1

Brazil, 1996

JACK HESITATED FOR A MOMENT, calculating the risk of distracting Romero before reaching over and swatting the tarantula from his friend’s shoulder. The huge spider tumbled out of the jeep. To Jack’s relief, Romero kept his eyes aimed ahead for as long as it took to make sure the jeep avoided the cecropia that appeared in their path, only turning to raise an eyebrow in Jack’s direction once the tree was behind them.

“Believe me, you don’t want to know,” Jack said.

Romero held the look for a while longer, then turned his attention back to the road ahead.

That road was the 156, the only even marginally serviceable route for those traversing the northernmost three hundred kilometers of Amapá. Most of the 156 had disappeared behind them as they neared Oiapoque, the jeep churning up red clay, bouncing over terrain that, back home, Jack would have described as prime off-roading territory. As if to punctuate that thought, the jeep’s right front tire dropped down into a hole, sending a shower of moist red clay into the air. He barely grimaced as some of that shower landed on him; after almost five hundred kilometers he’d given up trying to preserve the integrity of his clothes.

As the jeep navigated a sharp curve, the first sign he had seen in more than a hundred kilometers came into view, the faded wood placing Oiapoque less than twenty kilometers ahead. Then the sign was gone, leaving nothing to prove that anything existed beyond the rain forest, save the road the jungle was ever working to reclaim.

The branches of mammoth kapoks hung over the road, their pods dangling in patches like ripe fruit amid the leaves. Intertwined with the kapoks were other lesser trees, many so snuggly placed against their larger cousins as to provide as solid a wall as any a man could make with brick and mortar. And among this tangle of limbs and leaves that wove a cover over the rain forest, insects and animals in types and numbers Jack could hardly fathom made their homes.

The tenuousness of humankind’s foothold in this formidable place was enough to humble even a seasoned traveler, but rather than continue to ponder the question, Jack reached for the travel bag between his feet, fishing around until he found a cigar, a Dona Flor he’d picked up in Macapá.

Romero watched as Jack cut and lit the cigar, not saying anything until he’d released the first puff of smoke to the jungle. “Since when do you smoke cigars?”

“Since the day Jim and I pulled that fifteen-hundred-year-old Mochica headdress out of that royal tomb in Peru,” Jack said.

At the time, it was the most valuable artifact ever discovered in the country, and Dr. James Winfield, who was lead archaeologist for the dig, had pulled two cigars from his breast pocket the moment the headdress was packed safely for travel. Considering the magnitude of the find, Jack couldn’t refuse the celebratory token.

“As I recall, that artifact was worth 1.5 million,” Romero said.

“Closer to two,” Jack said.

Romero grunted.

“An occasion worthy of a fine cigar, indeed.”

Jack took another puff as the jungle passed by on either side. He glanced over at the Venezuelan.

“How does Espy feel about men who smoke cigars?” he asked, trying to keep a smile from touching his lips.

Romero didn’t say anything right away. In fact, the only evidence that he’d heard the question manifested itself in a reddening of his ears. It was a reaction that reminded Jack that while Romero was a friend, his temper was often unpredictable. And he was very protective of his younger sister.

“I think the more accurate question is how she feels about men who are forced to eat their cigars for even entertaining ideas about another man’s sister,” Romero said.

Jack chuckled, yet he knew enough to let the matter drop, a decision that coincided with the jeep rounding one last corner to reveal their destination—opening up before them, the whole of it, in a single instant.

They drove in above Oiapoque, a border town where the streets and buildings lay clustered closely together along the river that shared its name. At first glance, the place looked as if it had been ravaged by a natural disaster, a flood pushing through long ago and leaving behind red silt to mark its passing, filling the streets, staining everything the water touched. Just when Jack figured the town to be dead or abandoned, he saw movement. As Romero gave the gas pedal a nudge to send the jeep in the direction of the river, Jack could see the people who gave the place life.

As the 156 widened, the results of the wet season became visible. Deep ruts had been cut into the slope, sending the jeep bouncing and dipping until finally they reached a spot where the road leveled out. Heading deeper into town, Jack took a long draw from the cigar and watched as people stopped to view the jeep and to size up the visitors. Oiapoque was remote enough to make every visitor an opportunity, and the locals seemed to be experts at assessing the nature of one’s need. Because outsiders wouldn’t go through the hassle of traveling all the way here if they didn’t need something.

Before long, most observers dismissed Jack and Romero, and of those whose gazes lingered, all were men who looked like the kind it would be wise to avoid. It gave Jack a moment’s pause to consider that these were just the sort of men he and Romero had come to see.

When they reached Oiapoque’s version of Main Street, it seemed to him that everything worth doing in the place had been crammed into a few square blocks. Shops of various sorts sat almost atop each other, a curious mix of modern-looking establishments with a European flair, along with other storefronts and vendor stalls that had a more local flavor. But the shops were secondary to the people who began swarming the jeep, a great many of them calling out to Romero and Jack, offering a variety of services, their French and Portuguese forming a carnival-like cacophony.

