Words: 748
Jack Canyon had a long and lonely seventeen hour flight home from Cusco. He had spent seven hours before that in a funeral home getting Sophia a coffin so that he could transport her back to the States. Then he had to deal with customs for a few hours. The last twenty-four hours was hell for a torn up man who just lost his friend, his lover, his world. Why must one lose something to learn how much he appreciates it? How much he loves it? How much he misses it?
At Mr. Stone's museum, Jack was getting even more nervous as he moved up the front steps. He stopped at the front door. Memories flooded back from the time he stood at John Baxter's door with Emily in his arms. He sighed heavily as he looked down at his arms. Sophia was peaceful. Taking her from the van to the museum was no trouble at all, since there was no one to stop him. He wanted Mr. Stone to see his daughter. It was better than explaining it verbally. He wasn't even sure it he could.
The doors opened as he entered and made his way inside. He figured one thing about John and Emily was true now. They were finally happy. They were finally together in the afterlife. Heaven was a known fact to Jack ever since he had his run in with God two years ago. He looked down at Sophia Stone once more with regret on his face. Why couldn't he had tried to show her he loved her? He continued to beat himself up over it.
"Jack?" Mr. Stone asked as Jack entered his office and set Sophia on the couch against the wall. "Oh, no, Sophie!" He jumped out of his chair and moved to his deceased daughter's side. Tears filled his eyes and pain in his chest. "What happened, Jack?"
"We found her," Jack stated sadly. "The Spider Queen. Her city. The curse."
"Come on, Jack, there's no such thing as a curse," Stone argued.
"Sophia should be proof enough of that," Jack said as he wiped a single tear from his left eye. He threw Baxter's diary onto Stone's desk. "It's all there. How the curse killed the Conquistadores and sunk their ships. How the Spider Queen came to be. The Curse legacy. All of it."
"So, it's true?"
"John, Marissa, Clarissa, Sophia, and a very big gang of bandits down in the Amazon," Jack explained. "Not to mention the conquistadors, of course."
"Why?" He asked sadly.
Jack bit his lip for a moment and put his hand on Stone's shoulder. "She rushed Adriana, the gang leader, who was the Spider Queen reincarnated. She killed Soph."
Stone was still in the kneeling position.
"The Spider Queen originated from some disease that made the woman have dark evil eyes and fangs," Jack explained. "She left Machu Picchu, was able to arrange a city and civilization all her own from the remaining Incas and Moche. The Inca language changed through the years, so it was hard to read. When the Conquestadores finally found her lost city in the middle of the Amazon, they captured her and put her into a web."
"This is the Spider Queen legend?"
"Yeah, it tells of her life and how the curse came about. She. . . She swore to her gods that she would forever torment those who come to her temple." Jack dropped the pack off his back. "There are some treasures in here, some tablets with inscriptions. Jacarei was able to steal some. The entire story is here."
"Jack. . ." Stone said as he rose to his feet. "I think you should be the one who puts it all together. You're the only survivor of the expedition. You know what happened. You know the Spider Queen legend."
Jack nodded at the man. "I'll get started on it in the morning."
"No, Jack," Stone corrected the archaeologist. "Take the week off. This can wait."
"Mr. Stone, I'm going to go crazy sitting at home, alone, for a week."
Stone thought for a moment. "Then get started when you want. I'll handle all of Sophia's funeral arrangements."
"No, sir," Jack replied. "I'll do it." Jack picked up Sophia and headed out with her so that he could get her to the funeral home. Then he needed to rest. Tomorrow was going to be a long day of working on the Spider Queen relics and story for the public.
Showing posts with label the curse of the spider queen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the curse of the spider queen. Show all posts
Friday, July 4, 2008
Jack Canyon and The Curse of The Spider Queen | CHAPTER NINE
Words: 3012
"Why?" Jack asked angrily as he moved around the room looking for a way out. "Why did you have to say that? Haven't you seen American movies? Every time someone says 'things could be worse' they usually get worse at that exact moment."
"We're in a jungle," Jacarei stated. "How could we possibly see any of your American movies?"
"I've seen a few," Adriana stated.
"That explains why you know of the American sense of humor," Jack responded.
"In case anyone has forgotten, the ceiling is going to crush us," Sophia interrupted their conversation.
"I'm working on a way out," Jack reminded her.
"Well, work faster!" Sophia yelled.
Jack continued searching the walls for any release to the ceiling that was closing in. He glanced up to see the ceiling was halfway down.
"What's this?" Jacarei asked as she knelt down in the middle of the room.
"What?" Jack rushed toward her to see what she was looking at. He knelt down and examined some of the loose floor tiles. "I should've checked here first."
"Symbols," Adriana noticed.
"I'm guessing we arrange them in a right order to stop the ceiling," Jack stated as he moved the tiles around, but they didn't sit right in the holes. "I don't get it."
"Well, you're about to," Sophia said, but it was about the ceiling. It was now only feet away from them, as they were all knelt down on the floor. "Figure it out, Jack!"
Jack looked at the backs of the tiles and then at the holes. He began to arrange them and fit them into proper holes. "That should do it!"
The ceiling was still closing in and only inches away from their heads.
"I don't get it," Jack said frantically.
Sophia stomped on the tiles with her hiking boot forcing the tiles in deeper. The ceiling suddenly stopped and receded back to the top. "It just needed a woman's touch."
"Quite a woman," Adriana mentioned to Jack as she walked passed him and made her way to the rising door.
Jack smiled because he knew Sophia was really an amazing woman. She had saved his hide many a time. Of course, he appreciated every time she did, because if she had not saved him, he would have been hurt or worse, dead.
Sophia was the last one out. She followed behind the remaining three men who were behind Jacarei, Adriana, and Jack. She hoped for an escape route.
Jack led the gang down a long and drafty corridor which came to an end where two other halls met as well. "I bet this is the way out."
"But which hall leads to the treasure?" Adriana asked.
Sophia pushed her way forward through the group to get to Jack.
Jack looked at his assistant for a moment before speaking. "What do you think, Soph? Which way should we go?"
Sophia examined each of the corridors for evidence of traffic. She checked the walls and the floors. "Interesting."
"What is it?" Jacarei asked.
"Scuff marks on each hall floor," she explained as she knelt down. "They're obviously here to throw us off track." She ran her fingers along the marks on the middle hall. "This way," she stated as she stood up from her kneeling and started down the hall.
"Hey!" Jack called as he moved to catch up with her. "How did you know?"
"The grooves are deep," Sophia explained. "Really deep, like something very heavy had been dragged down the hall several times. The other hall didn't have grooves deep enough, or as many."
"Clever girl," Jack said with a silly grin.
"Well, I did learn from the best," she replied sweetly, which was unusual for her. She caught a glint of hope in Jack's eyes. "My father taught me everything." She gave a cocky grin, for she knew that snuffed out the light in Jack's eyes.
The gang continued down the hall, but Jack stopped when he spotted a chamber off to his right. He moved inside to find skeletal remains, armor and helmets, and two bodies. Jack knelt down and looked at the bodies. "John," he said sadly as he lowered his head.
Sophia and the others returned when they noticed Jack was no longer with them. Upon entering the room, they discovered Jack's friend. "Oh, Jack," she said sorrowfully. "I'm sorry."
"Well, now, we didn't expect to find him alive, did we?" Jack asked sadly.
"I thought you did," Sophia replied.
"I knew it was impossible," he admitted. "A man can hope, though, can't he?"
Sophia put her hand on Jack's shoulder. "I'm so sorry."
"We'll take him out of here and give him a proper burial," Jack stated as he pulled something out of Baxter's hand. Then he stood and turned to Adriana. He offered her a small round metallic piece.
She took it into her hand and examined it closely before passing it to Jacarei. "That's pure silver?"
Jack simply nodded. "There's more."
"Take us to it," Adriana ordered him. "We had a deal."
"Follow me, then," he responded and headed down the hall after taking a look at John Baxter one last time. Marissa's body had been cradled against his. He led the gang down the hall as he continued to search for text on the wall that matched the drawings on the final page of the journal.
"Where is the room?" Jacarei asked with an annoyed tone. "You're wasting our time."
"My patience grows thin," Adriana warned.
"I don't know," Jack said with a hint of urgency in his voice.
"Jack, think of something," Sophia told him. "We're running out of corridor."
As they reached a dead end, Adriana pulled her dagger from its sheath. "You'll join your friend."
"Wait!" Jack cried out. "Look!" He pointed from the journal to the large wall. "They match."
Jacarei and Adriana moved to the wall and looked for themselves.
"See?" Jack asked.
"Get it open," Adriana ordered.
Jack searched the crevices in the wall for a release lever or button. "There is nothing here."
"You better be mistaking," Adriana stated as she put the dagger to Jack's throat.
"Just give me a minute," Jack pleaded as he pulled away and searched the bottom of the wall. That's when he spotted a small stone that was poking out. "This must be it." He pressed it and the door hissed as the air was pushed out of the room.
Adriana smiled wickedly as the door slowly slid open and revealed a room that was empty except for the sarcophagus in the center.
"It's her," Jacarei said in shock. She followed her leader inside as they all encircled the coffin. It was greatly detailed with a feminine head that wore a crown with a spider-like design on it.
"Open it," Adriana ordered her remaining men.
Without question or hesitation, they moved to the sarcophagus and wedged the lid off, which released a dust that consumed the trio. Piercing bloody screams pervaded the entire temple.
Jacarei, Sophia, and Jack stood back and watched in horror as the three men were eaten alive by an ancient form of acid. Adriana was the only one who wasn't shocked. She had an evil smirk on her face, which caught Jack's attention.
Jack nudged Sophia and motioned toward Adriana, so Sophia could see the pleasure on the Brazilian woman's face.
Jacarei waited for the three men to completely disintegrate before moving around the room.
Adriana moved to the coffin and kicked the top off. She knelt down and took into her hand the Spider Amulet, which was made of pure gold. It was a gold chain with a gold spider figure that had a jewel in the middle, an emerald.
Jack and Sophia moved closer to the open sarcophagus to take a look.
The remains of a woman resided inside. She wore garments that were decayed, but on top were silver and gold armor and jewelry. If the woman were alive today, she would be showing plenty of cleavage. The breastplate on the body was like a v-neck and very low. It was made of large gold plates accented with silver and various jewels like diamonds and rubies. There were cuffs of aged gold on her wrists with spider- and web-like designs etched into them.
"This is her," Jack said. "This is definitely the Spider Queen."
Adriana put the Spider Amulet around her neck which caused it to glow bright.
Jack and Sophia stood up from examining the Spider Queen's body and looked at Adriana.
"I don't like this," Jack said, wary.
"Not at all," Sophia agreed.
Jacarei had stumbled upon a lever that opened a door in the back, which led into the treasure vault. She was in her happy place and dove into the jewels and gold and silver. She was in heaven.
Adriana put on the Spider Queen's armor piece-by-piece, while Jack and Sophia stood back. She had the entire suit on, and then grabbed the sword, which had spiders on the handle. She smiled devilishly at the duo as a trap door overhead opened and dropped down three mechanical spiders.
"This just isn't our day," Jack said as the spiders attacked. He jumped back as a large and sharp-pointed spider leg came crashing down near him. Those spiders were the size of a car.
"What are we going to do?" Sophia asked frantically as she dodged another spider.
Jack rolled out of the way as one of the spider's legs punched through the wall he was against. "Why are you asking me? You're the one with the plans."
Sophia picked up a sword from the floor which looked Spanish. She stabbed at the metal exoskeleton of the spider. The sword slipped the second time and pierced the jewel in the head between all the eyes. That's when she realized the jewel powered the machine. "Jack!"
"I'm kind of busy," he cried out as he rolled under the body of the spider.
"The jewel on the head," she told him, but was interrupted as the final spider lurched at her. "The jewel powers it!"
"What?"
"The jewel on the head!" She screamed and pointed at the spider.
Jack spotted the jewel and jumped onto the back of the machine. It bucked and tried to toss him off, but he held tight.
"Bareback Jack," Sophia muttered, which had another meaning other than a cowboy who rode his horse bareback. She blushed slightly at the thought and turned her attention back to the problem at hand.
Jack was tossed through the wall, and the spider followed him. He quickly rose to his feet and picked up a broken brick, which he hurled at the spider's head. He missed. "This is just like horseshoes," he told himself.
Sophia's back was against the wall as the spider charged itself at her. As it leaped toward her, she ducked. The mechanical spider crashed into the wall, smashing its jewel brain.
Jack picked up another stone and threw it with a great force, but missed by mere inches, again. "Son of a--"
"I'll get it," she said. "You were always a lousy shot. No wonder you don't carry a gun." She picked up a head-sized stone and chucked it at the green glowing jewel on the spider's head. CONTACT! The jewel smashed to bits and the machine fell motionless to the floor.
"Not bad," he told her.
"We have bigger issues to deal with," she reminded him as she turned and saw Adriana still standing there. Sophia raised her sword and was ready to attack.
"No, wait!" Jack cried out as she raced toward Adriana, but she didn't listen. It was too late.
Sophia met Adriana's powerful backhand, which sent the dirty blonde haired girl into the wall. When she fell, Jack noticed her back had hit a sharp piece of metal.
It felt like slow motion as Jack rushed to Sophia who lay still on the floor. "Sophia? Are you okay?"
"How bad is it?" She asked as she tried to stay strong.
Jack let tears roll down his face. He could see the blood dripping onto the floor. Jack didn't have to say anything, yet she still knew how bad it was.
"Don't cry," she told him sternly. Even dying, she was her old self. "You'll just make a mess."
"Oh, Soph," Jack spoke softly. "Why did you not listen? Why must you be so hard headed?"
She placed her hand on his cheek. "I should have told you long ago. . ."
"Sophia, don't speak," Jack said through his sobs. His heart was slowly breaking with every breath she took, because with each one, it could be her last.
"Just shut the fuck up and listen," she cried. She waited for him to get silent. Her breathing grew shallow. "I. . . I love you, Jack Canyon. I should never have let you go, but I know the reasons behind your actions, now. Emily. . ."
Jack pressed his face to her bosom as he cried. It was like the past was repeating itself. Emily had been his assistant and died in the field. Now, Sophia was going through the same thing.
"Jack," Sophia said hoarsely. "Tell me that you love me."
"I love you, Sophia. I always have. I just wish I could have spent more time showing it to you. I mean--"
"Jack, just shut up and kiss me," she stated coldly.
Jack looked at her through teary eyes and kissed her lips. He could feel her breath from her nose upon his cheek. Then he felt it fade until it stopped. It was their last kiss. Even though she was gone, Jack could hear her voice in his head.
"Get up, Jack!" Sophia's voice rang through his head. "Stop the Spider Queen. Do it! GO!"
Jack sprung up and didn't realize he had the sword in his hand. He moved forward toward Adriana who gave him a smirk.
"Come to defend your girlfriend?" Adriana asked. "Don't cry too much. You'll be joining her soon enough."
Jack swung the heavy sword at the woman's head with as much force as he could muster. He missed as she side-stepped and kicked him in the back. The pain was horrible. He fell forward and onto his knees.
"Too easy," she teased as she pulled her sword up to his neck. "You should spend less time watching movies and more time learning real skills."
"Nah, movies do just fine," he said as he knocked back her sword with his. "Where else can you learn such marvelous skills without leaving your home?" He struck again and again.
"But you never learn the correct way," she replied as she knocked the sword from his hand. "Why must we keep returning to this same place?" She put the sword to his throat.
"So, before you kill me, tell me something. Who are you?"
"I am the Spider Queen," Adriana stated. "Don't you believe in reincarnation?"
"Not really."
"Pity," she said. "I have been searching for this place for half my life."
"Well, you found it," Jack told her.
"Kneel before your queen," Adriana said as she pushed him down to his knees with her sword. "Any last words?"
"Yeah, you found your tomb, so you might as well stay here."
From behind her, Jacarei thrust a sword through Adriana's gut. Without hesitation, Jack pulled the dagger from Adriana's sheath and stabbed through the amulet and into her heart.
"She won't be returning," Jack spoke as Jacarei helped him up.
"I'm so sorry," Jacarei stated. "I had no idea about all this." The entire temple began to shake violently around them.
Jack was lost for words at the moment. He could only manage to say, "Thank you for saving my life." He picked up Sophia's lifeless body and carried her out.
Jacarei followed Jack toward the exit.
The place was falling apart and the doors were closing, too. They had to hurry or they would be trapped and die.
Jacarei stopped at the exit door. "Come on. Open it!"
Jack spotted the trigger on the side. He kicked it with his foot and the door slid open. "Go!" He followed Jacarei outside and they continued to run upstairs to the jungle floor. They both turned to see what looked like spider legs falling down. "Her palace. It was shaped like a spider."
"I hate spiders," Jacarei said as she shivered.
The ground around them began to cave in, forcing them to race further away or fall into a cavern. The crumbling ended at the edge of where Araneae City was. The jungle had consumed the entire city. Jacarei and Jack with Sophia still in his arms stood at the edge of the crater.
"What do I do now?" Jacarei asked.
"Make a good life for yourself," Jack said as he set Sophia down. He pulled out all the money he had. "This should help."
"What will you do?"
"I don't know," he said looking down at Sophia's body. His eyes filled with tears again. "I'll just have to put my life back together."
"Good luck."
"You, too," Jack told her as he picked Sophia back up. He turned and headed in no distinct direction. He didn't care how long it took for him to get back home. Nothing matter anymore since Sophia was gone.
Jacarei stood on the cliff and stared out of the massive disaster zone. The jungle had been her home and now she had to pick up and start over in another place. Maybe she could find a nice town. She was a good singer and dancer. Then again, she could write a novel: "The Tales of a Bandida: The Curse of the Spider Queen." It had a ring to it.
