Jack Canyon and The Curse of The Spider Queen | CHAPTER THREE

Words: 2017

A knock came at the door just as Sophia was complaining to
Jack about being late again. She sighed heavily as he
constantly argued back. She paused and looked around the
lavish living room-like office. "Jack! You're going to be
late for class, yet again."

"Well, then, it won't be anything new," he stated as he
straighted his button up shirt. Then the knock came again,
interrupting Jack. "HOLD ON A MINUTE!" He turned his
attention back to Sophia, who had the most impatient look on
her face.

"Are you going to get that?" Sophia questioned him.

"Fine," Jack said allowing the fight to dissipate. He jerked
the door open to see a dark skinned woman standing before
him. He was shocked. "You!"

"Were you expecting the Easter Bunny?" Maya Rajah asked with
an annoyed tone to her voice.

Jack turned as if he was going to allow her access to the
room, but he slammed the door as he spun.

"JACK!" Sophia cried out.

"What?" He returned as Sophia moved to the door and pulled
it open.

"I'm glad to see you too," Maya stated as she entered the
room and sized Jack up.

"I'm sorry, Maya," Sophia apologized.

"Why exactly is she here?" Jack asked angrily. "The last I remember she was trying to kill us."

"I told you, Jack, she's here for our lunch date," Sophia answered. She paused for a moment and looked at the clock. "You're late."

Jack followed her eyes to the clock and noticed the time. He spun around on a heel and dashed out the dark wooden door in a rush. He jogged down the corridor, though careful not to bump into anyone or knock them down.

"What a wonderful boss you have," Maya said coldly.

"I'm so sorry about him," Sophia spoke sympathetically. "I don't know what crawled up his skirt."

"It's ok," Maya replied. "Are you ready?" She looked at Sophia's blue jeans with frays designed into the seams. Her eyes noticed the scuffed brown leather boots, then followed the feminine body up her thighs and slightly wide hips to her waist. The sandy blonde girl wore a tight fitting v-neck shirt which was red.

Maya's dark skin was accented with her orange collared shirt. She also wore dark jeans which looked brand new. She shook her head swishing around her short black hair that had recently been highlighted.

"Yeah, let's go," Sophia stated as she picked up her wallet and headed out with the woman. She never carried a purse, since they were too easily stolen and also very feminine. Sophia was a tom boy at heart. Why else would she work in the grit and the dirt and the mud?

***

Jack darted across the grassy knoll outside the center of the school yard that was known as The Quad. He made his way through the Quad and down the hillside toward his building. He reached out and grabbed the railing on the steps, jerking himself around and up a few steps. He skipped as many steps as he could without looking crazy or falling. Finally, he reached the entrance, breathless. He tried to catch his breath as he walked quickly down the hallway. He turned into his room from the back and everyone turned to look at him. He was ten minutes late. "Hi, class."

***

Sophia and Maya walked slowly down the sidewalk of the campus toward the restaurant nearby. It had a variety of foods from various cultures all over the world.

The building was a beautiful white with a crimson border, roof, and doors. The sign on the roof was black outlined in red, reading simply: The Spot.

Sophia held open the door and allowed her guest access first. When Maya was in, she followed behind her. The mixture of aromas was strong enough to knock one off guard. At one point, it smelled as if you were in India. Then another, you were in Mexico. Then America. Then China.

"So, what's your cardiovascular poison?" Sophia asked with a slightly mischievous smirk.

Maya didn't give a confident look to her host. She had heard how bad American food was on the heart and the arteries, but all fried food and fast food was bad. She had a great figure and didn't want it ruined in the land of the obese.

***

Jack stood before his class more composed than he was before. He had been sweating from all the running, but now in the air conditioned room, he was dry. "Alright, class," he spoke as he looked around. "Inca civilization. . . like many Central and South American civilizations was wiped out by the Conquestadores."

"We already know all of this," a student called out.

"Yes, but did you know that some might have survived? The Moche people, the builders of the great Machu Picchu, might have survived the onslaught of the white man."

"What are you saying?" A brunette in the front row asked.

"That part of the Inca Empire continued on," Jack continued. "The moche were believed to have not been killed off by the Spanish, but by climate changes."

"But Machu Picchu was destroyed by the Spanish, right?" Another student asked.

"The Spanish did arrive there, but the residents had been killed by smallpox," Jack explained.

"So, how could they have survived?" Another student questioned.

"Anyone here read a book called 'The Moche Migration'?" Jack asked. "It was written by a man, a close friend of mine, named John Baxter."

***

"So," Maya said sitting with Sophia at one of the tables. "What happened with you and Jack?" She looked down at her cheeseburger and fries.

"Nothing to tell," Sophia said, avoiding the question. She dug her fork into her sambal sotong, which was an Asian dish that Maya recommended. Sambal sotong was a chili paste with garlic and onions and squid. "Are you sure this is good?"

"Come on," Maya said staring at her burger. "We said we'd recommend food to one another and try it. Now, what's with you and Jack? I do remember you kissing him on my plane." She took a bite of her burger.

