Mayan Intrigue: The Adventures of John and Julia

By Linda Weaver Clarke

The discovery of a priceless artifact puts Julia’s life in great danger! While on assignment for the newspaper, John and Julia Evans try to enjoy a romantic vacation among the Mayan ruins. When Julia sees a couple suspicious men exchanging an item, she quickly turns and leaves but it is too late. The men have seen her. As a reporter, Julia does not easily give up and her curiosity gets them in a mess of trouble. Before John and Julia realize what is going on, they are both in danger and find themselves running for their lives through the jungles of the Yucatan.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Linda Weaver Clarke
• Release date: Aug 30, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301854172

Linda Weaver Clarke

Linda Weaver Clarke was raised in the Rocky Mountains of Southern Idaho and now lives among the red desert hills of southern Utah. She is the author of Historical Romances, Swashbuckling/Adventure Romances, Romantic Cozy Mysteries, Mystery Suspense, a Children's Book, and Nonfiction. Linda is a missionary at the Family Search Center where she helps people find their ancestors so they can learn more about their heritage. She also teaches a class called Writing Your Family History that is free to the public at the Family Search Center in St. George, Utah. To learn more, visit www.lindaweaverclarke.com.

Book preview

MAYAN INTRIGUE

The Adventures of John and Julia Evans

By Linda Weaver Clarke

Copyright © Linda Weaver Clarke, 2010. Second Edition, 2012. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without permission in writing from the author.

Recording of this work for the handicapped is permitted.

Red Mountain Shadows Publishing

Cover Design by George Amos Clarke

Smashwords Edition

Mayan Intrigue: The Adventures of John and Julia Evans

By Linda Weaver Clarke

www.lindaweaverclarke.com

ISBN-13: 978-1481266888

ISBN-10: 1481266888

Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is purely coincidental.

ALSO BY LINDA WEAVER CLARKE

Romantic Cozy Mysteries

The Bali Mystery

The Shamrock Case

The Missing Heir

The Mysterious Doll

Her Lost Love

Mystery on the Bayou

The Lighthouse Secret

Mystery/Suspense

Anasazi Intrigue

Mayan Intrigue

Montezuma Intrigue

Desert Intrigue

Historical Adventure Romance

The Rebels of Cordovia

The Highwayman of Cordovia

The Fox of Cordovia

Historical Romances

Melinda and the Wild West

Edith and the Mysterious Stranger

Jenny’s Dream

Sarah’s Special Gift

Elena, Woman of Courage

Other Books

Bedtime Stories: Shadows In My Room

Reflections of the Heart

Searching for True Happiness

Dedication

In memory of the Mayan culture, the archaeologists, historians, and scholars who were dedicated to finding the secrets of the Mayas, an ancient people of the past.

Chapter 1

Julia strode down the well-traveled path. Her heart was beating rapidly and she had a feeling of urgency as she hurried along. She stopped and looked around. The trees on both sides of the trail were so thick that she couldn’t see beyond them, and a canopy of branches overhead was hiding the sun from view. Thick vines and vegetation had crept up the trunks of many trees and were hanging over the limbs. She heard the chatter of monkeys and a few tropical birds communicating with each other, but other than that, it was peaceful and serene. So why had her pulse rate accelerated?

Julia continued on for a ways until she came to a fork in the path. The trail on the right was trimmed and well-worn but the one on the left was less traveled and narrow. Not only that, a large fat snake was hanging from a branch. The snake’s head lifted and followed her every movement. This sent a chill up her spine and Julia shivered involuntarily. Snakes had never bothered her before but this one was much larger than an ordinary garden snake. Whether or not it was poisonous, she didn’t know.

Julia bit her lip, wondering which path to take. The one on the right seemed more inviting, but she was curious about the other and where it led. After a few seconds, she headed down the well-trimmed path. For some reason, she felt a deep foreboding with each step she took. Had she chosen wisely?

It did not take long until she came upon an opening in the thick forest. Julia’s eyes widened at the beauty, so green and lush. A magnificent aqua-colored lake stood out from this forest and peacefulness seemed to rein over this area. As her eyes scanned the beauty of this land, she heard crunching of debris from behind her.

