I don't own the Magnificent Seven, however Lu and Krys are original
characters created by me.
Thanks to the makers of the Indiana Jones film "Raiders of the Lost Arc"
for inspiring me. There are a few places in parts 1 and 2, which sound
vaguely like the film but aren't too similar. Thanks to Michelle S (aka
Jediya) for beta reading the story parts for me and also helping me with
the guys' speech in places, especially Ezra's.
Part 1: The Golden Idol
The seven men and Judge Travis' niece Lu have flown to a jungle somewhere in South America, where they are going to help Lu find a priceless artefact she has been asked to find.
They are driving to the jungle from the airport, in the bus Judge Travis has hired for them. They have worked out the location of where they need to go in the jungle on a roadmap. Buck is in a very restless mood, as he isn't keen on flying and knows they will have to fly again to get home. Everyone else is trying to put up with him.
Buck asks in a childish voice, "Can't this thing go any faster?"
"How fast d'ya wan' it ta go Buckley?" responds Vin, enjoying the drive and wishing Buck was as well.
Lu asks Buck sarcastically, "Would you prefer it to fly there?"
Buck looks at her annoyed, "We'll never get there before tomorrow at this speed."
"I'm doin' 60 - I don't want ta get arrested fer speeding," answers Chris, without taking his eyes off the road in front of him.
Buck takes a bottle from under his seat and says, "Well if this is gonna take all day I'm gonna need a drink!"
Vin sitting next to him eyes it suspiciously and asks, "What's that?"
Buck answers, "Just a little drink."
Vin takes the drink off him and says, "No drinkin' on the bus or ya'll be walkin' back home!"
"You should tell the driver that - I'm sure he had a few before we came out."
Chris speaks up from the drivers' seat. "I heard that and anyway, it was mineral water. No drinking allowed on the bus - you know the rules, Buckley."
Vin sighs and says, "Where did we go wrong?"
JD answers the question, which didn't require an answer, "I think it was when we didn't think of leaving Buck behind and bringing Casey instead."
They get to the jungle and get off the bus.
Lu studies the map for a minute to check they are in the right place, "The map says we have to head due north for a mile."
Buck exclaims, "We have ta WALK a mile???"
"It's too thick ta drive through Buckley!" says Vin.
"I'll stay with the bus and guard it, y'all go ahead without me."
Chris sighs and says, "Buck, the bus don't need guardin' - you're walkin' with us."
"Ok, but if the bus gets stolen don't blame me."
They walk a mile, with Buck grumbling all the way and they come to a stream, which is too wide to jump over and too deep to wade in.
Buck asks, "Now what?"
"We have to swim across the stream and go east. Did you bring your swimming trunks Buckley?" says Lu, studying her map.
"I didn't expect no swimmin', I'll stay here," answers Buck, worrying about what danger could lie ahead.
Nathan, feeling quite brave, says, "What you afraid of Buck? There's no 'gators in there."
"Are you sure?" asks Buck, thinking perhaps there are.
Nathan undresses to his underwear and puts his clothes in a bag which he leaves on the ground with the others, while he explores the water. He gets into the water and ducks his head under looking for 'gators.
He resurfaces, "There ain' nothin' livin' in here."
JD suddenly points behind Nathan, "I can see why there ain't nothin' livin' in there."
Chris sees what he's pointing at, "Get out of there now Nate -There's something huge and full of teeth in there with you!"
Nathan doesn't hear him, so Chris calls louder, "NATE, come back."
Nathan looks behind him and something jumps at him with huge teeth. Nate rapidly swims back to the guys, narrowly escaping the creature's jaws.
Nathan frowns, feeling pain somewhere on him. He looks at his side and sees teeth marks and blood there. After drying himself off with a towel he had in his bag for emergencies, he gets dressed again. He takes out a first aid kit (he has huge pockets in his trousers) and fixes himself up.
Buck asks in a resigned voice, "How are we s'posed ta get ta the other side?"
Nathan has finished seeing to the teethmarks and suggests, "If only we had some sleeping 'gators then we could use them as stepping stones!"
Chris glares at Nathan, wondering how come Nathan is so brave today.
