The next week Schuyler, Ayana and Tate are on a flat clearing of the northeastern slope of Black Mountain. Rebekah, fresh out of her inpatient program has joined them. It is nearing 4:30 p.m. on the afternoon of the annual Cave Creek holiday pageant, so the sun is just now setting behind the hills in the west. The four are assisting a work crew with the set-up.
“Schuy, I’m not sure how you pulled this off, but I’ve got to hand it to you,” Tate says as together they finish installing the life-sized manger scene.
“Hey, I’ve been learning from the master,” Schuyler says while gesturing toward Ayana who is helping Rebekah with the lighting. “It wasn’t that hard. Mom’s on the organizing committee, both Rebekah and I needed some community service hours, and Ayana needed a cause to escape being grounded for one more evening.”
“What about me?” Tate asks. “What was the angle for me?”
“Hey, I went to the Children’s hospital with you,” Schuyler replies. “I figured, you owed me – at least LaurAx told my mom that.”
“Okay,” Tate says. “So what’s this plan? You’ve been keeping this to yourself for too long.”
“You’ll know soon enough. Since we’re just finishing up, and people are starting to grab their seats, I’m going to speak with my mom. Have the girls meet us over by that big saguaro in five minutes. I left two flashlights on the floor of the passenger side of mom’s car. Grab those, and I’ll meet you over there.”
Tate does as Schuyler has instructed. Meanwhile, Schuyler walks over to his mom who is busy with last minute details. “Mom, we’ve finished setting up.”
“Huh?” she says going over her checklist. “Yes, hon. I see you guys did a great job. Thank you for your help.”
“I think we’re going to head out,” he says. “I’ve seen the last 3 pageants, and my friends are of differing faiths.”
“Okay, son, I understand,” she replies. “Make sure you thank them for me, and be careful walking home at this hour. There will be lots of traffic on Cave Creek road.”
“Will do, mom,” he says. “I grabbed a couple of flashlights, so we should be good. We’ll stick together.”
Darkness was settling in quickly as the four met at the rendezvous point near the large cactus. “Tate, can you help us find the Mormon Girl Mine?”
“What, in the dark?” he asks.
“Yeah, we don’t want to be noticed. Mines are usually dark anyway.”
“So we’re planning to go in?” Ayana asks.
“I think we should try,” he says. “Something’s been pulling on me to check out the mine for a clue.”
“Rebekah, this is that intuitive streak of his we’ve been telling you about,” Ayana says. “We’re learning to go with the flow.”
“It’s about a fifteen minute hike in the daylight,” Tate says. We should go single file. Schuy, take up the rear. It’s a little late in the year for rattlesnakes, so we should be o.k.”
Beyond the clearing where the pageant is held, there is an old walking trail that winds around the northwest slope of Black Mountain. As more people begin filing into the make-shift amphitheater, they quietly slip out onto the trail, and head out in a southwesterly direction toward the mine. Schuyler looks back to see if anyone has noticed them.
They make fairly good time in the waning dusk light, only losing their footing a couple of times. They form a chain by holding the belt loop of the person just in front of them, with Tate holding a flashlight in the front, and Schuyler directing a beam from the rear. As they walk along the trail, the large saguaros loom like fierce warriors backlit by the desert moon.
“Um, where exactly did you guys find that sidewinder when you were up here before?” Rebekah asks, trying to remain calm.
“Oh, about a hundred yards down the hill from this trail,” Tate replies.
“Thanks,” she answers. “Just wondering.”
“Don’t worry,” Tate says. “They move real slow when it’s cold.”
As they approach within 50 yards from the entrance to the old Mormon Girl Mine, Schuyler looks back, and oddly sees a flashlight bobbing up and down along the trail behind them. “Tate!” he urges. “Turn off your flashlight. I think we’re being followed. Let’s get to the mine quickly.”
Tate begins to sprint toward the mine with Ayana and Rebekah following as closely as they can. Schuyler keeps an eye out on the approaching stranger, and straggles back a bit.
The three in front reach the entrance and the seven foot chain link fence. Tate immediately scales it. Ayana and Rebekah quickly follow, helped by the accompanying adrenaline rush. Schuyler soon comes running around the corner and does the same. “We are definitely being followed,” says Schuyler out of breath. “Whoever that is behind us, is now running toward us.”
