▌Chapter 27 ─ The City Of Gold ▌

      ━━━━━ MITCH LED THE way, Ben followed behind him, followed by Riley, Clara and Abigail. They walked out of a tunnel, Clara could hear water pouring out somewhere.

"I can't see anything. Is this it?" Riley asked them. Ben walked away from the four, Clara looked around. She agreed with Riley they couldn't see anything but there had to be a way that they could.

"It's oil." Ben said, causing Abigail and Clara to look at him. Ben removed his backpack and grabbed a hold of a flare. Pulling the cap off of it he lit the flare and held it down to the oil watching it catch fire and move down. Then he walked to the other end and did the same thing. It allowed them to have some more light. They walked forward looking for a way out.

"It's a dead end. There's no way out. We have to turn back." Abigail said Ben and Clara walked on the rocks that were covered by water. "There's no forward!" Clara noticed Ben leaning forward, so she leaned forward and saw the same thing that he had seen.

"It's not forward, it's down!" Ben shouted. "All this water has to go out somewhere, otherwise, it'd be filled up!" Clara looked around searching for an exit that would be somewhere. Ben saw something and left Clara's side, she turned slightly and saw a wheel that Ben was moving towards. "Help me turn this wheel!" Clara walked down and stood next to Abigail, once they were all there they started to turn the wheel. The blonde looked around as the water that was coming in was starting to slow down.

"The water's goin' down." Mitch said.

The group moved onward heading down a set of steps. Clara was careful to make sure that she didn't slip and fall as they walked further and further down. They headed down a rock-like hallway and Clara came to a stop as she looked out at what they were looking at. Clara smiled brightly seeing the city of gold in front of them.

"Ben! Ben!" Clara heard Ben's parents calling out. Clara looked up to see Patrick and Emily alive and well.

"Dad! We found it!" Ben shouted, causing Clara to laugh at his excitement.

"Thomas was right!" Patrick shouted back.

"No, you were right!" Patrick and Emily started to walk down the steps while Mitch looked at Ben.

"I'm sorry I smeared your great-great-granddaddy's good name. It seemed like the only way to get you in on the hunt. But this was a chance for the Wilkinson family to make its mark on history - to find the City of Gold, to be remembered." Mitch explained to them. Clara walked down the steps and followed behind Ben as he moved towards his parents.

"What happened to you? Your father was worried sick about you." Emily said, as she hugged her son. Clara smiled at the woman as she moved down to give Clara a hug.

"She was frantic. She was frantic." Patrick said.

Emily and Clara pulled away as Abigail came up to them and proceeded to hug Emily. "Dad, coming through, did you happen to see-"

"Oh." Clara watched Patrick place his hand on Ben's cheek.

"Stop it. Coming through, did you happen to see any branches that could lead out of here?"

"No. It's all blocked. You can't even get back to the big round stone door." Patrick answered, Clara placed her eyes on Emily as she walked away from her and Abigail. "Where's your mother going?"

"Oh... sweetheart, sweetheart, have a look at this. Look." Emily said, looking at the gold.

"What?" Patrick asked, walking up the steps.

"This is gonna unlock the Olmec language. It's gonna give us incredible insight into pre-Columbian history. Ohh." Emily proceeded to laugh. Clara could tell that she was thrilled.

"Em... you happy?"

"Oh, yeah." Clara heard her whisper. Ben walked up the steps, leaving Clara with Abigail.

"Ben, look at this. Look."

"Yeah. That's where they slit the throat, cut the heart out." Clara looked around when she heard a rumble coming from somewhere.

"What was that?" Riley asked them, looking up from what he was doing.

"Listen." Abigail said.

Suddenly the water broke out and started to fill up, Clara and Abigail looked around as Riley was hit with some of the water. The two turned around and started to climb up the steps as Riley moved over to another set of steps to get them. Mitch came up looking at Ben.

"I tried to find a way out. All those portals are blocked off." Mitch told him.

"I'm telling you all this water goes out somewhere. We'll find it." Ben told them.

"Ben, there's a current!"

"Follow it. There's gotta be a central drain!"

"It's under us right here." Clara moved down the steps as the others did too. Mitch and Ben were leading the way. Riley eventually made it to them after he had jumped off the steps and into the water that was getting higher as each second passed. Pieces of rock started to fall down behind them and into the water.

"Come on!" Ben shouted.

"Let's go! Get in there!" Riley said.

"Water's rising too fast." Ben spoke as they jumped off the steps into a little room. "Let's get that door open so we don't all drown!" Ben ordered, pointing to the rock door not far from them. Ben and Mitch worked together to open the door.

"Ben, it slopes down. It's a drainage tunnel. But it fills with water when you open the door." Patrick told Ben and Mitch.

"We need to find something to stick under it to keep it open." Abigail said, looking back and forth between Ben and the tunnel.

"No, if it's open, this tunnel will stay flooded. We gotta get to the other side and close the door." Patrick informed them.

"Patrick, Emily, go!" Riley said. Patrick went to climb up to get to the other side. Mitch moved out of the way letting go of the wheel leaving Ben to push but it wasn't enough. He ducked down as the one post went over him, when he stood up he quickly moved out of the way before the other post could hit him.

"No!" Abigail called out.

"No! Mitch, we gotta be on the other side of that door!" Riley told him.

"Nobody leaves unless I say so. That door's not gonna stay open by itself. We both know what has to happen here, Ben." Mitch said, looking at Ben.

"One of us keeps the door open and stays behind." Ben mentioned Clara exchanged a look with Abigail who looked at her.

"This isn't a democracy." Mitch proceeded to punch Ben in the face causing everyone to react.

"Hey!" Riley shouted running towards Mitch, only to get punched in the face as well.

"No!" Abigail called out. Mitch pulled out a knife and grabbed a hold of Clara holding the knife up to her neck. "No, don't hurt them!" Abigail tried to move forward but she stopped in her tracks.

"Stop! I'll stay! I'm staying, look!" Ben said, walking over to the wheel. "Look. See? I'm here." Ben made it over to the wheel and placed his eyes back on Mitch and Clara. She closed her eyes, she wanted to cry but she was trying her hardest to stay calm. "I'm right here. I'm staying."

"All right, I'll tell everybody how this is gonna go." Mitch said, as he still held the knife to Clara's neck. "You and me are gonna open that door. Anybody tries to leave before me, I drop the door, we start this all over again. But you try any funny business, I guarantee you, people are gonna get hurt." Mitch finished explaining.

"I won't. You have my word." Ben told him, trying to get Mitch to let go of Clara. "Just let her go." Mitch let go of her and pushed them towards her friends. Riley and Abigail grabbed a hold of Clara and pulled her towards them.

"Ben, no, we're not leaving without you." Emily shouted to her son.

"Clara." Ben called out to her. The blonde walked over to her husband, she placed her hand on his chest and stared at him. "You make my parents leave. You make my parents leave." Ben repeated himself. Clara looked at him, the tears pushing to race down her face. She placed her hand on his face as he stared at her.

"I love you." She whispered. He nodded his head as she turned back around and moved towards her friends and in-laws.

"No." Riley called out looking at his friend.

"Let's go." Clara said, as she and Abigail pulled Riley.

"I'm not leaving him." Patrick said, looking at his daughter in-law.

"Patrick, he's trying to save our lives. Come on, please." Clara told them. Mitch and Ben started to turn the wheel around to open the door.

"Push Ben." Mitch said. When the door was opened they were pulled down.

"The current's too strong!" Riley shouted at. Clara tried to keep her head above the water the best she could.

"I'm ready." Ben said.

"It's all yours." Mitch said, moving out of the way. Things were starting to fall down in the room they were in. Clara was sucked underneath the door with Abigail and Riley. Patrick came in shortly after, but Emily however got stuck underneath the door. Emily made it to the other side, it was just Ben and Mitch now.

"We gotta get Ben outta there!" Riley shouted, looking towards the door. Riley went underneath and water and grabbed a hold of Ben pulling him out from the door as it started to fall. Ben came out of the water and was next to Clara. The blonde rested her head on Ben's shoulder as he stared at the water. Ben placed his hand on top of his wife's hand and lowered his forehead to hers.

"Thank you." Ben breathed out. Clara and Abigail noticed a light in the distance the two looked to see an opening at the end of the tunnel. They all stood up, Clara looked over at her friend and smiled.

"We haven't officially met. I'm Riley." Riley said, introducing himself to Emily.

"Oh, hi."

They exited out of the tunnel Ben went to make a phone call to Sadusky. Abigail walked over to Clara and sat down with her as they waited for Ben to come back. The police had gathered them after Ben had returned. Abigail and Clara had blankets over them as they walked down a hall and into another portion of the building. Clara was next to Ben, with Riley next to her and Abigail next to him. Riley started to hit Abigail and Clara as the president looked at them.

"Stop it." Abigail and Clara said at the same time.

"Mr. President?" Craig called out.

"Craig, give us a minute." He said, walking towards the group. Clara walked up next to Ben looking at the president.

"For your information this is the man and woman who kidnapped you."

"As I recall, we were exploring a hidden tunnel, and a door closed accidentally, and this man and woman saved my life."

"Yes, sir."

"Gates." He said, looking between the couple.

"Sir." Ben replied.

"For the record, after centuries of exploration, on this day you have brought honor to your country and your family. You've done this country a great service. I thank you."

"Thank you." Abigail said, with a smile on her face.

Riley released a nervous laugh. "Craig." The President called out. He looked away from them as Craig handed a paper over to them. "I thought you might wanna take a look at tomorrow's headlines."

"Tomorrow?" Riley asked as Ben took the newspaper. Clara looked at the paper to see the headline.

"Thomas Gates Proved a Civil War Hero." Read the headline.

"Thank you, sir." Ben said.

"All of you, along with Emily and Patrick Gates, will get credit for this discovery." Ben looked at Clara, she smiled at him and nodded her head. The president tilted his head slightly as Ben turned back to him. "And Mitch Wilkinson, sir."

"Is that right?" He asked him.

"It's... true, sir."

"Ben, Clara, I am curious about that favor I asked you. Any report regarding what's on page 47?"

"I believe we can help with that, sir."

"So it's good?"

"Life-altering, sir." The president shook his head telling them to come with him.

"What's on page 47? Are you talking about the book?" Riley asked. The president looked at Ben and Clara and turned back around to look back at Riley.

"What book?"

Afterwards they were at Mount Rushmore. Abigail was with Riley somewhere and Ben had gotten food and brought it over to Clara who was sitting on a stone wall.

"Thank you." Clara said, smiling at her husband. She grabbed a hold of her drink and started to drink it. "So, uh, I know you picked up on what Abigail had said when we were on the wooden trap panel." Clara watched her husband look back at her.

"I did." Ben simply replied.

"And how do you feel about it?"

"I'll admit I was scared at first, Clara." Ben told her.

"I'm sensing a but." She replied back.

"But, I've wanted to start a family with you since the moment we met. And I can't wait to meet our kid." He smiled at her, and she smiled back the two then kissed as fireworks went off behind them and people cheered at the fireworks.