The duo charters a boat in Barbados, and explores the Bahamian landscape…
(September 25 – 11:45 AM)
Two days later, Aradhay and Miyake found what they were looking for. A small island rose from the sea at the exact coordinates that were marked on the knife.
They circled the little tropical island, but since evening was approaching and it was growing dark, the duo decides to begin their search the following day. There were 2 more days until the Equinox, and the island was small enough to cover in a day…
Their spirits were high, Aradhay and Miyake sat on the deck of the little boat, watching the stars long into the night.
(September 26 – 9:00 AM)
The next day, they woke up with the dawn and took their boat ashore. The sky was clear and blue, and a slight breeze kept the heat down. As morning turned into mid-day, and mid-day turned into afternoon, they began to grow concerned. They had already searched every tree, knoll, rock and crevice on the island, but they had found nothing.
Aradhay: Judging by the date on the blade, we still have a day remaining…
Miyake: But what is its significance?
Aradhay: We have to wait till the Equinox to find out…
(September 27 – 7:00 AM)
The next day started out pretty much the same for them. They rowed their little boat to the shore, but that morning, the tide was very low. By noon, their boat sat beached upon the sand and marine life, both plant and animal, were exposed upon the rocks.
Aradhay and Miyake were perplexed, so they pulled their boat back into the water, and began to row around the island. A cave, that was previously submerged in the water, was now sitting half out of the water… "This is it!" Aradhay exclaims…
The duo rows directly into the cave mouth, but it was a perilous passage because the water surged forcefully back and forth throughout the opening.
The cave was larger than the duo expected, and they had pulled the boat up on a tiny spit of sand. Aradhay turns his hand lamp on as they walked towards the back of the cave, and there it was, glimmering in all its glory, the treasure. Huge chests of gold and silver jewellery, figurines, and gems were spilled out on to the cave floor, it was a magnificent sight to behold!
Amidst all of that treasure, sat a skeleton, garbed like a Conquistador, its head thrown back as if laughing…
Miyake walked to the skeleton, and pulled a tattered journal from beneath its withered hand. She opened the book and began reading it to herself, while Aradhay took a look at the chests a bit, and picked up a piece of jewellery. "It was definitely Incan; the craftsmanship was unmistakable!" Aradhay mumbled to himself. Miyake read for a while longer, and then spoke up. "This journal is written in Spanish, but I will translate!"
Miyake: It looks as though this sea captain (points to the skeleton), was part of the force which attacked and sacked the Machu Picchu. He was taking the treasure back to Spain, but mistrusted his own crew. He was sure that they planned to mutiny on the voyage home, and so he left a "marker" …
Aradhay: Which must've been the knife…
Miyake: Yes, the knife… To tell someone where the treasure would be if he disappeared on the return voyage home…
Aradhay: But how did he return here?!
Miyake: Shhh! (waves her hand at Aradhay) Am getting to that!
Aradhay: Oh alright, continue…
Miyake: The Captain writes here that he had discovered this cave by accident on a previous journey. He deduced that it was only accessible once per year, so he timed his return voyage to Spain to coincide with the Equinox on the exact day that he would pass this island. Carefully, while the crew was asleep, he rowed all the treasure to this very island, and secreted all of it in this cave…
Aradhay: But how did he get stuck in this cave?
Miyake: Though the Captain knew about this tidal cave, he didn't know that it was only open for 6 hours in total. By the time he had finished unloading the treasure, the tide had risen, and had trapped him inside. He writes that he tried to swim out under the water, but that the water surges too strongly trough the cave, and he had almost drowned.
Aradhay: (looks over his shoulder at the cave mouth) We better hurry up then. Let's load whatever we can, and get out… I'd hate to suffer a similar fate as our Captain here
Miyake: Wait! Listen to this! The last thing the captain wrote before his torch burnt out was: "At least I had the opportunity to hold the fabled Emerald Relic of Pachacuti before I died".
