Original subtitles

OKAY, SO, THIS IS TRAVEL LOG NUMBER 30

IN MY ONGOING TOUR OF AZTEC RUINS IN MEXICO.

I'M JUST WAITING TO CHECK OUT THE PYRAMIDS HERE AT, UM...

EXCUSE ME.

HOW DO YOU SAY THE NAME OF THIS PLACE?

TEOTIHUACAN.

TEOTIHUACAN? GRACIAS, GRACIAS.

AH, IT'S JUST INCREDIBLE HERE.

MOVING ON TO THE NEXT.

OKAY, HOLD ON.

UH, I'M IN A LITTLE VILLAGE-- LOS PORTALES.

I'M STILL IN CENTRAL MEXICO.

I'M ABOUT 40 MILES SOUTH OF WHERE MY LAST VIDEO WAS.

ACCORDING TO MY MAP, THIS IS THE SITE OF MORE RUINS,

BUT AS YOU CAN SEE,

IT'S LIKE AN OLD TRAIN DEPOT OR SOMETHING.

IT'S PRETTY COOL, THOUGH. I'LL CHECK IT OUT.

WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?

IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S ANOTHER LEVEL UP THERE.

WHAT IS THIS?

IT'S LIKE SOME KIND OF N-NEST.

CRAZY UP HERE.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON IN HERE.

WHOA!

WHAT THE HELL?

AAH!

THERE ARE CREATURES SCIENCE REFUSES TO RECOGNIZE.

THERE'S SOMETHING DOWN THERE!

WHAT IS THAT?

THEM-- THEY'RE MONSTERS!

IN THE SPRING OF 2008,

MEXICO CITY EXPERIENCED A WAVE OF RITUALISTIC MURDERS.

BECAUSE THE MEXICAN POLICE

DID NOT POSSESS A RITUALISTIC-CRIMES UNIT,

THEY ENLISTED THE HELP OF THE ENIGMA CORPORATION,

A PRIVATE SECURITY FIRM SPECIALIZING IN UNUSUAL CASES.

TEAM LEADER NOEL CONNER AND SPECIALIST ELISE MOONEY

WERE JOINED IN THE INVESTIGATION BY A CULT EXPERT--

DR. NADJA SANTO.

THE PAST TWO MONTHS,

MEXICO CITY'S BEEN HIT WITH A RASH OF MURDERS

WHERE THE VICTIMS' HEARTS HAVE BEEN CUT FROM THEIR BODIES.

THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES THINK THAT IT'S RITUALISTIC.

LOOK AT THE PICTURES.

THE BODIES LOOKED STAGED.

I'M NOT SEEING ANY BLOOD AROUND THE BODIES.

THEY MUST HAVE BEEN MOVED FROM THE ORIGINAL MURDER SITE.

YEAH, THAT'S WHAT THE LOCAL POLICE THINK.

SOMEBODY'S TRYING TO HIDE THE MURDER SITE.

HEY, SANTO, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT?

IT LOOKS LIKE THE AZTEC NUMERAL 52.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

WELL, THERE'S 52 YEARS IN AN AZTEC CYCLE.

THEY BELIEVE THE UNIVERSE

WOULD COLLAPSE AT THE END OF EACH CYCLE

IF THE GODS WEREN'T STRONG ENOUGH.

SO EVERY 52 YEARS,

A BLOOD CEREMONY MUST BE HELD TO USHER IN A NEW ERA.

I THINK EITHER SOMEBODY'S TRYING TO REPEAT THE PAST

OR START SOME SORT OF NEW CULT.

WE NEED TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THESE CEREMONIES

AND PUT A STOP TO IT.

THE TEAM WAS ALSO PROVIDED

THE ASSISTANCE OF POLICE INFORMANT SANTIAGO VARGAS,

A PETTY THIEF WITH TIES TO SUSPECTED CULT MEMBERS.

BUT AS THE INVESTIGATION UNFOLDED,

IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THIS CASE WOULD TAKE THEM BEYOND

RITUAL MURDER IN MEXICO'S OCCULT UNDERGROUND

AND INTO THE REALM OF GODS AND MONSTERS.

THESE ARE THEIR TAPES.

WHERE ARE THESE GUYS?

MARZO WILL BE HERE.

HIS WIRE'S READY.

