Whispers of the Immortal: Immortal, #1

By MJ Spickett

An expedition in the Canadian Rocky Mountains takes mysterious turn after a strange underground temple is discovered. While investigating, Anthropologist Alexander Jackson and his research team are attacked, every member of the team slaughtered in cold blood and the temple destroyed. Only Alex manages to escape but at a high cost.

He lost everything...

Or so he thought.

Years later, Alex teams up with handsome Archeologist, Lucas Griffiths and his equally dashing brother Owen, to finally learn the truth of what happened that fateful day. Alex will rediscover a part of himself he spent years hiding from the outside world. Together, they may finally discover the secret of the temple...or unleash something far more dangerous then any of them has faced before.

• Language: English
• Publisher: MJ Spickett
• Release date: Dec 23, 2023
• ISBN: 9781998318025

Book preview

WHISPERS

OF THE

IMMORTAL

Immortal Series

Book One

M.J.  Spickett

A black background with white text and a diamond Description automatically generated

Whispers of the Immortal is a work of fiction.  Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.  Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. 

Whispers of the Immortal

Copyright © 2022 M.J.  Spickett

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced by electronic or printed means without express written permission by the author.

First Edition: Corvus Quill Publishing (2022)

Second Edition Northern Gem Publishing (2022)

ISBN: 978-1-998318-02-5 Electronic Book

www.mjspickett.ca

Library and Archives Canada Cataloging in Publication

Spickett, M.J., 1976-, author

Whispers of the Immortal / M.J.  Spickett

Issues in print and electronic formats

I.  Title.

Dedication

To Priya and Ashley, who kept me encouraged and focused while writing.  To Jayden, who put up with my craziness and continues to do so as I keep writing.  And to Andrew, one of the best editors I’ve had the pleasure to work with.

AUTHOR NOTE

MJ Spickett is a Canadian Author.  Most locations within her novels focus on Canada and England, and, as such, words and spacing may appear differently than they would in America.  For example, we like to use U and Z in many of our words, for example honor (US) and honour (Canadian), or organisation (US) and organization (Canadian).  We write grey with an e not with an a.  My editor is also Canadian and is helping me keep to Canadian standards.  As well, although it is normal for Americans to use a single space at the end of a sentence, Canadians tend to double space.  This also makes it easier to read and give an extra pause to help readers digest what they just read and better comprehend it.  These are not spelling or formatting errors but simply the way we are taught to read and write.

Canadians tend to be a complicated group but that’s also what makes us special.

To my Canadian readers…celebrate your uniqueness and continue writing.

Chapter One

The weather forecast had warned of an approaching storm, but it hit faster than anyone expected.  The researchers rushed around the dig site, quickly covering their work spaces, protecting what little of the ancient structure they had managed to dig up.  It wasn’t much, given the three months they had already been working on it, but it showed progress and they were not willing to lose any of it if they could avoid it.  Otherwise, everything they had worked for, the grant the university had given their director, would all be for naught.

AJ managed to tighten the straps on the last tarp.  He was soaked to the bone but refused to take refuge until the last structure was covered.  He wasn’t sure how long it would last; the wind was howling all around him and rain was now coming in sheets so heavy that it was near impossible to see the light from the director’s trailer.  He leaned forward, into the wind, and made his way toward it, anxious to be out of the storm before it got any worse and hoping the surrounding trailer village survived the night.  The trailer was sturdy and could handle the turn in weather.  It had faced numerous storms before, but this was the worst AJ could personally remember while on a dig.

Pulling open the door, he stepped into the director’s trailer, pulled off his raincoat, (it had been utterly useless in the storm,) and hung it off the hook next to the entrance.  His shaggy auburn hair was matted to his head, his bangs hanging in front of his eyes.  He began stripping off his drenched clothing as he headed toward the back where his cot and a change of clothing were, grabbing a towel along the way.  He was tall, just shy of six feet, with narrow shoulders and waist, lean and toned.  When not in the field, he was typically hiking or rock climbing.  He kept in shape because he never knew where the next dig might lead him.

If you had covered things when I told you, you wouldn’t be so wet, came the director’s voice from another section of the large trailer.

AJ rolled his eyes.  Not this again.  It was the same old argument whenever weather turned foul, and he waited just a little too long to cover up his work.  Albeit this time the storm was far more severe than previous times, but it was still the same lecture.  He dried off his body and hair then put on fresh, warm clothes.  He was still trying to get the water out of his hair as he padded across the trailer in his bare feet to the table in the common room.  The director was in his usual seat, satellite phone next to him, and laptop open in front of him.  Another typical evening in their makeshift home for the summer.

Elizabeth made dinner, Professor Jackson told him, without looking up from his work.

