Read Online Mayan December by Brenda Cooper - Free Book Online
Authors: Brenda Cooper
Tags: Science-Fiction, mayan
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said. “Look.”
Nixie turned. Just a few feet behind her, a turtle poked its yellow-green head out of the water and regarded the two women. It was gray and green, with pinkish spots, and ridges that went from the front to back of its shell. “That’s no baby,” Nixie said.
It was almost longer than Nixie was tall. “An old leatherback,” Oriana whispered. “That shouldn’t be in here. Not this close to the beach.”
Nixie took a step toward it, holding out her hand.
CHAPTER 10
Alice sat in the back of a small hot bus, surrounded by locals going to work at Chichén. She’d left her car in a lot in Cancun. Gas was so dear, even in Mexico, that she’d started taking local buses on long trips.
Today, she drew attention from the brown faces around her as she glanced repeatedly at her phone. She’d turned the tracking on even though she knew the webs were lousy on the roads. It worked, though. Her light blinked in the center, Nixie’s at the edge. As she watched, the background re-drew, showing Alice’s movement away from Nixie, toward Chichén Itzá. She licked her lips, wishing Nixie were beside her.
The bus dropped Alice off near the gate. The lot looked more crowded than she’d ever seen it. To get in, she dodged buses, rental cars, and gaggles of brightly dressed tourists gathering around guides with megaphones. She headed directly toward the gate, where she flashed a pass to get in.
Just beyond, two men and a woman sat on a gray stone bench, watching for her. Her friend, Don Carlo Agapito, and two people from IndiStudy, a private foundation he funded.
The woman, Julia Highland, spotted her first. Julia was dressed almost identically to Alice, in khakis and a light shirt with wearing a dull green canvas expedition hat to shade her fair skin. Even dressed alike, they didn’t look alike. Julia might have stepped out of a magazine cover, complete with makeup and blonde hair that looked bouncy even in the humid air.
Alice shook her hand quickly. “Hello, Julia. You look wonderful.”
A nod. “Ready?”
Alice met Don Carlo’s sparkling brown eyes. She genuinely liked him. Two summers ago, they had traveled together with some graduate students on a trip to decipher the paintings on a new mural unearthed north of Merida. He had been respectful and curious, if sometimes slightly drunk and talkative after dinner. Although he had the dark skin, delicate features, and wide brown eyes of a Yucatecan Maya, Don Carlo had been raised in the United States. He’d invested the millions he made in technology to study his heritage, anonymously funding Mayan research and schools. He smiled down at her. “Hello, Alice. You’re as beautiful as ever.”
She blushed a little at his comment, even while knowing it for his usual manner with all women.
Michael Lingen looked like the perfect tourist, all tan and lean muscle, almost six feet tall, blond and confident. He wore jeans and a T-shirt. The hand he clasped Alice’s hand with was cool and soft. “Pleased to see you.”
“Likewise.” Michael was better looking than Don Carlo, except his flirting wasn’t as harmless. But he could give her more work. She was traveling on the last of the money IndiStudy had paid her, and she needed a way to feed Nix next year. A tough line to dance on. She smiled along that line, stepping back a bit from him. “What can I show you?”
“Can we start at K’uk’ulkan?”
The temple of the snake god. At least he didn’t call it “the castle” like so many tourists did. She glanced over at Julia and Don Carlo. “Is that all right with you two?”
Julia said, “Sure,” and Don Carlo grinned, his smile lightening her mood. He felt like an almost-authentic version of Ian. Funny, since Don Carlo was native and Ian imported. She shook her head to clear the thought and led the trio toward the large stepped pyramid, falling a little behind to glance down at her phone.
No Nixie. Damn. She pushed the message button and
Nixie turned. Just a few feet behind her, a turtle poked its yellow-green head out of the water and regarded the two women. It was gray and green, with pinkish spots, and ridges that went from the front to back of its shell. “That’s no baby,” Nixie said.
It was almost longer than Nixie was tall. “An old leatherback,” Oriana whispered. “That shouldn’t be in here. Not this close to the beach.”
Nixie took a step toward it, holding out her hand.
CHAPTER 10
Alice sat in the back of a small hot bus, surrounded by locals going to work at Chichén. She’d left her car in a lot in Cancun. Gas was so dear, even in Mexico, that she’d started taking local buses on long trips.
Today, she drew attention from the brown faces around her as she glanced repeatedly at her phone. She’d turned the tracking on even though she knew the webs were lousy on the roads. It worked, though. Her light blinked in the center, Nixie’s at the edge. As she watched, the background re-drew, showing Alice’s movement away from Nixie, toward Chichén Itzá. She licked her lips, wishing Nixie were beside her.
The bus dropped Alice off near the gate. The lot looked more crowded than she’d ever seen it. To get in, she dodged buses, rental cars, and gaggles of brightly dressed tourists gathering around guides with megaphones. She headed directly toward the gate, where she flashed a pass to get in.
Just beyond, two men and a woman sat on a gray stone bench, watching for her. Her friend, Don Carlo Agapito, and two people from IndiStudy, a private foundation he funded.
The woman, Julia Highland, spotted her first. Julia was dressed almost identically to Alice, in khakis and a light shirt with wearing a dull green canvas expedition hat to shade her fair skin. Even dressed alike, they didn’t look alike. Julia might have stepped out of a magazine cover, complete with makeup and blonde hair that looked bouncy even in the humid air.
Alice shook her hand quickly. “Hello, Julia. You look wonderful.”
A nod. “Ready?”
Alice met Don Carlo’s sparkling brown eyes. She genuinely liked him. Two summers ago, they had traveled together with some graduate students on a trip to decipher the paintings on a new mural unearthed north of Merida. He had been respectful and curious, if sometimes slightly drunk and talkative after dinner. Although he had the dark skin, delicate features, and wide brown eyes of a Yucatecan Maya, Don Carlo had been raised in the United States. He’d invested the millions he made in technology to study his heritage, anonymously funding Mayan research and schools. He smiled down at her. “Hello, Alice. You’re as beautiful as ever.”
She blushed a little at his comment, even while knowing it for his usual manner with all women.
Michael Lingen looked like the perfect tourist, all tan and lean muscle, almost six feet tall, blond and confident. He wore jeans and a T-shirt. The hand he clasped Alice’s hand with was cool and soft. “Pleased to see you.”
“Likewise.” Michael was better looking than Don Carlo, except his flirting wasn’t as harmless. But he could give her more work. She was traveling on the last of the money IndiStudy had paid her, and she needed a way to feed Nix next year. A tough line to dance on. She smiled along that line, stepping back a bit from him. “What can I show you?”
“Can we start at K’uk’ulkan?”
The temple of the snake god. At least he didn’t call it “the castle” like so many tourists did. She glanced over at Julia and Don Carlo. “Is that all right with you two?”
Julia said, “Sure,” and Don Carlo grinned, his smile lightening her mood. He felt like an almost-authentic version of Ian. Funny, since Don Carlo was native and Ian imported. She shook her head to clear the thought and led the trio toward the large stepped pyramid, falling a little behind to glance down at her phone.
No Nixie. Damn. She pushed the message button and
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