Dawn could not come fast enough for the Howard-Marshall expedition deep in the Amazon Basin. But came it did, and with it, a parting of the ways as Jay, Eleanor, Alex, and young Collins packed supplies enough to last them the journey to Boa Vista alone and watched the rest of the party head north-west before turning full north themselves. There had been no further sign of the strange man-shaped jaguars since their apparent fright at the electric torchlight, but as the little group moved into greenery that seemed to have been tamed in some way, they were aware of eyes watching them. Not with hostility nor friendliness, but definitely with intelligence.
Jay knew they were courting danger as they set out to follow Estevo's map to the ancient ruins that had been Eleanor's father's last known location. They traveled single-file, with Jay taking the lead and Alex the rear, Eleanor and Collins between them, instinctively keeping as quiet as possible, not only being cautious but as respectful of their surroundings as possible.
They walked armed but with their weapons relaxed, ready to defend themselves but not to start a fight. Eleanor had been very insistent on that. Walking directly behind Jay, she peered up into the canopy high overhead, absent-mindedly counting.
"The trees have been deliberately thinned here," she murmured to her husband as they walked. "these ruins must be quite close."
"Why do you say that?" Jay asked, glancing momentarily upwards at the trees above their heads and around them. He wasn't sure the fact the trees were so much a sign that the ruins were close as they were that someone - or something - had purposely changed the landscape.
"The trunks are evenly spaced," Eleanor murmured softly. "The same distance between them in paces. That only happens when someone has landscaped to a certain extent."
Jay came to a halt, just long enough to refer once again to the map he was carrying in his jacket. "I think you're right," he said, tracing a finger along a route Estevo had marked on the map. "If this is accurate, the pyramid should be just up ahead."
"Are we stopping?" Alex asked from behind.
Eleanor met Jay's eyes. He knew she didn't want to risk anyone she didn't have to; it wasn't a great leap to guess that she was silently suggesting they leave Alex and young Collins here and enter the ruins alone.
But would Alex and Collins be safe there alone" And should they take a chance and leave their weapons behind with Alex and Collins, while the two of them traveled on to the pyramid alone" He was afraid there were no easy decisions to be made here, and making the wrong one could cost them all their lives. Jay folded the map back up and tucked it away inside his pocket.
"This is where we split up," Jay replied, as he slid the revolver from its resting place on his hip and handed it to Collins. "Wait here. If we're not back in three hours, go on to Boa Vista without us. And no matter what you hear, do not under any circumstances follow. Do you understand?"
Eleanor just about managed to hide her relief as Jay agreed with her silent request, turning to hand her rifle to Alex.
The Scot looked offended, frowning at both of them. "You mean to go on alone and unarmed?"
"I know what you're thinking, but I don't think we have much choice," Jay replied, with the grimly-serious expression of his. He wasn't sure he needed to explain; the man wasn't stupid, after all. They were damned if they did and damned if they didn't. The key to survival here wasn't so much a show of strength in arms as it was a show of respect and their willingness to come in peace.
Alex frowned, glancing between them. "We'll give you four hours," he said firmly. "That's time enough to wait, and time enough for us to get back to the camp we used last night and fort up for the night."
Eleanor bit her lip. She didn't like the sound of that, but she understood the need for such precautions.
There was a worried look on Jay's face. In four hours, they could very well be dead, and he had given them strict orders not to interfere, no matter what happened. "I don't like it any better than you, Alex, but I don't think we have much choice." They did have one ace in their pocket and that was Eleanor.
"Aye, well ....come back, that's all I'm asking," was Alex's quiet response. He held Eleanor's eyes for a long moment, but nodded reluctantly, stepping back with one hand on young Collins' shoulder.
As for Collins, he was looking not only a little confused, but a little scared, as well. "Why aren't we going with them?" he was overheard asking, despite the whisper in his voice as Alex steered him away.
Jay didn't make a fuss of saying good-bye, turning instead to Eleanor to ask one last time, "You're sure about this?"
She looked a little pale, but nodded firmly. "I have to at least try," she told him once again. "If I get you killed, I really am very sorry."
He couldn't help but smile at that. It was just too ridiculous. "Well, we did say 'til death do us part," he said, hoping she'd see the humor in it and not think him too morbid. He took her hand, drawing it toward his lips for a kiss. If they were being watched, then let them see that this woman belonged to him.
"I was rather hoping that wouldn't be for about sixty years," she countered with a wry smile of her own, leaning into him as he kissed her hand. "Come on. The sooner we start, the sooner we'll be back."
He leaned close to kiss her again, this time touching his lips to her forehead, before started off, hand in hand, in the direction of the ruins. He hadn't forgotten his promise to protect her, but he wasn't sure how much he could do against creatures that were half-man and half-jaguar.
Hand in hand, they advanced through the thinning trees, the sunlight ahead growing brighter as the greenery opened out in front of them to reveal a stepped pyramid of a sort. It was tall and steep, creepers climbing over it everywhere but the cut stone stairs that lead up to the opening visible near the very top.
Eleanor swallowed. "Good God, my father was an idiot," she muttered.
"What do you think happened here, El?" Jay asked, as they came to a halt a short way from the pyramid. As tempting as it was to explore, he had a feeling that was something the natives wouldn't look kindly on.
"I think my father went inside," she said with a heavy sigh. "No doubt he thought he would find some treasure or other and intended to steal it. In such circumstances, wouldn't you kill him?"
