by Leo Romero
Troy jumped backward. He spun away and shivered, his eyes closed tight. When he opened them again, he was faced with the murals of the Unholy Mother and el Sanguinario. It’s all your fault, pal! he thought to himself, el Sanguinario continuing to stare back at him, doing his bizarre jig.
Mask then stepped into his line of view, blocking the image out. Without warning, she fell to her knees and bowed ahead of Troy. Meanwhile, the others continued cheering.
An uneasy grin broke out on Troy’s face. His head swam with uncertainty; he was totally bewildered by what was going on and what had just happened. He watched them all with a tentative stare, not knowing what the hell was gonna happen next.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Night had already arrived by the time Trixie stirred. Dom was sitting on his bedding, a half-finished warm Corona on the floor next to him. He was going through the information Lionel had gathered, translating as much as he could on his smartphone. So far, he’d learned a lot about the Chaos Order, but nothing on the location of the Temple of the Snakes.
Trixie sat up gingerly and grabbed her forehead. “My God,” she said, her voice hoarse. “I just had the worst nightmare.”
Dom’s stare never left the papers in his hands. “Really?”
“Yeah. You tried to kiss me.”
“Hmph!” came Dom’s tetchy reply. “Well, that sounds like it would be a nightmare for me too!”
“Gawd, why did you let me drink so much?”
Dom’s jaw dropped. “Me? You were the one frolicking with Rafa and his bottle of tequila, while I, the studious one, was getting to work.”
“Rafa? Well, he’s kinda cute and all in a tough mariachi kinda way. But, he’s not my type.”
“Whatever,” Dom said in a huff and turned his attention back to his work.
Trixie squinted her eyes. “What are you doing?”
Dom’s back straightened. “Well, while you’ve been getting drunk and sleeping it off, I’ve been studying all this,” he spread his hands out to the sides, indicating all the books and papers strewn around him like he was a nerd swatting up before exams.
“And, what have you found out?”
“You want the whole story?”
“Shoot.”
“Well, during the days of the Conquistadors, a sect of hedonistic monks came over, pretending to be missionaries for the Catholic Church. They thought it was gonna be all ayahuasca and exotic Mayan ladies. But, what they got was Magdalena. From what your dad told us about the children of Moroz being sent out around the world as children, looks to me like Magdalena was left in the care of these monks. They became the Unholy Brotherhood, la Hermandad Impía, and they worship Magdalena to this day. At some point, the Brotherhood split into the Inner Circle, who created and control the drug cartels. You with me so far?”
“Yeah,” Trixie said in a bored voice.
“Good. Now, by all accounts, Magdalena’s venom was too strong for them. It was driving them crazy, some of them never returning to normality. She then went nuts herself. Bloodthirsty. Sacrificing members of the Brotherhood, making them do crazy things like kill each other for her own pleasure. In the end, the monks decided it would be best to banish her; she was becoming too powerful. So, they locked her away in an unused Mayan temple; the Temple of Snakes. A place where the Mayans kept their treasure hidden from looters. A place full of traps. That way, she couldn’t escape, and no one could let her out. And apparently, she’s still there. Initiates chosen by the Inner Circle have to go on the pilgrimage of the Unholy Mother where they are ‘kissed’ by her, ‘given her blessings’ and then become vamp. But, even they don’t get to know where the temple is. They must blindfold them or something... Only the members of the Brotherhood know the location of the temple. And of course, it’s a secret whose revelation is punishable by death. Now, unless we find these monks and get the info outta them, we’re stuck. There’s no way we can scour two whole continents by ourselves looking for this temple.”
Trixie grabbed her head. “Man, my head hurts.”
Dom threw his smartphone down. “Trixie! Are you even listening to what I’m saying?”
She held up her hand. “Yeah, yeah, I’m listening. I’m just finding it hard to hear you above this migraine.”
Dom sighed. “Maybe you shouldn’t drink so much.”
“Bite me, Dom. It was the first drink I’ve had in years. And trust me, it’s the last I’ll ever have again.”
