Breath of the Feathered Serpent Read online

  The ride wasn’t difficult, and he found a couple of ideal places affording a good panoramic view of the ranch house and the outbuildings. He took his goggles from his saddlebag, as well as paper and a pencil. He donned the goggles and scoured the property, unsure what he was looking for. With a frustrated shrug, he lifted the goggles and began to draw.

  He drew a quick sketch, labeling the house, barns, corrals, water troughs, and the well. He leaned forward. Two riders were approaching. He repositioned his goggles and muttered a stream of oaths. The men’s faces were obscured by their neckerchiefs, almost like bandits.

  Adam peered closely as the men dismounted. They both searched the area where the body had been. Interesting. I don’t remember either of them being with the sheriff, so how do they know to look right there? Exactly where the dead man lay.

  Absently, he fingered his belt and the stud that opened the hidden compartment. As the smaller of the men ran his fingers through the dust, Adam knew for certain they were looking for the ring he now had. Died from drinking bad water. Looks like this ring has more significance than just its color. Damn your eyes for wearing masks.

  He looked at the taller man, who remained standing and scuffed his feet through the dust. Something about him piqued Adam’s curiosity. Adam bit his bottom lip. Whatever the reason, he couldn’t put his finger on it right at that moment.

  The smaller man stood, and they talked for a minute or two before mounting and riding away. Adam removed his goggles and rubbed at his aching eyes.

  “What’s so important about this ring?” He spoke aloud, but the only reply was a snort from Cinnamon. He sighed as he looked at her. Lots of pieces to this puzzle, and none fit. Yet.

  Chapter Eleven

  The sun hung low in the west as Adam rode back into town. He left Cinnamon in the livery stable, earning a wave and greeting from the blacksmith. Then he went to the telegraph office and, after that, the bank. He fully expected his message to their uncle and the transmission of funds to be reported to Carter.

  He walked into the saloon and nodded at Madison who stood leaning against the bar, chatting with Sam. If he knew his partner, there wouldn’t be an iota of town scandal he didn’t know.

  “Hey there, cousin. Glad to see you. Have a beer.” Madison waved at him.

  “Don’t mind if I do,” Adam said. He picked up the glass and downed half the beer in one large gulp. He nodded at Sam. “That hit the spot.”

  “Glad to see you boys back,” Sam said. “Hope you hear somethin’ ‘bout work.”

  “Yeah, well, we may find something with the new owner of the Silver S,” Madison said. “We’re having dinner with him tonight, by the way. I met up with him in town. He’s likely to need some help around the place.”

  “That a fact?” Adam swallowed another mouthful of beer and nodded. “Hope dinner’s on him. Uncle’s sending us some more money, but funds are dropping mighty low.”

  “Yep. Dinner’s on him,” Madison said. “Guess he’s feeling a little lonesome. Big change from a city to this little town.”

  “Ah, but if Mr. Carter get his way, we won’t be small for much longer,” Sam said. “He has big ideas. Plans to put Buzzard Hill on the map.”

  “Uh-huh,” Adam drawled.

  “Come on, cousin,” Madison said. “Let’s go wash up, and we can get to that fancy hotel of Abe’s.”

  “Well, if they don’t let you boys in, there’s always steak and potatoes here. Peach pie tonight.” Sam chuckled as he picked up another glass.

  “Sam, you have a deal,” Madison said.

  Adam followed Madison upstairs and sat on the bed while Madison locked the door. “Anything?” Adam asked.

  “Seems that while Carter is throwing money around like it’s confetti, his funds aren’t as vast as he’d have people believe. His isn’t the biggest ranch, the Lazy E is. He’s tried buying land off the twin’s father and marrying Ellen. Got nowhere with either. Then he tried for the Silver S. He also part owns the bordello I visited.”

  “Now that had to be a real hard job.” Adam smirked, and Madison laughed.

  “Yeah, but I was up to the task. What about you?”

  “Couple of cowboys poked around the Silver S.” Adam opened his secret compartment and looked at the ring. “I think they were looking for this.”

  “Could be a token of some kind, to identify whose side you’re on, I guess,” Madison said. He shrugged, went to the vanity, and poured water from the jug into the basin. He splashed water on his face and patted it dry.

