Once clear of potential hazards Dale's self-control failed and he almost collapsed in pain. His body throbbed and pounded in places he didn't know existed and his headache rivalled anything he had ever experienced before.

He needed painkillers and lots of them.

'So, what are you involved in?' asked Sean as they neared his car.

'Nothing,'moaned Dale as he sank to the ground near the front wheel of the taxi.

'Come on. I may be a pimply teenager, but I'm not stupid. You were being followed and it can't have been a coincidence that the boat blew up right when you were about to step foot onto the deck,' said Sean as he passed a bottle of water and four Panadeine Forte to Dale.

He swallowed the large dose quickly, not bothering to ask why this young man travelled with a complete emergency kit, clothing and painkillers.

'You're right. I'm on a mission but the destruction of the boat was a large setback that my body's not likely to recover from in a hurry,' replied Dale, feeling somewhat deflated. This was a major impediment to his plans and he was temporarily at a loss as to what to do next. Deep in thought, Dale almost missed what Sean said next.

'I've got the registration number of the car the detective arrived in.'

Sean repeated himself again after receiving no response.

'I've got the registration number of the car the detective arrived in.'

'What did you say?' replied Dale as he broke his reverie and tilted his head in Sean's direction.

'I've got the registration number of the car the detective arrived in,' grinned Sean.

'Why didn't you say so before?' chuckled Dale as he punched Sean joyfully on the arm.

Sean beamed from ear to ear as Dale rang Antony Larrami and ran the registration plate through the database. He came up trumps. The vehicle belonged to Michael Brewner, an ex Navy Seal, and was sold to him by a man by the name of Rossler Townsend with an address just outside of Campeche. Dale grinned. He was pleased on two accounts; one by the offer of a helicopter from Antony and two, the added proof that Antony was not on Arun's payroll.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN.

Even Georgio's masterful driving skills did not ease the rough half a mile distance between the relative security of the ancient Mayan road and the well-worn tourist route. Without stable footings, the four wheel drive bravely battled the unpredictable landscape but occasionally succumbed to an overgrown tree root and steep hill. Twice they ended up winching themselves to safety and three times they were struck by impervious tree branches. Adam instinctively ducked as a side window was shattered and the front passenger door received a sharp blow that would require more than a panel beater to repair. He also managed to be thrown forward, coming in close contact with the back of Caton's undesirable bald head.

Even after a few conversations with him and admitting that he did have a charming smile and ready wit, Adam was no closer to liking Caton. There was something about him that did not sit right. For one thing, his bald head was too polished, his eyebrows too plucked and his muscles too toned and it did not stretch the imagination to see him at a gym, honing his persona in front of a mirror. Even the white veneered teeth hinted at a person trying to hide their true character.

Unfortunately Adam had no evidence of which to warn Georgio against someone he had known for years.

'We're almost there!' shouted Gillian suddenly.

'How can you tell? It's still dark,' responded Adam.

'Well, for one thing, there's a sign and we've also passed a couple of ruins,' replied Gillian as Caton chuckled in amusement.

'You could try paying attention,' Caton replied, his tone condescending with an edge of belittling humour.

Adam gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in fury. He was normally a mild-mannered person, but right at that moment, he would have loved to have punched Caton in his pearly whites. He did not appreciate being made fun of in front of Gillian.

He glanced at her, relieved to notice that she was too busy paying attention to a small animal that had crossed their path to hear a word Caton had said.

'Okay, guys. This is as far as we can go by vehicle,' advised Georgio as they pulled up in the vacant car park just outside the entrance complete with ticket box and gate.

'At least we don't have to pay,' laughed Gillian as she gestured to the five dollar entrance fee before walking into the park.

'I wonder what Kinix would say if he knew this magnificent place had been reduced to a mere tourist attraction,' muttered Adam as he looked about.

Once again, they were fortunate to discover that the storm had passed and the night stars shone brightly through the remaining wisps of cloud. This was beneficial whilst they meandered through Palenque's main plaza, but as soon as Gillian led them into the unexcavated western region, the oppressive canopy of lush forest blocked out any possible light.

They turned the torches on.

'Why are we going this way?' asked Caton, suddenly quiet as a couple of owls hooted nearby in the trees.

The whole effect was rather eerie. The filtering spread of light wove through the branches and only the rush of water from Palenque's streams and the rustle of animals could be heard. It did not take much stretch of the imagination for Adam to envisage the thousands of dead souls whose homes he now trespassed through and bring it to life in his mind. What a glorious place this would have once been. The jungle had reclaimed what was once its own and the masterpieces of construction were no more than unrecognisable crumbling ruins.

