The Fifth Kingdom Read Online Free PDF Page B

course of the investigation, but he tried to do what he could to temper what he said. “After Dr. Adams called your father, they discussed the trip down to Mexico. They agreed to speak again the next day, but your father was unable to reach her. After several days of trying, he called the embassy in Mexico City, certain that something was wrong.”
    “And why did they assume she was missing?” Deanna asked and took another sip of her wine.
    “We had increased chatter from a group we were watching—Primera Mexica. Have you heard of them?”
    Another shrug came with a slow nod. “Radical nationalist group. I understand they’ve had several battles with the government because they’ve squatted on public land. Some protests that turned ugly.”
    Bill dipped his head to confirm her information. “They’ve gotten even more radical in the past year or so. Our intel says they’re responsible for several bombings and may even have connections to a local drug cartel responsible for violence along the border towns.”
    Deanna shook her head and looked up at him, her gaze questioning. “So how is Miranda involved in all that?”
    “We had several exchanges between Primera Mexica cells talking about ‘an American woman.’ That she had found something quite powerful that they would soon use. We had alerted the embassy about the possible security threat and when your father called—”
    “They put two and two together. But what could Miranda have found that would be so dangerous?” Deanna mused aloud and swirled the last of the wine around once more.
    Bill sighed with some frustration and dragged a hand through his short hair. “I was hoping you could tell me that.”
    With a nervous flutter of one hand, Deanna said, “Historically the find would be important. There has been only one tomb discovered before now, but this is Montezuma’s tomb. The last big Aztec ruler. For centuries there’s been conjecture about how he died. If he was murdered by his own people or the Spaniards.”
    She paused and he urged her on with a roll of his finger, but she shook her head. “Whatever she’s found, it’s probably related to symbolic power. Like the cross or a flag.”
    “Something to stir up nationalist pride? Doesn’t seem so powerful to me,” he said with some doubt.
    Deanna released a harsh sigh. “Men have fought and died for far less, Special Agent. Finding the tomb would give Primera Mexica a place on the world stage. It allows them to display the accomplishments of their people and the brutality of the conquerors.”
    “Rumor has it the Aztecs were fairly deadly themselves.”
    Deanna nodded. “There is at least one codex that speaks of tens of thousands of prisoners massacred in Tenochtitlán alone. But Primera Mexica will spin the message to their favor to get the attention they want. Attention brings money and money brings power.”
    Bill digested all that she had said and yet he felt there was still a missing piece to the puzzle. Something more which might explain why someone would be willing to kidnap Deanna’s mother. “Is it possible there is a real weapon inside the tomb?”
    Another rough sigh escaped her. “If Montezuma had the equivalent of a weapon of mass destruction, don’t you think he would have used it centuries ago to save his people?”
    What he suspected was that Deanna would see nothing worthwhile about finding the tomb and whatever was in it because she had paid too dear a price for that discovery. Her emotions were clouding her analysis and he couldn’t permit that.
    “If someone other than your mother had made this breakthrough—”
    “I’d be all over it like beans on rice? Maybe, but I try not to let my personal sentiments interfere with my work. I still believe whatever is in the find is not a physical weapon.”
    Bill gazed across the room at the photos. Each of them was alive because of the emotion she had invested in every shot. It occurred to him that while she liked to play