Sunlight glinted off of the blade held high in the air.  Sweat clung to the clothes of those present, matting the linens to their skin.  The sun beat down on the jungle relentlessly.  The blade was brought down, cutting through the foliage with purpose.  The purpose of finding answers to age old questions.

“How do you know this is the right way?  You’re just cutting into the jungle, Sam.  Take it easy.”  The voice hit her from behind, but she continued chopping away.

The woman carrying the blade looked back at the man speaking, “I was told it was out here, Tentin, and I won’t stop until I find it.”

Tentin glanced back to his guards accompanying him and shrugged.  He looked back at Sam, “The guy at the bar?  Not sure what you’re talking about.”

Sam slashed down at some vines, “The man at the bar said to head south until I hit a waterfall.  There’s a cave behind it.”  Sam wiped the sweat from her forehead, “And that’s where I’m headed.  So you can come along or just turn back now, either way, I’m going to do this.”

Tenting gave a forced smile, “I’ll be with you.  I failed to protect Mr. Bartlett, so the least I can do is protect you.  After all, you inherited his estates, including my protection.”

“Something unexpected if you ask me.”  Sam cut through more foliage with ease.

“I don’t think so.”  Tentin cut through some of his own shrubs, “Even though he left you for a year, he still loved you.  I expected him to leave it all to you, just not so soon.”  Tentin paused and stared off into the jungle.  Mr. Bartlett was a friend to him.  He was made head of security and kept Mr. Bartlett safe on many occasions, not that he needed to.  He heard the news of Mr. Bartlett’s passing while he was in the hospital.  Scott had told Tentin on one of his visits.  It was hard news, he thought Mr. Bartlett was invincible, but standing up to an army of vampires must have been too much.  Then he heard the news of Joseph, who had died in the safe house, shot dead on the bathroom floor.  Mr. Tentin smirked.  The monster Horus was killed.  Split in half like a log by none other than Sam.  At least Horus got what he deserved.  Still, Tentin didn’t think it was enough.

“He’s not gone, Tentin, he is hiding for whatever reason.  The…”  Sam paused for a moment to think of the right word.  “Creature inside of him has kept him alive.  I know it.”  She turned to Tentin’s sweaty face.  “This cave should have the answers why.”

“Will they be the answers you want to hear though?”  Tentin leaned against a tree and raised an eyebrow.

Sam pondered on those words.  If Mr. Bartlett really was dead, then past the year she spent looking for him was a waste.  She desperately looked for any clue of his whereabouts since the night she killed Horus and destroyed his machine.  One year since the night Starr had left Earth with her parents.  She finally had a lead on Mr. Bartlett after a year, and she couldn’t pass it up.  It brought her here to Haiti, the birthplace of the beast inside Mr. Bartlett.  “If he really is gone, then I will have closure, but if he still lives, then I must find him and save him.”

Sam turned and hacked at some more underbrush.  She turned back around to Tentin.  She pointed at him with her machete, “And he is alive.  I know it.”

Tentin nodded in approval.  Sam was taking control of things quite well.  He pointed south with his own machete. “Lead the way.”

Sam smiled at him and started hacking her way through the jungle with a renewed might.  She was close, and she could feel it.  The faint sound of falling water filled the air.  A misty breeze swept through the leaves and pounded against the adventurers’ faces.  Some of Tentin’s guards cheered as the mist provided escape from the humidity.

Sam chopped through one last bunch of vines, letting out a gasp as she did so.  The green, organic drapes fell to the dirt in a clump, and behind the curtains lay a large pool of water.  A flood of the clear liquid plummeted from a cliff high above.  Rainbows sprouted all throughout the mist.  Sun poured down through the break in the canopy above the pool of water, reflecting a warm light onto the serene oasis.  The small party entered the clearing, intruding on the peaceful garden.

Tentin pointed at one of his guards, “Jack, set up camp by the pool.”

Jack nodded and scratched his thick beard, “Petyr and Rafael, start with the tents, James and I will start cooking up some grub.”  Jack gave a menacing smile as he rubbed his hands together.  “Jack be hungry.”

James unslung his pack and pulled out some cans.

“Is that what I think it is?”  Petyr dropped his tent poles and strode over to James.

“Thought it was a waste to pack all this weight, but what the hell, right?  You don’t get to drink in the jungle every day.”  James handed Petyr a beer, and then tossed one over to Rafael.

“Gracias Senor.”  Rafael walked over to the cool water and stuck his beer underneath the surface.

Jack glanced at Mr. Tentin with worry.  His men weren’t supposed to bring any alcohol on their missions.

Mr. Tentin stared hard at Jack, his eyebrows furrowed together.  He then smiled, “As long as I get one, I’m fine.”

Jack grabbed three beers from James.  He handed one to Tentin and held one out for Sam, “What do you say, boss?”

Sam shook her head, “I’ve got work to do.”  She unclasped her axe from her bag.  She swung it about a few times, “Drink one for me, will ya?”  She smiled and headed off to the waterfall on the far side of the pool.

Petyr raised his can to the other guards, “Bottoms up, comrades.”  The men all cheered and started to chug down the golden beverage.

Tentin brought his can to his mouth and stopped.  He looked at Sam walking off to the water fall.  There could be anything in that cave.  He failed to protect Mr. Bartlett, he wouldn’t fail Sam.  He jogged over to her, “Hey Sam.”

She turned and waited for Mr. Tentin to catch up.

“You want some company in there?”  His leg was still paining him from the fall he took at the GriGri.  He shifted his weight to his good leg.

Sam stood silent for a moment, “No, I have to do this alone.”

Tentin nodded in silence.  He knew how hard this must be for her.  She felt Mr. Bartlett’s loss more than anyone.  He raised his beer at her, “Hope you find what you’re looking for.”  He smiled and then chugged down his beverage.

Sam laughed, “Thanks,” She turned and started walking towards the dark hole in the cliff side wall. “And save one for me!”  She shouted behind her as she made her way into the cave.

Tentin took one last look at Sam before she disappeared into the darkness of the cave.  He turned back to his guards.  They had set up their tents and James and Petyr had started to swim in the pool.  Tentin shrugged, “What’s for dinner?”

Sam stood behind the rock-pounding waterfall.  The crashing of water drowned out all the sounds of the jungle and the men at the poolside.  She faced the dark cave with a mixture of horror and anticipation.  She wanted to find answers for all her questions, and this was the only way she knew how.

The cave entrance sprouted out thick rock spikes, ground down by the water that pummeled it in a never-ending stream.  Sam could hear some sort of breathing inside, a thick sickly breathing.  She could hear it stronger and louder by the second, until all the sound of the waterfall was drowned out; the silence, then the breath, followed by silence again.  Sam tried to shake the sound out of her head, but before she knew it, she was deep inside the darkness of the cave.  She was in the belly of the beast.