Treasure Hunting Empr

Lost

Two weeks later.  

After my father healed up a little from his head wound in the hospital for a day he decided he wanted to get away and get some work done and he asked me to come with him. I would be off to college in a few months but at this point I can’t imagine being home without him, I don’t feel safe anymore, the robbers stole more than just some artifacts and some papers. They stole our peace of mind. I'm grown, but not grown enough to say I don't need my Dad. Everything about that night was terrifying. So here we are on a rickety boat drifting down the sss river until we are deep enough in the jungle to find some ancient temple that my father has been researching for the past couple months. 

I walk out on deck to find my father sitting at a little rusty table with papers scattered across it studying an tattered old map, sipping a cup of coffee as dark as him. His brown eyes are dancing excitedly behind his glasses in the bright warm morning sun. 

"What did you find? , I ask as I rest my arms on the rusty railing and looking into the murky water beneath catching glimpses of the fish catching bugs on the surface. He puts his mug of coffee down and gently strokes his coarse black beard with hand and lays the map down on the table. "I think we are getting close to the location" he says as reaches down and pulls binoculars out of the bag at his feet then walking towards the front of the ship. 

"Dad, what's so special about this temple you're looking for anyway?" I ask with a slightly amused grin on my face knowing he's busy making a discovery but I like messing with him. "Well, as local legend tells it there is the remnants of a temple from a very advanced civilization, the Nolanei. It was said that their city was covered in gold and precious stones and they worshipped the panthers that live in these jungles." 

"So, you're just after the treasure then?" I ask walking over to him and taking his binoculars so I can have a look. He chuckles. " This site would be an historical find, the information I could find out about these people is priceless. But yes, some treasure would be nice. I find old pottery and some jewelry from time to time, but a 50lb solid gold statue of a panther wouldn't hurt." He says with smile.

One of the crewmembers of the boat waves for my father to come over. "Remi, I'll be back I need to speak with the captain", he says as he walks away. I sit down at the table that my father was sitting and my curiosity gets the better of me. Usually I find this stuff pretty boring, but even I had to admit that this little treasure hunt we were on was intriguing. I start reading all the papers spread out before me about the Nolanei. It was so strange that they were so advanced and wealthy but vanished without a trace and the only thing left out them were legends. Under a few papers I find a folded up worn piece of paper, I couldn't tell if it was being hidden or was there for safe keeps but I unfold it and to my surprise discover a beautiful picture of tribal looking crown and jewelry. There are words scribbled in another language maybe Spanish next to it but I think it means light. I wish I would have paid attention more when my mother tried to teach me Spanish. Her name was Mila and she was an indigenous to South America and had met my father when he was studying her village. They fell in love, got married and had me. Sadly she developed diabetes without knowing a couple years ago, her body couldn't process all the sugar that was in our diet back in the states, and she ended going into diabetic coma and passing away. Memories of her were flooding back to me and it saddened me to think of all the things she wouldn't be able to teach me. I keep reading as we continue to float down the river.

Deep in the jungle a couple miles away are Bobby and Ed bushwhacking away. Bobby had dark short wavy hair that always seemed sweaty and oily, pale skin, short in stature and always had a pained worried look. He was a desperate man, desperate to make a name for himself. He loved the idea of becoming an famous adventurer that made countless priceless discoveries. He even worked at an museum that often received recovered stolen artifacts. He dreamed of becoming a great man and always leapt at the opportunity to become one. But despite all that here he was standing in the middle of the jungle with a map he had stolen. Ed was slender and tall with short brown hair, pale and unshaven. Ed was a violent man, that didn't really think things through and had the jail time to prove it. He liked the money and the thrill of taking things and did not care what he had to do to get what he wanted.

Bobby tried to read his map under the dark canopy of the trees, all while cautiously walking behind Ed who was wildly slashing at vines and trees with a machete. "Will you be careful with that thing?, Bobby yells at Ed as debris flies towards his face. Ed stops in his tracks and sighs, "You know what your problem is Bobby? You complain too damn much, I got shot in the damn shoulder and you don't see me complaining, everything has to be your way, and we've been doing it your way, and guess what?, we're lost in this hot ass jungle and you're worried about a couple leaves hitting your face". Bobby's mouth drops in disbelief, " I can't believe you are trying to blame me for being lost, the faster we find the temple the better." " Let's head toward the river so I can figure out where we are." Bobby grumbles snatching the machete from Ed and continuing on there way deeper into the jungle.

