Chapter 5
The tunnel walls were smooth and surprisingly cool to touch. I lowered to swim under a jagged overhang, ensuring my knees didn’t hit the rocky bottom.
The tunnel widened, and excitement rushed through me as I emerged into a vast, cathedral-like cavern. Colton gave me the okay signal, and I responded with an okay hand signal, too.
The water was crystal clear, and the surface shimmered above me like a doorway to another world. The four Australians were already at the top, and following Colton’s hand signals, we glided upward. Schools of tiny, colorful fish swam by me, and their scales reflected in the light.
I frowned at the glow at the surface. Is that sunlight?
We bobbed into the open air, and I spat out my regulator.
“Are you okay?” Colton asked.
“I am. This is amazing.”
“And we’ve only just started.” His smile was as spectacular as the cavern we’d swum into.
“Woohoo!” Ethan’s booming voice echoed about the chasm.
Treading water, I removed my camera and took a photo that captured a beam of sunlight that carved through a hole in the roof into the giant chasm, making a golden circle on the pool surface.
The rays danced on the water, creating a mesmerizing play of light and shadow.
Colton cupped my elbow and pointed to the side. “Come check this out.”
As we breast-stroked toward the edge of the cavern, Ethan took photos of Lara floating on her back, and her boobs bobbed like a pair of floatation devices. Charlie and Kasey were at another section of the cave, sharing a moment they would likely talk about for years.
Another bout of jealousy washed through me. These were the types of moments I had planned to share with Martin. Being alone didn’t usually bother me, but for some reason, this cave and the exclusivity that came with it made me wish I had someone special to share this moment with.
Thank goodness my camera would capture everything for me. I made a mental note that I featured in some photos this time. Usually, I was so busy capturing a magnificent view that I forgot to include myself in the scene.
Colton paused at the edge of the cavern where the rocks created a formation that looked like a giant, curved pipe organ, and he pointed upward.
My breath hitched.
High above us, a massive stalactite hovered like an ancient chandelier, and the water below mirrored its intricate pattern.
“Oh, Colton. That’s magnificent.” I met his gaze.
His piercing blue eyes dazzled. “I thought you’d like it.”
“I love it.” As I captured the beauty of nature through my lens, I felt Colton looking at me. Lowering the camera, I met his gaze. “What?”
“Want me to take a photo of you?”
“Oh. Yes, please.” I handed the camera to him and showed him where to press.
As he peered through my camera, he smiled. His teeth were extraordinary, so white . . . so perfect.
As I smiled with him, my heart skipped a few beats, and I told myself it was because of my location, not because of the smoking-hot ex-Navy SEAL in my presence.
“There you go.” He handed my camera back to me. “I think I got a great shot with the stalactite above you.”
“Thanks.” I tucked the camera away.
“Aren’t you going to check?” His eyebrows drilled together.
“I’m sure you took a great photo. Besides, I don’t want to waste my battery.”
“Good idea. The way Ethan is going, his camera will be flat before we even get to the good stuff.”
I chuckled. “I don’t think he’s taken a single photo of the cave.”
“I know. His choice.” He shrugged. “You ready for the next tunnel?”
“Absolutely.”
As his gaze lingered on me, his eyes twinkled.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing.” He turned and swam toward the others.
As I followed him across the pool, I took in the cavern’s beauty. Even though I knew it was pointless, I also searched for signs that ancient Mayans had visited this cave. If the ruins were here, Colton would not have been so adamant that they were a myth.
“Saddle up, guys. It’s time to head into our next tunnel. This one is longer and narrower than the last one, so you must concentrate. I don’t want anyone getting stuck in there.” He leveled his gaze on Ethan. “Okay?”
“You don’t need to worry about me. I was born for this shit.”
“I’m not worried about your ability, but you’re the biggest man here. It’s going to be tight.”
“How tight?” Lara blinked her long lashes at Colton.
“You’ll be fine, Lara.” Colton’s voice was steeped in assurance. He pointed at me. “This time, you go after me.”
I nodded.
“Charlie, are you okay to take the last spot?” Colton asked.
“Absolutely.” Charlie grinned.
“Great. Let’s do this.” Colton put his breather in and lowered beneath the surface.
As I followed him down, I searched for the access tunnel. I hadn’t noticed it when I entered this cave.
The entrance to another passage was on the opposite side of the cave to the tunnel we’d entered from, and it pissed me off that I hadn’t seen it the first time around. If I missed things as big as that, I could also miss ancient ruins.
As Colton swam into the dark hole, I told myself to be more focused.
The five of us hovered outside the tunnel entrance, waiting for his signal. Everyone but Lara looked comfortable in the water. The whites of Lara’s eyes were showing, and I had a feeling she wasn’t too happy with how narrow this tunnel was.
I wrapped my hand over the vine tattoo that snaked around her wrist and signaled okay.
She nodded, but I couldn’t shake the unease creeping through me.
I’d been with divers who panicked before. We didn’t need anyone freaking out while we were in the depths of one of the deepest and longest cave systems in the world.
Colton’s light blinked in the tunnel, and I gave Lara’s wrist one last squeeze before I entered the channel. I loved the prospect of venturing into the unknown. Whenever I traveled abroad, getting lost was part of the fun.
Although, getting lost down here would be anything but fun. I was here for a mission, but I still needed to be very much on guard. I was in uncharted territory, and while the allure of the cave was undeniable, the journey was uncertain. Every shadow could hold a clue or a threat.
And most of all, I had to remember to breathe.
