Brody surrounded his brood, clucking orders like a mother hen as he led them through the gates. The teens nodded knowlingly as their passports were stamped dutifully by the customs officials. Then Brody went in search of a helicopter pilot to transport them to the small town of Palenque.All nine climbed aboard the small confines of the chopper, as the blades spun in preparation for take-off, and soon they were being whisked into the air for the last leg of their journey.

The small craft flew low over the lush tropical jungle, which would serve as their home for the next seven days, and its passengers peered down eagerly onto the impenetrable canopy below, as they searched for signs of wildlife. Occasionally, they would catch a glimpse of the black fur of the howler monkey, scampering away from their approach, its own distinctive voice drowned out by the chop of the rotors.

They landed within the hour and made their way to the most deluxe accomodations in town......El Casa Palenque. Brody had wisely decided to register the teens into two pairings of two boys and two pairings of two girls. Whether or not they stuck to these groupings was another matter, but that is how they would be registered. They all ran upstairs to check out their rooms and were pleasantly surprised to find them both luxurious and spacious.

They were typically decorated with brightly woven spreads with co-ordinating accessories, echoing the tropical theme. Each room had its own bathroom, and all five looked out onto a charming courtyard with brick pavers and a centre fountain. The kids ran out onto the balcony through the french doors, talking excitedly about their good fortune and Brody looked on, smiling indulgently at their youthful exuberance. He had noted, with amusement, the new sleeping arrangements that had already been made, as the teens felt they could trust his discretion.

"Well, I'm going to hop in the shower," he stated. "We'll meet for lunch in about 45 minutes, okay?"

They all nodded in agreement and followed suit, eager to freshen up after their long journey.

"Max, isn't this fabulous?" Liz exclaimed as he wrapped her tightly in his arms for an embrace.

"Mmmm," he breathed into her hair. "Let's get out of these sticky clothes, shall we?" he whispered seductively into her ear.

She started to undo the buttons on his shirt, taking her time as she made her way down his chest. Then, she slowly peeled his top open to reveal his strong pectoral muscles and ran her nails softly across the surface, brushing his nipples as she went. He sucked in his breath as she continued to massage his chest, planting kisses along the way. He quickly stripped off her top and unhooked her bra with practiced flare, flinging it on the floor with her other garment.

He cupped her breasts and bent down to peck them, then let his hands slide down her hips to pull her skirt off over them. He then hooked his fingers in the elastic of her panties, and pulled them down her legs as she stepped nimbly out of them. She, in turn, tugged on the button fastening his pants and unzipped them. She pulled his pants, and then his boxers off together, giggling as he struggled to maintain his balance.

They stood their naked in each others arms running their hands over their bare flesh. Max leaned down to kiss her deeply on the mouth and then led her into the bathroom and turned on the shower. She stepped in first, beckoning for him to follow, as she eyed his huge arousal lustfully. She bent down to kiss the glistening tip and he gasped as her lips touched his sensitive flesh. He held her head in his large hands while she opened her mouth slowly over his throbbing shaft and took it in all the way, running up and down its length rhythmically., while she cupped his sensitive sac in her tiny hand. She felt it tighten and contract as she continued her ministrations and Max stood moaning under the hot spray as she continued to pleasure him.

She slowly rose from her crouched position, running her tongue up his tight abdominal ridges until she reached his chest.

"Love me Max," she whispered throatily, as he grasped her under the arms and pulled her up tight against the tiled walls. He slid his hardness into her hot, wet slippery passage as her muscles pulled him in and out of their own accord. Her legs were wrapped tightly around his waist and he held her bottom for support as he pumped into her, slowly at first and faster and faster as their passion mounted, until they both cried out in ecstacy as they crested the wave of their release, lost in the vortex.

His tongue ran over her exposed throat and up along her jawline, seeking her swollen lips with his full ones, kissing her on the mouth and running his tongue inside to mingle gently with hers. She sighed as she tasted him, while she played with the hair on the back of his neck.

"I guess we better get washed, " he mumbled into her mouth, unwilling to let her go.

"Mmmm, yeah, I guess so," she agreed as she nibbled on his lower lip.

Reluctantly, they began washing themselves, soaping their bodies and shampooing their hair in haste as they rushed to meet the deadline. They stepped out of the now tepid water, and quickly towelled themselves off. Then they flung open their suitcases to fetch some clean clothes, which they rapidly threw on. Liz quickly applied mascara and lipstick, as she rolled her still wet hair in a ponytail and then they went outside to meet their companions.

-----------------------------------------

Small tables and chairs stood outside each door, while a single chaise lay on the opposite side. Plantings were placed stragtegically to afford privacy for each room, while spiral steps were arranged at either end of the balcony to provide access to the courtyard below. Max and Liz descended these steps now, to meet with their friends who were waiting patiently for their arrival.

Maria raised her eyebrows at their tardiness, winking at Liz knowingly. Liz blushed slightly as she acknowledged her friends inquisitiveness, while Brody cleared his throat and led them into the dining room.

"Feeling a little more relaxed now, are we?" Maria whispered as they followed Brody inside.

"Maria!" Liz whispered savagely, as she shook her friends arm. "Give it up!"

Max looked back at both of them, winking and laughing at Maria, as they watched Liz squirm in mortification, knowing that everyone knew what they had been up to. It didn't bother him at all anymore, for he knew his friends were all aware of their deep feelings for one another, and he was so pleased to be able to express them openly, that he revelled in the knowledge. Liz's present discomfort had more to do with Brody's presence Max suspected, so he let up a little on the teasing.

They were all so excited about their new surroundings and they babbled on about what they were going to do first. Brody watched them as they exchanged ideas enthusiastically and then he offered a suggestion.

