps moved away.

  She walked to the bed and plopped down on the comforter, her emotions in a tangle. She was so afraid that the Lord wouldn’t understand, wouldn’t forgive her. Looking up, she caught sight of the stained glass cross on the wall across from her. The soft light reflecting off its surface made the different colors glitter. A sign?

  Lord, where do I start?

  She inhaled a calming breath and released it slowly through pursed lips.

  I need You. I need Your comfort, love, wisdom but mostly Your forgiveness. I shouldn’t have gotten angry at You. Please—please forgive me. I—I was just so upset after Gramps died.

  Tears welled up inside of her and streamed down her face.

  I know Gramps is with You, and one day I will see him and my parents again. Please help me to be strong. Right now I feel so fragile. In Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.

  “Does this seem familiar to you?” Zach stood in front of a hole in the side of the mountain, hidden from view by a rockslide. “If we hadn’t had your father’s coordinates, we would have had a hard time finding this entrance.”

  Maggie took in the area. “I don’t remember this place, but Dad went caving a lot without me, especially before I was old enough. When he would come home, he’d tell Mom and me about the place and show us the map he made.”

  She turned from the blackness and stepped away from the entrance to scan the rough terrain that led up to the mountain. Below them, about a hundred yards, sat the tan SUV that Zach had rented, trading in the Jeep as another precaution against being followed. The car’s color blended in with the landscape around it, a reason Zach had insisted on getting that particular one. She wouldn’t have thought to switch vehicles or to request a color that matched their surroundings. But then this was his life, not hers.

  “Are you ready?”

  Maggie gasped at the sudden appearance of Zach, slightly behind her.

  “Sorry I scared you.” He came to her side.

  She smiled. “You caught me lost in thought.”

  “About going into the cave?”

  A sigh quivered past her lips. “No. That, I’m trying to ignore.”

  “I can go it alone. It’s not too big.”

  “No. No, you shouldn’t.”

  “Then let’s eat an early lunch, then go in.”

  Glad for the reprieve, Maggie went to the backpack she had flung down on the ground, and removed the sandwiches they had brought. She gave one to Zach, then grabbed her canteen for a swig of water. Its coolness relieved some of the dry heat that parched her throat.

  Zach settled under an overhang and patted the ground near him. “Come sit. We’ll need our energy.”

  She complied, stretching her legs out in front of her and leaning back against the rock face. “So that’s why you bought several candy bars.”

  “Sure. That, and because I have a sweet tooth.”

  “At least you’re honest about it.”

  He pinned her with his intense gaze. “I’m always honest, Maggie. Don’t ever doubt that.”

  “Okay, I deserved that. I know now you own that cute little sports car and that you weren’t intending to rob my grandfather.”

  “After what has happened to me, honesty is very important.”

  She understood that, after Brad’s lies and
his treatment of her. “I can imagine how hard it was to find out that one of your business partners tried to have you killed, and was selling illegal drugs through your company.”

  “Money motivates a lot of people.”

  “Do you think that’s what’s motivating the person behind our grandfathers’ murders?”

  “It could be more than that. It would be impossible to sell something like the Aztec codices on the open market, and it wouldn’t be easy for just anyone to sell them on the black market. I know there are some people who have hidden collections, but you’d have to have connections, know who these people are.”

  “So it could be someone who has been dealing illegally? Did Red ever run into someone involved in the black market?” Maggie took a bite of her ham sandwich, then washed it down with a swallow of water.

  “Yes. He was responsible for breaking up a large ring that worked out of Mexico. I think at least seven men were sent to prison, four in Mexico and three in this country. They were mostly dealing in Mayan artifacts.” Zach chewed his lunch and stared off into space. “His blood pressure shot up when he talked about the smugglers and how they were destroying history when they raided a tomb or site.”

  “Actually, now that I think about it, I remember Gramps saying something about Red being involved in bringing down a smuggling ring. That was the only time I heard my grandfather say something nice about yours.”

