Free Curse of the Ruins by Gary Paulsen

C HAPTER 1
    “We’ve landed, Katie. You can open your eyes now.”
    “Very funny.” Thirteen-year-old Katherine Crockett gave her brother a look of disgust, flipped her long, sandy blond hair behind her shoulder, and stood to retrieve her overnight bag from the compartment above her head.
    “Sam, you really shouldn’t give Katie a hard time about flying.” A tall African American boy across the aisle folded his arms. “Your dad wouldn’t like it. And besides,” he said with a snort, “some people can’t help it ifthey’re total wimps and have to use the barf bag before the plane even gets off the ground.”
    Katie glared at the tall boy. “Shala, if you think that being my cousin will keep me from hurting you—think again.” She lifted her chin and stepped into the aisle.
    “She’s right, Shala. Being her cousin won’t save you. I’m her brother, older brother to be exact, and it hasn’t helped me a bit.”
    “I heard that.” Katie was nearly at the front of the small plane. She turned and made a face. “Let’s not get too carried away,
o ancient one
. You’re only ten minutes older, and our birth certificates say we’re twins, so that makes us equal enough in the age department.”
    Sam had opened his mouth to set her straight when a duffel bag came flying across the aisle and hit him in the chest.
    “Here.” Shala chuckled. “If you’re smart you’ll call it even and catch up with her before she gets to your dad first and our vacation in New Mexico starts off on the wrong foot.”
    “You have a point there.” Sam edged around a woman in front of him and yelledover the heads of the other passengers. “Wait up, Katie. Dad said we should stay together, remember? San Marcos is right on the Mexican border. A town like this could be a rough place … for a little girl.”
    But Katie was already off the plane and heading for the terminal. She hurried through the glass doors and scanned the faces of the people in the waiting area, hoping to see her father’s familiar salt-and-pepper beard.
    “Excuse me, miss.” A thin man with bushy black eyebrows and a thick Spanish accent stepped in front of her. “You look as if you need assistance. Perhaps I could hold your belongings while you try to locate your party.”
    “No … thank you.” Katie moved a few steps away and glanced behind her to see if the boys were coming. Suddenly the man yanked her overnight bag from her fingers and darted through the crowd.
    “Hey!” Katie yelled, charging after him. “Somebody stop that man!”
    “Katie’s in trouble!” Sam shouted. “Come on, Shala.”
    The two boys pushed past the new arrivalsand ran into the small airport lobby. They could see the top of Katie’s head bobbing up and down as she blasted through the crowd in front of them.
    Shala spotted something lying on the lobby floor. He scooped it up and sprinted after Sam.
    Behind them an alarm went off. Airport security guards were blowing whistles and shouting in Spanish.
    Katie saw the man she was after make a sudden turn at a bank of lockers. She chased him down a narrow corridor and started to follow him through a side exit.
    Just as she shoved the unmarked door open, a hand with a grip like steel locked on to her arm. “Hold it right there, young lady.”
    Katie struggled and looked up into the face of a police officer. “That man—” She pointed at the thief, who had already stopped a taxi and was hastily climbing inside. “He stole my bag—and you’re letting him get away.”
    Sam came crashing down the hallway with Shala close behind. “Are you all right, Katie? What happened?”
    Katie blew air threw her teeth, still furious at the policeman. “I’m fine. But some guy ripped off my bag. I almost caught up with him when this bozo came along and let him get away.”
    Shala was breathing hard. “What … were you going to do with him … if you caught him?”
    Katie rolled her eyes. “Ask him to the prom. What do you