Instinctively, she knew that her life was in danger. Why, she did not know. Julia’s heart pounded furiously. Beads of sweat formed on her brow and her chest tightened. Taking a deep breath, she slowly turned and found herself face to face with a large burly man that had an angular scar across his cheek. His piercing dark eyes were hard and cold as he glared at her. His contemptuous smile told her that he had been hunting her like prey.

Julia was helpless. She was in a remote area by herself. When the man saw her fear, he grinned, accentuating the scar along his cheekbone. As he slowly approached her, to her horror, she could not move an inch. She was frozen to the spot. So she did the only thing she could think of. She let out a blood-curdling scream that echoed in her ears.

Instantly, John bolted upright from his bed, his heart pounding erratically as he awoke from a deep sleep. He blinked his eyes a couple of times, trying to come to his senses when he finally realized that Julia had awakened him, screaming at the top of her voice. He leaned toward the nightstand, switched on the light, and then turned toward his wife. When he saw how pale she was, John realized she had had a nightmare. Was it the same dream again? He took her hand and squeezed it lovingly as he watched her chest rise and fall in quick breaths. After a few moments, her eyes flickered open and met his. When he looked into her hazel eyes, he knew she was frightened.

You had another one, didn’t you?

Julia nodded.

The same one?

She nodded again, her eyes wide with fear.

It’s been a month now and you’ve had this same dream once or twice a week. Does it ever vary or is every detail the same?

The same, she answered as she pushed her fingers through her rich auburn hair. There’s no variation.

John slid next to her and pulled her into his arms. How he loved this woman, his wife and companion! And it wrenched his heart that she had to endure such dreams. What had caused them in the first place? He wrapped his arms around her in a protective manner as she snuggled in his embrace. She gave a sigh of relief as he tightened his arms around her.

Julia was an investigative reporter for the Dixie Chronicle in St. George, Utah. She was a stubborn, determined woman but her pleasant smile was genuine, which warmed the soul of those she met. She, also, had a deep faith in God, but she had her mischievous ways. For fun, she would introduce herself by using her first and middle name, just to see the surprised look on people’s faces. What was her middle name? Roberts. That’s right. Julia Roberts! In fact, she almost laughed out loud when someone actually asked for her autograph. She didn’t even look like the movie star. Not wanting to embarrass the poor man, she gave him her autograph. Julia vowed that one day she would ask her father why she had been given such an unusual middle name.

She was stunningly beautiful, a farm girl at heart with a touch of grace and elegance, when needed. Her husband cherished everything about her, even her strong will and stubborn ways. She was completely opposite from John, which made his life with her even more intriguing. They had been married for twenty-one years. She was forty-one and he was forty-three.

Right now they were in a hotel in Merida on the Yucatan Peninsula on assignment for the Chronicle. Needless to say, they decided to make it a vacation and stay two weeks instead of one.

As Julia heard the deep breathing of her husband, she knew that he had fallen asleep again. She smiled. This vacation was a much-needed one for both of them. John had been working extra long hours lately and she had greatly missed his presence at home.

Julia had longed for his attention and loving ways, even his teasing, for the past six months. She longed for that affectionate kiss as he passed through the kitchen, holding hands during a movie, and words of communication while lying in bed. It sort of rekindled the fire that may have been forgotten from every day life in a busy world of responsibilities.

Julia knew how important it was to keep a romantic relationship with her husband. She liked a romantic evening best when it was spontaneous rather than planned. But who had time to even plan lately?

It had been quite a while since Julia felt her heart beat rapidly as she felt her husband’s arms tighten around her waist and she desperately missed it. She felt a need to renew those special feelings as often as possible, to keep their love alive.

So, here they were in Mexico, and finally taking time for one another. The only thing that confused her was why she was having dreams. They were the same exact dreams every time. As she lay staring at the ceiling, Julia knew that she could not fall back to sleep so she very quietly slid out of bed.

