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eBook Category: Science Fiction/Fantasy
eBook Description: A private plane crash deep in the heart of the Yucatan jungle strands Melanie Rivers, a teen-age movie star, Tony Cartwright, her egotistical director, and Mike Brenner, a young archeological student, near the site of a mysterious pyramid. As day turns into night their predicament turns into more than just a fight for survival as Melanie becomes the catalyst for an ancient evil to resurrect itself intent on completing a human sacrifice interrupted centuries ago.

eBook Publisher: Fictionwise.com, Published: 1990
Fictionwise Release Date: June 2003

5 Reader Ratings: Great Good OK Poor

Available eBook Formats [MultiFormat - What's this?]: Adobe Acrobat (PDF) [368 KB], eReader (PDB) [120 KB], Palm Doc (PDB) [113 KB], Rocket/REB1100 (RB) [101 KB], Microsoft Reader (LIT) [125 KB] - PocketPC 1.0+ Compatible, Franklin eBookMan (FUB) [160 KB], hiebook (KML) [261 KB], Sony Reader (LRF) [131 KB], iSilo (PDB) [93 KB], Mobipocket (PRC) [116 KB], Kindle Compatible (MOBI) [144 KB], OEBFF Format (IMP) [156 KB]
Words: 37116
Reading time: 106-148 min.
Microsoft Reader (LIT) Format: Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud ENABLED
Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Format:  Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud DISABLED
All Other formats: Printing DISABLED, Read-aloud DISABLED

The swarthy, black-haired pilot of the Cessna 172 struggled to control the small white plane as it bucked and rolled in the dark sky over the lush green jungle below.

The storm had come out of nowhere and Mike Brenner, who was seated behind the pilot, tightened his seat belt with trembling hands. He looked at the passenger sitting next to him and smiled weakly. He hoped she hadn't noticed his hands. The pale young girl looked back at him with wide blue eyes.

"It's all right," He managed to keep his voice steady. "We'll be out of this in no time."

He knew, though, that it was only wishful thinking on his part. They were surrounded by black churning clouds and there wasn't a break in sight. But he wanted to appear confident to the auburn haired girl next to him. He could see by the way she gripped her camera with both hands and the way her eyes kept flitting from side to side that she was scared.

Right at that moment though, he was more afraid of getting airsick than of the storm. He never could stand to be bumped and tossed around like that. Even when he was a small kid, he always got carsick if the roads got too hilly or bumpy.

Boy, he thought, of all the weird things to happen, this was the weirdest. Here he was sitting next to Melanie Rivers, the beautiful teenage star of the movie, Evil Dawn and all he could think about was his stomach!

But even though he didn't like flying, there was no way that he would have backed out of this trip.

His thoughts went back to the day before...

He had been helping out his father at an archeological dig near the small Yucatan town of Los Palmas, when the movie crew had arrived in three outsized mobile trailers. It had sent the small town into a buzz and he had gone along with everyone else to watch them unload their equipment.

When he saw Melanie Rivers, he couldn't believe his eyes! He had had a crush on her since he was fifteen. And now seeing her standing there by one of the mobile units made his heart thump in his chest and sent a small delicious quiver up his spine.

She was even more beautiful in person. And even though she was wearing a pair of oversized khaki pants and had a full white cotton blouse tucked into them, they did nothing to hide her slim athletic figure. The cool crispness of her appearance made him painfully aware of his own sweat-stained shirt and dirt-encrusted jeans.

Nevertheless, he went right up to her and struck up a conversation. He didn't know where he had gotten the nerve to do so, but once he had started, he found that he couldn't stop talking.

He had expected her to be standoffish and conceited and had been prepared to be snubbed as just another admiring fan. But she turned out to be a real down-to-earth girl who even seemed a little shy. A very different type from the confident sexy character that she had played in Evil Dawn.

His thoughts were interrupted when Tony Cartwright swiveled his head around from the right front seat of the plane and gave Melanie a tight little smile. Tony was the film director responsible for Melanie's success and he was also the one responsible for Mike being on the plane. The director wanted to scout out some locations for his next film and since he discovered that Mike knew the area fairly well he had invited him to come along. They had taken off an hour ago under clear blue skies but now a fierce tropical storm had them in its grip.

"Are we going to be all right Tony?" asked Melanie in a small voice.

