both of them weird expressions, as it seemed Danny was escorting some criminal. Jason noticed their looks, winking at them as he passed them by.
After a few hours in the air they landed in Cancun, the closest airport to Chichen Itza. On their arrival, they were met by a local guide, just as Matt had told them. Their guide was a short, skinny man going by the name of Andreas. Their guide escorted them to a Toyota pickup and began the long journey to the campsite near Osario.
The weather was quite hot but had a cool breeze blowing in from the west. Jason rode in front, feet on the dashboard, and with his Colt on his lap. Andreas kept his eye on the road and at the same time was also nervously keeping an eye on Jason and the gun he had. Danny saw the tension in Andreas face, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.
Danny said, “it’s okay Andreas. Agent Mallock here is the person you would want with you if trouble arises. Don’t be taken back by his looks and behavior.”
Jason turned around. “Hey! What’s wrong with my looks and behavior?”
They drove for another hour, when Andreas took a left turn into the jungle. He slowly drove for another half hour over a bumpy road when finally he stopped, not able to go any further.
All three men stepped out of the vehicle and stretched their legs. Andreas went to the rear of the pick-up and put on a backpack he had brought with him. The sun was slowly disappearing and would be dark soon. In the other hand, he held a large flashlight, ready to use as soon as it got dark.
“The trail ends here. We continue on foot now,” he said.
Danny and Jason collected their gear and asked.
“How far is the campsite?”
The guide smiled.
“Oh…. maybe two miles or so,” he said, pointing his flashlight in the direction they will be heading.
Danny turned to Jason.
“I should have come in my damn hiking gear instead of this three hundred dollar suit.”
“Why do you think I never wear one? We’re mostly out in the field, not in an office behind a desk,” said Jason.
They caught up with Andreas, who was nearly out of sight. The jungle around them was thick with trees and bush. Andreas stopped, waiting for them to catch up, knowing the jungle was not a safe place to be after the sun went down.
Danny almost lost his footing a few times. But Jason kept a strong pace, only a few feet behind the guide. They had been walking for nearly forty minutes, when up ahead they could see the campsite fire flickering beyond the trees. Not wanting to startle the people at the site, Andreas called out to them from twenty yards away. Immediately two local workers came rushing in their direction with loaded shotguns. One of them fired a warning shot into the air. Jason was the first to react. He had his Colt aimed directly at one of the oncoming men. Jason was ready to shoot if they fired a shot in his direction. Even in darkness, Jason rarely misses his target. Some people swear he has the ability to see in total darkness.
Andreas frantically waves his arms, shouting out to the two men in their native tongue. Recognizing his voice, the two armed men wave them on in. Danny was relieved to see Andreas shaking hands with the two men. The guide then waved Danny and Jason to come forward and introduced them to his friends. Jason stepped forward and shook the hand of the person who fired the warning shot. He tightened his grip, forcing the man to his knees.
Towering over him, he said, “not many people tend to make it out alive after they fire a shot in my direction! Lucky you shot the other way.”
Danny intervened, calming Jason down, loosening his grip.
“Hey! Take it easy Jason. They’re just protecting the camp site.”
Jason pulled the man to his feet, then let go of his hand.
Andreas stepped forward.
“Come, I take you to Miss Helen now.”
They followed him another forty yards to one of the larger tents which were lit up from inside. They could clearly see the movement of