Jay shrugged. "It depends on his intentions, I guess, and what side I was on." He'd led plenty of men through the jungle - some explorers, some hunters, some - perhaps like her father - treasure seekers, all for a fee. He hadn't always liked what they'd planned to do during those expeditions, but he hadn't been paid to question motives. Still, he had his limits and a line he refused to cross.
Jay knew they were courting danger as they set out to follow Estevo's map to the ancient ruins that had been Eleanor's father's last known location. They traveled single-file, with Jay taking the lead and Alex the rear, Eleanor and Collins between them, instinctively keeping as quiet as possible, not only being cautious but as respectful of their surroundings as possible.
They walked armed but with their weapons relaxed, ready to defend themselves but not to start a fight. Eleanor had been very insistent on that. Walking directly behind Jay, she peered up into the canopy high overhead, absent-mindedly counting.
"The trees have been deliberately thinned here," she murmured to her husband as they walked. "these ruins must be quite close."
"Why do you say that?" Jay asked, glancing momentarily upwards at the trees above their heads and around them. He wasn't sure the fact the trees were so much a sign that the ruins were close as they were that someone - or something - had purposely changed the landscape.
"The trunks are evenly spaced," Eleanor murmured softly. "The same distance between them in paces. That only happens when someone has landscaped to a certain extent."
Jay came to a halt, just long enough to refer once again to the map he was carrying in his jacket. "I think you're right," he said, tracing a finger along a route Estevo had marked on the map. "If this is accurate, the pyramid should be just up ahead."
"Are we stopping?" Alex asked from behind.
Eleanor met Jay's eyes. He knew she didn't want to risk anyone she didn't have to; it wasn't a great leap to guess that she was silently suggesting they leave Alex and young Collins here and enter the ruins alone.
But would Alex and Collins be safe there alone" And should they take a chance and leave their weapons behind with Alex and Collins, while the two of them traveled on to the pyramid alone" He was afraid there were no easy decisions to be made here, and making the wrong one could cost them all their lives. Jay folded the map back up and tucked it away inside his pocket.
"This is where we split up," Jay replied, as he slid the revolver from its resting place on his hip and handed it to Collins. "Wait here. If we're not back in three hours, go on to Boa Vista without us. And no matter what you hear, do not under any circumstances follow. Do you understand?"
Eleanor just about managed to hide her relief as Jay agreed with her silent request, turning to hand her rifle to Alex.
The Scot looked offended, frowning at both of them. "You mean to go on alone and unarmed?"
"I know what you're thinking, but I don't think we have much choice," Jay replied, with the grimly-serious expression of his. He wasn't sure he needed to explain; the man wasn't stupid, after all. They were damned if they did and damned if they didn't. The key to survival here wasn't so much a show of strength in arms as it was a show of respect and their willingness to come in peace.
Alex frowned, glancing between them. "We'll give you four hours," he said firmly. "That's time enough to wait, and time enough for us to get back to the camp we used last night and fort up for the night."
Eleanor bit her lip. She didn't like the sound of that, but she understood the need for such precautions.
There was a worried look on Jay's face. In four hours, they could very well be dead, and he had given them strict orders not to interfere, no matter what happened. "I don't like it any better than you, Alex, but I don't think we have much choice." They did have one ace in their pocket and that was Eleanor.
"Aye, well ....come back, that's all I'm asking," was Alex's quiet response. He held Eleanor's eyes for a long moment, but nodded reluctantly, stepping back with one hand on young Collins' shoulder.
As for Collins, he was looking not only a little confused, but a little scared, as well. "Why aren't we going with them?" he was overheard asking, despite the whisper in his voice as Alex steered him away.
Jay didn't make a fuss of saying good-bye, turning instead to Eleanor to ask one last time, "You're sure about this?"
She looked a little pale, but nodded firmly. "I have to at least try," she told him once again. "If I get you killed, I really am very sorry."
He couldn't help but smile at that. It was just too ridiculous. "Well, we did say 'til death do us part," he said, hoping she'd see the humor in it and not think him too morbid. He took her hand, drawing it toward his lips for a kiss. If they were being watched, then let them see that this woman belonged to him.
"I was rather hoping that wouldn't be for about sixty years," she countered with a wry smile of her own, leaning into him as he kissed her hand. "Come on. The sooner we start, the sooner we'll be back."
He leaned close to kiss her again, this time touching his lips to her forehead, before started off, hand in hand, in the direction of the ruins. He hadn't forgotten his promise to protect her, but he wasn't sure how much he could do against creatures that were half-man and half-jaguar.
Hand in hand, they advanced through the thinning trees, the sunlight ahead growing brighter as the greenery opened out in front of them to reveal a stepped pyramid of a sort. It was tall and steep, creepers climbing over it everywhere but the cut stone stairs that lead up to the opening visible near the very top.
Eleanor swallowed. "Good God, my father was an idiot," she muttered.
"What do you think happened here, El?" Jay asked, as they came to a halt a short way from the pyramid. As tempting as it was to explore, he had a feeling that was something the natives wouldn't look kindly on.
"I think my father went inside," she said with a heavy sigh. "No doubt he thought he would find some treasure or other and intended to steal it. In such circumstances, wouldn't you kill him?"
Jay shrugged. "It depends on his intentions, I guess, and what side I was on." He'd led plenty of men through the jungle - some explorers, some hunters, some - perhaps like her father - treasure seekers, all for a fee. He hadn't always liked what they'd planned to do during those expeditions, but he hadn't been paid to question motives. Still, he had his limits and a line he refused to cross.