“The hollow promise of every party animal,” Dom muttered under his breath.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing. Wait there. I’ll go and see if they’ve got any hangover pills.”
“That’ll be great.” She collapsed back on her bedding.
Dom chuckled to himself. Seeing Trixie with a hangover was something he never thought he’d witness, what with her body being a temple and all that jazz. He strode off toward Alicia’s house, the sound of the grasshoppers chirping around him filling the night air.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
They cuffed Troy again and dragged him back out of the temple. He was still shook up from what happened back there; he’d never experienced anything like it, and he was pretty damn experienced in the strange and weird side of life. But cutting off heads execution style and throwing them on bonfires in the name of something called the Unholy Mother? Man, these freaks were beyond the frickin’ pale.
They pushed him down the pyramid steps leading out and he almost stumbled. “Hey, that’s no way to treat a god!” he said, managing to remain upright.
At the foot of the pyramid, the trunk of the car awaited; that hot, confined space of darkness. Two monks stood next to the open trunk, the mean-faced one holding a black hood, ready for Troy’s head.
Troy made it down the steps and was immediately pushed over toward the trunk. The mean-faced monk stepped forward to place the bag over his head.
“Hey! Wait!” Troy snapped at him. “I need to pee. Let me go!”
The monk ignored his order either through a language barrier or stubbornness. He lifted the hood over Troy’s head.
Troy whipped his head back, dodging it. “Hey!” he exclaimed once more. “Listen here! I’m el Sanguinario, now if you don’t do what I say I swear I’m gonna crap thunder and piss lightning all over this whole damn area. Don’t believe me, just give me a try.” He gave the monk an intense stare. “Now, take these goddamned cuffs off for just a second so I can go drain the hose.”
The two monks near him glanced at one another. They went into a brief conference. Troy watched them intently. After a bit of to and fro, they turned to face him. “No!” one of them said with a firm shake of the head.
Troy’s mouth scrunched up of its own accord. He glowered at them both. He watched them gulp in response. Just then, right on cue, an abrupt clap of thunder rocked the atmosphere. Troy’s eyes widened. A bolt of lightning crackled across the night sky, followed by another rumble of thunder.
The monks glanced at one another with wide, concerned eyes. They then meekly tuned their heads toward the sky.
“Huh?” Troy uttered, rolling his head upward alongside them. A droplet of rain fell into his eye. “Ouch!” he said, blinking it out. In the next instant, the rain began pelting down hard as if God had turned on a faucet. Thunder boomed around them, lightning illuminating the scene. The monks grabbed their heads and began speaking in raised panicky voices. They stared at Troy in trepidation, pointing his way.
Troy seized the one in a million opportunity. He glared at them through the rain. “You see?” he said, water dribbling down his chin. “I’m crapping thunder and pissing lightning! Now, you really don’t wanna see what I’ll do next!”
The monks gave one another grave glances before they turned and ordered the gorillas to remove the cuffs.
Troy’s wrists were finally released. “Good disciples,” he told them. “The Unholy Mother will reward you with blessings and... blood.” He winced as the image of that girl’s severed head bombarded
his mind. He shook it away. He then pointed to the temple. “I’m gonna go around the back there. Okay? Alone. Anyone follow me and I’ll crap out a tsunami!” He slammed a fist into his palm, rain splashing out everywhere. The monks recoiled in shock. Troy pointed at them both, keeping a beady eye on them as he began backing off. He reached the edge of the temple unhindered, still pointing at them. He licked his lips, then turned and scampered around the side of the pyramid. About halfway along, he pressed himself up against the temple wall and breathed deep in relief. Man, those guys are intense. I gotta get away from them.
He looked around. The mountain they were on was surrounded by forest. The only real escape route was the road they’d come by, which was at the front of the temple, where the mad monks were waiting for him. Just my luck, he lamented.
He studied the dark thicket of tress leading down the mountain. He shook his head. There was no way he could navigate through all that without dying, being eaten by something, or getting lost and then the sun rising and killing him. Besides, even if he did make it down the mountain unscathed, he had no idea where he was and he’d have to find shelter from the sun which wasn’t guaranteed.
