WEBVTT 00:00:03.750 --> 00:00:06.669 Welcome to Students Incorporated. I'm your host, 00:00:06.710 --> 00:00:09.789 Mr. Jason. Join me weekly as my team and I produce 00:00:09.789 --> 00:00:12.650 content that's informative, positive, fun, and 00:00:12.650 --> 00:00:15.310 uplifting. This podcast is created and produced 00:00:15.310 --> 00:00:17.210 with the help of students from the International 00:00:17.210 --> 00:00:20.629 Community School of Bangkok. Hello, everyone. 00:00:20.710 --> 00:00:23.210 Welcome back. We've got a packed episode for 00:00:23.210 --> 00:00:25.329 you today. I'm joined by co -host Mia and Frank, 00:00:25.449 --> 00:00:27.690 and I've got two student guests in the studio, 00:00:27.890 --> 00:00:30.870 Toto and Highlight. We'll be talking all about 00:00:30.870 --> 00:00:33.659 entrepreneurship. How to go from just having 00:00:33.659 --> 00:00:37.039 an idea to actually making it happen. We'll cover 00:00:37.039 --> 00:00:39.619 some important steps, real challenges, and what 00:00:39.619 --> 00:00:41.520 it really takes to bring a business to life. 00:00:41.859 --> 00:00:44.299 Plus, we've got the next exciting part of our 00:00:44.299 --> 00:00:46.399 adventure story, Legends of the Yucatan Part 00:00:46.399 --> 00:00:49.619 6, coming up later. But first, let's kick things 00:00:49.619 --> 00:00:51.619 off with our quote of the day and get some headline 00:00:51.619 --> 00:00:55.039 news. Our quote of the day comes from Guy Kawasaki. 00:00:55.380 --> 00:00:59.679 He said, Ideas are easy, implementation is hard. 00:01:00.119 --> 00:01:02.380 This quote reveals a key truth in entrepreneurship. 00:01:03.159 --> 00:01:06.519 Anyone can come up with an idea, but turning 00:01:06.519 --> 00:01:09.040 that idea into something real and valuable takes 00:01:09.040 --> 00:01:13.079 effort, strategy, and persistence. It's a reminder 00:01:13.079 --> 00:01:15.739 that real challenge and the real reward comes 00:01:15.739 --> 00:01:18.859 from the execution of the idea. Building a business 00:01:18.859 --> 00:01:21.560 isn't just about creativity. It's about planning, 00:01:21.680 --> 00:01:25.040 testing, and refining, and also overcoming numerous 00:01:25.040 --> 00:01:28.140 obstacles. entrepreneurs need to move beyond 00:01:28.140 --> 00:01:31.019 the brainstorming stage and take action. And 00:01:31.019 --> 00:01:33.680 that action will be challenging. And that's our 00:01:33.680 --> 00:01:36.359 quote of the day. Now on to some headline news 00:01:36.359 --> 00:01:39.760 with Mia. Thank you for our quote of the day, 00:01:39.819 --> 00:01:42.099 Frank. For today's headline news, we'd like to 00:01:42.099 --> 00:01:44.760 share about three upcoming conferences that focus 00:01:44.760 --> 00:01:47.019 on the topic of entrepreneurship and startups. 00:01:47.480 --> 00:01:50.560 According to TravelPerk .com, anyone with the 00:01:50.560 --> 00:01:52.799 entrepreneurial spirit, time on their hands, 00:01:52.840 --> 00:01:54.840 and a little money should start planning for 00:01:54.840 --> 00:01:57.359 one of these events. The first event is coming 00:01:57.359 --> 00:01:59.519 up this month. It's called the Startup Grind 00:01:59.519 --> 00:02:01.700 Global and it will be held in Silicon Valley, 00:02:01.900 --> 00:02:05.540 San Francisco, California, April 29th and 30th. 00:02:05.620 --> 00:02:08.599 You can attend online or in person. This is one 00:02:08.599 --> 00:02:10.840 of the most renowned startup conferences worldwide. 00:02:11.539 --> 00:02:13.979 Thousands of large scale and early phase startups 00:02:13.979 --> 00:02:16.780 will have the opportunity to come together, meet 00:02:16.780 --> 00:02:19.319 investors, exchange ideas, and participate in 00:02:19.319 --> 00:02:21.780 workshops. With one -to -one meetings with top 00:02:21.780 --> 00:02:24.500 angel investors in Silicon Valley, it's the perfect 00:02:24.500 --> 00:02:26.680 place to pitch your startup and scale to the 00:02:26.680 --> 00:02:29.539 next step. The second event is called Startup 00:02:29.539 --> 00:02:32.620 Fest 2025 and will be held in Montreal, Canada, 00:02:32.819 --> 00:02:36.259 July 9th through the 11th. This is Canada's original 00:02:36.259 --> 00:02:38.960 startup event where entrepreneurs, investors 00:02:38.960 --> 00:02:41.759 and industry veterans gather to chart the course 00:02:41.759 --> 00:02:44.500 of future technology. This event is focused on 00:02:44.500 --> 00:02:46.699 communication and has been designed to create 00:02:46.699 --> 00:02:49.159 meaningful interactions. There will be curated 00:02:49.159 --> 00:02:51.919 content for startup founders and investors, one 00:02:51.919 --> 00:02:54.860 -to -one meetings with mentors, investors, media 00:02:54.860 --> 00:02:57.360 exposure, investment opportunities and more. 00:02:57.360 --> 00:03:00.860 more. This is a must -attend event, not only 00:03:00.860 --> 00:03:03.280 for Canadians, but for the global startup community 00:03:03.280 --> 00:03:06.439 too. And finally, the third event we'd like to 00:03:06.439 --> 00:03:09.039 highlight is called the World Summit AI. This 00:03:09.039 --> 00:03:11.300 AI summit will be held in Amsterdam, Netherlands, 00:03:11.599 --> 00:03:14.879 October 8th and 9th this year. This event is 00:03:14.879 --> 00:03:17.080 for those looking to be on the cutting edge of 00:03:17.080 --> 00:03:20.080 AI development and innovation. The World Summit 00:03:20.080 --> 00:03:22.479 AI is the place to go to meet some of the brightest 00:03:22.479 --> 00:03:24.259 minds in the world of artificial intelligence 00:03:24.259 --> 00:03:27.460 and big data to discuss relevant topics like 00:03:27.460 --> 00:03:31.300 ethics, trust, privacy, and scalability. This 00:03:31.300 --> 00:03:33.500 summit will focus on human -to -AI interaction, 00:03:33.879 --> 00:03:36.719 innovation, and growth. Bringing together the 00:03:36.719 --> 00:03:40.099 full AI ecosystem, including founders, CEOs, 00:03:40.520 --> 00:03:44.479 CTOs, doctors, data analysts, academics, and 00:03:44.479 --> 00:03:46.719 more, it's the perfect place to get in on the 00:03:46.719 --> 00:03:49.550 ground floor of future AI innovation. This summit 00:03:49.550 --> 00:03:52.189 will also offer a startup accelerator with a 00:03:52.189 --> 00:03:54.710 dedicated expo and meeting area to facilitate 00:03:54.710 --> 00:03:57.389 the connections you need. And that ends our headline 00:03:57.389 --> 00:04:10.530 news for this episode. Thank you for the quote 00:04:10.530 --> 00:04:13.069 and headline news. This first segment is focused 00:04:13.069 --> 00:04:15.990 on the topic of executing an idea within the 00:04:15.990 --> 00:04:19.490 context of entrepreneurship. So we'll be covering 00:04:19.490 --> 00:04:22.550 everything from validating a business idea, common 00:04:22.550 --> 00:04:26.310 founder mistakes, and building your MVP to why 00:04:26.310 --> 00:04:29.050 execution matters more than just having a great 00:04:29.050 --> 00:04:32.009 idea. We'll even talk about the art of pivoting 00:04:32.009 --> 00:04:35.089 when things don't go as planned. Hi, everyone. 00:04:35.189 --> 00:04:37.189 Yeah, this is an important topic, especially 00:04:37.189 --> 00:04:40.449 for those who feel motivated to or want to start 00:04:40.449 --> 00:04:42.209 their own business, because I think a lot of 00:04:42.209 --> 00:04:44.589 people have really amazing ideas, but they often 00:04:44.589 --> 00:04:46.490 get stuck and don't know what the next step should 00:04:46.490 --> 00:04:49.639 be. Yeah, and honestly, turning an idea into 00:04:49.639 --> 00:04:52.519 something real is a massive challenge. But that's 00:04:52.519 --> 00:04:54.759 why we're here, to break it down and give you 00:04:54.759 --> 00:04:57.360 the tools to move forward with confidence. Oh, 00:04:57.360 --> 00:04:59.779 and by the way, Toto and Highlight are also in 00:04:59.779 --> 00:05:01.899 the studio to help us break down this topic. 00:05:01.980 --> 00:05:04.339 Welcome to the show, you two. Thank you, and 00:05:04.339 --> 00:05:06.800 I really like this topic. It's an important discussion 00:05:06.800 --> 00:05:09.279 to have, especially with young and motivated 00:05:09.279 --> 00:05:11.680 entrepreneurs who want to start their own businesses. 00:05:12.040 --> 00:05:13.500 Yeah, thanks for having me on the talk about 00:05:13.500 --> 00:05:15.660 this subject. It reminds me of the project I 00:05:15.660 --> 00:05:17.660 did in your entrepreneurship class, Mr. Jason. 00:05:17.839 --> 00:05:20.660 Yes, it does, Toto. So let's start with the beginning, 00:05:20.899 --> 00:05:25.120 ideation or idea validation. Toto, when someone 00:05:25.120 --> 00:05:27.459 comes up with a new idea, what's the first thing 00:05:27.459 --> 00:05:30.360 they should do to figure out if it's worth pursuing? 00:05:31.000 --> 00:05:33.480 I think the very first step is talking to the 00:05:33.480 --> 00:05:36.000 people. Not just your friends who will say, oh, 00:05:36.079 --> 00:05:38.459 that's cool, but actual potential users or customers. 00:05:39.319 --> 00:05:40.980 Validation is making sure that there's a real 00:05:40.980 --> 00:05:43.319 problem being solved. You can start small, ask 00:05:43.319 --> 00:05:45.920 questions, run surveys, or do informal interviews. 00:05:46.420 --> 00:05:48.180 Yeah, that makes sense. A lot of people just 00:05:48.180 --> 00:05:50.240 assume there's a market, but don't actually check, 00:05:50.379 --> 00:05:52.720 assuming it's just cutting a corner. There's 00:05:52.720 --> 00:05:55.060 got to be some research done, some data or information 00:05:55.060 --> 00:05:57.829 that can help validate the idea. Exactly, Nia. 00:05:57.970 --> 00:06:00.529 I'd add that it's also important to do a quick 00:06:00.529 --> 00:06:03.290 competitor analysis. If someone else is already 00:06:03.290 --> 00:06:05.949 solving the problem, how is your solution better 00:06:05.949 --> 00:06:08.870 or different? And if nobody is solving it, you 00:06:08.870 --> 00:06:11.889 need to ask why not. That's so true. Sometimes 00:06:11.889 --> 00:06:14.790 an idea hasn't been done for a reason. It might 00:06:14.790 --> 00:06:17.449 not be feasible or maybe people just don't need 00:06:17.449 --> 00:06:20.569 it or want it. Good points, everybody. So it's 00:06:20.569 --> 00:06:23.170 not about falling in love with your idea. It's 00:06:23.170 --> 00:06:26.019 about testing it in the real world. Remember, 00:06:26.139 --> 00:06:29.220 early validation saves you time, money, and energy 00:06:29.220 --> 00:06:31.579 later on. Let's talk about some of the common 00:06:31.579 --> 00:06:34.160 mistakes early -stage founders make. Highlight, 00:06:34.199 --> 00:06:37.029 what are some of your thoughts about this? I 00:06:37.029 --> 00:06:39.550 think one big mistake is trying to do everything 00:06:39.550 --> 00:06:42.889 alone. People want to own the whole thing, but 00:06:42.889 --> 00:06:45.230 building something great usually takes a team. 00:06:45.350 --> 00:06:48.230 You need different skills like marketing, tech, 00:06:48.410 --> 00:06:51.709 design, strategy, and no one can do it all perfectly. 