Jack never looked back. His heart was shattered beyond repair. First Emily, then Sophia. How was he going to tell Mr. Stone about this? His mind raced with so much. He wished for just one more day with the love of his life.
"Why?" Jack asked angrily as he moved around the room looking for a way out. "Why did you have to say that? Haven't you seen American movies? Every time someone says 'things could be worse' they usually get worse at that exact moment."
"We're in a jungle," Jacarei stated. "How could we possibly see any of your American movies?"
"I've seen a few," Adriana stated.
"That explains why you know of the American sense of humor," Jack responded.
"In case anyone has forgotten, the ceiling is going to crush us," Sophia interrupted their conversation.
"I'm working on a way out," Jack reminded her.
"Well, work faster!" Sophia yelled.
Jack continued searching the walls for any release to the ceiling that was closing in. He glanced up to see the ceiling was halfway down.
"What's this?" Jacarei asked as she knelt down in the middle of the room.
"What?" Jack rushed toward her to see what she was looking at. He knelt down and examined some of the loose floor tiles. "I should've checked here first."
"Symbols," Adriana noticed.
"I'm guessing we arrange them in a right order to stop the ceiling," Jack stated as he moved the tiles around, but they didn't sit right in the holes. "I don't get it."
"Well, you're about to," Sophia said, but it was about the ceiling. It was now only feet away from them, as they were all knelt down on the floor. "Figure it out, Jack!"
Jack looked at the backs of the tiles and then at the holes. He began to arrange them and fit them into proper holes. "That should do it!"
The ceiling was still closing in and only inches away from their heads.
"I don't get it," Jack said frantically.
Sophia stomped on the tiles with her hiking boot forcing the tiles in deeper. The ceiling suddenly stopped and receded back to the top. "It just needed a woman's touch."
"Quite a woman," Adriana mentioned to Jack as she walked passed him and made her way to the rising door.
Jack smiled because he knew Sophia was really an amazing woman. She had saved his hide many a time. Of course, he appreciated every time she did, because if she had not saved him, he would have been hurt or worse, dead.
Sophia was the last one out. She followed behind the remaining three men who were behind Jacarei, Adriana, and Jack. She hoped for an escape route.
Jack led the gang down a long and drafty corridor which came to an end where two other halls met as well. "I bet this is the way out."
"But which hall leads to the treasure?" Adriana asked.
Sophia pushed her way forward through the group to get to Jack.
Jack looked at his assistant for a moment before speaking. "What do you think, Soph? Which way should we go?"
Sophia examined each of the corridors for evidence of traffic. She checked the walls and the floors. "Interesting."
"What is it?" Jacarei asked.
"Scuff marks on each hall floor," she explained as she knelt down. "They're obviously here to throw us off track." She ran her fingers along the marks on the middle hall. "This way," she stated as she stood up from her kneeling and started down the hall.
"Hey!" Jack called as he moved to catch up with her. "How did you know?"
"The grooves are deep," Sophia explained. "Really deep, like something very heavy had been dragged down the hall several times. The other hall didn't have grooves deep enough, or as many."
"Clever girl," Jack said with a silly grin.
"Well, I did learn from the best," she replied sweetly, which was unusual for her. She caught a glint of hope in Jack's eyes. "My father taught me everything." She gave a cocky grin, for she knew that snuffed out the light in Jack's eyes.
The gang continued down the hall, but Jack stopped when he spotted a chamber off to his right. He moved inside to find skeletal remains, armor and helmets, and two bodies. Jack knelt down and looked at the bodies. "John," he said sadly as he lowered his head.
Sophia and the others returned when they noticed Jack was no longer with them. Upon entering the room, they discovered Jack's friend. "Oh, Jack," she said sorrowfully. "I'm sorry."
"Well, now, we didn't expect to find him alive, did we?" Jack asked sadly.
"I thought you did," Sophia replied.
"I knew it was impossible," he admitted. "A man can hope, though, can't he?"
Sophia put her hand on Jack's shoulder. "I'm so sorry."
"We'll take him out of here and give him a proper burial," Jack stated as he pulled something out of Baxter's hand. Then he stood and turned to Adriana. He offered her a small round metallic piece.
She took it into her hand and examined it closely before passing it to Jacarei. "That's pure silver?"
Jack simply nodded. "There's more."
"Take us to it," Adriana ordered him. "We had a deal."
"Follow me, then," he responded and headed down the hall after taking a look at John Baxter one last time. Marissa's body had been cradled against his. He led the gang down the hall as he continued to search for text on the wall that matched the drawings on the final page of the journal.
"Where is the room?" Jacarei asked with an annoyed tone. "You're wasting our time."
"My patience grows thin," Adriana warned.
"I don't know," Jack said with a hint of urgency in his voice.
"Jack, think of something," Sophia told him. "We're running out of corridor."
As they reached a dead end, Adriana pulled her dagger from its sheath. "You'll join your friend."
"Wait!" Jack cried out. "Look!" He pointed from the journal to the large wall. "They match."
Jacarei and Adriana moved to the wall and looked for themselves.
"See?" Jack asked.
"Get it open," Adriana ordered.
Jack searched the crevices in the wall for a release lever or button. "There is nothing here."
"You better be mistaking," Adriana stated as she put the dagger to Jack's throat.
"Just give me a minute," Jack pleaded as he pulled away and searched the bottom of the wall. That's when he spotted a small stone that was poking out. "This must be it." He pressed it and the door hissed as the air was pushed out of the room.
Adriana smiled wickedly as the door slowly slid open and revealed a room that was empty except for the sarcophagus in the center.
"It's her," Jacarei said in shock. She followed her leader inside as they all encircled the coffin. It was greatly detailed with a feminine head that wore a crown with a spider-like design on it.
"Open it," Adriana ordered her remaining men.
Without question or hesitation, they moved to the sarcophagus and wedged the lid off, which released a dust that consumed the trio. Piercing bloody screams pervaded the entire temple.
Jacarei, Sophia, and Jack stood back and watched in horror as the three men were eaten alive by an ancient form of acid. Adriana was the only one who wasn't shocked. She had an evil smirk on her face, which caught Jack's attention.
Jack nudged Sophia and motioned toward Adriana, so Sophia could see the pleasure on the Brazilian woman's face.
Jacarei waited for the three men to completely disintegrate before moving around the room.
Adriana moved to the coffin and kicked the top off. She knelt down and took into her hand the Spider Amulet, which was made of pure gold. It was a gold chain with a gold spider figure that had a jewel in the middle, an emerald.
Jack and Sophia moved closer to the open sarcophagus to take a look.
The remains of a woman resided inside. She wore garments that were decayed, but on top were silver and gold armor and jewelry. If the woman were alive today, she would be showing plenty of cleavage. The breastplate on the body was like a v-neck and very low. It was made of large gold plates accented with silver and various jewels like diamonds and rubies. There were cuffs of aged gold on her wrists with spider- and web-like designs etched into them.
"This is her," Jack said. "This is definitely the Spider Queen."
Adriana put the Spider Amulet around her neck which caused it to glow bright.
Jack and Sophia stood up from examining the Spider Queen's body and looked at Adriana.
"I don't like this," Jack said, wary.
"Not at all," Sophia agreed.
Jacarei had stumbled upon a lever that opened a door in the back, which led into the treasure vault. She was in her happy place and dove into the jewels and gold and silver. She was in heaven.
Adriana put on the Spider Queen's armor piece-by-piece, while Jack and Sophia stood back. She had the entire suit on, and then grabbed the sword, which had spiders on the handle. She smiled devilishly at the duo as a trap door overhead opened and dropped down three mechanical spiders.
"This just isn't our day," Jack said as the spiders attacked. He jumped back as a large and sharp-pointed spider leg came crashing down near him. Those spiders were the size of a car.
"What are we going to do?" Sophia asked frantically as she dodged another spider.
Jack rolled out of the way as one of the spider's legs punched through the wall he was against. "Why are you asking me? You're the one with the plans."
Sophia picked up a sword from the floor which looked Spanish. She stabbed at the metal exoskeleton of the spider. The sword slipped the second time and pierced the jewel in the head between all the eyes. That's when she realized the jewel powered the machine. "Jack!"
"I'm kind of busy," he cried out as he rolled under the body of the spider.
"The jewel on the head," she told him, but was interrupted as the final spider lurched at her. "The jewel powers it!"
"What?"
"The jewel on the head!" She screamed and pointed at the spider.
Jack spotted the jewel and jumped onto the back of the machine. It bucked and tried to toss him off, but he held tight.
"Bareback Jack," Sophia muttered, which had another meaning other than a cowboy who rode his horse bareback. She blushed slightly at the thought and turned her attention back to the problem at hand.
Jack was tossed through the wall, and the spider followed him. He quickly rose to his feet and picked up a broken brick, which he hurled at the spider's head. He missed. "This is just like horseshoes," he told himself.
Sophia's back was against the wall as the spider charged itself at her. As it leaped toward her, she ducked. The mechanical spider crashed into the wall, smashing its jewel brain.
Jack picked up another stone and threw it with a great force, but missed by mere inches, again. "Son of a--"
"I'll get it," she said. "You were always a lousy shot. No wonder you don't carry a gun." She picked up a head-sized stone and chucked it at the green glowing jewel on the spider's head. CONTACT! The jewel smashed to bits and the machine fell motionless to the floor.
"Not bad," he told her.
"We have bigger issues to deal with," she reminded him as she turned and saw Adriana still standing there. Sophia raised her sword and was ready to attack.
"No, wait!" Jack cried out as she raced toward Adriana, but she didn't listen. It was too late.
Sophia met Adriana's powerful backhand, which sent the dirty blonde haired girl into the wall. When she fell, Jack noticed her back had hit a sharp piece of metal.
It felt like slow motion as Jack rushed to Sophia who lay still on the floor. "Sophia? Are you okay?"
"How bad is it?" She asked as she tried to stay strong.
Jack let tears roll down his face. He could see the blood dripping onto the floor. Jack didn't have to say anything, yet she still knew how bad it was.
"Don't cry," she told him sternly. Even dying, she was her old self. "You'll just make a mess."
"Oh, Soph," Jack spoke softly. "Why did you not listen? Why must you be so hard headed?"
She placed her hand on his cheek. "I should have told you long ago. . ."
"Sophia, don't speak," Jack said through his sobs. His heart was slowly breaking with every breath she took, because with each one, it could be her last.
"Just shut the fuck up and listen," she cried. She waited for him to get silent. Her breathing grew shallow. "I. . . I love you, Jack Canyon. I should never have let you go, but I know the reasons behind your actions, now. Emily. . ."
Jack pressed his face to her bosom as he cried. It was like the past was repeating itself. Emily had been his assistant and died in the field. Now, Sophia was going through the same thing.
"Jack," Sophia said hoarsely. "Tell me that you love me."
"I love you, Sophia. I always have. I just wish I could have spent more time showing it to you. I mean--"
"Jack, just shut up and kiss me," she stated coldly.
Jack looked at her through teary eyes and kissed her lips. He could feel her breath from her nose upon his cheek. Then he felt it fade until it stopped. It was their last kiss. Even though she was gone, Jack could hear her voice in his head.
"Get up, Jack!" Sophia's voice rang through his head. "Stop the Spider Queen. Do it! GO!"
Jack sprung up and didn't realize he had the sword in his hand. He moved forward toward Adriana who gave him a smirk.
"Come to defend your girlfriend?" Adriana asked. "Don't cry too much. You'll be joining her soon enough."
Jack swung the heavy sword at the woman's head with as much force as he could muster. He missed as she side-stepped and kicked him in the back. The pain was horrible. He fell forward and onto his knees.
"Too easy," she teased as she pulled her sword up to his neck. "You should spend less time watching movies and more time learning real skills."
"Nah, movies do just fine," he said as he knocked back her sword with his. "Where else can you learn such marvelous skills without leaving your home?" He struck again and again.
"But you never learn the correct way," she replied as she knocked the sword from his hand. "Why must we keep returning to this same place?" She put the sword to his throat.
"So, before you kill me, tell me something. Who are you?"
"I am the Spider Queen," Adriana stated. "Don't you believe in reincarnation?"
"Not really."
"Pity," she said. "I have been searching for this place for half my life."
"Well, you found it," Jack told her.
"Kneel before your queen," Adriana said as she pushed him down to his knees with her sword. "Any last words?"
"Yeah, you found your tomb, so you might as well stay here."
From behind her, Jacarei thrust a sword through Adriana's gut. Without hesitation, Jack pulled the dagger from Adriana's sheath and stabbed through the amulet and into her heart.
"She won't be returning," Jack spoke as Jacarei helped him up.
"I'm so sorry," Jacarei stated. "I had no idea about all this." The entire temple began to shake violently around them.
Jack was lost for words at the moment. He could only manage to say, "Thank you for saving my life." He picked up Sophia's lifeless body and carried her out.
Jacarei followed Jack toward the exit.
The place was falling apart and the doors were closing, too. They had to hurry or they would be trapped and die.
Jacarei stopped at the exit door. "Come on. Open it!"
Jack spotted the trigger on the side. He kicked it with his foot and the door slid open. "Go!" He followed Jacarei outside and they continued to run upstairs to the jungle floor. They both turned to see what looked like spider legs falling down. "Her palace. It was shaped like a spider."
"I hate spiders," Jacarei said as she shivered.
The ground around them began to cave in, forcing them to race further away or fall into a cavern. The crumbling ended at the edge of where Araneae City was. The jungle had consumed the entire city. Jacarei and Jack with Sophia still in his arms stood at the edge of the crater.
"What do I do now?" Jacarei asked.
"Make a good life for yourself," Jack said as he set Sophia down. He pulled out all the money he had. "This should help."
"What will you do?"
"I don't know," he said looking down at Sophia's body. His eyes filled with tears again. "I'll just have to put my life back together."
"Good luck."
"You, too," Jack told her as he picked Sophia back up. He turned and headed in no distinct direction. He didn't care how long it took for him to get back home. Nothing matter anymore since Sophia was gone.
Jacarei stood on the cliff and stared out of the massive disaster zone. The jungle had been her home and now she had to pick up and start over in another place. Maybe she could find a nice town. She was a good singer and dancer. Then again, she could write a novel: "The Tales of a Bandida: The Curse of the Spider Queen." It had a ring to it.
Jack never looked back. His heart was shattered beyond repair. First Emily, then Sophia. How was he going to tell Mr. Stone about this? His mind raced with so much. He wished for just one more day with the love of his life.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Jack Canyon and The Curse of The Spider Queen | CHAPTER EIGHT
Words: 1656
It was still dark as the canoes reached the bank and everyone
unloaded from them. Adriana and Jacarei were anxious to get
to the lost city of the Spider Queen, which Baxter had named
Araneae City. Kelmo stayed behind Sophia and Jack to keep
them from running away. The other men were working out the
path by cutting vines or trees or brush.
"Show me the drawing," Adriana ordered Jack as she walked
near him.
Jack opened the journal, but was not on the right page. He
flipped forward to a page with lines and blocks going
vertical and horizontal and some connected.
Adriana took a long look at the page, feeling that something
was familiar about the layout. She narrowed her eyes for a
moment. "I've seen this place before." She handed the
journal to Jacarei. "Take a look."
Jacarei took the diary and turned it to the side and upside
down as she tried to remember where it was. "This is the
lost city?"
"That's Baxter thought," Jack told her.
Jacarei flipped to the next page, which was a lot of
hieroglyphics. "What's this?" She flipped to the next
page, which was blank. "It's the last page in the journal."
"It is some form of Inca language," Jack explained. "Though
there are some variations. I think it could be what Inca
would have looked like had the Incas lived on a few more
centuries."
"Why is it so different?" Adriana asked.
"Well, lots of different things can change a language," Jack
stated. "Region is a major factor. I mean, take into
account the British and the Aussies, its the same language,
but different dialects and words all together."
"Why couldn't this Baxter guy just tell us where this place
is?" Jacarei questioned.
"That would be too easy," Sophia finally spoke up. She was
too tired to engage in a full conversation.
"Well, we've come across this place once before," Adriana
repeated. "That funny looking design there is something I
remember." She showed the layout to Kelmo, who got overly
excited. He was unable to speak, since he never learned how.
He simply pointed into one direction. "That way?"
Kel nodded at Adriana excitedly.
"Then that way we'll go," Adriana said. She led the way with
Jacarei, Sophia, and Jack right behind her. "You know, Kelmo
never was able to speak. He's not the smartest, but he has a
memory like no other. He'll lead the way."
"He's a regular bloodhound," Jack muttered where only Sophia
could hear him.
They pushed through some brush and into an open field where
the weeds and vines were knee high.
"Great," Sophia said sarcastically. "I foresee chiggers in
places I dare not scratch in public."
"Could I scratch those places?" Jack asked with a hopeful
tone. He received another warning glare from her.
Everyone fanned out and began searching the area finding
stone ruins beneath the vines and weeds and brush.
Jack stopped in the center of the ruins as he looked at the
journal.
"What's this?" Jacarei asked looking at a stone head with a
ring in its mouth. She looked to her leader and a few men as
they came closer to look at it.
Jack and Sophia were still followed around by Kelmo who kept
a close eye on them.
Kelmo grunted and grabbed another stone head near them. He
pulled at the ring which caused the head to lower and trigger
a trap. They fell through a trap door and down a system of
chutes.
Jacarei and Adriana turned as they heard the others scream.
They looked to the other men who began searching the area for
the trio. Jacarei pulled on the head near them which dropped
them down into a trap door and into a system of chutes.
Once they stopped at the bottom of the last slide, Jack
looked around to see Sophia and Kelmo along with a few other
Brazilian gunmen with them. He didn't like that at all.
In another chamber, Adriana and Jacarei were lost with the
remaining men of their gang.
Jack looked out at a dark chasm with long bridges spanning
across the entire chamber. "What is this place?" He asked
as he stepped out onto one of the bridges.
