Breath of the Feathered Serpent

by Pelaam

  “So die all those who oppose Quetzalcoatl,” Mecatl shouted. “Death to those who stand against us. Strike in his name.”

  Another man ran toward the main group of Carter’s men. A knife, thrown with deadly accuracy, struck him in the back, and he fell unmoving to the ground.

  “Fall back, fall back. They’re not men; they’re beasts.” The disembodied voice came from one of Carter’s men just before another scream sounded to Adam’s right and was cut short.

  Carter’s men picked up the call to retreat and began running from the ranch. Adam stood and fired several rounds at their backs, taking a man down. Another blood-curdling yell echoed around the yard, and the warriors gathered around Adam as Mecatl came to stand by him.

  “Thank you.” Adam clapped a hand on Mecatl’s shoulder. “Your men were amazing.”

  “We are Jaguar Warriors. We are the elite.” Mecatl slapped Adam’s back enthusiastically. “It was good to see our enemy defeated, to watch them turn and run.”

  The rest of the men came over, and they congratulated each other. Adam pulled Madison into a hug. “Good to see you, partner,” he said.

  “When I saw you ride into the yard, I was reminded of one of the furies.” Mitch came over and shook Adam’s hand.

  Adam laughed. “I felt like one when I saw what Carter was doing. Thank God for Mecatl and his Jaguar Warriors.”

  Mitch nodded. “Absolutely.” He looked around, a frown marring his brow. “So where are Abe and Elijah? I haven’t seen either of them. They were with you, weren’t they?”

  “I told them to give us fifteen minutes and then go into town for help,” Adam said. “They’ve got to get back from Buzzard Hill with their posse.”

  “Well, I guess they’ll be a little late,” Mitch said. “I suppose we should gather up the bodies.”

  “I’ll take care of that,” Adam said. “They can be buried outside the ranch limits. There may be someone who wants to come and claim them once all this is over.”

  “In Abe’s absence, I’ll see to getting some grub going,” Mitch said.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The bodies of Carter’s men were put into shallow graves and covered with rocks with whatever personal items Adam could find, should anyone want to claim the body. Adam saw a pocket watch and flipped open the polished brass casing of his own timepiece. He looked up, frowning as he replaced it. They should have been back by now. What’s keeping them?

  It seemed that Mitch had similar thoughts, the other man headed toward him, his face creased in concern.

  “Shouldn’t Abe and Elijah be back from town by now?” he asked.

  “I was thinking the same thing.” Adam rubbed his chin. “They shouldn’t have taken this long to rustle up a posse, even if Jackson dragged his heels.”

  Shouts from the Aztecs had both men running to the front of the ranch house. Several of the Aztec warriors were trying to catch a horse that reared as they neared it. A body was tied across the saddle. As the horse calmed, one of the warriors sliced him loose. A choked-off sound escaped Adam’s lips as he recognized the man that had stayed with Abe and Elijah, his body riddled with bullets. He noticed a piece of paper fastened to the man’s shirt.

  Adam’s hand shook as he snatched the paper off the body and opened it up. A tirade of cuss words fell from his lips as he read.

  ‘I have Abe and Elijah. The price for their freedom is the Silver S ranch. C’

  The note wasn’t signed, just an initial, but it wouldn’t have mattered. Stone was happy so long as the statue wasn’t uncovered. Carter needed it.

  “What’re we going to do?” Mitch shook Adam’s arm, his voice frantic. “Abe’s such a gentle, good-natured soul. He’ll be terrified.”

  “They won’t hurt him, Mitch.” Adam infused his voice with as much conviction as he could muster given the murderous thoughts running through his mind. “Carter needs him, and Elijah, until the ranch is signed over. Plus, he knows that if he doesn’t produce them alive and well, we’ll just shoot him if he tries coming anywhere near the Silver S.”

  “What next?” Mitch asked.

  “We go after them.” Adam’s voice was as grim as his smile. Carter had taken one step too far. He risked his own life for this job. Elijah was an innocent as well as his lover. Carter would pay dearly for touching what was his. Adam grabbed Madison and pulled him aside. “You stay here. Your signature is needed as well as mine.”

  Madison shook his head. “Not a chance. You’re thinking with your heart not your head. Your mind’s not on the mission.”