00:06:51.970 --> 00:06:54.949 Even if you're an M -shaped worker, you can get 00:06:54.949 --> 00:06:58.310 yourself spread to thing. Yeah, and I think people 00:06:58.310 --> 00:07:01.639 are also overbuilt. Like instead of testing a 00:07:01.639 --> 00:07:03.879 simple version, they try to launch this huge 00:07:03.879 --> 00:07:06.639 complicated product. Then they burned out or 00:07:06.639 --> 00:07:08.920 run out of resources. For sure, like focusing 00:07:08.920 --> 00:07:11.399 way too much time on logo and branding in the 00:07:11.399 --> 00:07:13.540 early stages and completely ignoring whether 00:07:13.540 --> 00:07:15.540 the product even works. Branding is important, 00:07:15.720 --> 00:07:17.420 but it's not the priority when you haven't even 00:07:17.420 --> 00:07:20.180 like proven the idea yet. It's all about balance. 00:07:20.300 --> 00:07:23.079 It's easy to get excited and rush ahead, but 00:07:23.079 --> 00:07:26.500 skipping steps can be costly. Start lean, learn 00:07:26.500 --> 00:07:29.629 fast and stay humble. What's next, Frank? Alright, 00:07:29.790 --> 00:07:33.269 so let's talk about MVP. Toto, what does building 00:07:33.269 --> 00:07:35.829 a minimum viable product actually look like? 00:07:36.029 --> 00:07:38.029 An MVP is the simplest version of your product 00:07:38.029 --> 00:07:40.290 that still solves the core problem. It's not 00:07:40.290 --> 00:07:42.189 meant to be pretty or perfect. It's meant to 00:07:42.189 --> 00:07:44.110 test your assumptions. For example, if you're 00:07:44.110 --> 00:07:46.230 creating an app, your MVP should just be like 00:07:46.230 --> 00:07:48.769 a basic landing page, explaining the idea and 00:07:48.769 --> 00:07:50.670 just seeing if people sign up. Yeah, that's a 00:07:50.670 --> 00:07:52.550 great way to put it. I think sometimes we think 00:07:52.550 --> 00:07:55.350 MVP means an almost finished product, but it's 00:07:55.350 --> 00:07:57.170 really just about testing the core idea in the 00:07:57.170 --> 00:07:59.829 easiest way possible. Yeah, it surprises me how 00:07:59.829 --> 00:08:02.970 MVP not only means most valuable product, but 00:08:02.970 --> 00:08:06.209 it also means most valuable player. So one cool 00:08:06.209 --> 00:08:10.269 MVP, referring to both ways of interpreting that 00:08:10.269 --> 00:08:13.920 acronym, I would say example is Dropbox. Before 00:08:13.920 --> 00:08:16.560 building the product, they made a simple video 00:08:16.560 --> 00:08:19.699 showing how it would work. No code, just a concept. 00:08:19.879 --> 00:08:24.379 It got tons of interest in signups, which helped 00:08:24.379 --> 00:08:27.740 them know it was worth building. It proves you 00:08:27.740 --> 00:08:31.019 can test an idea without having the full product. 00:08:31.560 --> 00:08:35.100 Another example is Airbnb. Airbnb started with 00:08:35.100 --> 00:08:37.860 an air mattress in the founder's apartment. They 00:08:37.860 --> 00:08:40.450 made a basic website and tested it. if people 00:08:40.450 --> 00:08:43.269 would pay to stay in someone's home. That simple 00:08:43.269 --> 00:08:45.809 start turned into a giant company it is now. 00:08:46.269 --> 00:08:49.049 The MVP was basic, but it tested their assumptions. 00:08:49.549 --> 00:08:52.889 I love that. MVPs are about learning, not launching. 00:08:53.149 --> 00:08:56.850 Start scrappy. That early feedback is gold, especially 00:08:56.850 --> 00:08:59.049 if there's a lot of money and time being risk. 00:08:59.450 --> 00:09:02.789 Okay, let's move on to the next big truth. It 00:09:02.789 --> 00:09:05.889 is that ideas are easy, but execution is hard. 00:09:06.090 --> 00:09:08.830 Frank, what do you think? Absolutely. You can 00:09:08.830 --> 00:09:11.210 have the best idea in the world, but if you don't 00:09:11.210 --> 00:09:14.389 take action, it means nothing. Execution means 00:09:14.389 --> 00:09:17.529 showing up every day, iterating, listening to 00:09:17.529 --> 00:09:19.870 feedback, and putting in the work when it's not 00:09:19.870 --> 00:09:22.750 glamorous. And honestly, it's out there everywhere. 00:09:22.769 --> 00:09:24.929 People talk about their million dollar idea, 00:09:25.070 --> 00:09:26.730 but then you ask them what they've done with 00:09:26.730 --> 00:09:29.490 it and it's nothing or they haven't started anything 00:09:29.490 --> 00:09:32.090 yet. Even in school with school projects, students 00:09:32.090 --> 00:09:34.990 do this. I read once that Mark Zuckerberg said 00:09:34.990 --> 00:09:38.070 that a mediocre idea with great execution will 00:09:38.070 --> 00:09:41.070 beat a great idea with poor execution every time. 00:09:41.149 --> 00:09:44.110 I think that's so true. Passion is great, but 00:09:44.110 --> 00:09:46.850 discipline is what moves things forward. Also, 00:09:46.950 --> 00:09:49.269 don't wait for everything to be perfect. Execute 00:09:49.269 --> 00:09:51.110 with what you have. Some of the best businesses 00:09:51.110 --> 00:09:53.250 were started with limited tools. But a lot of 00:09:53.250 --> 00:09:56.250 drive. Execution is what separates the dreamers 00:09:56.250 --> 00:09:58.769 from the doers. We need dreamers and we need 00:09:58.769 --> 00:10:01.629 doers. An entrepreneur has to be both. Okay, 00:10:01.750 --> 00:10:04.950 moving on. Mia, what's next? Let's talk about 00:10:04.950 --> 00:10:06.850 pivoting. What do you do when your idea isn't 00:10:06.850 --> 00:10:09.389 working out? A pivot doesn't mean failure. It 00:10:09.389 --> 00:10:11.429 means you learn something. And now you're adjusting. 00:10:11.789 --> 00:10:14.279 That's actually smart business. Airbnb started 00:10:14.279 --> 00:10:16.519 as an air mattress rental site and they pivoted 00:10:16.519 --> 00:10:18.340 after realizing that what people really need 00:10:18.340 --> 00:10:21.059 it and actually wants it. That's such a good 00:10:21.059 --> 00:10:24.000 example. I think it's important to not be emotionally 00:10:24.000 --> 00:10:26.240 attached to a first version. You have to let 00:10:26.240 --> 00:10:29.379 the data and the feedback guide you. Also, sometimes 00:10:29.379 --> 00:10:32.039 you pivot not because the idea was bad, but because 00:10:32.039 --> 00:10:35.240 the timing was off or the target audience needed 00:10:35.240 --> 00:10:38.179 to be different. Pivoting is a tool. It's how 00:10:38.179 --> 00:10:41.669 you stay in the game. Another example of a successful 00:10:41.669 --> 00:10:44.809 pivot is Instagram. Originally, Instagram started 00:10:44.809 --> 00:10:47.690 as a location -based check -in app called Bourbon. 00:10:47.769 --> 00:10:50.389 Yes, you heard that correctly. The founders noticed 00:10:50.389 --> 00:10:52.750 that the photo sharing feature was the most popular 00:10:52.750 --> 00:10:55.509 aspect of the app, so they decided to pivot and 00:10:55.509 --> 00:10:58.629 focus entirely on photos. This shift to a photo 00:10:58.629 --> 00:11:01.049 sharing platform led to Instagram's massive success, 00:11:01.269 --> 00:11:04.169 ultimately being acquired by Facebook. It's a 00:11:04.169 --> 00:11:06.269 great example of how being open to change can 00:11:06.269 --> 00:11:09.070 turn a product around. Oh, and by the way, Here's 00:11:09.070 --> 00:11:10.730 a quick plug for the Students Incorporated for 00:11:10.730 --> 00:11:12.970 all our listeners. Check out our Instagram account 00:11:12.970 --> 00:11:15.289 and follow us. Our marketing team has had a lot 00:11:15.289 --> 00:11:17.590 of fun this year creating fun and engaging content. 00:11:18.029 --> 00:11:20.809 Yes, jump on board our IG account. It's been 00:11:20.809 --> 00:11:23.330 fun to watch it grow this year. And on the topic 00:11:23.330 --> 00:11:26.169 of pivoting, stay open, stay flexible, and be 00:11:26.169 --> 00:11:29.269 willing to evolve. That's how you survive and 00:11:29.269 --> 00:11:32.070 then hopefully thrive. This has been such a powerful 00:11:32.070 --> 00:11:35.049 discussion. Before we wrap it up, let's go around 00:11:35.049 --> 00:11:37.549 and hear one piece of advice from each of you. 00:11:37.899 --> 00:11:41.019 for young entrepreneurs out there. Mia, go ahead 00:11:41.019 --> 00:11:43.600 and start first. I'd say don't wait for the perfect 00:11:43.600 --> 00:11:46.360 time. Start small, start now. Action beats waiting 00:11:46.360 --> 00:11:50.120 every time. Talk to people, your customers, your 00:11:50.120 --> 00:11:53.539 mentors, and your team. The best businesses are 00:11:53.539 --> 00:11:56.600 built by listening and learning. Don't be afraid 00:11:56.600 --> 00:11:59.159 to fail. Every failure teaches you something 00:11:59.159 --> 00:12:02.240 and brings you closer to what works. Yep. As 00:12:02.240 --> 00:12:04.480 a parting advice, stay curious, stay humble, 00:12:04.519 --> 00:12:06.600 and keep experimenting. You never know where 00:12:06.600 --> 00:12:09.039 your idea might lead. Well, thank you very much. 00:12:09.059 --> 00:12:11.700 That was brilliant advice all around. Thanks 00:12:11.700 --> 00:12:14.379 again to Mia, Frank, Toto, and Highlight. And 00:12:14.379 --> 00:12:16.379 to all our listeners, remember, it's not just 00:12:16.379 --> 00:12:19.340 about having the next big idea. It's about what 00:12:19.340 --> 00:12:25.840 you do with it. For all students who want to 00:12:25.840 --> 00:12:28.340 attend university, this announcement is for you. 00:12:28.500 --> 00:12:31.299 What's the SAT? Maybe you've heard of it? The 00:12:31.299 --> 00:12:34.080 Scholastic Assessment Test, or the SAT as we 00:12:34.080 --> 00:12:37.799 all refer to it as, is a standardized exam widely 00:12:37.799 --> 00:12:40.539 used for college admissions, especially in the 00:12:40.539 --> 00:12:43.519 United States. It measures key skills in reading, 00:12:43.679 --> 00:12:46.440 writing, and math, and is designed to assess 00:12:46.440 --> 00:12:48.840 a student's readiness for college -level work. 00:12:49.159 --> 00:12:51.919 Many universities use SAT scores as part of their 00:12:51.919 --> 00:12:54.600 admissions process, and strong results can also 00:12:54.600 --> 00:12:57.320 improve scholarship opportunities. Whether you're 00:12:57.320 --> 00:12:59.700 planning to study abroad or simply want to keep 00:12:59.700 --> 00:13:02.519 your options open, taking the SAT can be an important 00:13:02.519 --> 00:13:05.809 step towards your academic future. With the SAT 00:13:05.809 --> 00:13:08.350 coming up soon, now is the time to get prepared. 00:13:08.570 --> 00:13:10.649 Make sure you know your test date and location 00:13:10.649 --> 00:13:13.029 and gather everything you need ahead of time. 00:13:13.169 --> 00:13:15.149 Be sure to get a good night's sleep before the 00:13:15.149 --> 00:13:17.190 test and eat a healthy breakfast in the morning. 