Sophia jerked him back just as a large rotating blade lowered
into position where he was standing. "Now we're even."
"Thanks," Jack replied and looked back out at the place. He
noticed the bridges were moving like conveyor belts. There
were some that went left and right that led to others that
moved forward. "This can't be good."
Adriana ordered her men to lead the way across the maze of
conveyor belts, which received no hesitating from them. The
first few men died horribly from the bladed weapons that were
along the conveyor belt.
Jacarei noted large rotating blades, maces, spinning wheels
with spikes, and swinging blades. "I'm guessing we need to
go through that?"
"Afraid so," Adriana stated. She stepped out onto the
conveyor belt and ducked under a swinging blade. She jumped
over a rolling mace, and then between two spinning wheels of
spikes.
Jacarei tried to control her breathing before following.
Once she was calmer, she stepped out onto the conveyor belt
and followed her friend.
"After you," Sophia said to Jack, who was still sizing up the
situation.
"Coming with us?" Jack asked Kelmo, who wasn't phased
by the massive devices of torture. He stepped onto the
conveyor belt made of some kind of animal skin and began
moving forward in the maze.
Kelmo followed close behind Jack, who was looking for an
escape route. They dodged a spinning blade and a set of
swinging maces.
Jack stumbled and almost fell forward as the conveyor
continued rolling forward. He spotted the end which dropped
off into the chasm. He turned and punched Kel, who didn't
budge. Instead, Jack was the one who fell over. He rolled
off the edge and grabbed onto a support column. He was only
feet away from the edge of the conveyor that led to doom.
Kel kept pace with the conveyor as he stayed where Jack was.
He reached for Jack, who pulled the mammoth down. With the
momentum, Jack pulled himself onto the conveyor and moved
onto the next one.
As he looked forward, Jack spotted the other half of the gang
on the far side of the chamber. He rolled under a spinning
wheel of spikes. Before he could reach the end of the
smaller conveyor, a big arm reached around him and picked him
up.
It was Kelmo.
Sophia had somehow gotten left behind in the struggle and
separated from Jack.
Jack squirmed as the big man squeezed the breath out of him.
How on earth did this man survive? With the heels of his
boots, Jack kicked Kel's stomach and fell onto the conveyor
with a loud thud. He reached the end sooner than he thought.
Reacting quickly, he rolled forward and onto the next
conveyor belt that led toward the exit.
Kel jumped across and continued his chase of Jack.
Across the chamber, Sophia, Adriana, and Jacarei were busy
avoiding deadly devices themselves. They were too busy to
take notice or Jack's battle.
Two men grabbed Jack, who twisted and forced them into a
wheel of spikes.
Jack ducked under a device that he didn't really see what it
was. As if the booby traps were not enough, Kel was still
hot on his trail. Half way through the chamber, Jack noticed
a lot of Adriana's men were gone and it was not even his
fault. Before he could make his leap to the next conveyor,
Kel grabbed him.
The large man had Jack in a hold that did not allow him to
move. He cut off Jack's airway. As Jack quick fighting
back, he dropped the archaeologist onto the conveyor.
Jack lay motionless and in pain. He continued laying there
and staring up at the large man. Then Jack noticed the duo
of swinging blades. He covered his head with his arms as the
two blades sliced into the giant man.
The blades cut Kelmo vertically in half. The front half
slide off the the left as the back half fell to the right.
Blood covered the conveyor where Kel stood.
Jack was on his feet in no time and moved forward through the
maze of devices and conveyor belts. It was amazing that
something like this lie below the city. He looked around for
Sophia and anyone else who had survived. Then he reached the
end of the maze. He stood at the doorway and watched the
remaining few trek toward him.
Sophia was the first to reach the beaten and bruised
archaeologist. She moved as if she was going to embrace him,
even allowing him to open his arms to her, but she punched
his shoulder. "Damn! You beat me."
Jack's mouth was wide open after she hit him. He grasped the
bruised shoulder and turned to her.
Adriana and Jacarei arrived too with the only three men left
of the gang.
"This better be worth me losing my entire gang," Adriana
warned Jack Canyon.
"You'll be able to buy yourself a dozen gangs," Jack assured her. "Trust me."
"I'm trusting you," she stated. "If you're wrong, I will kill you myself."
"Gotcha," Jack replied. "Come on. I think we need to go this way."
"You're the leader of this expedition," Jacarei told him. "Lead the way."
Jack nodded and turned around to lead them down a corridor that was lit by torches. He kept close to Sophia, who continuously tried to stay away from him. They entered a small chamber that locked down on them immediately. "Shit!"
The stone doors closed and were impenetrable.
"Well, it could be worse," Jacarei said, just before the ceiling started to lower.
"It just got worse," Sophia told the petite Brazilian woman.
It was still dark as the canoes reached the bank and everyone
unloaded from them. Adriana and Jacarei were anxious to get
to the lost city of the Spider Queen, which Baxter had named
Araneae City. Kelmo stayed behind Sophia and Jack to keep
them from running away. The other men were working out the
path by cutting vines or trees or brush.
"Show me the drawing," Adriana ordered Jack as she walked
near him.
Jack opened the journal, but was not on the right page. He
flipped forward to a page with lines and blocks going
vertical and horizontal and some connected.
Adriana took a long look at the page, feeling that something
was familiar about the layout. She narrowed her eyes for a
moment. "I've seen this place before." She handed the
journal to Jacarei. "Take a look."
Jacarei took the diary and turned it to the side and upside
down as she tried to remember where it was. "This is the
lost city?"
"That's Baxter thought," Jack told her.
Jacarei flipped to the next page, which was a lot of
hieroglyphics. "What's this?" She flipped to the next
page, which was blank. "It's the last page in the journal."
"It is some form of Inca language," Jack explained. "Though
there are some variations. I think it could be what Inca
would have looked like had the Incas lived on a few more
centuries."
"Why is it so different?" Adriana asked.
"Well, lots of different things can change a language," Jack
stated. "Region is a major factor. I mean, take into
account the British and the Aussies, its the same language,
but different dialects and words all together."
"Why couldn't this Baxter guy just tell us where this place
is?" Jacarei questioned.
"That would be too easy," Sophia finally spoke up. She was
too tired to engage in a full conversation.
"Well, we've come across this place once before," Adriana
repeated. "That funny looking design there is something I
remember." She showed the layout to Kelmo, who got overly
excited. He was unable to speak, since he never learned how.
He simply pointed into one direction. "That way?"
Kel nodded at Adriana excitedly.
"Then that way we'll go," Adriana said. She led the way with
Jacarei, Sophia, and Jack right behind her. "You know, Kelmo
never was able to speak. He's not the smartest, but he has a
memory like no other. He'll lead the way."
"He's a regular bloodhound," Jack muttered where only Sophia
could hear him.
They pushed through some brush and into an open field where
the weeds and vines were knee high.
"Great," Sophia said sarcastically. "I foresee chiggers in
places I dare not scratch in public."
"Could I scratch those places?" Jack asked with a hopeful
tone. He received another warning glare from her.
Everyone fanned out and began searching the area finding
stone ruins beneath the vines and weeds and brush.
Jack stopped in the center of the ruins as he looked at the
journal.
"What's this?" Jacarei asked looking at a stone head with a
ring in its mouth. She looked to her leader and a few men as
they came closer to look at it.
Jack and Sophia were still followed around by Kelmo who kept
a close eye on them.
Kelmo grunted and grabbed another stone head near them. He
pulled at the ring which caused the head to lower and trigger
a trap. They fell through a trap door and down a system of
chutes.
Jacarei and Adriana turned as they heard the others scream.
They looked to the other men who began searching the area for
the trio. Jacarei pulled on the head near them which dropped
them down into a trap door and into a system of chutes.
Once they stopped at the bottom of the last slide, Jack
looked around to see Sophia and Kelmo along with a few other
Brazilian gunmen with them. He didn't like that at all.
In another chamber, Adriana and Jacarei were lost with the
remaining men of their gang.
Jack looked out at a dark chasm with long bridges spanning
across the entire chamber. "What is this place?" He asked
as he stepped out onto one of the bridges.
Sophia jerked him back just as a large rotating blade lowered
into position where he was standing. "Now we're even."
"Thanks," Jack replied and looked back out at the place. He
noticed the bridges were moving like conveyor belts. There
were some that went left and right that led to others that
moved forward. "This can't be good."
Adriana ordered her men to lead the way across the maze of
conveyor belts, which received no hesitating from them. The
first few men died horribly from the bladed weapons that were
along the conveyor belt.
Jacarei noted large rotating blades, maces, spinning wheels
with spikes, and swinging blades. "I'm guessing we need to
go through that?"
"Afraid so," Adriana stated. She stepped out onto the
conveyor belt and ducked under a swinging blade. She jumped
over a rolling mace, and then between two spinning wheels of
spikes.
Jacarei tried to control her breathing before following.
Once she was calmer, she stepped out onto the conveyor belt
and followed her friend.
"After you," Sophia said to Jack, who was still sizing up the
situation.
"Coming with us?" Jack asked Kelmo, who wasn't phased
by the massive devices of torture. He stepped onto the
conveyor belt made of some kind of animal skin and began
moving forward in the maze.
Kelmo followed close behind Jack, who was looking for an
escape route. They dodged a spinning blade and a set of
swinging maces.
Jack stumbled and almost fell forward as the conveyor
continued rolling forward. He spotted the end which dropped
off into the chasm. He turned and punched Kel, who didn't
budge. Instead, Jack was the one who fell over. He rolled
off the edge and grabbed onto a support column. He was only
feet away from the edge of the conveyor that led to doom.
Kel kept pace with the conveyor as he stayed where Jack was.
He reached for Jack, who pulled the mammoth down. With the
momentum, Jack pulled himself onto the conveyor and moved
onto the next one.
As he looked forward, Jack spotted the other half of the gang
on the far side of the chamber. He rolled under a spinning
wheel of spikes. Before he could reach the end of the
smaller conveyor, a big arm reached around him and picked him
up.
It was Kelmo.
Sophia had somehow gotten left behind in the struggle and
separated from Jack.
Jack squirmed as the big man squeezed the breath out of him.
How on earth did this man survive? With the heels of his
boots, Jack kicked Kel's stomach and fell onto the conveyor
with a loud thud. He reached the end sooner than he thought.
Reacting quickly, he rolled forward and onto the next
conveyor belt that led toward the exit.
Kel jumped across and continued his chase of Jack.
Across the chamber, Sophia, Adriana, and Jacarei were busy
avoiding deadly devices themselves. They were too busy to
take notice or Jack's battle.
Two men grabbed Jack, who twisted and forced them into a
wheel of spikes.
Jack ducked under a device that he didn't really see what it
was. As if the booby traps were not enough, Kel was still
hot on his trail. Half way through the chamber, Jack noticed
a lot of Adriana's men were gone and it was not even his
fault. Before he could make his leap to the next conveyor,
Kel grabbed him.
The large man had Jack in a hold that did not allow him to
move. He cut off Jack's airway. As Jack quick fighting
back, he dropped the archaeologist onto the conveyor.
Jack lay motionless and in pain. He continued laying there
and staring up at the large man. Then Jack noticed the duo
of swinging blades. He covered his head with his arms as the
two blades sliced into the giant man.
The blades cut Kelmo vertically in half. The front half
slide off the the left as the back half fell to the right.
Blood covered the conveyor where Kel stood.
Jack was on his feet in no time and moved forward through the
maze of devices and conveyor belts. It was amazing that
something like this lie below the city. He looked around for
Sophia and anyone else who had survived. Then he reached the
end of the maze. He stood at the doorway and watched the
remaining few trek toward him.
Sophia was the first to reach the beaten and bruised
archaeologist. She moved as if she was going to embrace him,
even allowing him to open his arms to her, but she punched
his shoulder. "Damn! You beat me."
Jack's mouth was wide open after she hit him. He grasped the
bruised shoulder and turned to her.
Adriana and Jacarei arrived too with the only three men left
of the gang.
"This better be worth me losing my entire gang," Adriana
warned Jack Canyon.
"You'll be able to buy yourself a dozen gangs," Jack assured her. "Trust me."
"I'm trusting you," she stated. "If you're wrong, I will kill you myself."
"Gotcha," Jack replied. "Come on. I think we need to go this way."
"You're the leader of this expedition," Jacarei told him. "Lead the way."
Jack nodded and turned around to lead them down a corridor that was lit by torches. He kept close to Sophia, who continuously tried to stay away from him. They entered a small chamber that locked down on them immediately. "Shit!"
The stone doors closed and were impenetrable.
"Well, it could be worse," Jacarei said, just before the ceiling started to lower.
"It just got worse," Sophia told the petite Brazilian woman.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Jack Canyon and The Curse of The Spider Queen | CHAPTER SEVEN
Words: 1857
Jack stared at all the guns that the gang had pointed at him
as he froze and held his arms up. "I'm unarmed."
"Check him," Adriana, the leader spoke to one of the men.
Jack jumped a little as the man frisked him. "Hey, I'm
ticklish."
"Ah, an American sense of humor," the Latin woman spoke.
"Who are you?"
"I should be asking you the same question, sweetheart," Jack
said in response.
"Cocky attitude, signature Carhartt pants, and tee," she said
as she circled him. "It doesn't take a genius to spot the
world renown tomb raider, Jack Canyon."
Jack gave a cocky grin. "So, you've heard of me way down in
these parts, eh?"
"We have," Adriana Juarez replied. "We do not like
competitors." She stopped in front of him. "What we do to
those who come looking for what is ours is. . ." She pulled a
small dagger from a sheath on her belt.
"Surely, we can work a deal," he bargained.
"We don't make deals, Mr. Canyon," Adriana stated. "We just
kill and take money."
"You're nothing but a gang of looters, robbers," Jack
scoffed, which didn't get a happy response.
"Bring in Kel," she spoke to one of the males.
"Kel?" Jack asked.
"Yes, that is what we call him," Adriana answered. "His name
is Kelmo." She smiled as Jack's body was engulfed in a
shadow. "Little Kelmo."
Jack felt something against his back. "I sure hope that
isn't Kel." He looked back at the large man and then back at
Adriana. He laughed nervously. "That's not Kel, it's a
tree."
The husky man wrapped both his large hands around Jack's
throat and lifted him straight up.
"Maybe not a tree even," Jack struggled through chokes. "He
smells like a mammoth. Maybe you should bathe him more
often. Take him down. . ." He gasped. "To the local
watering hole."
"Now, you're infamous for having a female partner," Adriana
said as she looked up at Jack. "Where is she hiding?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Jack said hoarsely.
The Brazilian woman nodded at the mountain of a man. "Kill
him."
Jack put his feet flat against the beast's chest and pushed
himself off. He landed on his back and rolled away just
before Kelmo could stomp on him.
Kel reached down and grabbed Jack by the shirt and tossed him
through a fragile brick wall. Before the dust could clear,
Kelmo walked through the newly made hole. He didn't see Jack
at all.
Jack had climbed up a staircase to his left to get away from
the burly Brazilian man. His clothes were covered in dust now, as was his
face. He turned back to see the man chasing him.
Sophia continued to watch the two women giving orders to the
men in their native tongue. The men began to fan out in
search of something, in search of her.
Suddenly, right behind her, Jack crashed through another
stone wall. He rolled down the rubble and came to a halt.
Sophia had screamed and jumped out into the open where the
Brazilian men could take her into custody.
"Stop or I kill her!" Adriana shouted with her blade to
Sophia's throat.
Jack stood up but was a little shaken and beaten. "Alright,
I'm stopped."
"Good," Adriana said as she turned away and made way back to
the gang's campsite. "Bring him."
"Whoa! Whoa!" Jack's hands rose in a surrendering position,
before Kel could force him forward. "I'll move on my own."
He joined Sophia and they walked down the hall toward the
bonfire. "Nothing witty to say?"
Sophia's stare turned toward Jack. "You just couldn't leave
these people alone, could you?"
"This isn't entirely my fault," Jack argued.
"Well, there's no one else here to blame," she told him.
"Why are you here?" Adriana asked as she turned around
abruptly and faced them.
"We're searching for the lost city of the Spider Queen," Jack
admitted. "Maybe you've heard the story."
"Who hasn't?" The other Brazilian woman spoke out. She was
the same build as Adriana, but shorter. Her name was
Jacarei.
"You think it is here?" Adriana questioned. "You think it
is in my jungle?"
"Well, yeah," Jack replied confidently.
"If it was anywhere in my jungle, I would know about it!"
"We have a map," Jack spoke up. "If you help us find it, you
can keep all the riches inside."
Adriana narrowed her eyes at the archaeologist. This sounded
too good to be true. "What's in it for you?"
"I'm just here looking for a friend of mine," Jack stated.
"John Baxter. He's an archaeologist. Maybe you heard of him
or had seen him." Jack opened the journal to the map with
this temple and the river. "He came through here."
Adriana examined the page in the diary for a brief moment.
"That is Rio Madre de Dios."
"Can you lead us here?" Jack asked. "We just want our
friend. Whatever is in the city is all yours."
Adriana looked at Jack's eyes to see if he was sincere.
"Fine. We have a deal, but cross me and Kel will be your
demise."
"Once we reach the river, I'll show you the following pages,"
Jack told her.
Adriana nodded and then spoke to her men, who quickly began
gathering their things.
Jack and Sophia stood firm and awaited for everything to
settle down.
Once everything was calm, Adriana approached the duo. "The
river is not far. Come."
Jack and Sophia blended into the gang as they all hiked
through the jungle toward the river.
Once at the river, Jack noticed canoes tied to trees on the
bank. He hoped this wasn't their form of transport. "You
know, they have boats with motors."
"Motors make noise and alert people," Adriana said. "With
our manpower we do fine."
