Chapter 80

CHAPTER 80

T HE POLICE OFFICER WHO HAD made the nepotism crack about Mayor Mercedes King on Devine’s first trip to Ricketts was lying on a cot behind a set of bars as Devine walked in. He didn’t appear to have noticed Devine’s presence.

His face was bloodied and covered in purplish welts. His knees were drawn up and he showed every sign of being in considerable pain. His moans were pronounced and steady.

Devine drew near the bars. “Who did this to you?”

The man flinched and turned his head to look at Devine.

“Please, please don’t hurt me anymore. I… I didn’t do nothing. I swear. I never told nobody nothing.”

This was the man accused of ratting out the Termites. As Jackson predicted, it seemed clear he had been beaten to try to make him talk.

“I’m not here to hurt you. I can help you.”

The man just shook his head. “Please, I didn’t talk to nobody. I swear.”

He moaned louder and gripped his belly.

“I want to help you,” Devine said in a louder voice. “I’m not part of the people who hurt you.”

The man stopped moaning and looked at him, maybe seeing him for the first time.

“Who… who are you?”

“I was sent here to rescue you.”

“W-why?”

“I know you didn’t rat anybody out. You were set up.”

“I… I was,” he gasped. “H-hey, don’t I know you? Wait, hell, you were that… fed. A fed!” He looked terrified.

Devine thought quickly. “I am that fed. But I’m here to help you. Because I know that Mayor King set you up.”

The man’s fright slowly faded. He nodded and said angrily, “That b-bitch. She done it. She lied. Set me up.”

“You think she was the mole but framed you to take the heat off her?”

Devine knew the answer but wanted to keep the man focused and engaged.

The man sobbed, “God, I hurt so bad.”

“I can help you. But you need to help me.”

“H-how?”

“Betsy Odom. Where are they holding her?”

From somewhere Devine heard a noise.

Over his earpiece Campbell said, “Eric King and his wife have just entered the building. They may be coming your way.”

Devine turned back to the man and said urgently, “Betsy Odom. Where did they take her? If you tell me, I can get you out of here.”

“It hurts so bad. They… they beat me bad.”

“I can get you help with that. You just need to tell me where they have her.”

Devine heard a door open and close.

“Come on, tell me. Now. And the pain goes away.”

“Can… can you get me out of here first…”

Devine pulled out his pick gun to defeat the door lock and was figuring the logistics of getting the man out of there when he looked up.

The prisoner’s arm was dangling over the side of the cot; his eyes were staring fixedly up at the ceiling.

“Hey,” hissed Devine. “Hey, you still with me?”

It was clear that the man was no longer with anyone, not even himself.

Shit.

Devine eased to the outer door, listened, and heard the hum of an elevator. He closed the door and made sure it was secure.

He headed down the hall but then slipped behind another door when he heard a raspy voice.

He opened the door a sliver and peered out. Mercedes and Eric King and the security guard on duty rounded the corner and headed over to the outer door of the holding cell.

Devine pointed his phone at them and hit the button to start the video.

The guard opened the door and they all went in. A minute later they all came out.

Eric King looked up at his wife from his wheelchair. “I told you not to go so hard on him.”

“And exactly how is him being dead a problem?” she retorted. “He was a spy. Spies deserve to die during wartime, which is what we’re in. A war!”

“But now we have a damn body to get rid of, Mercedes,” said the police chief.

His wife swung around and gazed at the guard. “Well, isn’t that what we pay people like him for?”

When the guard said nothing, she barked, “Isn’t it?”

The guard, realizing she was talking to him, snapped to attention and said, “Yes, ma’am.”

“Then take care of the body. Now.”

The man ran back into the room.

Mercedes turned to look at her husband. Eric King said, “And the girl?”

“Betsy Odom is worth three times her weight in platinum right now. If Glass does the right thing, he’ll get her back in one piece, but with a warning.”

“And if he doesn’t?” asked her husband.

“He gets her back in pieces . I’m leaving here to go and have a talk with her. Then she can contact her uncle and tell him, in her own terrified words, that we are not screwing around.”

“I don’t like this,” said Eric King. “It’s getting out of control. I’m a lawman, for God’s sake, and here we are kidnapping and killing people.”

“No, dear Eric, you are a soldier in a greater cause. To make this country what it’s supposed to be.”

He stared up at her. “Do you really believe that crap? I thought we were in this for the money?”

“I can multitask, Eric, even if you can’t.”

“I heard you met with Nick Dawkins.”

“He envisions an expanded role in the organization suitable for my talents. He’s actually meeting me tonight so we can talk to Odom together.”

Eric King bristled. “And if I say no? I am your husband. And that man only wants one thing from you, trust me.”

She bent down. “Our marriage is only a little itty-bitty piece of paper, Eric. And another piece of paper can end it. But either way, it won’t be your call. And I know exactly how to handle little old Nick. Trust me.”

“I’m sleeping in my room here,” he snapped.

“Oh, what a pity. I was thinking of how much fun we could have later.”

She blew him a kiss and waltzed off, leaving her husband staring dejectedly after her.

From his hiding place in the room across the hall, Devine hit the stop button on the filming, and used his phone to send off several texts. Then he spoke into his mic and told Campbell what had happened.

“Follow King. She can lead us right to Betsy,” ordered Campbell.

“On it.”

After Eric King rolled off, Devine emerged from his hiding place and reached the front door in time to see Mercedes King climb into her Porsche. A few moments later she sped off.

Devine sprinted down the road until he saw a pair of headlights pop on.

He jumped into the passenger seat and looked at Nate Shore, who earlier had rammed into the guard’s car to force him to come outside and allow Devine to get inside.

“The Porsche, follow it,” barked Devine.

Shore spun the van around and took up the chase.