After being out in that weather, AJ was happy to see the big steaming pot of soup on the stove.  He scooped himself a large bowlful before sitting across from the older man.  Professor Jackson was in his late forties and looked like an older version of AJ.  They shared the same bright green eyes, and lean body.  The professor had much broader shoulders and grey streaked through his hair and beard, giving him a distinguished look, or so Elizabeth claimed.

Where is she? AJ asked.  He scooped some of the soup in his mouth.  He hummed in approval.  He loved Elizabeth’s homemade cream of chicken soup.

Sleeping.  I was going to send her to town in the morning for supplies, but I think we’re pulling out tomorrow.

AJ stopped eating and stared at him in surprise.  Wait…what?  You can’t be serious.  Dad, we just found the monument and the corner of a structure.  We can’t just leave.

His father sighed and removed his glasses.  AJ, we don’t have much of a choice.  We’re way over budget and the university can’t afford to keep funding us.  The most we can manage is another day, perhaps two, but that means sending half the team back tomorrow morning.  What we’ve found are things we already knew were here.  I’ve sent the images and scans you took but…I’m sorry, son.  We’re out of money.

It had taken a lot of fundraising and grants to money to do this dig, even with the university backing them.  The geographical scans themselves had cost a fortune as they tried to scan the site for any underground passages or other anomalies.  The scans were inconclusive.  There had been shadows, as if something were there but no firm shapes.  It had been enough to get the university to approve the dig and had given Professor Jackson hope to finally discover the secrets that the ancient site must have had locked deep in its bowels. However, after three months, they had found nothing of significance, and after this storm, it was unlikely they would.

AJ nodded in understanding.  He had no choice but to accept the facts.  This dig was a bust.

They awoke early the next morning.  The storm had ended but it had caused quite a bit of damage.  Tarps were ripped and now littered the ground.  Several of the tents were in similar condition but thankfully, nothing inside was expensive or destroyed.  The research team moved about cleaning up the site, discarding what was destroyed in big garbage bags and packing away equipment in the available trucks and trailers to take back to the university.  Once the garbage was bagged, it was thrown in the back of Elizabeth’s pickup truck for her to take to the nearby town’s landfill.  Another research assistant went to help her unload it all as the rest of the team broke down camp.  Any other garbage would go with the team and be disposed of once they reached the university.

No one was happy with the turn of events and many tried to petition Professor Jackson to fight for additional funding.  It was no use, as director, he had final say and if he said it was time to pack up, it was time to pack up.  Not even AJ could change his father’s mind once it was set.

I found something! a young volunteer called from near the monument.  The young man waved to get everyone’s attention.

AJ deposited the large camera bags he was holding into the grey utility van before heading toward his friend.  Hey, Donny, what did you find?

Donald Oja was one of the youngest students attending the dig, opting to spend his summer on the field rather than returning home.  His major was anthropology like AJ and despite his age, he was top of the class.  He smiled brightly at AJ as he and several others approached and gestured toward a small, engraved headstone that had not been found the entire summer until now.

How did we miss this? AJ wondered aloud.  Sarah, find the professor.  Jack, grab me a small spade and brush.  And grab my camera while you’re at it, please.

Both researchers took off to do as he asked while he knelt down to inspect Donald’s findings. 

Did the storm wash it here? Donald asked, stooping next to AJ.

The older man shook his head.  It looks like it may have washed the embankment away.  Look at how the ground around it has collapsed.  This was buried.  We wouldn’t have found it if the storm hadn’t hit.

Cool!

AJ grinned at the youth’s enthusiasm.  Yeah, very cool.  He stood and stretched while Donald took a closer look.  Don’t touch anything just yet.  I want to dig around it some and clean it up for pictures.  Then we’ll try translating it.

Donald nodded but he kept a finger within less than an inch of the engraving, trying to make sense of the symbols.  Haven’t we seen this before? 

His finger brushed over what appeared to be a column with two circles and four dots, two of the dots inside the circles and two outside of them, one above and the other below.  AJ tilted his head slightly.  They had seen that symbol before, at another dig a few months back, but on the completely opposite side of the country at a completely different type of dig and culture.  This site was believed to be a lost Indigenous civilization that dated back to pre-First Nations, thousands of years old, but looked more Aztec than anything they had seen this far north before.  The land was sacred and the only reason they were able to excavate the area was due to gaining permission from the tribal elders.  Their findings were to be shared with the tribe, as were any artifacts found.  The other site was a former Viking village, far newer than this one and a completely different culture, yet this symbol had been found there as well.

Donald seemed transfixed to the symbol.  His fingers brushed over it again, softly at first before pressing against it.

There was the sound of gears moving below them and everyone froze in surprise.  Then the ground shifted, the soil breaking and pulling apart right beneath Donald.  The youth gave a surprised cry as the ground dropped beneath him.  Instinct alone made AJ move.  He dropped to his belly as Donald fell and grabbed his wrist before he disappeared into the darkness below.  The suddenness of it jarred his right shoulder blade as it took on Donald’s weight, sending a jabbing pain through AJ.  He ignored it and held the youth’s wrist as tightly as possible as members of their team grabbed a hold of him to keep him from falling into the pit as well.  Together, they managed to pull Donald back up and onto solid ground.

