Breath of the Feathered Serpent

Chapter 2

Chapter 2Adam ambled down the wooden-floored corridor. His polished copper spurs jingled with every step. They didn’t look out of place on his heeled boots, which in turn kept with his well-worn denim pants. He’d selected a smart black and silver shirt rather than one of his more conservative shirts.

He’d noticed more than the odd disapproving glances he was used to from the few suited city slickers he passed, but he didn’t care. You could take the man out of the cowboy and stick him in a suit, but you couldn’t take the cowboy out of the man.

And he was a cowboy through and through, even if he was employed by a government agency. As a Federal Marshal, results counted for more than mere appearances.

As he approached the room, he adjusted his gun belt. It had been especially made to his specifications, wider and a little thicker than normal with several copper studs either side of the belt buckle. He fingered them out of habit and then tapped on the solid oak door, opening it as a disembodied voiced reached his ears.

He grinned at the man sitting on his side of the huge desk. “Madison, good to see you,” he drawled.

“You too, Adam.”

The man rose, and they hugged hard, slapping each other on the back. Adam took a step back to look at Madison closely. They were as tight as brothers from a different mother and as different as chalk and cheese. Madison’s lean silhouette cut quite a figure in his brown suit. His blond hair was cut short, and his blue eyes glinted with pleasure and anticipation. If they’d been cold and flat, Adam would have known there’d be hell to pay for someone.

“Good afternoon, Adam.” The other man in the room spoke.

At the deep baritone, Adam turned his attention to the man behind the desk. He nodded, pulling off his Stetson and throwing it expertly onto a nearby hat stand. “Afternoon, William.”

“Show off,” Madison muttered with a chuckle, and Adam laughed with him.

Nearly three weeks had passed since their last assignment, and Adam was ready for action. He and Madison had an excellent partnership. Madison might be lean, but he was all muscle, quick on his feet, and knew some of that strange Chinese fighting. It’d proven useful more than once. Despite being nearly eight years Adam’s junior, Madison would be Adam’s first choice for a partner every time.

Adam knew that he tended to attract more attention. Tall and powerful, he relied on his boxing skills and the speed with which he could draw. Madison was fast, but Adam was faster still. They’d been partners for nearly two years and had the reputation of being the best team in the department.

“What are we facing, Chief?” Adam asked the portly man behind the desk as he sat in the chair next to Madison. William had been an operative once, but now he was bound to his desk. That experience made him a good man to work for. He understood what it was like to be out in the field.

“You’ve got something for us?” Madison’s voice sounded as eager as Adam felt, and he leaned forward.

William sat back in his chair and looked from Madison to Adam. “Have either of you heard of an artifact called the Breath of Quetzalcoatl?”

Adam shook his head and glanced over at Madison when his friend cleared his throat. A sure sign he knew something and was gathering his thoughts.

“It’s some kind of symbol of power that belongs to one of the minor Aztec kings.” Madison said. “It’s also known as the Breath of the Feathered Serpent and dates back to the late fourteen hundreds and a king called Tupac.”

William nodded. “Very good. King Xipil is the current ruler of Chimalli province and a direct descendent of Tupac. The artifact has been in his family for four hundred years now. The legend is that the god Quetzalcoatl himself sent down the blue stone now set in a solid gold statue of the feathered serpent. The story is that the stone saved the lives of King Tupac and his royal consort, Yolotli, when they were ambushed by the high priest and Tupac’s disaffected wife. Each generation, whether a king with his queen or a king and his male consort, have venerated the statue and the stone it contains. They believe it’s the key to their region’s prosperity. It’s also missing. Stolen.”

“And we have to find it?” Adam asked. He wasn’t too enthused at the idea of locating a stolen treasure.

“King Xipil’s people don’t know it’s missing. He fears his people would turn against him if they think he’s lost the favor of Quetzalcoatl. He was trying to create a copy, but in three weeks, the emperor is visiting. He has to produce the statue for that visit.” William ran a hand through his hair and then rubbed at his chin.