“Boy, it sure is dark in here,” Rebekah notices.
“Guys, grab hands and we’ll get around the corner of this entrance in the dark,” Tate says. “Then, we should be able to use our flashlights once we’re out of sight of the entrance.”
In nearly pitch blackness, they scramble along as the cave winds along to the left. Soon, the entrance and the star lit night can no longer be seen. “Tate, take the top off the flashlight,” Schuyler says. “It will act more like a candle, giving us a lantern effect here in the cave.They both turn on their lights in similar fashion.
“Big cat! Right there!” Ayana whispers loudly and instinctively clambers behind Tate and Schuyler. Rebekah does the same.
“Guys, be still!” Tate says in a loud whisper. “Silence.”
“Why, hello,” says Tate, looking deep into the yellow eyes of a large bobcat, who is studying the intruders at close range from a ledge slightly above them, maybe fifteen feet away. Rebekah and Ayana hold each other’s arm as they stand behind the boys, which promptly unnerves Schuyler. Tate slowly raises his hands outward, and continues speaking to the cat in a gentle tone. “Hello, little mother, we mean you no harm. We’ve come for a short visit, and then we’ll leave you to your winter home.” His gentle voice resonates with love and admiration for the beautiful, but dangerous creature. Tate begins humming something to the cat, which puts her out of attack mode causing her to lay down.
“Ok, move slowly but steadily that way into the mine. I’ve calmed her down for a bit, but that stranger is going to get a face full, which should slow him down.”
“I knew there was a reason we brought Siegfried along,” Schuyler whispers jokingly.
They quickly head down the mine another 50 yards before they hear a shriek back by where they left the bobcat. “Quickly, in here,” Ayana motions as they hastily enter a cylindrical chamber just off the main tunnel. “Schuy, what are we doing here?”
“I’m not really sure,” he answers exasperatedly. “I just had this crazy feeling that MGM meant Mormon Girl Mine. You know, the last clue. That hologram. It just felt natural.”
“Well, after seeing that cat, what feels natural to me is finding a place to go pee,” quips Rebekah.
“My gut tells me Schuy’s, right,” says Ayana. “We need to quiet ourselves. Be aware. Be guided.”
“You know it’s a funny thing,” says Tate thoughtfully. “This chamber is a perfect cylinder. It’s not natural. I wonder why?”
“Weird,” observes Schuyler. I’ve heard of ceremonial rooms like this.”
“Why would miners go to all this trouble to make a perfect cylinder?” Ayana asks.
“Maybe it wasn’t the miners,” Tate says as he walks toward a peculiar reflection on a black stone embedded in the wall about eight feet off the ground. “Hey. Over here.” He motions for them to come join him.
“Whoa!” Schuyler drops vertically into a hole, barely catching himself with his arms on the rim. “Guys, please help me,” he pleads. Tate drops his flashlight, braces one leg against a leaning stone, then grabs the back of Schuyler’s belt, pulling him up to safety.
“Watch out for the hole there,” he says nervously before thanking Tate.<
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“Thanks for the safety tip,” Ayana says.
“Guys, I’m not sure all of this is a good idea,” says Rebekah. “Remember, I’m supposed to stay out of trouble, not get further into it.”
“I think we’ve got something here,” says Ayana. “Look at the inscription on this stone. It looks like the compass emblem that was on the scrolls. I wonder why this stone is leaning like that.”
“Good question,” Tate replies. “That black brick up on this wall above it looks eerily familiar. There’s only one minor problem. None of us is tall enough to reach it.”
“Maybe that was intentional,” notices Schuyler still dusting himself off. “Just another obstacle. Tate, if I put you on my shoulders, you should be able to reach that stone. It’s only fair since you just carried me.”
“Yeah, but you’ll have to straddle that little opening in the ground,” Tate says.
“Not a problem, now that I know it’s there,” he answers.
“I guess we do get by with a little help from our friends,” Tate says.
“Speaking of friends, let’s hurry in case that bobcat has left her perch,” Ayana observes. “Whoever made that shriek will want to come back for us.”
Schuyler leans back against the chamber wall with one leg standing on the slanted stone. “A human stair case for you,” he gestures to Tate.