Back on the boat Dr. Valentine has a word with the Captain. "We'll only be able to go up the river a little further before we hit the rapids, so hopefully we can drop you off close to where you want to be." says the Captain stepping away from the helm to take a swig from his canteen. "Alright, we'll start packing up our things. Thanks for everything, we'll contact you when we're ready to be picked up.", replies Dr. Valentine shaking his free hand. Dr. Valentine heads back on deck to find his daughter sitting at a table, her brown skin and hair lightly glowing a reddish brown in the sun. She was skimming through documents and picture that were left out. At that moment she looked so much like her mother as her big brown almond shaped eyes looked up at him and she greeted him with a smile. He choked back some tears as he told her to help him pack up everything because they were gonna get off the boat soon. 

Remi who was anxious to stretch her legs and explore grabbed her backpack and was the first one off the boat. Remi and and her father disembarked on a small clear landing in between where the jungle and river meet. All around them the jungle was alive with strange noises and snapping twigs and suddenly Remi had an overwhelming feeling they were being watched as her eyes scanned the tree line. Dr. Valentine pulled out his machete and waved off the Captain and his crew as he and his daughter started their journey into the jungle.  Little did Remi and her father know is they were being watched by the very same people they were trying to escape from. "Look, it's the damn doctor that shot me in the shoulder!", Ed said angrily with a glare. Bobby rolled his eyes. "He grazed you. To hell with this map we're gonna let them lead us right to the site of the Nolanei.", says Bobby slowly leaving his hiding spot behind a tree to follow them. "What are we gonna do with them when we find it?, asks Ed. Bobby shrugs. "It's a big jungle , I guess I can work something out.", says Ed flashing a devilish grin and patting his pistol at his waist while ducking under branches and vines following Bobby.

It was late in the afternoon and a long day of walking  and cutting through brush when Remi tripped over a strange stone. "Aaaah", Remi yelled out. Dr. Valentine quickly turned around to help her to her feet. Her hands and clothes were all muddy and she had  a scrape on her leg. "There's some bandages in my bag.., Dr. Valentines voice trailed off as he noticed the stone she tripped over. He kneels down to study the stone and discovers it has some etchings carved into. He then looks over at what he thought was a cliff wall face covered in vines and realizes its a manmade structure. As he gets a little closer he sees some light shining through the vines, so he pulls out his machete and begins cutting an opening that reveals what seems to be a courtyard, a courtyard covered in vines and overgrown trees. "Wow", slips from Remi's lips as she comes to stand by her father. Hand in hand they enter the courtyard, admiring the fountains decorated with gold and the faded paintings on the walls and even the designs carved into the stones they walked on. "Dad, I can't believe you found it, this the most amazing thing I've ever seen. Mom would be so proud of you." Remi says smiling up at her father. Dr.Valentine hugs her. "Thank you sweetheart that means so much to me." Suddenly a gunshot rings out. Remi and her father turn around and find two men maybe twenty paces away from them. "Hello Dr. Valentine, I would like to express my gratitude for your impressive find, but my associate and I will take it from here." says Bobby slowly taking steps closer. "How did you even know I was here?", shouts Dr. Valentine, stretching out his arm in front of Remi forcing her to take steps back along with him. "We were the ones that broke into your place. Finding you here was a happy coincidence. Happy for us anyway.", Ed says with a smile. "Now.. Why don't you two come over here so we can talk about what we're gonna do here.", says Bobby as Ed c***s his gun. Dr. Valentine looks over at his daughter, their eyes meet and he yells "Run!" Remi takes off into the closest doorway she sees, the inside of the ruins are dark and dank, her heart is beating out of her chest. " I can't believe this is happening.", she thinks to herself. Cautiously she walks through the ruins hallways until she sees a faint blue glow of light pulsing inside of a room in front of her. She enters the room and finds the pulsing light is coming from a necklace laying on the ground,  the necklace held a glowing crystal set in a gold panther claw. Shuffling and yelling came from the hallway as she picked up the necklace and puts it on. Quickly she finds a hiding spot behind some stones that may have once been pillars. Ed and Bobby drag her father into the room with them. "Tell your daughter to get out here or we'll kill you." says Ed aiming his gun at Dr. Valentines head. "Baby, I love you, keep running and keep hiding." shouts Dr. Valentine. Remi covers her mouth for fear they will see her tears and then she remembers she's wearing a glowing necklace and conceals it with her other hand so they won't see the light. "Okay, so this is how you want to do it?" Ed yells hitting Dr. Valentine across the face with his face. Remi looks away. A gunshot is fired. Remi squeezes her necklace, a blast of bright blue light envelopes the entire room and then everything goes dark.