Page 105 of Sin

But this was the first time we’d managed to locate one of the lab workers, well, alive, and London was determined to get answers. There were too many things we didn’t understand about this case, and Keith might be one of the only ones to help us answer them.

So we drove to Linden Park, a rural city just a straight shot down the freeway from Mercy Heights. There wasn’t much to see as we pulled off the highway, heading for the residence, just a lot of dirt roads.

Tall, towering trees lined the side roads, crowding the sky as we drove along. It was gloomy today, the warm weather hinting of potential rain soon. Between the canopy of trees and sunless sky, the rural town looked almost desolate.

Most of the homes we passed along the way were gated residences. Many had long, winding drives bordered with what looked like endless trees, hiding most if not all of the homes from street view.

It was the same with the house where Keith was staying. A high, metal gate blocked our path, keeping us from driving down the driveway. We couldn’t see the house from here because like some of the other homes, it was hidden behind a copse of trees.

Lewis rolled down his window and pressed a bottom on the gate intercom.

There was a pause while we waited. Then the intercom crackled, and a timid, “Can I help you?” came through.

“Yeah, hi. We’re looking for Keith?”

Another pause. “Why?”

“We need to ask him some questions.”

“Is it important?” the man asked, sounding wary.

“Unfortunately, yes. We wouldn’t be here if it weren't.”

The man sighed. “Okay, I’ll let you in.”

The gate yawned open, and Lewis rolled his window back up as we started down the drive. There was an almost imperceptible hum in the air as we passed the gate threshold, making my curiosity pique.

But my curiosity was forgotten when the house came into view. I gaped at the massive country house, looking like something more like a nice government building than someone’s home. The aged, pale bricks of the house stood out like a ghost against the dark backdrop of trees. It was several stories tall and stretched wide enough to make me wonder how many square feet it was. Fifteen thousand? Twenty? It was surprising because in my head, I sort of figured Keith would have been hiding out somewhere inconspicuous and lowkey. This was not inconspicuous, unless you counted its location.

We parked in front of the home and hopped out of the van. Just as we headed up the front steps, the sky began to cry.

London knocked on the door, and we waited until the door cracked open revealing a young man with unkempt, blond hair. Blue eyes blinked at us suspiciously from behind a pair of trendy black glasses perched on a roman nose. Freckles dotted the man’s cheeks.

“Are you Keith Pittel?” The man nodded. “I’m London Whitmore, leader of the Legion.” He held up one of the chains around his neck, displaying his identification for Keith to see. “We’re here to ask you some questions.”

Keith didn’t look very pleased, his gaze shifting over us uncomfortably. When he spotted Mare and me, his eyes narrowed in suspicion, maybe recognizing us and not the others. It made sense because of my dad and Mare’s past of mayhem. We’d been in the spotlight a lot more than the others.

Well, this was going well.

“You said this was important?” he asked, his voice much deeper than I expected from his small form.

“Yes,” London said, holding his hands out placatingly. “Look, we don’t want to bother you. But we’d like to sit down and talk. Once we’ve asked our questions, we can get out of your hair. Okay?”

Keith eyed my dampening cuffs and then pointed at Mare and me. “Fine, but don’t even bother trying anything. I have wards set up around my property, so it won’t do you any good to use your powers.”

London nodded. “We never had any intention of causing problems. We’re just here to talk.”

Ah, so that was what I’d felt earlier. Wards. Like the ones placed around the prison. How had he managed to set up wards? That was expensive technology, and rarely found in houses. Especially not civilian houses.

Though this place definitely looked pricey enough that whoever owned it probably had more than enough cash to have wards set up.

With a hesitant nod, Keith stepped back, opening the door wider so we could enter the home. “Come in.”

The moment I stepped into the home, I wanted to turn right back around. Because the inside did not match the outside.

The foyer was two stories high, and a large, multi-tiered chandelier created from antlers dangled from the ceiling. Two curved staircases hugged the sides of the room, mapping out the way to the second floor. But the oddest part? Taxidermied animals of all kinds and sizes decorated his walls, some placed on shelves, others attached who knew how. There weren’t even any pictures, just an array of creatures. I spotted hawks, squirrels, cats, dogs, wolves, deer, a fucking cougar… Mierda, there were so many. If Keith had hunted or collected all of these, he needed to find a new hobby.

“This your home?” Jinx asked, sounding a little horrified, and his bald brow line wrinkled. While London had been unconscious, Blade had made do with some drugstore dog clippers to shave Jinx’s hair and eyebrows. He’d sulked the entire time.

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