"Well, that was awful," Sean said as he stepped out of the car. He stretched his arms up as far as he could to the night sky. "Next time, we definitely hire a plane."
"I'll second that," Reece said. "Was wondering why you didn't get us a plane. Don't you guys do that all the time?"
"With everything going on back home, I thought it might be best if we stayed on the ground while we're here," Tommy said.
The drive to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park took them close to thirty hours, and that was driving in shifts — almost nonstop.
En route, Tommy called a hotel in Alice Springs and arranged for rooms. They still had three or four hours of daylight when they arrived, but after a long trip — a quarter of which was at night — they'd need a soft bed and some good rest.
The sun beat down from the western sky. The hottest part of the day had passed, and things would start to cool significantly as dusk set in. Reece had warned the others they'd need to leave the park before it got dark because they were unprepared for the conditions, which could be chilly at times.
Uluru rose from the plains, challenging the sun as it dipped lower in the sky. Sean had always wanted to visit the famed Ayers Rock, but this was as close as he'd get on this trip. They had to figure out what Mathews had hidden at Kata Tjuta. After all, a woman's life possibly hung in the balance.
"The trail's over here," Reece said, pointing beyond a wooden fence and a sign that warned people not to take photos.
"What's with the no-camera rule?" Adriana asked.
"It's a sacred Aboriginal place, this. We're lucky to still be allowed to visit it. Aborigines believe that rock formations are ancestors or even deities."
A reverent silence overtook the group for a moment.
Reece looked around at everyone. "I didn't say we shouldn't go in. Come on. We're burning daylight here."
He traipsed ahead and onto the path. The Americans shared a short chuckle and then followed after.
The trail wound through the flats surrounding the massive rock formations, bending around brush and small boulders. After several minutes, it straightened out and grew wider the closer it got to Kata Tjuta.
"You have to be careful out here," Reece warned as the group neared the three big rocks. "Nasty snakes and spiders in this part of the country." His comment seemed directed at Adriana.
"You don't have to worry about me," she said. "It's these two you need to warn. They'll freak out at the first sight of anything slithery or creepy."
Reece boomed a laugh that echoed off the sandstone monoliths.
"Not true," Sean said. "So long as the spiders and snakes are a good distance away—"
"And dead," Tommy finished.
"Right. Then we're okay."
"I'd be more worried about Sean climbing that rock right there." Tommy pointed at the giant stone to the left.
Sean stopped in mid-stride. "Wait a minute," he said. "The riddle claimed the clue was at the bottom of the chasm. Not at the top. We won't be doing any climbing today… I hope." He muttered the last two words to himself.
Sean's fear of heights had been well documented over the years. He wasn't sure where it had started, but it was something that had dogged him his entire life. Whenever he found himself somewhere more than twenty or thirty feet up, his muscles froze, and he could barely find the courage to move.
"I doubt we'll have to climb," Adriana said, coming to his anxiety's rescue. "Like you said, the riddle is very clear about the location of whatever it is we're supposed to find."
"Maybe we should go ahead and hike to the top anyway," Tommy prodded. "You know, for the exercise? Or maybe the view is worth the climb. I bet you can see hundreds of miles up there."
"Okay, I get it, Tommy. Let's all poke fun at the guy who's afraid of heights. Be careful what you ask for. If we have to hike to the top of that thing, guess who's going to pass out on the way up."
"Here we go again. I'll have you know, I've been going to the gym a lot more lately."
"Taking a spin class?"
"Yes… no!" He tried to correct himself, but it was too late.
Reece stopped and looked back at Tommy. "A spin class? You take a spin class?"
Tommy sighed. "Yes, okay. It's good exercise, and I'm trying to get in shape."
"So you pay someone to tell you how to ride a bicycle that isn't going anywhere?"
"Yes, now can we please just keep going? We need to hurry if we're going to get back by nightfall."
"All right, Tom. Relax. We've got plenty of time."
Reece led the way through the last bend in the trail. At the base of the mountainous rocks, the visitors were able to truly appreciate just how overwhelmingly enormous the formations were.
"I can see why ancient people would have had such respect for these things," Adriana said. "They dominate the landscape."
"Yeah," Reece agreed. "They're big 'uns." He pointed to the left. "Let's keep moving."
They marched for another five minutes until they reached the wide gap between the center rock formation and the one farthest to the north. A dry wind rolled across the plains and kicked up spurts of dust.
"I have to ask," Reece said, "do you guys have any idea what we're looking for? I mean in general, not just here. It's just that, I see why we're here at this place. We're looking for a treasure map or something. But what's the treasure?"
Sean and Tommy exchanged glances. Sean answered first. "Honestly, we're not real sure about that. For that Mathews guy to go to so much trouble looking for it and set up this elaborate crumb trail, though, I'd say it's gotta be significant."
"Yup," Reece agreed. "I was thinking the same thing."
"Don't you think that's something we should start considering?" Adriana asked. "I've been wondering the same thing. What if we find it but don't know what it is we've found?"
"I suspect," Tommy said, "that when we discover whatever it is, we'll know it."
"I hope you're right," Reece huffed. He stopped at the opening. "This is where the clue said to go." He pointed into the chasm between the big rock formations. "So keep your eyes open."
Tommy pulled out his phone and looked at the riddle again. "It says something about rivers marking the way. Are there any rivers here?"
Reece's head slowly twisted back and forth. "Nope. Afraid not, mate."
Tommy jerked back. "Wait. Then how is this the right place?"
"Rock art, Tom. Be on the lookout for drawings on the stone. I suspect that's what the riddle means."
"Oh. Yeah. I knew that," he lied. "Rock art and snakes. Got it."
"Actually, even though Australia has some of the most venomous snakes in the world, it's pretty rare when they bite a human."
"Pretty rare?" Sean asked with a twinge of apprehension.
"Yeah. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. Usually when someone is drunk and showing off for a friend. Or sometimes when people are somewhere they shouldn't be."
"Like a rock canyon in the middle of the Australian outback?"
"Don't worry," Reece said. "We won't see any snakes. And if you do, just shoot it." He flashed a wink and loosened the pistol in his holster. He trudged ahead without looking back.
"That doesn't exactly instill a bunch of confidence, does it?" Tommy asked.
"Nope," Sean said.
Adriana shook her head and walked by the two friends. "Catch up, you two. Want me to hold your hand?"
"Technically," Sean said, "it's okay if she holds my hand." He followed close behind her, leaving Tommy alone at the mouth of the chasm.
"Just being safe is all," Tommy said to himself. "I like to be prepared. Nothing wrong with that."
Something twitched in the bushes twenty feet away. A shiver shot up his spine, and he hurried ahead to catch up.
The visitors stepped into the shade of the huge sandstone. Within the narrow confines of the chasm, the temperature felt noticeably cooler — at least by two or three degrees. The opening between the two rocks was fifteen feet or so at its narrowest point, but widened to thirty or more at its broadest.