00:13:17.409 --> 00:13:19.929 The SAT can be challenging, but with practice 00:13:19.929 --> 00:13:22.389 and a calm, focused mindset, you can do well. 00:13:22.590 --> 00:13:24.990 Stay confident, stay organized, and show what 00:13:24.990 --> 00:13:40.169 you've learned. You've got this. And we are back 00:13:40.169 --> 00:13:42.669 with our second segment, and we will continue 00:13:42.669 --> 00:13:45.669 with part six of our story, Legends of the Yucatan. 00:13:45.789 --> 00:13:49.529 Part six is titled The Escape. If you missed 00:13:49.529 --> 00:13:51.470 parts one through five, you can get caught up 00:13:51.470 --> 00:13:55.100 by listening to episodes 87 through 91. Legends 00:13:55.100 --> 00:13:57.799 of the Yucatan is a sequel to our Season 2 story, 00:13:58.080 --> 00:14:00.840 The Secrets of El Dorado. We released last year 00:14:00.840 --> 00:14:04.200 during Episodes 55 through 64 in audio narration. 00:14:04.639 --> 00:14:07.820 It's also available in book form as a downloadable 00:14:07.820 --> 00:14:10.720 PDF from our website or in paperback version 00:14:10.720 --> 00:14:14.120 on Amazon .com. Just visit studentsincorporated 00:14:14.120 --> 00:14:17.320 .com to find out more. Now, moving on, Camden 00:14:17.320 --> 00:14:19.500 will give us a quick recap before we jump into 00:14:19.500 --> 00:14:28.220 Part 6. Recapping Part 5, the Cenote. The group 00:14:28.220 --> 00:14:30.919 tours Chichen Itza. Eva shows the others her 00:14:30.919 --> 00:14:32.779 pictures from the incident at the gala event, 00:14:32.940 --> 00:14:36.100 and David recognizes a familiar tattoo. David 00:14:36.100 --> 00:14:37.820 discovers that his brother has been kidnapped 00:14:37.820 --> 00:14:40.840 and demands are made for an exchange. And without 00:14:40.840 --> 00:14:43.019 further ado, let's jump back into our story, 00:14:43.139 --> 00:14:44.980 where we join our eclectic group of characters 00:14:44.980 --> 00:14:52.320 in their continuing adventure. The passageways 00:14:52.320 --> 00:14:55.610 inside El Castillo. the step pyramid of Chichen 00:14:55.610 --> 00:14:58.809 Itza, were small and cramped. This once great 00:14:58.809 --> 00:15:01.690 structure from the ancient Mayan past held many, 00:15:01.809 --> 00:15:04.330 many horrible secrets, some that would never 00:15:04.330 --> 00:15:06.490 be told, and some that were too gruesome to be 00:15:06.490 --> 00:15:08.730 told, especially to children. The inside was 00:15:08.730 --> 00:15:11.629 dark, quiet, and still. Yes, the place gave us 00:15:11.629 --> 00:15:14.350 a sense of mystery. If a person was not careful, 00:15:14.490 --> 00:15:16.429 they could get lost, especially in the dark, 00:15:16.549 --> 00:15:18.889 as no light from the outside could enter. It 00:15:18.889 --> 00:15:21.350 was a sealed structure. Hawthorne, who was the 00:15:21.350 --> 00:15:24.000 last of the five people in line, David being 00:15:24.000 --> 00:15:26.460 the first, still marveled at the engineering 00:15:26.460 --> 00:15:29.059 of the structure as he moved through the passageways, 00:15:29.200 --> 00:15:32.360 which led down. Miranda followed David, then 00:15:32.360 --> 00:15:35.360 Ava, Tommy, and then Hawthorne. Fortunately, 00:15:35.500 --> 00:15:37.940 the five of them all had somewhat full battery 00:15:37.940 --> 00:15:40.500 life on their phones, so they took turns using 00:15:40.500 --> 00:15:43.440 the built -in flashlights. David, who was leading, 00:15:43.639 --> 00:15:45.700 held one light, and then Tommy held the other 00:15:45.700 --> 00:15:47.860 light, which gave them three phone lights as 00:15:47.860 --> 00:15:50.379 backups. There was no cell signal within the 00:15:50.379 --> 00:15:53.519 structure either. Hawthorne appreciated David's 00:15:53.519 --> 00:15:55.500 confidence and had a good feeling they would 00:15:55.500 --> 00:15:57.980 be in and out within 30 minutes. This would give 00:15:57.980 --> 00:16:00.259 the group time to investigate the hidden chamber 00:16:00.259 --> 00:16:03.220 David had mentioned. David, Miranda says quietly 00:16:03.220 --> 00:16:05.440 as she is following closely behind him in the 00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:08.220 cramped downward and winding passageway. This 00:16:08.220 --> 00:16:10.559 place gives me the creeps. How'd you do it last 00:16:10.559 --> 00:16:13.179 time with just your dive partner and you? I mean, 00:16:13.179 --> 00:16:15.080 your expedition seemed to have been high risk. 00:16:15.240 --> 00:16:17.679 I'm surprised the university endorsed it. David, 00:16:17.820 --> 00:16:20.120 not stopping, turned his head slightly so Miranda 00:16:20.120 --> 00:16:22.799 could hear him answer and said, I suppose that's 00:16:22.799 --> 00:16:25.440 why they hired me. I've done so many high -risk 00:16:25.440 --> 00:16:27.639 dives, this really didn't seem that different. 00:16:27.919 --> 00:16:30.340 However, now that you say that, maybe it was 00:16:30.340 --> 00:16:33.059 a bit more risky than usual. He continues, my 00:16:33.059 --> 00:16:35.639 partner and I carried all our own gear in and 00:16:35.639 --> 00:16:38.299 out of this place. And we did not have a way 00:16:38.299 --> 00:16:40.600 to communicate with anyone on the outside once 00:16:40.600 --> 00:16:43.480 we dove the cenote. The other two guys that came 00:16:43.480 --> 00:16:45.860 with us left us down as soon as they saw us put 00:16:45.860 --> 00:16:48.169 on our dive gear. I guess they were a little 00:16:48.169 --> 00:16:50.529 jumpsy and superstitious and didn't want to be 00:16:50.529 --> 00:16:52.429 inside this thing any longer than they needed 00:16:52.429 --> 00:16:55.269 to. Ava, who could somewhat hear David's answer 00:16:55.269 --> 00:16:57.950 to Miranda's question, then asked, So David, 00:16:58.169 --> 00:17:00.509 hoping David would hear her question, then asked, 00:17:00.909 --> 00:17:02.830 It seems we've been going down for a while now, 00:17:02.970 --> 00:17:04.829 and we've got to be getting close to the base 00:17:04.829 --> 00:17:07.069 of the interior of this thing. What's your estimate? 00:17:07.250 --> 00:17:09.769 Are we almost there yet? Miranda echoed Ava's 00:17:09.769 --> 00:17:11.630 question to David, who was walking and moving 00:17:11.630 --> 00:17:14.529 at a good pace. She also added, How will we know 00:17:14.529 --> 00:17:17.079 it when we are there? At that moment, they left 00:17:17.079 --> 00:17:18.980 the narrow and cramped passageway and entered 00:17:18.980 --> 00:17:22.299 into a large open space or cavern. In the center 00:17:22.299 --> 00:17:24.700 of the large open cavern was a beautiful pool 00:17:24.700 --> 00:17:26.900 of water. It was almost surreal as the water 00:17:26.900 --> 00:17:29.700 was stunningly turquoise blue, clear, and pristine. 00:17:29.819 --> 00:17:32.420 It glowed and the light it produced lit up the 00:17:32.420 --> 00:17:34.859 cavern. As all five of them entered the cavern, 00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:37.500 David said, Turn off your phone lights. We can 00:17:37.500 --> 00:17:39.640 use the bioluminescence from the algae in the 00:17:39.640 --> 00:17:42.279 water to see. Isn't it beautiful? Wow, David, 00:17:42.519 --> 00:17:44.819 I guess you left this out of your story. This 00:17:44.819 --> 00:17:47.420 is an incredible place, Ava says with a grin. 00:17:47.619 --> 00:17:50.279 She then looks back at Hawthorne standing behind 00:17:50.279 --> 00:17:53.160 her and says under her breath, This place sure 00:17:53.160 --> 00:17:55.480 beats the tunnels on old man Sutter's property. 00:17:55.799 --> 00:17:57.980 Hawthorne laughs quietly and nods his head in 00:17:57.980 --> 00:18:00.880 agreement and says back to Ava, A place I'd rather 00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:03.579 not revisit, that's for sure. He then adds with 00:18:03.579 --> 00:18:06.160 a grin on his face, A place it seems you and 00:18:06.160 --> 00:18:08.599 Sierra did go back and visit though, I mean, 00:18:09.109 --> 00:18:11.869 The missus and I are quite thankful you did too. 00:18:12.690 --> 00:18:14.930 Hawthorne and Ava's coded conversation about 00:18:14.930 --> 00:18:17.269 their previous adventure back in El Dorado County 00:18:17.269 --> 00:18:20.210 was interrupted when Tommy spoke up. So much 00:18:20.210 --> 00:18:22.289 has changed about this place from the last time 00:18:22.289 --> 00:18:25.069 I was here. Tommy tells the group, he continues, 00:18:25.390 --> 00:18:28.849 I don't remember much being it was so long ago, 00:18:28.890 --> 00:18:31.390 but I do remember that this pool was not glowing 00:18:31.390 --> 00:18:34.390 and it was not this deep and clear. Miranda turns 00:18:34.390 --> 00:18:37.630 and then asks Tommy, What do you mean? It wasn't 00:18:37.630 --> 00:18:39.769 like this when you were here last time? Tommy 00:18:39.769 --> 00:18:42.430 answers, It's been almost 30 years since I was 00:18:42.430 --> 00:18:45.950 here. And no. Back then, it was just a dark and 00:18:45.950 --> 00:18:48.710 dank cabin. Tommy then looks at Hawthorne and 00:18:48.710 --> 00:18:51.609 asks, What do you think? Maybe there's an underground 00:18:51.609 --> 00:18:54.049 spring or river that eventually collided with 00:18:54.049 --> 00:18:57.529 a cenote pool here and, well, opened up, creating 00:18:57.529 --> 00:19:00.269 a deeper chasm and bringing in the algae and 00:19:00.269 --> 00:19:02.990 more fresh water. Tommy continues, and there 00:19:02.990 --> 00:19:04.930 used to be a ground -level entry -exit point 00:19:04.930 --> 00:19:06.910 to this cabin from the outside for many, many 00:19:06.910 --> 00:19:09.529 years ago, when archaeologists were still studying 00:19:09.529 --> 00:19:11.769 the interior. I've only been through it once, 00:19:11.890 --> 00:19:14.349 way back in the day, but it's been closed back 00:19:14.349 --> 00:19:16.809 in, I think. That's probably why the park ranger 00:19:16.809 --> 00:19:19.269 had us enter from the top. Well, at least we 00:19:19.269 --> 00:19:22.190 got some exercise. Hawthorne replies, You've 00:19:22.190 --> 00:19:24.690 got a good memory, Tommy. I had totally forgotten 00:19:24.690 --> 00:19:27.250 about that other entry point down on this level, 00:19:27.390 --> 00:19:29.509 and your theory about the underground spring 00:19:29.509 --> 00:19:32.470 and river could be true. There's got to be fresh 00:19:32.470 --> 00:19:35.529 water source circulating from the cenote. Otherwise, 00:19:35.630 --> 00:19:37.750 there wouldn't be that algae and fresh vegetation. 00:19:38.289 --> 00:19:41.150 He then asked David a question. When you dove 00:19:41.150 --> 00:19:43.470 this pool, did you and your partner feel any 00:19:43.470 --> 00:19:46.869 underwater currents? David answered and said, 00:19:47.049 --> 00:19:49.630 yes, the deeper we dove, the current got stronger. 