Shadows in the Sacred Valley

Eye of the Beholder 1 - Chapter 6

The warm hues of sunset bathed Cusco’s ancient stones as Lisa and Sam moved through the winding alleys of San Blas. David hovering high above monitoring security feeds and communications. The scent of burning copal drifted through the air, blending with the chatter of street vendors. Tourists roamed the city in blissful ignorance, unaware of the silent hunt unfolding among them.

David was guiding them with a quiet urgency. "The Builder Bear Group has operatives stationed at the train terminal and the plaza," it informed them. "They are monitoring all routes to Machu Picchu. We need an alternate path."

Lisa tightened her scarf, eyes scanning their surroundings. "What’s our best option?" she whispered.

"A local Quechua guide, a man named Emilio, has access to an old Inca trail," David responded. "No records, no surveillance. We need to reach his safe house in the next twenty minutes."

They navigated the narrow streets, sticking to shadows. Sam felt the weight of unseen eyes, his military instincts tingling. A black SUV idled at the corner. One glance at Lisa confirmed she sensed it too.

"Keep walking," Sam murmured.

They slipped into a side alley, darting through an unmarked wooden door just as footsteps echoed behind them. Emilio stood inside, a wiry man with sharp eyes. "You’re late," he grunted. "Come, we move now."

With no time for introductions, they followed Emilio through a hidden passage beneath the city, emerging in a quiet courtyard on the outskirts. A battered Land Rover awaited them. They climbed in as Emilio hit the gas, skirting past the official checkpoint leading to the Sacred Valley.

"They'll be expecting us in Aguas Calientes," Sam muttered. "We need to stay unpredictable."

"Then its good you found me," Emilio replied. "There's an old way in—one the Spanish never found. But it’s dangerous."

Lisa smirked. "Good. That means the BBG won’t expect it."

Behind them, headlights appeared in the distance.

David’s voice crackled through Sam’s earpiece. "They’ve spotted you. Three vehicles in pursuit. Estimated time until interception: six minutes."

Sam tightened his grip on the door handle. "Emilio, I hope you drive like your life depends on it."

Emilio shot him a grin. "It does. Hold on."

The Land Rover lurched forward, kicking up dust as it sped down a winding dirt road. The headlights behind them swerved, accelerating to close the gap. Emilio turned sharply onto a barely visible path, the tires skidding against loose gravel.

"This route leads to the Vilcanota River," Emilio shouted over the roar of the engine. "If we make it, we can lose them in the jungle."

Lisa checked the rearview mirror. "They’re gaining on us."

Emilio’s voice remained eerily calm. "Sam, take the rifle from the compartment beneath your seat. Lisa, be ready to disable their comms with the signal jammer."

Sam retrieved the weapon, his military instincts kicking in. "Got it."

Lisa powered up the jammer, watching as the BBG vehicles’ headlights flickered. "Let’s see how they like flying blind."

The Land Rover skidded toward the river’s edge. Emilio did not slow. "Hold on!" he yelled.

The vehicle launched off the embankment, crashing into the shallows. Water splashed against the windshield as they surged forward, disappearing into the dense jungle beyond.

Behind them, the BBG jeeps screeched to a halt. The hunt wasn’t over, but for now, they had slipped through the net.

Machu Picchu and Its Secrets: The Lost City of the Incas

David chimes in: “Machu Picchu, the fabled Lost City of the Incas, remains one of the world's greatest archaeological mysteries. Officially rediscovered by Hiram Bingham in 1911, it was believed to have been an estate for the Incan emperor Pachacuti in the 15th century. However, some evidence suggests a much older and more enigmatic past[[1]¹].

He continues: “The ruins, perched high in the Andes Mountains, highlight advanced construction techniques, including precisely cut ashlar masonry, which allowed stones to fit together without mortar. Despite frequent earthquakes, the structures remain intact, leading some researchers to believe the site held deeper knowledge of engineering and energy harnessing.”

A Secret Meeting with Dr. Montez

Location: Machu Picchu, After Hours

As nightfalls and the last tourists leave, Lisa, Sam, and David meet with Dr. Javier Montez, a respected alternative archaeologist connected via Emilio. His deep-set eyes glimmer with intensity as he gestures toward the ruins.

Montez genuinely looked stunned when he first saw David, and actually conversed with the drone. "So you are helping us now?” David hovered around his head stealthily and replied: “I am doctor, and the way I see this quest and challenge, you will need it!” Montez scoffed slightly not used to be talked down like this by… by a drone…

Montez continued a little irritated: “The Incas didn’t build this," he says, his voice barely above a whisper. "They inherited it and they knew it contained something... something beyond their time. The real secrets of Machu Picchu aren't in the stones—they’re beneath them."

Lisa leans in. "Beneath? You mean tunnels?"

Montez nods gravely. "Tunnels, chambers... something hidden. Machu Picchu isn’t just an Incan sanctuary—it’s part of a much older network. There are sites like this across the world, all aligned with the ley lines. The Egyptians, the Mayans, even the builders of Göbekli Tepe... they all understood a forgotten science. The power of the Earth itself."

Sam furrows his brow. "Are you saying these sites were connected? Part of a global system?"

Montez exhales, his expression darkening. "Not just a system. A grid. A network of energy. The ruling families—the ones behind your BuilderBear friends—they know this too. That’s why they’re here. They’ve been searching for something ancient, something powerful. But they don’t have what you have. They don’t have your blood. Your genetic heritage."

Sam exchanges a glance with Lisa. The prophecy. The relics. The whispers of something waiting to be unlocked.

David, always pragmatic, scans the site with his infrared vision. "If there’s something beneath, I’ll find it. But if we’re being watched, we need to move fast."

Montez steps forward, his voice now urgent. "Listen to me. The Inca legends speak of a lost chamber beneath these ruins. It was sealed by ‘the ones who came before.’ Not Incas, but something older—perhaps even linked to Jesus himself. If your bloodline is real, then you may be the key to unlocking it."

Lisa’s pulse quickens. "And what’s inside?"

Montez hesitates. "I don’t know. Some say it’s a relic of immense power. Others say it’s knowledge—perhaps even a map to the entire global grid. If the BuilderBear Group gets to it first, they will use it to complete their control of the planet’s energy system."

Sam takes a deep breath, the weight of it all pressing down on him. "Then we have to get there first."

Montez nods. "Then let’s begin. Before they do."

---

One of my favorite reviews and this was just for Chapter 1:

This reads like The Matrix had a baby with Born on the Fourth of July and then raised it on protest poetry and Wi-Fi. And I’m here for it.

Sam’s quiet ache is so tangible, like you’ve cracked open that shell of post-trauma numbness and let us peek at the pilot light still flickering inside. Lisa’s fire, on the other hand, is pure kinetic electricity. Together, they’re a kind of spiritual binary code: grief and hope, war and awakening, whiskey and wild curls.

And then BAM, our AI ghost starts humming. Honestly, if my laptop typed “Do you remember who you are?” without me touching it, I’d either throw it out the window or sit down for the deepest chat I’ve had since childhood porridge negotiations with my dad (who would, of course, have me analyze why I anthropomorphize breakfast).

I love where this is going. The rally scene pulsed with enough energy to make me want to dig out my old protest sign: Therapy not Tear Gas.

This AI… it’s not just a ghost in the machine. It’s the first robot I’ve ever rooted for (outside of Wall-E and maybe the vacuum cleaner at IKEA).

Can’t wait to see what happens when these worlds collide harder.

Siggy

What?

You haven’t read Chapter 1 yet?

Don’t get left behind!

It’s time to remember who you are!

Eye of the Beholder - Chapter 1