  Zach chuckled. “They were both passionate in what they did.”

  “Like we are?”

  “Yep, I’m afraid I inherited that from Granddad.” He was an all-or-nothing kind of guy. He threw himself wholeheartedly into whatever he was doing. She could relate to that. Another similarity between them she couldn’t deny. She was afraid she was falling in love with Zach, and she couldn’t see how a relationship with him would work because of their all-or-nothing natures that left little room for compromise.

  A sound on the path, like pebbles rolling down the hill, caused Zach to shoot to his feet, his body in a warrior stance. A birdcall pierced the warm air, and Zach’s rigid posture relaxed as a grin spread across his features. Maggie stood, hearing the footsteps grow closer, but still not able to see who approached.

  “Zach?”

  “It’s Hawke,” he said a few seconds before his cousin appeared around a boulder, out of uniform and dressed as if he was going to join them in the cave.

  A broad smile took possession of Hawke’s stern expression. “Well, if it isn’t my cousin. What are you doing in the middle of nowhere?”

  “I should be asking you the same question. I thought I told you I didn’t need your help.”

  “Yep, I do remember those very words, but since when have I listened to you?” Hawke shrugged off his backpack. “I couldn’t let you have all the fun.”

  Maggie noticed a gun holstered to his belt, and she quivered in the heat of the noonday sun. “Has something happened?” She gestured toward the weapon.

  “No, but I always come prepared. You never know what you could encounter out here.” Hawke looked at Zach. “You brought one, didn’t you?”

  “Yes. It only takes once for me to learn a lesson.” Zach’s gaze swung to her. “We were camping one time when I was in college, and had a visitor that wasn’t particularly happy I was there. I was glad that Hawke had his rifle. That rattler was six feet long and one angry dude.”

  “I couldn’t have made my point better if I had brought the rattlesnake along myself.”

  Zach narrowed his look on Hawke. “You didn’t, did you?”

  Hawke chuckled.

  “Seriously, you didn’t need to come. I’ve been taking care of myself for years now.”

  Hawke’s laughter increased. “That’s what I told Mom, but she insisted. We’re family, and she doesn’t want to bury another member anytime soon.” He spread his arms wide. “So here I am.”

  “Well, I for one am glad you’re here.” Maggie returned to where she’d left her half a sandwich and canteen. “Have you had lunch yet?”

  “On the way here. I wanted to catch you before you went into the cave.”

  “How about dessert?” Zach rummaged around in his backpack until he found three candy bars. He tossed one to Hawke, then gave one to Maggie.

  She finished her sandwich, then pocketed the candy bar while Zach enjoyed his with relish. His smile, so full of delight, entranced her. This man had become important to her in such a short time. But how could she trust these emotions? Besides the roller-coaster ride they were on, she had recently lost Gramps, the one person in the world who had meant the most to her. She hadn’t even had time to grieve properly.

  “Ready?” Zach stuffed his trash into his backpack, then hoisted it onto his back.

  Nodding, Maggie followed, then donned a hard hat with a light on it. She avoided looking at the entrance, barely large enough for Zach or Hawke to fit through. Would it narrow more or open up? She felt no excitement about finding out.

  “I’ll go first, then Maggie. Hawke, you take up the rear. We’ll leave a rope trail for insurance.”

  “Mom said if we aren’t home by tomorrow night she’ll be sending in the cavalry.”

  “Who?” Zach walked to the narrow opening.

  “Every cousin she can round up.”

  Maggie laughed. “I can see her leading the charge.”

  Hawke took his position behind Maggie. “Most definitely. She’s like a mother bear protecting her cub.”

  Her gaze still averted from the entrance, Maggie stepped up behind Zach, a few feet back. Her heart doubled its beat.

  Before Zach slipped inside, he twisted around and closed the space between them. He took her hand. “Remember the Lord’s words, I am with you always, until the end of time. He is with you. I’m with you.”

