Jeanne C. Stein-Anna Strong 01 by The Becoming

Author:The Becoming [Becoming, The]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-10-13T02:14:32+00:00

I'm as ready as I'll ever be.

The jog over the uneven ground is a little more difficult than I imagined, but only because I keep stumbling over rocks and the broken spines of fallen cactus. But in a few minutes, I see lights twinkling like fireflies in the distance. In another few minutes, I'm crouched behind the withered trunk of a scrub oak, peering down a dark ribbon of dirt that must be Beso de la Muerte 's Main Street. That light I spied earlier comes through the broken windows of a dilapidated saloon. Even from here, I can see holes in the corrugated tin roof and the old fashioned swinging doors in front hang drunkenly on hinges twisted with time. The same shrill Corrido music that I listened to in the car pumps into the still air.

Obviously, Culebra's constituents aren't worried about keeping a low profile. There aren't any cars around, though, except for a shiny, black Expedition parked right in front. There's someone standing beside it, leaning against the driver's side door. He's tall, and the dark tank top he's wearing clings to a well-muscled torso as if painted on. He's smoking a cigar. The glowing tip rises and falls rhythmically as he raises it to his lips, then lowers it again to his side, flicking ash as he does. His face is obscured by shadow, and I watch him a few minutes, trying to decide if I should make my way around to the back. I don't get a vampire vibe from him, and I need to get a look inside that saloon. If Donaldson is there, the plan is to wait for him to come out and follow him. If he isn't, I need to find my way to the tunnels.

Suddenly, the doors to the saloon swing outward and two men shoulder their way outside. The driver of the Expedition straightens and tosses the cigar into the street. He stands in respectful silence, watching as they approach the car.

The men are speaking Spanish and there's a lot of strutting and mutual back thumping, macho camaraderie suggesting a business deal well concluded. One of the men is dressed in a suit, the other, jeans and a poncho. It's not hard to imagine who belongs in the Expedition and who in the rundown saloon. Could Poncho be Culebra?

The suit turns to the driver and gestures with a hand. Immediately, the driver comes around to the passenger side and opens the rear door. When he does, the light from the car's interior shines on his face.

My heart thuds to a stop.

It's Max.

Max.

I can't believe it. Not that I don't believe Max's boss might be the gangster behind Beso de la Muerte . Wouldn't surprise me at all.

What stuns me is the thought that if Max knows about this place, does he know about vampires, as well?

I can do nothing but watch in a kind of bewildered stupor as the suit gets into the car, Max takes his position behind the wheel, and the car pulls away.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.