Aradhay and Miyake stare at each other's eyes in confusion, and they began to survey the room. Aradhay suddenly spots the relic sitting on a rock shelf above Miyake's head, and he reaches up for it and brought it down. The relic was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. It was solid emerald, and the light shining through it made kaleidoscopic reflections on the walls of the cave.
Aradhay: This is the treasure! Don't you see, this must have been a massive emerald unearthed in Cambodia, then sent to Egypt to be fashioned by Umhotep, and then delivered to Pachacuti in Peru. This is the real treasure!
Hermann Otto: Zat's right Arezzey Kaushik. Zat is ze real treasure. And now you will hand it over!
Aradhay and Miyake are surprised to find Colonel Hermann Otto inside the cave, holding the pistol levelled at them. He and two men had rowed silently while Miyake was translating the journal.
Hermann Otto: You ver zuch fools. Did you really sink ve just left ze knife lying zer by ze fire?! Ve wanted you to find it, zen figure ze puzzle, and zen lead us here… Zank you very much for all zat. Now hand me ze relic! (holds his hand out)
Aradhay: But don't you see Colonel, we both want the same thing. We want riches and power. Why don't we work together?
The Colonel arched an eyebrow at Aradhay.
Aradhay: Take a look at this (turns the relic over) This inscription here is the clue we were looking for.
Aradhay walks towards Otto, and when he looked down to see what he was pointing at, Aradhay knocks his gun aside, and gives the Colonel an uppercut which sent him careening backward. Aradhay then throws the Emerald Relic to Miyake, who grabbed it from the air.
He then turned to the 2 Bones agents who were running towards him. Aradhay ducked a clumsily thrown punch from the first man, and blocked a punch from the second. Then, using the Bones' men's momentum, he spun them around, came up behind them, and banged their heads together. They went down in a heap… "RUN!" Aradhay yelled at Miyake, who was stooping to pick something up. Colonel Otto was then rising to his feet, so Aradhay rushed past him, and knocked him aside. The duo launched themselves into their boat. Aradhay grabbed the oars and rowed with all his might for the cave entrance…
And just in the nick of time! The surging water was beating against the front of the small boat, and as they passed out into the sunlight, a first wave caught the top lip of the entrance. The duo hears shouts and curses from behind them. Aradhay looked towards the cave and saw the bow of the other boat emerge briefly, and then disappear as a wave hit it. In a few moments, the cave entrance was completely blocked by water. He turns to check on Miyake, and to his surprise, she points Colonel Otto's pistol at his head!
Aradhay: Yumi? What are you doing?!
Miyake: You… You lied to me! (lowers the gun unsteadily, points at Aradhay's chest) You know this artifact belongs to a museum… And… And this whole time you wanted to sell it to make you rich?!
Aradhay: What are you talking about?
Miyake: I heard what you said to Colonel Hermann Otto!
Aradhay: That? I just said that to stall him… I would never lie to you!
Miyake: How do I know that? I thought I could trust you! (cries heavily, and the gun waves dangerously as she stands in the bow of the boat)
Aradhay: You have to trust me… (holds his hand out to Miyake)
Miyake: Why?!
Aradhay: Because I love you!
Miyake lowered the gun; a look of shock and wonder is seen on her face. But just then, the water surged beneath the boat, and she lost her balance. She dropped to her knees, and the Emerald Relic slipped from her grasp and toppled into the water…
Aradhay lunges for the relic, but too late… He sat stunned, staring as the shimmering green statue sank into the depths. But then, Aradhay pulls his shirt over his head and dives into the water… He could hear Miyake screaming "NO!!" But it was already too late. Aradhay was swimming downward as fast as he could go, with the glint of the relic disappearing into the gloom below.
Seemingly an eternity later, Aradhay breaks the surface of the water, lungs burning and gasping for breath, but he manages to get a hold of the sparkling Emerald Relic…