Jack Canyon and The Wiccan Stones | CHAPTER ONE

Words: 1967

Just a few days more than a week after the incident in Nepal,
Jack Canyon had made his way from Nepal and through China to
Tokyo, where he stopped off for to rest. However, he found
himself in a local bar drinking sake, which was making him
sick. He had asked for something other than Nihonshu, which
was the fermented rice drink referred to as sake, though no
one seemed to care what the American man wanted. He slammed
down the small shot glass onto the bar. "Uno mas," he shouted
in Spanish, though he wasn't really sure if anyone understood
him.

"You're going to kill yourself," a voice called out from
behind him. "You shouldn't be drinking so heavily, my son."

"The Irish accent says you're a long way from home," Jack said
lifting up his next shot of Nihonshu with shaking hands.

"Are there troubles so bad you need to drown them?" The man
continued.

"And the constant talk about my drinking says you're a man of
God," Jack stated as he threw back the drink and slammed the
glass on the top of the bar again.

"Aye, my son, I am a priest," the man spoke. "Now, tell me
what ails you."

"Ale. . . I need ale!" Jack shouted, feeling almost drunk.

The man touched Jack's shoulder only to have Jack jerk away.

"Go away," Jack warned. "Haven't you heard that God isn't who
you think he is?"

"I have heard that," the man spoke, sitting down next to Jack.

Jack smiled when he looked over at the man, who was Logan
Scott.

"I thought I might find you here," Logan spoke. "Find what
you were looking for, though?"

"Not yet," Jack replied. "I think I'll keep looking until I
find it."

"I don't think a pretty sandy blonde headed British girl is
going to be in that tiny glass, Jack."

Jack didn't speak, instead he glanced at Logan and then back
at the glass. He knew the man was right.

"If you want to stay here and die, be my guest, but Tanga and
I are ready to go our separate ways," Logan told him. "In
fact, he is already gone. Now, if you want to do more
archaeological work, then come with me. If not, then I guess
I'll carry the torch on."

Jack looked over at Logan Scott for a moment in thought and
sat back from the bar. "What kind of work?" Jack asked out
of curiosity.

"I met this Japanese woman yesterday," Logan explained. "She
was asking me all about you. Her name is Yuriko
Mushanaokoji."

"That's a mouthful," Jack said. "What exactly is it that
she's wanting?"

"Some kind of stones," Logan replied. "I told her you would
meet her today and go over the details."

At that moment, two men in suits entered the bar and made
their way to the two American men.

"Mr. Canyon," one of them spoke with a thick Japanese accent.
"Please come with us."

Jack turned around and examined the men and then looked at
Logan once more. "Know these guys?" He took note of Logan
shaking his head before turning his attention to the two men.
"I'm sorry. You must've just missed him."

"We know you are Jack Canyon," the man said. "Come with us.
Now."

"We haven't even been introduced properly," Jack stated. "I
can't walk out of here with a complete stranger, now can I?"

"I am Hiroshi Fukushima, and this is my partner Kin
Mizoguchi," the man told them.

"Life partners?" Jack wondered aloud.

The two men stood with the same expression on their face as
they had when they entered. Through out the conversation they
had remained nonchalant.

"What are you guys, Japanese versions of FBI and CIA agents
with no sense of humor?" Jack asked. Then he sighed. "Who
do you work for?"

"We work for Ms. Yuriko Mushanaokoji," Kin stated.

"I like how he says that with no problem at all," Jack said to
his sidekick. "So, Kin and. . . Barbie?"

"Hiroshi," the man said.

"Right, so, let's go see this mystery woman," Jack said
hopping off the stool. "Is she hot?"

"What happened to Sophia?" Logan asked as he walked along with Jack.

"Aren't I allowed to ask?" Jack questioned his partner.

"You're drunk," Logan realized. "You really don't need to be
doing this if you're not sober."

"I feel fine," Jack argued. "I feel like Superman."

"Well, if you feel like leaping off buildings because you think you can fly, count me out," Logan replied as they exited the bar.

