Page 56 of Wicked Love
“No way of finding out without going in. All I know for sure is they don’t receive any other food or animal related deliveries.” Beckett got out of the driver’s seat and walked around to the back doors. He untied Lindell from the bar he’d secured him to and removed the ropes around his ankles as well, leaving his hands tied behind his back.
“Come on,” he said. “You can give us the tour and tell us all about what goes on in this place. And if there’s anyone inside, you’ll make a handy shield.”
Lindell grimaced around the strip of fabric that gagged him, but he went with Beckett without any further struggle. He didn’t appear to be too concerned about ending up in the middle of a gun fight here, but I followed cautiously.
Logan pushed ahead of me, taking out his gun again. The sight of it made my stomach turn, but I couldn’t deny that it’d been useful. I wasn’t going to tell him to put it away until we’d seen what was waiting for us in this place.
The guys had fallen into a more cohesive comradery over the past several days. Beckett kept one hand on Lindell’s arm and tipped his head to Logan, who rapped on the door. When no one answered, he tried the doorknob. It didn’t budge.
Dexter was already there with his lock picks. “I can handle that.”
His deft fingers and the tools made quick work of the lock. He pushed the door open and poked his head inside. “No alarm system.”
Slade smiled thinly. “Because whatever they’re doing in here, they don’t want any outside security company finding out about it, I bet.”
Beckett and Logan entered first, nudging Doom’s Seed’s lieutenant in front of them. The room we walked into held nothing but a small metal desk at one end and a single chair at the other. The linoleum floor was covered with scuff marks, and a sour chemical smell laced the air that reminded me of the hospital.
Beckett hummed to himself. “My guy said they only get deliveries from the market once or twice a month. Maybe they don’t bother to have anyone manning the place in between whatever it is they do with those.”
He pushed Lindell onward through the doorway at the other end of the entry room. This space was larger, with a few padded chairs along one wall and an exam table set up at the far end next to a couple of counters and cabinets. It looks like a combined waiting room and medical exam room. It was as empty and silent as the front area, the sour smell thickening.
Dexter walked to another door off to the side and peeked in there. “More medical stuff,” he reported. “No one there, no other entrances. The place is empty.”
“Good,” Beckett said. “Then we can talk.”
He shoved Lindell down onto one of the chairs and bent to attach his bound wrists to the back of the chair. He fixed both ankles to the legs with plastic ties as well.
Watching him move so confidently and efficiently sent a chilly tingle down my back. He knew exactly what he was doing. How many people had he interrogated before?
How far would he take that interrogation if this guy didn’t tell us what we needed to know?
But then, I’d already watched my other three guys beating up a security guard while they questioned him. Beckett would have to go pretty far to get more violent than that. The guy in front of us was involved in so many deaths and so much violence himself. I couldn’t say I totally objected to him being on the receiving end if it helped us get justice for Dad.
When Lindell was securely bound to the chair, Beckett removed the gag. Lindell spat in his general direction and then glowered at him.
Beckett folded his arms over his chest. “You know we could do a lot worse to you than this. I caught you in the middle of an attack on one of my properties; you’re lucky you’re even stillalive. The man you work for couldn’t blame me for ending your sorry existence. But I’m giving you a chance to be useful instead.”
“You’ll forgive me if I don’t thank you,” Lindell rasped back.
Beckett continued as if he hadn’t spoken. “Why did Doom’s Seed attack the Storm’s holdings in this city today?”
Lindell’s lips curled with a sneer. “Hedidn’t attack them. I did. Give credit where it’s due.”
So, he was going with the story that he was responsible for everything, that his boss hadn’t even been aware and hadn’t approved? I frowned, unconvinced.
From Beckett’s tone, I suspected he wasn’t either. “And why wouldyouattack me?”
“To impress Doom’s Seed,” Lindell said without hesitation. “To show him how much I can do for him, how valuable I am. If I took the city all for us without him having to lift a finger, he could benefit without needing to take responsibility for it. That’s the kind of loyalty he deserves.”
Slade snorted. Logan was watching the conversation with narrowed eyes, his mouth pressed tight.
Beckett tapped his pistol against his thigh. “It wasn’t just gaining territory you were interested in, though. You also went after four college students.” He motioned to us. “You—or someone else under Doom’s Seed—arranged for Lindsay Silver to have a car accident, and you burned down an office these three guys were using in the university law library. How about you tell me more about that?”
Lindell scoffed at him. “What’s there to tell? They were poking around in the boss’s business. It’smybusiness to make sure he goes undisturbed. So I did what it took to shut them down.”
His story felt way too pat for me. Too convenient that he bore responsibility for everything. Beckett had told me he didn’t think Doom’s Seed would allow any further attacks once Beckett had alerted him… unless he approved of them. He and this guy must have talked after Beckett had confronted Doom’s Seed. It didn’t add up.
But the gang war was lower on my list of concerns, especially seeing the medical equipment in the room. I took a step forward, and Beckett eased to the side, glancing at me. He gave me a slight nod as if to say I could take the floor.
