Ancient Secrets

Nick walked for three days. He cried half of the time until he grew angry. He even considered going back and fighting them for his family.

In the end, he knew he couldn't do that. It would only make Tai and Bati's lives worse.

He broke into a clearing on the third day. It was the Panama entrance to the Darien Gap. He walked into the small town of Yaviza, Panama. This is the town where the Pan-American Highway stops. It doesn't go through the Darien Gap. From here, Nick was able to call the Professor.

"Nick, it is so good to hear from you again. Where are you?"

"I am in a small town called Yaviza, Panama. It is just outside of the Darien Gap. I need some money wired to me so I can get home."

"Certainly, Nick. Is there a Western Union station there?"

"Yes. You can wire it directly to me here. I am standing in their office now."

"How much do you need?"

"Enough to get a ride to the canal, and then a flight back to New York."

"I'll get a $1,000.00 wired immediately. It will be so good to see you again. I can't wait to hear of your adventures."

Within a couple of hours, he had his money. He took a bus to Panama City, and from there a flight to New York. By the next morning, he was back where he had started. He no longer had his apartment. He had paid rent for a year, but that was two and a half years ago. Mary and the professor had boxed his things up and put them in storage. He went to the university to see the professor.

The professor was very happy to see him. "I never thought I would see you again. It's been nearly three years, man."

"I know. I have so much to tell you about, but first, I would like to call Mary."

The professor looked hurt. "You need to sit down." Nick did so. "The dig where she and three of her friends were working was overrun by Hezbollah two weeks ago. The Jordanian troops were killed in a fire fight. There is no trace of the four archeologists. The Jordian government is saying they will do everything they can, but don't have much hope. The US embassy in Amman is trying some other channels. We just must wait and pray."

Nick collapsed on the floor. No, not this too. He was worried how he would explain Tai to her. Now, he is alone, again. He had to try and go and find her himself. He must try.

"What does the company that sponsored the dig have to say?"

"They have men there now trying to sort everything out. They are talking to the Bedouins from the area. So far, they have no answers from them."

The professor offered to let him stay at Mary's apartment, but he couldn't do that. He couldn't see the place where they had so many wonderful memories. The professor invited him to stay with him until he could work something out. He had two and a half years' worth of back pay coming to him, so he had money to work with. But how to use it?

He decided to go and see the man who had run the dig from England. After he had settled in and got his clothes out of storage, he was ready to go. He flew to London and was met by Nigel Thornton. Thornton was the man who oversaw the dig and was the liaison between the company and the countries involved.

"Nice to meet you, Dr. Germain. I am sorry it is under such sad circumstances. Mary talked about you often."

"Yeah. I've been in the Darien Gap for the last two and a half years. I had no way to communicate with the world until two days ago. What do we know now?"

They sat down in Thornton's office. "They were working on an old trade route site between Eilad, Isreal and Aqaba, Jordan. There had been no trouble there for years. They only had four Jordanian troops with them. There were a group of Bedouins who were paid to do the digging and provide the supplies. We have no idea where they are now. They found one of them who told them the foreigners had talked about going back to Eliad the day before the attack happened. They never arrived, and the Bedouin says he believes the terrorists took them prisoner. I doubt it because we have never heard from Hezbollah. They usually demand things immediately after taking hostages. The Jordian government has spoken to Hezbollah, and they are denying having them. We are stuck with two options, neither of which is appealing. First, Hezbollah has them and is waiting to present their demands. The second is they killed them, and don't want to bring the wrath of the US government down on them by admitting it. We know they didn't wander off into the desert, and there is no civilization anywhere else around there."

He stopped talking and waited for Nick to respond. Nick didn't disappoint. "I can't just sit here and not do anything. I must find something to do about this."

"I understand how you feel. I have lost two other archaeologists before, and I don't want to lose anymore. However, in those dangerous areas, it is not smart to just wander around blindly. We must wait for the experts in the area to do their work. I'm sorry I don't have any better news for you."

Nick shook his hand and headed home.