Jack glanced back at Kelmo. "Well, when you have King Kong
paddling the boat, of course."
Adriana looked up at the two archaeologists from the long canoe. There were three canoes, with two seating all the men and one for Kelmo, Jacarei, and Adriana. "Get in," she said forcibly.
Jack and Sophia slowly stepped into the canoes, but Kel couldn't help himself and shoved Jack down. The canoe might have been fifteen or twenty feet long, but it was very claustrophobic with the giant in it.
"Kelmo!" Jacarei cried out. She kept her death glare at him until he lowered his head and got into the canoe.
Jack and Sophia sat on separate ends, so they could not plan an escape. Jacarei and Adriana sat in the middle of the canoe while Kel sat in back to paddle. Their canoe went out first, drifting along the current of the river.
The second canoe held about four or six men, as did the third canoe. It was a large gang with a vast territory all over the Amazon rain forest and parts of the Andes mountains.
Sophia noted a family of otters along the bank as well as some monkeys and macaws in the trees. It was really a jungle out there. Even a lone jaguar was moving through the trees in search of its prey. She suddenly felt her own arms cuddling her at the sight of the jaguar. She was slightly skittish of the large cat. "Oh, look, turtles."
"Amazonian turtles," Adriana mentioned.
"Why are they all swimming in unison in one direction?" She asked, looking up for a moment. That's when she saw desolate banks. The Giant River Otters had vanished along with the monkeys and parrots (macaws). "Did the jaguars scare them off?"
"No, caiman," Jacarei pointed out along the bend in the river.
Caiman?" Sophia asked as she looked up ahead. "What's that?" That's when she spotted large alligators. "Oh, that can't be good."
Two large caiman slid off into the river to Sophia's dismay. The smaller ones stayed on the sandy bank.
The canoe shook for a moment startling Sophia. It felt like it bumped into a floating log. Then the canoe shook harder, throwing Sophia out.
"Sophia!" Jack screamed as he stood up in the rocking wooden canoe. The water was calm for only a moment. He kept his eyes focused on the water until he spotted the tail of an alligator raise up and dive under where Sophia had fallen. Remembering that Kelmo had a large knife on his side, Jack jerked around and pulled the knife free before diving into the water.
"Jack! NO!" Adriana cried out as he dove off the canoe. "Idiot."
The water was splashed about and whirled in places, but stopped moments later. Everyone in the canoes watched with anticipation. Then blood billowed up to the surface of the water.
"Oh, no," Adriana said squeamishly. Then she spotted Sophia's head pop out of the water. "Help her, Kel."
Kelmo grabbed her arms and pulled her into the boat.
"Where's Jack?" Sophia asked, gasping for breath. She flung her head back, whipping her hair out of her face.
In a shimmer of light, something came out of the water and over the side of the boat. It was an arm that clenched Kel's dagger. Kelmo immediately pulled Jack into the boat.
"That was the dumbest thing I have ever seen," Jacarei and Adriana spoke simultaneously.
Jack lay in the front of the canoe just staring up at the others.
"Jack," Sophia said, getting his attention.
"What?" He asked, exasperated.
She shook her head trying to find the right words. "Thank you." She moved to him and comforted him.
"Hey, you would've done the same for me," he replied.
"No, I wouldn't," Sophia told him with a chuckle.
Jack leaned back as he tried to catch his breath.
"But thank you, anyway," she continued through his silence.
Night fell upon the river and the canoes as they progressed down river to their next destination. Jack still lay in the front of the canoe, though he was asleep. Sophia and Adriana sat in the middle with Jacarei.
"Jack was amazing back there," Adriana stated bashfully to her new friend. She had grown to respect Jack Canyon for his show of bravery.
"Yeah, I have never seen anything like that from him before," Sophia replied.
"And he's single?" Jacarei asked.
"You can have him," Sophia offered.
"You have your heart set on him," Adriana stated. "You're a lucky woman to be working with such a man."
"Surely these guys would do the same," Sophia said as she looked back at the other canoes.
"It's only sexy if they do it out of love," Jacarei told her. "These fellows are just. . . here for the money."
"But they seem to follow your every command," Sophia pointed out.
"Out of fear," Adriana explained. "They've seen what we can do to competitors and back stabbers."
Sophia smiled because she found it all amusing. A gang of bandits out in the Amazon was an interesting thing to her. "How much further until we reach our landing?"
"Another hour," Jacarei replied. "Maybe less if we're lucky."
"When do I get to see the next pages?" Adriana asked.
"When we reach our destination," Sophia guaranteed.
Jack stared at all the guns that the gang had pointed at him
as he froze and held his arms up. "I'm unarmed."
"Check him," Adriana, the leader spoke to one of the men.
Jack jumped a little as the man frisked him. "Hey, I'm
ticklish."
"Ah, an American sense of humor," the Latin woman spoke.
"Who are you?"
"I should be asking you the same question, sweetheart," Jack
said in response.
"Cocky attitude, signature Carhartt pants, and tee," she said
as she circled him. "It doesn't take a genius to spot the
world renown tomb raider, Jack Canyon."
Jack gave a cocky grin. "So, you've heard of me way down in
these parts, eh?"
"We have," Adriana Juarez replied. "We do not like
competitors." She stopped in front of him. "What we do to
those who come looking for what is ours is. . ." She pulled a
small dagger from a sheath on her belt.
"Surely, we can work a deal," he bargained.
"We don't make deals, Mr. Canyon," Adriana stated. "We just
kill and take money."
"You're nothing but a gang of looters, robbers," Jack
scoffed, which didn't get a happy response.
"Bring in Kel," she spoke to one of the males.
"Kel?" Jack asked.
"Yes, that is what we call him," Adriana answered. "His name
is Kelmo." She smiled as Jack's body was engulfed in a
shadow. "Little Kelmo."
Jack felt something against his back. "I sure hope that
isn't Kel." He looked back at the large man and then back at
Adriana. He laughed nervously. "That's not Kel, it's a
tree."
The husky man wrapped both his large hands around Jack's
throat and lifted him straight up.
"Maybe not a tree even," Jack struggled through chokes. "He
smells like a mammoth. Maybe you should bathe him more
often. Take him down. . ." He gasped. "To the local
watering hole."
"Now, you're infamous for having a female partner," Adriana
said as she looked up at Jack. "Where is she hiding?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Jack said hoarsely.
The Brazilian woman nodded at the mountain of a man. "Kill
him."
Jack put his feet flat against the beast's chest and pushed
himself off. He landed on his back and rolled away just
before Kelmo could stomp on him.
Kel reached down and grabbed Jack by the shirt and tossed him
through a fragile brick wall. Before the dust could clear,
Kelmo walked through the newly made hole. He didn't see Jack
at all.
Jack had climbed up a staircase to his left to get away from
the burly Brazilian man. His clothes were covered in dust now, as was his
face. He turned back to see the man chasing him.
Sophia continued to watch the two women giving orders to the
men in their native tongue. The men began to fan out in
search of something, in search of her.
Suddenly, right behind her, Jack crashed through another
stone wall. He rolled down the rubble and came to a halt.
Sophia had screamed and jumped out into the open where the
Brazilian men could take her into custody.
"Stop or I kill her!" Adriana shouted with her blade to
Sophia's throat.
Jack stood up but was a little shaken and beaten. "Alright,
I'm stopped."
"Good," Adriana said as she turned away and made way back to
the gang's campsite. "Bring him."
"Whoa! Whoa!" Jack's hands rose in a surrendering position,
before Kel could force him forward. "I'll move on my own."
He joined Sophia and they walked down the hall toward the
bonfire. "Nothing witty to say?"
Sophia's stare turned toward Jack. "You just couldn't leave
these people alone, could you?"
"This isn't entirely my fault," Jack argued.
"Well, there's no one else here to blame," she told him.
"Why are you here?" Adriana asked as she turned around
abruptly and faced them.
"We're searching for the lost city of the Spider Queen," Jack
admitted. "Maybe you've heard the story."
"Who hasn't?" The other Brazilian woman spoke out. She was
the same build as Adriana, but shorter. Her name was
Jacarei.
"You think it is here?" Adriana questioned. "You think it
is in my jungle?"
"Well, yeah," Jack replied confidently.
"If it was anywhere in my jungle, I would know about it!"
"We have a map," Jack spoke up. "If you help us find it, you
can keep all the riches inside."
Adriana narrowed her eyes at the archaeologist. This sounded
too good to be true. "What's in it for you?"
"I'm just here looking for a friend of mine," Jack stated.
"John Baxter. He's an archaeologist. Maybe you heard of him
or had seen him." Jack opened the journal to the map with
this temple and the river. "He came through here."
Adriana examined the page in the diary for a brief moment.
"That is Rio Madre de Dios."
"Can you lead us here?" Jack asked. "We just want our
friend. Whatever is in the city is all yours."
Adriana looked at Jack's eyes to see if he was sincere.
"Fine. We have a deal, but cross me and Kel will be your
demise."
"Once we reach the river, I'll show you the following pages,"
Jack told her.
Adriana nodded and then spoke to her men, who quickly began
gathering their things.
Jack and Sophia stood firm and awaited for everything to
settle down.
Once everything was calm, Adriana approached the duo. "The
river is not far. Come."
Jack and Sophia blended into the gang as they all hiked
through the jungle toward the river.
Once at the river, Jack noticed canoes tied to trees on the
bank. He hoped this wasn't their form of transport. "You
know, they have boats with motors."
"Motors make noise and alert people," Adriana said. "With
our manpower we do fine."
Jack glanced back at Kelmo. "Well, when you have King Kong
paddling the boat, of course."
Adriana looked up at the two archaeologists from the long canoe. There were three canoes, with two seating all the men and one for Kelmo, Jacarei, and Adriana. "Get in," she said forcibly.
Jack and Sophia slowly stepped into the canoes, but Kel couldn't help himself and shoved Jack down. The canoe might have been fifteen or twenty feet long, but it was very claustrophobic with the giant in it.
"Kelmo!" Jacarei cried out. She kept her death glare at him until he lowered his head and got into the canoe.
Jack and Sophia sat on separate ends, so they could not plan an escape. Jacarei and Adriana sat in the middle of the canoe while Kel sat in back to paddle. Their canoe went out first, drifting along the current of the river.
The second canoe held about four or six men, as did the third canoe. It was a large gang with a vast territory all over the Amazon rain forest and parts of the Andes mountains.
Sophia noted a family of otters along the bank as well as some monkeys and macaws in the trees. It was really a jungle out there. Even a lone jaguar was moving through the trees in search of its prey. She suddenly felt her own arms cuddling her at the sight of the jaguar. She was slightly skittish of the large cat. "Oh, look, turtles."
"Amazonian turtles," Adriana mentioned.
"Why are they all swimming in unison in one direction?" She asked, looking up for a moment. That's when she saw desolate banks. The Giant River Otters had vanished along with the monkeys and parrots (macaws). "Did the jaguars scare them off?"
"No, caiman," Jacarei pointed out along the bend in the river.
Caiman?" Sophia asked as she looked up ahead. "What's that?" That's when she spotted large alligators. "Oh, that can't be good."
Two large caiman slid off into the river to Sophia's dismay. The smaller ones stayed on the sandy bank.
The canoe shook for a moment startling Sophia. It felt like it bumped into a floating log. Then the canoe shook harder, throwing Sophia out.
"Sophia!" Jack screamed as he stood up in the rocking wooden canoe. The water was calm for only a moment. He kept his eyes focused on the water until he spotted the tail of an alligator raise up and dive under where Sophia had fallen. Remembering that Kelmo had a large knife on his side, Jack jerked around and pulled the knife free before diving into the water.
"Jack! NO!" Adriana cried out as he dove off the canoe. "Idiot."
The water was splashed about and whirled in places, but stopped moments later. Everyone in the canoes watched with anticipation. Then blood billowed up to the surface of the water.
"Oh, no," Adriana said squeamishly. Then she spotted Sophia's head pop out of the water. "Help her, Kel."
Kelmo grabbed her arms and pulled her into the boat.
"Where's Jack?" Sophia asked, gasping for breath. She flung her head back, whipping her hair out of her face.
In a shimmer of light, something came out of the water and over the side of the boat. It was an arm that clenched Kel's dagger. Kelmo immediately pulled Jack into the boat.
"That was the dumbest thing I have ever seen," Jacarei and Adriana spoke simultaneously.
Jack lay in the front of the canoe just staring up at the others.
"Jack," Sophia said, getting his attention.
"What?" He asked, exasperated.
She shook her head trying to find the right words. "Thank you." She moved to him and comforted him.
"Hey, you would've done the same for me," he replied.
"No, I wouldn't," Sophia told him with a chuckle.
Jack leaned back as he tried to catch his breath.
"But thank you, anyway," she continued through his silence.
Night fell upon the river and the canoes as they progressed down river to their next destination. Jack still lay in the front of the canoe, though he was asleep. Sophia and Adriana sat in the middle with Jacarei.
"Jack was amazing back there," Adriana stated bashfully to her new friend. She had grown to respect Jack Canyon for his show of bravery.
"Yeah, I have never seen anything like that from him before," Sophia replied.
"And he's single?" Jacarei asked.
"You can have him," Sophia offered.
"You have your heart set on him," Adriana stated. "You're a lucky woman to be working with such a man."
"Surely these guys would do the same," Sophia said as she looked back at the other canoes.
"It's only sexy if they do it out of love," Jacarei told her. "These fellows are just. . . here for the money."
"But they seem to follow your every command," Sophia pointed out.
"Out of fear," Adriana explained. "They've seen what we can do to competitors and back stabbers."
Sophia smiled because she found it all amusing. A gang of bandits out in the Amazon was an interesting thing to her. "How much further until we reach our landing?"
"Another hour," Jacarei replied. "Maybe less if we're lucky."
"When do I get to see the next pages?" Adriana asked.
"When we reach our destination," Sophia guaranteed.
Jack Canyon and The Curse of The Spider Queen | CHAPTER SIX
Words: 1774
Nightfall had caught the duo of archaeologists at the edge of the Andes Mountains. The series of bridges allowed easier travel, but not less time. It had taken them thirteen hours to reach this location. Midnight was a dreary time of day in the mountains and jungle. They were so tired and the breaks every so often hadn't helped them at all. It had still been a strenuous trek through the Andes.
"Is it time for a break, yet?" Sophia asked near exhaustion.
"I think it would be best to camp," he told her as he stopped dead in his tracks. His T-shirt was soaked in his sweat and his Carhartt work pants were dirtier than they were. Water stains were around the ankles and dirt was on the knees and butt.
Sophia wiped several beads of sweat from between her breasts. "Ugh! Why must all your adventures involve mountains?" She asked as she looked up at him. She noticed him staring at her breasts. "And DON'T STARE at my BREASTS!"
Jack turned away from the angry screaming woman. "It just so happens that most of the relics we search for are in mountainous terrains."
"Yeah," she said exasperated as she flopped down onto the jungle floor. "Noah's Ark at Ararat. God at Sinai. Even in Greece, mountains. Then you bring me here. If the next damn adventure goes between, or around, or under a mountain, I'm quitting."
"Sophia," Jack said simply.
"What?" She sighed and tried to catch her breath.
"Just shut up," Jack huffed. "We both know you won't leave me."
"You don't pay that well, so why else would I stay?"
"Because I'm good looking," Jack said, as if that was obvious. He glanced at her just in time to see her roll her blue eyes. Jack ran his hand through his dark brown hair, which was wet with sweat. "Listen, working for me can't be that bad. . . can it? I mean, I'm doing the best I can."
Sophia scooted close to his side. "Jack, working for you is awful." Wow. Her words were cold and sharp, but true. "I stay here because it's fun and adventurous. Besides, someone has to save your ass."
"Hey, I don't get into trouble that often," he argued. Though, he knew she was right. She was always right about him.
Sophia glanced over at him, but made sure he didn't notice what her eyes were saying, or thinking. She sighed heavily as she mentally beat herself for thinking such things. She had a soft spot for this man still, but she understood why he was the way he was. So, why could she not like him? Nothing was stopping her. She snapped out of her moment of weakness and rolled over to get comfortable. "Maybe you should build a fire."
"What am I, a boy scout, now?" Jack asked as he looked over at his partner. "Sophia?" Silence. "Soph?"
Sophia faked a snore as she kept her eyes shut.
"Right," he said to himself. "Fire." He looked around the area and began to collect logs and sticks for a fire. He used his scuffed up and dirty boots to turn a small patch of grass into dirt. It would keep the fire from spreading. He stacked the logs in the small area of dirt, before searching their pack for flint.
Sophia peaked every once in a while to check his progress.
Jack finally got a fire started by sparking the flint with his knife. He let out a sigh of relief and sat with his back against a tree trunk. He glanced over at Sophia, catching her eyes open. "I thought you were asleep."
"All the noise made it difficult," she lied.
"Uh-huh. I bet." He breathed easy since the fire was done and Sophia seemed to be happy. It would keep them warm through the night and keep the wild animals away. "Best sleep," he told her as he got comfortable. "We're heading out at first light."
"What time is that?" Sophia asked looking at her Swiss watch.
"I don't know," Jack replied annoyed. "When the sun is slightly up and you can see more than ten feet in front of you."
"Well, expect me to oversleep," she said sternly.
"You better get your pretty, perfect little ass up when I wake you."
"What about my ass?" Sophia asked with an angered tone.
"I must be talking in my sleep," he mumbled as he slowly drifted off.
"You better be," she warned as she got comfortable again.
The morning sun beamed down through the dense rain forest and found its way upon Jack's face. He woke suddenly as his face got too warm. He noticed the fire was out and smoke slowly billowed from the dirt.
"Good morning, sunshine," Sophia smiled wickedly at him. "You overslept. I tried waking you twice."
"What time is it?" He asked groggily.
She looked at her watched, and replied, "Almost nine A.M."
