Chapter 7
As we ate our lunch, which was a heavy concoction of rice, beans in spicy red sauce, and bread, everyone asked questions about my father’s disappearance. Most of the questions were the same ones my family had been asking for over eight years, to which I had no answers.
Ethan stood up from the sand and released a disgusting burp. “Damn, I’m so full.”
“That’s because you ate too much, you big piggy.” Lara giggled.
Ethan oinked and turned to wiggle his butt, and as Lara laughed harder, we all chuckled too.
Although they annoyed me with their over-the-top antics, their love for each other was always on show. The same went for Charlie and Kasey, and the two of them mentioned their next big adventure several times. . . starting a family.
I was older than the four of them, yet I wasn’t even close to finding someone I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.
Colton put his empty plate on the sand and frowned at me. “Hey, Kat, can I see that picture again?”
“Sure.” I handed him the last photo my father ever sent Mom.
The image had been circulated to all the authorities after Dad’s disappearance, and just like Colton’s comment, they all agreed that the ruins in the picture could have been taken anywhere. There wasn’t anything useful in the photo to pinpoint where Dad had been when he’d taken the photo. In addition, there wasn’t any evidence that he’d been in this cave.
Eight years ago, when Dad had vanished, all we knew was that he was in Mexico. He’d kept his investigation top secret, so we didn’t even know where to start looking.
Charlie groaned and, wincing, he rubbed his stomach.
“Are you okay, babe?” Kasey glided her hand up his back.
“Yeah, nah.” Leaning back, he groaned. “I don’t think those beans agreed with me.”
Kasey puffed out her cheeks. “That’s not good.”
Charlie stood. “Don’t mind me. I’m going to use the bushes.” He charged away and disappeared behind a massive rock.
Colton shuffled toward the equipment and pulled a toilet paper roll and a small shovel from his bag.
“Here, he might need these.” He handed them to Kasey.
“Thanks.” Cringing, she took them and headed toward her husband.
Colton sat next to me on the sand. “You say this photo was taken in Las Cuevas de los Susurros, but this temple isn’t below the water.”
“I know, so it must be in an above-ground cave. Like the ones you took us to today.”
“The cave sections I’ve explored are only accessible with scuba tanks.”
“I know. That’s why I want to search caves that are above the waterline.”
He cocked his head. “How would they have built this temple if you can’t access the underground caves without scuba tanks?”
“There must be above-ground access.”
He frowned. “After this cave was found, dozens of people have tried to find other ways in.”
I met his gaze. “The cave is thousands of years old, so there’s a chance the underground systems have changed over the years.”
He nodded. “That’s a certainty.”
“So maybe what was once above ground is now submerged. Or maybe there is another entrance to this one that’s concealed somehow and is yet to be found.”
He handed the photo back to me. “The possibilities are endless, Kat.”
Staring at the picture, I said, “I know. But I have to try to find this.” I have to find Dad’s final resting place. Or Mom won’t be able to die in peace.
I felt him staring at me, and I lifted my chin to study his eyes which were as blue as the sky above. As we looked at each other, the sincerity in his expression melted my heart. Colton may be grumpy, but he was a good man, and I could tell he wanted to help me.
I nudged my shoulder to his. “Think of it as an adventure.”
“You’re a wild adventure.” He grinned, transforming Grumpy Ass Colton into a Holy Smokes Hottie. He should smile more often.
He rubbed his hands together.
“Then let’s do this.” He stood and swept his gaze to where Charlie and Kasey had gone. “I don’t think Charlie will be keen on another dive just yet.”
Ethan stood in the water up to his shoulders, and Lara was wrapped around him like an octopus, kissing him like they were on their first date.
“Maybe they’ll sit this one out, too,” I said. “We’ll be much quicker in the cave if it’s just us two.”
He wriggled his eyebrows. “You just want to get me alone.”
My jaw dropped.
“You should see your face.” Chuckling, he walked toward Pedro.
Butterflies danced in my stomach as I studied his physique. Colton had a body like a Navy SEAL: broad, muscular, and strong. And with his knowledge of this cave, he was definitely the right man to take me on this mission.