HOW DO YOU KNOW THESE GUYS, ANYWAY?

EVERYBODY KNOWS MARZO.

HE'S A POWERFUL MAN HERE.

LUCAS MARZO, AKA "EL MARZO"--

WEALTHY BUSINESSMAN WHO HAS TIES TO CULT ACTIVITY,

SPECIFICALLY THE SANTA MUERTE CULT

WHICH IS SOME SORT OF QUASI-RELIGION

PRACTICED BY THE DRUG TRAFFICKERS IN THIS AREA.

THERE HE IS.

THAT IS MARZO.

WHO'S THE OTHER GUY?

I-I DON'T KNOW.

I WAS HIRED TO DO A JOB. THAT IS IT.

BE CAREFUL. IT'S VERY VALUABLE.

IT WAS USED BY AZTEC PRIESTS

TO CUT THE HEARTS FROM HUMAN SACRIFICES.

WHY DO THESE GUYS NEED THIS PARTICULAR DAGGER?

THEY MUST HAVE PLENTY OF THESE THINGS.

THEY DON'T NEED THIS. THEY WANT IT.

LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE ON, BUDDY.

I NEED THE DAGGER.

NO, YOU DON'T.

NO, YOU TELL THEM YOU DON'T HAVE IT YET

AND YOU'LL MEET THEM TOMORROW.

I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THIS, CONNER.

IT'S A NECESSARY EVIL.

WE NEED TO FIND OUT WHERE THESE CEREMONIES ARE TAKING PLACE.

I-I JUST NEED MORE TIME. THAT'S ALL I ASK.

IT IS SAFE.

I WILL GIVE IT TO YOU TOMORROW NIGHT.

I PROMISE.

THERE IS NO TOMORROW!

ALL RIGHT, CONNER. I THINK HE'S HAD ENOUGH.

HOLD ON JUST A SECOND.

11:00 TONIGHT.

DON'T SCREW UP THIS TIME.

HE GAVE HIM SOMETHING.

HEY, MAN, YOU ALL RIGHT?

YOU ALL RIGHT?

WELL, LOOKS LIKE WE GOT OUR LOCATION.

LOS PORTALES-- WHERE IS THIS?

IT'S A SMALL TOWN SOUTH OF THE CITY.

THERE'S NOTHING THERE.

IT'S ABANDONED. IT'S A-- IT'S A TRAIN DEPOT.

SO, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO TAKE US THERE, RIGHT?

NO, OUR AGREEMENT

WAS FOR ME TO BRING YOU TO MARZO, AND THAT'S IT.

YOU DIDN'T READ THE FINE PRINT.

WHAT DID EL MARZO MEAN WHEN HE SAID,

"THERE'S NO TOMORROW NIGHT"?

WITH EACH SACRIFICE THEY MAKE, THEIR POWER BECOMES GREATER.

WITH THE FINAL CEREMONY AT THE END OF THE CYCLE TONIGHT,

THEY WILL BE UNSTOPPABLE.

TONIGHT'S THE FINAL SACRIFICE.

IF WE DON'T GET TO THIS TOWN AND FAST,

SOMEONE'S GONNA DIE TONIGHT.

LET'S MOVE.

QUETZALCOATL IS THE NAME OF A MYTHOLOGICAL BEING,

A DEITY OF THE ANCIENT AZTECS.

WE KNOW THAT QUETZALCOATL WAS WORSHIPPED

ALL AROUND CENTRAL MEXICO AND NORTHERN CENTRAL AMERICA

BECAUSE IN SO MANY OF THE TEMPLE RUINS,

WE FIND CARVINGS AND PAINTINGS AND OTHER DEPICTIONS

OF THE FEATHERED OR PLUMED SERPENT.

QUETZALCOATL WAS THE SNAKE GOD OF THE AZTECS.

A SCALED SERPENT WITH A LONG AND TWISTING BODY;

BIG, FLASHING EYES; BIRD WINGS WITH FEATHERS--

IT WAS ALMOST DRAGON-LIKE IN APPEARANCE.

CERTAINLY BECAUSE IT WAS A PINNACLE GOD, IT WAS FEARED.

AND THEN TO HAVE THOSE ATTRIBUTES OF ANIMALS

THAT ARE NOT EXACTLY CALM

IN THEIR PRESENTATION TO HUMAN BEINGS--

CERTAINLY, THE AZTECS WERE WELL AWARE

THAT THIS WAS A GOD THEY DID NOT MESS WITH.