She walked to the dresser and pulled on some clothes, brushed her hair, and put on some makeup. Then she turned out the lamp beside the bed and slipped out the door to take a relaxing walk. It was six o’clock in the morning and not a soul was up and stirring on this Sabbath day. This was a perfect time to meditate and think of all her many blessings, for her husband and their three daughters.

Julia walked out into the cool morning air and breathed in the fresh fragrance. As she slowly strolled down the sidewalk, she thought about her assignment for the Dixie Chronicle. She was supposed to write about the ruins of the ancient people of Mesoamerica. What an exciting assignment! She was so thrilled when her boss had given her this important project, the first one he had ever given her since her promotion as an investigative reporter. She smiled with contentment as she walked toward a bunch of tall thick shrubs next to a park.

As Julia stepped around the shrubs, she saw a short pudgy man with wisps of grayish brown hair surrounding his balding head. He was smiling as he admired something in his hand. The man beside him was an unusually tall Latin. His short sleeves revealed his tanned arms and he had dark curly hair that touched the collar of his white shirt.

As the balding man pulled a large envelope from his jacket and handed it to his companion, he exclaimed, Beautiful! It’s simply…

His words trailed off when his eyes met Julia’s. As if startled by her presence, he froze, staring at her with widened eyes.

Instantly, his companion turned around and looked over his shoulder to see what he was staring at. But it did not take long for the Latin’s dark eyes to quickly change from surprise to irritation. Julia noticed that his eyes were hard and cold and his jaw was rigid. A chill went down her spine as a feeling of apprehension crept inside her. Something told her to leave and to leave now. She was not about to question those feelings, so she instantly turned on her heels and strode toward the hotel.

Why had these men acted so strangely? If they had wanted privacy, why did they meet at a public park? But as she thought about it, it was only six o’clock on a Sunday morning. Why would they expect anyone to be wandering through the park at this time of day? What surprised her most was their attitude and the way the Latin had reacted to her presence, as if he were angry.

Feeling uneasy, Julia dared not turn around and see if she was followed but quickly picked up her pace. She quickly strode up the stairs of the hotel and ran headlong into the chest of a man standing near the door.

Whoa, there, Julia! Paul said with surprise as he grabbed onto her shoulders. Why are you in such a hurry? And where’s John?

Feeling startled, it took a few seconds to catch her breath before she could answer. Julia quickly turned around to see if she had been followed, and seeing no one, she sighed with relief.

Paul took her arm and led her to a sofa in the waiting room and sat across from her. So, what’s up? You look as if something’s troubling you.

Julia tried to smile reassuringly, but it was more of a forced one instead. Oh, I was just taking a walk. I couldn’t sleep in. You know, the excitement of being here and all.

Paul smiled back, his eyes full of joy. I know exactly how you feel, Julia. I couldn’t sleep, either. I’m so excited to be here. I really want to thank you for allowing me to come along on this trip. When John told me about your assignment, I just had to invite myself along. This is like a dream come true for me. Man, to be able to see the ruins of Mesoamerica! That’s every archaeologist’s dream.

Paul was a dear friend who taught at Dixie State College in St. George, Utah. He not only taught American history and archaeology, but he was also a dyed-in-the-wool archaeologist and was constantly involved in restoring the past.

Paul was a serious sort of fellow. He was lean and tall with blond hair and large blue eyes. He had glasses that were set on his long, slender nose, giving him the distinguishing look of a professor. He was thirty-nine years old and still unmarried. As an archaeologist, digging in the dirt was the most exhilarating part of his life and he had not found a woman who could stand digging beside him all day long. Until then, he would remain single.

So, where’s John? asked Paul with a raise of his eyebrow.

Still sleeping. I was just headed back to the room to wake him and… Julia’s eyes widened in surprise.

The Latin whom she had seen at the park was standing beside the desk, talking nonchalantly to the clerk and staring straight at Julia. There was no mistake about it. He was the same man, all right. The tall Latin’s eyes seemed to penetrate right through her as he smiled but Julia instantly averted her eyes and looked down at her hands lying in her lap. What was he doing here? Had he followed her?