Get away from the pit, AJ advised everyone.

He held his shoulder and winced as a bite of pain came from it.  He hadn’t expected grabbing someone mid-fall would hurt so much, but he didn’t regret it.  Who knew how deep the pit was or what it opened up to?  There was no doubt in his mind that Donald could have been killed or severely injured.  They may not have been able to get down to save him.

What happened? Professor Jackson asked, hurrying to the group.

AJ rolled his shoulder.  Donny just found the opening, he reported.  A grin lit his face.  You think the university might increase our funding now?

His father stared at the opening in shock before a small smile tugged at his lips too.  It could just be a mine shaft, he said, playing devil’s advocate.

AJ gave him a look that clearly said that none of them believed that.  What if I take a team and check it out? he offered.  We’ll spelunk down a few dozen feet, take some infrared and full spectrum photos.  If it’s a mine shaft, we leave it…if it’s something else, you get on the phone and find the funding.

The professor seemed doubtful for a moment then nodded.  Gear up.  No more than three of you down there.  AJ, I’m serious, only a few dozen feet.  Get the pictures and then get out.  No wandering around until I’ve contacted the university.

His son gave a whoop of glee.  Alright, gang.  Let’s get geared up.

There were already two teams that specialized in spelunking.  AJ had his main research team, each member well trained in the use of cameras and documenting ancient symbols and languages.  State of the art camcorders and lights were attached to each helmet, as well as radio headsets and oxygen monitors built into university issued harnesses – a recent addition due to the change in oxygen levels when working underground.  They gave alerts if oxygen levels dropped too low but before they can become too dangerous.  It was standard equipment for spelunking.

Once the team was outfitted in steel-toe boots, long sleeve shirts, jeans, work gloves, their harnesses, and helmets, they connected their leads to nearby trees, strong enough to hold each of their weight. When the lines were secured, they began going down the opening one at a time.

At first, it appeared to be a mine like Professor Jackson had predicted.  The opening was wide enough for two people to comfortably go down at once if they wanted.  It seemed to be nothing more than a hole, but as AJ looked around, he could soon see that it had been constructed and was lined with handcrafted clay bricks.  Roots pushed through them and many were brittle with age, but there was no doubting that they were man made.  Perhaps it had once been a wall as suggested by the perfectly round structure.  He stared at it in awe.  It must have taken years to accomplish.

Are you guys seeing this? he asked into his radio.  There was a direct feed into his father’s laptop so that he could monitor what they were doing.

We are, AJ, Professor Jackson answered.  Be careful.

AJ continued his descent and soon the passage opened into a large cavern.  A narrow river ran below him, giving credence to the theory that the opening had once been a well.  That was not what was most eye catching for what the cavern opened up to was large stone structure that very much resembled an Aztec temple.  A twin staired pyramid with dual sanctuaries at the top.  It belonged to a group of people that no longer existed and did not belong this far north in Canada’s Rocky Mountains.  It was old, the stone structure cracked in areas where the earth must have shifted due to earthquakes in the south, but it was fully intact, at least on the outside.  AJ felt his heart race with excitement as he began taking pictures, all but ignoring his team members as they slowly began to join him.  Their excitement matched his own as they also looked around, filming everything they could see from their vantage point and wanting to explore further.

I think you should call the university, Dad, he said excitedly into the radio.

A pleasant laugh met him.  Already emailing them a link to the feed.  You’ve done great, son.  Do you want to come back up or just hang around for a few minutes while I get authorization?

The answer was obvious, but AJ laughed, nonetheless.  If it’s all the same with you, I’ll wait for the all-clear so we can start exploring.  He paused.  I wish you could see this first-hand.

There was silence before his father answered.  Me too.

That was unlikely to happen.  While Professor Jackson was a great anthropologist, he had severe claustrophobia and could not handle tight spaces let alone being underground.  It was why AJ got into anthropology.  He wanted to be able to take his father, in one form or another, to places like this so he could explore them in real time, even if only virtually.

While they waited for the university to answer, AJ made a list of items his team would need in order to proceed further. He wanted his brushes and identification bags.  He made it a point not to take anything from sites like this unless returning it to the people they belonged to.  In a case like this, which was so out of the ordinary, he wasn’t quite sure where they belonged.  He needed to take a few artifacts back to the university and get them identified.  Once they knew for sure where they belonged then he could contact the appropriate people regarding them. He was unsure if that would be possible this time.