Buck, looking at Nathan's scratches, says, "Now I know why I didn't jump in first!"
"Maybe it mistook me fer a fish!"
"We can't get across there!" says JD, wondering how many skeletons lie at the bottom of the stream.
"We know that JD - why do you have ta say the obvious?" says Buck, glaring at the younger agent.
"I suppose you've never said the obvious in yer life, Mr. Wilmington?" says Nathan, defending the youngest agent.
Chris looks at JD and Buck, knowing that this is going to be a long day, "Stop fighting you two."
"I'm not going home without the Golden Idol," says Lu.
"You think of a way ta cross then," responds Buck.
Chris suddenly looks around with a worried expression on his face, "Where's Ezra and Josiah?"
"Perhaps they're guardin' the bus," suggests Buck.
Vin recalls, "They were here a minute ago."
Everyone calls them.
They look around for the two missing agents and JD suddenly falls down a big hole, which everyone failed to see. They gather round the hole and look down. JD is making pained noises while he's falling. Then he lands.
JD calls back up, "Ow! I think I've broken my ankle."
"Can you see anythin' JD?" calls down Buck.
JD answers, "Throw me a torch and I might."
"I think this might be the way to get across the stream," says Lu, hoping the youngest agent will be okay.
Chris nods at Lu, "We need a long rope so we can get down there."
Vin points at Nathan, "Nathan won't fit down that hole."
Chris says, "We'll tie the rope ta him then."
"No you won't, Mr. Larabee!" says the annoyed agent, Nathan.
"No, we'll tie it ta that tree. Has anyone got some rope?" answers Chris hoping someone thought to bring some rope with them.
Vin answers the blonde man, "There's some on the bus."
"But, the bus is a mile away!" says Buck worried that if they have to draw straws, that he will pick the short one. Fortunately for him, no-one suggests doing that.
"I'll stay here with JD," answers Nathan, knowing that this is the perfect reason for him not walking back to the bus.
Buck quickly says, "I'll get lost if I try ta go back."
"If those two are stayin', we can't trust them on their own, I'll stay here with them," volunteers Vin.
"Looks like you're the one going back for the rope, Chris! I'll stay here with the guys," announces Lu, learning the way that things work with these guys.
Chris is wondering why they all have to give him a hard time, "I'll have ta walk back and get it then; no-one is to try going down that hole until I come back with the rope, understand?"
Everyone nods obediently.
Chris leaves Vin, Buck, Nathan and Lu standing near the hole to wait for him
"Then there were 4!" says Nathan spookily.
"What you on about?" asks Buck.
"Everyone's disappearing. Soon there'll only be one left."
"It won't be you Nate, 'cos I'll throw ya down that hole if you don't shut up!" threatens Vin.
Nathan goes quiet.
JD calls up, " I'm hungry - hurry up and get me out. I can't move my foot - it hurts too much."
Buck calls down to JD, "Quit yer moaning - the rate Chris was goin' he'll be back with the rope soon.
Vin suggests, "Maybe there's a tunnel ta the treasure down there - it may go under the stream."
JD calls up to the group, "I want ta go home. When Chris gets back, send Nate down ta fix my foot. But just make sure he'll fit down the hole first or he'll get stuck."
Nate, not feeling brave anymore, says, "I ain't goin' down no hole - could be snakes down there."
Vin suggests jokingly, "We should send Chris down first then, he jest loves snakes!"
JD is quiet for a moment, then replies "I don't hear any snakes about, do we have ta explore down here? Can't we just go home?"
"We can't go without the artefact or Ezra and Josiah. P'haps they fell down there and found a tunnel," answers Vin.
"They'd have broken ankles as well," says JD, suddenly worried about the other two agents.
Buck has a thought, "Perhaps they found the hole and climbed down there with a rope."
"They would have left the rope tied ta a tree if they'd done that," thinks Vin out loud.
"Perhaps they fell and weren't so lucky," says the youngest agent from down the hole.
"Feel around and see if they're lying unconscious." says the medic, feeling worried about the two missing agents.
JD answers him, "I don't want to, after you nearly got eaten alive I'm scared."
