Read Online Addison Cooke and the Treasure of the Incas by Jonathan W. Stokes - Free Book Online Page B

tires.”
    â€œYour English is really good,” said Molly.
    â€œIt should be,” said Guadalupe. “I’m from Cleveland.”
    Molly processed this. She glanced around at the derelict shop fronts and seething, trash-strewn alleys. “How did you end up
here
?”
    â€œIt’s complicated.”
    Addison nodded appreciatively at Guadalupe, liking her more and more. Here was a person with a few decent stories to tell.
    â€œWe’re interested in looking for the bones of the underworld,” Eddie said. “Can you help us?”
    â€œBones of the underworld?” asked Guadalupe. “What kind of tourists are you?”
    â€œIt’s complicated,” returned Molly.
    â€œBones of the underworld aren’t my specialty,
chica
, but I can show you the sights,” said Guadalupe. “For a price.”
    â€œWhy should we hire you?” asked Eddie. “You just tried to cheat us.”
    â€œYou said you’re looking for the underworld. I know every basement, alley, and gutter in this town.”
    Addison admired street smarts and pluck. He beamed at Guadalupe. “I am an astute judge of character, and I think you will make an excellent guide.”
    â€œI’m an astute judge of money. Show me yours, so I know I’m not wasting my time.”
    Addison pulled out his uncle’s wallet and opened it wide.
    Guadalupe eyed the contents and made a quick mental calculation. “My price is four hundred thousand pesos.”
    Addison considered himself a shrewd negotiator. Four hundred thousand pesos seemed just a bit steep. “Can I get a student discount?”
    â€œSure,” said Guadalupe. “Even better, how about a five-finger discount?”
    â€œWhat’s a five-finger discount?”
    â€œThis is!” And with her five fingers, Guadalupe snatched the wallet from his hand.
    Before Addison could blink in surprise, Guadalupe was already hightailing it across the crowded market.
    â€œJohn Wilkes Booth!” cried Addison.
    â€œWho?” asked Eddie.
    â€œThat’s what Addison says instead of swearwords,” Molly explained. “So he doesn’t get in trouble.”
    Addison darted after Guadalupe. Within seconds, she vanished among the throng of con artists, vagabonds, and thieves.
    â€¢Â Â Â â€¢Â Â Â â€¢
    Fuming, Addison led his crew along narrow alleys, waded through a flock of passing sheep, and crossed a junkyard where a forlorn mule chomped at crabgrass.
    â€œIt’s getting dark,” said Molly, blowing the stray wisp of hair from her eyes. “We have no money and nowhere to stay.”
    â€œMolly,” Addison said, impatiently raising one hand in the air, “you’re very quick to take a glass-half-empty view of things. I prefer to say we have nothing tying us down.” He consulted his map. “We’ll find the location to the next key. It’s near the river. We’ve come this far. It must be close.”
    â€œWe don’t even have money now. How are we supposed to get out of here?” Eddie was a champion worrier, and once his thoughts began spiraling, they often flewinto a tailspin. “We could be stuck in Colombia for years. And we’re supposed to be back in school on Monday! I need to get good grades so I can get into a decent college.”
    â€œTake a good look around, Eddie.” Raj gestured to the festering warren of alleyways, teeming with cutpurses and desperados. He breathed deeply. “You’re in life’s classroom.”
    Following his compass, Addison led the band through the shantytown in the gathering darkness. Sinewy women with cracked mahogany skin ground cassava in mortar bowls and boiled malanga leaves. The evening air smelled sweet with the fragrance of gardenias.
    â€œHere we are,” Addison announced at last, looking up from his map. He reached the end of a trash-cluttered lane, turned the corner, and spread