The condor prophecy, p.14
The Condor Prophecy, page 14
part #3 of Hiram Kane Series
“Are you prepared to help when the time comes? I’d understand if you’d rather…”
“No way. I’m in this with you… as you knew I would be. In fact, why wait, why not…”
“No. Sonco is with us, and it’s the way it has to be. Got it?” He didn’t like to talk to Alex in such a harsh way, but he had no choice. He knew she’d understand, and she did, nodding her assent. “Go back to camp as if nothing has happened. You have to. Evan knows what to do.” Kane looked into Ridley’s eyes and saw no fear there. What he saw were anger and courage. He had a sudden urge to lean over and kiss her, but thought better of it and instead said simply and with an encouraging nod, “Go.”
Kane waited thirty seconds, then followed Ridley back to camp, ignoring her as he passed and continuing along the trail south for a few hundred yards. Just as he had before, he found a hidden spot and waited for Evan. Three minutes later and his old friend came into view, apprehension evident on his face. Kane emitted a low whistle and caught Evan’s attention, and like he had with Ridley, explained the situation to his uncomprehending friend.
“It must be a joke, right? Right? Hiram?” He saw no humour in his friend’s eyes. “I mean, you can’t be serious. Terrorists? For what organisation?”
“They’re a splinter group of hard right fundamentalist Catholics. There are rumours of an upsurge in Inca power, and we believe they will do what it takes to stop them. I’ve never heard of an Inca Uprising before, but John Haines has and he’s certain this is what it is. And now I’m certain too. We need to stop them, and we need to do it tonight.”
Evan shook his head, dumbstruck, and Kane appraised his friend. Evan was in shock. “Listen, I know you’re having trouble believing me, and I agree it sounds too crazy to be true. But we have to assume John is right. If we don’t, and something bad happens to Alex, or you or John, I’d never forgive myself. And I know you’d rather take the diplomatic route, try and avoid violence, but we can’t risk it, we…”
“But Kate… Kate seems so nice, I can’t believe…”
“I know, I know. It doesn’t seem possible, does it? But if even a quarter of what we see and read in the news is true, the world of terrorism is changing fast. We have to fear the worst, but if we stick together and don’t panic, we’ll be okay. It’ll be dusk when we get to the ruins, and there’s a stone archway that leads into the complex, perhaps twenty feet long. If two of us are ahead, and two behind, and with Sonco’s porters alongside us, we can overpower them in the tunnel.”
Evan was not convinced. “We’re not soldiers, and if they’re terrorists then they must have weapons. It’s too dangerous. Why don’t we just sneak off in the night and get as far away from them as possible? That’s the smart thing to do.”
Kane agreed with Evan. They should try and escape, get his people out of harm’s way, away from danger. But… that wasn’t his nature, not anymore. He had underestimated danger once before in his life, and he wasn’t about to make that mistake again.
“You’re right. They probably have guns. But we will be ready. If we maintain ignorance to their scheme we’ll surprise them, and with a little luck it will all be over before it starts.” Kane’s eyes took on a distant look, as if lost in thought. But his gaze soon focused back on his mate, and he spoke with authority. “There’s something else. I have a responsibility to everyone on this trip. I’m in charge of this expedition, and despite the danger I will not abandon it. However, I don’t expect you or anyone else to stay, and I'd understand if you made a run for it… in fact, I encourage it.”
He meant it. This wasn’t Evan’s fight. In reality, it had nothing to do with any of them. The terrorists simply wanted the map and the treasure. The other players in this escalating narrative were an unfortunate obstacle, and though innocent, they were in the way. But as Kane looked at his old friend, a familiar look came across his face. A narrowing of the eyes, a crinkled brow and a clench of the jaw. It wasn’t a look of fear, as he might have expected, nor was it the look of a man who wasn’t scared. It was a look of defiance, and it gave Kane renewed hope.
“I’ve known you a long time, pal,” Evan said, “and I’ve never known you to let anyone down. Ever. And I won’t let you down now. Just tell me what to do."