Jack adjusted himself as if someone else had been watching him. He had to look like he meant to oversleep. "How long have you been up?"
"About an hour," she told him. "I took a look at Baxter's journal to see where he went from here. I'm very surprised we're even close to the mark."
"Why?"
"Because your sense of direction sucks," she said blatantly. "I mean, I read through the next few pages after Machu Picchu. We're about five or six yards from Baxter's campsite."
"Did you figure out where we go from here?" Jack asked as he rose to his feet and dusted off his pants.
"There is a river with no name," she answered. "Beyond that is where Araneae City is."
"Are there descriptions?" Jack continued with questions. "Maybe a map, where X marks the spot?"
"Nothing," she told him. "There is a temple between us and the river. That's all I know."
"Why don't we follow the path from John's campsite?"
"Why not?" Sophia asked as she stood from her kneeling position. She threw down the stick that she had used to stir the dirt and put out the fire. "It's this way."
Once they were at the campsite, Jack investigated the footprints and other evidence left by his friend. He checked out the stake holes where the tents were kept and then spotted the campfire's place.
"What are you, a tracker?" Sophia asked annoyed.
"We're detectives of the past, Sophia," Jack stated. "This is pretty much our job. We put together pieces of a puzzle to see where people had been or what happened. How is this any different than people who left tracks four-thousand years ago?"
Sophia shrugged, because he had a logical point. "So, which way?"
"The same way we've been going," he told her. "East."
"I hope you know what you're doing," she warned sternly.
Jack turned away from her to face in the direction the expedition had gone and to make a face that expressed his worry. "One foot in front of the other," he spoke as he stepped out in a long stride, but lost his footing and fell forward and down a long chute on the side of the steep hill.
Sophia shook her head and moved forward to check on her boss. She looked down the steep path that had been cut in the jungle terrain. She grabbed ahold of a vine and lowered herself as far as she could. She was careful with each transfer from vine to vine or some other object like a tree. She finally reached bottom where Jack was lying all dirty and bruised.
Jack looked up at her from his lying position. He could see the crotch of her tight jeans.
"One foot in front of the other, huh?" Sophia scolded, before stepping over him so he could no longer admire her crotch. Men.
"You could help me up," Jack admitted as he forced himself up. He groaned as he moved because his muscles and bones ached.
"It's not my fault you're down there in the first place," she stated as she looked ahead of their current position. "I can see the temple from here."
Jack moved in beside her to see what she was looking at. "Let's check it out." He slowly stepped forward and was careful of any sudden drops. The last one had gotten his attention and woken him up. "Why am I always the one getting hurt anyway?"
"Honestly, Jack, that's a stupid question," she told him.
"Look, don't start with that karma crap," he warned her as he pointed his index finger.
"Actually, I was going to say it was because I'm pretty and you're ugly."
"Well, you're half right," he said about her being pretty.
"I know," she smiled. "You're ugly."
The temple only took a few minutes to reach. It was made of stone, some of which was covered in moss or vines. Some other places were broken and crumbled into piles.
"Cozy place," Jack said sarcastically. He led Sophia into the main entrance hall, which looked unending. As they drew closer to the end, they discovered they weren't alone. Jack froze.
Sophia took notice of him and looked down the corridor.
"Get back," Jack urged as he pushed himself against her to pin her against the wall.
"Jack," she squirmed. "I'm not comfortable with this position."
"Well, if you want to be on top," he said with a cocky grin.
"No time for jokes," she reminded.
"Right," he frowned. "You always get to be sarcastic. Why not me?"
"Wait until we're out of this; then you can joke all you want to."
"We're not in trouble, yet," he stated.
"Somehow, I bet that's going to change," she spoke in a monotone.
"Well, I think we should check these people out," he said as he peeked around at them. He finally moved off Sophia, much to her relief. "Brazilians. That's my guess."
"Just what we need," Sophia muttered.
"I think those two are in charge," he motioned with a nod of his head.
"The two women?" Sophia questioned, shocked.
"Look at how the men fear them," he noted. "Notice how they carry themselves? It's quite a turn on."
Sophia cleared her throat.
"Sorry," Jack apologized. "I got carried away."
"What's the plan, genius?"
"I'm going to introduce myself," Jack admitted as he stepped out from behind the stone pillar, while Sophia stayed back behind a pillar. She would stay hidden in case something went wrong, and it was just a matter of time before it did. Jack froze as the Brazilian women and men turned toward him. "Hi."
Nightfall had caught the duo of archaeologists at the edge of the Andes Mountains. The series of bridges allowed easier travel, but not less time. It had taken them thirteen hours to reach this location. Midnight was a dreary time of day in the mountains and jungle. They were so tired and the breaks every so often hadn't helped them at all. It had still been a strenuous trek through the Andes.
"Is it time for a break, yet?" Sophia asked near exhaustion.
"I think it would be best to camp," he told her as he stopped dead in his tracks. His T-shirt was soaked in his sweat and his Carhartt work pants were dirtier than they were. Water stains were around the ankles and dirt was on the knees and butt.
Sophia wiped several beads of sweat from between her breasts. "Ugh! Why must all your adventures involve mountains?" She asked as she looked up at him. She noticed him staring at her breasts. "And DON'T STARE at my BREASTS!"
Jack turned away from the angry screaming woman. "It just so happens that most of the relics we search for are in mountainous terrains."
"Yeah," she said exasperated as she flopped down onto the jungle floor. "Noah's Ark at Ararat. God at Sinai. Even in Greece, mountains. Then you bring me here. If the next damn adventure goes between, or around, or under a mountain, I'm quitting."
"Sophia," Jack said simply.
"What?" She sighed and tried to catch her breath.
"Just shut up," Jack huffed. "We both know you won't leave me."
"You don't pay that well, so why else would I stay?"
"Because I'm good looking," Jack said, as if that was obvious. He glanced at her just in time to see her roll her blue eyes. Jack ran his hand through his dark brown hair, which was wet with sweat. "Listen, working for me can't be that bad. . . can it? I mean, I'm doing the best I can."
Sophia scooted close to his side. "Jack, working for you is awful." Wow. Her words were cold and sharp, but true. "I stay here because it's fun and adventurous. Besides, someone has to save your ass."
"Hey, I don't get into trouble that often," he argued. Though, he knew she was right. She was always right about him.
Sophia glanced over at him, but made sure he didn't notice what her eyes were saying, or thinking. She sighed heavily as she mentally beat herself for thinking such things. She had a soft spot for this man still, but she understood why he was the way he was. So, why could she not like him? Nothing was stopping her. She snapped out of her moment of weakness and rolled over to get comfortable. "Maybe you should build a fire."
"What am I, a boy scout, now?" Jack asked as he looked over at his partner. "Sophia?" Silence. "Soph?"
Sophia faked a snore as she kept her eyes shut.
"Right," he said to himself. "Fire." He looked around the area and began to collect logs and sticks for a fire. He used his scuffed up and dirty boots to turn a small patch of grass into dirt. It would keep the fire from spreading. He stacked the logs in the small area of dirt, before searching their pack for flint.
Sophia peaked every once in a while to check his progress.
Jack finally got a fire started by sparking the flint with his knife. He let out a sigh of relief and sat with his back against a tree trunk. He glanced over at Sophia, catching her eyes open. "I thought you were asleep."
"All the noise made it difficult," she lied.
"Uh-huh. I bet." He breathed easy since the fire was done and Sophia seemed to be happy. It would keep them warm through the night and keep the wild animals away. "Best sleep," he told her as he got comfortable. "We're heading out at first light."
"What time is that?" Sophia asked looking at her Swiss watch.
"I don't know," Jack replied annoyed. "When the sun is slightly up and you can see more than ten feet in front of you."
"Well, expect me to oversleep," she said sternly.
"You better get your pretty, perfect little ass up when I wake you."
"What about my ass?" Sophia asked with an angered tone.
"I must be talking in my sleep," he mumbled as he slowly drifted off.
"You better be," she warned as she got comfortable again.
The morning sun beamed down through the dense rain forest and found its way upon Jack's face. He woke suddenly as his face got too warm. He noticed the fire was out and smoke slowly billowed from the dirt.
"Good morning, sunshine," Sophia smiled wickedly at him. "You overslept. I tried waking you twice."
"What time is it?" He asked groggily.
She looked at her watched, and replied, "Almost nine A.M."
Jack adjusted himself as if someone else had been watching him. He had to look like he meant to oversleep. "How long have you been up?"
"About an hour," she told him. "I took a look at Baxter's journal to see where he went from here. I'm very surprised we're even close to the mark."
"Why?"
"Because your sense of direction sucks," she said blatantly. "I mean, I read through the next few pages after Machu Picchu. We're about five or six yards from Baxter's campsite."
"Did you figure out where we go from here?" Jack asked as he rose to his feet and dusted off his pants.
"There is a river with no name," she answered. "Beyond that is where Araneae City is."
"Are there descriptions?" Jack continued with questions. "Maybe a map, where X marks the spot?"
"Nothing," she told him. "There is a temple between us and the river. That's all I know."
"Why don't we follow the path from John's campsite?"
"Why not?" Sophia asked as she stood from her kneeling position. She threw down the stick that she had used to stir the dirt and put out the fire. "It's this way."
Once they were at the campsite, Jack investigated the footprints and other evidence left by his friend. He checked out the stake holes where the tents were kept and then spotted the campfire's place.
"What are you, a tracker?" Sophia asked annoyed.
"We're detectives of the past, Sophia," Jack stated. "This is pretty much our job. We put together pieces of a puzzle to see where people had been or what happened. How is this any different than people who left tracks four-thousand years ago?"
Sophia shrugged, because he had a logical point. "So, which way?"
"The same way we've been going," he told her. "East."
"I hope you know what you're doing," she warned sternly.
Jack turned away from her to face in the direction the expedition had gone and to make a face that expressed his worry. "One foot in front of the other," he spoke as he stepped out in a long stride, but lost his footing and fell forward and down a long chute on the side of the steep hill.
Sophia shook her head and moved forward to check on her boss. She looked down the steep path that had been cut in the jungle terrain. She grabbed ahold of a vine and lowered herself as far as she could. She was careful with each transfer from vine to vine or some other object like a tree. She finally reached bottom where Jack was lying all dirty and bruised.
Jack looked up at her from his lying position. He could see the crotch of her tight jeans.
"One foot in front of the other, huh?" Sophia scolded, before stepping over him so he could no longer admire her crotch. Men.
"You could help me up," Jack admitted as he forced himself up. He groaned as he moved because his muscles and bones ached.
"It's not my fault you're down there in the first place," she stated as she looked ahead of their current position. "I can see the temple from here."
Jack moved in beside her to see what she was looking at. "Let's check it out." He slowly stepped forward and was careful of any sudden drops. The last one had gotten his attention and woken him up. "Why am I always the one getting hurt anyway?"
"Honestly, Jack, that's a stupid question," she told him.
"Look, don't start with that karma crap," he warned her as he pointed his index finger.
"Actually, I was going to say it was because I'm pretty and you're ugly."
"Well, you're half right," he said about her being pretty.
"I know," she smiled. "You're ugly."
The temple only took a few minutes to reach. It was made of stone, some of which was covered in moss or vines. Some other places were broken and crumbled into piles.
"Cozy place," Jack said sarcastically. He led Sophia into the main entrance hall, which looked unending. As they drew closer to the end, they discovered they weren't alone. Jack froze.
Sophia took notice of him and looked down the corridor.
"Get back," Jack urged as he pushed himself against her to pin her against the wall.
"Jack," she squirmed. "I'm not comfortable with this position."
"Well, if you want to be on top," he said with a cocky grin.
"No time for jokes," she reminded.
"Right," he frowned. "You always get to be sarcastic. Why not me?"
"Wait until we're out of this; then you can joke all you want to."
"We're not in trouble, yet," he stated.
"Somehow, I bet that's going to change," she spoke in a monotone.
"Well, I think we should check these people out," he said as he peeked around at them. He finally moved off Sophia, much to her relief. "Brazilians. That's my guess."
"Just what we need," Sophia muttered.
"I think those two are in charge," he motioned with a nod of his head.
"The two women?" Sophia questioned, shocked.
"Look at how the men fear them," he noted. "Notice how they carry themselves? It's quite a turn on."
Sophia cleared her throat.
"Sorry," Jack apologized. "I got carried away."
"What's the plan, genius?"
"I'm going to introduce myself," Jack admitted as he stepped out from behind the stone pillar, while Sophia stayed back behind a pillar. She would stay hidden in case something went wrong, and it was just a matter of time before it did. Jack froze as the Brazilian women and men turned toward him. "Hi."
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Jack Canyon and The Curse of The Spider Queen | CHAPTER FIVE
Words: 1739
Jack Canyon had poured his heart out to Sophia Stone, his assistant for four years and ex-girlfriend. They didn't even last two months after their return from Mount Sinai. Were things different now? Were things different again after all the heart-felt emotion? Jack had made sure not to let her get too close, but yet, the sandy blonde woman still loved him. It must have been his ruggedness, his confident, adventurous air.
The plane ride had been an awkwardly quiet one for the duo. It was a first. It didn't involve any sleep between either of them. Sophia simply didn't know what to talk about, which was another first. She always had something interesting to say, which was one thing Jack loved about her. She also had a quick wit about her, which made working with her fun. Then again, her retorts and jokes put Jack on edge and kept him on his feet. It also confused him about her feelings.
Jack sighed heavily as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He had spent the last eighteen hours or so reading up on his lost friend's diary. It was a long and drawn out riddle. It made absolutely no sense to Jack at all. He hoped being on location would help solve the mystery. He was glad he had brought Sophia along. She was his linguist. She could interpret anything he needed, whether it was spoken or written.
Standing on a grassy patch of land inside the city that had been built in or around 1450 BC, Jack looked around and at the diary page of Machu Picchu. He could see the Temple of the Three Windows to his left, the Temple of the Sun behind him, and the Temple of the Condor to his right. He remembered that and examined the map that John Baxter had drawn.
"Well," Sophia said breaking the silence.
"The Inca Rope Bridge is over that way," Jack said. "It crosses the Urubamba River. The Inca Trunk Bridge is to my left." He motioned with his finger, pointing at the map. Then he pointed out, trying to find the hidden exit John Baxter had illustrated.
"Jack, this place is huge," Sophia stated. "We'll never find it."
"I can do this," Jack argued. "It's not rocket science!"
"Good thing," Sophia replied. "You can barely do basic science."
Jack pointed his finger at her as if he was warning her. "This way," he said as he headed off to the right and up the staircase. Once he was on top he searched for the sacred pools. "Alright, beyond this is the Industrial Mortar District. Come on."
"I'm coming," she said sternly.
Once he reached the edge of that area, he saw nothing. "What the. . .?" He looked off the edge and down at the long distance between him and the mountainous terrain below. "There's nothing here."
"So much for our little rocket scientist," Sophia said sarcastically. "You must be reading it all wrong."
"I'm not reading it wrong," he urged as he shoved the leather-bound diary into her chest. "Look!"
Sophia rolled her eyes and shook her head as she opened up the journal and began examining it. "Jack? What is this?"
"Huh?" Jack asked as he got up from the edge and moved back to her. He looked down at where her finger pointed. "It's the map's compass."
"I don't think so," she told him. "Those are generally at the bottom. This one is drawn at eleven o'clock on this page."
Jack examined it closer for a moment, noting that the sun-like drawing was indeed in that position in accordance to the drawing of Machu Picchu and all the bridges.
"There are no cardinal points," she pointed out. "I don't think this is a compass. I think this is telling us a time."
"Why?" Jack asked, confused.
"Come on, genius," Sophia gave in answer. "You know more about John Baxter than anyone else."
"Why don't we just have some kind of seance and ask him what the hell he meant?" Jack asked, growing angry at the riddles left behind by his friend.
"Jack!"
"What?!" He yelled out as he turned and looked at her with a fury in his eyes that would scare a child into crying. He received the usual look from Sophia. It was a look she gave when he was angry. She was calm and pretty. Jack looked away for a moment.
"Jack," she spoke softly. "Just relax and think."
Jack sat down for a moment and closed his eyes. "I don't know what I'm doing, Soph."
"Sure you do," she replied as she sat down beside him. She handed him the diary. "What's important about the sun? What does it mean to the Incas?"
Jack sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. "The Incas worshiped nature. Ithi was their sun god, and perhaps the most important god, as the sun is the most important aspect of life. Though, Viracocha was the most worshiped god."
"Jack, we're not back at the university," Sophia reminded. "No Inca religion lectures."
Jack nodded as he realized now wasn't the time for teaching her about the Inca religion. "Okay," he said as he started to think clearly. Then he looked at his watch. "It's ten o'clock in the morning. We wait."
"Wait for what?" Sophia asked, confused.
"Eleven o'clock," he replied simply. "Then we'll know what to do." He had figured it out. The Incas believe highly in the sun. So, whatever John Baxter had to show them would appear at the eleventh hour.
Sophia sat with Jack through the whole hour. It was horrible for her. She was annoyed with the silence, but annoyed with Jack's sighs too. He was the most impatient person she had ever met. He was never good at just sitting and waiting. Sophia did her best to refrain from shouting out at him. So far, she had done all that in her mind. Then Jack sighed once more. "If you don't stop that, I'm going to throw you off the edge of the cliff."
"Sor-ry," Jack said angrily. "You'd think with all the time you have put in on the job with me, you would be used to this."
"Well, some things you can't quite get used to," she stated. "And those things annoy the hell out of me."
"What time is it?" He asked.
"We have a few minutes," she replied as she looked at her watch.
Jack looked down at the journal page on Machu Picchu and its bridges. Then he looked around at the city ruins one last time before turning his attention out to the area where the bridge was supposed to be. There was nothing there. Why did Baxter draw a bridge where none existed?