"Chris will be ages yet. What are we supposed to do?" asks Lu feeling impatient.
"I'd suggest we avoid falling down that hole and ending up getting eaten by sewer mutants," says Nathan feeling glad that he didn't fall down the hole.
JD calls up, "Sewer mutants?"
"Nate, there's no mutants down there, stop scarin' JD," says Vin sternly.
Buck finds a torch and shines it down the hole. He sees JD sitting there, then he sees something close to JD. "Uh oh."
"Uh oh what?" JD calls up.
"There's a skeleton down there!" answers Buck.
"S-S-S-Skeleton?" says JD, feeling scared.
Buck is starting to feel worried about JD being down there on his own and makes a quick decision,
"Who needs a rope, just need ta land properly."
Buck jumps down the hole and lands properly.
"Are you ok?" asks JD.
Buck nods at JD and shines the torch to show JD the skeleton."I'm better than the skeleton," he answers.
"I'm scared, I don't want ta know how he got killed."
Buck studies it and replies, "It's a woman, JD"
"You're cleverer than I thought!" answers JD, looking at him in surprise.
Buck shines the torch around. "I know a woman when I see one. Ah - Just as I suspected, several tunnels."
"What is this place?" asks JD.
"An underground cavern. I bet Ezra and Josiah came down here," answers Buck.
"My ankle hurts!" moans JD.
Buck helps JD stand up and helps him to walk.
"We can't leave without the others," states JD.
Buck calls up to the others, "Is Chris back yet?"
An angry voice answers them, "Yes and he's very mad at Buck!"
"Chris!" exclaims Buck, not expecting Chris to get back so soon.
"Buck, You could have broke yer neck jumping down there," shouts Chris down the hole.
Buck answers him; "At least there's no beast with big sharp teeth down here. What if that things amphibious?" He continues, "There's tunnels down here. Me and JD are going ta take the one going east."
"How d'yer know that's east?" asks JD, getting the feeling that it isn't east.
Buck answers him confidently, "There's an E above the tunnel entrance, the others say N, S, and W - the points of the compass!"
"That's very clever, but why would someone put the letters above the tunnel?" asks JD still doubting that it is east.
Vin calls down, "Chris is coming down."
"Now we're for it, quick lets go through the tunnel before he gets here."
"We don't know where Ezra and Josiah went," states JD, worried that they could have got lost.
"If the tunnels' goin' east we'll go under the stream and hopefully they went that way," answers Buck.
"I hope it's watertight!" says JD not wanting to drown and maybe never be found.
They walk through the tunnel and hear the other guys arriving in the cavern behind them.
Chris looks around for them in the cavern, while the others are climbing down the rope; "JD? Buck?"
JD calls back, "Take the tunnel that says E on top."
Vin joins Chris in the cavern and is told where Buck and JD have gone, he calls back to them, "E isn' f'r East, it's headin' south."
"Then what's E for?" JD asks Buck behind him.
Buck turns back; "I don't want ta find out."
"Theres nothing scary that begins with E!" says JD, seemingly reading Buck's mind.
Buck turns to face JD (who has turned back towards the way they came) and a look of horror comes over his face; "Yes there is, we have ta go back now."
JD turns round and sees what Buck saw - a flock of giant eagles with sharp looking beaks and talons. JD and Buck run back the way they came shouting to the others.
They get back to the cavern finding that thankfully the eagles haven't followed. When they meet up with the other guys, Nate inspects JD's ankle and tells him to try not to walk on it too much, which is tricky cos no-one is willing to carry him!
They take the correct tunnel this time. The tunnel forks so the men split up getting more worried about Josiah and Ezra who are still missing. Chris, JD and Vin go together and Buck, Nathan and Lu go together.
Buck, who's leading the right-fork party, stops after about half a mile as he has got to the edge of a large ledge. Looking down he sees two still figures - they aren't moving.
The group are looking down into a large cavern. In the centre they see the artefact they are looking for. Buck finds a rope hanging down which has been tied to a metal spike stuck into the wall. Buck tests the rope and it is held securely, so they each climb down into the cavern.