  Her throat tight, she gave one nod. She lifted her gaze to his, then slid it toward the entrance. “Let’s go.”

  Zach disappeared into the opening. Maggie inhaled a breath that didn’t really fill her lungs. She took another, deeper one and moved forward. Her legs shook. She slowed her pace as the darkness neared. Then with another gulp of the outside air, she walked inside, seeing Zach waiting for her up ahead.

  Sweat broke out on her forehead. Zach’s expression encouraged her. She focused on him and inched forward. I can do this.

  But you don’t have to.

  The thought teased at the edges of her mind. Although she wanted to stop, Hawke was right behind her, so she kept going toward Zach. The passage, only a few feet across, pressed in on her, sending her heartbeat hammering even more. Wet tracks of sweat coursed down her face.

  Zach’s eyes softened. “Okay?”

  No. “Let’s keep moving.” She was afraid if they stopped she would bolt back toward the sunlight slicing through the darkness, only five or six yards behind her.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Don’t worry about me,” she said in the bravest tone she could manage, even though she felt hemmed in by the walls, Zach and Hawke.

  Zach snared her gaze. “But I do worry about you.”

  “I can take care of myself. I’ve been doing it for years.”

  He grinned. “Touché. Then promise me that if you need to go back, you’ll tell me.”

  She wanted to shout, “I need to go back now,” but she didn’t. Instead she said, “I will.”

  Another turn in the passage and the cave opened up into a small cavern. All natural light vanished, and Maggie switched on the lamp on top of her helmet. She made a slow circle, shining her light on the rock surface. In the middle of the cave stalactites hung from the ceiling, glistening, fragile fingers of minerals. Although beauty abounded, it was hard for her to appreciate it.

  Zach studied the map and pointed toward the far wall. “This way.”

  Following him, Maggie noticed two other passages off the cavern besides the one they were taking. She hoped the map was accurate. Doubts and anxiety taunted her with each step into the stone corridor. She tried not to think of the ton
s and tons of rock over her, about the cave-in years ago. But she couldn’t stop the memories from drenching her in a cold sweat, although the temperature was near seventy degrees with one hundred percent humidity. She trembled, her teeth chattering.

  Up ahead the ceiling of the passageway lowered to only five feet. Zach walked bent over, then he got onto his hands and knees when the ceiling’s height shrank to a yard.

  Maggie came to a halt. Her quaking intensified. Her pulse raced while sweat continued to pour off her.

  Hawke stopped behind her. “Zach.”

  Zach retraced his steps and stood in front of Maggie.

  Tears filled her eyes, and his image blurred before her. She saw his mouth move, but the thundering of her heartbeat drowned out his words.

  All she could see now was her father crying out in pain as stones tumbled down upon him, pinning him to the floor of the cave. Right after he had pushed her to safety. She’d rushed toward him, and he’d called out for her to get back. Dust billowed around him, swallowing him for a few minutes until the rockslide ceased. When she finally laid eyes on him again, most of his body was covered.

  I can’t do this.

  You don’t have to. Go back. Let Zach and Hawke go on.

  Zach placed his hands on both sides of her head and thrust his face close, inches from hers.

  I’m letting them down.

  No, you aren’t. You’re needed somewhere else.

  “Maggie!”

  The sound of Zach’s voice finally penetrated through the words in her mind. The tension in his hands on her face conveyed his concern. She blinked the tears away.

  “I have to go back. I can’t go any farther. I thought I could—”

  “Shh. I know. That’s okay. I’ll take you back.”

  She nearly collapsed against him. She didn’t have to go back alone. She wasn’t sure she would have made it.

  Zach looked over Maggie’s shoulder at Hawke. “Go forward. This passageway opens up into another cavern. Stay there until I get back.”

  As Hawke squeezed by them, he gave Maggie a set of keys. “I have some binoculars in my Jeep. Why don’t you get them? The terrain around here is beautiful. If we aren’t back by dark, there’s camping equipment you can use. I parked close to your SUV, behind a boulder.”