Chapter 1
San Jose, Costa Rica
March 1937
Indiana Jones had almost made his way into the temple and dust and debris rained on the ground. His guide Ramirez, who was crouched down beside him coughed and spluttered as dust flew about in several different directions.
"I think we're almost there," said Jones, readjusting his fedora as he chipped away some more at the entrance.
Ramirez, Indy's guide, had been given the directions to this temple by Fasil, a friend of his who lived locally.
It had taken them all day for him and Indy to find the temple. The structure was extremely well hidden and legend said that its hidden location prevented looters and grave robbers being able to find it.
It was beginning to get dark and Ramirez lit a couple of torches as Indy chipped away some more at the entrance.
"That's it, we're in," said Indy. "Are you ready, Ramirez?"
Ramirez nodded. "Si, Señor."
Ramirez passed him a torch and Jones began to crawl through the tunnel. Even with the light, he couldn't see much further ahead but he crawled further into the tunnel and Ramirez followed.
"This is fun, eh Señor?"
"Yeah, but not everyone's idea of a great time, though."
A few minutes later, the archaeologist came to a large room and pulled himself upright. Ramirez followed.
Ramirez looked at the end of the room and gasped.
"Do you see that, Señor?" He asked, astonished by the sight in front of them.
Ramirez was referring to the clay statue of a winged bird which stood about twelve inches tall.
Indy stepped forward. However he paused for a long moment, scratching his chin in an unconscious habit.
"Señor, what are we waiting for?" Ramirez asked incredulously. "Why don't we just…"
Jones interrupted him. "Trust me. It would be a real bad idea to go over there just and grab it."
"I understand, Señor. But how do we get it?"
"I have an idea," the experience archaeologist said; his years of experience telling him that this would require careful thought, and not hasty impatience.
He scanned the surround walls and then unfurled his whip and held the handle in his mouth. He began climb up one of the walls and moments later, cracked the whip towards a beam. The whip connected and the leather tendril curled around itself in a half hitch. Jones pulled it to test the strength of the knot. Satisfied, he then used the whip to pull himself up and grabbed hold on the beam.
Sweat poured from his brow as he climbed, and Jones glanced down nervously at the floor of the temple ten feet below him.
"Señor? Are you all right?" asked his companion.
"Yeah, fine."
"But, how did you do that?"
"Ah, this is kids stuff," he said, as he pulled himself fully up on to the beam.
Jones' idea was to swing on the whip and grab the statue, but he decided that wasn't going to work, as his feet might hit the floor triggering any traps that might lay in wait for him. He then had another idea. He tested the whip's strength again, leaned back over the edge of the beam, wrapped his legs around the whip, similar to a style of climbing a rope, only he would be going down and not up. He slowly moved down the whip. He was beginning to feel dizzy though, as the blood rushed to his head. He moved down, very slowly now and was almost in reach of the statue. He smiled as he touched the top of the figurine.
But then, something happened…something bad.
His hat, which he had completely forgotten about, fell off of his head and landed on the floor of the Mayan temple that he now sought to desecrate.
"Oh, no," whispered Ramirez.
Indy's smile faded into shock as he realised that his hat would quite possibly be the death of him, but setting off the hidden traps that he knew awaited those who disregarded the warnings of the Ancients; and which he knew laid in wait for him in this temple.
Ramirez gasped "What now, Dr. Jones?" he asked anxiously, the sweat rolling down his face.
The dangling archaeologist dared not to move an inch, for fear of setting anything off the traps that he knew from experience lay in wait for the unwary.
"I don't know! If you have to move, just do it very slowly!"
Slowly, Indy grabbed the statue and put it in his MKvii bag. He moved up the whip, grabbed hold of the beam and pulled himself up. He then grabbed the end of the whip, jumped off the beam onto the floor where his hat lay. He unfurled the whip and then grabbed his hat, running towards Ramirez. Then, it began.
That all too familiar rumbling sound.
"Oh great!" muttered Indy, putting on his fedora, as he and Ramirez ran toward the exit. Unfortunately, the exit had now been blocked off by stone and rubble.
Ramirez began to run in the other direction.
"Wait!" shouted Indy.
"Señor, we have to get out of here!" he said, his voice growing more desperate.
"I realise that!" Jones yelled. "But how?"
"Follow me!" he replied.
Ramirez ran over to the wall that Indy had previously climbed.
"Somewhere here," said Ramirez, hurriedly looking for a weak spot in the wall. He eventually found it and started hitting it frantically with his pickaxe.
The room continued to shake even more now. Jones looked around him, as all hell was breaking loose. Rocks and rubble began to rain down throughout the temple.
"We're nearly there!" yelled Ramirez.
He stopped digging and the two men began to clear the entrance of the rubble. A few moments later, they began their escape.
They were now outside of the temple.
It was dark now and Jones and Ramirez were covered in dust and debris. Indy then heard an unfamiliar voice.
"Ah, the eminent Archaeologist, Doctor Jones. I thought I might find you here."
"Señor, who is that?" asked Ramirez.
A man dressed in a white suit and holding a torch stepped forward. Indy didn't recognise the man.
"Who the hell are you?" he asked.
"I really don't have time for pleasantries. I am however, more than aware of whom you are. I have followed your career very closely. You have quite a reputation as a…"
If he says grave robber, I'll kill him, thought Indy.
"…Renowned treasure hunter," he finished. "And I'm positive that you have something for me. Of course, I am unable to do the finding myself. I prefer to let others do the work and…"
Suddenly, as the man raised the gun in his hand to point it at Indy, someone hit the man in the face and he went down, groaning.
Ramirez stepped forward.
"Sorry. He was really beginning to get on my nerves," he said.
"Mine too," said Indy, as he stepped over the unconscious man.
Leaving the strange and unexpected stranger behind, the exhausted pair began walking to Ramirez's village, and when they arrived, a familiar face was there to greet them.
"I'm surprised" said Jock Lindsay. "I thought that you'd be heading off those bad guys by now, Indy."
"Took care of them already. There were at least ten," he said, smiling.
At that moment, gunfire began to break out.
"Get down!" yelled Indy, as he, Ramirez and Jock crouched to the ground.
"Damn!" exclaimed Jock.
"Looks like you spoke too soon," said Indy.
"Me and my big mouth," muttered Jock.
Indy looked over at Ramirez.
"Ramirez, we gotta be going now. Thanks for all your help. Take care of yourself!"
Ramirez smiled and shouted through the gunfire.
"No problem, Señor Jones. Have a safe trip!"
Indy and Jock ran to Jock's plane, whist dodging bullets. They had almost made it when a bullet zipped past Indy and skimmed his right arm, injuring him slightly.
"Jones, you okay?!" Asked Jock, as they approached the plane.
"I'll live!" he said as Jock got in the plane and started up the engines.
Indy got in the passenger seat to better inspect the wound.
"It's just a flesh wound," he said.
"You should be more careful, you know!" yelled Jock.
"Yeah, I guess," said Indy, his wound had started to bleed.
Jock began to steer the plane in the direction for take-off and moments later, they were airborne.
"You okay, Indy?" Jock asked again, the concern evident in his voice.
"Yeah. Terrific!" Jones shouted back.
"C'mon Jones. Let's get you back to the States. Your students will be missing you!"
Indy smiled, leaned back in the seat and moments later, he was fast asleep.