Now, Gina squinted in the direction of the pyramid. A large area near the base of it had been cleared, and the soldiers were digging in the dirt. Several artifacts had already been fully excavated. A two-foot-high stone vessel was lying on its side next to a large ceramic bowl with a detailed pattern.

Patrick and Bill were nowhere to be seen. With the soldiers preoccupied with digging, Gina realized she could slip into the jungle and make a run for it. Still, even though she had lived in the jungle nearly five years, she wasn’t sure she could survive on her own. With the group, she had food, water, and shelter.

But, then again, was Patrick going to release her after they found their treasure?

Gina was still considering her options when she heard a rustling behind her. She glanced over her shoulder.

The archaeologist was moving. The man’s eyes twitched open and shut.

Gina darted to his side. “Take it easy,” she said calmly.

He mumbled something in reply. It took a moment for Gina to realize he was trying to say, “Water.”

Gina grabbed the bottle of water she’d been using to fill the syringe and slowly poured the water into the man’s mouth.

He gulped greedily, half the liquid spilling out of his mouth and running into his scruffy gray beard.

Over the next few minutes, the man slowly reawakened. He wasn’t speaking much, but his eyes were open, and he was wiggling all his extremities.

After ten days in a coma, Gina wasn’t sure what to expect. He could have suffered severe brain trauma. His speech, coordination, and hundreds of other brain functions could be impaired.

“Do you know where you are?” Gina asked.

The man glanced around for several seconds, then said, “Tent.”

“Yes, that’s right.” That was a good sign.

“Does your head hurt?”

“Not too bad. Just a little foggy.”

“That’s to be expected,” Gina said. “You’ve been in a coma for ten days.”

“Ten days?”

Gina nodded then asked, “Do you want to try to sit up?”

The man let out a long breath, then said, “Let’s give it a shot.”

Gina helped the man into a sitting position. Once he made it to his butt, he asked, “Can I have more of that water?”

Gina handed him the bottle. He finished the entire thing off.

“Are you hungry?” Gina asked.

“I’m not sure yet.”

“That’s common. It might take you a day or two to get your appetite back.”

“Are you a doctor?”

“I am.”

“Where did you come from?”

Gina wasn’t certain if disclosing the truth to this guy was a good idea; he might only be an archaeologist, but he could be just as dangerous as Patrick. She settled on, “They came to my village and said they needed a doctor.”