Pacho climbed the staircase and moved closer for a better look. "We can't use the tractor here. We'll have to find another way to remove it."
"Do you have any ideas?"
"We've got explosives and tools." Pacho put his hands on his hips. "But I'd rather stay away from those things. Maybe we'll get lucky and it'll be easier to move than we think."
"I—"
A high-pitched shriek rang out. I twisted around. Emily knelt at the top of the stairs, bashing the sides of her fists against the ground.
"You can't have it," she shouted. "I found it."
I started toward her. Then I heard faint scuffling noises.
"Hey," Pacho shouted. "Watch—"
He flew past me and lost his balance. His back struck a large stock block. His skull cracked against the surface.
With a thunderous bang, the block's front end dropped a couple of feet. It slid away from me, taking Pacho with it.
What the …?
I reversed course and darted toward him.
The block hurtled down a hidden descending ramp. It passed underneath the slab and slipped into a dark void. Seconds later, it smashed into rock.
The ground shook as I leapt onto the ramp. The slab started to shudder. Too late, I realized it wasn't another plug.
It was a gate.
I sprinted toward the void. But the slab slammed to the ground before I could reach it, cutting me off from Pacho.
I skidded to a halt. "Pacho," I shouted. "Can you hear me?"
There was no response. Frantically, I began pushing the slab, testing it for weaknesses.
Beverly sprinted toward me. "What happened?"
I glanced at Emily. Her eyes looked unfocused. Her fists were covered in blood. My gaze flitted to Miranda. Her face was white. Her eyes were fixed on the trap. Something about the entire situation bothered me, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.
"It's a cage trap," I said. "When the block slid down here, it must've knocked out a support structure. That caused the slab to fall."
"But how'd the block slide so fast?" Beverly asked.
"I think I know." I exhaled a long breath. "It looks like Hunahpu figured out how to use wheels after all."
Chapter 63
"Watch out." A buzzing noise and clouds of dust greeted me as I shoved my way to the front of the crowd.
Graham, protected by safety goggles and a respirator, knelt in front of the slab gate. His gloved hands grasped a small handheld circular saw. The diamond-encrusted blade shrieked as it chewed through the rock. It was making progress. Unfortunately, that progress was far too slow.
"Dutch."
He applied additional pressure to the blade. More dust kicked into the air. It permeated the entire passage.
I waved it away from my face. "Turn it off," I shouted.
He flicked a switch on the circular saw and the blade stopped spinning. His head twisted toward me.
"We need to try something else," I said.
"Like what?"
"Like this." The small crowd parted as Beverly hustled off the stairs. She held a small block of yellow material in one hand and a blasting cap in the other one.
"Is that semtex?" Graham asked.
She nodded. "I would've preferred ammonium nitrate. But this is all Emily brought."
I ran to the slab and pressed my ear against it. I didn't hear anything. Either Pacho was unconscious or the slab was thick enough to block sound.
I cupped my hands around my mouth. "Get back," I yelled at the top of my lungs, "We're going to try to crack this rock open."
Rigoberta stormed down the ramp and grabbed my arm. Her grip felt weak. "You can't do that."
"We don't have a choice," I said.
"But you'll kill him."
"If we don't get him out of there fast, he's dead anyway."
"What are you talking about?"
I pointed at the slab. "It's a nearly airtight fit. His oxygen is probably running out as we speak."
She gave me a helpless look. Then she retreated up the ramp.
"Everyone come with me," Miranda shouted. "Give them space to work."
As the others exited the room, I twisted around and watched Beverly secure a small piece of semtex as well as a blasting cap to the slab. She seemed to have things well in hand.
I studied the trap. The floor block had most likely been outfitted with axles and thick stone wheels. Then it had been carefully balanced on the hidden ramp, with small protruding rocks supporting its far end. The slab, which was far longer than it had first appeared, had been secured inside notches and held aloft by a support structure.
When Pacho had fallen on the block, his extra weight had caused the protruding rocks to break away. The block fell onto the ramp. Aided by gravity and the wheels, it had rolled forward.
As it passed underneath the slab, it had knocked away the support structure. The slab, controlled by the guiding notches, had fallen straight down, trapping him in the room.
It was devilishly simple, yet sturdy as hell. It hadn't depended on ropes or other easily perishable materials. Instead, it had been deliberately constructed to last the test of time.
"I'm ready," Beverly said.
"Get back," I shouted to Pacho one more time for good measure. "And try to get behind something."
Beverly unwound a long wire. It connected the blasting cap to a small device in her hand. I followed her up the ramp and down the steps. We met Graham at the bottom of the staircase.
Graham knelt down and pushed his hands against his ears.
I crouched down and covered my ears as well.
Beverly studied the device. Then she pressed a button. A loud boom split the air. Smoke and dust curled toward us. I didn't bother waiting for the particles to dissipate. Instead, I climbed the steps and ran forward.
Multiple cracks lined the slab. Large chunks of stone had been ripped out of it. But the explosion hadn't destroyed it completely.
"Pacho?" I called out.
When he didn't respond, I dug into the rubble. Beverly and Graham joined me and we started breaking away sections of the fractured slab.
I found a weak spot. Lying down, I kicked at it with both feet. It held firm for the first three blows. Then my right foot crunched through the slab. With Graham's help, I pulled away a giant piece of broken stone. The cage's dark interior appeared.
I started to enter it, but a lack of breathing air slowed me up. Pulling out my flashlight, I aimed it into the cage. Inside, I saw Pacho. He lay motionless on the block. Underneath the block, I caught a glimpse of wheels.
I grabbed Pacho's shoulders. Carefully, I hauled him out of the cage and set him gently on the ramp. Then I removed his respirator.
Dr. Wu appeared. He sprinted to Pacho and checked the man's pulse. His eyes narrowed.
I placed the heel of my right hand on Pacho's chest. Then I put my left hand on top of it and interlaced my fingers. I gave him thirty quick chest compressions.
Dr. Wu tilted Pacho's head back and lifted his chin. After sealing his nose, the doc gave him two rescue breaths and lowered an ear to his mouth.
I gave him thirty more compressions. Dr. Wu gave him two more breaths and rechecked his breathing.
We tried again. And again. And yet again.
Dr. Wu cleared his throat. "I think—"
"Again," I said.
We performed a few more CPR cycles. Then Beverly touched my hands. Gently, she removed them from Pacho's chest.
As I sank onto the ramp, I saw Miranda standing a short distance away. Her eyes were dry. Her face had regained its color. I didn't have to tell her anything. She already knew it.
Jacinto Pacho was dead.
Chapter 64
Miranda didn't like guns. She detested violence. And she'd attended dozens of anti-war marches in her life. She'd never considered herself capable of hurting anyone. But none of that mattered now. Whether she liked it or not, she was a murderer.