Page 175 of To Die For

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.

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