“Guess it’s broken,” he said, frowning.
“That’s what I thought, but those guys were very motivated to find out if I knew anything about it. If I’d ever seen it before. Did it have some kind of significance? How did it work?” Luis shrugged his shoulders. “So, I thought I should take it.”
“Good idea,” Rick said. He looked at it a little more closely. “Hmmm, interesting.” He didn’t recognize any of the symbols. He handed it to Sofia. “Do these markings mean anything to you?”
She took it, examining the details inscribed on it. “No, I haven’t seen anything like them either. They look ancient.”
“Well, it’s beautiful,” Rick said. “Looks valuable, too. Better hang onto it, keep it safe.”
Sofia nodded and handed it back to Luis.
He put it back in his pocket.
Rick tried to make sense of the few clues they had, wondering how any of this could help locate their father, but he was stumped at the moment.
Sofia leaned forward, elbows on knees, with her fingers pressed against her temples.
Rick could see she was deep in thought. Trying to figure out what to do next, he thought. He had an idea, but he was sure she wasn’t going to like it. He wasn’t certain what he was getting himself into, but if there was one thing he was good at, it was acting on instinct. And his instincts were telling him loud and clear what needed to happen next.
CHAPTER 5
Rick cleared his throat. “Look, I know you folks don’t know me, but I hope I’ve shown you so far that you can trust me.”
They looked at him with curious expressions, waiting for him to continue.
“I think it’s best if you both stay here tonight. It’s late. Luis is injured and those two goons are out there looking for the both of you. They’re not going to be happy about what happened tonight, even less so when they realize you stole that compass from them.”
Luis swallowed hard.
Rick continued, “Plus, I think we’ve all had enough excitement for one night.”
Silence.
“What do you say?” Rick asked, with a friendly grin on his face.
Luis looked over at his sister. “He’s right.”
She pursed her lips, but didn’t answer right away.
Rick understood her reluctance to trust him, but at this point he was sure this was what needed to happen. These two weren’t safe.
“We can all brainstorm what to do about finding your father,” Rick suggested, as he ran his hands through his hair. “You two will want some privacy to talk and to get some rest, so you can have my bedroom. I’ll crash on the sofa.”
Luis nodded eagerly. It was clear he didn’t want to leave. “Sofia, por favor, let’s stay.”
She smiled softly at her brother and gently touched his uninjured cheek. “Si, it’s not safe for us to go home tonight, not with what they did to you.”
“And they’re looking for you, too, don’t forget,” Rick added.
She sighed heavily. “You’re right. But are you sure we’re not imposing?”
He shook his head. “Not at all. In fact, I’d be pretty worried if you two left. Having you here is the only way I’ll rest easy tonight.”
Sofia considered his words as she looked into his green eyes, which exuded warmth, humor and had a sprinkle of adventure in them. As much as she wasn’t one to trust people easily, and didn’t want to trust him, he had a way of putting her at ease. He was easy-going, quick to laugh, and a little disarming. She was trying hard to dislike him, but something about him wouldn’t let her.
“Bien,” she said, finally, letting a small smile escape her lips. “We will stay. Gracias.” At that moment, she felt a great sense of relief.
Luis beamed and hugged his sister.
“Alrighty then,” Rick said, clapping his hands together. “I’m going to prep the bedroom for you both and get you some fresh towels and t-shirts to change into, if you’d like. Help yourselves to anything in the kitchen. Mi casa, su casa.”
Rick busied himself with tidying his bedroom, putting his clothes away, changing the sheets, and getting them towels, t-shirts, and basic toiletries. He didn’t have a lot, but they’d have to make do with what he had. He felt a little embarrassed at the rather messy state of his modest apartment, but then again, he hadn’t been expecting guests, let alone overnight ones.
He came back.
Sofia and Luis were talking in whispered tones in Spanish.
“Am I interrupting?”
“No,” Sofia said. “We’re just trying to figure out what to do about finding our padre.”
“Of course,” he said, sitting back down. He thought for a moment, trying to understand what might be at work here. “Your article also mentioned the Tayos Caves system. Are these the famous Crespi tablets your father thought this company was after?”
Sofia looked surprised. “Si, we think so. Por qué?”
Rick leaned back in his chair. “I know of them. My father was a big admirer of Neil Armstrong. His expedition here back in the 70’s is actually why I’m here. My dad inspired me, in a way, to come here.”
Sofia and Luis were familiar with the famed expedition.
Sofia was curious about Rick’s motivation. “How so?”
Rick cleared his throat. “Well, I’ve been interested in archaeology as far back as I can remember. My dad and I weren’t close, but one thing we did share was an admiration for Neil Armstrong. His extraordinary accomplishments as an astronaut captured our imaginations.”
Sofia and Luis were listening.
“Beyond that, Armstrong’s expedition to the Tayos Caves has always fascinated me. I guess, I had hoped that if I could do what that expedition didn’t achieve—find the Lost Metal Library—that somehow I could finally feel I’d earned my father’s respect.” Rick glanced down at his lap.
Luis noticed the past tense Rick had used. “Your father, is he...” Luis’
