Page 54 of Terminal Voyage

“Silas vetted him.”

It was a little sketchy. I mean, we were meeting this guy in a remote part of the jungle who was supposedly certified?

I took a deep breath and went with it. After all, Felix had led us to Tzun Kaan. Was it worth the multi-hour trek? Meh. Maybe. The value for a lot of these people was bragging rights. Being able to say you went somewhere most people didn’t go. Exclusivity. It’s the reason some people spend a million on a watch when a Casio tells the same time.

Matteo started down the trail, and Declan followed.

Felix called after us, "We will meet you back here."

He opened the door to the van and turned on the radio. Then he and the other driver both sparked up a cigarette.

Kyle and Silas kept their heads on swivels as we walked down the trail.

I was behind Silas.

Luciano was right behind me. "I'm not suggesting you go on the dive with us. But this would be an opportunity to face your fear. Put the demon in its place before it has time to fester and grow.“

He had a point, but I wasn't sold on the idea. My heartbeat elevated, and I broke out into a sweat again. This time it wasn't from the heat.

We made our way down the earthy steps, and Matteo pointed to a trail that forked off. "There is another entrance to the cave system here, but it's easier if we go this way," he said, continuing forward.

Declan took his word for it. The fork looked like it led to a pretty steep decline.

We finally reached the opening to the cave system. A nice deck had been built on the edge of the water. Steps led down to the crystal clear pool. The water was so blue it almost glowed.

All of the dive gear rested on the deck.

I figured Luciano was right. It was now or never. This time, I gave a more thorough inspection of my gear. Still, you never know when something will fail.

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Matteo went over the dive plan with the group. As Vanessa had said, it was just a cavern tour. No cave certification necessary. We weren’t going deep into the actual cave. We would always have a line of sight to the light.

There was a big difference between a cavern tour and a cave dive. Even with an experienced guide, a cave dive was dangerous. You’d need twin tanks with independent first- and second-stage regulators, three lights minimum, guidelines, markers, knives, etc.

Julie and Silas had coordinated everything and provided our sizes for wetsuits. They looked brand new. Cost was not an issue for these people. Matteo had provided everything, just like Zach said—masks, fins, BCDs, dive computers, you name it.

I hoped his gear was in better condition.

I donned my rig, went through the safety checks again, then slipped into the water.

When the group was ready, we followed Matteo below the surface.

The water was crystal clear. Shafts of sunlight danced.

We followed Matteo, finning through the cenote, taking in the magnificent sights.

It was remarkable. Thirty-million-year-old fossil shells in the limestone. Amazing geological formations. The interplay of shadow and light.

Matteo led us farther into the system, through a passage that led to a large cavern. As long as we could see daylight, there was a way out.

Our spotlight beams illuminated the area. There were no fixed lights in this part of the cave system. Stalactites and stalagmites decorated the area, formed at a time long before the cave system had flooded.

At the far end of the cavern, a narrow passage led to danger. An underwater sign gave a grim warning.

We wouldn't be going any further.

Another passage on the north end of the cavern led into a dark abyss. It had to lead to another opening—the one we passed on the way in at the fork.