Timing
The sun was lower in the western arc of the sky, which meant mid-afternoon and about three more hours of daylight left. Kane figured at their current rate they’d arrive at the ruins by four-thirty. Too early. He needed to slow them down a little in order to reach the archway entrance during the darkening skies of dusk. Any earlier and they’d arrive in daylight, and that would make an already dangerous surprise attack way more difficult.
Kane had encouraged Ridley, Craft and Haines to act as if everything was normal, and suggested that Evan try and engage Kate, a person who, for all they knew, was planning to kill one of them. But despite his unease, Evan gamely fell into stride alongside the pretty graduate student.
“Just another beautiful day in the Andes,” he said in the most cheery voice he could muster, “but is it me, or does everything seem uphill?” He chuckled, keeping his eyes on the path. It seemed to work.
“You know what, Evan, I think you’re right. Always up and never down.” She smiled at him, and he relaxed. He still couldn’t believe it.
“I never see you taking photos though,” she said. “Aren’t you documenting the expedition?”
“I am, but once you’ve seen an Andean mountain peak, you’ve seen them all, right?”
Kate chuckled, no suspicion evident, and they chatted more as they hiked.
Ridley wanted to mingle among the Quechuans in an effort to keep her anger hidden from the Catholics. She was still in shock about Kane’s revelation. Other than Hooper, who’d acted weird since they set out, they seemed normal, and not dangerous terrorists. The Spanish professor was quiet, a little aloof perhaps, but that just seemed his natural character. De La Cruz kept himself on the periphery of the group, and Ridley herself appreciated that. She hated false people, those who needed to fill quiet voids, needed their voices heard. She liked quiet men. The girl too seemed harmless. Calm and considerate, Ridley’s only moment of doubt about her was the over-eager question regarding the value of the treasure. That was understandable. She was young–early twenties, Ridley guessed–and why wouldn’t she be excited? They were on the verge of making history.
They had all seemed okay, at least until Kane’s shocking revelation. Now she knew the truth about them, she saw them differently. As unbelievable as it was they were dangerous criminals.
So Ridley walked among the few Quechuan porters out ahead of the main group. If she could garner some affinity between them, then it could only help Kane later. The young men were always busy with their camp duties and hauling the equipment, and until then she hadn’t had a lot to do with them, not wanting to hinder what was a difficult and demanding job. Alex knew that Kane had long admired their toughness and fortitude, and he’d told her more than once that Westerners could learn a lot from the humble and underprivileged native Andean cultures. She could see why. Shy and unassuming, they were diligent in their duties while always ready with a smile and a helping hand.
One among them though seemed more distant than the others. Sure, he smiled when she said hola, and he worked as hard as the others. But there was sadness in his eyes and his face wore a lost and vulnerable expression. Amidst all their other concerns and excitements, nobody paid the young porter any notice. Except for Ridley. She’d taken a shine to the modest kid over their days on the trail, and he always returned her smiles when they were close. Today though he seemed in a daze, as if dealing with some unseen inner turmoil.
Ridley looked at the boy named Umaq. She didn’t know what the name meant, but thought it suited him. The mestizo porter was short and lean, wiry strong, and his eyes dark and melancholy. He looked no more than eighteen, but those eyes seemed to carry in them generations of sorrow. His worn skin was the colour of raw sienna, an exotic fusion of Caucasian and Indian. But unlike the other natives Umaq didn’t seem proud. How could he, Ridley thought, with no pure and defining identity of his own, neither Andean nor European, neither Inca nor Catholic? Ridley wondered if all mixed race and cross-cultured people felt the same, especially if mixed as a result of conquest. She would never really know, but in the eyes of the harried boy before her, she thought she understood.
With a glance up Kane saw only blue skies, but he knew the light would soon fade. They were getting close to the ruins. If all had gone well for Sonco, he would already be there in hiding, waiting ready to strike. Kane still didn’t believe it. This expedition was meant to be the discovery of a lifetime, and yet because of the twisted beliefs of a few religious fanatics, it was fast unravelling into a nightmare.