QUIET NIGHT IN LOS PORTALES.

THIS PLACE IS EVIL.

YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND.

THIS TOWN WAS BUILT ON TOP OF AZTEC RUINS.

ANYBODY WHO COMES HERE

IS PUTTING HIS LIFE IN GREAT DANGER.

RELAX, VARGAS.

GIVE HIM THE KNIFE, SANTO.

YOU KNOW WHAT TO SAY AT THE DOOR, RIGHT?

AAH!

WHOA!

DROP THE KNIFE, VARGAS.

WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA.

YOU KNOW WHAT TO SAY AT THE DOOR, RIGHT?

AAH!

WHOA!

DROP THE KNIFE, VARGAS.

WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA.

I AM DONE COOPERATING.

YOU PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND.

THIS EVIL IS-- IS BIGGER AND MORE POWERFUL

THAN YOU CAN EVEN IMAGINE.

VARGAS, I WILL BLOW YOUR HEAD OFF

IF YOU DO NOT DROP THAT KNIFE.

I WILL NOT DIE HERE.

FORGET IT, MOONEY.

WHAT?

HE'S NO GOOD TO US IF HE DOESN'T COOPERATE.

VARGAS, GIVE ME THE KNIFE.

WE'LL LET YOU GO.

YOU ALL RIGHT?

I'M FINE.

GREAT. THERE GOES OUR WAY IN.

WE HAVE THE LOCATION. WE'LL FIND ANOTHER WAY.

I GOT THE DAGGER.

LET'S MOVE.

ALL RIGHT, HERE'S THE DEAL.

WE'RE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING

THAT WILL STICK WITH THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT.

ANYBODY ON AN ALTAR-- ATTEMPTED MURDER.

ANYBODY HELD AGAINST THEIR WILL-- KIDNAPPING.

ANYTHING LESS, IT'S YOUR JUDGMENT CALL.

ANYTHING MORE, WE'RE GONNA NEED TO CALL IN FOR BACKUP.

GOOD TO GO? GOOD TO GO.

WE'LL TAKE THE GROUND FLOOR.

SANTO, YOU TAKE THE TOPSIDE.

LET'S MOVE.

QUETZALCOATL HAD SEVERAL DIFFERENT LEGENDS

BY WHICH HE DISAPPEARED FROM THE AZTECS.

FROM THAT TIME, HE WAS SUPPOSED TO RETURN IN 52 YEARS.

THE AZTECS THOUGHT OF CALENDARS

AS A CIRCULAR THING THAT WENT IN CYCLES.

THEY BELIEVED THAT EVERY 52 YEARS,

EVERYTHING HUNG IN THE BALANCE,

AND CERTAIN, SPECIAL SACRIFICES HAD TO BE MADE

OR THE WORLD WOULD BE PLUNGED INTO CHAOS.

TO THIS AZTECS, LIFE FLOWED FROM DEATH,

AND THIS CONCEPT LED TO INCREASING HUMAN SACRIFICE

TO APPEASE THE DEITIES, AMONG THEM QUETZALCOATL.

THE BEATING HEART WAS GENERALLY CUT OUT

BY A DAGGER THAT WAS EITHER OBSIDIAN OR FLINT.

THEY WOULD TAKE THE BEATING HEART OUT OF THE BODY

AND USE THE BLOOD TO CHRISTEN

BOTH THE ALTAR AND THE TEMPLE STEPS.

READY?

YOU HEAR THAT?

IT SOUNDS LIKE THE RITUAL HAS ALREADY BEGUN.

SANTO, WE'RE IN.

LOOKS LIKE IT'S CLEAR UP HERE.

I'M HEADED DOWN.

Copy.

OH, MY GOD!

WHO'S THERE?

A GIGANTIC, FLYING REPTILE

ARMED WITH SHARP CLAWS AND A WINGSPAN NEARLY 40 FEET LONG--

ITS NAME IS QUETZALCOATLUS,

BUT ITS ORIGIN IS NOT IN MYTHOLOGY.

IT'S IN THE CONFIRMED FOSSIL RECORD.

ENCOUNTER ONE OF THE LARGEST FLYING ANIMALS EVER

WHEN "LOST TAPES" CONTINUES.