  “Yes it is.” Adam snapped angrily. “Elijah is the mission, so is Abe. I’m not going to risk their lives, but Carter can’t have this ranch. I need him out of this equation altogether.”

  “Fine,” Madison said. “Take half of Mecatl’s men. We can’t leave the ranch unprotected. Carter might be hoping for just that.”

  Adam nodded. “You keep Mitch here. Looking at his face, he’s likely to go into town, guns ablazing, to get Abe back.”

  They walked back to the group who murmured amongst themselves. Mitch was already ensuring his pistol was reloaded.

  “Mitch, you stay with me.” Madison laid his hand on the other man’s shoulder.

  Mitch smiled and shook his head. “Sorry, Madison, not gonna happen. If Adam won’t let me be part of the rescue posse, then you better hogtie me because I’ll just follow him into town.”

  Adam sighed, but in truth, he knew if the situations were reversed he’d say and do the exact same thing. “Fine,” he said, thrusting his face up close to Mitch’s with the meanest look he could manage. “But I give the orders. You do exactly as I say. Understand?”

  Mitch’s eyes widened, and he nodded.

  Mecatl touched Adam’s shoulder. “I’ll come with you and bring half of my men. Yaotl will stay here with the others and your friend to defend the ranch again if needed.”

  The warriors split into two groups, and Adam nodded as he looked at them. All of them remained bare-chested, and he realized the markings on their chests were old, just the daubs on their faces new. They all looked equally determined, ferocious, and battle-ready.

  “Right then,” Adam said. “We won’t ride directly into town. We’ll come at them from the opposite end. It’ll be dark by then. A good time to strike.”

  “For what it’s worth,” Madison said. “He’s not going to take this to his ranch. Carter seems to use the bordello, Saucy Rose’s, as a meeting place for his men in town. The girls there overheard details about the attack on the ranch. If I’m wrong, they’ll probably know where the bastard’s holed up. Good luck, old man.” He hugged Adam hard. “Bring ‘em back safe and sound, and do what you need to with Carter.”

  “Watch your back out here, whippersnapper,” Adam muttered against Madison’s ear. “I’ll be back. Count on it.”

  Adam led the way to town and halted at an outcrop of rocks on the outskirts of town. As the others dismounted, he peered around. The lights of town illuminated a couple of men who walked back and forth, the red tips of their cigarettes visible in the darkness.

  “Carter’s men,” Adam whispered.

  Mecatl murmured to a couple of his men who removed black blankets from their packs. They wrapped the blankets around their shoulders and then dropped to their hands and knees, crawling toward the sentries.

  No sounds were heard, but one cigarette dropped to the ground, followed by the second as the warriors took out the sentries. Mecatl smiled. “Let’s go, my friend,” he said.

  Adam led the way and looked down the street into the brightly lit town. He could see the bordello at the end of the street. Another couple of men lurked around it, then they leaned against the building as they smoked.

  “A suggestion,” Mecatl whispered. “An attack from above would be least expected, if we can approach the bordello and get onto its roof.”

  Adam nodded. The buildings looked close enough the jump across. He eyed the store next to the bordello and hoped it
had an outside stairway. “Good idea. Follow me.” He ran to the nearest alleyway.

  They approached quickly and silently. Adam wasn’t surprised to see another couple of men lounging at the back of the bordello. He waited as Mecatl’s men crawled forward once more, eliminating the guards with almost indolent ease. The warriors merged with the shadows at Mecatl’s command and took up their own positions as sentries.

  They ran up the outside stairs of the bordello. Adam eased his head up slowly and looked around. No one. Perfect. He walked along the roof and checked the distance between the bordello and the store. The gap wasn’t too great. He pointed as the other joined him. “I checked as we came along. If we leap over there and run down the stairs, it’s a straight run out of town.”

  “My men will cover us from the back of the bordello and follow,” Mecatl said.

  “Leave a couple up here,” Adam said. “We don’t want too many inside, the fewer the better.”

  Adam opened the door and crept down the stairs. He tried the inner door and heaved a silent sigh of relief when it opened. He peeked out through a small crack. No one. Carter hadn’t posted anyone on this floor. Keeping close to the wall, he crept along the hallway and looked around the corner. Halfway along the hallway a bored looking man stood outside a door.

