Chapter 39

"Hey, I've only been here for two nights." Mark chuckled into the sat phone. "Give me a break, okay?"

"Just checking." Ric Garza's voice held just a trace of humor. "So, how did you find things there? About the same?"

"Nothing ever changes down here," Mark told him. "Still a lot of ‘coyotes' bringing illegals across the Rio Grande and the narcotrafficantes are still running drugs. Otherwise, what else could be going on in a county that has a total population of less than fourteen thousand?"

"You tell me? You're the one who lived there all those years."

Mark sighed. "I know. I just enjoyed the peace and quiet. We don't get many gangbangers or drive-bys down this way."

"So, tell me. Any talk in town about the beast? Any hint of an appearance?"

"No." Mark sighed. "But, you and I both know that doesn't mean anything. By the time we hear about it, the first killing has already taken place."

"You going out again tonight?" Ric wanted to know.