As the sun shifted into place, it became visible. Somehow, the sun's beams brought the bridge into light.
Jack and Sophia were both in awe at what they saw. No advanced technology could do this, but the Incas had somehow done it. A wooden rope bridge appeared a few feet below. Jack mentally noted that the mirrors could have been used to do this. After all, magicians used mirrors to make things disappear.
"Alright, let's go," Jack said as he put the journal into his back pocket.
"How on earth did Baxter find this?" Sophia asked, still in awe of the display of ingenuity.
"He had an entire team up here scouring around to find clues about the Spider Queen," Jack explained. "I'm sure one of them discovered this thing while examining this place."
Sophia walked along the bridge, noticing little bits of silver in the wood, which must have acted like a mirror to hide the bridge from intruders.
Jack smiled as they were halfway across. He glanced back at Sophia, but noticed that the bridge was slowly collapsing. "That's not good."
"What?" Sophia asked as she turned to see what he was looking at. As the sun was moving out of position, the bridge was vanishing from sight. If they didn't hurry, they would not make it to the other side.
Jack grabbed Sophia's arm and pushed out front. "Go. GO!" He urged her.
Sophia began to run toward the end of the bridge, which led down to the peak of the next mountain. It was a long bridge.
Jack glanced back once in a while to check the progress of the vanishing bridge. It was a few planks behind him, and still moving fast. The sun would be out of position and the bridge completely gone within minutes.
Sophia glanced back, only to have Jack shove her off the bridge and onto the mountain peak. She stumbled and fell, rotating around and landing her back against a tree.
Beneath his feet, the bridge vanished and Jack fell. It was baffling that it would just dematerialize.
"Jack?" Sophia called out. "JACK!"
His hands arose from the side of the cliff and grasped the ground. Sophia rushed to him and grabbed his hands. They both grunted as she pulled him up. When she pulled him up, he fell on top of her.
"Thanks," he said as he kissed her cheek.
"Oh, God," she said in disgust. "I'm going to be sick."
"Hey, you saved me," Jack reminded her.
"And the worst you could do is kiss me?" Sophia asked. "You could wait until we're back home and just give me a simple raise in pay, but you had to kiss me?"
"Relax, you won't die," Jack told her. "I promise."
"Well, I can't guarantee that you won't," Sophia said angrily. "Kiss me again, and you'll find out."
Jack shook his head and laughed out loud. "Who has your panties in a bunch anyway?"
"My panties are none of your concern, Jack Canyon."
"Could I at least try to get them un-wadded?" He asked with a devil may care grin.
"If I thought I could follow this journal without your help, I'd toss you off this mountain," she told him coldly.
"Oh, come on, we both know that you find me irresistible," Jack stated.
"Well, since you mentioned it," Sophia began, "I do kind of need you."
"See?" Jack said with a big smile on his face.
"You still owe money on my car," she said before heading down the mountain.
"That woman. . ." Jack told himself as he began to follow her.
Jack Canyon had poured his heart out to Sophia Stone, his assistant for four years and ex-girlfriend. They didn't even last two months after their return from Mount Sinai. Were things different now? Were things different again after all the heart-felt emotion? Jack had made sure not to let her get too close, but yet, the sandy blonde woman still loved him. It must have been his ruggedness, his confident, adventurous air.
The plane ride had been an awkwardly quiet one for the duo. It was a first. It didn't involve any sleep between either of them. Sophia simply didn't know what to talk about, which was another first. She always had something interesting to say, which was one thing Jack loved about her. She also had a quick wit about her, which made working with her fun. Then again, her retorts and jokes put Jack on edge and kept him on his feet. It also confused him about her feelings.
Jack sighed heavily as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He had spent the last eighteen hours or so reading up on his lost friend's diary. It was a long and drawn out riddle. It made absolutely no sense to Jack at all. He hoped being on location would help solve the mystery. He was glad he had brought Sophia along. She was his linguist. She could interpret anything he needed, whether it was spoken or written.
Standing on a grassy patch of land inside the city that had been built in or around 1450 BC, Jack looked around and at the diary page of Machu Picchu. He could see the Temple of the Three Windows to his left, the Temple of the Sun behind him, and the Temple of the Condor to his right. He remembered that and examined the map that John Baxter had drawn.
"Well," Sophia said breaking the silence.
"The Inca Rope Bridge is over that way," Jack said. "It crosses the Urubamba River. The Inca Trunk Bridge is to my left." He motioned with his finger, pointing at the map. Then he pointed out, trying to find the hidden exit John Baxter had illustrated.
"Jack, this place is huge," Sophia stated. "We'll never find it."
"I can do this," Jack argued. "It's not rocket science!"
"Good thing," Sophia replied. "You can barely do basic science."
Jack pointed his finger at her as if he was warning her. "This way," he said as he headed off to the right and up the staircase. Once he was on top he searched for the sacred pools. "Alright, beyond this is the Industrial Mortar District. Come on."
"I'm coming," she said sternly.
Once he reached the edge of that area, he saw nothing. "What the. . .?" He looked off the edge and down at the long distance between him and the mountainous terrain below. "There's nothing here."
"So much for our little rocket scientist," Sophia said sarcastically. "You must be reading it all wrong."
"I'm not reading it wrong," he urged as he shoved the leather-bound diary into her chest. "Look!"
Sophia rolled her eyes and shook her head as she opened up the journal and began examining it. "Jack? What is this?"
"Huh?" Jack asked as he got up from the edge and moved back to her. He looked down at where her finger pointed. "It's the map's compass."
"I don't think so," she told him. "Those are generally at the bottom. This one is drawn at eleven o'clock on this page."
Jack examined it closer for a moment, noting that the sun-like drawing was indeed in that position in accordance to the drawing of Machu Picchu and all the bridges.
"There are no cardinal points," she pointed out. "I don't think this is a compass. I think this is telling us a time."
"Why?" Jack asked, confused.
"Come on, genius," Sophia gave in answer. "You know more about John Baxter than anyone else."
"Why don't we just have some kind of seance and ask him what the hell he meant?" Jack asked, growing angry at the riddles left behind by his friend.
"Jack!"
"What?!" He yelled out as he turned and looked at her with a fury in his eyes that would scare a child into crying. He received the usual look from Sophia. It was a look she gave when he was angry. She was calm and pretty. Jack looked away for a moment.
"Jack," she spoke softly. "Just relax and think."
Jack sat down for a moment and closed his eyes. "I don't know what I'm doing, Soph."
"Sure you do," she replied as she sat down beside him. She handed him the diary. "What's important about the sun? What does it mean to the Incas?"
Jack sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose. "The Incas worshiped nature. Ithi was their sun god, and perhaps the most important god, as the sun is the most important aspect of life. Though, Viracocha was the most worshiped god."
"Jack, we're not back at the university," Sophia reminded. "No Inca religion lectures."
Jack nodded as he realized now wasn't the time for teaching her about the Inca religion. "Okay," he said as he started to think clearly. Then he looked at his watch. "It's ten o'clock in the morning. We wait."
"Wait for what?" Sophia asked, confused.
"Eleven o'clock," he replied simply. "Then we'll know what to do." He had figured it out. The Incas believe highly in the sun. So, whatever John Baxter had to show them would appear at the eleventh hour.
Sophia sat with Jack through the whole hour. It was horrible for her. She was annoyed with the silence, but annoyed with Jack's sighs too. He was the most impatient person she had ever met. He was never good at just sitting and waiting. Sophia did her best to refrain from shouting out at him. So far, she had done all that in her mind. Then Jack sighed once more. "If you don't stop that, I'm going to throw you off the edge of the cliff."
"Sor-ry," Jack said angrily. "You'd think with all the time you have put in on the job with me, you would be used to this."
"Well, some things you can't quite get used to," she stated. "And those things annoy the hell out of me."
"What time is it?" He asked.
"We have a few minutes," she replied as she looked at her watch.
Jack looked down at the journal page on Machu Picchu and its bridges. Then he looked around at the city ruins one last time before turning his attention out to the area where the bridge was supposed to be. There was nothing there. Why did Baxter draw a bridge where none existed?
As the sun shifted into place, it became visible. Somehow, the sun's beams brought the bridge into light.
Jack and Sophia were both in awe at what they saw. No advanced technology could do this, but the Incas had somehow done it. A wooden rope bridge appeared a few feet below. Jack mentally noted that the mirrors could have been used to do this. After all, magicians used mirrors to make things disappear.
"Alright, let's go," Jack said as he put the journal into his back pocket.
"How on earth did Baxter find this?" Sophia asked, still in awe of the display of ingenuity.
"He had an entire team up here scouring around to find clues about the Spider Queen," Jack explained. "I'm sure one of them discovered this thing while examining this place."
Sophia walked along the bridge, noticing little bits of silver in the wood, which must have acted like a mirror to hide the bridge from intruders.
Jack smiled as they were halfway across. He glanced back at Sophia, but noticed that the bridge was slowly collapsing. "That's not good."
"What?" Sophia asked as she turned to see what he was looking at. As the sun was moving out of position, the bridge was vanishing from sight. If they didn't hurry, they would not make it to the other side.
Jack grabbed Sophia's arm and pushed out front. "Go. GO!" He urged her.
Sophia began to run toward the end of the bridge, which led down to the peak of the next mountain. It was a long bridge.
Jack glanced back once in a while to check the progress of the vanishing bridge. It was a few planks behind him, and still moving fast. The sun would be out of position and the bridge completely gone within minutes.
Sophia glanced back, only to have Jack shove her off the bridge and onto the mountain peak. She stumbled and fell, rotating around and landing her back against a tree.
Beneath his feet, the bridge vanished and Jack fell. It was baffling that it would just dematerialize.
"Jack?" Sophia called out. "JACK!"
His hands arose from the side of the cliff and grasped the ground. Sophia rushed to him and grabbed his hands. They both grunted as she pulled him up. When she pulled him up, he fell on top of her.
"Thanks," he said as he kissed her cheek.
"Oh, God," she said in disgust. "I'm going to be sick."
"Hey, you saved me," Jack reminded her.
"And the worst you could do is kiss me?" Sophia asked. "You could wait until we're back home and just give me a simple raise in pay, but you had to kiss me?"
"Relax, you won't die," Jack told her. "I promise."
"Well, I can't guarantee that you won't," Sophia said angrily. "Kiss me again, and you'll find out."
Jack shook his head and laughed out loud. "Who has your panties in a bunch anyway?"
"My panties are none of your concern, Jack Canyon."
"Could I at least try to get them un-wadded?" He asked with a devil may care grin.
"If I thought I could follow this journal without your help, I'd toss you off this mountain," she told him coldly.
"Oh, come on, we both know that you find me irresistible," Jack stated.
"Well, since you mentioned it," Sophia began, "I do kind of need you."
"See?" Jack said with a big smile on his face.
"You still owe money on my car," she said before heading down the mountain.
"That woman. . ." Jack told himself as he began to follow her.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Jack Canyon and The Curse of The Spider Queen | CHAPTER FOUR
Words: 2030
Jack Canyon burst through the entrance door to Mr. Stone's museum. He made his way toward the back and down a stairwell to an examination lab, where artifacts and mummies were often carbon dated, autopsied, or simply examined. Jack's long time friend, Martin MacNeer, sat at his desk in his office just outside of the examination lab. Jack walked on by and into the lab, making a ruckus as he kicked the door open. That caught Martin's attention.
Martin rose from his lunch which consisted of a sandwich, turkey and mayo on rye bread. There was also a small slice of pickle to the side that was half eaten. He shifted around his deskt and between chairs and file cabinets to get out and into the hall. Through the lab door windows he noticed movement. Without a word he sneaked up to the door and peeked inside. He was slightly relieved it was just Jack, so he moved inside. "Jack, what on earth are you doing down here?"
"Mac," Jack replied as he spun to see the medical-archaeological examiner. "I need your help."
"What is it?" Martin asked as he moved closer to see what Jack had brought him. He spotted the dead woman and immediately backed off. "No. No way, Jack."
"Oh, come on," he begged. "I need to see what killed her."
"I could lose my job over this," Martin stated as he stood firm on his decision.
"Mac," Jack spoke softly. "How many times have I helped you out of tough spots, huh?"
"Don't pull that on me," Martin said sadly. "I'm not supposed to examine human bodies that aren't archaic."
"I need to know why she did, Martin," Jack said wtih a stern tone to his voice. "It's important."
Martin remained silent.
"Didn't I get you this job?" Jack asked. "I don't remember. Refresh my memory. You couldn't get a job because--"
"Okay, I'll do it," Martin said, stopping Jack from saying anything else. He remembered his problem working as a medical examiner. He was hooked on some drugs and lost his job due to that addiction. He was lucky enough to have Jack get him a decent job and get him back on his feet and off drugs. Martin began putting on his gloves. "This could take a while."
"I have time," Jack responded as he pulled Baxter's journal from his back pocket.
Maya and Sophia arrived at the museum moments later, where Sophia's father met them in the main entrance area.
"Sophie," he greeted her. "What brings you here?"
"Jack called me," Sophia replied. "Have you seen him?"
"No, I'm sorry, I haven't," the elderly man spoke. "What happened?"
"He said Clarissa and Marissa were dead," Sophia explained. "And John, too."
"John Baxter?" Robert Stone asked. "Well, I don't know why Jack would have come here."
"I don't know either," Sophia replied to her father.
"The only other person in the building would be Martin," Stone added.
"Martin MacNeer?" Sophia asked.
"Yes, why?"
Sophia looked at Maya and then back to her father. "Jack's down there." She pushed by her dad and made her way toward the stairwell in the back.
"Why?" Stone echoed. He had no choice but to follow his daughter and her friend down to the lab.
Sophia and Maya were the first to arrive in the lab with Martin MacNeer operating on a cadaver. Behind them Mr. Stone appeared. He was in shock.
"Martin," he said in a weak voice. "What on God's green earth are you doing?"
"This is for--" He paused and look around for a moment. "Where's Jack?"
Everyone scanned the room at once, but saw no one else.
"This is for Jack," Martin finished his previous statement. "Her name is--"
"Clarissa," Stone said as he moved closer. "I'm going to find out what's going on. I'm going to find Jack."
"Where is he?" Sophia asked.
"I think I have an idea," Mr. Stone answered as he headed back upstairs.
Sophia moved forward toward Martin. "What killed her?"
***
Jack said in a dusty old office with some papers that hadn't been touched in years. Those pages had a yellow tint to them. The aged look of the office made the place look more like an ancient shrine or sepulchre.
"It's not your fault," a familiar voice rang out.
Jack looked up to see John Baxter. It must've been a part of his imagination, because he knew Baxter was dead. "Sure feels like all of this is."
"Come on, now, Jack," he said moving out of the shadows. "Clare and Mare knew the dangers. In fact, they knew more so than I did. I just would not listen."
"I should have been the one who had taken that job," Jack stated. "I will come find you."
"Jack," Mr. Stone called out forcing Jack to snap out of the daydream. "I knew you would be in Emily's office."
"I can't believe you didn't have it cleaned out," Jack said. "In fact, I can't believe all the people I know or knew worked here at one time or another. John, Clarissa, Marissa, Emily, Sophia."
"It's not your fault, you know?" Stone stated.
"That's what everyone tried to tell me," Jack spoke sadly. "That's what everyone keeps trying to tell me."
"No, Jack," Stone said as he moved closer to the mahogany desk. "John Baxter went down to Peru because I told him to."
"What?" Jack asked, confused.
"You didn't take the job, remember? You had to teach a seminar on archaeology. I might have forced some hands to make this all possible, because John's life long dream was to prove the Spider Queen existed. I wanted him to go achieve this dream, Jack."
"It's that stupid curse," Jack realized. "I mean, curses are just voodoo mumbo jumbo. The only piece of evidence John ever had was the scroll with the curse on it. It was washed up on the shores of Peru. It's been speculated that the Spanish found the Spider Queen, stole her goods, perhaps killed her, and ran off."
"I've read John's book," Stone interrupted. "The curse sank their ships. Half of her treasures are lost at sea. The scroll just washed ashore and was picked up by some Peruvian kids building sandcastles."
"Yeah," Jack nodded. "That's it."
"I know what you're thinking," Stone sighed. "I'll sanction a rescue mission."
Jack looked up at the elderly man for a moment. "Everything in my head says John is dead, but my gut tells me something different."
"Then go," Robert Stone told him. He spotted the open diary. "John's diary?"
"Yeah," Jack said glancing down at it. "I was reading some of it. I think I could find out where he had been and where he is lost."
Stone just nodded at Jack. "I suppose Sophia will tag along?"
Jack stood from the dusty leather chair, grabbed the journal and made his way toward the door. "You know she loves adventure." He walked along with Robert back down to the examination lab.
Sophia and Maya turned as they entered. "Jack, finally," Sophia spoke through the silence. "What's going on?"
Jack showed her the diary, "This." He shook it in the air for a moment. "Did you find out anything, Mac?"
"Yes," Martin answered. "She died of exhaustion, but there's something in her blood that I found odd. It's an unknown pathogen."
Jack simply nodded at the medical examiner.
"The Curse of the Spider Queen," Stone muttered.
Sophia and Maya looked at one another and then back at Jack.
"Get me a ticket to Cusco," Jack announced to Stone. "I'm going to find out what happened to John. Thanks, Martin." He turned and headed out of the lab. He had all the information he needed. Some unknown force had killed her. Was it the Curse of the Spider Queen?
Sophia motioned for Maya to follow her as she turned to follow Jack out. "What's going on?" She asked, stopping Jack halfway down the hall.
"John Baxter was down in the Peruvian jungle," Jack replied. "I don't know what happened, but he was on the trail of locating the Spider Queen. He vanished or died. This journal that Clarissa brought me was John's. It may lead us to him or perhaps show us what happened and lead us to the Spider Queen."
