Page 179 of To Die For

“You okay, Bets?” said Shore anxiously. “You ain’t hurt?”

Sobbing, she shook her head and sank to her knees. “Is… is he…”

Devine holstered his weapon and knelt down in front of her. “It’s okay, Betsy. You’re okay. And now we’re getting you out of here.” When she tried to stand, her legs failed her. Shore picked her up and said, “I got you.”

Outside the room Devine quickly zip-tied the still-unconscious men.

Before they reached the landing where the first dead man was, Devine said, “Close your eyes, Betsy. And keep them closed until I tell you it’s okay.”

She didn’t ask why; she just shut them.

When they got outside, Devine told her she could open her eyes, and he radioed Campbell that they had Odom safe and sound.

“Okay, backup is on-site and will secure and clean the area,” Campbell replied.

Devine clicked off and Odom said, “Where is Kor? I know he was fightin’ with the men who took me.” She gazed anxiously from one to the other.

Devine glanced at Shore, who dropped his gaze. Devine said, “He didn’t make it, Betsy.”

Her eyes immediately filled with tears. “He’s… Kor’s dead?”

“Yeah,” muttered Shore.

“He lost his life helpin’ me,” said Odom, as though it were a crime. “He didn’t have to do that.”

“Hewantedto do it, Bets,” said Shore. “Dude loved you.”

Her eyes brimmed with even more tears. “I… I wasn’t worth… that.”

“He thought you were,” said Devine. “And that’s what counts. Now we need to go.”

They passed the backup team as they headed to their van and Devine took a minute to fill them in.

As Shore drove them off, he looked back at Odom, who was curled up into a little ball in the backseat, quietly crying.

Hours later, as they were nearing Seattle, Campbell’s voice came over Devine’s mic.

“We’ve got a problem, Devine.”

“What?”

“Danny Glass has gone missing.”

CHAPTER

83

THE NEXT DAY DENNIS HASTINGS,his face still puffy from the beating he’d absorbed from Devine, sat sullenly in Danny Glass’s hotel suite and faced off with Devine, Campbell, Saxby, Braddock, and Walker. Nate Shore was back at the hotel with Odom and a half dozen federal agents.

“What in the hell happened?” barked Saxby.

Hastings gave her a menacing look. “The boss wanted to go out to eat. We got the team together. We went to a place that stays open real late. He had to use the john. I sent a guy with him. When he didn’t come back within a couple minutes, I went looking for him. I found Joe, one of my guys, out cold and Mr. Glass was gone.”

“Did you do a search?” asked Saxby.

“No, I just sat on my ass and ordered another drink. Of course we searched!”

“And?” persisted Saxby.

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