Luxuria (3 page)

Josh moved past his friend and lifted the frail man from the damp dirt of the alleyway before moving him out under a flickering streetlamp. “What happened to you?” He asked, examining the filthy, battered man and finding only dark bruises around his neck.

The man looked up at them - behind his sunken grey eyes was a battle of sheer terror, as if the very question had caused this. “We...we found...” he wheezed, “in the jungle...we found something...something we shouldn’t have...” he reached into his filthy coat pocket and retrieved a crumple of soft, tanned leather. His hand shook furiously as he looked down on it. “We found it...”

“Found what?” Josh asked noticing the man paling further, his skin ice-cold already.

“We should call someone…he needs help.” Mark began looking around the street and caught sight of a group of people. “Hey someone call for help! This man is badly hurt!”

“We found... so wondrous...” his eyes lit up for a moment, as if he had forgotten the pain. He coughed again and his whole body convulsed. “So terrible... dangerous...” Dark blood began to drip from his nose and ears.

“Hang in there! Help is coming! Just hang in there man.” Mark ran down the road to flag down the ambulance that he could hear in the distance.

“What are you talking about?” Josh asked the man. “I don’t understand…you aren’t making any sense.”

“We found it... in the jungle...” he tried again. “The fountain of...of... something... it’s there!” He tried to lift his hand holding the piece of leather. “Gold and silver... jewels riches... Mel... Ector... knows...”

Josh shook his head. “It is okay man, help will be here soon. Save your strength.”

The man’s eyes were fading, helplessness filling them as they slowly closed, finally succumbing to his trauma.

Josh sighed and reached down, picking up the piece of leather that the man had dropped. “I wonder what this is?”

The man’s eyes shot open and his hand grabbed hold of Josh’s arm with surprising speed and strength. “The price is too high to drink from the fountain!” His words tapered off and he slumped back to the dirt, his last breath escaping him in a raspy exhale.

“That was really freaking weird.” Mark said, as the two finally made their way back to the hotel. They had waited for the police to arrive and answered the few questions that were asked and were finally allowed to leave.

“Just a little.” Josh replied. “I wonder what killed him? He didn’t even look that old or anything, just haggard and beaten up.”

“I don’t know - the police didn’t tell me anything.” Mark shrugged. “Was that enough adventure for you for one night?”

“I would say so,” Josh muttered, “ruined my high completely.”

Mark was shaking his head. “At least you have your priorities. What did he have in his hand anyway?”

Josh pulled out the scrap of leather from his cargo shorts pocket. “Not sure - a piece of leather or something… I think it’s got something in it.” He peeled it open and stopped in his tracks as something fell into his hand.

Mark stopped and turned to regard his wide-eyed friend. “What is it?”

Josh’s eyes brightened and a smile crossed his lips. “You are not going to believe this…”

The dull hum of an old, spurting air conditioner and low, festive music in Portuguese on the ham radio was all that could be heard in the near empty coffee shop.

Mark stirred his coffee slowly, glancing at his watch. It was 10am and already he could tell it would be over a hundred degrees. They were waiting for Josh to return with news of their new plans. Josh had hardly slept the night before and as soon as the sun was up he had left the hotel, telling them to meet him here.

“Can’t you just tell us what the plan is already?” Dustin groaned, rubbing his temples - the effects of last night’s overindulgence taking its toll. “The suspense is killing me - or maybe it’s this hangover - either way, just tell me!”

“I would if I could,” Mark shrugged, “but I really don’t know what Josh’s plan is. He told me no more than he told you, when he left this morning.”

“Fine, be a dick.” Dustin looked down at his own coffee, rumbling off into silence.

“So what did you guys do last night after we left? You were gone a long time.” Jessica asked.

“We had an adventure ….” Mark replied, not wanting to tell them more. Josh had told him to keep quiet about the map and gold ingot and how they had gotten hold of it. “Personally, I would be more interested in knowing what you two got up to after you left us…” He grinned.

Dustin’s cheeks flushed. “Nothing - we went back to the hotel and passed out.”

“Really?” Mark mused reaching into his pocket and pulled out a pair of ripped red panties and two loose white buttons. “See… these tell a completely different story.”

“You pervert! Give me those!” Jessica snatched her underwear from him, tucking them away in her purse before the others could see.

Mark laughed. “Well you might as well throw them away, they seem to be ruined. Though I guess you could sew the elastic strap back together. Looks like they were ‘hastily’ taken off to me. Dustin, do you happen to know anything about that? What about these buttons - aren’t these the buttons off that shirt of yours? The one you really liked and paid a ridiculous amount to have the mustard stain dry-cleaned from only four days ago?”

Dustin knew he was blushing and he just shook his head knowing there was no way to deny it. “You’re an ass…just drop it.”

“And a jealous ass by the looks of it,” Jessica added with a smirk, knowing they were caught and no longer cared.

“No, no,” Mark held up his hands in resignation, “just glad Dustin here was finally able to be part of the game.”

“I am not a man-whore like you and Josh. Besides, I was part of the ‘game’ two weeks ago in Natal, lest you forgot.”

“I hardly think getting a blowjob from a transsexual should count,” he countered.

“Sasha wasn’t a transsexual!”

Jessica laughed. “Your Sasha was actually a ‘he’, with a nice set of paid for tits, a wig and great makeup.”

“I really do hate you guys.” Dustin sighed, staring morosely into his coffee.

