Chapter 77

CHAPTER 77

E ARLY THE NEXT MORNING DEVINE sat in Campbell’s hotel room in Seattle with Campbell, Nate Shore, Ellen Saxby, and Detectives Braddock and Walker.

Shore had not said a word all the way into Seattle. He was now sitting in a chair and staring at the carpet, his body so tensed, it looked like he had been frozen.

“We had alerts out everywhere from the minute you called me,” said Braddock. “So far there’s been no sighting of Odom.”

A morose-looking Saxby said, “They have a lot of resources. She could be far away by now.”

Campbell said, “We’re attempting to ID the other dead man. Your friend pretty well sliced him up.” He paused and said to Devine, “How did you get out of there alive?”

“Saw what looked to be a drone directly coming our way. Didn’t figure it would be on our side. And it obviously had a bomb attached.”

“I don’t see how it ran the circle of security we had put up,” noted Saxby.

“To hell with the fuckin’‘circle of security,’” bellowed Shore. “We need to find Betsy and get the sonofabitch who killed Kor.”

Devine put a calming hand on the man’s thick shoulder. Shore looked like he wanted to punch right through the wall he was staring at.

“And we will, Nate, I promise.”

“How? How we gonna do that sittin’ ’round here talkin’?”

“Us running around with no purpose or plan is not going to help Betsy or catch the people who killed Korey,” said Devine.

Shore hung his head and didn’t respond.

Campbell said, “They did kill two of the perimeter guards on the rear flank, which opened up a hole. And that old logging road they escaped on didn’t show up on any map we had.”

“Someone knew the area well,” Braddock said.

Devine said, “I think the drone came on hot and heavy so I could spot it.”

“Making you flee out the back, you mean?” said Saxby.

“They funneled us, and then they exploited it.”

Campbell said, “And there’s only one reason for them to take her.”

“As leverage over Glass,” said Devine. “And now all bets are off for his cooperation.” He looked at Saxby, whose lips were set in a grim line.

“Which means the bad guys win,” said Walker glumly.

Devine looked at her. “Not by a long shot.”

“What are you going to do?” asked Braddock with a puzzled expression.

Campbell began, “When the enemy takes the high ground—”

“You take it back,” finished Devine.

Braddock looked at the two men nervously. “Okay, but this isn’t a war, and the state of Washington, the last time I checked, was not a battlefield.”

“Looks like one to me,” countered Devine.

“We do have laws here, Devine,” said Braddock.

Campbell interjected, “And we will abide by them, to the extent we can.”

“That is not making me feel any better,” noted an anxious Braddock.

“You remember you told me you’d go wherever the evidence led you?” Devine reminded the lawman.

“And that has not changed. But I also haven’t seen any evidence, nothing concrete at least. Until then—”

“Then we’ll just have to get you some,” broke in Devine.

“I’d like to be kept in the loop on this,” exclaimed Braddock.

Campbell said, “We will to the extent we can.”

“I’m getting tired of that phraseology,” retorted Braddock.

“Not as tired as I am having to say it,” Campbell shot back.

Devine eyed Saxby. “I need to talk to Glass. Now.”

“Why?”

“It’s personal.”