"Seven again," Damali said, glancing around the group. "I think they'll be fine, Carlos." She shot him a private message.Baby, I know you're worried, but we've gotta move out.
Giving up, Carlos spoke quickly. They were losing precious time, once again, and Damali was right. "There's a bunch of ruins concen�trated in Morelos, which is why we're going there and taking a cliff-side position for the pending assault that's coming, man. So don't get lost. There's so many ruins in the area that one of the biggest sites is like ninety-three kilometers off the freakin' Cuernavaca-Cuautla Highway. You can't miss spotting Chalcatzingo-'venerated place of the sacred waters,' with the whole rock carving thing going on... frescos of the king, the flying man, mural of fertility, the puma, the queen-strong Olmec influence-"
"Yes, yes," Hubert said enthusiastically. "More in my time. Seven hundred B.C.!"
"Cool. Wefinally have a landmark winner," Carlos said with a rush of relief. "Between those sites, if you triangulate properly, you won't be able to miss us."
"We know the region well enough from your description... the Aztec ruins. I do not know the name Cuernavaca, but will find you," Hubert said, standing taller.
Carlos scratched his head, sorting languages. "Back in the day it was called Cuauhnahuac, meaning 'near the trees,' high up, brother, elevation five thousand and some odd feet. For human transport, go�ing by car, that's only a forty-five-minute drive from Mexico City, but far enough away to be cool if some crazy shit jumps off. But we'll stay outside of Cuernavaca, like close to seven thousand feet up so we'll have an aerial view. You're gonna need some blankets for Sara, too, because it gets cold at night." Carlos looked at him hard. "Makesure you find us... you're with us now, and we don't leave our own."
"I will not fail," Hubert said with pride. "We will courier Tara with honor and meet with you upon our return."
"With all the stone ruins and silver around," Heather said excit�edly, moving closer to Jasmine and Krissy, "we'll be able to help a whole lot, too. We can send Hubert a beacon to follow and keep vigil until they land at the fort."
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the team.
"Cool," Carlos said, hoping that things would for once go smoothly. "There's a cathedral in Tepoztlan, and next to it is Our Lady of Annunciation Convent that's under restoration, which was established by the Dominicans. You can see the hills and the Tepozteco pyramid from there. Use the restoration activities as your cover, as a lot of work crews have left open ditches and..." Carlos let his words trail off. He hadn't meant to mention the word "ditch" so callously in front of Rider, but his nerves were raw.
"There's another convent, too, in Oaxtepec," Carlos said in a gen�der tone. "But if you guys get lost, home back toward the National Park in the mountains above Cuernavaca. From the air you'll be able to see seven lakes, and three of them keep water year round, even if the others are dry-remember, seven or three bodies of water. There's also mineral springs nearby, because of the volcano."
"What is a National Park?" Hubert glanced around at his fellow hybrids. "This is a new term, a new word."
Carlos let his breath out hard. "Navigate by math-justdothemath, man, if you get lost and can't do it by sight and sensors, and if you get totally ass-out, head over the state border into Guerrerro to the town of Taxco de Alarcon, that used to be called Tetelcingo."
"I think you're confusing him," Damali said, beginning to panic. "It's so much information too quickly."
"I must learn quickly, dear Neteru Queen." Hubert looked at Car�los without blinking. "I will remember."
"So will I," Sara said, stroking Hubert's arm. "Sometimes he has trouble remembering things, but I'll stay with him. He has a brilliant mind, but his memory... he is a very ancient being and this atmos�phere doesn't help him."
"I thought you'd be going with us, just in case there's a midair problem?" Damali said, glancing between Sara and Hubert, and then looking at Carlos.
"I do better at finding places when she's with me," Hubert admit�ted quietly.
"Pleasssse let him take her ssssooo we all have a prayer of sssur-vival," Hubert's serpentlike hybrid friend said. "Without Ssssara, we are doomed."
Carlos stopped and stared at Hubert hard. "Okay, here's a fallback plan if you get lost. Taxco is rich in silver deposits. It's a mining town. Darkside hybrids, and even general-regulation demons can't come up through there." He glanced around the team. "If we get screwed in a firefight, that's our fallback position, too. It's also not far from Ixca-teopan, the burial place of the last Aztec emperor after Montezuma II and Cuitiahuac... My line brother Cuauhtemoc's tomb is there- also known as descending eagle or plunging eagle, so I'm hoping on ancestral support up in that tip if it comes to that."
"If that's what your gut is telling you, I'm with you," Hubert said. "I can easily see the silver region."
"Good," Carlos said. "Because it's not just my gut alone we're working with. I also talked to the kings and we all agreed. Mount the offensive from a high elevation as far away from populated areas as possible, but near areas that have serious spiritual charge for our side. hence Morelos. My DNA code is landlocked there, so are Jose's and Juanita's... Tara's would be, too, along with Lopez's. It's also close enough to keep our eyes on the Popocatepetl volcano, which has been threatening major cities and erupted like thirty-somethin' times since the thirteen hundreds... that's an accident waitin' to happen. Be�sides, I don't trust Cain not to use the chaos of an eruption and hu�man civilians as hostages to a pending disaster to come at us, too, to create a diversion."
Carlos touched Damali's face. "The ground is silver rich; it's up in the hills sixteen hundred and forty-five feet above sea level-which breaks back down to seven, for us. Plus there's major hallowed ground there, baby. For a pullback position, go to the Temple of Santa Prisca on Borda Plaza... If it gets crazy, you fall back there, I'm serious, D. The town is small, has a sparse population, narrow, colonial, cobble-stoned streets that wind up the hill and are good for a contained fire-fight and for hiding Hubert and his gang-if they get spotted out in the open by people-versus open boulevards where a lot of innocent folks could get accidentally shot, plus the ex-convent of San Bernardino de Sena is there, built in the sixteenth century."
"If I do my math, as you say, Carlos," Hubert asked quietly, draw�ing everyone's attention, "and sixteen becomes seven, on silver-laden soil, within a numerically correct seven in elevation-should we not take Tara there to be protected in the abandoned convent on very old, silver-plated hallowed earth protected by the numbers?"
To Hubert's surprise, Rider slowly walked over to him, hugged him slowly, and said nothing as he tightened the embrace.
One human gesture said it all. The decision was made and all con�versation ceased. It happened just that fast.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Cuernavaca lived up to its name as the City of Eternal Spring. Carlos hadn't lied. Damali kept her gaze sweeping for security hazards as the team walked through the outer grounds of Casa Del Cuernavaca. Lush bougainvillea ensconced by colorful trees and other blossoming vegetation surrounded the colonial-era hacienda that was more castle than fort. A quiet river flowed through the canyon and nearby natural mineral springs made the place feel almost like paradise. Almost, Damali noted, also seeing the profuse outer gardens that were resplen�dent with color as a good place for anything crazy to jump out of.
I know,Carlos mentally whispered.But chill. The team needs this. You need this.
You also lied about this not being were-jaguar country...uh, Maya, Toltecs, Olmecs, Aztecs, land of the puma-or did I get it wrong?Damali gave Carlos a half-smile as they walked.