Killer of Hearts

The story unfolds under the watchful eye of Coyote, a rascally and unpredictable trickster spirit of the Apache people, who delights in stirring fate and following trouble wherever it leads.

Through an ancient fire circle, a ruthless Aztec warrior-priest crosses from his long-dead world into the modern desert Southwest, driven by a hunger for sacrifice and immortality. His arrival leaves a trail of mutilated cattle on an Arizona reservation—each heart torn from the body. When a human victim is found on federal land, suspicion and fear ignite.

Cruz Star Chief, a tribal police officer struggling to master his violent past, is determined to find answers rooted in fact, not folklore. Yet the towering presence of Sacred Mountain, whispers of Mountain Spirits, and Coyote's sly influence begin to blur the line between the rational and the supernatural. Seeking perspective, Cruz turns to his father, Joe Star Chief, a private investigator in Phoenix.

Meanwhile, in rain-soaked New York City, Jennifer Bell, a brilliant but self-destructive young attorney, is burning bridges in her relentless pursuit of success—and drowning her demons in alcohol. A mysterious letter from Arizona draws her west to confront her estranged father, Harry Bell, a hard-drinking former cop now partnered with Joe Star Chief.

When Cruz and Jennifer collide in the ransacked detective agency—guns drawn and tempers flaring—they discover both fathers have vanished. Forced into an uneasy alliance, they begin unraveling a conspiracy tied to Sam Buffalo, a smooth-talking developer scheming to bring casinos to the reservation.

As fear spreads and the Aztec predator continues his bloody sacrifices, Kayenta, a wise di-yin, reveals the horrifying truth: each killing brings the ancient warrior closer to immortality. When Sam Buffalo is murdered and Cruz is framed for the crime, Jennifer risks everything to break him out of jail. Their escape sparks a deadly chase across desert highways and into unforgiving wilderness.

The violence escalates. Debbie Little Deer, Cruz's former lover, is brutally killed. Cruz rides alone into the desert to hunt the Aztec, while Jennifer joins a makeshift posse—only to watch it fall apart as the killer methodically slaughters them one by one. Soon, Jennifer is alone, wounded, and hunted.

Atop Sacred Mountain, steel clashes as Cruz confronts the powerful Aztec warrior. The killer vanishes once more through the fire circle—this time dragging Harry Bell into the ancient past. Guided by Coyote, Cruz, Jennifer, Joe Star Chief, and even Sheriff Clifford A. Butts follow into the heart of the Aztec empire.

Trapped within the deadly intrigues of Montezuma's court, the wayfarers face imprisonment and ritual sacrifice. Only courage, love forged under fire, and the cunning mischief of Coyote himself stand between them and a violent death—and the rise of an immortal killer.