"Jack. . ." Sophia said, but it didn't stop him.
"I have to do this," he continued. "I owe John so much. This is going to be quite an adventure. We start at Machu Picchu and go from there. What do you say?"
Sophia looked at Maya for a moment, only to see the Indian woman shrug. "I guess someone has to keep your sorry ass out of trouble."
Jack smiled at her, "That's more like it." He looked down at the creamy-colored shirt with rusty horizontal and vertical stripes and pants. "Though, I think I should change first."
"Oh, you definitely should," Sophia giggled. "This is so not you."
"I don't know," Maya interrupted. "I kind of like it." She smiled and winked at Jack as she moved on down the hall.
Jack gave a cocky grin before catching Sophia's annoyed look. "I'm on track."
"I hope the train hits you," she said coldly as she moved down the hall behind Maya Rajah.
Oh, come on," he cried out as he pursued her.
***
At Jack's off-campus office and apartment, Jack threw off his shirt and searched his closet for a T-shirt. "Ah, good," he said as he pulled out a dark gray shirt and pulled it over his head. He felt more comfortable as he slowly changed from teacher to archaeologist. He pulled off his pants and began searching his drawers for his Carhartt pants. He smiled as he spotted the ragged and dirt stained Washed Duck Work Dungaree pants. Small pockets on the thighs allowed placement of tools, and there was a loop on once side for a hammer. They were the perfect work pant. Besides, they were the only pants tough enough to withstand the thrashing that Jack's adventures usually contained. These pants that Jack slowly fit into were a rusted brown color with faded places that had been worn slightly. He buttoned the waist and zipped them. He sighed relief and picked up his suitcase, which he tossed onto his bed.
It had been nearly an hour since he left the museum. His mind was racing with so much emotion. He began to think about Emily again, when Sophia arrived.
"Maya's on her way back home," she said as she entered. Then she paused when she noticed Jack's expression. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he replied. "I'm fine."
"I know better," Sophia told him. "What's going on?"
Jack ingored her and looked down at his watch. "Your dad was lucky to book us a flight so early. We leave in just under two hours. I better call a cab."
"Jack Canyon!" Sophia said sternly. "What's going on?"
Jack sighed heavily, as if the entire world was on his shoulders. He knew how Atlas felt in Greek mythology. "John Baxter was Emily's father. Remember my first assistant?"
"Yeah," she said.
"Well, I was engaged to her," Jack said as he slammed his packed suitcase shut.
Sophia was stunned as to what she should say. This wasn't the Jack Canyon she knew. "Jack. . ." That was all she could get out. Her usual sarcasm or harmful words or jokes were nowhere to be found. "I didn't know. I never thought you--"
"Could love someone?" Jack asked with watery eyes.
"You just never seemed the type," she answered. "I'm so sorry."
Jack nodded at her. "We were to be married after we retrieved the Mask of Medusa. She died during that little escapade."
"I remember," Sophia said rubbing Jack's back.
"Ever since, it has haunted me," he continued. "I have been afraid to fall for anyone again."
"So, that's why we didn't work so well?" Sophia asked about their personal relationship.
"I'm sorry," he replied. "I've always covered up my feelings with flirting and jokes."
"Oh, Jack," she said sadly. She placed her arms around him and squeezed him tightly.
Jack Canyon burst through the entrance door to Mr. Stone's museum. He made his way toward the back and down a stairwell to an examination lab, where artifacts and mummies were often carbon dated, autopsied, or simply examined. Jack's long time friend, Martin MacNeer, sat at his desk in his office just outside of the examination lab. Jack walked on by and into the lab, making a ruckus as he kicked the door open. That caught Martin's attention.
Martin rose from his lunch which consisted of a sandwich, turkey and mayo on rye bread. There was also a small slice of pickle to the side that was half eaten. He shifted around his deskt and between chairs and file cabinets to get out and into the hall. Through the lab door windows he noticed movement. Without a word he sneaked up to the door and peeked inside. He was slightly relieved it was just Jack, so he moved inside. "Jack, what on earth are you doing down here?"
"Mac," Jack replied as he spun to see the medical-archaeological examiner. "I need your help."
"What is it?" Martin asked as he moved closer to see what Jack had brought him. He spotted the dead woman and immediately backed off. "No. No way, Jack."
"Oh, come on," he begged. "I need to see what killed her."
"I could lose my job over this," Martin stated as he stood firm on his decision.
"Mac," Jack spoke softly. "How many times have I helped you out of tough spots, huh?"
"Don't pull that on me," Martin said sadly. "I'm not supposed to examine human bodies that aren't archaic."
"I need to know why she did, Martin," Jack said wtih a stern tone to his voice. "It's important."
Martin remained silent.
"Didn't I get you this job?" Jack asked. "I don't remember. Refresh my memory. You couldn't get a job because--"
"Okay, I'll do it," Martin said, stopping Jack from saying anything else. He remembered his problem working as a medical examiner. He was hooked on some drugs and lost his job due to that addiction. He was lucky enough to have Jack get him a decent job and get him back on his feet and off drugs. Martin began putting on his gloves. "This could take a while."
"I have time," Jack responded as he pulled Baxter's journal from his back pocket.
Maya and Sophia arrived at the museum moments later, where Sophia's father met them in the main entrance area.
"Sophie," he greeted her. "What brings you here?"
"Jack called me," Sophia replied. "Have you seen him?"
"No, I'm sorry, I haven't," the elderly man spoke. "What happened?"
"He said Clarissa and Marissa were dead," Sophia explained. "And John, too."
"John Baxter?" Robert Stone asked. "Well, I don't know why Jack would have come here."
"I don't know either," Sophia replied to her father.
"The only other person in the building would be Martin," Stone added.
"Martin MacNeer?" Sophia asked.
"Yes, why?"
Sophia looked at Maya and then back to her father. "Jack's down there." She pushed by her dad and made her way toward the stairwell in the back.
"Why?" Stone echoed. He had no choice but to follow his daughter and her friend down to the lab.
Sophia and Maya were the first to arrive in the lab with Martin MacNeer operating on a cadaver. Behind them Mr. Stone appeared. He was in shock.
"Martin," he said in a weak voice. "What on God's green earth are you doing?"
"This is for--" He paused and look around for a moment. "Where's Jack?"
Everyone scanned the room at once, but saw no one else.
"This is for Jack," Martin finished his previous statement. "Her name is--"
"Clarissa," Stone said as he moved closer. "I'm going to find out what's going on. I'm going to find Jack."
"Where is he?" Sophia asked.
"I think I have an idea," Mr. Stone answered as he headed back upstairs.
Sophia moved forward toward Martin. "What killed her?"
***
Jack said in a dusty old office with some papers that hadn't been touched in years. Those pages had a yellow tint to them. The aged look of the office made the place look more like an ancient shrine or sepulchre.
"It's not your fault," a familiar voice rang out.
Jack looked up to see John Baxter. It must've been a part of his imagination, because he knew Baxter was dead. "Sure feels like all of this is."
"Come on, now, Jack," he said moving out of the shadows. "Clare and Mare knew the dangers. In fact, they knew more so than I did. I just would not listen."
"I should have been the one who had taken that job," Jack stated. "I will come find you."
"Jack," Mr. Stone called out forcing Jack to snap out of the daydream. "I knew you would be in Emily's office."
"I can't believe you didn't have it cleaned out," Jack said. "In fact, I can't believe all the people I know or knew worked here at one time or another. John, Clarissa, Marissa, Emily, Sophia."
"It's not your fault, you know?" Stone stated.
"That's what everyone tried to tell me," Jack spoke sadly. "That's what everyone keeps trying to tell me."
"No, Jack," Stone said as he moved closer to the mahogany desk. "John Baxter went down to Peru because I told him to."
"What?" Jack asked, confused.
"You didn't take the job, remember? You had to teach a seminar on archaeology. I might have forced some hands to make this all possible, because John's life long dream was to prove the Spider Queen existed. I wanted him to go achieve this dream, Jack."
"It's that stupid curse," Jack realized. "I mean, curses are just voodoo mumbo jumbo. The only piece of evidence John ever had was the scroll with the curse on it. It was washed up on the shores of Peru. It's been speculated that the Spanish found the Spider Queen, stole her goods, perhaps killed her, and ran off."
"I've read John's book," Stone interrupted. "The curse sank their ships. Half of her treasures are lost at sea. The scroll just washed ashore and was picked up by some Peruvian kids building sandcastles."
"Yeah," Jack nodded. "That's it."
"I know what you're thinking," Stone sighed. "I'll sanction a rescue mission."
Jack looked up at the elderly man for a moment. "Everything in my head says John is dead, but my gut tells me something different."
"Then go," Robert Stone told him. He spotted the open diary. "John's diary?"
"Yeah," Jack said glancing down at it. "I was reading some of it. I think I could find out where he had been and where he is lost."
Stone just nodded at Jack. "I suppose Sophia will tag along?"
Jack stood from the dusty leather chair, grabbed the journal and made his way toward the door. "You know she loves adventure." He walked along with Robert back down to the examination lab.
Sophia and Maya turned as they entered. "Jack, finally," Sophia spoke through the silence. "What's going on?"
Jack showed her the diary, "This." He shook it in the air for a moment. "Did you find out anything, Mac?"
"Yes," Martin answered. "She died of exhaustion, but there's something in her blood that I found odd. It's an unknown pathogen."
Jack simply nodded at the medical examiner.
"The Curse of the Spider Queen," Stone muttered.
Sophia and Maya looked at one another and then back at Jack.
"Get me a ticket to Cusco," Jack announced to Stone. "I'm going to find out what happened to John. Thanks, Martin." He turned and headed out of the lab. He had all the information he needed. Some unknown force had killed her. Was it the Curse of the Spider Queen?
Sophia motioned for Maya to follow her as she turned to follow Jack out. "What's going on?" She asked, stopping Jack halfway down the hall.
"John Baxter was down in the Peruvian jungle," Jack replied. "I don't know what happened, but he was on the trail of locating the Spider Queen. He vanished or died. This journal that Clarissa brought me was John's. It may lead us to him or perhaps show us what happened and lead us to the Spider Queen."
"Jack. . ." Sophia said, but it didn't stop him.
"I have to do this," he continued. "I owe John so much. This is going to be quite an adventure. We start at Machu Picchu and go from there. What do you say?"
Sophia looked at Maya for a moment, only to see the Indian woman shrug. "I guess someone has to keep your sorry ass out of trouble."
Jack smiled at her, "That's more like it." He looked down at the creamy-colored shirt with rusty horizontal and vertical stripes and pants. "Though, I think I should change first."
"Oh, you definitely should," Sophia giggled. "This is so not you."
"I don't know," Maya interrupted. "I kind of like it." She smiled and winked at Jack as she moved on down the hall.
Jack gave a cocky grin before catching Sophia's annoyed look. "I'm on track."
"I hope the train hits you," she said coldly as she moved down the hall behind Maya Rajah.
Oh, come on," he cried out as he pursued her.
***
At Jack's off-campus office and apartment, Jack threw off his shirt and searched his closet for a T-shirt. "Ah, good," he said as he pulled out a dark gray shirt and pulled it over his head. He felt more comfortable as he slowly changed from teacher to archaeologist. He pulled off his pants and began searching his drawers for his Carhartt pants. He smiled as he spotted the ragged and dirt stained Washed Duck Work Dungaree pants. Small pockets on the thighs allowed placement of tools, and there was a loop on once side for a hammer. They were the perfect work pant. Besides, they were the only pants tough enough to withstand the thrashing that Jack's adventures usually contained. These pants that Jack slowly fit into were a rusted brown color with faded places that had been worn slightly. He buttoned the waist and zipped them. He sighed relief and picked up his suitcase, which he tossed onto his bed.
It had been nearly an hour since he left the museum. His mind was racing with so much emotion. He began to think about Emily again, when Sophia arrived.
"Maya's on her way back home," she said as she entered. Then she paused when she noticed Jack's expression. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he replied. "I'm fine."
"I know better," Sophia told him. "What's going on?"
Jack ingored her and looked down at his watch. "Your dad was lucky to book us a flight so early. We leave in just under two hours. I better call a cab."
"Jack Canyon!" Sophia said sternly. "What's going on?"
Jack sighed heavily, as if the entire world was on his shoulders. He knew how Atlas felt in Greek mythology. "John Baxter was Emily's father. Remember my first assistant?"
"Yeah," she said.
"Well, I was engaged to her," Jack said as he slammed his packed suitcase shut.
Sophia was stunned as to what she should say. This wasn't the Jack Canyon she knew. "Jack. . ." That was all she could get out. Her usual sarcasm or harmful words or jokes were nowhere to be found. "I didn't know. I never thought you--"
"Could love someone?" Jack asked with watery eyes.
"You just never seemed the type," she answered. "I'm so sorry."
Jack nodded at her. "We were to be married after we retrieved the Mask of Medusa. She died during that little escapade."
"I remember," Sophia said rubbing Jack's back.
"Ever since, it has haunted me," he continued. "I have been afraid to fall for anyone again."
"So, that's why we didn't work so well?" Sophia asked about their personal relationship.
"I'm sorry," he replied. "I've always covered up my feelings with flirting and jokes."
"Oh, Jack," she said sadly. She placed her arms around him and squeezed him tightly.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
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.
.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Jack Canyon and The Curse of the Spider Queen | CHAPTER TWO
words: 2389
"Oh, God, Jack!" Sophia Stone could hardly catch her breath as she panted deeply. Sweat poured down her face causing some of her hair to stick to the side of her face. "Jack," she said exasperated. "You're killing me. Stop."
"Oh, Sophia, I'm so close," he told her excitedly. "Just a little longer."
Sophia breathed deeply trying relax, but she couldn't. "Come on, Jack!" She paused for a breath. "I can't take much more of this pounding."
"Where's your stamina?" Jack asked.
"If you don't stop, we're never doing this again, because I'll never be able to walk after this," she stated.
Jack stopped and stared at her. "Fine, we'll rest here."
"Help me with my pack," Sophia pleaded.
Jack walked over to her and took the weight of the pack off her shoulders as she slipped her arms out.
"Thanks," she said gratefully as he set the pack down. She sat down on a nearby stump and pulled the canteen off her pack. "Why are we out here again?"
Jack looked back at her from where he was standing. He had been looking out at the landscape of the mountains. Then he pointed out at the horizon. "You see that?"
"What?"
Jack pulled her up and pointed at a stone structure in the distance. "That."
"Yeah, what about it?" Sophia asked, unsure of what he was getting at.
"That is the temple that I was talking about, Soph," he stated. "I told you we were close."
"It's in the side of a mountain," Sophia pointed out the obvious.
"Apparently, there's some kind of hidden entrance at the top," he said. Then he gave her a cocky smile. "Don't worry, we'll find it. Then we'll be the first people here in a thousand years."
"And this is the Temple of who?"
"The Temple of Gaia," Jack told her before realizing his arms were around her waist. He quickly released her and took a step back. "The temple was supposedly lost during an earthquake. I guess it slid into its current position."
"And no one thought to check the side of the mountain?" Sophia asked taking her seat again on the stump.
"Well, some miners discovered it; and the IAI wants us to explore it," he told her. He had taken on a few jobs with the International Archaeological Institute since he founded it a year ago.
It had been two years since Jack and Sophia came down from Mount Sinai. He became quite famous and rich and in demand since then. With the money he gained, he put it towards a better future for archaeology with an international institute that could work with the United Nations on securing artifacts all over the world. Sure, it seemed legitimate, but Jack needed the IAI to fund his adventures of rescuing lost relics that are potentially harmful to mankind if in the wrong hands.
Also, within his time, he became a part time teacher at the local university in the archaeological department. It didn't go well at all, either. Jack was often bombarded with questions and interviews about Mount Sinai, God, Noah's Ark, and Eden, as well as the Book of Origin. Not to mention the college girls in love with his rugged looks and adventurous appeal.
He cut lectures down to twice a week and spent as much time away from his campus office as possible. The free time helped him establish the IAI and talk to the UN. Jack asked several colleagues to join the IAI supervisor's board. Long time friends, such as Fred Morris and Sophia's father, joined to support the betterment of collecting and restoring antiquities.
Jack looked at Sophia for a moment. "Are you rested up?"
"Yeah, I'm ready," she responded as she placed her canteen back into her pack.
"Alright, let's go get the Arrow of Apollo," he told her as he moved forward.
Sophia slipped her pack onto her shoulders and followed her boss through the terrain once more. She was silent for only a few minutes before talking again. "So, what's your plan for this year?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you keep complaining about the teaching position," she mentioned.
Jack sighed heavily. "I don't know what to do, Soph. All the students care about hearing from me is about the Book of Origin and all that religious mumbo jumbo."
"You're still not a believer in God?"
"No, I believe in that big blue ball of energy on Sinai, but that mystical and mythical God in the Bible, I don't."
"Some people thought your views were outlandish," she reminded him.
"Thanks for bringing that up," Jack responded. "I had the proof right there in the Book of Origin." He sighed. "See? This is what bothers me. I mean, the religious people, even after finding and translating the Book of Origin, they still refute the find."
"Well, you could've allowed them access to God's lair, you know?"
"But then everyone would swarm Sinai looking for answers to the meaning of life," he replied. "Maybe I should just give up teaching. It wouldn't bother me so much if I could teach about something other than my adventures."
"That's what they're interested in," Sophia announced. "Not archaeology itself, but the fun and adventure behind it."
Jack shook his head. "Don't get me wrong. I enjoy teaching, but I want to teach about civilizations long gone. Not the wet and wild river ride that included very angry Brazilians mercenaries and guns."
"See," Sophia pointed out. "That sounds far better than anything you have to say about Babylon or Atlantis." She gave him a slight smile before he used his arm to block her path. She looked down at his arm, which was across her chest. "Not exactly the kind of place I like you touching, Jack Canyon."