Lu gets down last and says, "I wish we had radios, so we could tell the others we've found our men and the artefact."
Nathan takes a radio out of his pocket. Buck grabs the radio and speaks; "Buck ta Chris. We've found the artefact and we've also found our missing people - I think they're dead. We've also found the artefact."
Nathan grabs the radio off Buck; "They're not dead. They're asleep. I just checked."
Chris answers on his radio; "Be very careful, there's likely to be booby traps there."
Nathan answers, "Okay we'll get the artefact and the other guys and meet you back at the first cavern. Over and out." Nathan turns off the radio and puts it back in his pocket.
"Chris said there might be booby traps near the artefact," says Nathan then adds, "I love boobies!"
"Hey this is no time for puns!" snaps Buck, feeling tired and in no mood for word games.
"What shall we do n." asks Nathan, not wanting to set off any traps. He is interrupted by a noise of stonework falling apart. "Uh-oh!"
Lu runs up to the artefact watching her step. She swaps the artefact for a bag of stones and stows the artefact in her bag. She runs back to them. She says to the men, "Lets wake those two up and get out of here!"
Buck radios Chris; "We've got the artefact and the place is falling apart!"
An evil voice answers (in a very posh American accent), "I'm so terribly sorry about that. Bring me the artefact and you're beloved leader and friends will come to no harm."
Buck realises the terrible truth; "Uh-oh they're in trouble..."
* * * * * * *
What happened to Chris, Vin and JD:
Chris, Vin and JD start walking through the left fork of the tunnel. The tunnel starts getting narrower so they have to walk in single file.
"If this tunnel gets any narrower, we'll have ta walk sideways," complains JD.
"No-one said findin' an ancient artefact would be easy!" says Vin wishing he was back home.
"I wish we'd never come here, this place is so dangerous," JD says, scared of what dangers might be ahead.
"Ancient artefact places are always well guarded!" explains Vin.
"I wasn't the one who said let's go looking for ancient artefacts. It was Lu's idea and Travis's orders and we had no choice!" grumbles Chris.
They stop as they get to a dead end. The radio crackles and it's Buck telling them they've found Josiah, Ezra and the artefact. After Chris has finished the radio conversation and switched it off, they hear footsteps coming towards them. Then a group of men point rifles at them. "You will be our prisoners until the rest of your group gives us the artefact." says the leader,who was silently listening to the radio conversation.
The radio crackles and it's Buck...
* * * * * * *
Ezra and Josiah's story
Ezra and Josiah wanted to have their own adventure. They knew that there must be a way to get to the other side of the stream. They started looking around for any secret ways across.
"Ezra, I've found a big hole," says Josiah running to Ezra. The two men have separated from the other's without anyone noticing.
Ezra shines his torch down; "It appears to be an underground cavern, Mr. Sanchez. Ah suggest that we explore it furthah."
"If we can jump and land right we won't need a rope," suggests Josiah seeing that it isn't very far down.
They jump down the hole, landing carefully.
Ezra shines his torch around; "There are four passages with E, W, S, and N marked above them."
Josiah looks at his compass; "The signs are mixed up if they're meant to be compass points."
"Do you think it's meant to be a puzzle?" asks Ezra.
"E is going south. S is going west. I think we need ta go through N ta go under the stream."
"Good thinking Mr. Sanchez, lets go."
They go through the tunnel and have been walking for a mile when they get to a fork.
"Which direction should we travel in?" asks Ezra.
"I don't know brother Ezra - there's no signs above these tunnels. I wish I had the map," answers Josiah.
"We should have 'borrowed' it, then we would be able to retrieve the artefact before everyone else," says Ezra. "That woulda made Chris mad," explains Josiah.
"Ah suggest we make a random assumption and continue through the right passage," says Ezra, not liking having to guess which tunnel.
"Maybe right means the right way," suggests Josiah.
"Ah somehow doubt that theory Mr. Sanchez."
They walk for a while and then stop at a ledge.
"I do believe that all this walking is causing me to suffer from fatigue, when can we rest for a while Mr. Sanchez?" asks Ezra.
