Page 173 of Bonded in Death

“But with two in New York… No, wait.” Shaking her head, she pushed off the table. “I almost missed it, again! On the slim chance something went wrong, or you were found out after you’d completed your mission, your purpose, it would end just like this.”

She turned around, met his eyes. “Where nothing you did here would matter. One murder—Rossi’s—seven with all of them. More with collateral damage in the restaurant, Devin McReedy… You weren’t going to let him go, were you?”

“Of course not. Leave no witnesses.” He tapped a finger on the table. “Logic.”

“Logic. So you kill all of them, the kid, whoever went down in the bombing. And whoever else was useful or got in the way, like me, the two female civilians on the street. It wouldn’t matter. If someone got lucky enough to catch you, or you got unlucky enough to get caught, there’d be no price for any of it. You’re back in Manchester like none of that happened.”

“You’ve chosen this career, I suppose you call it. You should know the laws and rules better.”

“Yeah. Yeah. It looks that way.”

Pulling out her ’link, Reo rose. “I’m sorry. I have to take this.”

“Reo, APA Cher, exiting Interview.”

“He can’t get away with this, Lieutenant.”

“Watch me,” he told Peabody.

“Mr. Potter,” Mira began, “do you feel your retribution entitles you to take these lives?”

“As many as necessary. Wars aren’t just to be fought, but to be won.”

“This is, for you, war?”

“It’s my war.”

Nodding, she made another note in her file.

“Lieutenant.”

“Peabody, I don’t like it, but we have what we have. At least we have his statements, his full admission. You thought this out, Potter, I’ll give you that. Since it’s what we have, we’re going to go over the details for the record.”

“It would be a pleasure to rub your nose into it.”

She took him through it, point by point, step-by-step. And yes, she could see he enjoyed it. She let his insults, his smugness roll off her as she got every tiny detail on record.

She paused when Reo came back.

“Reo, APA Cher, reentering Interview. Reo, Mr. Potter’s providing us with details. We’re nearly done.”

“Go ahead, finish.” Reo sat, folded her hands.

“Failure weighs heavy, doesn’t it?”

She shot him a look, hard and hot, but said nothing.

“To continue?”

Eve didn’t have to lead him through it, a few prompts here and there, but he relayed details, bragged enthusiastically.

“I believe that covers it,” he finished.

“Nearly, yeah. You knew they’d all come. The remainder of The Twelve.”

“Of course. As I said, we took an oath—one for all, all for one, nonsense. And they took another after Hawk and Fawn fell. Rossi told me himself, when he confronted me after my capture. A sacred oath, he called it. The foolish man believed it would shame me. A sacred oath, if one needed help, he had only to ask and they would all come. A bond that would never break, he said. Now he’s dead, by my hand, because he answered that call. Kept that oath.”

“You used loyalty as a weapon.”

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