"Sorry," he apologized. "I just don't want you to miss your step." He pointed down at the bridge that led up to the top of the next mountain. Some of the boards were missing.
Sophia looked down at the broken board she would have stepped on. "So, how do we get across?"
"Very cautiously," he told her. With that, he stepped onto the closest board and started across. He glanced back once in a while to check on Sophia. "Just watch your step."
"Why do I always get into these messes?" She asked aloud, but mostly to herself. "If I didn't work for you, Jack, I would have a nice office job that's safe and secure."
Then the bridge jerked.
"Oh, shit!" Sophia cried out.
"Don't move!" Jack called to her. Then it jerked again. "GO! MOVE!"
"Make up your damn mind," she yelled as she began to run toward Jack.
He caught a glimpse behind her of the frail rope giving in to their weight. "Not good," he told himself. He grabbed Sophia's arm when she drew closer and dragged her along as they ran across the failing bridge.
Then the rope bridge jerked and snapped at the other end making it fall.
Jack pulled on Sophia's arm tossing her over onto the firm ground at the other end of the bridge before it completely collapsed.
Sophia rolled forward and into a tree, which she leaned her back against for support. She looked around for Jack, but couldn't find him. "Jack?"
A masculine hand reached up over the cliff and gripped the ground. Jack pulled himself up onto the top and rolled onto his back for a moment.
"I thought I lost you," Sophia said sadly.
"I didn't know you cared that much," Jack replied as he tried to catch his breath.
"No, but had you died, I wouldn't have been able to find my way home." She gave him a smug look. She picked herself up and straightened her clothes when she stood. "Now, come on," she spoke. "We're almost there."
Jack sighed and rolled his eyes as he got to his feet. "A while ago, she was complaining," he told himself.
"So, where is that secret entrance that you spoke of?" Sophia asked.
"How am I supposed to know? That's why it's a secret." He looked down the side of the mountain at where the temple had slid to. "Interesting."
"What? What is it?"
"Nothing," he responded to her question. "Just interesting it didn't just fall to the bottom." He turned away from the edge of the cliff and started searching for an entrance. "You know, we could just repel down and climb through the face of the temple. It would be easi-"
It was as if the ground had opened up and swallowed Jack whole, because in an instant, he was gone.
Sophia moved toward the hole that he had fallen into so she could find him. "Jack?"
"I wish you'd stop calling out my name," he said angrily as he stood and dusted himself off. "Makes me feel like a child."
"Well, you do keep getting into situations like a child would, you know, like falling into deep holes."
"Are you going to stand up there and tell me everything I've ever done wrong, or are you going to come down here and help me?" Jack asked her, adding tone to his voice.
"I'm capable of both," she replied before sliding down into the hole. "Lead the way, mischievous one."
Jack gave her a stern look before proceeding down a corridor. The hall turned left and right and left and right again and again, over and over. It was like a freaky maze of turns.
"Do you know where you're going?" Sophia asked.
"I'm a guy," Jack answered in an annoyed voice. "I have a great sense of direction."
"Great, we're lost," Sophia argued. "Maybe we should ask for directions."
"Well, alright, but I don't think these guys would be helpful," he said as he pointed at some cocooned bodies on the wall. All that was visible were their skeletal heads.
"Who are they?" Sophia asked, disgusted.
"Worshipers," he replied as he continued down the stone wall hall.
As they proceeded, they entered a large chamber that locked down on them. The entrance was closed and there was no way out.
"Son of a bitch," Jack mumbled as he noticed his foot was on the mechanism that caused the room to lock down.
"Can't blame this one on me," Sophia stated as she looked around the room. "Come on, genius, find a way out."
Jack sighed heavily and rolled his eyes are his secretary. He stepped forward a few feet, quickly pausing as a large rod on the other side of the chasm in the center of the chamber.
"I wonder what that's for," Sophia spoke as she examined the rod.
Then a stone to Jack's right slid open and another rod with u-shaped iron pieces arose from the hole. "Horseshoes?"
"Must've been a big horse," she mentioned as she saw the large horseshoes.
"They've always been this big," Jack explained. "Ever get a new horseshoe set from a store? Big damn horseshoes, I tell ya."
"So, what's this have to do with anything?"
"I think it's the way out," Jack said. "Though, I wonder how many I have to put around the rod."
"Jack, don't move," she said. "You're on a pressure plate."
"Shit," he muttered.
"I found something," Sophia told him. She ran her hand along the ancient Greek writing. "It says you can't move from your spot and have to get one shoe around the rod. You get three tries. Miss and die."
"And who ever said you couldn't get hurt playing horseshoes?" Jack said sarcastically. "Alright, here goes." He picked up one of the shoes and tossed it across toward the rod, missing it. "Hm, I wonder how it knows when you've had three turns."
Sophia noticed when the horseshoe landed that a small stone receded into the floor. "Um, Jack, that side is entirely make of pressure plates."
"Great," Jack groaned as he picked up his second shoe. "Here goes." He hurled the second one across to the rod, but missed once more.
"Jack, I don't intend to die in this chamber," Sophia announced.
Jack's jaw tightened in annoyance and anger. He didn't even notice Sophia picking up the last shoe. "Do you think you can do better? Huh?!"
She reared back like a softball pitcher and threw the iron horseshoe around the rod. It spun as it hit, and whirled around the rod.
Jack gave her a look and continued to stare at her.
"What?" She asked as she caught his glare. "My father was a horseshoes champion in his youth and thought he could turn me into one. I learned how to play, but never made it to a tournament."
"Show off," Jack told her.
The door on the other side of the chamber opened as a stone slid across the chasm and met the other side, forming a bridge for them to cross.
"Ladies first," Sophia offered in humor to the sore loser.
Jack shook his head and continued through the chamber. Once they exited, they entered another corridor. "I'm sick of all these halls and rooms and death traps. Why can't anything ever be easy?"
"Well, Mr. Adventure, where would your fun be then?" Sophia asked punching him in the shoulder.
"Just once I would like a simple and easy task," he told her as he entered another chamber. He spotted the golden arrow upon a pedestal in the center of the chamber where a beam of light shined down upon it.
"Well, here is your simple and easy, Jack," Sophia told him.
"Yeah, that's the scary part," Jack stated. "This is too easy."
"But we just accomplished a task, so maybe this is our reward."
"It's never that easy, Soph," Jack said as he took a cautious step forward. Nothing happened, so he took another and another. Finally, he was at the pedestal. He took a deep breath and reached out for the arrow. Once it was in his hands and free of the stand, he stood still. "It can't be that easy."
Sophia simply shrugged. "Don't just stand there waiting for the place to fall down around you. Let's get out of here while we still can."
Jack placed the Arrow of Apollo into the pack on Sophia's back and lead the way out.
"Oh, God, Jack!" Sophia Stone could hardly catch her breath as she panted deeply. Sweat poured down her face causing some of her hair to stick to the side of her face. "Jack," she said exasperated. "You're killing me. Stop."
"Oh, Sophia, I'm so close," he told her excitedly. "Just a little longer."
Sophia breathed deeply trying relax, but she couldn't. "Come on, Jack!" She paused for a breath. "I can't take much more of this pounding."
"Where's your stamina?" Jack asked.
"If you don't stop, we're never doing this again, because I'll never be able to walk after this," she stated.
Jack stopped and stared at her. "Fine, we'll rest here."
"Help me with my pack," Sophia pleaded.
Jack walked over to her and took the weight of the pack off her shoulders as she slipped her arms out.
"Thanks," she said gratefully as he set the pack down. She sat down on a nearby stump and pulled the canteen off her pack. "Why are we out here again?"
Jack looked back at her from where he was standing. He had been looking out at the landscape of the mountains. Then he pointed out at the horizon. "You see that?"
"What?"
Jack pulled her up and pointed at a stone structure in the distance. "That."
"Yeah, what about it?" Sophia asked, unsure of what he was getting at.
"That is the temple that I was talking about, Soph," he stated. "I told you we were close."
"It's in the side of a mountain," Sophia pointed out the obvious.
"Apparently, there's some kind of hidden entrance at the top," he said. Then he gave her a cocky smile. "Don't worry, we'll find it. Then we'll be the first people here in a thousand years."
"And this is the Temple of who?"
"The Temple of Gaia," Jack told her before realizing his arms were around her waist. He quickly released her and took a step back. "The temple was supposedly lost during an earthquake. I guess it slid into its current position."
"And no one thought to check the side of the mountain?" Sophia asked taking her seat again on the stump.
"Well, some miners discovered it; and the IAI wants us to explore it," he told her. He had taken on a few jobs with the International Archaeological Institute since he founded it a year ago.
It had been two years since Jack and Sophia came down from Mount Sinai. He became quite famous and rich and in demand since then. With the money he gained, he put it towards a better future for archaeology with an international institute that could work with the United Nations on securing artifacts all over the world. Sure, it seemed legitimate, but Jack needed the IAI to fund his adventures of rescuing lost relics that are potentially harmful to mankind if in the wrong hands.
Also, within his time, he became a part time teacher at the local university in the archaeological department. It didn't go well at all, either. Jack was often bombarded with questions and interviews about Mount Sinai, God, Noah's Ark, and Eden, as well as the Book of Origin. Not to mention the college girls in love with his rugged looks and adventurous appeal.
He cut lectures down to twice a week and spent as much time away from his campus office as possible. The free time helped him establish the IAI and talk to the UN. Jack asked several colleagues to join the IAI supervisor's board. Long time friends, such as Fred Morris and Sophia's father, joined to support the betterment of collecting and restoring antiquities.
Jack looked at Sophia for a moment. "Are you rested up?"
"Yeah, I'm ready," she responded as she placed her canteen back into her pack.
"Alright, let's go get the Arrow of Apollo," he told her as he moved forward.
Sophia slipped her pack onto her shoulders and followed her boss through the terrain once more. She was silent for only a few minutes before talking again. "So, what's your plan for this year?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you keep complaining about the teaching position," she mentioned.
Jack sighed heavily. "I don't know what to do, Soph. All the students care about hearing from me is about the Book of Origin and all that religious mumbo jumbo."
"You're still not a believer in God?"
"No, I believe in that big blue ball of energy on Sinai, but that mystical and mythical God in the Bible, I don't."
"Some people thought your views were outlandish," she reminded him.
"Thanks for bringing that up," Jack responded. "I had the proof right there in the Book of Origin." He sighed. "See? This is what bothers me. I mean, the religious people, even after finding and translating the Book of Origin, they still refute the find."
"Well, you could've allowed them access to God's lair, you know?"
"But then everyone would swarm Sinai looking for answers to the meaning of life," he replied. "Maybe I should just give up teaching. It wouldn't bother me so much if I could teach about something other than my adventures."
"That's what they're interested in," Sophia announced. "Not archaeology itself, but the fun and adventure behind it."
Jack shook his head. "Don't get me wrong. I enjoy teaching, but I want to teach about civilizations long gone. Not the wet and wild river ride that included very angry Brazilians mercenaries and guns."
"See," Sophia pointed out. "That sounds far better than anything you have to say about Babylon or Atlantis." She gave him a slight smile before he used his arm to block her path. She looked down at his arm, which was across her chest. "Not exactly the kind of place I like you touching, Jack Canyon."
"Sorry," he apologized. "I just don't want you to miss your step." He pointed down at the bridge that led up to the top of the next mountain. Some of the boards were missing.
Sophia looked down at the broken board she would have stepped on. "So, how do we get across?"
"Very cautiously," he told her. With that, he stepped onto the closest board and started across. He glanced back once in a while to check on Sophia. "Just watch your step."
"Why do I always get into these messes?" She asked aloud, but mostly to herself. "If I didn't work for you, Jack, I would have a nice office job that's safe and secure."
Then the bridge jerked.
"Oh, shit!" Sophia cried out.
"Don't move!" Jack called to her. Then it jerked again. "GO! MOVE!"
"Make up your damn mind," she yelled as she began to run toward Jack.
He caught a glimpse behind her of the frail rope giving in to their weight. "Not good," he told himself. He grabbed Sophia's arm when she drew closer and dragged her along as they ran across the failing bridge.
Then the rope bridge jerked and snapped at the other end making it fall.
Jack pulled on Sophia's arm tossing her over onto the firm ground at the other end of the bridge before it completely collapsed.
Sophia rolled forward and into a tree, which she leaned her back against for support. She looked around for Jack, but couldn't find him. "Jack?"
A masculine hand reached up over the cliff and gripped the ground. Jack pulled himself up onto the top and rolled onto his back for a moment.
"I thought I lost you," Sophia said sadly.
"I didn't know you cared that much," Jack replied as he tried to catch his breath.
"No, but had you died, I wouldn't have been able to find my way home." She gave him a smug look. She picked herself up and straightened her clothes when she stood. "Now, come on," she spoke. "We're almost there."
Jack sighed and rolled his eyes as he got to his feet. "A while ago, she was complaining," he told himself.
"So, where is that secret entrance that you spoke of?" Sophia asked.
"How am I supposed to know? That's why it's a secret." He looked down the side of the mountain at where the temple had slid to. "Interesting."
"What? What is it?"
"Nothing," he responded to her question. "Just interesting it didn't just fall to the bottom." He turned away from the edge of the cliff and started searching for an entrance. "You know, we could just repel down and climb through the face of the temple. It would be easi-"
It was as if the ground had opened up and swallowed Jack whole, because in an instant, he was gone.
Sophia moved toward the hole that he had fallen into so she could find him. "Jack?"
"I wish you'd stop calling out my name," he said angrily as he stood and dusted himself off. "Makes me feel like a child."
"Well, you do keep getting into situations like a child would, you know, like falling into deep holes."
"Are you going to stand up there and tell me everything I've ever done wrong, or are you going to come down here and help me?" Jack asked her, adding tone to his voice.
"I'm capable of both," she replied before sliding down into the hole. "Lead the way, mischievous one."
Jack gave her a stern look before proceeding down a corridor. The hall turned left and right and left and right again and again, over and over. It was like a freaky maze of turns.
"Do you know where you're going?" Sophia asked.
"I'm a guy," Jack answered in an annoyed voice. "I have a great sense of direction."
"Great, we're lost," Sophia argued. "Maybe we should ask for directions."
"Well, alright, but I don't think these guys would be helpful," he said as he pointed at some cocooned bodies on the wall. All that was visible were their skeletal heads.
"Who are they?" Sophia asked, disgusted.
"Worshipers," he replied as he continued down the stone wall hall.
As they proceeded, they entered a large chamber that locked down on them. The entrance was closed and there was no way out.
"Son of a bitch," Jack mumbled as he noticed his foot was on the mechanism that caused the room to lock down.
"Can't blame this one on me," Sophia stated as she looked around the room. "Come on, genius, find a way out."
Jack sighed heavily and rolled his eyes are his secretary. He stepped forward a few feet, quickly pausing as a large rod on the other side of the chasm in the center of the chamber.
"I wonder what that's for," Sophia spoke as she examined the rod.
Then a stone to Jack's right slid open and another rod with u-shaped iron pieces arose from the hole. "Horseshoes?"
"Must've been a big horse," she mentioned as she saw the large horseshoes.
"They've always been this big," Jack explained. "Ever get a new horseshoe set from a store? Big damn horseshoes, I tell ya."
"So, what's this have to do with anything?"
"I think it's the way out," Jack said. "Though, I wonder how many I have to put around the rod."
"Jack, don't move," she said. "You're on a pressure plate."
"Shit," he muttered.
"I found something," Sophia told him. She ran her hand along the ancient Greek writing. "It says you can't move from your spot and have to get one shoe around the rod. You get three tries. Miss and die."
"And who ever said you couldn't get hurt playing horseshoes?" Jack said sarcastically. "Alright, here goes." He picked up one of the shoes and tossed it across toward the rod, missing it. "Hm, I wonder how it knows when you've had three turns."
Sophia noticed when the horseshoe landed that a small stone receded into the floor. "Um, Jack, that side is entirely make of pressure plates."
"Great," Jack groaned as he picked up his second shoe. "Here goes." He hurled the second one across to the rod, but missed once more.
"Jack, I don't intend to die in this chamber," Sophia announced.
Jack's jaw tightened in annoyance and anger. He didn't even notice Sophia picking up the last shoe. "Do you think you can do better? Huh?!"
She reared back like a softball pitcher and threw the iron horseshoe around the rod. It spun as it hit, and whirled around the rod.
Jack gave her a look and continued to stare at her.
"What?" She asked as she caught his glare. "My father was a horseshoes champion in his youth and thought he could turn me into one. I learned how to play, but never made it to a tournament."
"Show off," Jack told her.
The door on the other side of the chamber opened as a stone slid across the chasm and met the other side, forming a bridge for them to cross.
"Ladies first," Sophia offered in humor to the sore loser.
Jack shook his head and continued through the chamber. Once they exited, they entered another corridor. "I'm sick of all these halls and rooms and death traps. Why can't anything ever be easy?"
"Well, Mr. Adventure, where would your fun be then?" Sophia asked punching him in the shoulder.
"Just once I would like a simple and easy task," he told her as he entered another chamber. He spotted the golden arrow upon a pedestal in the center of the chamber where a beam of light shined down upon it.
"Well, here is your simple and easy, Jack," Sophia told him.
"Yeah, that's the scary part," Jack stated. "This is too easy."
"But we just accomplished a task, so maybe this is our reward."
"It's never that easy, Soph," Jack said as he took a cautious step forward. Nothing happened, so he took another and another. Finally, he was at the pedestal. He took a deep breath and reached out for the arrow. Once it was in his hands and free of the stand, he stood still. "It can't be that easy."
Sophia simply shrugged. "Don't just stand there waiting for the place to fall down around you. Let's get out of here while we still can."
Jack placed the Arrow of Apollo into the pack on Sophia's back and lead the way out.
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