Sophia sighed and took a mouthful of the sambal. She paused for a moment and received a stare from Maya, who awaited a comment. "This isn't bad." suddenly, she reached for her glass of tea. "Hot! Hot!"

Maya gave a smug smile.

"Funny," Sophia said with a red face. "Ok, Jack and I didn't make it too far. We tried dating a few times."

"Mmhmm," Maya moaned as she sipped her tea.

"I don't know," Sophia admitted finally. "Jack seems afraid."

"Afraid?" She almost laughed out loud. "Why would Jack be afraid? Or better yet, what is he afraid of?"

"I don't think he's afraid of women, or me," Sophia explained. "I think it's deeper. I haven't quite figured it out, yet, though."

"Commitment issues?" Maya asked.

Sophia shook her head slowly. "I just don't know. Something is bothering him though."

"He'll come around. Don't worry."

***

"John Baxter?" A student asked. "He was that older archaeologist who went down into the Peruvian jungle along the Inca trails from Machu Picchu to Cusco, right?"

"He followed in the footsteps of the Incas, yes," Jack replied. "He was a great mentor to me. Many of his theories led me to question things, to look deeper."

"So, what do you think, Mr. Canyon?" A young female red head questioned.

"I think many secrets lie within the jungles of Peru," he said simply.

The doors in the back burst open causing an uproar in class.

"Great," Jack said to himself, though the room echoed a little. "Someone is later than me." He looked at the person walking. No, they were stumbling. "Not only late, but drunk." He jumped off the stage and headed toward the person. "Excuse me! Excuse me!"

Then he noticed her. It was Clarissa, one of Baxter's colleagues. She fell, but was quickly caught by Jack.

"Get me some water," Jack cried out as he fell to the floor with her. "Clare? Can you hear me? Clare!"

"Jack," she spoke with a parched voice. "John." She couldn't say anymore. She closed her eyes for a moment, but was shaken by Jack.

One of the students brought Jack the glass of water from his table on stage.

Clarissa sipped it slowly before speaking again. "John," was the only thing she could say. She handed Jack the journal that belonged to John Baxter before she quit breathing entirely.

"Clare," Jack said softly. "CLARISSA!" Tears streamed down his face, because he had known this woman for most of his years in archaeology. She and her twin sister had been there for him when Emily died. He would never forget all that they had done for him. He buried his head into the woman's dusty and cobweb-covered safari jacket. Then he glanced over at the weathered journal.

***

"You know, this is really against my religion," Maya told the sandy blonde girl about eating beef.

"Well, from what you know about the religion spectrum, it shouldn't matter," Sophia replied as they sat idle in conversation. They had finished lunch only moments before. "Religion is just a bunch of rules. In fact, they're not even given out by God."

"True," Maya said as they were interrupted by a cell phone ringing. It was Sophia's phone.

"It's Jack," she sighed heavily as she turned the phone on silent mode.

"Not going to answer that?"

"He probably just wants to bother us," Sophia responded as she folded her arms. She was getting tired of Jack's bickering and had considered quitting many times. "It can't be that important." She glanced at her watch. "Besides he's still in class."

"You should ask him what is problem is," Maya added as she glanced at the door.

Sophia got the hint. "Let's go," she said rising to her feet. She led the way out of The Spot cultural restaurant. "How are things over at Mount Sinai?"

"Well," Maya stated as she exited and headed down the sidewalk. "It's quiet. Nothing like two years ago." She and Sophia shared a laugh. "Though, I suppose you never mentioned to Jack that you and I have been friends since then."

"Or that we meet frequently for lunch," Sophia admitted as she looked down at her feet.

"It's ok," Maya comforted her. "I don't mind being the mistress."

Sophia pulled her phone from her pocket as it began to ring again. "Jack."

"Answer it, hon," Maya said as they came to a halt.

Sophia decided it was best to go ahead and answer the call, but she sighed heavily before doing so. "What is it?"

"I need you," Jack said abruptly. "Now."

"Hi," she responded sarcastically. "How are you?"

"I'm sorry about earlier, Soph, but this is important," he told her. "It's about John Baxter, Clarissa, and Marissa."

"What is it?" Sophia asked in an annoyed tone.

"They're dead."

Sophia's heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. She could hardly swallow. She had been so rude to Jack just to be rude and mean, since he had been earlier. Now, she felt the complete opposite. She felt horrible and sad. She could not even form words.

"Just meet me at your father's museum," Jack said. "I'm on my way there now."

"Why?" Sophia asked, but she received no answer. "Jack? Jack?" She paused for a moment. "Jack Canyon?" She slammed her flip phone closed and stuffed it into her pocket. "Come on, Maya, we're heading to the museum. Something's come up that requires attending to."

"Never a dull moment with Jack, eh?" Maya asked as she marched with Sophia to the parking lot outside of Jack's office. She stopped in awe of the car Sophia was climbing into.

Sophia smirked at the Indian woman. She might have been a tom boy, but she still loved her convertibles. After all, her other car was ruined by her boss and his usual trouble.

Maya sat down in the passenger seat of the Pontiac Solstice.
.