Free When The Jaguar Sleeps: A jungle adventure by J.A. Kalis Page A

her unnaturally pale, porcelain skin.
    ‘Take him to the living room and then bring something to eat and drink,’ Emilio instructed her briefly.
    She nodded obediently, then left closing the door quietly behind her.
    Brian was an American. He’d come to Ecuador nine years ago, when he’d just turned thirty, and decided to make it his home. He’d been lured initially by the stories about Atahualpa’s legendary Inca treasures, supposedly hidden in some unknown, inaccessible place in the jungle. He’d tried himself, several times, to look for the treasures but without success.
    However, Ecuador enchanted him and he did not want to go back to the United States. He learned Spanish, and when his financial resources began to diminish decided to find a new source of revenue. He’d noticed that more and more Americans were deciding to spend the last years of their life abroad and were enthusiastic about Ecuador. They were drawn to Cuenca with its picturesque colonial architecture, pleasant climate and peaceful lifestyle. Brian opened a real estate agency and on his website encouraged retirees to visit the city and settle down. A constant stream of clients brought him a good income. Nevertheless he did not forget why he had originally come to Ecuador. He didn’t go treasure hunting himself anymore but had enough money to pay other people to search for him. Meanwhile he bought two apartments for himself, one in Cuenca and the other in Quito, and, depending on the season, his personal preferences or business development, he divided his time between them.
    In the Spanish archives in Quito he’d learned how many Spanish ships had sunk in the region carrying huge loads of gold and silver coins. Most of them disappeared in the treacherous waters full of jagged underwater rocks and coral reefs near the peninsula of Punta Santa Elena. One of the galleons had been on its way to England when it crashed in 1648 on the rocks and sank without trace. It carried huge amounts of gold and silver, the value corresponding to about thirteen million dollars in today’s money. The bullion had been amassed by the governor in Peru on the orders of the Spanish government to send to support King Charles I of England in his struggle with Parliament.
    In 1684 and 1763 another two ships with cargoes of Spanish gold and silver coins sank north of Punta Santa Elena. And in November 1800 a frigate, the Santa Leocadia , from Paita in Peru also sank in the area. Heading towards Panama, heavily loaded with chests of gold and silver, it was lost when blown off course in a raging hurricane.
    Brian had hired some highly experienced divers and sent them in search of the sunken treasures. They found only a pair of silver and gold coins. Despite doubling the amount of money he had promised to pay them, they declined any further exploration. The risk was too high because the ocean there was swarming with sharks.
    Since then, Brian had concentrated his searching on land. His men made some illegal excavations on certain archaeological sites. Sometimes he flew himself in a small plane to look at ruins. He was particularly interested in the almost inaccessible areas of the Amazon jungle.
    He visited archives and libraries, delving into old records and books, intent on tracking even the slightest hints about the hidden riches of the former Inca empire. He paid his men to loot ancient Indian tombs, robbing them of the most valuable artefacts. He would sell to dealers and collectors, first only in Ecuador, later also in Europe and in the United States. The demand for Pre-Columbian treasures on the global art market was increasing rapidly. They were highly sought after by collectors worldwide. At auctions some of the items were fetching astronomical prices. So Brian never had a problem selling on his stolen masterpieces.
    He’d known Emilio for almost five years now. First he’d become one of his most important customers, and later a valuable business partner. His