Kane had always been an independent man, preferring to rely on and trust himself over anyone else, except for perhaps Sonco, and he was truly relying on Sonco Amaru now. Despite his friend’s distractedness earlier in the day, he knew the tough Quechuan would not let him down.
Timing was crucial. Too early, and Sonco might be unprepared. Too late, and darkness would hinder their plans. One more hour. That’s how long the last stretch had to take. Kane was not a spiritual man, and certainly not religious, but right now he needed some luck. Looking out into the hazy distance of the trail, casting his eye over the always majestic and powerful vistas of the sacred valley of the Incas, Kane came as close as he ever had to saying a prayer. It wasn’t a prayer in the Christian sense, rather a few words of encouragement to the Earth Goddess Pachamama, asking her to look out for a man who’d done nothing to damage her lands or its creatures, and who’d always respected the earth beneath his feet and the rocks and trees around him.
He’d been a good subject for the Earth Goddess; Kane only hoped she felt the same way.
Turmoil
Turmoil clouded Sonco Amaru’s mind. A peaceful, proud, and hard-working man, nothing made Sonco prouder than his Quechuan roots and his home and family. That was until Yupanqui gave his speech asking them to search their souls and join his Inca Uprising. All Quechuans descended from the Incas, but Sonco was content to live in the present, working hard to support his family and send his kids to school. He’d always enjoyed the traditional annual festivals and parades in Cuzco that honoured their Incan Gods, but for Sonco that was as far as it ever went.
But after hearing Yupanqui’s eloquent and engaging speech, his Quechuan pride had arisen. Yupanqui reminded him of his Inca heritage, and despite himself, Sonco felt more emotion than he believed possible. He knew about the atrocities inflicted upon his ancestors by the Spanish, all Quechuans did, and he knew the conquistadors had almost wiped the Incas from the earth.
But that was five hundred years ago, and it scarcely affected him and his life in any way. But Yupanqui had told them about the prophecies, that five hundred years after the conquistadors killed Atahualpa a new Pachacuti would emerge and make the world right again.
Whether Sonco liked it or not, Yupanqui fully believed in the prophecy, and more important than that, the man believed he himself was the chosen leader. He was a big man, and highly intelligent, and his erudite speech was full of authority. Just days ago, Sonco would have never believed an uprising was possible, but he’d heard the evidence first hand, and much as he tried to quell it, his heart soared with passion when he heard Yupanqui’s rousing words.
And Yupanqui was right. Sonco was Inca, and he had a duty, not only to honour his ancestors but to protect his family, and to quash any threat to his people. And that threat, once more, was the Catholics. Kane had asked for his help. He wasn’t sure how much Kane knew about the Inca uprising, but right now that was irrelevant. Kane and his friends were in danger from the Catholics, and he, Sonco, had to help.
Sonco found the stone archway he’d discussed with Kane, and although significantly reclaimed by nature, with thick tree roots warping the walls and stretching like writhing snakes across the trail, he knew it was the perfect spot for an ambush.
Using that burgeoning nature to his advantage, Sonco’s first task was to attach ropes to the roots and then disguise them. That would make it easier to restrain the Catholics once overpowered, though he didn’t think that would be too difficult. An old man, a skinny woman, and a weak writer were hardly an elite fighting force. But Sonco prepared himself anyway. He had his trusty machete tucked into his belt, he’d secured the ropes, and hidden them, and he’d arranged a stash of fist-sized rocks to use as weapons if needed. And above all else, and thinking back to what Yupanqui had said and what he himself already knew, the Gods were on their side.
And with Pachamama and Inti watching over them, they couldn’t lose.
Untitled
“Are you ready?” asked De La Cruz, his tone stern.
“Yes. It will be done,” replied Hooper, surprised he’d been addressed directly by the Spaniard. Edgewood was the usual mouthpiece, and Howie knew it meant things were getting serious. He met eyes with his leader. “I won’t fail again.”