Romero maneuvered the jeep to the side of the road, spurring a more intense movement of entrepreneurs toward the vehicle, but the Venezuelan’s glower quickly dispersed them. Thus freed, Jack and Romero stood on the road for a few moments, taking the place in, Jack’s eyes seeking out someone who might convey them to Saint George, which was located across the expanse of water separating two nations.

There was something of the Wild West to Oiapoque. Its people, left to their own devices, had created something wholly unique—and maybe even a little dangerous. Jack decided he liked it. Save for the ubiquitous red clay his boots kicked up, which coated everything and everyone.

He took Romero’s grunt as agreement.

“I’d say we have as good a chance of finding a ferryman there as any,” Romero said, nodding toward a tavern that also had caught Jack’s eye, mainly for the group of men gathered beneath its overhang.

As Jack and Romero drew nearer, the odors of fried food, stale beer, and cigarettes wafted through the tavern’s open door, along with the hum of conversation and the occasional clink of glass. He saw the look on Romero’s face, understanding that Taberna da Esquina was the kind of place to which he could lose his friend if they lingered. So he quickly made use of his rusty French to see if he could find someone willing to take them across the river.

Less than a minute later, he had secured the services of one of the locals, who immediately started off in the direction of the jeep. But when Jack moved to follow, he noticed that his friend seemed rooted to the spot.

Romero’s eyes were fixed on the tavern entrance.

“Our meeting is more than an hour off,” Romero said. “A ten-minute river transit should allow time to enjoy some of the fruits of this lovely town.”

Jack didn’t answer right away because, in principle, he couldn’t fault the argument, but pragmatism eventually reared its head. “We can either stay here for a drink and let Paulo get there first, allow him to set things up how he wants them, or we can delay gratification, beat him there, and maybe have time for a nice Malte Barrilete.”

Romero turned that around for a time, wearing a frown that told Jack he was without a rebuttal. He grunted again, then turned away from the door. “Fine. Even if I think you’re being overly optimistic if you expect to find bourbon of that quality this far from Macapá.”

With Romero in tow, Jack started after their Brazilian Charon, who had stopped to wait for them. Soon they reached the marina, where they navigated a cursory customs checkpoint.

It was his first good look at the Oiapoque River, a waterway that wound like a ghost through trees that stood like sentinels along its banks—except where towns like Oiapoque had staked claims along its length, the trees pulling away before converging again downstream. They boarded a small boat and pushed away from the dock. And it wasn’t long before Jack could make out their destination on the far bank, watercraft landing and departing at a series of piers that seemed much more orderly than the ones they’d left behind.

When they reached the other side, the ferryman tied off and then led the way up the pier. He stopped before reaching the border checkpoint, where Jack parted with some of the meager funds he had left before heading with Romero into French Guiana.

According to Paulo, the name of the place was Chez Modestine, though the sign hanging above the door was weathered enough that Jack had to identify it by a scant few discernible letters. Like the rest of Saint George, Chez Modestine had a lethargic look to it, with no sounds coming through the tall, narrow open doorway, and a handful of locals lounging on the wooden deck that wrapped around the two-story building.

Inside, it was a different story. The place was packed with nearly every seat occupied, both at the bar and around the scattered tables. About half of the patrons wore the uniform of the largest employer in town, the French Foreign Legion, and hardly any of them so much as glanced at the newcomers.

Jack and Romero shared a look and then started toward one of the back corners of the large room, toward an empty table. They hadn’t quite reached it when Jack saw that their attempt to arrive early hadn’t worked out.

Paulo Azevedo was a small, slight man whose body seemed like some taut wire. Jack had only met him once before, yet Romero’s successful business dealings with the man had convinced Jack to come along, to engage in one of the less seemly sides of archaeological fieldwork. Outside the classroom, the line between legitimate archaeology and treasure hunting could get blurry. Most archaeologists, however, were able to intuit the position of that line and keep themselves on the proper side of it. It wasn’t until Jack met Romero—a man who made his living procuring rare items for people with the means to pay handsomely for them—that Jack ever considered engaging in a meeting of this sort.

Paulo sat at a table in the corner opposite the one Jack and Romero had been aiming for. The two men with him—both much larger than Paulo—had similar enough facial features for Jack to deduce a familial relationship. Fraternal hired muscle. Paulo’s eyes were on the foreigners. He was smiling, a cat-that-caught-the-canary smile, and Jack couldn’t help feeling irritated that he’d beaten them there.

He changed direction, catching Romero off guard, and slipped into one of the two empty seats at the table, directly across from Paulo. He offered a disarming wink to one of Paulo’s men, whose only response was to regard Jack as one might a bug. But when Romero slid into the other seat, Jack felt a bit better about the playing field. While both of the men the Brazilian had with him were imposing, there was something about the Venezuelan that suggested danger beneath a refined exterior. Paulo’s guys seemed to sense it immediately. Both shifted in their seats, eyes moving to Romero.

No one spoke right away, and Jack found himself starting to hunt around for what Paulo was to have brought, seeking out something the right size and shape. Meanwhile, Romero flagged down a serving girl and ordered for both of them—the Malte Barrilete for which he’d held out little hope. Not seeing a conspicuous bundle, Jack returned his attention to Paulo. The Brazilian had eyes like a lizard; Jack didn’t think he’d blinked since the moment he and Romero had sat down.

