Empire of Gold

Macy liberally spritzed herself with insect repellent. ‘I just had a thought—’

‘First time for everything,’ Eddie cut in.

She slapped his shoulder. ‘No, but what if the people who found it come back? They might be armed.’

The same had occurred to Eddie, who had been less than pleased at the Venezuelans’ refusal to let him or even Kit bring weapons into the country. However, he tried to sound reassuring. ‘Oscar’s got a gun.’

‘If he knows how to use it. I was chatting to him last night. You know what he used to be before he joined the militia?’

‘A pilot?’ Nina suggested.

‘Well, yeah,’ Macy said peevishly, ‘but before that, I meant. He was a chef! That’s not exactly like being in the SAS.’

‘Depends how bad a cook he was,’ said Eddie. ‘If he got a lot of complaints, he’d have to— Whoa, hang on.’ He slowed sharply. ‘End of the road.’

They entered a clearing, ragged stumps showing where the loggers had chainsawed down several valuable hardwood trees. A steep bank of earth rose ahead. Layers of tyre tracks in the dirt showed that the area had seen a fair amount of traffic.

‘There’s another path over there,’ said Nina, indicating the bank.

‘Not sure it’s drivable, though,’ Eddie replied. He stopped the Land Cruiser. ‘It’s probably better to go on foot from here . . . and there’s something I want to check.’

‘What?’ Nina asked, but he had already hopped out, eyes fixed on something on the ground nearby. Curious, she followed.

‘Oh, ew,’ said Macy, wrinkling her nose as she stepped into the mud. ‘What’s that smell?’

‘That would be the jungle,’ said Cuff patronisingly as he got out of the second Toyota. He closed his eyes and waved a hand under his nose as if wafting the scent of some delicious meal into his nostrils. ‘The most diverse ecosystem on the planet. The lungs of the world. Just smell that life.’

‘I can smell something,’ Macy said, adding ‘like bullshit’ under her breath. Despite the repellent, small insects were swarming round her; she flapped a hand before treating them to a burst of spray.

Osterhagen emerged from the Land Cruiser behind Cuff. ‘Why have you stopped? We can go . . . ’ He tailed off as Eddie waved urgently for silence.

‘What is it?’ Nina whispered.

Her husband crouched and pointed at the mud. ‘These tyre tracks, they’re recent. Less than a day old – there hasn’t been time for any rain to wash them out.’ In the humid equatorial climate of the rainforest, downpours were an almost metronomic occurrence. He went to the nearby path. ‘And there are some footprints here.’

The others joined them, the atmosphere suddenly tense. Kit peered at the impressions in the soil. ‘Different sizes – two men.’

Eddie nodded. ‘They go into the jungle . . . but they don’t come back out.’

That produced consternation amongst the group. ‘Are you saying there are people here?’ asked Loretta nervously.

‘Guards, maybe,’ said Nina. ‘A treasure trove of Inca gold . . . they’d want to make sure nobody else found it.’

Eddie checked the surrounding trees. No signs of movement, or sounds beyond the chatter of birds and buzz of insects, but he was now very much on the alert. ‘Oscar, you might want to keep that gun handy.’ Valero hurriedly drew his weapon and checked it was loaded. Loretta gasped in alarm.

‘Oh, come on,’ said Cuff. ‘Why would they post guards when nobody else knows this place exists? It’s not as though anybody’s likely to stroll by.’

Eddie gave him a contemptuous look. ‘No, the plane that circled it yesterday wouldn’t attract any attention, would it, Dave?’

‘That’s Day,’ Cuff mumbled, trying to salvage some dignity under the group’s withering gaze.

‘So what should we do?’ asked Becker. ‘If there are guards, we could be in danger.’

‘We have to go on,’ Nina insisted. ‘We’ve got to know what’s out there.’

‘I agree,’ said Valero. ‘If thieves are stealing Venezuela’s treasures, the Bolivarian Militia will stop them!’ He stood with his hands on his hips, glaring defiantly into the jungle.

‘Easy there, Rambo,’ Eddie said. ‘Let’s see what we’re dealing with first. If it really is this place we’re looking for and there are people keeping an eye on it, we’ll call el Presidente’s people for backup.’ He indicated the satellite phone in the Toyota. ‘We’re not exactly geared up for trouble.’

‘Sounds like a plan,’ said Nina. ‘Let’s get our stuff.’

The expedition members donned backpacks and equipment belts. Valero started up the path, but Eddie waved him back. ‘Not that way – we don’t want to walk right into ’em.’ He gestured at a point further along the earth bank. ‘Over there. Keep it quiet.’

Eddie and Valero led, Nina just behind with the others following in a line. Keeping low amongst the undergrowth, they scaled the bank and dropped down on the other side to find themselves in a marshy dip. Despite the humps and hollows, though, the land ahead was on a gentle rise.

It started to rain, drops pattering noisily off leaves and heads. Nina shot a jealous look at Becker’s wide- brimmed fedora. But even the downpour gave little relief from the cloying humidity as the group trudged onwards. She peered into the gloom. ‘I can’t see much out there.’