Unlike the area surrounding the main plaza, which consisted of the later buildings of the Temple of the Foliated Cross Group and the Temple of Inscriptions, built about 700 AD, the western area of Palenque consisted of much older, inferior construction. It had not survived in the same condition and now posed a hazard to those walking through without the benefit of full daylight. Thankfully Gillian knew her way around.

'You're better than a GPS,' joked Caton as he followed Gillian step for step through the thick undergrowth. Adam was third in line and Georgio took up the rear.

'I've been here before, years ago when I was involved in the Palenque mapping project. We explored the outer regions of Palenque to more accurately determine the age and history of this city. Unlike other Mayan superpowers like Tikal or Copan, Palenque is considerably smaller but more elaborate. It is also quite possibly older than we expected. The first king we have been able to establish is K'uk B'alam who resided between 431435, but it appears that the area we are about to arrive at, the Olvidado Group, easily predates this time and consists of ten structures and four wide platforms that were ceremonial, not residential. This would have been the major centre of Palenque at the time Kinix would have visited and is consistent with his painting and scriptures.

'That's great, Gillian. I just want to get there and find the clue we're searching for,' muttered Caton, 'so, let's stop the chitter chatter and get a move on.'

The entire group fell silent for a few minutes.

Adam scowled, 'Who told you we were searching for a clue?'

Caton did not reply.

'I'm sure I've mentioned it,' responded Georgio with a barely detectible hesitation as Gillian pretended to be ignorant of the tension and gaily announced their impending arrival.

'This is the last crossing,' she advised as Adam jumped the small spring-fed stream with joyful enthusiasm, stumbling ungainly on the far bank and twisting his ankle. Caton laughed as did Georgio.

'Come on, Adam. We still have work to do. This is no time to injure yourself,' added Georgio as Gillian turned back and checked on Adam in concern.

'Are you all right?' she asked.

Adam smiled his thanks. He had just caught his foot on a loose rock, jerking his ankle outward, but any damage was minimal. He smiled as his heart flipped with joy at her concern.

Adam hurried to follow her lead up the bank and through the last 1000 feet of ruins to the distinctive stepped pyramid.

'It's a stretch to see the resemblance of this run-down disaster to the glorious painting that adorned my walls for years,' mused Adam as he shone his torch upon the large construction that had been built without the use of wheels or horses.

'Fifteen hundred years do take their toll, you know. I'd think that this building looks considerably better than you would if you'd been here for that long,' teased Gillian as a large shadow leapt unexpectedly from the shadows.

Gillian's ear piercing scream broke the silence, startling the bats and owls in the trees above. This created pandemonium as a sheet of black encroached on the group from above at the same time that the sleek, streamlined shadow pounced for Georgio. Adam did not know how to react. His first response was to run, escape from the problem, but Gillian's continuing panic forced him to react. A quick glance over his shoulder revealed that Caton was scrambling up the side of the pyramid and Georgio was on his back, stabbing upwards. They were battling for their lives, waging war against a creature that was far more powerful and adept to fighting than they were.

They were failing.

The jaguars were hungry, spurred on by the excitement of the chase and the smell of fear and sweat from the victims, but they did not growl, nor did they strike with the intent to kill. It was as if they first intended to play before they attacked.

Adam did not know what to do. They all needed him, but he could not be in three places at once. He sized up the situation at hand and quickly came to the conclusion that Gillian was most at risk. She had her back up against a tree with the cat only three feet away. Its cold, malicious eyes gazed at her like a lamb to the slaughter and the lips were drawn back to reveal a horrendously sharp set of canines. The rippling muscles under the glossy black coat were taut and poised to spring like an overstretched bow and Adam knew Gillian would be ripped to shreds.

There was no bloody way that he was going to lose her now.

Adam felt fear rise into his throat. His heart pounded at a hundred miles an hour and he was overwhelmed by a dizziness that began to cloud reality and his senses. If he had the option of an immediate out, he would probably take it, but there was no such luxury available to him. The three jaguars were intent on obtaining an easy meal and once they were finished with Gillian, Georgio and Caton, they would come for him. A mental check of the items he carried with him did not prove to be fruitful and he did not possess any added benefit such as speed or strength. In short, he was sunk.