There is a rope hanging down and they climb down it.
"Ah'm so tired. Let us discontinue our quest until our energy has been fully restored," says Ezra, deciding the idol can be found later.
They lie down and fall asleep....
To be continued...
Part 1: The Golden Idol
The seven men and Judge Travis' niece Lu have flown to a jungle somewhere in South America, where they are going to help Lu find a priceless artefact she has been asked to find.
They are driving to the jungle from the airport, in the bus Judge Travis has hired for them. They have worked out the location of where they need to go in the jungle on a roadmap. Buck is in a very restless mood, as he isn't keen on flying and knows they will have to fly again to get home. Everyone else is trying to put up with him.
Buck asks in a childish voice, "Can't this thing go any faster?"
"How fast d'ya wan' it ta go Buckley?" responds Vin, enjoying the drive and wishing Buck was as well.
Lu asks Buck sarcastically, "Would you prefer it to fly there?"
Buck looks at her annoyed, "We'll never get there before tomorrow at this speed."
"I'm doin' 60 - I don't want ta get arrested fer speeding," answers Chris, without taking his eyes off the road in front of him.
Buck takes a bottle from under his seat and says, "Well if this is gonna take all day I'm gonna need a drink!"
Vin sitting next to him eyes it suspiciously and asks, "What's that?"
Buck answers, "Just a little drink."
Vin takes the drink off him and says, "No drinkin' on the bus or ya'll be walkin' back home!"
"You should tell the driver that - I'm sure he had a few before we came out."
Chris speaks up from the drivers' seat. "I heard that and anyway, it was mineral water. No drinking allowed on the bus - you know the rules, Buckley."
Vin sighs and says, "Where did we go wrong?"
JD answers the question, which didn't require an answer, "I think it was when we didn't think of leaving Buck behind and bringing Casey instead."
They get to the jungle and get off the bus.
Lu studies the map for a minute to check they are in the right place, "The map says we have to head due north for a mile."
Buck exclaims, "We have ta WALK a mile???"
"It's too thick ta drive through Buckley!" says Vin.
"I'll stay with the bus and guard it, y'all go ahead without me."
Chris sighs and says, "Buck, the bus don't need guardin' - you're walkin' with us."
"Ok, but if the bus gets stolen don't blame me."
They walk a mile, with Buck grumbling all the way and they come to a stream, which is too wide to jump over and too deep to wade in.
Buck asks, "Now what?"
"We have to swim across the stream and go east. Did you bring your swimming trunks Buckley?" says Lu, studying her map.
"I didn't expect no swimmin', I'll stay here," answers Buck, worrying about what danger could lie ahead.
Nathan, feeling quite brave, says, "What you afraid of Buck? There's no 'gators in there."
"Are you sure?" asks Buck, thinking perhaps there are.
Nathan undresses to his underwear and puts his clothes in a bag which he leaves on the ground with the others, while he explores the water. He gets into the water and ducks his head under looking for 'gators.
He resurfaces, "There ain' nothin' livin' in here."
JD suddenly points behind Nathan, "I can see why there ain't nothin' livin' in there."
Chris sees what he's pointing at, "Get out of there now Nate -There's something huge and full of teeth in there with you!"
Nathan doesn't hear him, so Chris calls louder, "NATE, come back."
Nathan looks behind him and something jumps at him with huge teeth. Nate rapidly swims back to the guys, narrowly escaping the creature's jaws.
Nathan frowns, feeling pain somewhere on him. He looks at his side and sees teeth marks and blood there. After drying himself off with a towel he had in his bag for emergencies, he gets dressed again. He takes out a first aid kit (he has huge pockets in his trousers) and fixes himself up.
Buck asks in a resigned voice, "How are we s'posed ta get ta the other side?"
Nathan has finished seeing to the teethmarks and suggests, "If only we had some sleeping 'gators then we could use them as stepping stones!"
Chris glares at Nathan, wondering how come Nathan is so brave today.
Buck, looking at Nathan's scratches, says, "Now I know why I didn't jump in first!"
"Maybe it mistook me fer a fish!"
