Alex Jardine, a Mesoamerican archeologist, is a woman in hiding, working in a non-descript Mexican restaurant at a small airport in the middle of the Yucatan. While with an archeological field study group at the Mayan ruins of Palenque, in Chiapas, Mexico, she discovered she had become a target of the U.S. District Attorney's office in San Francisco due to a drug smuggling sting against a prior boyfriend. Caught between fear for her life and fear of the U.S. government she stayed in Mexico, hunkered down, and moved to the famous archeological site of Chichen Itza, on the Yucatan Peninsula. Grant Covington, a recent widower, is winding down an offshore corporate formations and private banking business in the West Indies. Since 9-11 and the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, offshore activities have been branded by aggressive three-letter agencies of the U.S. government as sinister plots to undermine the US tax and economic system, and therefore a conspiracy against America. Two federal agencies have been tasked with silencing the troublesome Covington, who is not only an offshore service provider, but also a public spokesperson for a citizen's group identifying the abusive tactics employed by government under new legislative enactments. Flying to Cancun from Veracruz, Mexico, Covington's small private plane, makes an unscheduled landing in the Yucatan after just hearing a frightening story from a close friend. Jose Robles, a family member of a highly placed Mexican government official, knows of a recent pre-Columbian find. The secret discovery appears to be a record written by what may be the mother-culture to the pre-classic Mayan empire. Ancient records in book form are rare in the Americas...only five documents survived the Spanish Conquest and three are in poor condition. They are simply priceless. The newly discovered records are easily worth tens of millions or much, much, more, but their content may have even greater impact. Covington and Jardine are forced together and caught in a web of tightening intrigue as the politically charged ancient records have fallen into their hands. Mexican political insiders have sanctioned they be hunted down. Artifact looters seek their treasure. The US government wants them for entirely different reasons. With nowhere to turn, they seek escape together into the jungles of Central America. In a flight for their lives they struggle against odds in search of the ancient mythical city of ZARAHEMLA.
About the Author: Terry Neal is a life-long student of ancient history, and a recognized authority on money and economics. He served as a consultant to the governments of several island nations, and was formerly an economic advisor to clients in sixteen countries on five continents. He is the retired founder of an international business with 250 offices worldwide, has been the CEO of multiple public and private companies, a venture capitalist, trust manager, public speaker, and syndicated radio show host. Neal continues to author multiple newsletters, and magazine articles, along with two lecture series on CDs, and seven prior books. Terry Neal is a widower, has eight children, twenty-seven grandchildren, and four great grandchildren. He has led an amazing life, as all who know him agree. Terry loves to fly, he loves to sail, and he loves to travel, explore, and take friends and guests on nautical adventures. Author of five books on economic strategy, Neal served three years in prison on an IRS charge of conspiracy to defraud the government of taxes. Two books on science and philosophy followed. The Search for Zarahemla is Neal's eighth book; his first novel. Semi-retired in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Terry operates Island Cat, a large sailing catamaran for private charter and public excursions. His multi-lingual crew include two 100-ton Master Captains, a marine biologist as hostess and snorkel leader, a champion free-diver, and other interesting and talented others. He has two dive boats, and brokers fishing, island exploration, and remote beaches, nautical activities. Contact: IslandCatBaja@gmail.com.