Page 59 of Wild Temple
She took a deep breath, steeled her resolve, then stepped out onto the ledge. She hugged the rock wall and inched across.
I waited until she had gotten a few steps, then followed.
We were a little over halfway when part of the ledge collapsed beneath her foot. The stone crumbled, and the debris fell away into the valley below, clanking and clattering off the sheer cliff face.
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Igrabbed her arm before she fell into the abyss.
The added weight threw me off balance, but I had wedged my fingers into a crevice and was able to counterbalance for a moment. Then my fingertips slipped across the stone. It wouldn't be long before I ran out of grip.
I managed to pull her back up, and she climbed to safety. Brooke got a foothold on the ledge, straddling the gap. She hugged the wall, clutching onto the slab of rock, catching her breath. Her cheeks flushed, and her eyes were wide with panic.
"Are you okay?”
Brooke nodded and swallowed hard. After a beat, she kept going.
I followed behind her, straddled the gap in the ledge, then kept going.
We all breathed a sigh of relief when we made it to the other side.
Brooke took a moment to collect herself, then we continued on. We followed the trail down as it sloped to the valley floor. The trail was thick with roots and vines. Scratchy branches clawed at us. It didn't take long for my quads to burn from the descent. The heavy pack on my back didn't help matters.
The sounds of the jungle blossomed.
We pushed branches out of our way and climbed down the path. Birdsong echoed across the valley. Monkeys swung from trees, looking at us like we were crazy.
The rugged terrain grabbed and clawed. It would be easy to turn an ankle. I worried about Jack, given all the trouble he had with his. But we made it down the slope without event.
We regrouped at the base of the slope, then Rex drew his machete. He led us into the jungle, hacking away at leaves, branches, and other foliage.
I brought up the rear, keeping my head on a swivel, looking for threats. I doubted Caspian and his men could have beaten us to the location. I was more concerned with natural predators. Snakes and spiders would be things to watch out for. Although tigers were thought to be extinct on the island, rumors persisted. Who really knew for sure? Deep in the jungle, anything was possible.
We made our way through the sea of green to another narrow chasm. The tall walls let a sliver of light through. It bounced off the stone and trickled down. With the overgrowth above, the Valley of Darkness lived up to its name—a jagged scar cut through stone by geometric forces. It swallowed you. The air hung heavy and still. Our footstepsechoed off the stone cliffs. In the rainy season, a flash flood could drown the chasm and anyone in it.
It was the perfect choke point.
We hiked through the winding passage for a few miles. The valley dumped us off into the jungle a few paces from the Temple of Wind. The stone structures, carvings, and statues had weathered centuries of abuse. Stained with dirt and grime, the jungle had done its part to reclaim the structure. Covered with weeds and vines, shrouded by trees, the temple receded into the jungle, nearly invisible. The wind was strong in this area, whipped around by the natural rock formations. The ancient builders of the temple had used that to their advantage, carving holes in the stone to funnel the wind, creating low, humming tones that almost sounded like chants. Voices from beyond. It was both magical and spooky.
We stopped and assessed the area, making our game plan for the ambush. There were plenty of places to hide and get an angle on the valley.
Rex pointed. "I'll climb up that ridge. From there, I'll be able to drop those bastards as they step out of the chasm.”
JD and I had already picked out good spots on the ground for the ambush. Brooke could take shelter inside the temple, keeping her out of the fray.
We set up camp on the other side of the temple, out of sight. Caspian and his men wouldn’t be able to see it as they emerged from the valley.
JD and I gathered wood and started a fire. By that time, the sun had dipped over the horizon. The timing worked outperfectly. As much as I wanted to set claymores up around the perimeter, I didn’t want to catch innocent hikers by mistake, though not many made it out this far. Not many had the stones to make it past the narrow ledge that started our journey.
We sifted through the supplies and tore into the MREs. The cheese tortellini and chili mac would hit the spot.
The fire crackled and popped, and the flames illuminated our faces as we huddled around. The sounds of the night critters filled the air. The fire would keep the bugs away. We all pregamed the exchange, kicking around different possibilities and contingency plans. I didn’t expect to get much sleep. We’d take watch in shifts.
Rex took the first watch.
I crawled off to sleep in my tent. The rendezvous was scheduled for 8:00 AM. There was no doubt in my mind Caspian had a trick or two up his sleeve. Nothing ever went according to plan. And this would be no exception. I had tried to plan for every conceivable contingency. But Caspian wasn’t as stupid as we had hoped.
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