The sun blazed throughout the entire city of Tokyo, and it nearly blinded Jack. The exterior differed dramatically from the bar, which had no windows. The dark, smoky atmosphere didn't cause massive migraines.

Jack suddenly stopped as he saw a long black car through his fingers, as he used his hand to shield his eyes from the sun. "Classy."

"Get in," Hiroshi told him as he opened the door.

Jack and Logan both filed into the car after Kin. Hiroshi was the last to get in. There must have been another guy, a driver.

"So, when do I get to meet this Yuriko," Jack asked holding his head in pain. Trying to remember the Japanese names was giving him a headache.

"Soon," Hiroshi stated abruptly.

"Take these," Kin ordered as he tossed a small, unmarked bottle to the hung over archaeologist.

Jack examined the bottle for a moment. "What the hell is this, some kind of truth drug or perhaps poison?"

"Neither, Mr. Canyon," Kin answered. "It's a drug to help with the migraines."

Jack continued looking at the plain, blank bottle before opening it. He was going to have to do something. If it killed him, it was better than the throbbing pain in his head. He took out two pills and tossed them into his mouth and swallowed them without water. He put the top back on and threw the bottle back to Kin.

All four men kept silent as the car moved through the streets of Tokyo. Jack's vision was fixated on the passing buildings as the two Japanese men kept a close eye on Jack.

Logan had met Yuriko Mushanaokoji just days before and had not needed this type of security. Maybe these men, this organization they were with, knew all about Jack's habits.

Jack leaned over close to Logan so that he could whisper to him. "I think we should've tried getting out of this."

Logan gave his friend an odd look as if he just told him a big secret. Though, at the same time, he was confused.

"These guys are obviously bad news," Jack continued. "I mean, they're so secretive about everything, except their names. Then again, are we sure they're using their real names?"

"Jack, give it a rest," Logan warned him.

"We're here," one of the men said. Since most Japanese men sounded the same to Jack at this point, he wasn't sure which one spoke.

Jack took in a deep breath and then released it slowly. He noticed Tokyo Bay not far from where he stood. It was hard to see between the lot of warehouses that pervaded the area. "Where is she?"

"This way," Kin motioned.

Jack proceeded cautiously with Logan at his side. "I get this sinking feeling that they're going to toss us into Tokyo Bay."

"In here," Kin stated as he pushed open a door on the side of a warehouse. He followed the two Americans into the building.

Jack stopped and scanned the entire place. There were few boxes stored within and it was dim. A figure in the middle of the room turned to face Jack. She was a radiant beauty, which didn't get past Jack. Though, there was an underlying mischievous air about the woman. That made Jack very cautious.

"Doctor Canyon," she said as she stepped closer to him.

"It's just Jack, or mister," he corrected her.

"Mister. Canyon. I was under the impression that one who taught at a university must have a doctorate of some kind."

Jack gave a cocky grin. "I'm much more interesting that way. Though, with your extensive research on my colleagues and I, I figured you knew everything about me."

"Some things have eluded us," Yuriko stated coldly, like she was disappointed. "However, the important facts are well aware to us."

"And you speak such perfect English," Jack mocked, scoffed really.

"I am a well educated woman, Mr. Canyon," she told him blatantly.

"I don't doubt that one bit. What do you want with me? Is it my dashing good looks, my breeding capabilities, or my brain? Maybe all three?"

"Americans have such a need to show off their sense of humor," she replied.

"And you don't have one," Jack said. "Let's just get down to business."

"Fine," she stated as she started pacing the floor. "I understand you have been doing research on the legend of the wiccan stones."

Chills literally raced across Jack's entire body. He was shocked beyond words. He simply stood there staring at the lovely Japanese woman for a few minutes. "Very thorough. . ."

"Now, tell me what you know of these stones," she spoke, stopping in front of him and folding her arms across her chest.

"If you want them, then you must know what they do," Jack said trying to delay things.

"Tell me now!" She urged him. "I don't have time for games."