I had a feeling we were destined to meet, which was strange because I’d traveled solo for two years and met hundreds of people. Yet nobody made me feel like that.
My wish was granted when the other two couples declared they would skip the next dive, and with excitement tingling my mind, Colton and I prepared to explore the cave together.
Once we had our equipment ready at the edge of the pool, Colton fished a couple of phones from the gear and fiddled with them for a bit before he seemed satisfied.
He gave one to Pedro. “Keep the phone on. I’ll make contact when I can so you can keep me up to date on that storm.”
“Sí, jefe. Lo haré.” Pedro slid the phone into the pocket of his shorts.
Colton put his phone into a watertight bag, and as he slotted that into his dive vest, he nodded at me. “Ready to roll?”
I grinned. “Sure am.”
While pulling on our scuba gear, Colton said, “We’ll go through all the passages we’ve already been through without surfacing in between. You good with that?”
“Yep.”
“Keep right on my tail, Kat. We’ll move as quickly as we can.”
I saluted him. “Roger that.”
He cocked his head. “No need to be a smartass.”
“Yes, boss.” I winked.
I could tell he was trying not to chuckle as he fell back into the water, rolled onto his stomach, and swam across the pool.
As I chased after him, a fierce determination surged through me, but I had to remind myself to keep a clear head and breathe.
Colton raised his dive watch above the water, and using the hand with the missing fingers, he set the timer. “Let’s go.”
He put the regulator in his mouth.
I copied him, and we sank beneath the surface.
With a slow release of my bubbles, I followed Colton through the tunnels and caves we had already explored. Without the beams from the additional four diving flashlights, the darkness enveloped me, and the tunnels seemed to be rounder somehow, like I was in the throat of a massive creature.
We reached the last cave we’d explored much quicker than I anticipated, and I followed Colton to the surface. Our flashlights carved through the darkness, highlighting jagged stalactites that jutted from the ceiling like giant teeth.
“How you doing?” Colton asked.
“I’m good.”
“Okay. So, this is where we turned around last time. We have a few more tunnels before we reach the extent of my previous explorations. After that, we’re heading into new territory.”
“Sound’s good.”
“No, Kat. Not good. It’s risky. I haven’t been beyond there before.”
I nodded. “I know what you’re saying. I’ll stay alert and make a note of breadcrumbs.”
His gaze pierced me. “Let’s hope we don’t need breadcrumbs to find our way back.”
“We won’t,” I said with conviction.
He stared at me. “Don’t do anything crazy, WildKat.”
I waggled my head. “Right back at ya, Grumpy Ass.”
He burst out laughing, then grabbed my wrist and checked my dive time. Maybe he didn’t trust me to tell the truth.
I grabbed his watch. “Oh, will you look at that? I have more oxygen in my tank than you.”
“You’re much smaller than me, so of course you use less O2.” He dropped my hand back into the water. “I’ll take the lead, so stay right on my ass.”
“Your grumpy ass.”
“I’ll give you grumpy if you don’t follow directions.”
I saluted.
He groaned. “Are you always this sassy?”
“Yep.”
“Great.” Rolling his eyes, he pulled his mask back on. “Stay close. We don’t know what’s in that tunnel, so don’t get distracted. And, Kat, do not leave my side.”
“I won’t. I promise,” I said, sobered by the seriousness of his tone.
We put our breathers in and together we lowered beneath the surface.
Guided by the beam of our waterproof flashlights, we headed into a tunnel. The narrow walls closed around me, and as the passage seemed to stretch forever, our lights cast eerie shadows on the cave walls.
The tunnel expanded and became wide enough for me to swim beside him. As we swam along the vast passage, I wondered what he was thinking. Did venturing into the unknown excite him as much as I got a thrill out of it? Or was he wishing he’d never laid eyes on me?
The water grew cooler, and a shiver raced up my spine. Neither of us wore wetsuits. It was one of the joys of scuba diving in the warm climate of Mexico.
Ahead, our view changed, and for the first time since we started exploring Las Cuevas de los Susurros, we came to a fork in the road. Literally. The tunnel became two, like a forked-tongued lizard.
Pausing at the crossroads, we each shone our light into a tunnel, but neither passage gave any indication of what was ahead.
