Chapter 63

“What are you talking about?" Mary roared, "Let us go! Let her go!"

One of the guards moved closer to her, brandishing his weapon. She quickly quieted down.

Dr. Lanna drew a deep breath and sighed. "They didn’t take me, Mary," the old woman said. "Not initially, at least," she added with a degree of venom. "I went to them for help."

"Why on earth would you do that?" Tyler asked. The doctor sighed. “My grandfather trusted you.

“I'm sorry, Tyler. I didn't have any choice.

Next to Dave, Mary was staring down at the nearest gunman, probing him for a weakness that was not easily revealed as Dr. Lanna turned to Elizabeth. "Is this really necessary?" She motioned to the others. "They’re not going anywhere. You took their weapons. They are here to help me find the Buddha."

"Oh, doctor, believe me, they killed and apprehended dozens of Javier’s men in Scotland. They can kill again; don't trust that bitch," Elizabeth said.

“What?” Tyler wrinkled his forehead.

"My men in Scotland, the one you threw in the inn’s window," Elizabeth rolled her eyes as Mary furrowed her brow in confusion, then nodded as if remembering what happened back after they stayed at the inn. "So it was your man?” she asked.

“Of course!”

“Bitch! He threw himself! I tried to save him, but he let go. Not my fault," Tyler shouted.

"Shut up, Johnson," Elizabeth said, turning to Dr. Lanna. "By all rights, I should execute all three of them. Maybe even you, doctor. So far, you’ve presented no help for what you claim."

"Help?" Tyler asked. "What sort of help? What is this about?"

Dr. Lanna took a swallow. "I’m sure this is all very confusing, Tyler."

"You’re right, maam, it is!" Mary shouted. "I thought you were one of the good guys. Instead, I found out you went to the bitch for help!"

The old woman put up both hands and lowered them repeatedly to get her to calm down. "I know how it looks. Please, just listen."

"You know how it looks? Because it looks like you sold us out, Doctor," Tyler grumbled.

"I didn’t sell you out!" She raised her voice to overcome him. "I found the clue to where the chamber is before you even came here in Thailand."

"So you sold us out?"

"No," the doctor said, shaking his head. "I—I—help Elizabeth—for you not to find out about your ancestor's past. I don't want you to hate your grandfather."

"Enough with the drama! Where is it?" Hugh demanded loudly. "Where is the real Buddha?" He grabbed Dave by the shirt and pressed the gun deep into the skin underneath his jaw.

"I don’t know." Dave’s voice stammered. "This should be it. This is where the map and the diary lead us." Something in his eyes said that he was telling the truth.

Hugh released the gun from his hostage’s neck and carelessly pushed him away. “Is this it, Johnson? Is this your golden chamber?" Hugh shouted and went to Mary, "Find it or so, help me, God; she is dead or worse, I am going to let her bleed to death." Hugh added and pushed Mary’s wound on her shoulder as she screamed from the pain.

"Enough! Damn it! That's enough!" Tyler yelled back, his hands trembling from anger. "You'd better look for it, Dave, or else." He halted as fear shifted in his eyes.

"Of course I know that, Tyler!" Dave grumbled back as another slap went to Mary’s cheek.

"Good, find my Budda!"

Dave bit his lips; he almost shook with fury. "I don’t know where the real Buddha is. Maybe someone beat us to it. It should be right here. Let’s just look around. If we are lucky, we might find a clue as to where it went."

Dr. Lanna lowered her head and approached Elizabeth, whispering something into her ear that caused the woman to raise an eyebrow.

Tyler stepped down into the centre of the room, lowering his light to get a better look at the pedestal. It was a simple design: a perfect, rectangular stone dais. Unlike the blank walls surrounding it, the plinth was covered in symbols, not unlike what they had just seen on the colossal door a few moments ago. As Tyler drew closer and took a deep breath, he had to find it, or else he mentally shook his head. He doesn't want anything to happen to Mary. He surveyed the dais and noticed an object resting on the top of the platform. His eyes widened in realisation.

"Dave, look—" His voice was firm, trying to contain the excitement. “You might want to come take a look at this.

