The Beasts of Juarez by R.B. Schow (best books to read for beginners txt) 📕

here to meet you, to tell you that since you own her—because you are technically a slaver when it comes to her—you have the right to free her at some point. Work with that in mind, Leopold. That’s what I wanted to tell you.”

“I didn’t know I would be here, which meant Isabelle didn’t know I’d be here, yet somehow you knew?”

She smiled and said, “Follow me, your ride is waiting.”

When they reached the front of the facility, when she was just about ready to leave him, he found that he wanted to ask her so many things that he couldn’t seem to choose just one. And then the moment was gone.

She seemed to sense this. The gorgeous creature stopped, turned and looked at him, and then she walked back and said something that rocked him to the core.

“I know what you do, Leopold, and what you’re going to do. Bad things will happen in the days ahead. If I was you, and I have been you before, I would kill every last one of those monsters. Gut them, skin them, set their fucking lives on fire.”

When Savannah said this, firelight glowed in her eyes and Leopold’s body suddenly felt supercharged and ready for war, almost like he’d plugged into a power source he didn’t understand.

Savannah nodded, and he nodded. Then, without another word, the amethyst-eyed girl turned and left him to contemplate oh so many things. On the way out, she passed by Holland and Kiera. To Leopold’s surprise, the powerful young woman barely even acknowledged them.

Holland saw him and knew something had changed. “What exactly did she say to you?” he asked.

“Who?”

“Savannah?”

“I don’t know any Savannah,” Leopold grinned, winking at Dr. Holland who did not find him amusing. He then looked at Kiera and smiled. “Even if you’re a robot, I’m glad to see you.”

“She is not a robot,” Holland said.

Refusing to acknowledge the man, Leopold said to Kiera, “We’re going to Texas. Have you ever been to Texas?” She looked at him as if nothing was going on in her mind. Now he turned to Holland. “What did you give her, Doctor?”

“Exactly what she needed for what is in store for her,” he answered cryptically.

“The only thing I have in store for her is dinner and a movie. I was kind of hoping to see her smile and possibly even resemble an actual human being.”

“She will do none of that, Mr. Wentworth. But if you need her to hunt, kill, and survive, then you will need the very thing she now has pulsing through her blood.”

“This is a very strange place,” Leopold said.

“We are very strange people and this is a very strange universe. Good day to you, Mr. Wentworth.”

“And good day to you as well, Dr. Holland.”

“Are you ready, sir?” a man behind Leopold asked.

Startled but not showing it, he turned and saw his driver standing there. With a fictitious geniality to his tone, Leopold said, “It would seem that I am.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

LEOPOLD WENTWORTH

On the way to the plane, he checked his phone and saw several texts from Yergha. Oh, no, he thought. It would seem as though the proverbial shit had already hit the fan.

He looked for a text from Cira, a confirmation that she had retrieved Atlas and was en route to El Paso. There was nothing there either. He called her but got no answer. He thought maybe he dialed the wrong number, which felt impossible, so he dialed again. Still, she didn’t answer.

Were the two of them airborne but in some sort of dead zone?

Instead of trying again, he called Yergha, who told him what had happened to Estella and that he was staking out the house of the shooters.

Leopold wasn’t thrilled by any of the news but at least he had contact with one of his assets on the ground.

“Are Atlas and Cira on their way?” Yergha asked, desperate.

“That’s a big unknown right now.”

“I spoke to her as she was picking him up. Maybe something went wrong.”

He kept Yergha and Estella in the dark about the finer details of Kiera’s and Atlas’s situations but he knew he wasn’t going to be able to keep a lid on them much longer. His assets weren’t stupid by any measure.

“When exactly did you speak with her last?” Leopold asked Yergha.

“Earlier. It was just after daybreak here, so maybe you can figure out the time difference. All I know is that the bottom has dropped out of this op and Esty might be dead, or worse.”

“Hold tight, let me try Cira again.”

“Okay, but call me back,” Yergha said. “I’ve got eyes on the guys here but there are more of them than I have rounds in my gun.”

“Did Richie Frank give you the hardware he promised?” Leopold asked.

“Yeah,” Yergha said. “The vests too.”

“You have carbines, right?”

“A pair of M4s.”

“And the hand grenades?”

“Two of them.”

“And you’re still saying there aren’t enough rounds for them?” Leopold asked.

“Yes.”

“Do you have eyes on Estella?”

“No, but I’m sure she’s here. The same guys who took her are here and there’s a long trail of red from where they dragged their dead out of the SUV.”

“You can’t wait on us, Yergha. You’re going to have to sack up and get her out of there; otherwise, they may kill her.”

“If she’s not dead already.”

“I’ll call you when we’re over the border and headed your way,” Leopold said. He glanced over at Kiera who still looked as though no one was home. “I have Kiera with me and she’s sufficiently warmed up.”

“Yeah, well, she’d better be because we got our freaking nuts clipped right out of the gate.”

“Call me when you have her,” Leopold said, hoping to instill some confidence in the man before leaving him.

“Will do, boss,” Yergha replied, signing off.

He called