CHAPTER 28

We all gave Storm a round of applause when she finished her in-flight entertainment.

“So,” asked Chet, “why can’t you guys hang out in Cuzco, take in all the top tourist sites? Why the big rush? We could pick up some good footage for the show. The Kidds kicking back and being the Kidds—”

“We may not be the only ones following this particular treasure map,” said Mom.

“Fortunately,” said Dad, patting his leather shoulder bag, which was draped over the back of his pilot’s seat, “the other treasure hunters don’t know precisely what they’re looking for. A map isn’t much good if you don’t have the key.”

“Cool,” said Chet. “And you guys have the key? Is that what’s in your bag, sir?”

“That information is currently classified,” said Mom.

Hearing Mom say that made me feel way better. Chet Collier could film our treasure-hunting adventures all he wanted. But he couldn’t know all of our family secrets—especially not the ones Dad figured out by reading that priest’s letter we found on Cocos Island.

We landed at the airport in Cuzco.

Dad said we had “just enough time” to check out a few sights (because Mom never misses a chance for a quick homeschool field trip). Our first stop was an ancient Incan temple known as Qurikancha, “the house of the sun.”

“This was the most important temple in the Incan Empire,” said Storm, our self-appointed family tour guide. “The walls were covered in sheets of gold. The courtyard was lined with golden statues.”

Storm’s fact-filled speech suddenly screeched to a halt when three menacing and extremely ancient-looking locals stepped out of the shadows.