"Is that what I think it is?" Dave looked at Elizabeth for approval. She nodded her head, and he went to Tyler. He blurted, "Oh, fuck, Tyler! I think that the—?" he said, nearly missing the step down into the lower part of the chamber.

"Yeah, I think so."

"What is it?" Hugh asked. Clearly curious.

They both stare at a stone disc of nearly identical size to the diamond on the ring. A symbol was lying on one side, with a picture of an odd-looking lion carved into it. Both men looked at each other quizzically, unsure what to make of the piece. This is the real lion, not the one we saw with Javier.”

Hugh and Eddie ushered Elizabeth over to where Dave and Tyler were standing.

"What is it?" Elizabeth grumbled. “Tell me!”

"I think it’s the clue to the next chamber," Dave replied.

"Another chamber?" Elizabeth asked. “Fuck, I don't have time for that! Show me now! .”

"Yes," Tyler replied, looking at Mary, who seemed almost unconscious now.

"But where is the Buddha?" Hugh had had enough of the games and riddles. "This was supposed to be a Buddha’s chamber. Not an empty one!" His voice echoed off of the solid walls.

Dave shrugged. "All I know is that there is no gold here or a tremendous treasure, and the Buddha is... missing." He smirked at the obvious, but wanted nothing more than to piss the gaytard. While Dave spoke, his right hand reached over and grasped the stone disc, lifting it off of the podium. As soon as he lifted the weight, the ground beneath them started vibrating. Hugh and his cohort braced themselves by bending their knees and putting their arms out to their sides.

"Mary!" Tyler shouted in a hopeless tone as he grabbed Dave’s wrist and looked quickly at where the stone had just been resting a moment before. A small button protruded from the centre of the pedestal.

"Hell! This is not good," Tyler said quickly. As he did, the grinding sound of stone filled the room as the floor began slowly rising towards the ceiling. “What the heck! This is like an ancient elevator room.”

"Return it to the disc! Dave! Now!" Tyler yelled above the din.

Dave quickly obliged, comprehending what was going on. He carefully replaced the disc on top of the stand. The floor stopped moving as expected. It was roughly three feet closer to the ceiling now. "Fuck, that was close.”

"Don't do that again," Mary said quietly as he gave Tyler a small smile, as if telling him that she was OK. Tyler swallowed a lump.

Hugh and the others nervously peered around, fearful that the floor might start rising up again, and if it did, they would jump back to the main floor, where it was safe.

"Stop being a jerk, Borthman! Or I'm going to kill your sister!" Hugh yelled back.

“I didn't know it would do just that!” Dave grumbled as he and Tyler were confused by the idea of an elevator-like room made by those ancient people. They looked at the strange symbols on the stone cube in front of them. "But it's always a good idea to read the directions before activating a hundred-year-old death trap, right?" Dave said, casting a sidelong glance at Tyler. "There has to be some sort of weight and counterweight system. Don't you agree?"

Tyler let out a short snort. "Yeah, this appears to be a narrative of some type." He stroked the stone with his finger. "We should probably get out of here!" Dave nodded. But Tyler shifted to the other side of the platform. "Some sort of ring-like object." He muttered and scanned the platform again. "We need to attach it to this object with the other stone."

Dave took a step back to see what his friend had discovered. The stone had been carved into a two-inch-deep circle. "Do you think we could use anything like... the ring?"

"Do you mean this?" Elizabeth growled and showed them the ring. The two nodded, puzzled as to how she had gotten it in the first place. "The ring from my grandfather,” said Tyler under his breath. Elizabeth slowly went to their side and gave him the ring. "Don't try fucking the hell out of me, Tyler, or your wife... Well, you know what will happen to her." She growled and turned back to where she was standing earlier, thanking the doctor for her tip.

Tyler crouched down to one knee. The circular indentation in the stone podium mirrored the carving of the two lions, except that the two lions were raised, not indented like on the entrance. Quickly, he removed the ring from the velvet box, slid the stone into place, and pressed it down firmly. Somewhere in the cavern, there were a few clicks and then silence.

Something happened.