“Hey, however you like to roll man; it’s none of my business.” Mark said with a soft laugh. “He was cute though - a few more drinks and I might have made the same mistake you did. Thanks for taking that bullet for me, bud.”

“I have returned, my fellow adventures!” Josh proclaimed loudly as he walked into the coffee shop, his arms out wide, as if awaiting them to cheer his entrance.

“About bloody time.”

“I know, I know. I was gone longer than I said I would be, but discovering the perfect adventure takes time.”

“Will you please enlighten us… what is your great plan, oh fearless leader?” Jessica said sarcastically.

“I am really beginning to like that title, before this trip is over I will have to get a shirt that says that.” He smiled and Jessica rolled her eyes.

Josh turned a chair around and sat down, full of childish excitement. “Okay - the reason I was gone so long was because I had to track down a guide.”

“A guide for what?” Dustin asked with an undertone of cautious concern.

“I am glad you asked that Dustin... as I knew you would be the one to do so. A sightseeing treasure hunt…into the jungle.”

“A treasure hunt?” Jessica repeated with skepticism and a raised brow.

“Yes,” Josh boasted, “and sightseeing , for those of you who might be less adventurous.” He glanced at Dustin.

“Okay I’ll bite,” Dustin said, “pray tell, what it is we are looking for?”

“The ruins of an ancient civilization,” he replied, faux-mystery in his voice. “Hidden in the jungle, no more than a few days from here. Legend has it that only a few people have been able to find it and that it is full of gold and jewels and other cool shit to see.”

“You’re fucking kidding me, right?” Dustin exclaimed. “This is the dumbest thing you have said on this entire trip. First off, any ancient ruins around here have likely already been found and looted clean years ago. Second, if this was such a secret hidden place that no one knows about, how is it you have stumbled across such knowledge?”

Josh looked to Mark and then back at the others. “Okay fine… I’ll tell you. On our walk last night - after you guys left - we met a guy who gave us the map and said he had been there and it was full of treasure.”

Dustin began to laugh. “Some random ‘guy’ gave you a map, told you of some ancient ruins in the middle of the jungle full of treasure and you believed him? Sounds more like a ploy to get unsuspecting people out into the jungle to rob and kill.”

“Why are you always so negative?” Josh countered. “I am beginning to think you didn’t get enough hugs as a child. Besides, I have proof.” He reached into his pocket and placed the small gold ingot onto the table. “I had it appraised while I was out. It’s real…and worth about five grand.”

Dustin picked it up and inspected it carefully, his eyes glowing with excited wonder. “Damn, looks real enough.”

“Because it is real.”

Jessica held up her hands and intervened. “Answer me this - why would this guy give you the map and not keep it for himself? He could just go back and get the treasure? Not to mention… why did you give you his gold?”

Josh looked to Mark and sighed in defeat. “Fine, I didn’t want to tell you this part, but I won’t lie to you either. The guy died moments after he told me about it.”

“He died?” Dustin asked. “After he told you about it? Cause that doesn’t sound made up at all.”

“Damn it, Dustin I am serious.”

“He is telling the truth.” Mark cut in. “We found him in an alleyway - he had been mugged or something. We tried to get help to him, but it was too late. I don’t think…he didn’t make it.”

“And how do you know he wasn’t just some crazy guy with a fake map and a stolen piece of gold?” Jessica threw out, stealing glances at the ingot on the table.

Josh pulled out the map from his pocket and rolled it out on the table to show them. “He very well could be…but that’s where the adventure part comes in. I found a guide that knows the general area. We will be safe, we won’t get lost and we have nothing to fear. We can see some cool shit, take some pictures and see something not a lot of people ever see and possibly find some more of this.” He held up the ingot.

“We did want to do something adventurous.” Jessica finally broke the silence. “And for once it looks like Josh covered all the bases, and it would be pretty sweet to find some gold. It would definitely solve a lot of my problems.”

“You know what, fuck it,” Dustin finally said, “I am young and sick of being the parent - let’s do this!”

Josh leapt from his seat. “Yes! It’s about damn time!” He clapped Dustin on the back. “You won’t regret this, I promise you my friend.”

“I somehow doubt that.”

The cab pulled up in front of a rundown shanty house on the edge of the city limits. The yard was littered with scrap metal and junk of all sorts. A low fence rimmed the house and remained standing by the will of god alone. Several stray cats hunted within the growth of the bushes and eyed the newcomers suspiciously.

“Are you sure this is the right address?” Mark asked, looking around warily.

Josh looked down at the paper again. “Ya, this is the place I was told about.” He pushed open the hanging gate; it made a terrible screeching noise before falling into the dusty yard from its remaining hinge. “I know what you’re thinking guys, but Mel Ector comes highly recommended.”

“You’re kidding me, right?” Mark said before anyone else could.

“No, no I am not Mark.”

“Recommended by whom?” Dustin asked.

“Does it really matter Dustin?” Josh countered. “I recall you said you were going to stop being the bitch of the group.”

Dustin held up his hands in defeat. “Fine, fine we’ll do it your….”

The door to the shack opened and a beautiful woman stepped out. She wore a short, dark grey, tank top and matching cargo shorts with a pair of faded hiking boots. Her hazel eyes took the four strangers in skeptically. “Who are you and what the hell do you want?” She asked, reaching into the rusty fridge on the deck and retrieving a beer.