'Oh, fuck!' he swore loudly as he reacted on impulse and jumped from behind the rock and out into the open.

The jaguars reacted instantly, turning and growling in such fury that even Adam gasped. Their teeth, eyes and claws brought forth images of possessed animals portrayed in horror movies, and despite his best efforts, Adam felt as if his legs had grown roots. He was unable to move until they flew at him like unified murderous machines intent on annihilation at which time he literally panicked and ran.

Unfortunately his short-lived bravado had long vanished and Adam reverted to basic instinct. He had little time to stop and contemplate his actions, to determine what would be the most effective in deterring the animals. Nothing of any use came to mind, forcing him to rely on increased adrenaline and mother nature's most potent force survival instinct.

Adam wanted to live. Death here was simply not an option and he would do whatever it took to ensure he lived a full and satisfying life. For heaven's sake, he hadn't even witnessed the pleasure of a permanent relationship.

Adam sensed the jaguars were just about upon him. He could smell their nearness, the sweat on their coats and the strong scent of saliva.

He did not have long.

They were ready to leap when he ducked and threw himself onto his stomach, the unexpected action not giving them enough time to alter their chosen path.

The three animals collided into each other midair, landing heavily on Adam's back, forcing the air brutally from his lungs. Adam groaned in agony and gasped desperately whilst the unbearable weight seemed to compress his bones to a fraction of their former size. He felt sure that if he was not crushed to death in the next couple of moments, he would surely be eaten as soon as they clambered to their feet.

Unfortunately he did not have to contemplate his future actions as the ground gave way beneath him, plunging him into an unforgiving, devastating darkness with nothing to stop his freefall.

Panic overwhelmed him and his life flashed before his eyes. The way he saw it, he was falling to his death and if there was any chance of survival, it was thwarted by the jaguars that were plummeting at the same rate just above him.

Even if he did make it to the bottom in one piece, the jaguars would consume him at the first opportunity, so whichever way he looked at it, he was done for.

Adam was desperate to come up with a plan, but he was plummeting too fast and the lack of opportunity to grab any protrusion passed him by. He was left with little choice but to close his eyes and wait for the impact that would shatter him beyond recognition.

He regretted not even having time to mourn his own passing when he hit water with a resounding splash, quickly followed by three others.

Adam gasped for breath, but the water drew him under like a suction cup, pulling his body away from the giver of life oxygen. He began to feel disorientated and dizzy, the fear of being crushed upon the rocks or devoured by jaguars suddenly the furthest thing from his mind. All he wanted was to breathe, to draw in that sweet air, but it didn't come. He started losing the will to survive.

Adam was being pulled deeper and deeper with no respite. In the furthest recesses of his mind, he felt the presence of another being which was obviously one of the jaguars, but Adam did not care. He was beyond caring, beyond worrying what would happen to him. He was waiting for it to be over, but just as he started to drift away, he was ejected like an unwelcome visitor onto a tiny underground beach.

The breath he took was the most pleasurable sensation he had ever experienced.

Adam lay gasping like a fish for a few moments, experiencing a range of extreme emotions that were unfamiliar to him. The absolute relief that he had survived was overwhelmed by the fear of being somewhere in the bowels of the earth with no obvious way of escape. To make matters worse, he heard an unmistakable, familiar sound and quickly flicked the switch of the waterproof torch that hung around his neck. The sight of a familiar shadow dancing around the walls caused him to gasp in fear. The fluid, stalking motion and slight flicker of a slender tail left no room for imagination and Adam quickly realised he was the prey.

Damn those bloody things. At least one beast had survived and recovered much quicker than he had dreamed possible. He was exhausted and his body ached in spots he did not know existed. He also knew that he had no viable stores of energy in reserve to protect himself, so whatever he could dredge out of his diminished brain capacity had to require little to no physical effort. With an unbelievable amount of exertion and intensity, Adam clicked his brain into another gear.

Whilst his body was failing him, his mind had received an injection of adrenaline, forcing it into life. It was as if the cobwebs had been cleaned out and he had one hundred per cent clarity.

He hurriedly scanned the room, fully aware that the light of the torch was attracting the attention of the jaguar, but he deemed it necessary to understand the position he was in.

The cave was long and narrow with a beach that ran fifty feet along one side. It had a high roof, but there were no stalactites evident, nor were there any overly damp walls. It was reasonably fresh with a faint breeze as the fast-running underground stream whooshed over the series of cascades before being forced through a narrow exit. There were also a number of large rocks and a small amount of debris that had washed up on the beach, but nothing that was of any use to him.

