The Beasts of Juarez, R.B. Schow [books to read for self improvement .txt] 📗

When they pulled into the El Taquito, the driver looked back and said, “Tip and good review for Mr. Stinkyman.” She was looking at Cira with ferocious eyes.

“Five bucks and five stars,” Cira said.

The driver turned around and said, “Out now, you ruin my seat, you stinky ass stinkyman.”

“I’m going now,” he said. “Thank you for your kindness and your hospital—”

“Get out, Mr. Stinkyman!”

He slid out and stretched in the warm El Paso air. “Smells like dirt and heat,” he said. And then the smell of the restaurant hit him. “Oh, my God…what is that smell?”

“The closest thing to heaven you’ll find while still stuck on this rock,” Cira said walking toward Leopold’s Audi S6.

“Boy, you aren’t kidding,” Atlas said.

He joined her in walking to the Audi. Cira got in one side; Atlas walked around the back of the car and got in the other side, seeing Kiera just before he slid in.

“Holy cow,” Leopold said as he glanced back. Breathless, startled, he said, “I thought we were getting burgled.”

Cira stifled a laugh then said, “It would seem that Atlas has fallen on hard times in the joint.”

Leopold handed both of them warm, delicious-smelling Styrofoam containers.

“Thank the Lord,” Atlas said, taking his container. “What is this?”

“El Pastor Tacos for you,” Leopold said, “and Rajas Gordita for her. Bon Appétit.”

Cira opened the box and the smell of heaven wafted out. “Oh, I love poblano chiles! Wait, how hot are these?”

“Maybe a four on the scale of one to ten,” Leopold said.

Atlas opened his container and fought back tears. Cira looked at him and asked if he was okay. “I’m amazing,” he said. “Leopold, whatever beef we might have had in the past has officially been squashed. Thank you for this.”

“You bet,” Leopold said, turning to face him. To Cira, he said, “Even though he looks like hell, you look ravishing. A little tired, but ravishing.”

“Yeah, well, solitary confinement isn’t good for your complexion, your state of mind, or your overall sense of balance,” Cira said.

After Atlas gobbled down his first taco, he closed the box and decided to let his stomach settle. He’d eaten almost too fast to enjoy the food. Plus, he was thinking of Kiera. He was thrilled to see her there. Leaning forward, he gently touched her arm. She looked back at him, and though he expected her to cringe at his appearance, she didn’t.

“I’m so happy to see you,” Atlas said.

She smiled wide and touched his hand. A quick glance at Leopold showed Atlas a stunned man.

“What about me?” Leopold asked Kiera.

“If it’s any consolation, Leopold,” Cira said, “Mr. Stinkyman didn’t say he was happy to see me either and I got him out of that dungeon.”

Leopold cleared his throat and glanced at Cira in the rearview mirror. Frowning, clearing her throat, Cira said, “Allow me to clarify for your heinie. With Leopold’s amazing influence, both as a gentleman and a wannabe mercenary, I was able to escape a terrible fate inside that prison. How will we ever forget the brilliance he bestowed—”

“Knock it off, Cira,” Leopold said with laughter in his voice. “Besides, it’s not your heinie, it’s your highness.”

Atlas laughed and opened the container again, eyeing that next taco. He was in no rush to eat it, not with the good company, the excellent food, and this amazing day. The very fact that he was not stuck in solitary confinement was practically overwhelming in itself.

“You’ll always be my heinie, Leo,” she joked.

That Leopold was comfortable enough with Cira to let her tease him like this meant their relationship had tightened over the last five or six months.

“The truth is, I couldn’t stop thinking about all of you,” Atlas said. “But this one here, Kiera, yeah…I couldn’t get her out of my head, nor did I want to. I know that with her, we’re going to be in the shit soon. But right now, I’m pretty darn happy.”

“Speaking of being in the shit, how would you feel if we got on the road?” Leopold asked. “We have a package waiting for us, something that will help us in Juárez.”

“Fine by me,” Atlas said.

“Same,” Cira replied.

Leopold fired up the Audi then they took a long drive through El Paso, finally turning down a long dirt road on the outskirts of town. Atlas wondered where they were going but decided not to ask. He had just finished a second taco and was staring at the third. He was about to eat it when he saw an old warehouse ahead. There were no less than six armed men standing guard.

“This is shady as fuck,” Cira said.

“Yeah,” Leopold added.

When Leopold parked the car, he got out and was promptly searched from armpits to toes. Then a man, el jefe, walked out of the warehouse and greeted Leopold. They shook hands, shared a few jovial words then el jefe gave Leopold instructions. A few minutes later, he walked back to the Audi, got in, and started the car.

“Everything all right?” Atlas asked.

“Yeah,” Leopold said.

Atlas had the feeling that Leopold could wear that smile at gunpoint. He was, after all, no joke in the business world. But these guys here were not on the level. Whatever they were doing was starting to reek of criminality.

They drove up to the warehouse where two of the armed men opened a large rolling door. Leopold swung the Audi around then backed up into the opening. Half of the car was in the warehouse when one of the men tapped on the trunk lid.

Leopold put the car in park, shut it off, then popped the trunk and got out of the vehicle. Over the next few minutes, from what Atlas could tell,