Tate proceeds to climb up Schuyler’s knee, hand, and shoulders while Ayana steadies him. Tate pulls out his pocket knife and begins digging around the edges of the black stone. Pebbles and sand fall down onto Schuyler’s face which forces him to close his eyes. “This thing’s been in here for a while,” Tate notes. Eventually, he digs away enough of the surrounding rock surface to pop the black capstone out of place. He hands it down to Ayana.
“Whoa!” Tate exclaims. “There’s a huge nugget of gold up here! It’s unbelievable. It looks like it’s attached to some kind of handle.”
“Don’t touch it!” Schuyler cries out. “What else do you see?”
“There’s another handle,” he answers. “It’s iron, and - oh yes, it has the compass emblem on it.”
“Do we have to take a vote on which one is the right handle?” Ayana chimes in.
“Ordinarily, I would say, go for the gold, but…” Tate remarks before Schuyler cuts him off.
“That’s what 99% of people would do, especially people looking for gold in a mine,” Schuyler replies. “Tate, if you’re ready, pull the lever with the compass on it please.”
“I’m on it,” he says. “Here goes!” As he yanks on the handle, they hear a metallic click below the large stone that Schuyler is standing on. Suddenly, the stone pivots, moves out from the wall, and begins fall out from under Schuyler, revealing a passage way below. Tate holds onto the handle for dear life while Schuyler has Tate’s ankles pinched into his armpits. They are now both dangling over the dark hole below them. Sensing his grip is slipping, Tate grabs the handle with the golden nugget with his left hand. They hear another click, but this time nothing happens.
“Hold on guys, let me look what we’ve got here,” Ayana says directing the flashlight into the passage way.
“Ok, but please hurry,” Tate answers. “Schuy’s getting heavy, and I’m getting taller.”
“It’s a short drop, maybe 3 feet at the most,” she answers. “There’s a platform there.”
“I see it,” Schuyler says as he lets go, then drops into the hole, his head and shoulders now visible. “You can let go Tate. There’s plenty of room here.”
Tate drops down and begins to look around. “Hey, there’s one of those corkscrew slides here. I think we should check it out.”
Ayana looks back at Rebekah. “Are you okay with this?”
“Sure, we need to find a way out, don’t we?” she answers.
“You bet,” Ayana answers. “Besides, I don’t want Tate to sing to that bobcat again. Let’s go.” They quickly jump in to join the boys.
“Hey, there’s a sign over here behind this lever,” Schuyler says. “ ‘Hatch reset/release.’ Let’s see if it works.” Schuyler pulls the wooden lever, hears another click and a large spring proceeds to move the large stone back into place. It locks with another click. “That should keep that stranger from following us.”
Without hesitating, Tate launches down the spiral slide, which drops nearly 20 feet. “Very cool.” The others follow close behind as they walk 20 yards toward the cave wall. “Uh, I think we found something,” says Tate. “Schuy, check out this metal ladder going up this old shaft. See the shield markings with the compass. We’ve got to be close.”
Schuyler inspects the ladder bolted against the cave wall which leads up into a mine shaft. He then points the flashlight up into the dark tunnel. “That looks like three stories up there to some sort of door. See the brass handle?”
“Yeah, I see it,” says Tate. “We should be ok. There’s really no turning back now. How are you guys with heights?”
“Not great I’m finding, but I’ll just keep looking up, not down,” answers Ayana.
“I’ve seen worse,” echoes Rebekah.
“Ok, here goes,” says Tate. He quickly climbs up the ladder, nearly 50 rungs. When he reaches the trap door, he turns the handle and pushes on the door to open it. He then climbs through. It leads into a dark closet with a large wooden door. On the door he sees the familiar flame emblem. Instead of opening the wooden door, he decides to wait and offer encouragement to Ayana, Rebekah, and Schuyler. Once they’ve all made it up the ladder Tate turns to Schuyler. “Well, Schuy, you started us on this thing. I think you should be the one to open the door.”
Schuyler nods, walks up to the door, turns the handle and pushes it open. They squint as they emerge into a large, well lit room. Before they can adjust to the light, they hear in a familiar voice: “Welcome squires! I’ve been waiting for you.”
Chapter 19: Night Light
You cannot teach a person something he does not already know; you can only bring what he does know to his awareness. -Galileo