"The Return" begins as a 5000 year old partial Mayan codex, the oldest known in existence, is found among the relics of a previous excavation from Tikal, Guatemala. Once analyzed, the text offers evidence that connects the ancient worlds of Mesoamerica, the Indus Valley, and Egypt, sending Drs. Chase Sanford and Michelle Aaron back to Guatemala. When a second codex is unearthed in Tikal, the team begins to grow as they embark on a journey across the globe in an effort to unravel the secrets of the ancient gods. Along the way, Sanford and his people encounter an underground group known only as the 'Brotherhood, ' a group which exists solely to protect the secrets of the gods at any cost. After the team's first encounter with the 'Brotherhood, ' Sanford and Aaron learn of the U.S. government's interest in his quest when Special Agent Jason Scott and Sanford's mentor Dr. Jack Hart arrive on the scene. Hart's involvement also uncovers another revelation for the archaeologist: there is a connection between the codices and Sanford's parents. The archaeological and religious ramifications of the team's discoveries are only one aspect for Sanford, as he learns the truth about the disappearance of his parents and their engagement in this quest twenty nine years earlier.