  At the end of the hallway were stairs that Adam assumed led to the floor with the girls’ rooms. He ducked back quickly as the man turned his head. “One guard,” Adam whispered directly into Mecatl’s ear.

  Mecatl drew his lips back over his teeth in what looked more like a snarl than a smile. He drew his knife, licked the blade, and positioned himself. He clenched a fist and hit his chest a few times, lips moving but making no sound. Then he took aim and let the knife fly.

  The guard clutched at a growing bloodstain as the knife embedded deep in his chest. He crumpled to the floor.

  “Stay here.” Adam put his hand on Mitch’s chest to stop the other man from racing forward. “Come with me,” he whispered to Mecatl. He ran silently to the door and tried it. It was locked as he’d expected. He dropped to look through the keyhole. To his relief, he saw Elijah. His lover seemed all right, although the light was too dim to see much.

  He pressed his lips to the keyhole. “Elijah. It’s Adam. I’m here to get you out. Are you all right? Is Abe with you?”

  “Adam. Oh, Adam we’re sorry. We tried to fight them off, but there were too many. Yes, we’re all right, if a little bruised.”

  Elijah’s voice was like music to Adam’s ears. He glanced at Mecatl, who rummaged through the dead guards clothing looking for the key. Mecatl shook his head. “I need you to stand clear of the door. I’m going to shoot the lock off. When the door opens, turn left and run to Mitch at the end of the hallway. Don’t stop and don’t look back. You hear me?”

  “Yes. Yes, I hear you,” Elijah said.

  Adam stood and faced Mecatl. “When I shoot, it’s going to alert Carter. I’ll position myself at the top of the stairs and keep them away as long as possible. You get Abe and Elijah out of here.”

  “Mitch and my guards will help them,” Mecatl said. “I will be at the end of this hallway to give you cover when you run. Quetzalcoatl is with us. We’ll get out, too. But I refuse to let you stay alone.”

  Mecatl held out his hand, and Adam clasped it firmly and nodded. “Fine. Get into position.” He waited for Mecatl to get back to Mitch. As he shot out the lock, he heard shots from the saloon. He urged Abe and Elijah down the hallway to the others and then crept forward to the stairs.

  No one was heading his way.

  He eased himself down a few stairs and saw that they led to the floor that held the saloon girls’ rooms. No one was around, no girls and no punters. Frowning, he edged along the hallway until he could look over the banister into the saloon itself.

  It was empty apart from a few men. Carter stood with his hands held high, and a couple of men lay dead or wounded on the floor nearby. Stone faced him, his face dark and twisted into a humorless smile. He was flanked by two other men, whose guns were also pointed at Carter.

  Adam holstered his gun and flattened himself against the wall to listen. As he did, he played with the ring on his finger, twisting the blue stone. No wonder no one reacted to my shot. It was drowned out in the gunfire.

  Stone’s voice, harsh and cold, drew Adam’s attention.

  “I warned you to keep out of my business, Carter.”

  “Look. Look, I’m rich. I’ll pay you. Just don’t kill me.” Carter’s voice dripped with fear. It was the sound of a man staring death in the eye.

  Adam twisted the ring again as Stone’s laughter rang out. He glanced down. The stone had actually unscrewed. There was a tiny scrap of cloth inside. Adam licked his lips. He quickly refastened the stone into place, excitement sizzling along his veins.

  “Rich? Not in the least. You have a huge overdraft. If the bank calls it in, you’re broke. I told you messing in my affairs would buy you a coffin. Looks like someone else will have to pay for it.”

  Stone’s harsh voice forced Adam’s attention back to the events unfolding in the saloon.

  “Please. I have hostages upstairs. Take them. Just don’t kill me.”

  “Sorry, Carter, you’re just not a man to be trusted. I’ll take your hostages anyway. While I’m happy enough for the statue to stay hidden for now, ultimately, I want it. It’s on that ranch somewhere. Damn your doubling-crossing bastard of a man.”

  Stone’s voice became guttural, and he shot Carter several times, firing into his body even as he fell.

