The Beasts of Juarez: An Atlas Hargrove Novel: Book 2 (An Atlas Hargrove Thriller) by R.B. Schow

Author:R.B. Schow [Schow, R.B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: River City Publishing
Published: 2021-04-28T16:00:00+00:00

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 Cira again. No answer. He called Codrin, who answered right away.

“Leopold,” Codrin said, alert.

“I need a location on Cira’s phone as well as Fabian Dicampli’s personal cell number, and I need it ASAP. Dicampli is the warden of NorCal State Prison for cross-reference.

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