Page 67 of Burning Truth

Addie shook her head, wondering how she could get him to tell her where the IEDs were. She knew where two of them had been placed, but she didn’t know where the other two were. At least, not for sure. Central Headquarters for the Columbus Police Department was a good bet as the ‘finale’, but it could even be more than one device.

Addie leaned forward, her voice low and steady. “You know, Russell, it’s fascinating how you justify your actions. But I wonder—if you really cared about cleaning up the city, why would you risk innocent lives? People like Victoria and those in the warehouse?”

Russell’s expression hardened, his jaw tightening. “You don’t understand a thing, Addison. They were in the way. It was necessary. I thought you were beginning to understand.”

“Necessary?” She raised an eyebrow, feigning disbelief. “Are you saying that burning down buildings and killing people is part of your noble crusade?”

He leaned back, crossing his arms defiantly. There was disappointment in his expression. “You don’t get it. You’re just a pawn in their game, doing your little news pieces while the realcorruption festers beneath the surface. People like me, we take action.”

“Action?” Addie scoffed, shaking her head. “You call this chaos action? You think anyone will rally behind you after all this? You’ve made yourself the villain, Russell. And for what? A few twisted ideals?”

His eyes flared with anger. “You think you can twist my words? You’re just trying to provoke me. But I know what I’m doing. I don’t need your approval. I thought you were going to be the one for me. Get me my phone!”

“I’m not trying to provoke you,” she said, her tone calm but firm. “I’m trying to understand why you’ve put the city at risk. You know you can’t win, right? Severn will find what you’ve done. And then what? You’ll be remembered as a madman, not a martyr. Just another sick monster.”

Russell jerked up in his chair, his mouth curling with fury. “Don’t call me that,” he snarled.

“What? Sick or monster? They both apply to you.”

He hissed at her, jerking at the cuffs on his wrists.

“Addie, the police academy IED has been found,” Gabbie said, and it almost scared the shit out of her. She’d completely forgotten about the earpiece. “Severn is on site below you.”

Some inner tension both ratcheted up and eased at the same time. She didn’t want him in danger, but if an IED needed disarmed, he would be the one to do it. And he would never let her be hurt. She had faith in that. She had faith in him.

Russell looked like he was going to stroke out. He glanced at the clock on the wall, and if she had any doubt that he’d planted a bomb here, it was gone when she saw the look of panic on his face. They were down to thirteen minutes. That looked like fear for his own life.

“She’s coming for you, Russell,” Addie said softly, and his manic gaze swung toward her. “You’ve teased her enough.You’ve used her, and now it’s time to pay her price. The fire is going to eat you up and spit out your bones. Maybe I’ll keep one of your bones…”

“Get me my phone,” he said, and there was now more than a hint of desperation in his voice.

Addie shook her head. “They’re not going to give you your phone. That is completely off the table. The only way you’re going to make it out of this building without burning, without feeding her, is if you tell me where the IED is. And how to dismantle it.”

He shook his head, his face contorting. “No, you won’t leave me here. You’ll burn too.”

Addie stood up from the table and backed away. “No, I won’t, Russell. I’m not chained to the table. I’m leaving this room in two minutes, and I’m leaving you here unless you tell me where the IED is. After what you’ve done to me, I will have no problem walking out that door and leaving your ass to burn.”

Russell paced back and forth, to the extent the chain would let him. He looked at the clock and twisted his arm, as if waiting for it to magically unfasten. He looked like a cornered animal.

“Let me go, Addison,” he said, voice firm.

She gave him a laughing look. “Seriously? Do I look like I have a handcuff key on me?”

“Get the detective, then,” he said, waving his free hand at the window. “I know she’s standing there watching.”

“Yeah, she is, but she told me to find out what you were planning. So far you haven’t told me anything we didn’t already know.”

He stared at her for a long moment, as if testing her resolve. “Fine,” he snapped. “I put a device in the Shipley building.”

Addie rolled her eyes. “Yeah, we figured that out.”

Russell clamped his lips shut, looking a little shocked.

Addie rolled her hand to tell him to get on with it. “We’re on a timeline, Dunn.”

He glowered at her. “There are two at the police academy. One in the dorm and one in the cafeteria.”

“Noted,” Gabbie said, and Addie knew she would relate the information. It was a challenge to keep the reaction off her face, but she had to. “Already knew that.”

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