It was the first sign of hostility Jack had actually seen to prove his theory that these people were not friendly.

"Fine," Jack responded. "During the dawn of witchcraft, there were four sisters who had a dear friend. Apparently, this friend was taken by a man in the village. This man was a deviant. He lived alone, and had no children nor a wife. It is believed that she was raped. Somehow, she escaped and made her way back to the village, where she met up with the four sisters. After telling her story to the sisters, the four of them used elements and witchcraft to create four stones."

Logan was closely listening to Jack's story. He somehow wondered if there was a way for him to make money.

"The four stones represent fire, water, earth, and air. Separate they were nothing. Together, they were all-powerful. The sisters began to hunt down the rapist, but he had found the victim before she could go to local authority. He killed the girl and stashed her body in his cabin in the woods. When the sisters arrived, they used their stones to kill the man and bring back their friend."

"So, resurrection is the power behind these stones?" Yuriko asked.

"Yeah, but its very dangerous," Jack answered. "After seeing the power of their stones in killing this man, they sent their stones to separate ends of the earth. Four separate places far enough apart so that the stones could never be used again, or found, for that matter."

"But you think you've found them," she stated.

"I do," Jack replied sadly. "At least two of them. Now, why do you want these stones?"

"I don't think that concerns you, Mr. Canyon."

"If you want my help, it does," Jack told her coldly. "I'm not taking any action unless I know this is not going to end with the world's destruction or something."

"These stones aren't that powerful. You know that."

"So, what do you want with them?" Jack repeated.

"I'm going to resurrect the most fierce and ancient warrior of Japan to lead us into the dawn of a new era, where Japan shall rise to power. I shall be the hand the smites the great powers of the world. I shall be the right hand of first emperor of the world."

Jack Canyon and the Wiccan Stones | PROLOGUE

Words: 1288

It's over the next ridge, Jack Canyon thought as he trekked the heavy snow of the Himalayas. It was awful weather as the wind beat down on him. It pummeled him and stung his face. His arms and legs were carefully wrapped in warm clothes, as was his torso. He covered his eyes as the blizzard whipped harder on him and his small expedition. His goggles were breaking under the pressure of the wind.

With him on this ridiculous adventure was an American archaeologist named Logan Scott. He too was wrapped in heavy winter clothes that you would see someone skiing in. He had joined Jack about four months ago on a crazy adventure to find a mystical celestial bowl of the Aztecs, which was the equivalent to the chalice Christ used in the Last Supper. Now, he was somewhere beyond Mount Everest on a stupid adventure that just might kill them all. All for what? A damn big pile of money.

The only other member of the team was Atawhai Tangaroa, a New Zealand tomb raider. Jack never would work with these types before, but now he needed the ruthless cunning of a desperate treasure hunter to find what he wanted in the deepest snow drenched mountains on the face of the earth. He was a big man, and it wasn't because his clothes were bulky. He was muscular and simply large. He had joined Jack only weeks prior to this. He had been approached in a tavern in Nepal. His reputation and obsession for Shambhala drew Jack's attention.

Jack's feet dug deep into the snow. He was getting more tired with every step he took. The conditions of this expedition to find the lost Buddhist city of Shambhala. His heart was turmoiled with the death of his love, Sophia Stone. Shambhala was fabled to be a city of peace, where only the most enlightened and peace of mind and soul Buddhists could reside. He hoped to find his own peace there. Of course, if the city was still inhabited.

The other two of the team had different ideas on what they wanted. They wanted riches and fame for their discovery. These two were the kind of archaeologists that Jack hated with a passion and never would have run with before Sophia's death.
"Maybe we should turn back," Atawhai urged as he blocked the snow and freezing wind with his arm. "This is crazy. We should not be trying to do this in a blizzard." His voice was hoarse from the cold wind, but it still had the scruffy sound to it.

"He's going to get us killed," Logan shouted back at the taller, darker man. "I honestly don't think my white ass could stand to be paler."

"That's not an image I wanted in my head, mate," Atahwai replied as they both continued to follow their fearless, or perhaps stupid, leader.

