The Death Relic

34

The drive to Tulum was a simple one. The decision on what to drive was not.

Neither vehicle was large enough to accommodate the artefacts, weapons and three people, and everyone had a different opinion on the best solution. Payne wanted to cover the items with the tarp and leave the H2 in an all-day parking lot in Cancún, but Jones and Maria thought that was too risky. Maria was most concerned about the artefacts, which she felt might provide valuable clues about Hamilton’s research. Meanwhile, Jones was focused on the weapons. He figured that if Hamilton was lugging them around for his team’s safety, maybe they should, too. Eventually, Payne got sick of arguing and made a decision for the group. They would take both vehicles to Tulum — if only to give himself some time alone.

Relishing the peace and quiet, Payne led the way in the Hummer. He made a single turn in Cancún, onto Federal Highway 307, then headed southwest along the coast. Jones and Maria followed a quarter of a mile behind in the SUV, both of them looking for potential trouble. The journey took them through a number of tourist towns, including Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Paamul, Xel-Ha and Akumal. They stopped briefly at a beachside restaurant, where they ordered grilled fish tacos, Mexican rice and Pepsi served in old-fashioned glass bottles. For Payne, the Pepsi brought back so many childhood memories — listening to baseball games with his grandfather while drinking soda from glass bottles — that he ended up buying an entire case in a fit of nostalgia. He also loaded up on water, snacks, sunscreen and insect repellent, just in case they had to trek through the jungle to get to the ruins at Tulum.

Conversation was limited during lunch, but not because of any lingering tension. All three of them were so mesmerized by the tropical scenery that words weren’t necessary. The turquoise water, white powdery sand and warm winter sun relaxed their bodies and calmed their minds. Suddenly, the anger that had been pushing them apart temporarily drifted away. It had been replaced by a solitary goal: finding information about Hamilton.

First discovered by the Spanish in 1518, Tulum was a walled city built on top of a 39-foot bluff, overlooking the Caribbean Sea. One of the last cities occupied by the Maya, it flourished between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries and served as a port for Cobá, a major city to the northwest. Because of its position along the shore and the strength of its fortified walls, Tulum managed to survive seventy years after the Spanish occupation of Mexico. Ironically, its downfall wasn’t attributed to war, but to the Old World diseases brought by the settlers.

Once the Maya got sick, they were no match for the Spanish.

Payne and Jones parked their vehicles on opposite sides of the parking lot and met outside the visitor centre, which sat near the western wall of the city. Maria bought a map of the site and a guidebook of the region, hoping to increase her knowledge of Mayan Civilization. She figured the more she knew about the Maya, the better. Before she left the centre, she asked the clerk if he was familiar with Dr Hamilton. She even pulled out her phone and showed him a photo she had downloaded from the Internet, but the clerk didn’t recognize him.

Maria thanked him, then headed outside.

‘Any luck?’ Jones asked her.

‘No. Not that I was expecting any. I know this is a long shot at best.’

‘Better than sitting around the hotel, waiting for a call from Randy. Besides, I’ve always wanted to see this place.’

She studied his face, trying to gauge his sincerity. ‘You’re familiar with Tulum?’

He nodded. ‘Of course I’m familiar with Tulum. Isn’t everybody?’

Payne grimaced. ‘I’m not.’

‘Actually, you are,’ Jones assured him. ‘They filmed that movie here. You know, the one with Jeff Bridges and James Woods. Both of them fall in love with the same brunette.’

‘Sorry. Not ringing any bells.’

‘We watched it on cable last month.’

‘We did?’

‘Bridges is a football player who gets hurt and comes down here to find her. Alex Karras is a bad guy. Phil Collins sang the title song … Crap, what was it called?’

Maria supplied the answer. ‘Against All Odds.’

‘Yes!’ Jones blurted. ‘Against All Odds. Thank you for remembering. That would have driven me crazy.’

‘Actually, I’ve never seen it,’ she said.

‘Then how did you know the name?’

She held up a brochure. It featured a screenshot of the movie showing a shirtless Jeff Bridges and a scantily clad Rachel Ward making out in the Caribbean surf, along with a proclamation in Spanish and English that Against All Odds was filmed here in the early 1980s.