Using the glow, I met his gaze for guidance, and he indicated with his hand that he didn’t know. Then he pointed at me, and using hand signals he confirmed it was my choice which way we went.
I shone my light into the passages again. Which way?
Closing my eyes, I hoped I made the right decision. Finally, I pointed at the tunnel that seemed to curve upward into the darkness.
Colton nodded, squeezed my wrist, and then gave the okay signal.
I answered with an okay and followed behind his fins.
Within a short distance, the space became tight, and ahead of me, Colton barely fit through with his scuba gear. He swam around a sharp bend, and the passage became even more narrow. I expected him to stop, but then again, if we did, we would have to reverse out of there. I’d been unfortunate to have done that a few times, and it was no fun.
Over the top of him, I searched where his light lit the passage ahead and frowned. What the hell?
The passage was sealed with a wall of rocks as if an earthquake had imploded the tunnel.
But Colton didn’t stop swimming toward it, and just before he reached the end, he swam into another passage in the tunnel roof that I hadn’t noticed. The tunnel nearly completely swallowed him before I reached him and followed his lead.
A dim light somehow filtered into this new tunnel, and strands of algae clung onto the walls like olive-colored cotton string.
The tunnel ended, and we swam in a massive underwater chamber bathed in enough light to turn off our flashlights.
Through his mask, Colton’s wide eyes showed his delight over our discovery.
He is enjoying this.Butterflies danced in my stomach.
He indicated up, and side by side, we swam to the surface.
My heartbeat thumped in my ears as I wondered if I was about to see the Mayan ruins that had filled my dreams for years. We pushed through to fresh air and spinning in a circle, I did a quick scan of the area.
There were no ancient Mayan ruins.
Colton spat out his regulator. “Wow. This is amazing.”
“Yeah,” I said half-heartedly.
He gave me a you’ve-got-to-be-kidding look. “You really thought we’d find the ruins, didn’t you?”
“That was the plan.”
Shaking his head, he swam away, aiming for the pool’s edge.
Overhead, sunlight poured into the cave from a small hole. But the cave roof was so high I couldn’t see any trees outside, and the sky looked like a white cloud. Maybe it was.
At the edge of the water, I held onto a rock and scanned the area.
Other than our breathing, the only noise was the distant echo of water dripping from the ceiling.
Colton rolled his scuba gear onto the ledge.
“What’re you doing?” I frowned at him.
“I’m taking a break.” His glare told me that there was no arguing with him.
I checked my dive watch and groaned. My tank was nearly half empty.
Conceding that this was probably as far as Colton would let me explore, I clipped out of my dive vest, shoved it and my tank onto the rocks, and climbed out.
Colton pulled the phone out of his dive vest. “Pedro, this is Colton. Do you read? Over?”
The phone crackled, but no voice came over the airways.
“Pedro, do you read? Over.” Colton’s booming voice echoed off the water and rocks.
A cool breeze drifted over me, and as I shivered, I strolled toward the edge of the cave wall, where a massive tree root dangled down from the roof.
I turned back toward Colton, and he shook his head at me. “Don’t worry. We’re too far and too deep to get a signal.”
I searched the cave floor for signs of human existence. . . for signs that my father had been there.
Scents of damp earth permeated the air, and the occasional water drip echoed through the cavern. I stepped over jagged rocks, heading toward a dark blemish in the distance.
With each step, my scuba booties squelched with the water inside, and a slight breeze seemed to get cooler.
Wait . . . where’s that breeze coming from? Is there an exit up ahead?
I inched around a boulder that was the size of my mom’s Tesla that she wasn’t allowed to drive anymore due to the cocktail of drugs swimming in her veins. On the other side of the boulder was another smaller cave with a much higher roofline.
Colton was silent, and as I lost sight of him behind me, a weird energy prickled my skin.
It was like I was on the cusp of something monumental. My heart kicked up to a new beat.
Stalactites that seemed to defy gravity hung from the ceiling, and on the ground of the cave, an intricate tapestry of creeper vines wove in and around a field of stalagmites. My heart raced at the sheer beauty of it all.