“Shit!” he spat in anger, the rain pounding on his head, his brain working overtime. He had to get away from these guys. An idea hit him; his only choice. He edged his way along the side of the temple. He found a small alcove and moved inside it to get out of the rain. He then looked both ways. The coast was clear. He grabbed the smartphone Trixie gave him and dialed her number.
He hoped he could get good reception from where he was.
The line began ringing. And it continued ringing.
“Come on, come on,” he urged.
Then finally, “Yeah?” came a crackled, slightly broken answer.
“Trixie! Trixie!” he stammered in a panicky voice.
“Troy,” Trixie replied. “How’s—”
“Shut up and listen!” Troy interjected. “You gotta save me! I’ve been kidnapped by a bunch of freaks. Monks. They think I’m some kind of god.”
“Having a good time in Tijuana are we?”
“I’m not joking and I’m not high. This is real! They call me el Sanguinario, the Bloodthirsty One. They think I’m some kind of god who has to be united with the Unholy Mother, Magdalena. They’re taking me on some kind of pilgrimage to meet her.”
“What! Where are you?”
“On top of a mountain somewhere.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know! You gotta do something. These guys are crazy. They cut people’s heads off for Chrissakes!”
“Yeah, I’ve noticed.”
“I’m not playing, Trixie. They cut this girl’s head off and made me throw it on a fire.”
“Ew!”
“Exactly. Ew! I hate to think what they’ll do next.” Troy briefly turned to the side to spot a monk peeking around the corner. Troy jabbed a finger his way. “Hey! I can’t go if you’re watching!”
The monk got the message and pulled back.
“And stay there!” Troy shouted after him. “Asshole,” he said to himself before putting the phone up to his ear once more. “Help me, Trixie!” he begged.
“Go along with it!” Trixie ordered.
“What? Trixie, that’s not what I wanted to hear!”
“Go along with it, Troy!” Trixie reasserted. “They’ll hopefully lead us right to Magdalena.”
Troy grabbed his head. “Oh crap.”
“Just don’t lose this phone. Okay? You got that? Do not lose this phone!”
He huffed. “Okay, okay.”
“I mean it, Troy. Do not lose it.”
“I got you!” he replied in a tetchy tone.
“Just hang tight, and we’ll tail you wherever they take you. Now get off the line so I can start tracking you.”
The phone then cut out.
“Trixie? Trixie?” Troy urged.
She didn’t answer. The line was dead.
“Shit!” Troy scowled. He huffed. “Don’t lose the phone, Troy,” he said, mocking Trixie’s voice. He glanced both ways, then stuffed the phone down into his briefs. He checked his chinos from the outside. It was nicely concealed and more importantly, safe. “Hopefully Trixie will call back,” he said, patting his crotch. “I’ve got it on vibrate.”
He took a deep breath, slicked his hair down, and headed back into the rain. He marched along the side of the temple and out to the front where they were all waiting for him. Watching the old geezers getting soaked by the rain was most satisfying.
Bastards, Troy thought to himself as he approached them.
He pretended to zip up his chinos. “Ah, that’s better,” he said to them with a relieved grin, just as the rain began to slow to a drizzle. “You can put the cuffs back on now.” He held up his wrists. “Not too tight, I’m not gonna make a break for it.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Trixie pulled her phone away from her ear. “That was Troy,” she said to the phone, but directing her words at Dom.
“Where is he?”
“He doesn’t know. At a temple.”
“Temple?”
“Yeah. He’s been kidnapped by a bunch of monks.”
“Monks? The Unholy Brotherhood?”
“That’d be my guess. He says they think he’s bloodthirsty or something.”
“Bloodthirsty? But, Troy doesn’t drink blood.”
“Go figure.” Trixie began swiping and clicking.
“What are you doing?” Dom asked her.
“Remember that phone I gave Troy?”
“Yeah?”