Payne pointed at the photo. ‘Now I remember it. Those two did it in the ruins.’

She glanced at the image. ‘Really?’

Jones nodded. ‘Oh, yeah. They were “researching the Maya”.’

Maria laughed at the term he had coined earlier that morning. ‘Apparently, I chose the wrong field of study. Researching the Vatican is not nearly as sexy.’

Jones scrunched up his face. ‘It really isn’t.’

The roar of an engine and the squealing of heavy brakes caught their attention. They turned and spotted two large tour buses pulling into the parking lot. A tour guide hopped out first, followed by dozens of people from all parts of the globe. Wanting to beat the crowd, Payne, Jones and Maria hustled through the main gate and entered the Pre-Columbian city before they got caught up in a stampede of tourists.

Named after the Mayan word for wall, Tulum is one of the most scenic sites in the Caribbean and the third most-visited archaeological site in Mexico. Protected by steep cliffs to the east, the city was guarded by massive walls to the north, south and west. They were made from large stones excavated from a nearby quarry. During the city’s heyday, its walls averaged 13 feet in height and over 20 feet in width. The largest of these was the western wall. Nearly 1,300 feet in length, it took years to build and ran parallel to the coastline. For additional safety, guard towers were installed in the northwest and southwest corners of the city, high above the walls that protected the northern and southern flanks. These two walls, approximately 560 feet in length, had narrow gates that allowed people to enter and exit the city.

At least that used to be the case.

Now the walls were barely there.

Centuries of erosion and neglect had reduced the mighty barricades to rubble. Though a few sections were still standing, the once-impenetrable fortress was a shadow of its former self. And yet, there was an unmistakable magic about the place. Payne felt it as he walked along the dirt path, snaking his way past the crumbling palaces and temples. He sensed it when the wind whipped through the palm trees that dotted the terrain and ruffled his hair. And he saw it when he stared at El Castillo, the main building on the site. Rising high above the other structures, the ‘castle’ was situated against the cliffs to the east. Outlined by the blue sky and turquoise sea, the grey stones seemed to glow in the afternoon sun.

Payne stopped and stared in amazement. Having circled the globe on several occasions, he struggled to remember the last time he’d seen something as breathtaking as Tulum — the ruins and the sea were a startling combination.

Maria noticed the look on his face and sidled up to him. ‘Pretty impressive.’

He nodded. ‘It sure is.’

‘Amazingly, the Maya built this place more than a century before Columbus arrived. Imagine how startling it must have been for the Spanish when they spotted Tulum from the sea. They were expecting a land full of savages. They found this instead.’

Payne smiled at the notion. ‘They probably shit their pants. Trust me, there’s nothing worse than bad reconnaissance — especially that far from home. Without the proper supplies, they had no choice but to go forward. Maybe make some allies and hope for the best.’

Maria pointed at El Castillo. ‘Notice the rounded columns and the clean line of the stairs. They did all of that without metal tools.’

‘Really? How’d they cut the stone?’

‘According to this guidebook, they used obsidian.’

‘Obsidian? Isn’t that glass?’

She nodded. ‘Volcanic glass. They also used it for weapons. Their swords were made of wood, but the blades were made from obsidian.’

He glanced at the book in her hand. ‘Is there a picture in there? I’d love to see what they looked like.’

‘Sorry, no picture. But Hamilton might have one.’

‘A sword?’

‘Maybe. But I was talking about a picture.’

Payne grunted and returned his gaze to the architecture. Without the precision of metal tools, the Maya had accomplished some amazing things. ‘For the record, I’d love to get my hands on a Mayan sword. I have a collection of ancient weapons, but nothing from this region.’

‘Really? I didn’t know that,’ she fibbed. In truth, Jones had told her all about the collection during their drive to Tulum and had encouraged her to bring it up. It was his attempt to give Payne and Maria something to talk about other than their mutual frustration. ‘I’ll tell you what I’m willing to do. If you help me find Hamilton, I’ll try to make that happen.’

Payne smiled, even though he sensed that Jones had put her up to it. But in his mind, that didn’t matter. At least she was trying.