It was two days later when he got a call from Thornton. "Nick, I am sorry about this, but Hezbollah just delivered a message with some of our people's clothes. They are sad to confirm the death of the four archeologists. They do not have the bodies still."

Nick collapsed into a heap. He got a bottle of whiskey and didn't remember the next two days.

The university held a memorial for Mary, just like they had for him. He could only hope she was alive but hiding.

The professor tried to get him out of the hole he had dug for himself by asking Nick to tell him about what he found in the gap.

Nick told him about the tribe, but left Tai out of it. It just didn't seem right, somehow. After telling him his story, he said he wasn't publishing anything about them. He didn't want them disturbed. The professor wasn't happy about that.

"You understand the entire point of the university paying for this expedition was so we could publish and recoup our costs."

"I do understand. But I must be general enough that no one can find them by what I say. They are simple people. They are not like the other five tribes that have interacted with civilization. They would not survive. They took care of me when I was delirious and helped me recover. I am not going to have the modern world bulldoze over them."

They were at an impasse. After much discussion, he agreed to write a report that does not accurately give any location notes.

The first thing he had to do was find a new place to live. He needed a place with the room to try and grow the flowers he had brought with him. He decided to go out of the city and find a small house he could rent that had room to grow plants. He wanted an indoor growing area.

He finally found what he wanted up the Hudson Valley from the city. It was a small house that had a large garage attached. It was half a mile from his next neighbor.

He took the bag of dirt he had brought to a scientist he knew. He wanted the dirt analyzed to determine the soil he would need to grow these flowers.

While waiting for the report, he began building boxes to put the dirt in and grow the flowers. He added a misting service to water them and sunlamps to help them grow.

In two weeks, he had the flower boxes built and everything else in place when his friend called him. He went to see him.

"Nick, this soil is unusual. It has a few nutrients that are not found in our soil."

"Can you replicate them?"

His friend laughed. "I can replicate anything I can dissect."

"Can you make the nutrients into a separate ingredient that I can carry?"

"Sure, why not?"

It had been nearly a month since he got home. He tried without success to get Mary out of his mind. He drank many nights to get to sleep. As time passed, he grew more morose and angrier. He knew he had to do something to clear his mind.

He decided to take the professor up on his offer to lecture about the gap. In general, not about the tribe.

It was during one of these lectures that he met Susan. Susan was a student working her way to her doctorate. She was an assistant with one of the other professors.

He still had the bag of powder the chief had forgotten in the confusion to take back. He had some of the powder left.

She came up to introduce herself after his lecture. "Dr. Germain, my name is Susan Wilson. I am working on my doctorate in anthropology. I was wondering if I could interview you concerning your studies and travels?"

Nick looked at her. She was probably around twenty-five, blonde, slender and fit. She looked good, he had to admit. He had not looked at a woman as someone to try to hook up with in years.

"Of course, Susan. I would be happy to talk with you. Where would you like to do this?"

"I share an apartment with a couple of other undergrads. If you wouldn't mind an audience, we could go there."

He agreed and she gave him the address. He took some of the powder with him. He didn't think he would need it, but better to be prepared. He needed a diversion soon.

Susan met him at the door, "Thanks so much for coming out here tonight. Let me introduce you to my two roommates. This is Wanda Peterson. She is studying archaeology." Nick shook her hand. She was even prettier than Susan. Probably nearly thirty, black hair and a little heavier than Susan. But he wouldn't throw her back, as they say. "This is Amal Abullah. She is from Jordan. She is studying ancient civilizations on a scholarship."

Nick sat down looking at these three women. He was sure he could entice at least one of them to spend some time with him. After all, he is famous.

For the next couple of hours, he answered their questions. It was a good time with several good questions.

As they were finishing up, Susan went into the kitchen. She came back with a bottle of wine and four glasses. "How about a little toast to finish the night?"

The other two girls looked at each other and said, almost at the same time. "Sorry, but I have studying to do. Thanks anyway."