“It’s more a surveillance device than a phone. Dad has them made specially. Military grade; you can get a signal on the damn moon. Batteries last for days and the suckers are waterproof. After what happened at the movie theater, I thought it would be best to keep tabs on Troy wherever he went. It’s turned out to be useful in more ways than one.”
“You mean you can track Troy wherever he goes?”
“Wherever the phone goes.”
“So where is he?”
She paused. Then, “Hermosillo.”
“Where’s that?”
“Still in Mexico. We need to go see that temple; it could give us clues as to where Magdalena is.”
Dom nodded. “Yeah. Come on, let’s go tell Alicia and see if we can get a ride there.”
A half-sober Rafa insisted on taking them to Hermosillo. Dom prayed the cops didn’t pull them. Trixie advised them both to bring along their passports as well as a change of clothes, she had a feeling they’d be on the road for a while. Dom agreed. It looked like old Troy had managed to get himself on this pilgrimage of the Unholy Mother, and although that meant good news for them in their mission, it also meant a whole lotta hauling ass.
The tequila hadn’t done too much damage to Rafa’s driving ability; he managed to remain in the center of his lane as they drove through Mexico. Trixie was guiding them with her special issue smartphone, the location Troy had called her from saved. He was on the move again, heading further south. They’d catch up with him later.
Eventually, they reached Hermosillo. Night was drawing to a close by the time they drove up the mountain where the temple was located. Rafa pulled up outside the fencing surrounding the area. He hit the steering wheel in frustration.
“What’s up?” Dom asked him.
“Private property, amigo,” Rafa told him, pointing at a sign on the side of the dirt track.
“That’s never stopped us before,” said Trixie as she threw her door open, releasing the sound of more grasshoppers. She stepped up to the fence and looked up and around. Dom joined her. She turned to face him and shrugged. Without saying a word, she leaped up and over the fence as nimble as a cat.
She turned back. “See? No problem. Let’s go.” She scampered away and hid behind a tree.
Dom glanced at Alicia. “Ladies first,” he said, giving her a hand up. While she cleared the fence, Rafa grabbed a flashlight from the trunk.
He had a quick glance both ways before jumping over the fence, the whole thing trembling under his weight. He flicked on his flash, lighting up the area. The dirt track led up further into trees and bushes.
“Think anyone patrols here?” Dom asked.
Rafa shrugged. “We’ll find out.”
So far, there was no one around. Maybe the sign and fence were just for show.
Rafa led the way, lighting up the dirt track for them. They jogged up the path, their heads darting left and right, just in case there were any guards. The bushes rustled now and then; animals racing for cover from the intruders. Dom felt like a teenager breaking into the zoo at midnight for kicks. His heart picked up pace, adrenaline flowing through him, the heat and humidity cloying. What exactly were they heading toward? What did this temple look like?
And then he found out.
The trees and bushes thinned, the temple coming into view at the end of the dirt track. It was a stone pyramid, steps leading up to a doorway in its center. Dotted at its base were flaming torches, illuminating it.
Dom gazed upon it in awe. “Woah.”
“This must be the place,” Trixie said.
“You think?”
They all stood in a line for a few seconds, gazing up at the monument in wonder.
“How did they build this thing?” Rafa asked, shaking his head in disbelief.
“Aliens,” Dom replied, his voice laced with irony.
“No aliens, amigo,” Rafa said, unable to detect the irony. “Our ancestors were smart people.”
“Maybe too smart,” Trixie said as she walked past them to the steps. She went up the first, then turned to face them. “You guys coming?”
Dom set off after her. The moment he placed a tentative foot down on one of the steps, intrigue jolted him. He was entering history itself. Chicago was a million miles away; this was another world. He led Alicia and Rafa up the steps, the moon bathing them all with its cold glow. Dom made it up to the entrance, his wide eyes taking in everything. He poked his head inside. The inner chamber, lit up by more torches, came into view; a stone room with a giant slab in the center of it. Splattered across it were ominous red stains. He eyed them with trepidation.
