Chapter 27
Matteo went over the dive plan with the group. As Vanessa had said, it was just a cavern tour. No cave certification necessary. We weren’t going deep into the actual cave. We would always have a line of sight to the light.
There was a big difference between a cavern tour and a cave dive. Even with an experienced guide, a cave dive was dangerous. You’d need twin tanks with independent first- and second-stage regulators, three lights minimum, guidelines, markers, knives, etc.
Julie and Silas had coordinated everything and provided our sizes for wetsuits. They looked brand new. Cost was not an issue for these people. Matteo had provided everything, just like Zach said—masks, fins, BCDs, dive computers, you name it.
I hoped his gear was in better condition.
I donned my rig, went through the safety checks again, then slipped into the water.
When the group was ready, we followed Matteo below the surface.
The water was crystal clear. Shafts of sunlight danced.
We followed Matteo, finning through the cenote, taking in the magnificent sights.
It was remarkable. Thirty-million-year-old fossil shells in the limestone. Amazing geological formations. The interplay of shadow and light.
Matteo led us farther into the system, through a passage that led to a large cavern. As long as we could see daylight, there was a way out.
Our spotlight beams illuminated the area. There were no fixed lights in this part of the cave system. Stalactites and stalagmites decorated the area, formed at a time long before the cave system had flooded.
At the far end of the cavern, a narrow passage led to danger. An underwater sign gave a grim warning.
We wouldn't be going any further.
Another passage on the north end of the cavern led into a dark abyss. It had to lead to another opening—the one we passed on the way in at the fork.
I had a little trepidation about the whole thing. But even in the cavern, I was close enough to the surface to swim out in case of emergency.
It didn’t take long before I settled in and enjoyed myself. We all swam around the cavern, taking in the geology that took eons to produce.
At the end of the dive, Matteo did a head count, then led us out of the cavern, into the cenote. I was the last out of the cavern. We finned across the cenote and surfaced near the platform.
Three men with AK-47s held Silas and Kyle hostage.
So much for security.
I dove underwater as the goons opened fire.
Gunfire echoed off the limestone walls.
Bullets hit the water, losing momentum quickly.
I finned my way to the bottom and swam back into the cavern. My pulse pounded, throbbing my ears.
I wasn't sure what the hell to do. We hadn’t been in the cavern long. I had a decent amount of gas left.
Unable to carry weapons, Silas and Kyle were limited in their response. They'd been easily overtaken.
With my flashlight beam leading the way, I swam into the north passage. It probably wasn't the smartest thing in the world. But I figured it had to lead to another exit, given what Matteo said on the way in.
There was no guideline in this passage.
I only had one tank and two flashlights. Not exactly redundant systems in case of failure. But the alternative wasn't pretty.
Declan and Luciano were billionaires. It didn't take a genius to figure that out by the way they spent money. Maybe these were cartel thugs shaking them down for cash. Maybe when they got what they wanted, they'd let the group go.
I wasn’t holding my breath.
I certainly didn't want to stick around and find out. I needed to get out of the cave and go for help. But it wasn’t like I could call 911 and have the cops show up in a few minutes. We were in the middle of nowhere. I didn’t even know where to tell them we were. Besides, my battery was dead.
I swam through the dark abyss, my flashlight spotting the limestone walls.
It was quite possible I was heading to my doom.
Around the corner, a shaft of sapphire light danced in the water.
I swam toward it, then finned through a narrow passage into another cenote. When I reached the surface, I spit out the regulator and treaded water for a moment as I looked around.
This cenote was empty. Maybe 40 or 50 yards from the thugs.
I swam to shore. This one didn't have a nice deck. No steps led into the water.
I climbed out, slid the tank from my shoulders, and took off my gear.
A steep trail led up to the ridge. Rocks and roots served as steps.
I climbed out and made my ascent toward the top of the ridge.
Out of breath by the time I got there, I couldn't say if it was from the steep slope or the pure terror running through my veins.
I hovered in the underbrush by the main trail, my heart punching my chest.
After scanning the area for threats, I stepped onto the main trail and crept toward the others. I drew closer and hovered at the top of the ridge, taking cover behind a cluster of trees and grass.
The thugs had the group on the deck, all face down except for Declan. On his knees with a rifle to his head, the ringleader held a magazine in front of the billionaire’s face. The one with Declan on the cover.
In surprisingly good English, the ringleader said, "I know who you are. You’re going to transfer one hundred million dollars in crypto to this address," he said, showing Declan the address on his cell phone.
Declan shook his head. "I don't have access to that kind of crypto.”
"You’re worth billions. A hundred million is nothing to you. Make the transfer, or my friend is going to start shooting your friends.”
It was clear they were only targeting Declan. They probably didn't know who Luciano was. The magazine story had made Declan high-profile.
I bet he regretted that now.
I backed away and crept up the trail toward the vehicles. As I closed in, I caught a glimpse of Felix on the ground by the van. Blood pooled around his body. They had shot him and the other driver.
These guys meant business.