00:19:50.390 --> 00:19:52.609 He then says, my partner and I assumed there 00:19:52.609 --> 00:19:55.210 was an underground river under this place, but 00:19:55.210 --> 00:19:57.269 didn't want to risk exploring any more than we 00:19:57.269 --> 00:20:00.180 had to at that time. We were not prepared for 00:20:00.180 --> 00:20:02.319 that type of diving. That's when we called it 00:20:02.319 --> 00:20:04.920 quits and came back up to the surface, took off 00:20:04.920 --> 00:20:07.480 our gear, and then discovered the hidden passageway 00:20:07.480 --> 00:20:11.019 to the chamber, just over there. David then points 00:20:11.019 --> 00:20:13.319 to the far wall opposite of where they were all 00:20:13.319 --> 00:20:15.960 standing. Come on, let's go and I'll show you 00:20:15.960 --> 00:20:22.910 as we don't have a lot of time left. As their 00:20:22.910 --> 00:20:25.430 car was nearing the ancient site of Chichen Itza, 00:20:25.630 --> 00:20:28.309 Maria gives instructions to Renata and Carlos 00:20:28.309 --> 00:20:31.470 about the plan. She explains, here's what's going 00:20:31.470 --> 00:20:34.230 to happen. The other cartel guy in front of us 00:20:34.230 --> 00:20:36.210 in the old pickup truck is going to pull off 00:20:36.210 --> 00:20:38.349 the main highway close to the other main parking 00:20:38.349 --> 00:20:41.289 site by the El Castillo. You know the big pyramid 00:20:41.289 --> 00:20:44.529 and wait. Our driver is taking us to the Grand 00:20:44.529 --> 00:20:47.269 Museum first. That's when you, Renata, are going 00:20:47.269 --> 00:20:50.049 to take this black small black bag, the one in 00:20:50.049 --> 00:20:52.710 the jay jar is in, to the front reception desk. 00:20:52.910 --> 00:20:55.390 Drop it off with the desk clerk and attach this 00:20:55.390 --> 00:20:58.289 note to it. Maria points to a note that says, 00:20:58.470 --> 00:21:01.890 to Mr. Silva, welcome to the Yucatan. Enjoy your 00:21:01.890 --> 00:21:05.089 stay. Maria continues, don't need to pay attention 00:21:05.089 --> 00:21:07.170 to the note. It's just there to divert attention 00:21:07.170 --> 00:21:10.829 away from the bag. Renata then says, wait, what? 00:21:11.259 --> 00:21:13.480 We went through a lot to steal that thing. Why 00:21:13.480 --> 00:21:16.539 are we dropping it off here? We're not, Maria 00:21:16.539 --> 00:21:20.119 answers. Now listen, Big Boss wants to use it 00:21:20.119 --> 00:21:22.519 as bait. The receptionist will just think you're 00:21:22.519 --> 00:21:24.460 just dropping it off for someone coming to visit. 00:21:24.759 --> 00:21:27.519 Maybe a friend or another tourist. Either way, 00:21:27.680 --> 00:21:29.660 it's meant to deflect attention away from the 00:21:29.660 --> 00:21:32.099 actual bag. At least that's what you need to 00:21:32.099 --> 00:21:34.079 convince the desk clerk of when you go in there. 00:21:35.410 --> 00:21:37.710 Carlos, who is sitting quiet and just looking 00:21:37.710 --> 00:21:40.910 out the sidecar window, then chimes in and says, 00:21:41.009 --> 00:21:44.150 that sounds like a stupid plan. Wasn't that piece 00:21:44.150 --> 00:21:46.789 supposed to be turned over to the guy back in 00:21:46.789 --> 00:21:49.470 Mexico City? The guy who's working with some 00:21:49.470 --> 00:21:52.390 big oil company? Carlos then looks at his aunt 00:21:52.390 --> 00:21:55.089 sitting in the front seat and asks, why did we 00:21:55.089 --> 00:21:57.009 take this job? It's gotten way too complicated. 00:21:58.250 --> 00:22:01.190 Maria answers back, this time with a softer tone 00:22:01.190 --> 00:22:03.509 as she tries to assure her nephew that it's all 00:22:03.509 --> 00:22:06.789 going to work out in the end. She says, Well, 00:22:06.789 --> 00:22:09.490 nephew, we're stuck between two very powerful 00:22:09.490 --> 00:22:12.309 players. Our driver and his boss represent one 00:22:12.309 --> 00:22:14.529 of those big players and the guy back in Mexico 00:22:14.529 --> 00:22:17.329 City represents the other big player. Both have 00:22:17.329 --> 00:22:19.869 unlimited resources and both have all the power. 00:22:20.029 --> 00:22:22.910 And we really need that payout. Renata jumps 00:22:22.910 --> 00:22:26.750 in and says, This better work. I mean, I assume 00:22:26.750 --> 00:22:29.009 you're trying to get more information from the 00:22:29.009 --> 00:22:31.710 brother of the guy who's in the trunk. Why else 00:22:31.710 --> 00:22:34.230 would I be doing this? I didn't think the big 00:22:34.230 --> 00:22:37.130 boss wanted to negotiate. Maria then tries to 00:22:37.130 --> 00:22:39.970 end the conversation with this. The brother of 00:22:39.970 --> 00:22:41.950 the guy in the trunk has more information the 00:22:41.950 --> 00:22:44.589 cartel wants, and it must be important enough 00:22:44.589 --> 00:22:46.910 to negotiate with the jar. Well, that's what 00:22:46.910 --> 00:22:48.950 we are hoping they think is in the black bag. 00:22:49.490 --> 00:22:52.400 She continues. We've talked enough about it already. 00:22:52.660 --> 00:22:54.599 We need to find a rock that weighs about the 00:22:54.599 --> 00:22:57.079 same as the jar, wrap it in newspaper, and then 00:22:57.079 --> 00:22:58.940 swap out the rock for the jar in the black bag. 00:22:59.279 --> 00:23:01.740 The jade jar won't actually be in the black bag. 00:23:01.900 --> 00:23:04.039 We want to bluff them and see if they take the 00:23:04.039 --> 00:23:07.039 bait. You also need to zip tie the black zippers 00:23:07.039 --> 00:23:09.000 together once you swap the rock for the jar. 00:23:09.180 --> 00:23:11.380 We don't need anyone accidentally opening that 00:23:11.380 --> 00:23:14.279 black bag prematurely. Renanta says one last 00:23:14.279 --> 00:23:17.319 thing. This bluff better work since I'm the one 00:23:17.319 --> 00:23:20.339 that will be walking in there. You do realize 00:23:20.339 --> 00:23:22.880 that there are cameras everywhere. And that's 00:23:22.880 --> 00:23:25.059 why you're going in there. Now make yourself 00:23:25.059 --> 00:23:27.660 look like a young, innocent tourist. Maria snaps 00:23:27.660 --> 00:23:30.140 back as she turns back around in the car seat. 00:23:35.279 --> 00:23:38.099 The hidden chamber was dark and dusty. As the 00:23:38.099 --> 00:23:40.019 five entered the space with David leading the 00:23:40.019 --> 00:23:42.440 way, they were in awe at the contents that were 00:23:42.440 --> 00:23:45.299 hidden within. Troves of old artifacts filled 00:23:45.299 --> 00:23:48.009 the chamber. from well -kept and decorated old 00:23:48.009 --> 00:23:50.650 pottery pieces and jars filled with coins, to 00:23:50.650 --> 00:23:53.329 other gold and precious metal decorations and 00:23:53.329 --> 00:23:56.009 ornaments that dated back to when the Mayan people 00:23:56.009 --> 00:23:59.109 inhabited this land. El Castillo, or so it seemed, 00:23:59.309 --> 00:24:01.990 was not just used as a spiritual place of worship 00:24:01.990 --> 00:24:04.670 and sacrifice, but it seemed to also be used 00:24:04.670 --> 00:24:07.329 as a place to hold Mayan treasure. The team of 00:24:07.329 --> 00:24:10.289 five, Tommy, Hawthorne, Miranda, David, and Ava, 00:24:10.369 --> 00:24:13.109 worked fast to document and take as many photos 00:24:13.109 --> 00:24:15.890 of different pieces as possible. They knew that 00:24:15.890 --> 00:24:17.849 they could not carry anything back out with them. 00:24:17.950 --> 00:24:20.269 However, with the others in agreement, Tommy 00:24:20.269 --> 00:24:22.670 and Hawthorne wanted to take several small gold 00:24:22.670 --> 00:24:25.130 and silver coins back out with them as physical 00:24:25.130 --> 00:24:27.490 proof so they could show the proper authorities 00:24:27.490 --> 00:24:29.789 at some point. They all understood what was at 00:24:29.789 --> 00:24:32.009 stake if the information about this hidden treasure 00:24:32.009 --> 00:24:34.900 chamber got out to the wrong people. and there 00:24:34.900 --> 00:24:37.119 was still concern for David's brother. David 00:24:37.119 --> 00:24:39.259 still had not decided about how much detail he 00:24:39.259 --> 00:24:41.339 was going to give the guy on the other side of 00:24:41.339 --> 00:24:43.099 the phone once they were back outside of the 00:24:43.099 --> 00:24:45.500 pyramid. He still had time to think as the group 00:24:45.500 --> 00:24:47.339 was getting ready to leave the inside of the 00:24:47.339 --> 00:24:49.559 Castillo. Meanwhile, the other cartel driver 00:24:49.559 --> 00:24:52.420 of the old pickup truck had parked just off the 00:24:52.420 --> 00:24:54.660 highway near the main parking lot of El Castillo. 00:24:54.779 --> 00:24:56.680 The driver got out of the truck and looked into 00:24:56.680 --> 00:24:59.059 the brush and undergrowth near the road. He made 00:24:59.059 --> 00:25:01.519 a motion with his hand and whistled. Moments 00:25:01.519 --> 00:25:23.079 later, two guys appeared. The group makes their 00:25:23.079 --> 00:25:25.420 way out of the treasure chamber and then back 00:25:25.420 --> 00:25:29.680 out into the larger Cenote Cavern. They meticulously... 00:25:30.059 --> 00:25:32.460 put many of the stones and rocks back in place 00:25:32.460 --> 00:25:36.059 to cover the hidden passageway once again. This 00:25:36.059 --> 00:25:37.900 took a little longer than they had hoped for. 00:25:38.180 --> 00:25:41.079 Hawthorne, who was now standing closest to the 00:25:41.079 --> 00:25:43.779 corridor they had come down just a short 30 minutes 00:25:43.779 --> 00:25:46.500 earlier, says to the group, Let's head back out. 00:25:46.559 --> 00:25:48.660 I can leave this time with my phone light since 00:25:48.660 --> 00:25:50.680 I've got a full battery. With that said, the 00:25:50.680 --> 00:25:53.359 group of five exit the glowing Cenote Cavern 00:25:53.359 --> 00:25:55.819 and make their way into the narrow and cramped 00:25:55.819 --> 00:25:58.460 corridors that had led them down to the bottom. 