They both got up and headed for their rooms. Nick smiled. "I guess they didn't want to drink with me. That just means more for us."

She smiled and handed him a glass. They sat down and talked as they sipped their wine. One glass led to another until they had drunk the entire bottle.

He then stood up to leave. "I guess I had better go. It's getting late."

She got up to lead him to the door. When she got there, she turned and kissed him. "I'm sorry. I don't know what got into me."

He stood looking at her. She smiled and he kissed her back. She took his hand and headed to her room. He excused himself to the bathroom where he drank the powder. He was used to it now, and it would not take long. By the time he returned from the bathroom, it was already taking effect. She had him sit down on her bed. She sat on his lap. "I am interested in your work, of course, but I am more interested in your body at the moment. She kissed him again. He put his hand around her and grabbed her left breast. She jumped a little but adjusted quickly. She began unbuttoning her blouse as she stood up. He unbuttoned his shirt as she removed her blouse. She had nice, full breasts. Her nipples were pointing through the bra as she stood there. She was really pretty. When he took his pants off, the snake he had gotten from the valley popped out, she nearly fainted. She began stripping the rest of her clothes until she was naked. He lay her on the bed and began working on her slowly. She was impatient for more than licking.

She moved more into the middle of the bed and spread her legs. She motioned for him to come to her with her finger. He obliged her and slowly entered her. She strained when he first entered her, but he waited for her to settle down. Once he was mostly inside, he began thrusting slowly. As she heated up, he sped up until he was completely inside her. She was squirming and trying to maintain her composure. It was a losing game. After a few minutes, she exploded in a powerful orgasm. He continued until she settled down. He stopped but did not pull out. He had not even started for himself yet. When she looked down to see he was just as big as before, she gulped and spoke. "You didn't even come."

"No, I'm not close. I hope you will like a couple more orgasms. I can go for a while."

She pulled him up to her, but he rolled her over and pulled her up to her knees. He then climbed her back and mounted her. Her knees almost buckled when he was fully in her. He continued until he could see her eyes were glazing over. She was almost out of it. She had two orgasms already and was headed for a third when she fainted.

He decided to finish. She didn't seem to mind, and he fucked her until he came. When he was finished, he rolled her back over and held her in his arms until she recovered.

When she finally came around, she looked at him and said. "Are you kidding me? How did you work your way through all the colleges you went to, as an escort, or something?"

He smiled. "No. I spent time with a tribe in Columbia who had tricks. I was there long enough to learn a few things."

"Learn a few things. Like how to make a woman weak in her knees and come until she faints. You could bottle that."

He held her until they fell asleep. In the morning, he woke up to her mouth on his large member. She couldn't get it close to down her throat, but he had to admire her trying. He decided to help her a little and concentrated on coming until he did. She nearly chocked trying to swallow everything, but she tried. When she was finished, she came up and laid on him for a while.

"You are someone special, Susan. I must go now."

"Please promise me I can see that thing again." She blushed. "I mean see you again."

He laughed and said, "Maybe."

He got dressed and headed home. He smiled at the other women as he left.

That little episode both relieved him and proved the need to get these flowers growing. His friend called him with the bag of the special ingredient he needed to put in his soil.

He picked it up. "What would be the portion I would need for a box of dirt."

His friend gave him the formula and he headed home. He decided to try one box first to see if it would work. He mixed up the dirt in the box. He then took a couple of the seeds he had brought back and planted them in the box. He watered and put fertilizer on them. Now, he just had to wait.

He was working on the paper he had promised to deliver to the university on his travels in the Gap. He had to be careful not to include anything that would give the tribe away.

He checked in with Thornton in London. There was nothing new. They had not found the bodies yet. He promised to advise when he could.

Nick was just sitting at home, trying to write his report and drinking. He was doing much better at drinking than he was writing. The only good news he got that week was that he saw the first shoot of the flower coming out of the dirt. He had a chance.

The next day, Susan had tried to call him, but he ducked her. He wasn't ready for another relationship yet. The last two have been disastrous. He didn't think he could live through a third just yet.

