Dominique screams again as Raymond flashes his obsidian blade. She gasps in disbelief as he raises it over his head, then plunges it forcefully into her left breast.

“Kukulcan! Kukulcan!”

She screams in agony, twisting and contorting her outstretched body—

“Dom, wake up—”

—as Raymond pushes his hand into the wound and rips out her still-beating heart, holding it up to the heavens for all to see.

“Dominique!”

Dominique lets go a bloodcurdling scream as she kicks and punches at the terrifying darkness, catching the shadow square in the face. Disoriented, still in the throes of her nightmare, she rolls sideways and springs to her feet, rushing blindly out of the chamber, sprinting toward the ninety-foot drop.

A hand reaches out and tackles her by the ankle. She slams chest-first against the platform, the pain snapping her awake.

“Jesus, Dominique, I’m supposed to be the crazy one.”

“Mick?” She sits up, rubbing her bruised ribs as she catches her breath.

Mick scoots next to her. “You all right?”

“You scared the shit out of me.”

“Same here. That must have been some nightmare. You nearly dived off the pyramid.”

She looks out over the precipice, then turns and hugs him, her limbs still shaking. “God, I hate this place. These walls reek of Mayan ghosts.” She pulls back, looking at his face. “Your nose is bleeding. Did I do that?”

“Caught me with a right cross.” He removes a bandanna from his back pocket and pinches off the flow. “This thing’s never going to heal.”

“Serves you right. Why the hell did we have to meet here of all places, and in the middle of the goddam night?”

“I’m a fugitive, remember? Speaking of which, how did you manage to get away from the Navy?”

She turns away. “You’re the fugitive, not me. I told the captain I helped you because I was confused about Iz’s death. Guess he felt sorry for me, ‘cause he let me go. Come on, we can talk about this later. Right now, I just want to get down off this pyramid.”

“I can’t leave yet. I have work to do.”

“Work? What work? It’s the middle of the night—”

“I’m searching for a passageway into the pyramid. It’s vital that we find it—”

“Mick—”

“My father was right about the Kukulcan. I discovered something—something really incredible. Let me show you.” Mick reaches into his satchel and removes a small electronic device.

“This instrument is called an ultrasonic inspectroscope. It transmits low-amplitude sound waves to determine imperfections in solids.” Mick switches his flashlight on, then takes her by the wrist and drags her back inside the temple to the central wall. He activates the inspectroscope, directing its sound waves at a cross section of stone.