Mike felt a small twinge of envy. For a second he fantasized her asking him that.

But instead of answering, Tony turned to the pilot and said, "What the hell's wrong Luis? I thought you said the weather report called for clear skies?"

"It did," answered Luis, his dark face scowling. "Damn freak storm. We never have storms this time of year."

"Yeah, well you know it and I know it," growled Tony. "But tell that to the storm."

As if to punctuate his remark, a bolt of lightning streaked across their path like a jagged neon sign suddenly switching on against the dark rumbling sky.

Tony cursed and looked out the side window. Mike suddenly felt a surge of resentment. As Melanie was one way, so was Tony the exact opposite. He seemed like a typical Hollywood playboy, all hype and phony charm and flashing white teeth. Even his hair made a statement. It was cut short and spiky on top--a real "styled in Hollywood" look.

Luis wrestled with the wheel and let out a stream of Spanish phrases as he struggled to keep the plane in level flight; a white buzzing toy flying over a giant's tangled green lawn.

If Mike had been asked, he would have advised Tony to pick someone else besides Luis to fly them around. The man was bad news. It was no secret in Los Palmas that he ran drugs up from Columbia as his main source of income. And he didn't like the way Luis' eyes had roamed over Melanie's tight jeans when they had all gathered at the plane prior to takeoff.

A sickening drop brought Mike back to the moment at hand and he felt his stomach to a flip-flop as Tony glanced at the pilot.

"Let's get the hell out of here and go back!" Yelled the director over the rhythmic drone of the motor and the hissing wind.

"We cannot do that!" Luis shouted as he nodded his head backwards. "It is worst back there. We must go forward and hope to outrun the storm."

There was a momentary lull in the turbulence and Luis said, "I will ask Merida Control to vector us out of this."

He picked up the mike and said in Spanish, "Merida control, this is Cessna two zero tango. Come in anybody ... come in,"

There was a buzz of static that sounded like bacon frying in a tin pan as Luis clicked off the mike waiting for a reply. Then a voice with the studied casualness that all flight controllers seem to affect came on. But it was weak and faint and seemed to come from a long distance.

"Cessna two zero tango, this is Merida Control."

Luis turned to grin at everyone with a satisfied expression as if he were personally responsible for the existence of the Merida Air Control.

Then he turned and clicked on the mike to talk.

"Merida Control, we are an hour out of Los Palmas heading approximately 360 degrees in heavy thunderstorm."

Luis clicked off the mike and waited. The static came on again even louder than before and it seemed like a long time went by before the voice came back on.

"I don't understand, two zero tango. We have no heavy weather on the scope for a hundred miles in every direction--"

Suddenly the voice cut out and was replaced by a series of high-pitched electronic squeals.

Tony glared at Luis. "What the hell was that all about?" he said. "Can't you guys talk English?"

Luis gave him a teasingly innocent look, and answered. "Merida Air Traffic Control says there is no storm."

"What kind of crap is he giving us?" Tony snarled as he pointed out the window. "What the hell is that? What kind of banana republic weather equipment do you have out here?"

If Luis took offense, he didn't show it; instead he clicked on his mike again.

"Merida Control," he called. "Do you copy?"

"Come in you bastard," he muttered to himself.

Then again, "Do you copy?"

Luis clicked off his mike violently. Mike could see the sweat trickling down the pilot's neck and saw the tenseness in his back as he waited for a reply. But only the impersonal static answered him.

"What now?" Tony asked.

"I've lost them," Luis answered.

"Damn, I knew I should have called in a copter from Merida for this job," said Tony hitting the top of the control panel in front of him with the heel of his palm. "Now I'm stuck up here over the Yucatan jungle with some chiliburger who doesn't even have a working radio!"

But if Luis heard the slur he made no sign of it. He just kept working his controls all the while uttering a string of curses in Spanish.

"Tony, please don't argue now," it was Melanie.

Mike heard the tremble in her voice as she spoke. Tony looked at her blankly, as if he had forgotten she was there. Mike thought he looked like a man caught with his charm down.

Suddenly his tanned face creased with a smile showing his perfect teeth.

"What? ... Oh sure, honey, I'm sorry. You're right."

Then he turned to Luis. "Yeah, right, Luis, just get us the hell out of this storm and I'll throw in a big bonus when we get back."

Then he became silent and looked out the side of his window.