00:25:58.940 --> 00:26:01.720 They now must take the same path back out. All 00:26:01.720 --> 00:26:03.799 of a sudden, Miranda, who was falling right behind 00:26:03.799 --> 00:26:05.759 Hawthorne with the other three right behind her, 00:26:05.819 --> 00:26:08.079 grabbed Hawthorne's arm from behind and stopped 00:26:08.079 --> 00:26:10.119 abruptly, which made Hawthorne stop as well. 00:26:10.279 --> 00:26:12.579 She then said in a whisper, Do you hear that? 00:26:12.619 --> 00:26:14.819 I hear voices. It sounds like someone's coming 00:26:14.819 --> 00:26:16.740 this way. Tommy, who was falling right behind 00:26:16.740 --> 00:26:19.720 Miranda, says, Why are we stopping? Tommy then 00:26:19.720 --> 00:26:22.140 watches as Miranda puts her finger to her ear, 00:26:22.240 --> 00:26:24.559 then points towards Hawthorne into the darkness, 00:26:24.759 --> 00:26:26.880 as if to communicate that she hears something 00:26:26.880 --> 00:26:29.950 in the corridor up ahead. Tommy then turns around 00:26:29.950 --> 00:26:32.210 and whispers to David and Ava, who are behind 00:26:32.210 --> 00:26:34.490 him. Miranda and Hawthorne stop because they 00:26:34.490 --> 00:26:37.269 heard something ahead. David then whispers through 00:26:37.269 --> 00:26:40.230 Ava to where Tommy and says, Well, maybe it's 00:26:40.230 --> 00:26:42.349 the kid park ranger coming to check on us down 00:26:42.349 --> 00:26:45.009 here. Ava, who is visibly getting more nervous 00:26:45.009 --> 00:26:47.029 the longer they stood still in the small narrow 00:26:47.029 --> 00:26:50.470 corridor, then says, I doubt that kid is going 00:26:50.470 --> 00:26:53.150 to come looking for us down here. We haven't 00:26:53.150 --> 00:26:55.009 been gone that long, and he gave off the impression 00:26:55.009 --> 00:26:57.730 that we were his biggest inconvenience of the 00:26:57.730 --> 00:27:00.609 day. At that moment, a faint light coming from 00:27:00.609 --> 00:27:03.230 up ahead in the corridor was slowly getting brighter 00:27:03.230 --> 00:27:05.829 against the stone wall it was reflecting off 00:27:05.829 --> 00:27:08.789 of. Hawthorne could hear the voices now. It sounded 00:27:08.789 --> 00:27:11.349 like there were two people talking to each other, 00:27:11.410 --> 00:27:14.569 maybe three. He quickly asked Miranda in a whisper, 00:27:14.789 --> 00:27:17.339 What do you think? Should we wait here and meet 00:27:17.339 --> 00:27:19.440 whoever this is coming toward us in the corridor? 00:27:19.980 --> 00:27:22.779 Or turn around and have David take us back down 00:27:22.779 --> 00:27:25.539 to the Cenote Cavern? Miranda immediately responds 00:27:25.539 --> 00:27:27.880 and says, we should turn around and go back now. 00:27:27.980 --> 00:27:29.819 I hear their Spanish and the way they're talking 00:27:29.819 --> 00:27:31.599 to each other. Well, they sound quite serious. 00:27:31.859 --> 00:27:34.099 I don't think this is anyone we know and no one 00:27:34.099 --> 00:27:36.680 else is supposed to be down here right now. Miranda 00:27:36.680 --> 00:27:38.920 then turns around facing Tommy now. She says 00:27:38.920 --> 00:27:41.400 in a whisper, go back down, go back down. Tommy 00:27:41.400 --> 00:27:43.579 could tell Miranda was serious by the tone in 00:27:43.579 --> 00:27:46.980 her voice and by the look. on her face so without 00:27:46.980 --> 00:27:49.640 questioning her he turned around and motioned 00:27:49.640 --> 00:27:52.460 to ava and david to go back down to the cenote 00:27:52.460 --> 00:27:55.740 cavern and quickly david turned around and with 00:27:55.740 --> 00:27:57.799 the others following immediately started fast 00:27:57.799 --> 00:27:59.819 walking back down the way they had just come 00:27:59.819 --> 00:28:03.119 he was thinking but did not say out loud what 00:28:03.119 --> 00:28:05.559 are we doing then he thought i trust miranda's 00:28:05.559 --> 00:28:08.319 instinct though a few minutes later the group 00:28:08.319 --> 00:28:10.740 enters the large cavern again and they are right 00:28:10.740 --> 00:28:12.880 back where they came from Hawthorne, who was 00:28:12.880 --> 00:28:15.279 last to enter, says to the others, who are now 00:28:15.279 --> 00:28:17.759 huddled around each other, trying to come up 00:28:17.759 --> 00:28:21.180 with a plan. We have maybe five minutes, tops. 00:28:21.460 --> 00:28:23.480 Whoever's coming down that corridor is moving 00:28:23.480 --> 00:28:26.180 pretty fast, and they'll be here shortly. What's 00:28:26.180 --> 00:28:29.619 the plan? David, without hesitation, then says, 00:28:29.900 --> 00:28:34.480 Wait, I have an idea, Professor. Yeah? Both Professor 00:28:34.480 --> 00:28:37.220 Hawthorne and Prof Tommy answer at the same time. 00:28:37.519 --> 00:28:40.319 David then asks, Do you both still have those 00:28:40.319 --> 00:28:42.200 coin samples you took from the hidden chamber? 00:28:42.500 --> 00:28:45.519 Yes. Both Hawthorne and Tommy answer at the same 00:28:45.519 --> 00:28:47.799 time again while shaking their heads in agreement. 00:28:48.220 --> 00:28:50.460 David then says with more urgency in his voice, 00:28:50.980 --> 00:28:53.200 Throw your coins in the water, some in the shallower 00:28:53.200 --> 00:28:55.779 part and some in the deeper part, and make sure 00:28:55.779 --> 00:28:58.119 they can be seen from where we're standing. Miranda 00:28:58.119 --> 00:29:00.460 then says, That's a great idea, and I know exactly 00:29:00.460 --> 00:29:02.339 what you're thinking. As Hawthorne and Tommy 00:29:02.339 --> 00:29:04.279 were dropping the sample coins they had taken 00:29:04.279 --> 00:29:07.880 from the hidden chamber, Ava then says, Uh, Professor 00:29:07.880 --> 00:29:10.400 Tommy, I think it's time you try to find that 00:29:10.400 --> 00:29:13.140 other exit and fast. Otherwise, we're trapped 00:29:13.140 --> 00:29:15.599 here with only one way out, and there's no way 00:29:15.599 --> 00:29:17.240 I'm going to try swim out through that thing. 00:29:17.359 --> 00:29:19.259 She says this as she's pointing to the glowing 00:29:19.259 --> 00:29:21.559 blue and turquoise water. Tommy throws his last 00:29:21.559 --> 00:29:24.319 coin in the wallet and then says, Got it, Ava, 00:29:24.400 --> 00:29:27.099 and I'm walking on it. It's been almost 30 years. 00:29:27.609 --> 00:29:30.029 and my memory is not what it used to be. He continues 00:29:30.029 --> 00:29:33.049 to think and says out loud to us other now watches 00:29:33.049 --> 00:29:35.630 him moving around the cabin looking for the old 00:29:35.630 --> 00:29:38.589 entry exit point. Hmm, let's see if I've remembered 00:29:38.589 --> 00:29:40.650 correctly. Hawthorne was standing on the edge 00:29:40.650 --> 00:29:42.890 of the cenote pool struggling to get the last 00:29:42.890 --> 00:29:45.349 two coins out of his pocket when all of a sudden 00:29:45.349 --> 00:29:47.390 three people emerged from the corridor directly 00:29:47.390 --> 00:29:50.640 behind him. He quickly looked at Ava, who was 00:29:50.640 --> 00:29:53.740 about an arm's length away from him, and then 00:29:53.740 --> 00:29:56.220 turned around, squarely standing face -to -face 00:29:56.220 --> 00:29:58.559 with the young park ranger who had obviously 00:29:58.559 --> 00:30:01.900 been smacked around a few times. The young park 00:30:01.900 --> 00:30:04.420 ranger, who had been quite rude and distant to 00:30:04.420 --> 00:30:07.529 the group a mere 40 minutes earlier, was now 00:30:07.529 --> 00:30:09.490 standing there looking directly into Hawthorne's 00:30:09.490 --> 00:30:11.829 eyes, scared and trembling like a small child. 00:30:12.049 --> 00:30:14.769 He had a large red mark on the side of his face, 00:30:14.970 --> 00:30:17.210 maybe from where he'd been hit or smacked by 00:30:17.210 --> 00:30:19.670 one of the cartel members who had escorted him 00:30:19.670 --> 00:30:22.230 down into the pyramid. Both cartel members had 00:30:22.230 --> 00:30:24.890 weapons, one more lethal than the other. It was 00:30:24.890 --> 00:30:28.130 obvious that the one cartel member who was holding 00:30:28.130 --> 00:30:31.170 the long gun, was older and in charge as he was 00:30:31.170 --> 00:30:33.609 shouting out commands in Spanish to the other. 00:30:33.690 --> 00:30:36.170 The other cartel member was holding a worn -out 00:30:36.170 --> 00:30:38.710 machete and pointing it in the direction of Ava. 00:30:39.509 --> 00:30:42.289 Hawthorne and Ava stood still, motionless, not 00:30:42.289 --> 00:30:45.250 wanting to escalate the situation. They both 00:30:45.250 --> 00:30:47.609 understood some of the commands being given in 00:30:47.609 --> 00:30:49.970 Spanish, but did not want the cartel members 00:30:49.970 --> 00:30:52.769 to know that they understood them. So they played 00:30:52.769 --> 00:30:55.869 dumb with faces of confusion. Miranda, looking 00:30:55.869 --> 00:30:58.450 back and over at where Tommy and David were and 00:30:58.450 --> 00:31:00.910 hoping they had located the old ground floor 00:31:00.910 --> 00:31:03.589 exit passageway, slowly started walking over 00:31:03.589 --> 00:31:05.869 to Ava with her hands up in the air and speaking 00:31:05.869 --> 00:31:09.069 softly in Spanish. She says, We are only scientists 00:31:09.069 --> 00:31:11.329 and professors. We are here at the request of 00:31:11.329 --> 00:31:13.529 our university and with permission from the park 00:31:13.529 --> 00:31:16.089 administrators. Both cartel members stood behind 00:31:16.089 --> 00:31:18.410 the young park ranger, using him as a shield 00:31:18.410 --> 00:31:20.670 and hostage, and threatening him by pressing 00:31:20.670 --> 00:31:22.829 the barrel of the long gun against the kid's 00:31:22.829 --> 00:31:25.289 back. As Miranda was trying to find her next 00:31:25.289 --> 00:31:27.769 words, hoping they would be strategic and calm, 00:31:27.890 --> 00:31:30.410 she noticed that the cartel member, the one holding 00:31:30.410 --> 00:31:32.710 the gun, was now looking down toward Professor 00:31:32.710 --> 00:31:35.349 Hawthorne's left hand. Professor Hawthorne knew 00:31:35.349 --> 00:31:38.029 exactly what the cartel member was looking at. 00:31:38.190 --> 00:31:40.730 The cartel member's flashlight was still on and 00:31:40.730 --> 00:31:43.410 it was pointing at Hawthorne's hand. The coins 00:31:43.410 --> 00:31:46.009 in Hawthorne's hands, the ones he struggled to 00:31:46.009 --> 00:31:48.369 get out of his pocket a moment ago, were now 00:31:48.369 --> 00:31:50.589 shining and glittering from the light of the 00:31:50.589 --> 00:31:53.089 flashlight. Hawthorne, directing his gaze back 00:31:53.089 --> 00:31:55.509 and forth between Miranda and the cartel member, 00:31:55.789 --> 00:31:58.849 listened as the two seemed to be arguing. Not 00:31:58.849 --> 00:32:01.809 understanding word for word, Hawthorne did figure 00:32:01.809 --> 00:32:04.170 out they were arguing about the coins and the 00:32:04.170 --> 00:32:06.630 potential of more treasure. While the verbal 00:32:06.630 --> 00:32:09.049 exchange between Miranda and cartel member was 00:32:09.049 --> 00:32:11.170 happening on the opposite side of the glowing 00:32:11.170 --> 00:32:14.329 blue cenote, Tommy and David had quietly found 00:32:14.329 --> 00:32:17.450 the old and partially usable exit corridor, which 00:32:17.450 --> 00:32:20.140 was full of cobwebs, dark and damp. This small 00:32:20.140 --> 00:32:23.319 exit corridor was used almost 60 years ago when 00:32:23.319 --> 00:32:25.599 archaeologists and researchers were still studying 00:32:25.599 --> 00:32:28.619 the inside of the pyramid. Researchers breached 00:32:28.619 --> 00:32:31.099 the walls of the pyramid at ground level to assist 00:32:31.099 --> 00:32:33.319 with getting in and out of the pyramid quickly, 00:32:33.500 --> 00:32:35.299 instead of having to enter and exit from the 00:32:35.299 --> 00:32:37.839 top. The exit corridor was big enough to squeeze 00:32:37.839 --> 00:32:40.259 through, one at a time, with the hopes that the 00:32:40.259 --> 00:32:42.140 gate on the other side, which led to the outside 00:32:42.140 --> 00:32:45.319 of the pyramid and daylight, was not locked shut. 00:32:45.960 --> 00:32:48.180 Tommy looked at David and then said quietly, 00:32:48.720 --> 00:32:51.039 I think you should go first. Here, take this 00:32:51.039 --> 00:32:53.759 rock. Tommy picks up a medium -sized rock off 00:32:53.759 --> 00:32:57.119 the ground and puts it in David's hand. Go quietly 00:32:57.119 --> 00:32:59.160 into the corridor while they're arguing over 00:32:59.160 --> 00:33:01.779 there. See if it leads to the gate. If it does, 00:33:01.819 --> 00:33:03.960 use this rock and try to break the lock, which 00:33:03.960 --> 00:33:06.880 is on the inside of the gate latch. Then come 00:33:06.880 --> 00:33:09.200 right back in the middle if it's open. We can 00:33:09.200 --> 00:33:11.759 then figure out how we are all going to escape 00:33:11.759 --> 00:33:14.279 this situation. David looked back at Tommy and 00:33:14.279 --> 00:33:17.180 said, don't let anything happen to her. I mean... 00:33:17.440 --> 00:33:20.279 Don't let anything happen to any of them. I'll 00:33:20.279 --> 00:33:22.900 be right back. He then disappeared into the dark 00:33:22.900 --> 00:33:25.700 small corridor with a rock in hand. After David 00:33:25.700 --> 00:33:27.859 had entered the corridor, Tommy then stepped 00:33:27.859 --> 00:33:30.299 in front of its entrance to obstruct his view 00:33:30.299 --> 00:33:32.759 in case either of the cartel members suddenly 00:33:32.759 --> 00:33:35.740 gave notice to what he was doing on the far side 00:33:35.740 --> 00:33:38.839 of the cenote. Thankfully, the argument between 00:33:38.839 --> 00:33:41.220 Miranda and the two bad guys was still happening, 00:33:41.319 --> 00:33:43.819 and their attention was still on Hawthorne and 00:33:43.819 --> 00:33:46.769 what he was holding in his hand. So Tommy stood 00:33:46.769 --> 00:33:49.809 there, still and quiet, not wanting to attract 00:33:49.809 --> 00:33:52.509 attention to himself or the fact that David would 00:33:52.509 --> 00:33:55.089 be returning soon with either good or bad news. 00:33:55.390 --> 00:33:57.809 Hawthorne, now impatient with the entire situation 00:33:57.809 --> 00:34:00.769 and noticing the arguing was starting to escalate, 00:34:00.829 --> 00:34:03.549 interrupted both Miranda and the cartel member 00:34:03.549 --> 00:34:06.289 by holding out his hand toward the scared park 00:34:06.289 --> 00:34:09.690 ranger kid. The professor had three silver coins 00:34:09.690 --> 00:34:12.780 and two gold coins in the palm of his hand. The 00:34:12.780 --> 00:34:14.900 coins were shiny and reflected the light of the 00:34:14.900 --> 00:34:18.000 flashlight. The cartel members stopped talking 00:34:18.000 --> 00:34:21.119 mid -sentence and just stared at the coins. Hawthorne 00:34:21.119 --> 00:34:23.179 looked over at Miranda and nodded his head as 00:34:23.179 --> 00:34:26.219 if to say, but without really saying it, go ahead 00:34:26.219 --> 00:34:28.719 and tell him the treasure is in the cenote. All 00:34:28.719 --> 00:34:31.199 of it. Miranda immediately said, if you want 00:34:31.199 --> 00:34:33.340 to know, this was the secret cenote where the 00:34:33.340 --> 00:34:35.519 gold mask was found. And there's a lot more items 00:34:35.519 --> 00:34:37.400 in the pool. Coins like the ones the professor 00:34:37.400 --> 00:34:40.260 is holding. See? She then points toward the beautiful, 00:34:40.400 --> 00:34:42.840 glowing, and clear blue water and to the spot 00:34:42.840 --> 00:34:44.960 where Tommy and Professor Hawthorne had dropped 00:34:44.960 --> 00:34:47.280 some of the coins earlier. Some of the coins 00:34:47.280 --> 00:34:49.119 could be seen under the water from the surface, 00:34:49.300 --> 00:34:51.699 and others had slipped down deeper into the area 00:34:51.699 --> 00:34:54.219 of the cenote with the strong current. She continues, 00:34:54.460 --> 00:34:56.340 Look, there's a lot of treasure down there in 00:34:56.340 --> 00:34:58.559 the water. Can you see it? Miranda noticed that 00:34:58.559 --> 00:35:00.519 the cartel member, the one with the long gun, 00:35:00.619 --> 00:35:02.440 the one that had been arguing with her, seemed 00:35:02.440 --> 00:35:05.280 to be mesmerized in a trance by the coins he 00:35:05.280 --> 00:35:07.599 was now seeing in the water. He was quiet and 00:35:07.599 --> 00:35:09.780 peering. down into the water. Miranda could tell 00:35:09.780 --> 00:35:11.739 he was thinking about how to get the coins out 00:35:11.739 --> 00:35:14.099 of the water. Hawthorne knew this could be the 00:35:14.099 --> 00:35:17.159 group's opportunity to escape. He met eyes with 00:35:17.159 --> 00:35:21.219 Ava and mouthed the words, be ready. At the same 00:35:21.219 --> 00:35:23.960 time, Tommy heard two faint bangs coming from 00:35:23.960 --> 00:35:28.340 the exit corridor. He knew David must have found 00:35:28.340 --> 00:35:30.559 the exit gate and was now trying to break the 00:35:30.559 --> 00:35:33.119 lock on the gate with the rock. Tommy crossed 00:35:33.119 --> 00:35:35.639 his fingers then looked up. and they made the 00:35:35.639 --> 00:35:37.699 sound of the cross gesture from his forehead 00:35:37.699 --> 00:35:40.380 to his stomach, then shoulder to shoulder. Then, 00:35:40.519 --> 00:35:42.500 and to everyone's surprise, the cartel member, 00:35:42.719 --> 00:35:45.159 who was holding the long gun, used it to push 00:35:45.159 --> 00:35:47.440 the park ranger kid toward Ava as if to gesture, 00:35:47.599 --> 00:35:50.800 Here, use your problem now. The cartel member 00:35:50.800 --> 00:35:53.380 then pointed the gun at Hawthorne, Miranda, Ava, 00:35:53.420 --> 00:35:55.820 and the kid, and moved the gun barrel back and 00:35:55.820 --> 00:35:58.219 forth frantically from one person to the other. 00:35:58.619 --> 00:36:00.559 He then motioned for them to move out of the 00:36:00.559 --> 00:36:03.179 way and stand closer to the cavern wall. Ava, 00:36:03.280 --> 00:36:05.719 grabbing the kid park ranger by his wrist, directed 00:36:05.719 --> 00:36:08.139 him toward the side cabin wall, away from the 00:36:08.139 --> 00:36:10.659 edge of the water of the cenote, and away from 00:36:10.659 --> 00:36:13.699 both of the cartel members. Ava could tell the 00:36:13.699 --> 00:36:15.980 guy who was in charge had one thing on his mind 00:36:15.980 --> 00:36:18.960 right now, and that one thing was how to get 00:36:18.960 --> 00:36:21.219 the coins. She could see it in his eyes. She 00:36:21.219 --> 00:36:23.440 could tell he was now trying to figure out how 00:36:23.440 --> 00:36:25.519 he was going to retrieve all those coins he could 00:36:25.519 --> 00:36:28.280 see in the water. These were the gold and silver 00:36:28.280 --> 00:36:30.599 coins Hawthorne and Tommy had thrown in right 00:36:30.599 --> 00:36:32.719 before the cartel members entered the cavern, 00:36:32.820 --> 00:36:36.380 with their very scared young hostage. Miranda, 00:36:36.480 --> 00:36:38.300 who was now standing next to Ava and the kid, 00:36:38.440 --> 00:36:40.460 was trying to listen to the conversation both 00:36:40.460 --> 00:36:42.460 cartel members were having between each other. 00:36:42.639 --> 00:36:44.719 The two guys were now standing on the edge of 00:36:44.719 --> 00:36:47.079 the cenote and discussing how they could collect 00:36:47.079 --> 00:36:49.760 all the coins themselves. Miranda knew that both 00:36:49.760 --> 00:36:51.860 these guys, seeming to be lower -level members 00:36:51.860 --> 00:36:54.340 of the cartel, wanted to take advantage of this 00:36:54.340 --> 00:36:56.780 new situation for themselves. She could hear 00:36:56.780 --> 00:36:59.210 it in their voices. They were excited. She could 00:36:59.210 --> 00:37:01.090 tell they were now more interested in collecting 00:37:01.090 --> 00:37:03.809 the coins for themselves than caring about what 00:37:03.809 --> 00:37:06.030 the five of them were doing. This new opportunity 00:37:06.030 --> 00:37:07.949 was now distracting them from their original 00:37:07.949 --> 00:37:10.769 plans with the hostages. Hawthorne, who had moved 00:37:10.769 --> 00:37:13.090 away from the edge of the cenote and who was 00:37:13.090 --> 00:37:15.530 now standing next to the smaller and not -in 00:37:15.530 --> 00:37:18.269 -charge cartel member, looked back at Miranda 00:37:18.269 --> 00:37:21.670 and Ava and mouthed the words, be ready. He then 00:37:21.670 --> 00:37:23.690 glanced over to where Tommy was still standing 00:37:23.690 --> 00:37:25.869 on the other side of the cenote, opposite of 00:37:25.869 --> 00:37:29.050 them, and mouthed the same words. be ready. Not 00:37:29.050 --> 00:37:31.389 sure exactly what was going to happen, Hawthorne 00:37:31.389 --> 00:37:34.090 knew they may get an opportunity to try to escape. 00:37:34.349 --> 00:37:36.869 While still looking at Tommy, Professor Hawthorne 00:37:36.869 --> 00:37:40.389 noticed Tommy looking down and to his left. Tommy 00:37:40.389 --> 00:37:42.630 then immediately looked back up at Hawthorne 00:37:42.630 --> 00:37:44.909 and nodded his head up and down as if to say 00:37:44.909 --> 00:37:47.989 yes. Hawthorne took this simple gesture by Tommy 00:37:47.989 --> 00:37:51.869 to mean one of two things. Either Tommy was acknowledging 00:37:51.869 --> 00:37:54.610 that he was ready or that David had succeeded 00:37:54.610 --> 00:37:57.650 in finding the old exit tunnel corridor and it 00:37:57.650 --> 00:38:00.610 was feasible to escape. The four of them, Hawthorne, 00:38:00.610 --> 00:38:03.409 Miranda, Ava, and the park ranger kid, standing 00:38:03.409 --> 00:38:05.530 opposite of Tommy, would have to make their way 00:38:05.530 --> 00:38:08.610 around the cenote and then one by one rush through 00:38:08.610 --> 00:38:11.110 the small tunnel and then through the exit to 00:38:11.110 --> 00:38:14.130 the outside. Hawthorne knew the timing had to 00:38:14.130 --> 00:38:16.639 be perfect. and that they needed a distraction 00:38:16.639 --> 00:38:19.360 to happen. All of a sudden, the loud crackling 00:38:19.360 --> 00:38:21.820 of a radio broke the eerie silence in the cavern. 