He continued documenting everything he saw, recording it audibly while filming in hopes of keeping an accurate record in case the video feed wasn’t as clear as they wanted. Waiting for the university to green-light anything took a lot of time.  It could take hours or even days.  If that was the case, then Professor Jackson would have to make the call on whether or not they could explore now or have to go back to the surface and wait.  They wouldn’t leave the site now until they had a firm yes or no answer.

You’re clear to go, his father answered after what felt like hours.

AJ sighed in relief then gave a thumbs up to the rest of his team.  They finished the rest of the descent together, over two hundred feet, touching rocky ground within seconds of one another.  They didn’t remove their harnesses, it was easier just to wear them rather than having to struggle to get them back on should they need to make a hasty exit, they merely unclipped their lines and left the ropes dangling where they were.

He removed his handheld camcorder from an upper side pocket of his cargo pants and began filming.  It would produce a better-quality documentation of what they were seeing compared to the action cameras on their helmets.  They moved cautiously toward the pyramid.  Sam, the team archaeologist, pulled two drones from her backpack.  One unfolded into a traditional flying drone.  She handed it and the controller to John and after a moment, it took to the air with a whirl.  The second drone was the more expensive one and folded out into a robotic dog that stood just above their knees.  Sam controlled it as it trotted off ahead of them to scan and search for possible traps and mark them.  It was slim and lightly build, unlikely to set off any traps, but the sensors on its paws would pick up anything on the ground that could be used as a trigger, mark it with a spot of glow in the dark paint, and continue onward.  It was rare to come across traps unless traveling into the bowels of the temple, which they would not be doing today.

Despite the darkness and dust, the pyramid looked almost new, as if it had only been built recently. The limestone had a shimmer to them, reflecting the glow of their lights.  AJ ran his fingers over the surface of the steps.  They were smooth, almost like glass, as if no one had stepped foot on them.  There was no wear or tear from use, no worshippers mounting the steps, not even tool marks.  It was very unusual.  Not only that, but the stone itself was oddly warm, as was the entire cavern.  That was disconcerting and for a brief moment, AJ wondered if it was built over a volcano, but that seemed unlikely.  The air quality would be much poorer than it was, and there was no smell of sulfur which would accompany the inside of a volcano.  Nonetheless, it was a little disconcerting, and he took note of it.  If the temperature rose too much, then he would pull his team out and send down more drones to assure it was safe.

Stay together, he reminded his team as they made their way up the dual set of steps toward the opening to the sanctuaries.

Nothing seemed right about this place.  Despite the almost glass like texture of the limestone covering the bricks, the steps had enough grip for them to climb, but it still appeared as if they were the only people to have ever done so.  There was barely any dust and definitely no grooves or marks in the stone to signify that anyone had been there previously.  Given the size of the pyramid it would have taken hundreds of workers to build it.  The limestone would have been added to the top first and worked its way downward once the bricks were set in place, which made sense, but what happened to the worshipers?  Did they abandon it after construction?  Was it used only for a short time before being evacuated, perhaps due to seismic activity?  But why build it underground in the first place?  Nothing was adding up.  That did change when they reached the Temple of Huitzilopochtli, one of the two sanctuaries on top of the pyramid.  In front of it, as with similar temples found in Mexico, was a stone of sacrifice.  Unlike the rest of the structure, there was evidence of use here.  The entire stone was stained a dark brown, no doubt from the number of people and animals that had been killed here.  It spilled onto the ground around it, marking it in the same horrid brown stain that continued toward the closest steps like a river flowing downward to the onlookers below.

A shiver ran through AJ as he documented it.  Maybe it was a good thing it had been abandoned.  He was fully expecting to find a skull rack, tzompantli, at some point, as they had on a dig in Mexico two years earlier.  Not all temples had them, but he knew of at least two.  It was a towering wooden rack that displayed thousands of sacrificial skulls with holes bored into each side to allow wooden poles to pass through and hold them securely.  Each time he saw one it made him shiver in fear and sympathy for the victims.  Thankfully, there was none in sight, at least yet.

The inside of the Huitzilopochtli Temple, the Aztec sun god, was much like the pyramid, pristine and shimmering, as if built only days ago.  Tapestries hung on walls and great carvings of the feathered serpent, Xiuhcoatl, adorned the altar. A stone throne stood at the end, facing out into the cavern as if the god were looking out over its land.  It was the typical set up, nothing out of the ordinary.  AJ was a little disappointed.  He had hoped there would be something, anything to explain why such a structure would be all the way out in the Canadian north.

They moved on to the second sanctuary, the Temple of Tlloc.  This temple was similar in design to the previous one and after a thorough investigation, it too offered no clues as to how or why the temple was constructed so far away from the home of the Aztec people, or how the same symbol Donald had found on the monument that triggered the opening could also be in an ancient Viking site located on the other side of Canada.

Nothing made sense.

We have to go into the Templo Mayor if we want to figure this out, Sam advised.  Her drones had returned from their scouting