1 | No Holds Barred [Among Thieves]

Three

Chapter Three | Late Night Talks

Four Months Ago

New Orleans, Louisiana

SINCE RETURNING FROM THE El Dorado expedition, you tried your best to live a normal life. After years of bouncing around without a real home, you decided to move back to the United States, more specifically New Orleans.

        There was nothing like the rich and vibrant culture of New Orleans. From the origins of jazz to Mardi Gras, the city had it all.

        So, after you packed up and said your goodbyes to Jovana and her team, you and Nathan traveled back to your apartment. You gladly invited him to stay with you until it was time to go to Istanbul. You enjoyed his company; living alone would get lonely sometimes.

        You were sitting at your desk in your pajamas, writing about the expedition in Mexico for your blog, Uncharted, on your laptop. The blog contained all your archaeological excavations and adventures (except for El Dorado, which was probably best left untold).

        You loved that you had the chance to share your experience with other people that were interested in the things you liked, and as a result, your blog was quite popular.

        Outside, rain poured from the sky as a crack of lightning lit up the sky, followed by the rolling boom of thunder. The sound of raindrops pelting against the window was soothing and peaceful. It was a perfect night to do absolutely nothing.

        Nathan was on the couch, sketching in his ever so famous journal. He used the pocket-sized journal to document some of his various discoveries, along with other information.

        For some strange reason, he'd never let you see the pages. You knew for a fact that the journal contained a page for his various girlfriends and their addresses.

        But that was it.

        Whenever you would try to peek at the pages, he'd always catch you in the act. That journal was his prized possession.

        Nathan got up and stood behind your chair, looking at vertical tack boards lining the wall in front of you. The first board had maps, newspaper clips, and photos about everything on the Mayans and the Cenote back in Mexico. The next board was all about Marco Polo's voyage. The last board had the same things as the first one, but it was everything about the Yeti, an ape-like cryptid taller than an average human that was said to inhabit the Himalayan region of Nepal.

        You felt his presence behind you and looked over your shoulder. "Can I help you?"

        Nathan shrugged and grabbed a photo of a reported sighting. "Just looking at your boards. You seriously want to find that big white furry creature from the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer movie?"

        "For your information, the Yeti is not white," you explained. You stood up and grabbed the photo from him, putting it back on the board. "It has reddish-brown fur."

        It was true; many of the eyewitnesses in the Himalayas all described the creature with that type of fur. You've always had a fascination with all the mystery creatures out in the world (except for the Descendants—man did you hate those disgusting beings with a passion).

        The Yeti was one of the creatures you secretly wished was real. The idea of a lone creature up in the Himalayas was a cool story to you. In a way, you kind of felt bad for a being you didn't know existed or not.

        Nathan gasped, placing his hand on his heart. "Not white?"

        "Not white."