"We can't get across there!" says JD, wondering how many skeletons lie at the bottom of the stream.
"We know that JD - why do you have ta say the obvious?" says Buck, glaring at the younger agent.
"I suppose you've never said the obvious in yer life, Mr. Wilmington?" says Nathan, defending the youngest agent.
Chris looks at JD and Buck, knowing that this is going to be a long day, "Stop fighting you two."
"I'm not going home without the Golden Idol," says Lu.
"You think of a way ta cross then," responds Buck.
Chris suddenly looks around with a worried expression on his face, "Where's Ezra and Josiah?"
"Perhaps they're guardin' the bus," suggests Buck.
Vin recalls, "They were here a minute ago."
Everyone calls them.
They look around for the two missing agents and JD suddenly falls down a big hole, which everyone failed to see. They gather round the hole and look down. JD is making pained noises while he's falling. Then he lands.
JD calls back up, "Ow! I think I've broken my ankle."
"Can you see anythin' JD?" calls down Buck.
JD answers, "Throw me a torch and I might."
"I think this might be the way to get across the stream," says Lu, hoping the youngest agent will be okay.
Chris nods at Lu, "We need a long rope so we can get down there."
Vin points at Nathan, "Nathan won't fit down that hole."
Chris says, "We'll tie the rope ta him then."
"No you won't, Mr. Larabee!" says the annoyed agent, Nathan.
"No, we'll tie it ta that tree. Has anyone got some rope?" answers Chris hoping someone thought to bring some rope with them.
Vin answers the blonde man, "There's some on the bus."
"But, the bus is a mile away!" says Buck worried that if they have to draw straws, that he will pick the short one. Fortunately for him, no-one suggests doing that.
"I'll stay here with JD," answers Nathan, knowing that this is the perfect reason for him not walking back to the bus.
Buck quickly says, "I'll get lost if I try ta go back."
"If those two are stayin', we can't trust them on their own, I'll stay here with them," volunteers Vin.
"Looks like you're the one going back for the rope, Chris! I'll stay here with the guys," announces Lu, learning the way that things work with these guys.
Chris is wondering why they all have to give him a hard time, "I'll have ta walk back and get it then; no-one is to try going down that hole until I come back with the rope, understand?"
Everyone nods obediently.
Chris leaves Vin, Buck, Nathan and Lu standing near the hole to wait for him
"Then there were 4!" says Nathan spookily.
"What you on about?" asks Buck.
"Everyone's disappearing. Soon there'll only be one left."
"It won't be you Nate, 'cos I'll throw ya down that hole if you don't shut up!" threatens Vin.
Nathan goes quiet.
JD calls up, " I'm hungry - hurry up and get me out. I can't move my foot - it hurts too much."
Buck calls down to JD, "Quit yer moaning - the rate Chris was goin' he'll be back with the rope soon.
Vin suggests, "Maybe there's a tunnel ta the treasure down there - it may go under the stream."
JD calls up to the group, "I want ta go home. When Chris gets back, send Nate down ta fix my foot. But just make sure he'll fit down the hole first or he'll get stuck."
Nate, not feeling brave anymore, says, "I ain't goin' down no hole - could be snakes down there."
Vin suggests jokingly, "We should send Chris down first then, he jest loves snakes!"
JD is quiet for a moment, then replies "I don't hear any snakes about, do we have ta explore down here? Can't we just go home?"
"We can't go without the artefact or Ezra and Josiah. P'haps they fell down there and found a tunnel," answers Vin.
"They'd have broken ankles as well," says JD, suddenly worried about the other two agents.
Buck has a thought, "Perhaps they found the hole and climbed down there with a rope."
"They would have left the rope tied ta a tree if they'd done that," thinks Vin out loud.
"Perhaps they fell and weren't so lucky," says the youngest agent from down the hole.
"Feel around and see if they're lying unconscious." says the medic, feeling worried about the two missing agents.
JD answers him, "I don't want to, after you nearly got eaten alive I'm scared."
"Chris will be ages yet. What are we supposed to do?" asks Lu feeling impatient.
"I'd suggest we avoid falling down that hole and ending up getting eaten by sewer mutants," says Nathan feeling glad that he didn't fall down the hole.