  “No bath?” Adam asked. His friend always liked bathing after a sexual encounter.

  “Had one at the bordello. Hot water right from the tap courtesy...” Madison started.

  “...of Cater,” Adam finished. “Well guess I just wait for my next bath.”

  A few minutes later, they left the saloon and headed to the hotel. Adam pretended not to see the cowboy, who’d been so interested in them previously, still watching their every move.

  Abe was waiting in the foyer and greeted them both with equal fervor, talking as if they were all old friends. He led them through to the hotel’s restaurant.

  “Beer or wine, gentlemen?” he asked.

  Adam and Madison exchanged a glance. “Beer, for both of us. Wine’s a bit too rich for our tastes,” Madison said.

  The waiter took the drink order and returned with beer for Adam and Madison and a glass of wine for Abe. He took their food order. Adam and Madison chose the pork chops, and Abe the roast beef.

  They chatted as they ate, and the evening passed by uneventfully. Abe was excited at the idea of going to his ranch the next day.

  “Look, Abe. Don’t leave too early. Me and Adam will meet you there after lunch. How’s that?” Madison asked.

  “That would be wonderful. I can’t afford too much, but you could stay at the ranch. I can cook. I’ve already bought a whole pile of supplies.” Abe looked hopefully from Adam to Madison and back again.

  “Let us speak with Mortimer at the Lazy E,” Adam said. “I’m sure we can do something around your place.”

  “Oh, thank you,” Abe said and put his hand over Adam’s.

  Adam patted it gently and then removed it. He liked the pretty, innocent young man, but he was most certainly not interested in bedding him.

  “Well, thanks for the meal. Not every day you get to eating in posh surroundings like this with linen and all,” Madison said.

  He and Adam rose, and Abe followed them through to the foyer.

  “I really appreciate having some friends,” Abe said softly. “I didn’t have many back East, and they were horrified I was coming out West. They were all convinced I’d be eaten by cannibals within a week. I enjoyed your company, gentlemen. I truly did.”

  “Then you listen to us,” Adam said. “Don’t go to the ranch until after noon. We’ll see you then. Be careful riding out there, too.”

  “Thank you, Adam. I will. Goodnight.” Abe smiled, and headed towards the stairs. He glanced back and waved.

  “I like him,” Madison said, “but he’s way too trusting.”

  “I hope he finds someone to keep an eye on him.” Adam rubbed his chin. “He needs a keeper. Well, come on. We didn’t get far today, and time’s ticking on.”

  Side by side, they headed back to the saloon.

  Chapter Twelve

  Early the next morning, Adam and Madison headed back to the Lazy E. However, Mortimer was feeling unwell and declined to leave his room.

  “Sorry, but Uncle has the last say in regards to the men working here,” Elijah said.

  Ellen snorted.

  “That a problem?” Adam asked. “Doesn’t he pick good ranch hands?”

  “I’d trust our men,” Ellen said, her voice hard. “The ones here before Pa...died. But I don’t trust Uncle Mortimer’s choices. They seem...shifty. Can’t put my finger on it. But they’re too casual. Don’t show any respect.”

  “They are overfamiliar,” Elijah said.

&n
bsp; The young man shuddered, and Adam was at his side in two steps. “Any of them touch you?” he asked from between gritted teeth.

  Elijah’s eyes widened at Adam’s tone. He smiled and shook his head. “They wouldn’t dare. They get a little too close, a little too cocky, but they seem to respect Uncle Mortimer.”

  “I’d fire each and every last one of them,” Ellen said passionately. “Well, since Uncle’s not getting up today, you won’t know if he’s decided to offer you any work. Sorry, boys, but you’ll just have to come back.”

  “We understand,” Adam said. His hand hovered close to Elijah, where he’d stopped beside him. He’d been about to touch Elijah’s arm, a reflex to comfort him, but he hesitated. The decision was taken from him as Elijah stepped forward, and Adam’s hand grasped the young man’s shoulder as if it had a mind of its own.

  “I’ll see you again,” Elijah murmured and leaned forward slightly.