Jack's feet felt so heavy, as if he were wearing cement shoes. His breathing was getting heavier and his lungs felt like they could explode from the cold air intake. He fell to his knees as he stumbled. He immediately rose to his feet and continued.

"Hey, Jack-o," Logan yelled out to Jack's back. "Tanga and I think we should turn back before one of us, or all of us, end up dead." He waited through Jack's silence before saying anything else. "We can pick this up once the storm clears."

Jack turned and gave Logan a glare that shut the man up. His eyes were dark as coal, and filled with pain. Even after a year, he was still hurting.

Logan backed off and rejoined his Kiwi friend. "I don't think we're leaving this party unless someone passes out. Wanna place bets on who might go down first?"

Atawhai just grunted and continued marching toward the top of the ridge.

Before Jack could reach the top, he slipped once more, but this time he didn't get back up. He fell and rolled down the ridge toward the other two.

Atawhai reacted quickly and grabbed Jack's jacket and stopped him from falling too far.

"Good catch, Tanga," Logan cheered.

"No thanks to you," Atawhai stated coldly. He pulled Jack to him and slapped his face. "Hey, Canyon!" There was no response.

"Jack-o?" Logan called out.

"He's out cold," Atawhai announced. "Could be anything. Let's get him back to Patan." The Kiwi man tossed the lightweight man over his shoulder and started their descent toward their snowmobiles.

***

Atawhai had hauled Jack's sorry ass down to Patan, Nepal, where they had been staying for the past week or so. He got Jack into the local hospital so they could take a look at the man.

According to the doctors and nurses, Jack was suffering from exhaustion and dehydration. He was near death. Jack lie in the bed motionless with an IV in his arm re-hydrating him until he recovered.

"How long will it take for him to recover?" Logan asked from the hall.

"As long as it takes," Atawhai replied as he stood and the edge of Jack's bed. He had removed his shirt, exposing his tribal tattoos. He had been trained in the ways of a medicine man. With a bowl of burning sage and other plants, Atawhai did a ritual for his fallen companion.

Logan scoffed the Kiwi and moved back to the chair he was in down the hall.

***

One week later, Jack had slowly recovered to the point where he could move around, but not much, and absolutely no adventures. He also had an unexpected guest, who wanted to ring his neck and drag him through the mud.

Jack sighed heavily as he sat erect in bed with his back against the headboard.

"Are you mad!?" The thick Indian accent rolled off the dark woman's tongue. "Are you wanting to die, Jack Canyon?" She paced the floor in her black skirt and white blouse. She had been on a business meeting in New Delhi, India when she was called by Tangaroa. "You are one dumb son of a bitch!"

Jack's stare went from the edge of the bed to Maya Rajah.

"Sophia died a year ago," Maya told him. "You have been going all over the world trying to find relics to bring her back. Jack, listen, get over it. She was my friend, too. I miss her alot, but you don't see me trying to resurrect her."

Jack hung his feet off the edge of the bed as he turned toward Maya.

"You've been lucky so far," she continued. "The next time you might not make it." She moved closer to him. "I care about you, Jack, because Sophia did. You should be continuing your life in her honor, not destroying her memory like you are. If she were here, she'd kick you in the balls for that stupid stunt in the Himalayas. Why did you go? Shambhala has been out there for ages. It can wait out a blizzard."

Jack shook his head and stayed quiet.

"Say something, you prick!" Maya yelled out forcing everyone in the small hospital to turn around and look.

Jack rose to his feet and glared at the woman. He had gotten right in her face. Jack raised her hand and pointed a finger in her face.

"You know I'm right," Maya said in the absence of his words. "A great archaeologist like you is just wasting his life in the snow when he should be out doing something worth while. I can't believe you're the infamous Jack Canyon. I'm ashamed to know you. I'm ashamed to even be in your presence." She turned and headed out with a heart filled with disappointment.

Jack Canyon and The Curse of The Spider Queen | EPILOGUE

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.

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.

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.

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 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."