Across the other side of the cave, a square shape stole my attention. It looked like a shadow at first, and it was difficult to make out with the light from a hole high up in the cave roof spearing into the chasm. But as I grew closer, my breath hitched.
I blinked at it a few times, making sure I wasn’t seeing things, before saying, “Hey, Colton, come take a look at this.”
His scuba boots crunched over the gravel as he raced to find me.
“What?” he asked as he appeared around the giant boulder.
I pointed at the shape across the cave. “Look.”
He frowned. “What the hell? Is that a truck?”
“Looks like it.”
The truck’s paint was chipped and faded but may have once been green or blue. Rust claimed much of the metal surface, creeping over the doors and body like the truck had a disease.
Keeping pace with Colton, I wove around a natural maze of stalagmites and boulders toward the decaying vehicle. Tiny particles drifted across the beam of sunlight, confirming that the hole way up in the roof was where the breeze had come from.
“Wow.” His voice echoed through the cavernous space. “This is incredible.”
“I know, right.”
Not as incredible as finding Mayan ruins would have been.
“Looks like it fell through the roof.” He pointed at the hole in the cave roof at least eighty feet above us.
I squinted at the natural skylight. “That gap isn’t big enough to fit this truck.”
“I agree, but maybe vegetation has concealed some of the hole,” he said.
A large portion of the truck was covered in a mound of rocks and debris, which may have happened when the truck fell through the cave.
“Be careful,” he said as we navigated the slippery rocks and uneven terrain. “I don’t want you breaking an ankle.”
“I’m not going to break my ankle, Colton. I”ll be fine.” Carefully maneuvering around a jagged stalagmite, I added, “I’ve been preparing for this trip for years.”
“Yeah. That’s what worries me.” He peered at me with an expression that was equal parts amusement and concern.
We shimmied over a series of hip-high boulders and crunched onto the rocks on the other side.
“That truck’s been here a long time.” Colton reached for my hand to help me over the loose rubble.
“How do you know?” I asked.
“They don’t make trucks like that anymore. It’s got to be at least sixty years old.”
“Yes, but we’re in Mexico. The bus that transported me from the airport to Tulum was that old.”
He chuckled. “That’s true. But check out the rust on that thing. I wonder what’s inside.”
“I hope it wasn’t carting animals,” I said.
“Yeah, that would suck.”
I peered at the front cabin where the truck’s windshield was surprisingly intact. The glass was covered in streaks of mineral deposits from years of exposure. “And I hope the driver got out alive.”
“If he was in that truck when it fell through the cave ceiling, then I doubt it.”
Colton led the way around more stalagmites, rubble, and one of the truck’s side mirrors that must have gone flying when the truck landed.
He halted. “Ah, fuck.”
I froze. “What?”
Groaning, he pointed toward the ground by the truck’s front cabin. Beside the buckled tire lay a skeleton.
“Shit.” My stomach turned. “That poor man.”
Colton reached for my hand, and squeezing our palms together, we walked toward the truck.
“There’s another one.” Colton pointed at a second skeleton next to a large rock.
“Oh, jeez.” I cupped my mouth.
The skeleton bones were bleached white from years of exposure, and the tattered remnants of clothing were faded and crumpled.
A chill raced up my spine. “So, they survived the fall but couldn’t get out of the cave.”
“Looks like it. They wouldn’t have been able to escape up there. The hole in that roof is way too high, so they probably starved to death.” He let go of my hand and squatted beside the body next to the truck. “Poor guy.”
I moaned. “What a horrible way to go.”
Colton reached for something around the skeleton’s neck, a silver cross and chain. Shaking his head, he dropped the necklace and stood. “Want to check out what’s in the back?”
I scrunched my nose.
“Don’t worry, it won’t be animals,” he said.
“How do you know?”
“Because if it was, these two would have eaten them.”
I clicked my fingers. “Good point.”
We strode to the back of the truck.
The two back doors were ajar like the contents had burst outward when the truck crash landed.
Colton turned on his flashlight, shone it into the truck’s rear, and panned his light over dozens of toppled steel drums.
“I wonder what’s in them?” I said, leaning closer to him.
He angled his beam onto a faded logo.
“Oh fuck!” Colton grabbed my hand. “Get back!”