Aztec Gold

TWENTY ONE

Kanab saw the departure of Wrench and Red Head, both carrying thick green wads and riotous new memories. Crouch barely took a breath between phone calls, contacting friends in authority, the World Heritage Committee and other organizations, following the framework of his protocol to the letter.

“The machine is booting up.” He broke his procession of calls one time. “Sadler and I established our procedure even before the members of this group were finalized. To be putting it into play so soon is frankly astounding.”

Alicia tuned him out as he took another call. The trip to Kanab had been incident free, but somewhat cramped. By the time the team returned to their hotel everyone was ready for a shower. Alicia locked her door and stripped off, letting the clothes pile at her feet. A whiff of her armpits made her frown.

“Major degunk in order,” she said to the empty room and padded across the bare floor. She caught a glimpse of herself in the full-length hallway mirror and stopped to look. It was a rare moment. The laws of her life required that she never stopped; in that way the past would always be behind her.

If she was forced to confront her current wants and needs, and then the next step; the results of that inner search, she feared, would lead to some kind of breakdown. She studied the lines of her body. Her muscle tone was clearly defined, her pale skin marked by old wounds and fresh bruises. Nothing sagging yet, but whereas time hadn’t yet taken its toll the job certainly had. Old healed scars were beginning to crisscross with new ones. Alicia hurt only when she stopped her forward momentum — in more ways than one.

The shower cooled and purified her, at least for now. Ten minutes later she was dressed in fresh clothes and entering Crouch’s room, not surprised by the look of excitement on his face.

Crouch held up a hand, covering the phone. “I have our benefactor, Rolland Sadler, on the line. He’s already said this find in itself will fund our team for years through various celebrity benefits and news exclusives. The Nahua will be prioritized… ” He went back to his call.

Alicia drifted inside and perched on the arm of the sofa. Crouch finished up with a, “Yes, Rolland. We’re about to sit down and study the map.” Then he turned to her.

“Whoa,” he said. “Our boss is a real slave driver.”

“They’re all the same.” Alicia waggled her eyebrows.

Caitlyn entered the room and walked straight over to the table. “So where’s the map and the notes?”

Alicia and Crouch exchanged a glance and smiled. Motivation was high after the recent find. But in addition to the many positives it offered, Crouch knew they now faced a mélange of undesirable consequences, not the least of which was the return of Coker, his boss, and others like him. If Coker had lost touch with them in Utah the underground rumor network would certainly have put them back on the map by now.

With Healey and Russo fetching coffee and croissants, the map and notes were laid out for Caitlyn to study. Crouch knew them by heart, but he sat down alongside her.

Caitlyn re-familiarized herself with the poem:

“Through the great, endless river you must travel,

“Past canyons and rocks of waves,

“The Shield Arch shows the way,

“But heed our warnings to the mushroom rock,

“Then beyond the known territory of the braves,

“Look between Hummingbird and the ritual for your final guidance,

“And betray the sacrifices of your loyal warriors not.”

“The river has to be the Colorado,” Crouch told her. “I think if you were an Aztec warrior wandering the desert five hundred years ago, the Colorado would seem great and endless. Plus, it fits perfectly with the directions.”

“How close can the directions get us?”

Crouch sighed. “The smallest measurement this time I’m afraid, is in days. We can get to the general area, but we can’t pinpoint the particular stretch where they traveled it and crossed it.”

Healey interrupted as he handed out paper cups full of steaming coffee. “Wow,” Alicia said. “Even the smell of coffee makes me more alert.”

“Everything’s approximate,” Crouch went on. “From our guestimate of how many miles per day they traveled to how far they wandered off their straight line. We have to assume that the bulk of the finest treasure is there. The Wheel of Gold that Cortés valued at 3800 gold pesos and later Castillo valued at more than 10,000 pesos. ‘As big as a cartwheel,’ he said, and later known as the pieces of eight. And more — statues, coins, idols. Possibly even manuscripts, every one of incalculable worth. I’ve lost track of the number of people who’ve sought this treasure down the years but I’ll say this — the mountains keep their secrets well.”

Caitlyn traced the map with a nail as she searched Google Maps on the computer. “At the very least,” she said, “we need to relocate. Kanab’s compromised as a base now.”

Alicia looked over, following the line of her finger and noting where it ended up. “You’re kidding?”

Caitlyn turned a happy grin on them. “Nope. Haven’t you ever wanted to go there?”

“I’ve been to Vegas several times. Trust me, it never ends well.”

“Won’t it make us more… conspicuous?” Russo wondered.

“If anything,” Crouch acceded. “A big, busy city might be the better place to stay. Not only does it provide a certain anonymity, but we’re less likely to become open targets there. So long as we stick close to the main drag.”

“The Strip,” Caitlyn said happily. “They call it the Strip.”

Alicia tapped the girl on the shoulder. “Reality check. We ain’t heading out there to party, love. We’re on a mission.”

“I understand that,” Caitlyn said. “It’s the victory celebration that I’m looking forward to.”