JD calls up, "Sewer mutants?"
"Nate, there's no mutants down there, stop scarin' JD," says Vin sternly.
Buck finds a torch and shines it down the hole. He sees JD sitting there, then he sees something close to JD. "Uh oh."
"Uh oh what?" JD calls up.
"There's a skeleton down there!" answers Buck.
"S-S-S-Skeleton?" says JD, feeling scared.
Buck is starting to feel worried about JD being down there on his own and makes a quick decision,
"Who needs a rope, just need ta land properly."
Buck jumps down the hole and lands properly.
"Are you ok?" asks JD.
Buck nods at JD and shines the torch to show JD the skeleton."I'm better than the skeleton," he answers.
"I'm scared, I don't want ta know how he got killed."
Buck studies it and replies, "It's a woman, JD"
"You're cleverer than I thought!" answers JD, looking at him in surprise.
Buck shines the torch around. "I know a woman when I see one. Ah - Just as I suspected, several tunnels."
"What is this place?" asks JD.
"An underground cavern. I bet Ezra and Josiah came down here," answers Buck.
"My ankle hurts!" moans JD.
Buck helps JD stand up and helps him to walk.
"We can't leave without the others," states JD.
Buck calls up to the others, "Is Chris back yet?"
An angry voice answers them, "Yes and he's very mad at Buck!"
"Chris!" exclaims Buck, not expecting Chris to get back so soon.
"Buck, You could have broke yer neck jumping down there," shouts Chris down the hole.
Buck answers him; "At least there's no beast with big sharp teeth down here. What if that things amphibious?" He continues, "There's tunnels down here. Me and JD are going ta take the one going east."
"How d'yer know that's east?" asks JD, getting the feeling that it isn't east.
Buck answers him confidently, "There's an E above the tunnel entrance, the others say N, S, and W - the points of the compass!"
"That's very clever, but why would someone put the letters above the tunnel?" asks JD still doubting that it is east.
Vin calls down, "Chris is coming down."
"Now we're for it, quick lets go through the tunnel before he gets here."
"We don't know where Ezra and Josiah went," states JD, worried that they could have got lost.
"If the tunnels' goin' east we'll go under the stream and hopefully they went that way," answers Buck.
"I hope it's watertight!" says JD not wanting to drown and maybe never be found.
They walk through the tunnel and hear the other guys arriving in the cavern behind them.
Chris looks around for them in the cavern, while the others are climbing down the rope; "JD? Buck?"
JD calls back, "Take the tunnel that says E on top."
Vin joins Chris in the cavern and is told where Buck and JD have gone, he calls back to them, "E isn' f'r East, it's headin' south."
"Then what's E for?" JD asks Buck behind him.
Buck turns back; "I don't want ta find out."
"Theres nothing scary that begins with E!" says JD, seemingly reading Buck's mind.
Buck turns to face JD (who has turned back towards the way they came) and a look of horror comes over his face; "Yes there is, we have ta go back now."
JD turns round and sees what Buck saw - a flock of giant eagles with sharp looking beaks and talons. JD and Buck run back the way they came shouting to the others.
They get back to the cavern finding that thankfully the eagles haven't followed. When they meet up with the other guys, Nate inspects JD's ankle and tells him to try not to walk on it too much, which is tricky cos no-one is willing to carry him!
They take the correct tunnel this time. The tunnel forks so the men split up getting more worried about Josiah and Ezra who are still missing. Chris, JD and Vin go together and Buck, Nathan and Lu go together.
Buck, who's leading the right-fork party, stops after about half a mile as he has got to the edge of a large ledge. Looking down he sees two still figures - they aren't moving.
The group are looking down into a large cavern. In the centre they see the artefact they are looking for. Buck finds a rope hanging down which has been tied to a metal spike stuck into the wall. Buck tests the rope and it is held securely, so they each climb down into the cavern.
Lu gets down last and says, "I wish we had radios, so we could tell the others we've found our men and the artefact."
