Renaldo Read Online Free

easier task. Santos quickly led the two men through the kitchen and out
    into the open café. There, much to their mutual relief, they were met by one of
    their traveling companions who had with him a captain of the National Guard.
    All four of the Prefectos were swiftly placed aboard one of the waiting buses.
    10
    RENALDO
    Once settled inside, they were able to watch the scene unfolding before them
    from behind bulletproof windows covered with steel bars.
    The angry crowd had, by now, made its way into the open area surrounding
    the café. Here they were confronted with the same sight that had brought
    relief to the hearts of those they had pursued. But it was a totally different
    emotion that swept over the thwarted aggressors. They had been robbed of
    their entertainment by the rescuing of these intruders, and they now sought to
    vent their frustrations on the local militia.
    A familiar pattern repeated itself. First taunts and verbal abuse were
    hurled in the direction of the military men, then objects of every description
    seemed to take flight. Chairs, tables, bottles, bricks, anything that was not
    permanently secured became a messenger of hate. But these soldiers were in a
    foul mood as well, thanks, in part, to the loss that their beloved soccer team
    had suffered only minutes before. For it was their team, too, and now men that
    had cheered together for a Córdoban victory were facing each other, about to
    play a much more serious game.
    The buses containing the Prefect disciples were surrounded by two rings
    of armed soldiers. As soon as all the visitors were sequestered, a colonel of the
    army could be seen gesturing to the lead driver to remove his vehicle and its
    volatile cargo from the area. As the buses started to snail their way around the
    congested military ordinance parked pell-mell in the roadway, the initial burst
    of a water canon slammed into the unsuspecting locals.
    Bloodthirsty barbarians, all of them! Renaldo thought to himself as he, once
    again, witnessed the canon’s devastating effect. Most of these Córdobans had
    left the stadium before the on-field rumble had commenced, and they were not
    prepared for the impromptu soaking.
    As Renaldo’s armored coach gained speed in its departure, the men inside
    remained silent. Even the verbose Gordo was intent on catching a final glimpse
    of the brutality that they were leaving behind. It was Gordo, nevertheless, that
    broke that silence with the all too familiar fight song. Renaldo’s emotions were
    playing tricks on him now. Fear, anxiety, and anger ebbed. Relief, satisfaction,
    and pride flowed. One by one, the men around him picked up the chorus of
    the song. Soon the entire group had regained the vocal authority and bellicose
    attitude of champions.
    Song after boisterous song filled the air. The youngest passenger sang
    along as well, finally succumbing to the prodding of the fat man to join the
    festivities. At the end of one particularly uplifting rendition, Gordo raised his
    arms and whistled above the racket for silence. Making his way down the aisle
    to where Santos and the boy were seated, he addressed the entire bus.
    “These two men saved my life this afternoon, showing great courage and
    true Prefect spirit. I will be indebted to them from this day on, for I will never
    11
    JAMES McCREATH
    forget how they put their lives at great risk to save mine. Especially young
    Renaldo, who fought off that mob with his bare hands! I salute you both, and I
    want you to ride with me on our return journey to Buenos Aires.”
    So this is how fate would have it. This is how young Renaldo De Seta
    would be enticed into the complex, multilayered web spun by Astor Armondo
    Luis Gordero. The boy was about to step into a world far beyond his wildest
    dreams, for Gordero, or ‘Gordo’ as he was derisively called behind his sizable
    back, was a man unlike any he had ever imagined.
    Astor Gordero’s vast wealth and political dexterity had placed him in