The temple was collapsing. "Run!" Jack screamed.
Maya grabbed the scroll and the jade dragon, but a falling rock hit her shoulder, making her drop the scroll. It rolled toward the edge of the pit.
"The map!" Thorne yelled, ignoring the falling stones. He lunged for the scroll.
Maya and Jack ran for the exit as the floor began to crack. They dived through the stone gate just as the roof of the temple fell with a thunderous roar. A cloud of dust exploded into the forest.
When the dust cleared, the temple entrance was completely blocked by tons of rock. Thorne was gone. The map was gone.
Maya sat on the grass, clutching the small jade dragon. "We lost the map, Jack. Thorne won".
Jack sat down next to her, bleeding from a small cut on his forehead. He smiled weakly and pointed to the jade dragon. "Look at the bottom, Maya".
Maya turned the statue over. Carved into the base was a tiny, modern microchip hidden under a layer of wax. Her grandfather hadn't just left a map; he had left a digital legacy.
"This is just the beginning," Jack whispered.
Suddenly, the sound of a helicopter filled the air. A black chopper rose from behind the trees, with a large "T" painted on the side. Thorne had survived, and he wasn't alone.
A dozen armed men began to descend on ropes.
Maya looked at Jack, then at the forest.
[ to be continued in season 2 ]