After a moment, she berated herself for being so paranoid. The man probably had a room at the hotel and was just chatting with the clerk. The young boy was very friendly and he had talked with her for some time last night, asking where she was from and so forth.

When she felt Paul touch her hand, she jumped.

Julia, he said with concern. What’s wrong?

She leaned toward him and whispered, I saw two men at the park this morning and something about their conduct gave me the willies.

What do you mean?

Julia bit her lip nervously and leaned closer to Paul. I can’t describe it exactly, but inside I have an anxious feeling and I don’t know why.

What are you talking about?

He’s standing at the desk, she said, keeping her eyes glued on Paul.

He turned toward the front desk and asked with puzzlement, Who? The desk clerk?

No, the other one.

There isn’t anybody else, Julia.

She looked up toward the desk and saw the clerk busily working. He’s gone.

Shall I ask the clerk about this man? If he’s bothering you, we should report it.

Julia shook her head, feeling ridiculous. Oh, it’s nothing. I’m just being paranoid in a strange land. She stood and gestured toward the dining room. I’ll see you in about an hour for breakfast.

Chapter 2

Julia walked toward the elevator and pushed the button to the second floor. When she walked in the room, she noticed the empty bed and heard the shower in the bathroom. She smiled. John was up early. After their long flight and busy day in Merida, she expected him to sleep in.

She opened the bathroom door and peeked in. Hey! You’re up bright and early.

Hi, Julia! Where were you?

I couldn’t go back to sleep so I took a walk. It’s so beautiful here. I just couldn’t help it. By the way, just because we’re not home doesn’t mean that we stop eating healthy food. We’re getting older and need to watch what we eat, so you owe me ten dollars.

Ten dollars? he asked incredulously.

Yeah. One dollar per item, remember? You ate junk food ten times yesterday.

Hey, that’s not fair. We’re on vacation, John yelped in mock disapproval, and he instantly threw a wet washrag over the shower toward Julia, just missing her by inches.

She jumped as the rag came whirling through the air towards her. Then, giggling, she walked out of the bathroom yelling, Ten dollars!

Julia went to the balcony that overlooked the city of Merida. It was peaceful and lovely with trees and shrubbery decorating every block. Merida was known as the heart and soul of the Yucatan. More than twenty-two distinct Indian cultures survived here, and their modern and ancient customs and values were intertwined. That was what made this place so enchanting, Julia figured. The people were renowned for their caring ways and hospitality.

Yesterday when she saw the tall elaborate buildings as they drove through the streets, she realized the wealth these people once had. They were from Spain and France and were seeking their fortune by growing cotton and sugar cane. Once, long ago, Merida had more millionaires per capita than anywhere else in the world.

Sadness struck Julia’s heart when she remembered the large building with carvings etched on the side, showing how the Spanish conquistadors cruelly ruled over the Mayan People. Some beautifully painted artwork at another site portrayed Cortez and his men governing the Mayas with an iron hand, making them slaves. The terrible and cruel scenes of the artwork wrenched at Julia’s heart. How could the Spanish and French have been so heartless?

Showing no respect toward the religious beliefs of the Mayan people, Cortez forced them to tear down some of their sacred temples so they could erect a large catholic cathedral with the very same stones. Cortez was a wicked and immoral man, committing heinous acts and crimes against the Mayans. History said he brutally killed fifteen million Indians with no compassion.