00:38:25.539 --> 00:38:28.340 Ava jumped, as did the park ranger kid standing 00:38:28.340 --> 00:38:31.219 next to her. Ava looked over at the kid and said 00:38:31.219 --> 00:38:33.659 softly, you'll be alright, hang in there. She 00:38:33.659 --> 00:38:35.840 noticed the kid smile back at her, then looked 00:38:35.840 --> 00:38:38.599 down at the ground again. Ava looked up at Hawthorne 00:38:38.599 --> 00:38:40.780 and noticed that he was staring intently at the 00:38:40.780 --> 00:38:43.400 younger and not in charge cartel member whom 00:38:43.400 --> 00:38:46.539 he was standing close to. Hawthorn watched as 00:38:46.539 --> 00:38:48.320 the cartel member, the one that seemed to be 00:38:48.320 --> 00:38:51.059 in charge, the one with the gun, pulled a small 00:38:51.059 --> 00:38:53.699 hand radio out of his pocket and then said something 00:38:53.699 --> 00:38:58.199 into it. The guy was talking softly on the radio 00:38:58.199 --> 00:38:59.980 and seemed to be answering several questions 00:38:59.980 --> 00:39:03.940 that were asked of him about the situation. Hawthorn 00:39:03.940 --> 00:39:06.239 had forgotten a lot of his Spanish, at least 00:39:06.239 --> 00:39:08.559 the speaking part, but he could still understand 00:39:08.559 --> 00:39:12.019 a lot of it as it was spoken around him. Someone 00:39:12.019 --> 00:39:14.159 on the other side of the radio was asking the 00:39:14.159 --> 00:39:17.019 cartel member if they had found it. Hawthorne 00:39:17.019 --> 00:39:18.760 knew the person on the other side of the radio 00:39:18.760 --> 00:39:21.559 had to be close in proximity to them, as this 00:39:21.559 --> 00:39:24.860 was a shortwave walkie -talkie radio. He assumed 00:39:24.860 --> 00:39:26.699 the person on the other side of the radio was 00:39:26.699 --> 00:39:29.159 outside the pyramid somewhere, but close to the 00:39:29.159 --> 00:39:32.300 pyramid, maybe a lookout. Hawthorne watched and 00:39:32.300 --> 00:39:34.440 listened as the cartel member, the one in charge, 00:39:34.809 --> 00:39:36.710 proceeded to tell the person on the other side 00:39:36.710 --> 00:39:39.510 of the walkie -talkie they found the cenote where 00:39:39.510 --> 00:39:42.389 the golden mask was found. He could also be heard 00:39:42.389 --> 00:39:44.630 asking what they should do with the hostages 00:39:44.630 --> 00:39:47.650 that they were holding. Amanda, overhearing much 00:39:47.650 --> 00:39:49.769 of the conversation on the walkie -talkie, looked 00:39:49.769 --> 00:39:51.989 over at Ava and said, they are talking about 00:39:51.989 --> 00:39:53.710 us and what they should do now that they found 00:39:53.710 --> 00:39:56.289 the secret cenote. The look on Ava's face triggered 00:39:56.289 --> 00:39:58.929 a small panic inside Miranda's mind. She was 00:39:58.929 --> 00:40:00.989 thinking, my live stream and work has brought 00:40:00.989 --> 00:40:03.980 me to a moment like this. How can this be? She 00:40:03.980 --> 00:40:05.920 could also feel herself get angry, and without 00:40:05.920 --> 00:40:08.119 thinking, she blurted it out so the cartel members 00:40:08.119 --> 00:40:10.300 could hear her. This is a problem with people 00:40:10.300 --> 00:40:13.239 like you. You take, take, and take, and don't 00:40:13.239 --> 00:40:15.000 have a clue about the impact your actions have 00:40:15.000 --> 00:40:18.059 on your own country, Mexico, or your own countrymen. 00:40:18.179 --> 00:40:20.679 She then says, you should be ashamed. Your family 00:40:20.679 --> 00:40:23.619 should be ashamed. Both of you. Ava looked over 00:40:23.619 --> 00:40:25.739 at Miranda and was trying to suppress her smile. 00:40:26.079 --> 00:40:29.360 Miranda was brave and correct. Ava felt the same 00:40:29.360 --> 00:40:32.300 way. Ava felt time stand still, as if they were 00:40:32.300 --> 00:40:35.000 now all waiting to see how the two cartel members 00:40:35.000 --> 00:40:37.320 were going to react to Miranda's tongue lashing. 00:40:37.460 --> 00:40:39.840 Ava secretly loved it, but was a little unsure 00:40:39.840 --> 00:40:42.139 about the timing. Then, to her surprise, and 00:40:42.139 --> 00:40:44.500 probably to the surprise of all of them, the 00:40:44.500 --> 00:40:46.320 cartel member with the gun who was now standing 00:40:46.320 --> 00:40:48.380 on the edge of the cenote looked over at Miranda, 00:40:48.659 --> 00:40:55.440 smiled, and then laughed. He seemed unfazed by 00:40:55.440 --> 00:40:57.519 what she had just said, or just didn't care. 00:40:58.280 --> 00:41:00.480 He seemed to have one greedy thing on his mind 00:41:00.480 --> 00:41:04.039 now. The coins. Hawthorne, breathing a sigh of 00:41:04.039 --> 00:41:06.420 relief after listening to Miranda scold both 00:41:06.420 --> 00:41:09.199 cartel members loudly and then observing neither 00:41:09.199 --> 00:41:12.280 of them react, watched as the older one handed 00:41:12.280 --> 00:41:15.179 over the radio to the younger one, whom Hawthorne 00:41:15.179 --> 00:41:17.840 was standing closer to. The cartel member next 00:41:17.840 --> 00:41:20.500 to Hawthorne was now holding the radio and the 00:41:20.500 --> 00:41:23.920 old machete, one in each hand. Hawthorne knew 00:41:23.920 --> 00:41:26.530 this kid still posed a threat. Then, something 00:41:26.530 --> 00:41:28.829 that none of them would have predicted, the older 00:41:28.829 --> 00:41:30.929 one handed his gun over to the younger one as 00:41:30.929 --> 00:41:33.630 well. The younger cartel member was now holding 00:41:33.630 --> 00:41:36.530 three things, the radio, the gun, and the machete, 00:41:36.530 --> 00:41:40.030 in two hands. Hawthorne thought to himself, he's 00:41:40.030 --> 00:41:42.789 vulnerable now, that his hands are full. He also 00:41:42.789 --> 00:41:44.989 seems quite clumsy in the way he's handling the 00:41:44.989 --> 00:41:47.369 long gun, not holding it in the way a person 00:41:47.369 --> 00:41:49.610 would if they were familiar with how to use it. 00:41:49.849 --> 00:41:52.360 Alright, this is a good sign. But, on the other 00:41:52.360 --> 00:41:54.619 hand, a scared person with a loaded gun can be 00:41:54.619 --> 00:41:57.500 just as dangerous or more dangerous than someone 00:41:57.500 --> 00:42:00.139 who knows how to use it and control it. So they 00:42:00.139 --> 00:42:02.599 all waited now, watching to see what the older 00:42:02.599 --> 00:42:04.980 cartel member, the one who seemed to be in charge, 00:42:05.139 --> 00:42:07.599 was going to do now that he passed the radio 00:42:07.599 --> 00:42:10.480 and the gun over to his younger partner. Miranda, 00:42:10.579 --> 00:42:12.780 still quite angry and scared, but she didn't 00:42:12.780 --> 00:42:15.260 want to show it, took one step closer to Ava. 00:42:15.360 --> 00:42:17.559 She looked over at Prof. Tommy, who was still 00:42:17.559 --> 00:42:19.559 standing opposite of them on the other side of 00:42:19.559 --> 00:42:22.099 the cenote. then looked at Professor Hawthorne, 00:42:22.159 --> 00:42:25.119 whose back was toward her, and then at Ava. Miranda 00:42:25.119 --> 00:42:27.679 then says to Ava in a whispered tone, I bet he's 00:42:27.679 --> 00:42:29.559 going to try to get some of the coins out of 00:42:29.559 --> 00:42:31.619 the water before they leave. These two guys want 00:42:31.619 --> 00:42:33.480 them for themselves. They're not going to turn 00:42:33.480 --> 00:42:35.880 those coins over to their boss. Ava whispers 00:42:35.880 --> 00:42:38.739 back to Miranda, I was thinking the same thing. 00:42:39.000 --> 00:42:41.599 They found the cenote, which means they can report 00:42:41.599 --> 00:42:43.679 to their boss, and the coins only prove that 00:42:43.679 --> 00:42:45.880 there may have been more treasure at the bottom 00:42:45.880 --> 00:42:48.659 of it. And why not just take a few coins for 00:42:48.659 --> 00:42:50.300 yourself while you're at it? They can't help 00:42:50.300 --> 00:42:58.820 themselves. Look. Maria heard part of the radio 00:42:58.820 --> 00:43:01.219 conversation between the driver and a person 00:43:01.219 --> 00:43:03.820 on the other side of the radio. The signal was 00:43:03.820 --> 00:43:06.059 poor and staticky, but she could tell it was 00:43:06.059 --> 00:43:09.340 good news by the reaction the driver had. Renata, 00:43:09.420 --> 00:43:11.800 who was sitting in the back seat of the car and 00:43:11.800 --> 00:43:14.420 fanning herself, then asked, What is it, Aunt 00:43:14.420 --> 00:43:17.530 Maria? Carlos busts in and says, yeah, what's 00:43:17.530 --> 00:43:21.289 going on? I'm hot, bored, and hungry. Maria answers 00:43:21.289 --> 00:43:24.570 and says, the cenote location has been confirmed 00:43:24.570 --> 00:43:27.050 and there's proof. I guess they found some gold 00:43:27.050 --> 00:43:31.030 and silver coins. Maria continues, Carlos, since 00:43:31.030 --> 00:43:33.110 you're so bored, why don't you go see if the 00:43:33.110 --> 00:43:35.329 black bag has been picked up at the museum's 00:43:35.329 --> 00:43:38.230 reception desk? Be careful and nonchalant about 00:43:38.230 --> 00:43:41.070 it. Try to blend in like you're a tourist. If 00:43:41.070 --> 00:43:43.110 the bag is still there, behind the reception 00:43:43.110 --> 00:43:45.500 desk. Then go sit down and wait for instructions. 00:43:46.840 --> 00:43:50.079 Maria then says, this is exciting. We're close 00:43:50.079 --> 00:43:52.539 to our payout and then we can go our own way. 00:43:57.800 --> 00:44:00.460 After watching the older cartel member who seemed 00:44:00.460 --> 00:44:02.579 to be in charge hand over the radio and his gun 00:44:02.579 --> 00:44:05.179 to the other cartel member, Hawthorne again looked 00:44:05.179 --> 00:44:07.639 over at Tommy and again mouthed the words, be 00:44:07.639 --> 00:44:10.619 ready. Hawthorne watched as Tommy again nodded 00:44:10.619 --> 00:44:13.480 his head as if to acknowledge and say, I've been 00:44:13.480 --> 00:44:16.260 ready. They all watched as the older cartel member 00:44:16.260 --> 00:44:18.559 took off his shoes, rolled up his pant legs, 00:44:18.739 --> 00:44:20.780 and then stepped down into the water just inside 00:44:20.780 --> 00:44:23.820 the inner edge of the cenote. Under the water 00:44:23.820 --> 00:44:26.239 and around the inner rim of the cenote was a 00:44:26.239 --> 00:44:28.960 narrow rocky shelf that ranged from two to three 00:44:28.960 --> 00:44:31.440 feet deep. If a person stepped off the shelf, 00:44:31.519 --> 00:44:34.039 the ground drastically went deeper as it was 00:44:34.039 --> 00:44:36.719 steep, somewhat muddy, and very slippery. And 00:44:36.719 --> 00:44:39.139 that person would go under. The rocky ledge was 00:44:39.139 --> 00:44:41.320 easy to stand on, but if you were to step off 00:44:41.320 --> 00:44:43.840 the ledge, you would have to swim to get back 00:44:43.840 --> 00:44:46.079 as there was not a good place to get foot traction 00:44:46.079 --> 00:44:48.500 under the water. The coins that Hawthorne and 00:44:48.500 --> 00:44:50.619 Tommy had thrown into the cenote, some of them 00:44:50.619 --> 00:44:53.360 had landed on the rocky ledge, and some had landed 00:44:53.360 --> 00:44:55.679 deeper and further out, though still visible. 