Preacher's Bloodbath by William W. Johnstone

Author:William W. Johnstone [Johnstone, William W.; Johnsto]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pinnacle Books
Published: 2015-10-20T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 29

The stars and a quarter moon cast enough light for Audie, Nighthawk, Boone, Zyanya, and their companions to see where they were going. Seeing the cliffs looming to the east, Audie and Nighthawk could have led the others in that direction, but Zyanya was more familiar with the Aztec city than any of them, so Audie was perfectly content to let her take the lead. She held Boone’s hand and tugged the young trapper along beside her as the group of fugitives hurried through the streets.

Audie gave thought to what he knew about the Aztec empire. It was very old, the settlement one of the final remnants. It had flourished when many European civilizations were just beginning. But it had developed in a different place, under different conditions, with a different culture and traditions. Aztec cities had no walls around them, no stockades with a castle looming in the center as many European fiefdoms did. The outskirts of the city were open, gradually turning into cultivated fields.

This is good for us, Audie mused. We won’t have to make it past any gates or guards.

If they could leave the city behind them without being discovered, they stood a good chance of getting away.

There was still one possible obstacle. The craggy peaks and the sheer cliffs served as a natural barrier around the valley, protecting it the way stone walls and moats did in those European settlements Audie had been thinking about. If Tenoch was any sort of tactician at all—and since he was the war chief, he had to have at least some cunning—he would have posted guards at the newly reopened passage through the cliffs.

Quietly, Nighthawk said, “Umm.”

“I was just thinking the same thing, old friend,” Audie said. “You and I are living proof of the old adage about great minds working alike.”

Zyanya suddenly stopped and pulled Boone into the dark mouth of an alley with one hand as she waved the other at the rest of the trappers, motioning for them to follow. They all retreated quickly into the shadows. Boone put his mouth next to Zyanya’s ear and whispered, “What is it?”

“Warriors,” she whispered back, nodding toward the street they had just abandoned.

For the next minute or so, the trappers all held their breath as several buckskin-clad Aztec warriors walked by in the street, carrying spears and war clubs.

Audie couldn’t detect any urgency in their attitude. They were talking quietly among themselves, and the few words he could make out sounded innocuous. They were either going somewhere to take up guard duties, or else they were some sort of night watch, patrolling the streets.

In a couple minutes, the warriors were gone, and the desperate men hiding in the shadows were able to heave sighs of relief.

They resumed their flight, with Zyanya leading the way.

A short time later, they left the city behind without encountering any more warriors. Zyanya kept them moving at a fast pace. Audie struggled to keep up.

After a while, Nighthawk picked him up to carry him.

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