Sign of the Green Dragon

By C. Lee McKenzie

Three plucky sleuths. A crumbling skeleton. A buried treasure.

After six months in a new school, Sam’s finally fitting in. He’s the one kid with enough talent to hit the winning home run and bring the baseball trophy back to Haggarty Elementary. But Sam’s guardian is shipping him off to boarding school before that can happen.

When his teammates, Joey and Roger, hear his bad news, they plot to hide him until the big game. Their secret cave is a perfect place until an earthquake shatters a wall and reveals a wooden chest with a red-eyed dragon carved into its top. Inside, a crumbling skeleton clutches a map with a cryptic note, promising treasure if the finder reveals the truth about an old murder and returns the remains of the victim to China.

Is the note a hoax? Maybe. But what does Sam have to lose? With Joey and Roger, he sets off to track down the clues and hopefully discover treasure. When finally some puzzle pieces start to make sense, they become lost in a labyrinth of underground tunnels, trapped by dangerous thieves and sealed inside an airless tomb.

Sign of the Green Dragon gets a high five for fantasy, fun and some fearsome adventure. If you like intrepid would-be knights on impossible and dangerous quests, you’ll love this story. As one reader says, this book, “has more twists than a dragon’s tail.”

Buy now and jump into the adventure.

• Language: English
• Publisher: C. Lee McKenzie
• Release date: Aug 3, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311281739

C. Lee McKenzie

C. Lee McKenzie's background is linguistics with a specialty in intercultural communication. She's now a novelist who writes young adult and middle grade books. ALLIGATORS OVERHEAD, her first middle grade novel, received a sterling Kirkus review. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/c-lee-mckenzie/alligators-overhead/. Alligators Overhead is Book 1 in the Adventures of Pete and Weasel. The Great Time Lock Disaster is Book 2, and Book 3 is Some Very Messy Medieval Magic. Take a look at the Video on Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h59dYGrVQvs] It's all about fun and magic. Her Young Adult books include Sliding on the Edge (2009, Westside Books) and The Princess of Las Pulgas (2010, Westside Books). Double Negative (chosen the top ten YA in Ezid Wiki), Sudden Secrets, Not Guilty, and Shattered (Indie Book Award winner) are her most recent young adult books, published by Evernight Teen. The eBook anthology called Beware The White Rabbit (2015) includes her story called They Call Me Alice. Two & Twenty Dark Tales (2012) includes her short story, Into The Sea of Dew. Premeditated Cat is her contribution to The First Time (2011). She has dabbled in a bit of horror with Heartless in the anthology A Stitch in Crime. Specialties Intercultural communication in the classroom and on the job. Editing and writing.

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Copyright 2016 C. Lee McKenzie

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Thank you for reading

Sign of the Green Dragon. I hope you enjoy it. If you do, I’d really appreciate your review for this book.

Please check out Alligators Overhead and The Great Time Lock Disaster, Sequel to Alligators Overhead. Both are available at select retailers. If you visit my website www.cleemckenziebooks.com you’ll see all of my work there and some gifts for visitors. Hope to see you there soon.

Table of Contents

Sign of the Green Dragon

Author’s Note

Other Books by C. Lee McKenzie

Alligators Overhead: Free Sample Chapter

About the Author

Chapter 1

Bad News

So what did I do wrong this time? Sam shifted from one foot to the other, his hands behind his back. He faced his uncle’s desk, waiting for him to look up.

It was a long wait.

Sort of like lining up in front of a firing squad. And while he waited he had lots of time to think about any crimes he might have committed.

He hadn’t broken any windows since March. He hadn’t spilled grape juice on the living room rug. Well, not since last week. Definitely no potato chip crumbs in the TV room. So why had his uncle called him into his office?

Finally, Uncle Jasper set his pen down, and with precise care, took off his glasses.

Ready.

Sam stopped fidgeting, put his arms to his sides, and straightened his shoulders.

Samuel, I’ve contacted a private boarding school that I think will be suitable, his uncle said.

Aim.

They have a space available, so, he cleared his throat you should pack and be ready to go Monday.

Fire.

Sam opened his mouth to say something, but nothing much more than, Awrk came out.

You’ve been here now for what, six months? Time enough for you to adjust to your circumstances.

Sam clasped his hands behind his back again and gripped them tightly. What his uncle had in mind was that he had been officially an orphan for those months. He’d left his home and moved here, so everything in his life was different from six months ago. He didn’t think you ever adjusted to that. He was sure you didn’t. If he’d adjusted, he wouldn’t be jittery all the time. Every once in a while he even thought someone was watching him. How crazy was that?

The three lines across his uncle’s forehead grew deep when he talked to Sam. And Sam guessed he liked looking at the top of his head, not his face because that’s where his uncle fixed his eyes whenever they had a conversation. Sam wondered how he could be related to this uncle at all. Jasper was always uptight and grumpy. His dad loved to laugh and have fun. Sam didn’t know how they could be brothers. He really wished he had other relatives to live with. Jasper was no fun.

I could... Sam stopped to pull his thoughts together. What? Stay in my room over the garage and promise to never come inside the house? Maybe I could become invisible, so he wouldn’t know I was around.

He gave up trying to make promises and said what he really wanted his uncle to hear. But what about the big game?

What big game? Uncle Jasper shuffled a stack of papers until he found the one he needed and plucked it out.

I want to play in the district championship game for Haggarty’s baseball team. Coach says with me at bat we’ve got a chance to win this year. If I have to leave—

Jasper stopped for a minute and looked at Sam—this time in the eye—and for one nanosecond Sam felt he had a chance. Then his uncle waved his hand in the air like he always did when he was finished and wanted Sam gone.

They’ll find another boy. He picked up his pen and bent over his work.