TEXAS, 1971.

A GEOLOGY GRAD STUDENT WORKING AT BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK

MAKES AN INCREDIBLE FIND.

A PARTIAL WING IS UNEARTHED

AND DETERMINED TO BE EVIDENCE OF AN ENTIRELY NEW SPECIES

FROM THE LATE CRETACEOUS PERIOD OF NORTH AMERICA.

WEIGHING OVER 200 POUNDS AND BOASTING A 40-FOOT WINGSPAN,

THE NEWLY DISCOVERED QUETZALCOATLUS

SHATTERED ALL PREVIOUSLY EXISTING SIZE RECORDS

FOR PTEROSAURS.

BECAUSE OF ITS MASSIVE SIZE AND SIMILARITIES,

SCIENTISTS NAMED THE CREATURE

AFTER THE LEGENDARY AZTEC FLYING SERPENT QUETZALCOATL.

OH, MY GOD!

WHO'S THERE?

WELL, HE LOOKS FRIENDLY.

LET'S FIND ANOTHER WAY AROUND.

SANTO, YOU SEE ANYTHING?

SANTO, COME IN. OVER.

I'M NOT GETTING ANYTHING.

OH, MY GOD.

CONNER, THEY'VE GOT SANTO.

NO, NO!

NO, PLEASE, NO.

NO! NO!

WHAT DO WE DO?

Let's go.

LOOK OUT!

MY GOD.

WHAT HAPPENED?

I DON'T KNOW,

BUT IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE ANYONE SURVIVED.

IT'S MARZO.

I THINK WHATEVER HAPPENED HERE

WAS WAY MORE THAN THESE GUYS BARGAINED FOR.

WHERE'S SANTO?

OH, GOD. SANTO.

OH, GOD.

OH.

OH, GOD!

WHAT THE HELL?

WHAT IS THAT?

I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING IN HERE.

WHERE'S IT COMING FROM?

OH, GOD!

WHAT THE HELL?

WHAT IS THAT?

I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING IN HERE.

WHERE'S IT COMING FROM?

CONNER?

MOONEY, WE NEED TO FIND COVER NOW.

FOLLOW ME. MOVE!

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE?

NO.

TRY THE NIGHT VISION.

ANYTHING?

NOTHING.

OH, MY GOD.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT THING IS, BUT IT'S HUGE.

WHERE? 12:00.

HEADS UP!

WHERE IS IT?

I DON'T KNOW.

ALL RIGHT, WE NEED TO GET DOWN TO THAT ALTAR.

I NEED TO GET MY HANDS ON THAT DAGGER.

WHAT THE HELL FOR?

THAT DAGGER HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH GETTING THIS THING HERE,

SO HOPEFULLY, IT'LL HAVE SOMETHING TO DO

WITH GETTING RID OF IT. ELISE, I DON'T THINK--

DO YOU WANT TO ARGUE WITH ME, OR DO YOU WANT TO GET OUT OF HERE?

COME ON!

WHATEVER THIS THING IS,

IT'S PLAYING A GOOD GAME OF HIDE-AND-SEEK.

RIGHT HERE WAITING FOR YOU.

BEHIND YOU!

NOW! DO IT NOW!

THE EXACT NATURE AND FATE OF THE CREATURE

ENCOUNTERED BY THE ENIGMA TEAM REMAINS UNKNOWN.

THE TRAIN DEPOT IN LOS PORTALES

WAS BURNED TO THE GROUND BY THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT,

AND NO EVIDENCE OUTSIDE OF HUMAN REMAINS WAS RECOVERED.

LUCAS MARZO WAS POSTHUMOUSLY CONVICTED

FOR ALL CRIMES RELATED TO THE CULT'S ACTIVITY,

INCLUDING THE DEATH OF DR. NADJA SANTO.

AGENTS NOEL CONNER AND ELISE MOONEY

BOTH MANAGED TO ESCAPE WITH MINIMAL INJURIES.

THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT QUETZALCOATL

AND THE MANY OTHER DEITIES OF AZTEC MYTHOLOGY

WILL LIVE ON IN THE CULTURAL FABRIC OF NORTH AMERICA.

THE REAL QUESTION IS-- DO THEY LIVE AMONG US?

- Captions by VITAC-- www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS