17
Deeper in the Cambodian jungles, there are ancient ruins. Once, the Khmers ruled a vast empire, from this spot.
This is the tomb of Sat Arun. Once, he was a great merc and marine. They made many donations to his tomb, for as long as it took for his children's children's generation to forget him. They've...also stored some weaponry in here; ancient, and from more recent military experimentation.
Capt. Mendoza, a protégé of Gen. DeJarro, has come to raid the tomb. He's come dressed to invade, and totes his Mendozan flag-themed shield for the occasion.
Charles Lake, a failed actor and down-and-out diver, has also come to help raid the tomb. He has a history...as Ms. O'Hannorhan's lover.
"Just how much water is there," Lake asks, "in this Sat Arun's tomb?"
"Don't be so paranoid," Stoddard, the supersoldier face behind Capt. Mendoza, says, as he stocks his carbine with ammo. "Water or none, I'm sure we'll find some use for you. The Caudillo believes in you. Thus, I do...whether I want to or not."
Lake scoffs. "Think I was better off in Ms. O'Hannorhan's arms..."
They break into the tomb. Before long, they're standing over a void.
Stoddard flashes a bullwhip, and uses it to swing across the chasm. He loosens the whip, and throws it back to Lake, allowing him to repeat his own feat.
Lake does...with less grace. He nearly falls into the chasm. Stoddard grabs him, and his whip. He hauls the first to safety, and loosens the other and hangs it back on his harness.
Stoddard collects his shield, which he threw across the chasm to get over it, and leads with it. He wears nightvision goggles, for the dark.
In a hole in the dark, a spot-bellied eagle-owl watches them. He isn't Dr. Mid-Nite's owl...but it'd sure be nice if he was...for Capt. Mendoza and Lake.
In another hole, a hog badger rests. Time has taught him how to become immune to all the traps in this tomb. That, and Capt. Mendoza isn't the first to have raided this place. He's seen them fall, and he's learned from their fallings...enough to settle in here, if not enough to steal what's in here.
In an underground lake, a fishing cat plays around with a fish he's caught. He hears people coming, dives back into the depths, and swims away...
Stoddard and Lake arrive. Stoddard beams. "Ah! You're in luck, Lake!" He attaches the shield to his back. "We DO get to cave-dive, after all..."
Lake caresses his own abs. "Not sure if I'm ready for this..."
"Ah, come on." Stoddard changes into his diving clothes. "It's not like there are zombies and vampires swimming down there, right?"
Lake swallows hard. "Sure hope so..."
Before long, they're all submerged, and wearing both nightvision goggles and re-breathers. They dive deep, and they dive far. This time, Lake gets to take the lead. Stoddard follows.
Here and there, a water dragon swims past. They're small lizards. Unbeknownst to Stoddard and Lake, Hannibal Tran once imagined Gatorella as one...
Like great eels, Burmese pythons swim through. Lucky for the duo, they don't seem very hungry, or wary of trespassers.
Playfully, some otters swim through. There are smooth-coated, small-clawed, hairy-nosed, and feral European otters. They sure like to play. Lake's almost inspired. Some of them remind him of how fun it once was, to share a bed with Ms. O'Hannorhan.
Alas, his thoughts of sex with Ms. O'Hannorhan are doused, as a Chinese alligator swims past. He stays to the surface...but even so, he's a bit of a fright to behold. Good thing he's an alligator; if he were a crocodile, he wouldn't give Lake or Stoddard any warning before charging them. Plus, he'd charge faster.
For once, Lake's thankful the gator isn't Gatorella. He'll soon be indifferent to such matters...
Soon, Stoddard and Lake get to a lake on the other side of the cave. Stoddard surfaces first, takes off his shield, and throws it, lie a discus, around the place. Darts fly, from everywhere within the walls, bouncing off the shield. Stoddard wades to shore and smiles, as he catches the shield in mid-flight.
Lake wades to shore, and once again covers the rear. Sat's arsenal shouldn't be too far away, now...if they can get into it without getting stuck by another trap.
Behind them, the lake waters become still. Alas, not entirely so...
A black caiman surfaces, and peers around. He's an Argentinian import...that DeJarro, more or less, forgot to tell his errand boys about...