It quickly became clear that there was no ready escape route, leaving little option but to fight. Adam had to be smarter than the cat.

He switched off the light and waited.

Common sense told him that the jaguar was far more adept to taking its prey by surprise and the rushing noise of the stream did not help his cause. He had no idea of telling when it would approach him, so he turned the torch on again.

The jaguar was standing directly in front of him, no more than three feet away.

Its teeth were bared.

Adam yelled.

The jaguar pounced.

Adam was forced onto his back as he felt a tooth sink into his arm. The pain was excruciating and he felt as if he would pass out, but his survival instinct kicked in and he battled the ferocious head in an attempt to reach the eyes.

It bit again, only this time it just missed, catching the top of his shirt. Adam took advantage and groped for tender flesh, quickly finding the eye. He plunged his fingers deep into the iris and felt the jelly burst and run down his hands. It was absolutely disgusting, but the cat howled in agony and pulled away.

It rolled its head and pawed furiously at the devastated tissue, giving Adam the advantage of the temporary distraction and allowing him to jump to his feet, locate a rock and slam it hard onto the jaguar's head. The great beast attempted to react, but it was unsteady and completely overwhelmed by pain to be of any consequence. With a complete lack of dignity, it stumbled and fell forward into the fast-running stream, disappearing amidst the white wash before resurfacing momentarily only to be dragged into oblivion.

Adam did not know how to react. One side of him was relieved, but without the threat of the jaguar to occupy his mind, the reality of his situation began to dawn on him. He was underground, presumed dead with no obvious way of escape and the way he saw it, there were only two alternatives available to him: wither and die underground which was what his parents would expect of him, or look for an escape route.

He was a new man, a survivor, and there was no way that he was going to give up now despite the fact that he knew it was unlikely that Georgio or Gillian would have time to look for him. They had a time limit to stick to and he was only one in comparison to the archaeologists and Gillian's fiance.

Adam felt a twinge of jealousy. He knew without a doubt that he was falling for Gillian and he suffered an unusual mix of bewilderment and disgust. He took pride in his morals and strength and could not believe he had such feelings towards a woman who was already involved. He feared his reaction when the time came to save her fiance and the joyful reunion that would undoubtedly follow. Adam suffered a moment of temporary insanity when he contemplated sabotaging the quest before his conscience gave him a swift kick in the butt.

He was a bloody fool, but then these were unusual circumstances.

Adam moved in an orderly manner across the outer walls, noting that they were smooth and of natural formation, but there was also the occasional puzzling inconsistency. Whereas the majority of the grain ran in a horizontal manner, there were a number of fingernail size cracks that progressed vertically up as far as Adam could see. This was unusual indeed and without the agony and bruises that were overwhelming him, he would have climbed to investigate the irregularities.

Instead Adam looked for something that would allow him to dig at the lines. He did not carry anything except for the hexagonal disk and the fact that he even contemplated using it revealed how desperate he was. He had to come up with a better plan ... but what?

Adam took a well-earned rest and sat on a rock, revelling in the slight breeze that whipped past his ears. It was refreshing and stimulated his common sense.

That was it ... the breeze. What a fool he was. He half chuckled at his stupidity. The breeze must be coming from an outside source.

With the pain coming in waves, Adam reluctantly straightened his aching joints and stood upright. He felt as if he had aged fifty years and would have given anything for a hot shower, but he had to soldier on if he did not want to die alone in the underground cave.

The first and probably only useful thing he had been able to locate lay at his feet: a thin, wedge-shaped rock. It was sharp enough to allow him to dig and strong enough not to shatter. He jammed it as hard as his arms would allow between the joins and placed the full weight of his body against the protruding portion. He pressed hard, wearing the rock imprint on his skin until he was rewarded with an almost undetectable grating sound.

Excitement coursed through his body and he was spurred on.

The rock had moved and the slight scrape in the dirt confirmed his thoughts.

He pressed harder; surprising himself with the amount of strength he had managed to muster, until the rock suddenly developed a life of its own and slid sideways on a pivot to reveal a soaring but narrow opening.

Adam stared in awe. It was dark and oppressive and in any normal circumstance, he would have turned and run, but he had changed. The turmoils of the last week or so had revealed a side of himself that he did not know existed and he had found an inner strength and integrity that surprised him.