00:44:55.880 --> 00:44:57.780 The only other person in this group that had 00:44:57.780 --> 00:45:00.539 been in that water was David, and he had said 00:45:00.539 --> 00:45:02.719 it was a difficult dive, mainly because of the 00:45:02.719 --> 00:45:05.260 strength of the underwater current, especially 00:45:05.260 --> 00:45:08.159 if you swam out into deeper areas. The water 00:45:08.159 --> 00:45:10.659 was crystal clear and a person could almost see 00:45:10.659 --> 00:45:12.760 all the way to the bottom, which gave the impression 00:45:12.760 --> 00:45:15.820 that the cenote was not as deep as it really 00:45:15.820 --> 00:45:18.119 was. Nor could you see the current that lurked 00:45:18.119 --> 00:45:20.420 beneath the surface. Hawthorne watched as the 00:45:20.420 --> 00:45:22.639 older cartel members sloshed around on the inner 00:45:22.639 --> 00:45:24.960 rocky ledge, trying to pick up the gold and silver 00:45:24.960 --> 00:45:28.420 coins, the ones that were easy to grab. He would 00:45:28.420 --> 00:45:30.599 occasionally walk back over to the younger partner 00:45:30.599 --> 00:45:33.079 and hand him one or two coins as he picked them 00:45:33.079 --> 00:45:35.360 up out of the water. The younger partner, whose 00:45:35.360 --> 00:45:37.739 attention was mostly on what his older partner 00:45:37.739 --> 00:45:39.980 was doing now, looked more relaxed and confident. 00:45:40.420 --> 00:45:42.860 Obviously, the thought of getting rich off the 00:45:42.860 --> 00:45:46.800 coins had distracted him. Then it happened. The 00:45:46.800 --> 00:45:49.239 older cartel member, feeling overly confident 00:45:49.239 --> 00:45:51.780 in his ability to reach some of the deeper coins, 00:45:51.920 --> 00:45:54.079 stepped off the ledge and immediately slipped 00:45:54.079 --> 00:45:56.719 on the muddy underwater embankment and went fully 00:45:56.719 --> 00:46:00.000 submerged. Hawthorne froze for a moment, then 00:46:00.000 --> 00:46:02.039 looked over at the younger cartel member who 00:46:02.039 --> 00:46:04.780 was looking right back at him as if to say, what 00:46:04.780 --> 00:46:08.059 should we do? At that moment, both Hawthorne 00:46:08.059 --> 00:46:10.179 and the younger cartel member lunged forward 00:46:10.179 --> 00:46:12.559 toward the edge of the cenote to reach out their 00:46:12.559 --> 00:46:14.519 hands towards the guy who was still submerged 00:46:14.519 --> 00:46:17.280 under the water, but visibly struggling to get 00:46:17.280 --> 00:46:20.219 to the surface. Then the unexpected happened. 00:46:20.420 --> 00:46:22.780 As both Hawthorne and the younger cartel member 00:46:22.780 --> 00:46:25.760 bent over the edge of the cenote to try to help 00:46:25.760 --> 00:46:28.380 and save the guy from drowning, The long gun 00:46:28.380 --> 00:46:30.579 and the radio slipped out of the younger cartel 00:46:30.579 --> 00:46:33.340 member's hands. He had still been holding three 00:46:33.340 --> 00:46:35.460 things, and in the haste of trying to reach out 00:46:35.460 --> 00:46:37.960 one of his hands towards his struggling partner, 00:46:38.199 --> 00:46:41.760 both the radio and gun fell. There was a loud 00:46:41.760 --> 00:46:46.559 splash and a soft thud. Ava, seeing what had 00:46:46.559 --> 00:46:49.159 just happened with the radio and the gun, looked 00:46:49.159 --> 00:46:52.079 at Miranda and said, Now's your chance. Run to 00:46:52.079 --> 00:46:54.250 Tommy now. Ava grabbed the young park ranger 00:46:54.250 --> 00:46:56.429 by the side of his shirt and then made a beeline 00:46:56.429 --> 00:47:00.829 directly to where Tommy was standing. She saw 00:47:00.829 --> 00:47:04.250 Tommy motioning to them to come, come, and hurry, 00:47:04.349 --> 00:47:06.730 quickly. Miranda followed directly behind Ava, 00:47:06.809 --> 00:47:08.869 and in no less than 15 steps, they were right 00:47:08.869 --> 00:47:10.949 next to Tommy and listening to his instructions. 00:47:11.389 --> 00:47:13.650 As Tommy watches the commotion happening with 00:47:13.650 --> 00:47:15.710 the Hawthorne and the younger cartel member on 00:47:15.710 --> 00:47:18.170 the opposite side of a snorted pool, he says 00:47:18.170 --> 00:47:21.349 to Ava and Miranda as he points to a small opening 00:47:21.349 --> 00:47:23.880 next to him. Quickly. Go through there one by 00:47:23.880 --> 00:47:26.659 one. Davin is waiting inside and will guide you 00:47:26.659 --> 00:47:29.199 to the exit. He was able to break the lock. Now 00:47:29.199 --> 00:47:31.699 quickly go. Ava pushed a park ranger kid through 00:47:31.699 --> 00:47:34.360 the small corridor, opening first, and then she 00:47:34.360 --> 00:47:37.039 follows, and then after her, Miranda then follows. 00:47:37.639 --> 00:47:40.260 Eva is talking to the kid. Go, go, hurry up and 00:47:40.260 --> 00:47:42.219 don't stop. Miranda, who is right behind Eva, 00:47:42.340 --> 00:47:44.420 looks back as she passes into the small corridor 00:47:44.420 --> 00:47:46.900 and sees that Tommy is waiting, assuming he's 00:47:46.900 --> 00:47:49.119 waiting to see what happens with Professor Hawthorne. 00:47:49.199 --> 00:47:51.480 She then feels a sense of relief as she hears 00:47:51.480 --> 00:47:54.159 a familiar voice up ahead in the darkness say, 00:47:54.320 --> 00:47:56.699 You're almost here. Follow my voice. She thinks 00:47:56.699 --> 00:47:59.440 to herself, David, thank goodness. Meanwhile, 00:47:59.579 --> 00:48:02.039 Hawthorne watches as the long gun sinks deeper 00:48:02.039 --> 00:48:04.889 and deeper into the water. It had dropped further 00:48:04.889 --> 00:48:07.369 enough out, missing the narrow ledge and landing 00:48:07.369 --> 00:48:09.750 on the muddy and slippery embankment, which was 00:48:09.750 --> 00:48:12.250 very steep. There was no way to recover it without 00:48:12.250 --> 00:48:15.289 diving into the water after it. The radio, which 00:48:15.289 --> 00:48:17.369 had also dropped out of the young cartel member's 00:48:17.369 --> 00:48:19.989 hands, had landed on the rocky ground by the 00:48:19.989 --> 00:48:22.869 edge of the water. After watching both items 00:48:22.869 --> 00:48:24.969 fall, first the gun into the water, then the 00:48:24.969 --> 00:48:27.389 radio onto the ground next to Hawthorne's feet, 00:48:27.869 --> 00:48:30.190 Hawthorne still bent over with his arm out toward 00:48:30.190 --> 00:48:32.449 the drowning man, looked up at the young cartel 00:48:32.449 --> 00:48:35.030 member, who was now only holding the old machete. 00:48:35.050 --> 00:48:36.949 The young kid was holding the machete under his 00:48:36.949 --> 00:48:39.210 arm and squeezing it tight by the handle, and 00:48:39.210 --> 00:48:41.809 he had a panicked look on his face. Hawthorne 00:48:41.809 --> 00:48:43.809 could tell he was no longer a threat at that 00:48:43.809 --> 00:48:47.090 moment. He was just scared. Knowing that neither 00:48:47.090 --> 00:48:49.710 he nor the young cartel member could reach the 00:48:49.710 --> 00:48:52.190 gun in the water, Hawthorne grabbed the radio 00:48:52.190 --> 00:48:54.530 by his foot, stood up straight, and ran toward 00:48:54.530 --> 00:48:56.949 Tommy, who was still waiting by the exit corridor 00:48:56.949 --> 00:49:00.630 on the opposite side of the cenote. As Tommy 00:49:00.630 --> 00:49:03.170 watched everything happen and then saw Hawthorne 00:49:03.170 --> 00:49:06.010 grab the radio and run toward him, he yelled 00:49:06.010 --> 00:49:08.889 out, James, right here. The exit is right here. 00:49:09.329 --> 00:49:11.650 Tommy points to a small opening next to where 00:49:11.650 --> 00:49:13.989 he's standing. Tommy keeps an eye on the younger 00:49:13.989 --> 00:49:16.150 Akata member, who has to really move from his 00:49:16.150 --> 00:49:18.940 kneeling position. It appears he's still trying 00:49:18.940 --> 00:49:21.280 to find a way to reach his partner who has sunk 00:49:21.280 --> 00:49:24.119 deeper and deeper underwater. Tommy watches as 00:49:24.119 --> 00:49:26.619 Hawthorne twists through the opening and then 00:49:26.619 --> 00:49:29.179 disappears into the dark corridor where the others 00:49:29.179 --> 00:49:32.019 had gone just a few moments earlier. Tommy, feeling 00:49:32.019 --> 00:49:34.559 conflicted about the cause I remember, went into 00:49:34.559 --> 00:49:37.119 the water, calmly takes a few steps forward toward 00:49:37.119 --> 00:49:39.880 the edge of the cenote and looks down to the 00:49:39.880 --> 00:49:42.760 crystal clear water, secretly hoping there was 00:49:42.760 --> 00:49:44.679 some way this guy could be saved, even though 00:49:44.679 --> 00:49:46.699 he was just threatening them with a gun earlier. 00:49:47.050 --> 00:49:49.449 But it's too late. Tommy watches as the man, 00:49:49.590 --> 00:49:52.150 who's now just a blurry figure, who's drifted 00:49:52.150 --> 00:49:54.269 deeper and deeper into the depths of the cenote. 00:49:54.570 --> 00:49:57.610 His body is now motionless, then all of a sudden, 00:49:57.650 --> 00:50:00.769 he disappears out of sight, as a swift and strong 00:50:00.769 --> 00:50:03.269 underwater current catches his body and carries 00:50:03.269 --> 00:50:06.909 it away, possibly into a deeper underwater cave 00:50:06.909 --> 00:50:09.730 or cavern. Tommy glances over the other Kata 00:50:09.730 --> 00:50:12.090 member, who is still kneeling down at the edge 00:50:12.090 --> 00:50:14.980 of the cenote, to stare into the water. Tommy 00:50:14.980 --> 00:50:17.179 looked at him for a moment in silence, not saying 00:50:17.179 --> 00:50:19.780 anything. Tommy could tell he was in a bit of 00:50:19.780 --> 00:50:22.320 shock as he had just watched the demise of his 00:50:22.320 --> 00:50:25.119 criminal colleague. Tommy then looks up, makes 00:50:25.119 --> 00:50:27.579 a sign of a cross gesture from his forehead to 00:50:27.579 --> 00:50:30.500 his stomach and shoulder to shoulder, turns around 00:50:30.500 --> 00:50:33.059 and then exits the synoptic cavern through the 00:50:33.059 --> 00:50:35.380 small corridor where the other judges left from. 00:50:47.239 --> 00:50:50.340 And that ends part six. Stay tuned for next week 00:50:50.340 --> 00:50:52.179 as we bring you part seven in our continuing 00:50:52.179 --> 00:51:06.079 story called The Legends of the Yucatan. As we 00:51:06.079 --> 00:51:08.260 end this episode, I'd like to remind everyone 00:51:08.260 --> 00:51:11.119 from our first segment that ideas are everywhere. 00:51:11.769 --> 00:51:14.489 But what sets an entrepreneur apart from other 00:51:14.489 --> 00:51:17.269 people is his or her ability to follow through 00:51:17.269 --> 00:51:19.750 on that idea and create a business out of it. 00:51:20.110 --> 00:51:24.130 From idea to execution. Also, keep listening 00:51:24.130 --> 00:51:26.730 as we bring you another exciting part of our 00:51:26.730 --> 00:51:30.289 adventure story next episode. And as always, 00:51:30.409 --> 00:51:32.829 this podcast would not be possible without the 00:51:32.829 --> 00:51:35.349 hard work and support of our international student 00:51:35.349 --> 00:51:37.960 production team. All music and sound effects 00:51:37.960 --> 00:51:40.619 are courtesy of Pixabay .com, a vibrant community 00:51:40.619 --> 00:51:42.920 of creatives sharing copyright -free images, 00:51:43.179 --> 00:51:45.940 videos, and music. And we are signing off until 00:51:45.940 --> 00:51:48.920 next time. We are Students Incorporated, because 00:51:48.920 --> 00:51:49.980 your voice matters.