The Temple

Somewhere in South america late 1990s .

My name is Jack and I am a bit of a finder of things, not always worrying about who owns the thing , if I am paid enough. This is the story of something I ended up going after for the sizable bounty that I had no idea would have such a effect on the rest of my life. I am 6ft 2 just a bit on the chubby side , brown eyes , and hair cut short. Thanks to my dad and the Army , I can sleep most anywhere , (hell I even slept standing up a few times) , know good survival skills, shoot decently well, and am a bit stubborn. Not all of these things can help you versus some of the oddities in the world , but that's enough about me , lets get to the story.

I take a deep breath , feeling the humidity preventing me from feeling refreshed. Taking a look at the conditioner I check it once again , tired that it isn't working properly , I finally give up on it , lighting a cigar up and taking a deep drag from it , trying to distract myself from the stupid thing. Just as I get a few drags in , I hear a knock on the door.

I head over opening it taking the letter from the sweaty hotel clerk , a deeply tanned Latino husky man. He quickly hands me the package that someone left for me at the front desk , I quickly hand him a few bucks for his trouble asking if there is a room with a better A/C unit than this one and he shakes his head. I frown and thank him closing the door quickly popping out my pocket knife and open up both the letter and the package . Soon enough my skills with my pocket knife make the package yield to my efforts . I smile tossing the box empty on the floor as I sit at the small table in the room .

I look at the contents , a small hand drawn map , and the letter . I read the letter .

'Jack, we are glad you took this job , find the map, it will help you find your way to the temple with the small village near by. We would not recommend you going in to the village after you visit the temple as they will search you from what our sources say. If you go before just bring some things from town that are not easy to find in the village , perhaps some medicine, rice or something. Either way , we don't really know what the main artifact is inside of there , but also try to collect any odd plants you find in the temple. When you return , just go to the main town and give us a call and we will set up your flight out , just use the code phrase 'Lotus has been found' Good luck Jack.'

I fold the letter up putting it in my pack as I study the map , it looks to be a few days journey away more or less but not too deep in the jungle. I I figure I can leave early tomorrow morning , taking a decent pace that wont be too dangerous, following the river, it will take about 3 days. I could take the shorter path cross some of the thicker jungle but cut a day off my journey . I figure both are viable.

I check my pack , picking the right gear for the journey :

Clothes, light but long sleeves and pants
Lace up boots, well broken in
Bug spray
Wide brimmed white hat
A hammock with bug netting and shelter from rain
Food for a week or so
Also some various tools to cut through tough vegetation

Finally content with what I have packed , I remember I have prepaid for the guy to hold some stuff mostly more clothes and my ID and other stuff with a claim plastic chit.

Looking at the time before I go for a shower , a shave and the like, I look at the map to pick the route.