Free Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow by James Rollins Page A

Marika, you’re Maya, yes?”
    A nod. “Going back fifteen generations to the first of my tribe to arrive here. Pindor traces his family to sixteen. But other Lost Tribes have been here longer. Much longer.”
    She headed down again.
    Jake stared after her.
    Lost Tribes?
    He studied Calypsos again. Could that grass-roofed structure be a Viking longhouse? And what about that pile of homes raised on stilts? It looked African. But he wasn’t sure. Either way, it seemed all of history had been gathered down below, ancient peoples from every age and land.
    But how…and why?
    Jake itched for a closer look.
    Unlike his sister.
    Kady still hung back. Her eyes were narrow with worry and suspicion. “Maybe we shouldn’t go too far.” She glanced back to the stone towers. “If there’s a way out of this Jurassic Park wannabe, maybe we should stay close to where we landed.”
    Jake barely heard her. One last structure drew his gaze. It lay beyond the strange town and rose on the right from the wild region of the valley, surrounded by forest. In fact,most of it remained hidden within the jungle. That was why Jake hadn’t spotted the structure right away.
    “We need to find some way back home,” Kady continued.
    Jake lifted his arm and pointed to the half-hidden structure. “How’s that for a place to start looking?”
    Kady studied where he pointed.
    Only the top two tiers of the pyramid rose above the jungle, enough for Jake to see the massive sculpture on top. It was a stone dragon, lit with fire by the glancing rays of the sun. The dragon crouched there, its neck stretched high, its wings unfurled wide, as if readying to take flight. Its shape was a match to the one atop the gold pyramid at the museum, the same one sketched in his mother’s book and described in his father’s log.
    Jake’s hand drifted to his khaki vest. His palm rested over the books in the inner pocket. There was no mistaking the structure out there.
    It was the same pyramid.
    Only full size!
    Amazement kept Jake rooted in place.
    “Are you coming or not?” Marika called back anxiously.
    Jake glanced to Kady. He needed her to understand. His fingers tightened over the hidden books. If the small pyramid back at the museum had somehow transported them here, surely the larger one out in the valley could hold the key to a way back home. But more than that, Jakepictured his mother and father working inside the tomb in Mexico, discovering the smaller gold pyramid in the first place.
    Had they suspected the truth? Had they died to keep its secret?
    More than a way home, the pyramid might offer an answer to that bigger mystery in Jake’s life—in both their lives.
    What had truly happened to their parents?
    A new noise intruded: a creak of wheels and a rattling jangle, along with the clip-clop of something large. Pindor scooted ahead to scout the bend in the road.
    The noises grew louder. Jake could make out a few mumbled voices. Below, Pindor lifted his spear in a sign of greeting, then backed to the side to allow room.
    Two creatures clopped into view, tethered and drawing a two-wheeled chariot. Jake swallowed in disbelief. The gray-green creatures that pulled the chariot were the size of draft horses—but they weren’t horses. Each looked to weigh a half ton, trundling on four legs.
    “Europasaurus,” Jake named them. “Pygmy dinosaurs.”
    Three men crowded the chariot: one held the reins and the two others bore spears and swords. One hopped off and crossed toward them. He was dressed like Pindor, but he also wore bronze armor and a helmet.
    “Heronidus,” Marika said. The girl crossed her arms and said sourly, “Pindor’s older brother.”
    The newcomer spoke loudly. “Father is furious, Pin! What are you doing up here by the Broken Gate?”
    “We were…I wanted to show…”
    Heronidus pointed. “By Jove, is that Father’s spear?”
    Pindor shifted the weapon behind him. He glanced up the path toward Marika for some