"Why don't we take a boat ride? It will take in the surrounding area and it will also take us up passed the ruins."

This sounded like a good plan, and soon they were finishing their meal and walking eagerly down to the small dock to find a guide. They were fortunate to procure a small craft for their purposes only, and they climbed aboard, shoving one another good-naturedly, as they settled down for the trip. Their guide led his small craft into the channel and they were soon headed upriver.

They scanned the riverbank for signs of wildlife and were not disappointed as they saw lazy caiman sunning themselves on the sandy shore, ever vigilant for a tasty morsel. Occasionally, they would catch the swirl of a water snake as it glided passed their boat. It was most likely poisonous, and they shuddered as they made sure to keep their hands from dangling in the water.

A loud roar sounded in the distance, a jaguar probably calling to her cub. Alex jumped an asked the guide what it was. The guide pointed out that it was often mistaken for the similar call of the howler monkey, and Alex had visions of being chased by a large spotted cat instead of a relatively harmless monkey, as he squeezed Isabel's hand for reassurance.

Liz decided to question their guide, a native Maya, whose name was Pakal Chiam, to see if they could find out anything more about the area.

"Pakal, how long have you been doing this?"

"For many years senorita, since I was a young adult." he chatted on amiably with them, using impeccable English, as he discussed his many interesting experiences and some of the amazing adventures he had been privy to.

"This project is a joint effort of the Pre-Columbian Art Research Institute *PARI* and Mexico's Institute Nacional de Antropologia y Historia *INAH*." he stated. "My older brother Ahmok and my young cousin Chac, also work as guides for the foundation, and many times have been required to use machetes to hack through the jungle undergrowth to reveal a new part of the site to the scientists."

"The jungle can be very dangerous for those who wander in unprepared." he warned them. "You must never attempt this on your own." Max smiled down at Liz as he squeezed her waist in appreciation for her discreet sleuthing attempts and made a mental note to question Pakal on the whereabouts of El Diablo Grotto and other possible caves in the area. She smiled back at him , as Brody watched from the back of the boat, taking all this in with interest.

Just then, they rounded a bend in the river and were caught off guard by the site that greeted them. The ancient ruins of Palenque rose like stone giants before their awe struck eyes. The site was vast, stretching for several acres and it was a hive of activity. They clambered from the boat to investigate.

Max noted the rigid security measures that had been taken to protect the site from looters. The foundation had learned from previous mistakes that had been made at other sites and had hired armed security guards for this purpose, who were placed strategically but discreetly around the site. Michael glanced at Max as he, too, took this under consideration. They would have to be more careful than they had earlier anticipated.

They watched in amazement as the archeologists led their teams through the intricate and laborous task of re-assembling pieces of the past, brushing off ancient soils to reveal even more ancient artificats. They looked around them trying to imagine what life must have been like for the ancients living by this shore and how they had come from their glorious past as one of the most advanced civilizations on earth, to their modern circumstances of constant persecution and degradation for their Indian status, relegated to the lower stratus of society.

The mystery of their downfall was still a curiousity to the specialists of the Maya culture. Their civilization peaked around 800 a.d., long before a European had set foot on their shores, so their present state could not solely be blamed on the Spanish invaders who arrived centuries later. It was now thought that it was a combination of drought and over cultivation, that ultimately weakened their communities........anathema to an agraian society. What their own civil wars failed to do, the Spanish Conquistadors finished.

Brody and the kids walked around the site for quite some time, just taking in everything in a glance. They had not taken the standard siesta that was common in these parts, and were surpised that their were so many locals still working under the blazing sun.There was a very good reason for this. Soon, the work would have to be stopped to accommodate the heavy rains that would follow, so as much work was being done as possible before this happened. This would give the scientists adequate lab specimens to occupy their winter sojourn until late winter when the dry season began, from February to May, when work would begin again..

They had been lucky that there had been a reprieve in the rains, this week, so they were able to continue with the tedious tasks of collecting and cataloguing. Soon, the group started to feel the combined effects of travel and the unrelenting heat, and headed back to the dock where Pakal waited patiently, takin a nap. They sank into their seats, and let Pakal escort them back downriver to the hotel.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

When they returned to the hotel, they trudged up to their rooms, making plans to meet at 6:00 in the dining room, for dinner. They all retired for a welcome rest. Max and Liz lay together on their queen-sized bed, protected securely from the elements under a generous mosquito net. The hotel guests slept peacefully, unaware of the silence that settled over them . Even the insects ceased their incessant buzz. When they awoke, it was onto a world covered in grey tones.

They rushed out into the hall as the chaotic voices of the other guests reached their ears, everyone in a panic to know what had happened. The staff informed them that a volcano had errupted a thousand miles away, near Mexico City. The prevailing winds had carried the ash to their region, but their was no need for alarm as the thin layer of soot was expected to blow away by the next morning.

"Did you hear that?" Alex whispered conspiratorially. "I just heard someone say that it's been 800 years since it last errupted.There's that number 8 again. Maybe this has something to do with us?'

"Alex," Liz replied sarcastically, "Don't you think you're carrying this theory a little too far?"

"I don't know, Liz," Maria spoke up, glancing around at the group. "I mean, look who were dealing with?" she said.

"Yeah, we may have started something by just coming here," Kyle added, self consciously.

"I hardly think we can be held responsible for everything that happens in the universe, Kyle," Tess teased him.

"Would you guys give it up!" Isabel whispered harshly, glancing at Brody as he talked with the hotel manager. "Just because were aliens, doesn't mean we can be blamed for every little natural disaster!"