Holding my breath was one of the most dangerous things a diver could do.
At the end of the tunnel, I swam into another large underwater chasm and gave Colton the okay signal.
He pointed up, and I swam to the dark surface of the pool. Unlike the last cave, this one didn’t have any natural light. I turned on my powerful diving flashlight and panned it around the cave. The vast open expanse was even bigger than the last one, and the cavern walls soared upward and arched gracefully overhead like a master craftsman had made them.
As I waited for the others to join me, I searched the cavern for ancient ruins.
There was nothing.
The cavern was spectacular. Yet, for all its splendor, this cave system held one very dark secret: what had happened to my father.
The others surfaced with a rush of bubbles, and I followed their light beams as they lit up the dark corners and hidden crevices.
“You see anything?” Colton’s deep voice whispered in my ear.
I scowled at him. “I’ll let you know when I do.”
“There are no ancient ruins down here, Kat. Trust me.” His eyes bore into me, challenging my resolve.
“Yes, there is.” I glared back at him, letting him know he had no idea who he was messing with.
“Determination.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Good on you, WildKat.”
I groaned, and when he burst out laughing, his manly chuckle bounced about the cavern.
I couldn’t help but laugh with him. “You’re insufferable.”
“Exactly. Come on, we need to keep moving.”
We followed the process again and again, and with every powerful stroke I made through the water, my anger and frustration grew.
Colton might not believe in the hidden Mayan ruins, but that didn”t matter.
Because I knew they were here. And nothing would stand in my way.
After we’d explored five caves that were all truly spectacular, Colton announced that it was time to return to the beach. My thoughts crashed all over the place. We had explored for one whole day, yet I found nothing to prove I was right.
After swimming across the first cave we’d explored, I shone my flashlight into the narrow tunnel that would lead us back to the beach. My light didn’t reach the end, and the tunnel seemed much narrower than it did when we’d come through the first time.
In this sunlit cavern of Las Cuevas de los Susurros, the water in the underground cave was crystal clear, and barely any sediment had accumulated on the rocks along the bottom of the passage. The tunnel didn’t offer anything interesting to look at, so I turned my attention back to Colton.
His eyes drilled into me. Like he was trying to reach into my brain and read my thoughts. I was glad he couldn’t because I didn’t want him to know what I really thought of him. He was handsome and hot, but grumpy men were not my thing. Life was too short for that bullshit. I wanted upbeat banter, snappy decisions, and fun.
Lots of fun.
Colton was the exact opposite to the type of man I was looking for. Not that I was looking. I’d had my heart broken once. That was enough. From now on, I was flying solo. Just me against the world, trying to capture the essence of life through my camera lens.
Colton gave hand signals instructing Ethan to go first. Ethan used the sides of the tunnel to propel himself forward. It seemed that everything Ethan and Lara did was to attract attention. Lara took that to the next level with the G-string bikini that framed her plump butt cheeks, ensuring that Colton, and the other two Australian tourists in our group, got a good eyeful of her abundant flesh.
I didn’t care. But what I didn’t like was their cockiness, and I couldn’t tell if Lara’s bouts of trepidation as we’d explored the underwater cave were genuine or attention-seeking.
After Ethan and Lara had disappeared in the tunnel, Kasey and Charlie followed, leaving me alone with Colton. Inhaling through my breather, I felt him looking at me, and I peered at him through my mask. He gave me the okay signal, and I gave it back to him.
Colton was really pissing me off. I had proven to him that I could scuba dive. Not just dive. I was damn good at it. And I was comfortable with closed-in spaces. Yet, despite my confidence in the water, he constantly asked me if I was okay.
Yet, he didn’t ask Lara or Kasey nearly half as much.
Using hand signals, he indicated for me to enter the tunnel. Maybe he wanted to check out my ass. I doubted it. My butt wasn’t anywhere near as spectacular as Lara’s. Using controlled kicks, I cruised through the narrow tunnel, following the beam of my flashlight. Toward the end, natural sunlight permeated the water, and I turned off my flashlight.
I exited the tunnel and sighed at the magnificent sight. The shimmering surface of the subterranean cave glowed an ethereal blue, making the enormous chasm shine. The four Australians were treading water at the surface, but I waited for Colton to emerge from the tunnel.
I had invested the last of my savings into this trip, not that the amount was extraordinary given my bumpy career choices. But every cent was worth it.
As long as I find what I’m looking for.
Colton emerged from the tunnel and gave me a slight nod, maybe appreciating that I understood one of the first rules of diving: stick with your dive buddy. He waved me to follow him and swam toward the side wall of the cave.
Frowning, I kicked after him.
He shone his light at the wall onto the rocks where several species of nudibranchs had made the walls their home. The caterpillar-like creatures were like something out of a cartoon, colorful and weirdly shaped. Showing my appreciation to Colton, I gave him a thumbs up. Most scuba divers were only interested in larger marine life, but the small ones were often just as fascinating.
Colton gave me the ‘surface’ signal, and side by side, we glided upward to where Ethan and Lara seemed to be having a wrestling match.
We popped through to the fresh air and swam toward the beach.
“Mr. Colton. Mr. Colton.” Pedro’s voice was loaded with urgency as he ran toward the waterline to greet us.
“What’s wrong, Pedro?” Colton dumped his scuba tank off his back and stood thigh-deep in the water.
“Big storm coming.” He held a phone forward. “We must go.”
“How big?” Colton marched toward Pedro.
No. No. No. This can’t be happening.