  It would have been so easy to close that small distance to Elijah’s full, pink lips, but Adam didn’t dare. Not there. Not then, perhaps not ever. He was sure that once he’d tasted Elijah, he’d be lost. Never able to get his fill of the young man. Adam swallowed hard. “Yes. Yes, you will.” That was a given.

  Adam led the way outside, followed by Madison, and then the twins. As he stepped off the veranda, a cowboy headed toward them. The newcomer was of similar height and build to Adam, and the stranger grinned as he looked past him.

  Twin cries of a name Adam didn’t catch came from behind him, and then Elijah and Ellen both dashed ahead of Adam and into the arms of the attractive cowboy. Adam was blindsided by the sharp shards of jealousy that cut deep. A low, animalistic growl rumbled in his chest.

  “Adam, calm down. Now!” Madison’s voice was soft but insistent in his ear.

  Adam stalked forward, shaking off Madison’s restraining hand. “Let’s get out of here.” His voice was little more than guttural noise, and he didn’t as much as glance back. The last thing he needed to see was Elijah smiling joyously in the arms of another man.

  He rode in silence, with Madison behind him, up a rocky outcrop that overlooked the ranch. Satisfied with his perch, Adam dismounted and pulled out his goggles from his saddlebag. He fixed them in place and adjusted the dials until he had a clear view of the Lazy E. The twins and the newcomer had disappeared, no doubt into the house.

  Adam sat down and continued to watch the ranch, flitting back to the house every few seconds.

  Madison sighed loudly. “What do you expect to see? Are you looking for some kind of irrefutable proof that Elijah and the new guy are more than just friends? Man, I’ve never seen you act this way.”

  “I don’t know what I’m looking for,” Adam said. He didn’t take his gaze from the ranch. “Look, I have a gut feeling. You go on to Abe’s ranch. I want to stay here a while and just watch what happens.”

  “Will you be joining me there?” Madison asked.

  “Yeah. I’ll be along shortly.”

  Madison snorted but didn’t argue. Adam listened to him ride away, but he never stopped staring at the ranch below.

  The number of men working around the ranch slowly diminished as they rode out in small groups. He gritted his teeth, and his hands clenched into fists as he watched the twins and the newcomer come out of the house. They walked into the stables and rode out, heading away from town and into open country.

  The ranch was quiet. Adam looked around but didn’t see anyone. Then movement caught his eye. A cowboy came around the side of the house and walked up the ramp. He glanced around and then entered the house via the veranda window.

  Adam sat forward, watching intently. The man was very familiar. The cowboy came out and headed for the corral where a couple of horses remained. He mounted one and rode over to the house, leading the other behind him. Adam tried to focus, get a closer look, but the view he had was the best the goggles could provide. Unfortunately, it was just a little too far to identify the cowboy by his features.

  The ranch door opened, and another stranger came out. Something glinted at the man’s thigh, but it wasn’t a gun. Tall, slim, and fast, he headed to the spare horse and mounted quickly. Then Adam remembered where he’d seen the men. They were the ones out at the Silver S ranch the previous day, hunting for the ring. Without any further preamble, they rode off in the direction of the mountains.

  Chapter Thirteen

  As Adam adjusted his goggles for a closer view, the men’s quick departure caught him by surprise. He shoved the goggles out of the way and jumped to his feet. He scowled as he hurried to his horse. There was something about the newcomer’s gait that rang a bell with him. Despite a round of vehement cussing, the elusive memory refused to come to mind.

  He removed his goggles, mounted his horse, and headed after them, unsure why it was suddenly important to him to know who they were and what they were doing. He was glad there were lots of rocky hills and trees that ensured he could follow at a distance and remain hidden from view. After a while, the two men stopped, and so did Adam.

  He dismounted and scrambled onto a rock formation to get a better view. He put his goggles back on and watched. His view of the two men wasn’t good. They remained partially hidden by rocks, but he had a clear view of the third man who rode up and joined them.

  “Carter! Just what in the hell is going on here?” Adam murmured under his breath. He wished he was able to read lips. He’d at least be able to see what Carter was saying. The expression on the rancher’s face suggested he was angry. He didn’t stay long, heading back the way he’d come, and the other men headed up into the mountains.