Julia quickly shook the memory

Reviews for Mayan Intrigue

[madmoosemama · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Anasazi Intrigue: The Adventures of John and Julia Evans is a romantic suspense mystery.Julia Evans is a reporter who comes across some dead fish after a terrible flood has ripped through her county. Bagging them up she takes them to family friend, Matthew, who concludes that the fish had died from arsenic poisoning.Julia must convince her boss that she is the right person to cover this story and not her smug co-worker, Ted. As Julia works to uncover more leads in order to continue following the story, Julia's husband, John, has uncovered a mystery of his own.It seems someone is stealing priceless artifacts from ancient Anasazi burial kivas and selling them on the black market to the highest bidder. John is afraid that if Julia hears about this, he'll have more to worry about then a couple of dead fish.As the two of the work to uncover the mysteries set before them, they run into dangerous men who wish them to drop the story or suffer the consequences. Julia is a stubborn women and will stop at nothing to uncover the truth, even at the cost of her own life.This was an easy read that have a decent flow and narrative. The plot is a great one and I enjoyed hearing about the history of the Anasazi and the artifacts that were mentioned. I enjoyed the bad guys and thought they were well written, Devollyn, the main antagonist, was very enjoyable to read and brought depth to the book.I wish there had been more history pertaining to the Anasazi, I am an ancient history buff and was truly looking forward to learning more as well, I believe, it would have given the plot more clarity. I believe that if I didn't know what I do about that particular race of people, I might not have known what the author was explaining. I would've liked to have seen more of the dream that Julia was racked with, it wasn't mentioned often enough to grasp the meaning behind the revelation at the end of the story and the event is left with a flat feeling for me.I would give this a three out of five stars. I thought John was a great character and was written in an enjoyable way but for some reason, Julia wasn't endearing to me. She came across as whiny and spoiled more often than the courageous, go-for-all woman that she was sometimes portrayed as. Also, there was a couple of places in the beginning chapters that had Julia listed as Julia Roberts and it confused me, I think it was mentioned two or three times and at first, I thought it may have her byline name at the newspaper but it was never mentioned again and I'm still not sure.All in all, if you like a good mystery with a little bit of history thrown in the mix, then you will be sure to enjoy Anasazi Intrigue.

[lindaweaverclarke · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Stolen artifacts, a snoopy newspaper reporter, and mysterious events begin to unfold in this mystery adventure novel. When a devastating flood takes out several homes in a small town, they are shocked by the news of also a possible poison spill that kills many of the fish and neighbor's pets. The town doesn't know what to think or do, until Julia, the town's newest reporter, jumps into action and begins her investigation. Quickly though, Julia realizes the story and investigation are much bigger and more dangerous than she thought! Julia and her husband find themselves on the run trying to save their lives while finishing the story and helping out their small town! She never realized that being a reporter could be so dangerous. With artifacts, dead fish, a devastating flood, and miscreants, John and Julia have their hands full.

[melanieski · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is first in a series of 4 about the adventures of John and Julia Evans. Julia is a newspaper reporter for the town’s local paper, always on the look for that big break and the ‘assignment of a lifetime’. Typically getting the stereotypical ‘fluff’ stories, Julia’s interest is peaked when she finds a number of dead fish and cats killed by cyanide. She is determined to find out what is poisoning the water and who is sneaking up the mountainside to the abandoned mine. John shares a fondness for archeology with his friend Paul and they have been involved in digging in some local Anasazi archeological sites. Though the site was currently on hold, there were fresh diggings. It is illegal to collect artifacts and keep them, and John and Paul need to find who is up to this recent raid. Both Julia and John have an investigation to see too, yet each hold out on the other bits of information. John leaving out info so that Julia doesn’t pursue it as a story lead, and Julia not telling John of the dangers she is encountering when those travelling up the mountain find her nosing around. Mystery and suspense intertwined with fascinating facts about the Anasazi culture! The thing I absolutely loved most about this book was the relationship dynamics between John and Julia. Their relationship with each other symbolized to me a model of what faithful Christian marriages can look like, even 20 years after the ‘newness’ wears off. I loved how Linda Weaver Clarke used descriptions in each chapter of the ebb and flow of John and Julia’s relationship, the physical love for each other, the respect, and the learning to bear one another’s burdens. I also loved how conflict was resolved between the two, showing that even in strong relationships there are problems, yet with God as the center of the relationship, good can come from the resolution. I am excited to read the rest in this series as I so enjoyed the historical insight behind the Anasazi and the mystery that went along with it. Historical suspenseful fiction, the best of the best!! Add in a strong Christian family and you have a super fantastic story!