“We don’t have time for failure. Once he is out of the way, and then the others, nothing will stop us achieving our goal.” The professor gazed out across the horizon, a vacant look on his face as if seeing far beyond the rugged line of the mountains and further still, right into the many cities of Tawantinsuyu, the four corners of the Inca Empire. “These lands… they will be ours again. The land is too good and too rich for these pagan heathens. We will again control it all, and from here we’ll rule an entire continent.”
Hooper knew he was expendable, and if he didn’t succeed in his next task he probably wouldn’t leave the Andes alive. The Spaniard was not a physical specimen, but he had about him a presence, some inner power that De La Cruz himself believed was God given. Hooper’s friend Ferdinand Benedix was the only other person he knew who carried such a presence, and the two of them, Benedix alongside De La Cruz, made a formidable partnership.
The Eagle Alliance was a relatively unknown organisation on the world stage, and Howie himself knew little of its reach. But one thing Hooper did know was that with those two passionate and loyal fundamentalists in charge, they would stop at nothing to achieve their targets. He didn’t even know what their ultimate goals were and only knew his minor part in it. Ferdinand had tasked him to help De La Cruz secure the Inca’s lost treasure in whatever way the Spaniard asked of him, and after that, quash the Inca uprising. With the arrogance of Benedix and the unflinching belief of De La Cruz in the Catholic’s moral right to rule, Hooper wouldn’t be surprised if they were planning to take over the world. The thought made him smile inwardly. At least he thought it was inwards.
“Is this funny to you?” questioned the Spaniard. “A joke? If I were you,” he said in flawless English, “I’d wipe that amateur smile off your face and focus on your job. This mission is far greater than either you or me.” The professor stared so long and with such intent at Hooper that the American’s throat went dry, and the smile slipped away. De La Cruz had just five more words. “Failure is not an option.”
Hooper didn’t miss the undisguised threat.
Other than his harsh words with Hooper, Angelo De La Cruz looked as if he were on a leisurely walk in the woods. He appeared so calm, in fact, that anyone who didn’t know better could never have guessed his odious intentions. He was that calm because he had total faith that the mission didn’t rely on the work of men, or in this case, of two men and a woman. They had their part to play, but the true destiny was in God’s hands. However, if they played their parts well, not only would God be grateful, but He would grant them even more Earthly power to carry out His will.
And His will, De La Cruz knew, was to destroy all infidels.
They would start with the Inca.
Danger at Dusk
Sonco sat silent and motionless, the only sounds the slight whispering of leaves and a few chirping birds, readying their mates for the evening roost.
And then a voice.
With a tilt of his head towards the sound, he strained his ears, and Sonco was in no doubt he’d heard Kane’s deep voice. And it wasn’t far away. This is it, he thought. He estimated that Kane was still a ten-minute walk away, but he was ready. Halfway into the arched entrance to the city was a deep set niche, in which for a long time had once sat an Inca idol, guarding the city's entrance. Now though, it was a perfect place for Sonco to hide, and ready himself to ambush the Catholics. He edged his robust body far back into that dark niche, and knew he couldn’t be seen until it was too late. He expected that if possible Kane would lead the Catholics through the narrow passageway together, and if he did so, Sonco felt sure that with a couple of quick commands to his team of porters, they could overpower them with ease.
Kane was close. Just a few more minutes and they’d be within site of the ancient stone ruins he knew were ahead. There weren’t any insignificant Inca ruins, Kane believed, and all were important in their own way. But these were not, as he had told them, related to Vilcabamba, and the others had no reason to disbelieve him. To let the group know they were close, he called out aloud. “Almost there,” he shouted, “Just five more minutes,” but the volume was for Sonco’s benefit more than for theirs. He also clung onto just a little hope that, misguided as it was, despite their heinous plans the Catholics may actually get caught up in the excitement at being at the outskirts of the lost city, and delay their murderous schemes for a while. Using surprise to his advantage, Kane would capitalise on their awe.
A dusky gloom descended fast, and any residual natural light barely filtered through the trees above. Kane had timed their arrival to perfection. Leading the single file procession on, he focused his eyes ahead, and just as he knew it would be, the stone structure appeared out of the falling darkness.