Coach says I’m good. And there’s nobody else at school that can hit like me. And the big game’s the end of next week.

What? Uncle Jasper turned away and opened a file drawer.

I said ... But it was no use. His uncle wasn’t listening. I guess I better pack. Sam dragged his feet across the thick carpet and waited with his hand grasping the polished brass doorknob, wishing for a miracle, wishing Uncle Jasper would turn around and say something like, Well, in that case, of course, you can stay.

But that didn’t happen, so he yanked open the door and went down the hall.

He didn’t stop in the kitchen to see what Carmela had on the stove like he usually did. Talking to the housekeeper at that moment would shove those backed-up tears down his cheeks, and he didn’t want Carmela to see that.

He went out the back door and down the long, sweeping driveway. He’d make straight for Joey’s house, then Roger’s. He had to tell his teammates the bad news.

For one second he thought someone was behind him, but when he looked no one was there. That’s the third time that’s happened this month, he thought.

He started out again, but he didn’t have far to go because Joey and Roger were on their way to Jasper's with their bats over their shoulders.

Great timing, you guys. I was on my way to tell you something. Sam shoved his hands into his pockets and turned to look away.

What’s wrong? Joey asked. You got a look that says something bad’s happening.

Kind of bad, Sam said. My uncle’s sending me to boarding school.

Where? Roger asked.

Sam shrugged. Dunno yet.

How come? I thought you liked it here? Roger sounded hurt as if Sam had told him to go away and stay away.

It’s not my choice, Roger. My uncle says it’s time for me to live somewhere else.

When? Joey asked.

Next week. Monday.

No! Joey shouted. You are not leaving before the play-offs and that's that. We’re winning that championship or else.

You might as well calm down, Joey. Getting all worked up isn’t going to change things. I’m history, Sam said. He shook his head as Joey punched the air with his fists. It was no use telling Joey not to get worked up. Sam was sure he didn’t know how to be any other way.

Maybe you could hide out in the cave until the game, Roger said. He fished a Gummy Bear out of his pocket and popped it into his mouth.

Joey stopped pacing. He turned and smiled, his face beaming like an angel. Brilliant.

Roger’s mouth dropped. Wow! Brilliant? Me?

Roger and me can say we're at the other one’s house. We come home for school. We leave again. Sam stays at the cave, and we bring him what he needs until the game. Joey folded his arms and grinned.

I don't think that’s going to work, Joey, Sam said. Your mom and dad aren’t going to let you stay away that much. And Roger’s mom—

Joey stopped him from finishing. My mom and dad don't care, believe me. They're so busy changing my brother’s diapers and getting up all night that I could move to the moon and they'd never know. Besides we got Monday off already. Teacher in-service. So there’s only four days to dodge questions. Roger and me can cover for each other that long, and even if your uncle starts a search for you, he won’t find you in that cave by game time on Friday.

Sam shook his head. He’d heard Joey and Roger talk about the cave in the mountains. It was supposed to be about an hour from town, but he’d never hiked there. One thing for sure, he wasn’t wild about sleeping in a cave, even for a few days, but he might as well not waste time trying to change Joey’s mind. That was one stubborn sixth grader.

We could try it, Sam. Okay? Roger said

Joey made the plan. Sunday they’d hike to the cave and take a bunch of supplies. They’d tell their story about staying over with each other. It’s a piece of cake. Just as long as we keep straight whose house we’re staying at. Sam? Are you listening?

I'm listening, Joey. But he really wasn’t.

Chapter 2

The Dragon Chest

Sunday morning Joey and Roger met Sam in front of his house. It was only a short walk to the watershed where the trail started, so the three of them were soon climbing the narrow switchback. Almost as soon as they were headed to the cave, Sam got that eerie feeling of being watched again. He crouched and spun to look behind him, sure that if he moved fast enough, this time he’d spot whoever watched him.

But the only one behind him was Roger, who skidded to a stop, startled. What’s wrong? he shouted. I’m keeping up.

Just checking to… Sam took a minute to swipe his forehead. To see if you were okay. He wasn’t going to tell Roger what he was really looking for. Roger spooked fast, and besides, Sam couldn’t say for sure there was someone...or something at his back. He started up the trail again to catch Joey who was now a lot farther ahead.

Some days he got only an itchy uneasiness. Other days he jumped at ordinary sounds like phones ringingor doors closing, but today he’d broken into a sweat the moment he stepped into the forest. His stomach churned. Queasy. Just the way it would act if he stood on a ledge of a high building and looked down.

Joey’s plan was adding to his jumpiness. Maybe the warm, sticky day made him feel this way, but creepiness was gaining on him with every step he took.

Sam jogged to catch up with Joey. What’s this place we’re going to called again?

Joey glanced over his shoulder at Sam. Old China Camp.

Roger yelled at them from behind. Hey, guys! he panted. It’s kind of steep... He took a deep breath and, leaning against a tree trunk, gasped, you know?

Joey paid no attention to Roger. If anything, he walked faster. Grandfather Wong says my ancestors cut this trail in the1850s. This was the way they hauled in their supplies and equipment for the Trans-American railroad.

Thanks for the history lesson, Sam said.

Joey shot him a cross look.

Sam held out his hands, palms up. I mean it. I like history.

Okay. Fine. Sure. Whatever.

How could he not like it? That was all his mom and dad had ever talked about. Don’t be such a grouch all the time. Sam pushed his way around Joey and picked up his pace. Now that feeling of being watched was making him as grumpy as his uncle, and so was Joey’s attitude. Most of the time, he didn’t let Joey get to him, but today was different.

They’d made three stops so Roger, his face now splotchy from the climb, could catch up. He puffed up the slope, his shirt straining at the buttons.

Finally they