Nathan takes a radio out of his pocket. Buck grabs the radio and speaks; "Buck ta Chris. We've found the artefact and we've also found our missing people - I think they're dead. We've also found the artefact."
Nathan grabs the radio off Buck; "They're not dead. They're asleep. I just checked."
Chris answers on his radio; "Be very careful, there's likely to be booby traps there."
Nathan answers, "Okay we'll get the artefact and the other guys and meet you back at the first cavern. Over and out." Nathan turns off the radio and puts it back in his pocket.
"Chris said there might be booby traps near the artefact," says Nathan then adds, "I love boobies!"
"Hey this is no time for puns!" snaps Buck, feeling tired and in no mood for word games.
"What shall we do n." asks Nathan, not wanting to set off any traps. He is interrupted by a noise of stonework falling apart. "Uh-oh!"
Lu runs up to the artefact watching her step. She swaps the artefact for a bag of stones and stows the artefact in her bag. She runs back to them. She says to the men, "Lets wake those two up and get out of here!"
Buck radios Chris; "We've got the artefact and the place is falling apart!"
An evil voice answers (in a very posh American accent), "I'm so terribly sorry about that. Bring me the artefact and you're beloved leader and friends will come to no harm."
Buck realises the terrible truth; "Uh-oh they're in trouble..."
* * * * * * *
What happened to Chris, Vin and JD:
Chris, Vin and JD start walking through the left fork of the tunnel. The tunnel starts getting narrower so they have to walk in single file.
"If this tunnel gets any narrower, we'll have ta walk sideways," complains JD.
"No-one said findin' an ancient artefact would be easy!" says Vin wishing he was back home.
"I wish we'd never come here, this place is so dangerous," JD says, scared of what dangers might be ahead.
"Ancient artefact places are always well guarded!" explains Vin.
"I wasn't the one who said let's go looking for ancient artefacts. It was Lu's idea and Travis's orders and we had no choice!" grumbles Chris.
They stop as they get to a dead end. The radio crackles and it's Buck telling them they've found Josiah, Ezra and the artefact. After Chris has finished the radio conversation and switched it off, they hear footsteps coming towards them. Then a group of men point rifles at them. "You will be our prisoners until the rest of your group gives us the artefact." says the leader,who was silently listening to the radio conversation.
The radio crackles and it's Buck...
* * * * * * *
Ezra and Josiah's story
Ezra and Josiah wanted to have their own adventure. They knew that there must be a way to get to the other side of the stream. They started looking around for any secret ways across.
"Ezra, I've found a big hole," says Josiah running to Ezra. The two men have separated from the other's without anyone noticing.
Ezra shines his torch down; "It appears to be an underground cavern, Mr. Sanchez. Ah suggest that we explore it furthah."
"If we can jump and land right we won't need a rope," suggests Josiah seeing that it isn't very far down.
They jump down the hole, landing carefully.
Ezra shines his torch around; "There are four passages with E, W, S, and N marked above them."
Josiah looks at his compass; "The signs are mixed up if they're meant to be compass points."
"Do you think it's meant to be a puzzle?" asks Ezra.
"E is going south. S is going west. I think we need ta go through N ta go under the stream."
"Good thinking Mr. Sanchez, lets go."
They go through the tunnel and have been walking for a mile when they get to a fork.
"Which direction should we travel in?" asks Ezra.
"I don't know brother Ezra - there's no signs above these tunnels. I wish I had the map," answers Josiah.
"We should have 'borrowed' it, then we would be able to retrieve the artefact before everyone else," says Ezra. "That woulda made Chris mad," explains Josiah.
"Ah suggest we make a random assumption and continue through the right passage," says Ezra, not liking having to guess which tunnel.
"Maybe right means the right way," suggests Josiah.
"Ah somehow doubt that theory Mr. Sanchez."
They walk for a while and then stop at a ledge.
"I do believe that all this walking is causing me to suffer from fatigue, when can we rest for a while Mr. Sanchez?" asks Ezra.
There is a rope hanging down and they climb down it.
"Ah'm so tired. Let us discontinue our quest until our energy has been fully restored," says Ezra, deciding the idol can be found later.
They lie down and fall asleep....
To be continued...