The Beasts of Juarez by R.B. Schow (story books to read .txt) 📗

having your entire family kidnapped in the middle of a Saturday during a street fair in downtown El Paso,” Yergha hissed. “Dramatic is having your bodyguard shot. Dramatic is exactly how I will personally respond to you if you run that garbage hole mouth of yours again.”

“Save it for the field, brother,” Esty said into his ear. “Save it for the field.”

“You need to put that dog on a leash,” Camden growled, moving behind Tyler the slightest little bit.

“If you know what’s best for you right now,” Estella said softly, “you won’t say another word. Believe me when I say it’s in all of our best interests for you to say nothing.”

There was a knock on the door. Yergha shook off Esty then went to the door and looked through the peephole.

“It’s Leopold,” Yergha said.

“Let him in,” Esty replied, but Yergha was already throwing the locks.

The Pakistani quickly opened the door and stood back as Leopold waltzed inside with a manila folder tucked under his arm.

Camden shot to his feet and said, “I don’t want this man working for me.” He pointed at Yergha, which caused the Pakistani to blow out a breath and turn away in an attempt to control his temper.

“He doesn’t work for you,” Leopold said, “he works for me.”

“Well, he just insulted me!”

“The congressman seemed to think this would be a clean op,” Esty said.

Leopold looked at the politician and said, “We already had this conversation.”

“There was a lot going on,” Camden said.

“I was very clear.”

“We didn’t talk about this in any kind of detail.”

“That’s an error on your part, Congressman. We will find your family but it’s going to get wet and messy and there’s going to be a body count whether you like it or not. These are not nice people. These are the very worst people.”

“I’m clear on that now, but your man has to learn respect.”

Leopold took a deep breath, looked over at Yergha, then Esty, and then back to Camden. “He only has one job and that’s to get your family back. You don’t get to tell him what to do and you sure as hell don’t get to reprimand him. If you do something to inflame him and he goes after you with murder in his eyes, or his heart, I won’t stop him.”

“But I’m paying you to do a job!” Camden bellowed.

“Then do what we ask and stay out of the way. Oh, and don’t piss off the man who is planning to bring your family back to you. That’s just plain stupid, and you’re not a stupid man, are you Congressman?”

“No,” he grumbled.

“Then act accordingly,” Leopold said. “You’re supposed to be good under pressure.” Leopold looked back at Esty and said, “Have you got everything you need?”

Esty nodded. “Roger that.”

“Good, I’ll call you when I’m done here. I’m assuming you’re heading over the border?”

“Right away, boss. I have what I need to firm up the timeline of events as well.” Meaning she was about to put Codrin Pichler to work hacking into America’s security infrastructure.

“Good,” Leopold said. “I’ve already prepped him. He’s waiting on our call.” Turning back to both Tyler and Camden, he opened the manila folder and said, “Congressman Fox, this is a formal contract and this is a non-disclosure agreement.”

As she was leaving, Esty heard Camden say, “If this is an extrajudicial operation, then why am I signing documents?”

She opened the door for Yergha, who went out first, but then she turned to hear Leopold’s response.

“These are legal documents, which means if anything ever comes out and you try to burn us, these will be leaked to the press. But that’s only after my team comes and kills you, Tyler here, and anyone else associated with you that knows of this. I run a wet crew and we kill bad people in the process of saving good people. Think about it, but only after you sign. I’m not standing here for my health.”

She heard the congressman pick up the pen and start signing. “You really should work on your bedside manner,” Camden said, “especially when I’m paying you millions.”

“I have hundreds of millions, Congressman,” he said. “I don’t need your money. I just need a target and ample incentive. The incentive is your family, the target is everyone associated with the assholes who abducted them.”

“What are you, some kind of vigilante?” Camden asked sarcastically.

“As a matter of fact, I am. We all are.”

Smiling, Esty closed the door, caught up with Yergha, and said, “No one has ever had our backs like that before. No one.”

“It’s why we work for him,” Yergha said. “That and the money.”

“Mostly him,” she said. “I have plenty of money now.”

“Enough to bathe in fake scents of flowers,” he joked, giving her a little shove. She giggled and jumped at him with her arm up, getting her armpits on his shirt while he recoiled and started saying, “No!” and “Ew!” like a schoolgirl.

“I also like this job because of you, Yergha.”

“Is this where we make out?”

She punched him on the shoulder hard enough to stagger him. For a second, it looked like his arm went dead.

“Did anyone tell you that you need to lighten up on your foreplay?” he asked, rubbing his shoulder where she’d hit him.

“Keep your head in the game, Yergha,” she said with a smile. Then, when they got into the elevator, she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek and said, “That’s the most you’ll ever get from me, so savor it.”

He touched his face then said, “It almost happened too fast.”

“But it didn’t,” she said. “When we get to the car, you need to drive while I call Codrin. We have to find out for sure if those were our targets crossing the border.”

“If it