The gesture was one Adam recognized. It reflected William’s frustration.

“He won’t have a copy in time?” Madison asked.

William shook his head. “Not when it will be so closely examined. Numa would insist upon it. If he just needed something to be seen from a distance, he’d get away with it.”

“Do we have any suspects?” Adam asked and leaned forward, excitement thrumming through his veins.

“We suspect that King Numa is behind the theft,” William said, his voice somber. “He’s Xipil’s nearest neighbor and a warmonger. Xipil’s and Numa’s regions are on our border. Numa has already stated that on the day of the emperor’s visit, he will show that the feathered serpent has abandoned Xipil and given favor to him. Word is that he’s ready to step in and take over Xipil’s state as its ruler. Once he has both provinces under his rule, he’ll whip the people into a frenzy, and then we face the prospect of war. We need to find the statue and return it to Xipil in time for the visit.”

War. Suddenly, the statue had far more value than some kind of a mere symbol. Adam rubbed his chin. “Do we have any leads?”

William moved from his desk and pulled down a screen holding a map of the southern part of the state of Texas. It showed mountains, a river, three ranches, and a town. William picked up a stick and pointed at the ranches in turn.

“This one is the Lazy E. It’s owned by a brother and sister and currently managed by their uncle. The twins don’t come into their inheritance for another couple of months, when the boy reaches twenty five. This ranch here…” William tapped the second ranch on the map. “Is the Big A and owned by the wealthiest man in the area. Goes by the name of Carter, and as I hear tell, he blows his own trumpet long and loud. This third one is currently unoccupied. Our lead took us here, and then nothing. It’s all we’ve got. I need you two in there, mixing, looking, and hopefully turning something up.”

“Why is this ranch unoccupied? This land looks good.” Adam peered at the map. “Ideal grazing for cattle or horses.”

“The rancher died. Bad water, or so it’s reported.” William sat back, his gaze leveling with Adam’s.

“Basically bull s**t, then,” Adam said. “So no one’s made any attempt to snap it up?”

“Actually Abel Carter, the rancher here, has made several high bids for it. So far no sale.” William rubbed at his chin. “Apparently the deceased rancher has family out East. It’s theirs now. They probably have an over-inflated view of its size and worth.”

“But Carter is still offering high dollar?” Madison pointed at the other ranch. “This one, with the twins, they’re not interested in buying it then?”

“If they’ve made any approaches, they haven’t done it openly,” William said. “Which doesn’t mean they haven’t. We’re interested only if it sells, or if someone takes up sudden, illegal residence. It’s the pinnacle of the triangle.”

“What’s the name of this town?” Adam asked.

“Buzzard Hill,” William said.

“Sounds delightful,” Madison said, with a snort.

“So what’s our cover?” Adam asked.

“No time to do anything that would need much background. So a couple of drifters looking for work will have to do.” William smirked along with Adam as Madison’s face fell.

“That uninhabited ranch is probably the best place for us to start then,” Adam said. “As drifters, we’re not aware that it’s empty. We can check the place over and then head into town.”

Adam laughed as Madison grimaced. The cover suited him down to the ground, but Madison was far more fastidious. He hated living rough. “You’ll need to muss up that fancy hair of yours and grow some stubble, Madison.” Adam laughed louder as Madison glowered at him.

“Yeah, and you don’t need to do anything. You fit the bill just as you are,” Madison muttered.

“Sure do,” Adam said. “When do you want us riding out, Chief?”

“Next day or so. Come to the ranches over the mountain. By the time you get there you’ll be a bit weather-beaten. It’ll help you fit your roles better. Keep in touch, boys, and keep your wits about you. This isn’t just about a priceless gold statue.” William came from behind his desk and shook their hands in turn. “Good luck, boys.”

“Just another day at the office,” Adam said as he led the way out.