Pyramid of the Dead: A Zombie Novel Read Online Free

Spaniards did n o t have to be asked twice to sample these gifts . They ate and drank merrily through the rest of the day and long into the night , but Pizarro did no t trust this new adversary , Minco. Food was taken but the chicha was left well alone, he need ed to keep his head clear and his wits about him . He had a feeling that he w ould have to keep an eye on the Incan .
    Minco himself sat alone in the opposite corner . He also did no t take a taste of the nectar. It appeared that Pizarro ’s d istrust had some company.
    *****
    A couple of hours after nightfall , a woman’s s creams of terror woke everyone in the sleeping settlement. A lmost as one , the only sober men, Pizarro and Minco ran out from the Tambos and into the dark central square.
    Peering into the torch lit darkness , Pizarro saw a young woman ru n into view just as they arrived . Her simple, cloth dress was ripped and torn and she was hold ing the remnants of it together with both hands in an attempt to cover up h er scratched and bleeding flesh. Minco grabbed her as she ran towards him , holding her tightly in his arms as she sobbed an explanation in her native tongue.
    As the two Incans spoke , Pizarro saw one of his men stagger from behind a hut. He was pulling up his trousers as he wove drunkenly towards them. Pizarro ’s heart sank at this sight , realising what had just happened.
    When Minco saw the Spanish soldier , his fury was evident as his voice rang out. He roared an order repeatedly an d the square quickly filled with dozens of the Incan warriors, each one with a weapon at the ready.
    “Stop,” Pizarro shouted at the top of his voice . “Please stop them , Minco . We need to find out w hat the hell is going on first !” He knew all too well what had happened , b ut he was trying to buy time to come up with a plan .
    Unfortunately, Minco was n o t in the mood for stopping. He drew his own axe and with a white knuckled grip , marched right towards Pizarro ’s man.
    The soldier, Juan de Palencia, an old war veteran from the city of Madrid, stood froze n on the spot. The sight of the bloodthirsty savages surging toward him had an amazingly sobering effect . He looked beseechingly to Pizarro , his gaze a helpless plea for salvation .
    “S ir...please Colonel ... please ... help me ! ”
    Crack!
    A single shot rang out in the cold night air . The natives stopped dead in their tracks , heads whipping towards the source of this new and startling sound. They saw the one called Pizarro h olding a long stick with smoke seeping out from it s end. The rest of Pizarro ’s men knew that he had just demonstrated the heavy cost of disorderly conduct under his command.
    Palencia held shaking hand s over his large , rotund stomach. Blood seeped between his tightly clasped fingers and dripped down to the ground at his feet , one heavy drop at a time . He stumbled forward one heavy step, and then fell to his knees. T hick blood gurgled from his mouth as he tried to speak.
    Crack!
    Another shot shattered the shocked silence that had followed its predecessor . Pizarro had grabbed the late arriving Almargo’s musket and sent the second shot straight through Palencia ’s fore head. The man topple d lifelessly to the ground .
    “Drop your weapons,” Pizarro said to his men who were now all amassed behind him and readying their own weapons . “Do as I say. It’s our only chance to get out of this alive . Do it now! ” He raised his musket over his head and then threw it to the ground at his feet .
    Slowly , very slowly, his men did as they were ordered until only Almargo stood with his rapier sword up and at t he ready. The old soldier was extremely reluctant to leave himself unarmed, especially considering the palpable tension in the air.
    “Please , my old friend, drop it, ” Pizarro said. “You must know t hey would have killed him anyway. Don’t grieve for him, he was nothing but a stupid fool who se actions m ay yet cause the death of us