The Vilcabamba Prophecy: A Nick Randall Novel Read Online Free PDF

to be
hitting her on this bouncy jeep ride. She tried her best to close her eyes and
get some rest, but every time her body began slipping into a restful state, the
damn jeep would hit a bump and jar her back awake.
    Finally dozing off for a
while, Sam awoke again just in time to see her new translator staring at her
from across the seat. The young graduate student looked away as Sam’s eyes
caught hers. Monica Solis was not a field researcher, but she was one of the
few people at the college who could communicate with the tribe. The language
they spoke was not a common dialect, and with Ernesto missing in action, Monica
was about the only person left. Sam shifted in her seat. After a few moments of
awkward silence, Sam addressed her admirer.
    “How long have you been
studying at the University?” Sam asked.
    “This is my sixth year.
I’m almost done with my Master’s thesis,” Monica replied quietly.
    “That’s wonderful!
Congratulations, that’s quite an accomplishment!” Sam was genuinely happy for
her. She was always proud of anyone who made the sacrifice to earn an advanced
degree. “Your parents must be very proud of you.”
    “I wouldn’t know,” Monica answered sheepishly, “I’ve never met them.”
    “Oh,” was all Sam could
muster.
    “I grew up in foster
homes, moving around every few years. When I was 18, I applied to the
University and was accepted. I received financial assistance, and between the
grants, loans and this job, I have been able to work on my degrees.”
    Sam nodded her head in
understanding.
    “Dr. Randall, we’re
here,” the driver said.
    Sam looked out the jeep’s
window and saw that they had reached a clearing on the edge of a river.
Francisco had explained that the only access to the tribe was by boat. Sam saw
four workers packing supplies into what seemed like two very small boats to
carry them and their gear. This was going to be an adventure. One of the men
stopped packing and turned to Sam.
    “Hello, Dr. Randall, I’m Anselmo and I will be piloting one of the boats up the
river today,” he said, stretching his hand out to Sam.
    “Thank you, Anselmo , and nice to meet you,” Sam replied, shaking his
hand. “And who else do we have here?”
    “This is Jorge, Rodrigo
and Daniel. Daniel will be piloting the other boat as we take you to the
tribe.”
    Sam shook each hand in
succession, greeting each man warmly.
    “Thank you all for
helping out on such short notice. We really appreciate your help!”
    “You’re welcome Dr.
Randall, we only hope we can help you to find your father,” Daniel replied with
a serious look on his face. “We can only imagine what you are going through.”
    “Thank you Daniel, you’re
very kind.”
    The group finished
loading their gear and launched from the shore.
    The two boats motored
slowly up the river. The views were breathtaking, but Sam couldn’t help but
feel a sense of nervousness about meeting the tribe. After Francisco’s
description, she felt very uneasy about the initial encounter. If Francisco was correct, the existence of this tribe, and the ruins her
dad was seeking, would change human history. There was also the fact that no
one had spoken to the elders since her dad went missing, and there was no
guarantee that they would be willing to help, again. Sam shook her head and
exhaled deeply as if trying to expel her uneasiness, rationalizing that there
was no sense worrying about it now. Besides, she would have her answer shortly.
    It was then that Sam
first realized that something was not right. She glanced up at the others in
the boat, but no one else seemed to be concerned. They were going about their
business, steering the boats, and talking about what lay ahead of them. Despite
this, Sam couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right about the
river, and then it hit her: the noise of life on the river had come to a stop.
The birds and animals had fallen silent for some reason, and an eerie quietness
had