“I trust the trip was uneventful,” Paulo said in English, with only a hint of an accent.

“We made it here in one piece,” Jack answered.

“Where’s the dagger?” Romero asked, getting right to the point.

Paulo smiled again, showing a prominent gap between his front teeth. Instead of answering the question, he took a drink of whatever local brew he was working on. Jack responded in kind, sampling the Malte Barrilete. Then Paulo set his drink down and reached a hand beneath his jacket. Jack tensed, but when Paulo pulled his hand out, he was holding the dagger.

Jack’s eyes locked on the dagger to the exclusion of all else. It was double-edged, a bone hilt beset with emeralds and rubies. Jack found it stunning. He extended a hand, but Paulo pulled the knife back.

“If I’m going to spend the kind of money we’re talking about, I need to see it,” Jack said.

After a moment, Paulo extended the dagger. Jack took it from him, trying to keep his excitement in check, concentrating on giving the thing a clinical review. A line of jewels ran along the hilt, which scintillated even in the dim light of the tavern. The gems alone were worth twice Paulo’s asking price. He turned the dagger, letting the light play off the stones. The bone hilt had been dulled by time. As Jack ran a thumbnail along it, he saw the markings. He brought the dagger closer. They were near the base of the weapon, a series of lines running along the bottom edge, hieroglyphic in their design. He frowned. He couldn’t remember anything from his research that mentioned text on the dagger.

From across the table came the sound of a throat clearing. Jack glanced up, caught Paulo’s impatient eye. He looked back at the weapon, studying the mysterious etchings on the hilt. Then, with a sigh, he looked at Romero and nodded.

The Venezuelan leaned over and retrieved the bag. He placed it on the table.

“Fifty thousand, as we agreed.”

Jack felt the tension increase, even as the patrons around them remained oblivious to what was transpiring in their midst.

“Unfortunately,” Paulo said, “I think we’re going to have to renegotiate.” He smiled that gap-toothed smile again.

A second later, Jack saw the first gun come out, then another immediately after. He glanced at Romero. This was generally the point when Romero lost his temper and tried to throw a punch or two. Invariably they would walk out without the dagger or the money. But what he saw on his friend’s face caused him to do a double take. Instead of anger, he saw complete calm—nothing to indicate he was at all bothered by what was happening.

And then he glanced down, saw white knuckles gripping the table. “Great,” he muttered, right before Romero flipped the table over.

The next few moments consisted of shouting, glass shattering, and cursing in both Spanish and Portuguese. At one point, one of Paulo’s men raised his gun, aiming it at Romero’s chest. Jack leaped into action and tackled the man from behind, taking him to the floor and kicking away the gun. Then he heard more glass breaking, after which he saw the first flames.

The bar went up quickly, the flames moving with incredible speed, shooting up the wall, making inroads across the ceiling.

“Romero,” Jack yelled over the sounds of the fleeing crowd.

Romero turned toward Jack, who was pointing to the fire. Romero’s eyes went wide—right before he took a right hook to the cheekbone. Jack winced for him, but Romero made short work of his assailant and started to follow Jack toward the door. He was halfway across the room when Jack saw him stop and look back.

“Romero,” he yelled again. Even Paulo’s men had given up the fight in favor of flight. Romero and Jack were the only ones left in the building, which was coming down around them. Jack called out again, but Romero either didn’t hear him or he was ignoring him. Jack saw him staring at something across the room.

It was the dagger, lying on the floor, with flames dancing around it. It was beautiful. But it wasn’t worth dying for.

“Romero,” Jack shouted, louder this time.

Finally Romero’s head turned and his eyes found Jack. Wild, feverish eyes. Then a beam crashed down between them, flames rising like a solid wall. Jack lost sight of his friend, but when he rushed forward to where he’d been, Jack found himself struggling to breathe. Still, he lingered for a little while longer, hoping to see Romero emerge from the fire and smoke. But when his lungs could no longer take it, he had no choice but to head for the exit.

As soon as he ran outside, he was grabbed by several pairs of hands and led away. Someone put a cup of water in his hand. Yet his attention remained focused on the building, completely engulfed now. It took a moment for him to realize that shock was threatening to overtake him. The cup tumbled from his hand.

Then something caught Jack’s eye. At first he couldn’t quite make it out, only that it was something inside the smoke, moving alongside the building. He watched, transfixed, until the figure broke away from the wall, then took on a shape of its own. It was Romero. Several people hurried toward him, giving him aid as they had Jack.

Jack rushed over to join them. He grabbed his friend by the shoulders. “What happened to you?” he shouted.

Romero coughed and said, “I went out the window.”

Jack pulled him away from the crowd, made him sit. “Are you okay?”

Romero nodded and waved off Jack’s concern. Then he beckoned him to come closer. He pulled his coat open, just enough for Jack to see the dagger. Romero grinned, eyes shining.

Amazed, Jack returned the smile, but even as he did, he recalled the image of Romero inside the tavern, and the look in his eyes was an expression Jack had never seen before. For some reason, despite the heat, he shuddered.