But she didn't give up. After several calls, he finally answered one. "Hello, Susan. How are you?"

"Better that you finally picked up. Can I see you again?"

He was a little drunk and lonely, so he agreed to come over that night.

When he arrived, all three girls were home. He expected the other two to leave when he arrived, but they all stayed.

Susan got him a drink. She had already figured him out. He was sad and alcohol seemed to settle him. After a few drinks, everyone was very mellow. Susan sat on his lap. She had no panties on under her skirt. She made it very obvious, and Nick finally put his hand between her legs. She moaned and tried to fuck his finger. Nick looked up at the other two women. They were watching closely while drinking their drinks. The next time he looked at them Wanda had her top off. She had a nice set of breasts and was playing with them. Nick figured they wanted to play too. He set Susan aside and stood up. He then took his pants off to release the beast. When he popped out, Wanda nearly fainted.

"Susan, you are right. I thought you were bragging. But that is the real deal."

Amal had gotten up and left. Nick figured she had the good sense to get out of here. Besides, she probably was a Muslim. Drinking was a big no-no for them.

By the time he had turned around, Susan had removed her skirt and was naked from the waist down. He bent her over the arm of the couch and mounted her right there. Wanda finished stripping and came closer to see what was happening. Wanda went behind Nick and began massaging his balls as he fucked Susan. Susan was drunk and didn't last long. She exploded and collapsed over the arm of the couch.

Nick turned to Wanda and left Susan lying over the arm of the couch. She was passed out cold. Nick sat Wanda on the couch beside Susan's head and spread her legs. He then carefully entered her. She squealed when he began. After he went in, he began riding her. She completely enjoyed him servicing her. She lasted much longer than Susan. She finally gave it up. Nick was looking into her eyes. He could see she was close to climax. She suddenly froze as her eyes rolled back in her head. Her body erupted in a climax, but she wasn't there to enjoy it. Her eyes were still gone. She was gone at that moment. He used her pussy to finish and pulled out. He sat down and watched the two women laying on the couch, out cold. It took them a few minutes to recover. When they did, they took Nick by the hand and headed to Susan's bedroom.

There was not much sleep that night. They took turns on each other. The two women even took a turn at the other during the night. They finally fell asleep around three or four in the morning. They slept until nearly noon.

Nick woke up with each of his arms around a sleeping woman. He had a hangover, so he didn't try to move until they stirred.

They looked up and tried to clear their heads. Nick could see that it was going to take a while, so he got up, kissed each, got dressed and left.

His trial flowers were growing nicely. He decided to plant a few more. He had no idea how many leaves he would need to make a batch.

He finally decided he needed to clear his head so he could finish the paper he had promised. He took a little vacation in the Catskills for a few days. When he returned the flowers were nearly fully grown. He didn't know how large the leaves had to be before he harvested them. When they looked like the ones he had seen the villagers working on, he picked several. Now was the time to see if he could make the powder.

He tried to see them working on the leaves in his mind's eye as he worked on the leaves. His first batch wasn't any good, but by the third batch, he had the consistency he had seen in the village.

He had more of the powder. Now he had to find out if it worked. The best way to find out was to call Susan. It had been two weeks since that night, and they had only called him once.

He called her. "Hey Susan. I haven't talked to you lately. How have you been?"

She appeared out of breath. "I am good, but a little busy right now."

"No problem. I was just wondering if you are free for dinner?"

"Suure, tonight?"

"Why not. How about seven?"

She agreed and hung up.

He arrived at seven at Susan's apartment. Susan answered the door. She was beautiful in her dress. "You look wonderful."

"Thank you. Wanda picked it out." She let him in, and they sat down in the living room. Wanda was not there. They left for dinner. It was in a nice little restaurant in the area.

Once they were finished, they headed back to her house. On the way, Susan tried to clear her throat.

Nick could tell she wanted to say something. "Come on Susan. I don't know you that well, but I can tell you want to say something. Please feel free."