Breath of the Feathered Serpent Read Online Free Page A

squeezed Madison’s shoulder. His friend hadn’t cared about Adam’s preference from day one. It was a good feeling to know your partner had your back one hundred percent. “Come on. Let’s find us a place that’ll take in a couple of drifters so you can get yourself all prettied up.”
    Madison joined in Adam’s laughter as they mounted their horses. Adam continued to grin as they rode forward.

Chapter Four
    The ranch came into view. Even knowing it was deserted, it was a welcome sight for Adam. Although a seasoned rider, his body ached, and he was more than ready to get off his horse and rest. There was no rush once they reached it. They could poke around the ranch, sleep indoors for the first time in a few nights, and then head into town the next day.
    Buzzard Hill hardly sounded the most welcoming of towns, given its name, but he’d heard worse. He and Madison would make it known they were looking for wrangling work before heading out to the occupied ranches. He licked his lips. A beer would be good, too.
    They passed through a dilapidated gate and rode into the ranch proper. Dismounting, Adam stretched his aching muscles and bones while Madison tethered both horses to a rail next to a stable that looked in as bad of repair as the main house.
    “Don’t think we’re gonna find much here,” Adam said as Madison came up alongside him.
    “I’ll check the house and stable if you want to look around the rest of the property. Stretch your weary bones a spell.” Madison winked and grinned.
    Adam glowered at Madison, but that only earned a hearty laugh from his friend. “Any more sass like that and I’ll whup your skinny ass, whippersnapper.” Adam dropped his voice to a deep, throaty rumble.
    Madison laughed louder as he headed for the house, and Adam turned toward the corral still smiling. He found nothing out of place there, but as he rounded towards the back of the house, he saw...something. He squinted, trying to see more clearly. There was a dark shape lying on the ground by the water trough, and it piqued his instincts.
    He approached cautiously, gun in hand. As soon as he recognized what it was, he yelled for Madison. As his friend came running from the house, Adam continued to advance.
    It was a man lying beside the trough. He was curled into a partial ball and unmoving, but Adam knew better than to take any chances.
    “Hey. Mister. Mister, you all right?” It was a stupid question, but Adam wanted to see if the shout elicited any response. It didn’t. He glanced over at Madison who circled from the other direction, keeping low, his gun in his hand.
    Dropping to his haunches, Adam reached out with his gun and nudged the body. Nothing happened. No sound or movement. He got a little closer and rolled the man over. He grimaced at the distorted features and looked accusingly at the water trough.
    His immediate thought was how grateful he was that they had come through the mountains and filled up on water at the stream. If they’d come across the desert, they might have been keen to drink the same tainted water that had killed the unknown man.
    “Dead?” Madison shouted and straightened up.
    “A while. Poisoned, I’d say.” Adam looked over at Madison. “Ugly way to go.”
    Madison came over and looked down. “Not accidental either,” Madison said as his holstered his gun and gazed at the body. “That’s not the result of water gone bad.”
    Adam straightened up and scrutinised the body once more. He’d jumped to the wrong conclusion with the positioning of the body. “Nope. You’re right. Seems like the Chief’s information was correct. Bit too coincidental a man would be poisoned in the very area where another man died when our trail went cold.” Noticing the man’s clenched fist, Adam crouched down and pried it open. The dead man held a ring with a distinctive blue stone in its center. Adam glanced up at Madison.
    “Worth reporting to the Chief,” Madison said. “The stone in the