Temple of the Jaguar

TEMPLE OF THE JAGUAR

A Novella by

J.R. RAIN

&

AIDEN JAMES

Acclaim for the authors:

“
Gripping, adventurous, and romantic—J.R. Rain’s
The Lost Ark
is a breakneck thriller that traces the thread of history from Biblical stories to current-day headlines. Be prepared to lose sleep!”

—
James Rollins
, international bestselling author of
Bloodline

“
Aiden James has written a deeply psychological, gripping tale that keeps the readers hooked from page one.”

—
Bookfinds
on
The Forgotten Eden

“
J.R. Rain delivers a blend of action and wit that always entertains. Quick with the one-liners, but his characters are fully fleshed out (even the undead ones) and you’ll come back again and again.
”

—
Scott Nicholson
, bestselling author of
The Red Church

“
The intense writing style of Aiden James kept my eyes glued to the story and the pages seemed to fly by at warp speed. Twists, turns, and surprises pop up at random times to keep the reader off balance. It all blends together to create one of the best stories I have read all year.”

—
Huntress Reviews
for
The Devil’s Paradise

OTHER BOOKS BY J.R. RAIN

The Lost Ark

The Body Departed

Elvis Has Not Left the Building

Silent Echo (coming soon)

VAMPIRE FOR HIRE SERIES

Moon Dance

Vampire Moon

American Vampire

Moon Child

Christmas Moon

Vampire Dawn

Vampire Games

Moon Island (coming soon)

SAMANTHA MOON SHORT STORIES

Teeth

Vampire Nights

Vampires Blues

Vampire Dreams

THE JIM KNIGHTHORSE SERIES

Dark Horse

The Mummy Case

Hail Mary

Clean Slate (coming soon)

THE SPINOZA SERIES

The Vampire With the Dragon Tattoo

The Vampire Who Played Dead

The Vampire in the Iron Mask

THE GRAIL QUEST TRILOGY

Arthur

Merlin (coming soon)

WITH PIERS ANTHONY

Aladdin Relighted

Aladdin Sins Bad

Aladdin and the Flying Dutchman

Aladdin’s Odyssey (coming soon)

WITH SCOTT NICHOLSON

Cursed!

Ghost College

The Vampire Club

Bad Blood (also with H.T. Night)

Spider Web

WITH AIDEN JAMES

Temple of the Jaguar

WITH P.J. DAY

Daughters of Eve (coming soon)

OTHER SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS

The Bleeder and Other Stories

Vampires Rain and Other Stories

SCREENPLAYS

Judas Silver

Lost Eden

NON-FICTION

The Rain Interviews

OTHER BOOKS BY AIDEN JAMES

THE JUDAS CHRONICLES

Plague of Coins

Reign of Coins

Destiny of Coins (coming soon)

THE DYING OF THE DARK SERIES

The Vampires’ Last Lover

The Vampires’ Birthright

Blood Princesses of the Vampires

Scarlet Legacy of the Vampires (coming soon)

THE TALISMAN CHRONICLES

The Forgotten Eden

The Devil’s Paradise

Hurakan’s Chalice (coming soon)

CADES COVE SERIES

Cades Cove

The Raven Mocker

GHOSTHUNTERS 101 SERIES

Deadly Night

The Ungrateful Dead

WITH J.R. RAIN

Temple of the Jaguar

COLLECTIONS

Terror at Midnight

Dark Legacy

Twice Bitten

Pray for Daylight

Cursed Immortals

In the Dead of Night

Dying of the Dark Vampires

Vampires, Ghosts, and God

TEMPLE OF THE JAGUAR

Published by J.R. Rain and Aiden James

Copyright © 2011 by J.R. Rain and Aiden James

Cover design by Carl at
[email protected]

All rights reserved.

Ebook Edition, License Notes

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Dedications

To Bartholomew, my friend and guide.

—
J.R.

To my dearest Fiona, forever my love, my partner, and my greatest muse. And, to J.R. Rain, whose friendship, guidance, and steadfast support are beyond compare.

—
Aiden

Temple of the Jaguar

“
What I seek I find, what I find I keep.”

—
H. Rider Haggard,
King Solomon’s Mines

Chapter One

Ruinas, Honduras

Present Day

I found the ceremonial blade in the unmarked grave of some poor sap who had seen better days.

We’d been digging all day in this remote section of the rain forest, sweat pouring down our bare torsos, hands blistering despite the gloves. It was the golden reflection that first caught my eye—that wonderful golden flash that brings a smile to all of us who call ourselves looters. Although, I prefer the term ‘creative archaeologists’.

I used the trowel to scrape away the remaining dirt, revealing more of the blade, which consisted of a jade hilt, an emerald capstone, and six inches of pure gold. And if I wasn’t so tough, I could have cried right there.

“
That will fetch a pretty penny,” said Ishi from behind me in his native Tawankan tongue. Actually, in his native tongue, this was translated to mean that the knife could be exchanged for many shiny coins.

“
Yes, Ishi,” I said. “Many shiny coins.”

I reached down between the ribs, plucked the knife by its hilt and hauled it out, letting the smattering of sunlight refract off its near-perfect finish. That drop of clear liquid on its golden blade was either a tear or sweat. Maybe I’m not so tough after all.

Ishi helped me out of the hip-deep grave, which I was only too glad to leave behind. Any grave robber worth his salt is always happy to leave a grave behind.

We sat back in the shade of a mangrove tree and I lit a cigarette and studied the knife, rolling it back and forth in the little sunlight that made its way to the jungle floor. The crimson glow of the cigarette tip reflected deeply within the blade. It was a rare find, indeed.

“
He was a warrior,” said Ishi, squatting next to me and drinking from a water jug. “Perhaps a very highly-esteemed warrior. The knife was for his protection.”

I thought about that, then stood and moved over to the exposed grave. I unbuckled my pickaxe and dropped it down into the pit. I returned a moment later and sat down next to the Indian youth. “Can’t leave the old chap without any protection.”

Ishi was smiling. “You are not like the others.”

“
We all steal,” I said, inhaling on the cigarette.

“
But you steal with a conscience.”

“
I know. It’s a terrible thing.”

“
At least you have not angered the spirits.”

“
Yes,” I said, “there’s always that. C’mon, let’s re-bury this poor bastard and get the hell out of here.”

* * *

As Ishi drove through the thick jungle on a road that really wasn’t much of a road, I checked my voice mail on my looting hotline. One new message. Oh, fun. It was from a woman named Marie Da Vinci. She wanted to speak with me ASAP. Unless my ass was on the line, I rarely did anything ASAP, which is one of the reasons I became a self-employed looter. It was either that or open a smoothie shop in a strip mall.