  Adam pocketed his goggles and ran down to his horse. He leapt astride and headed after the two cowboys, even more eager to discover who they were and their ultimate destination. He kept a good distance back, not wanting his quarry to discover him. Whenever he caught a glimpse of the men, they seemed unconcerned whether anyone was following.

  “Just what’s it all about, girl?” he murmured and patted his horse’s neck. “There was no one else around on the ranch to see them leave. One guy enters and leaves through the window, and another I didn’t see go into the house comes out the front door. I guess he could’ve arrived while Madison and me were heading up into the hills. When are the pieces going to start to fit together?”

  He had to take a more tortuous trail up into the mountain so that he could look down into what opened up into a large canyon. By the time he got back into a position to see them, both men had vanished. Adam cursed his luck. He pulled on the reins and cursed softly. The volley of cuss words didn’t magically make the men reappear.

  He edged his horse forward and downward, hoping to get back onto a wider trail and perhaps find some tracks showing where they may have gone. He remembered the mountains had a few tattered and tumbledown shacks where travelers could rest. Unless they were leaving the area altogether, he could only assume they were headed for one of these.

  A flash of color caught his eye, and he stopped quickly. He yanked out his goggles and tried to focus. The newcomer wasn’t one of the cowboys. Neither of them had worn red. At first glance, hidden in the rocks down in the canyon, Adam couldn’t tell whether he was looking at a man or woman. The only thing of which he was sure was he hadn’t seen them before. Only part of a shoulder and long black hair with few feathers woven into it was visible.

  That made Adam frown, and he peered harder. There weren’t any local tribes or reservations in this area, so what would an Indian be doing down there? A shot made him duck instinctively, even though it was down in the canyon, ricocheting close to the man or woman in red. Shifting his position enabled Adam to fleetingly get a better view. The stranger was a man, but Adam couldn’t see why he didn’t return fire.

  Dismounting, he took off his goggles and pulled out his gun. He checked it briefly, and then he crept forward, keeping close to the rocks for cover, wanting to see who was shooting.

  Adam inched forward. The shooter was well hidden. He coul
dn’t tell if it was one of the two cowboys. Another shot rang out, sending slivers of rock into the air, and the dark-haired man huddled even tighter behind the rocks. Adam realized the man’s problem. His gun laid a couple of feet away from where he was crouched. Doubtless he dropped it when he dove for cover. To attempt to retrieve it would leave him vulnerable to the sniper.

  A third shot rang out, and Adam returned fire, aiming at the flash he’d seen. The stranger turned quickly, a look of shock on his face. Adam waited several moments, but no more bullets came their way.

  The stranger moved slow, easing his cramped body, but not even the movement, which made him vulnerable, drew any fire. Adam felt certain the shooter had gone. He wished he knew for certain if it had been one of the men from the Lazy E.

  “I think they’ve gone,” the stranger said. His voice was rich and silky, with just a hint of an accent.

  “I’ll keep you covered if you want to come over here,” Adam said. “But leave your gun where it is for now.”

  As the man scurried over and joined him, Adam kept his gun loose in his hand but was prepared to use it if he felt the need. Now that he was standing, the man’s height surprised Adam. He was close to Adam’s own six feet; however his build was far more slender. Adam wondered if the man had Apache blood given his aquiline nose. The man’s skin seemed too swarthy to be pure Indian.

  “My name’s Mecatl, and I owe you my life.” He held out his hand.

  “Adam McKenzie. What brings you out here?” Adam holstered his pistol shook Mecatl’s proffered hand.

  “I was heading through toward Buzzard Hill. I know there are some ranches, thought there may be some work. Seems I found myself a whole heap of trouble instead.”

  “Why’s that? What were you doing to get shot at?” Adam asked.

  “Murder.” Mecatl voice dropped in pitch. “I found a dead man.”

  “You sure it’s murder?’ Adam asked.

  Mecatl nodded. “So will you when you see him.”

  Adam followed Mecatl up the rocks to where a tumbledown shack was hidden. Scrub-brush helped disguise it. Adam was sure there was no way to simply stumble across it and wondered just how and why Mecatl would have been there.