“What kind of thing is a jaguar?”
This time he looks at her. “It’s the Aztec god of the underworld. I think it’s the finest damn predator on the continent. It’s a big cat, stocky, muscles all over. Low, big head, eyes like headlights. Club tail. Not pretty like a lion. Cougar, that is. Mostly they got big circles of spots, rosettes. The Spanish called him El Tigre, the tiger. Not real accurate. And this one is black. Mostly you only get those in matte black on oily shiny black. Green eyes on that. He’s an eerie sonofabitch for sure.” He sits forward, waves one finger. “Wait a minute. I’ll show you.”
He disappears around the corner. She makes herself still.
Closes her eyes. In a moment he’s back, standing before her. “Open your eyes.”
When she does he is holding an object, yellow and bl