  With a grimace, Adam turned and ran. Stone was a cold-blooded killer, more dangerous than he’d first thought. He waved at Mecatl as he caught sight of his friend. Mecatl ran ahead of him and out onto the roof. He headed for the stairs, but Adam shouted to him.

  “Jump across to the next building. Put some space between us and here before heading into the street.”

  Mecatl didn’t challenge Adam, just jumped from the saloon onto the store and kept running. Once on the street, Adam caught up with his friend.

  “Stone killed Carter in cold blood. The statue is on the ranch, and I think I have something to tell us where. We need all the men alert. Stone’s coming, and he’s going to be the biggest threat we’ve faced.”

  “My men are your men. They will die to protect the Breath of Quetzalcoatl,” Mecatl said. “Everyone is waiting at the edge of town. Hurry.”

  Adam grinned to see the Aztecs had a couple of extra horses. He didn’t know or care where they were from. It was better than doubling up given that they needed speed. He hesitated long enough to kiss Elijah and then mounted Cinnamon.

  “Back to Silver S, men,” he said. “As hard and fast as you can. Let’s ride.”

  Once back at the ranch, everyone gathered together in the Silver S ranch house. Mecatl had an arm around Ellen, just as Mitch did Abe. Elijah was so close to Adam that it seemed as if they shared the same space, which suited him just fine. He didn’t want his lover far from him.

  The anticipation was so thick in the air that Adam was sure he could smell it. Everyone’s eyes followed his movements. He removed the ring and then the stone.

  It wasn’t solid as it appeared. It was little more than a thin, blue dome which meant there was a hollow space behind it. Adam pulled out a tiny scrap of silk and opened it.

  There was a crude image of the house, what had to be the well, and a rock with a downward pointing arrow and a number.

  “Well I’ll be goddamned,” Madison said. “I’ve been to the bottom of that well, but I didn’t think to check the walls.”

  “He’s telling us how many rocks to count down to find the hiding place. No wonder we couldn’t find it. He must have planned this in advance.” Adam looked around at his friends.

  “He didn’t trust Carter or Stone. He probably thought this would save his life, but Stone is ruthless.” Madison shook his head. “Tomorrow we can recover the statue.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six
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br />   The next morning at sunrise, Adam went to the well. Only Mecatl and Elijah were with him. If anyone was watching, there was no way to disguise what they were doing. All they could hope for, if the statue was there, was time enough to bring it up and ride out.

  They had six horses ready to ride out if they found the statue. Adam had happily agreed that Madison would accompany Mecatl back to Xipil’s province. He’d spend the time with Elijah before he had to bid his farewells. All they needed now was to find the statue.

  “I’m ready to be lowered, Adam,” Elijah said.

  He was the slightest of all the men. To her annoyance, Ellen’s offer had been vetoed by Mecatl. Adam tugged on the rope around Elijah’s waist before he and Mecatl lowered him over the edge. The Aztec’s eyes glittered. His excitement and anticipation were almost palpable.

  “You all right, Elijah?” Adam called out.

  “Yes. A lot of the rocks here are uneven. He probably just climbed down. Wait! I have it, Adam. One of the stones is loose. I’m pulling it free.”

  A heavy splash rose from the well, which Adam guessed was the stone being dropped.

  “I have it. It’s in a muslin bag, and it’s heavy. Pull me up.”

  Adam helped an elated Elijah out of the well. “Into the house quickly,” he said.

  The men from the Lazy E were sent to patrol the ranch, while the Aztec warriors were brought in as the bag was set on the table. Suspense was thick in the air. Although William had shown him and Madison an artist’s impression of the statue, no other image existed, and Adam was eager to see it for himself.

  Adam stared as Mecatl opened the bag, and a collective gasp rose into the air. Mecatl removed the statue from the bag as the Jaguar Warriors dropped down onto one knee. Adam stared at the statue. He’d never seen anything like it.

  The statue stood on a plinth that looked like it should slot into something else. A snake made of solid gold coiled upwards. However, instead of scales, feathers had been etched along the full length of its body. A little below its head, wings of turquoise were set into the statue. Two red eyes gleamed at him, and Adam guessed they were rubies. The snake’s mouth was open, and behind four fangs, two top and bottom, was a rounded blue stone.