Page 119 of Seven Deadly Sins

Liam whirled in time to see Harper wearing a Kevlar vest march between parked cars, across the parking lot, and into the bank. The camera then switched to a very frightened bank teller.

The view now was from Stephanie’s head cam. Who took the video of Harper entering the bank?

Liam stepped into the hall and phoned his boss, Director Spelling. “I need to head back.”

“No can do. We’ve got a sniper on the roof of an apartment building. You’re trained in negotiations. We need you. The detective will have to make do with Black.”

Black? “He’s new to the force. She needs someone with experience backing her up.”

“I’m sorry. I’m texting you the address.”

Liam’s fingers tightened around his phone as a text came through, then another. The first was not from his boss. “Get back to Oakdale or I blow up the detective and innocent people right along with her. You have until nightfall.”

He’d never disobeyed orders before. He stared at the text, knowing Thompson would make good on his threat. Or would he? He hadn’t reached the sin of anger yet. Would he jump ahead, leaving Liam to face him without Harper? It wasn’t a chance he was willing to take.

Ugh. He had to stop the sniper first. Hang on, Harper. I’ll be there soon. He had time. It was only noon. Seven hours.

He raced from the hospital and to the address his boss had texted him.

“Glad you made it.” His boss’s mouth quirked.

“Under duress.” He showed him the text from Thompson. “If things go our way, I have time to do both. Who is the shooter targeting?”

“People wearing green. It’s another fanatic. You know…green is the color of envy. No one has been shot, although he fired a few times before we cleared the street.”

Liam glanced at the empty street. Not a soul in sight, although he caught a couple of curtains moving in windows and fingers pulling apart blinds. “How many?”

“Two. He called from this number.” He handed Liam a slip of paper. “That’s how we knew about the color green. He doesn’t seem very motivated. He hasn’t taken a single shot at any of us.”

“You aren’t wearing green.” Liam punched the number into his phone.

“Yeah?”

“This is Special Agent McConnell. What do you need from us?”

“Hey, you’re the one that’s after my leader.”

“Is Thompson aware that he’s your leader?” Liam frowned.

“He will now.”

A shot rang out.

Liam dove to the ground.

The shot flattened one of the boss’s tires. Thank goodness, the perp was a bad shot.

He scooted with his back against his rental car and put the phone back to his ear. “Just doing my job. Is there something you want? I’m sure we can work together.”

“I want my master to let me into his inner circle.”

Right. The man didn’t want much. “Thompson is so incredible that we have no idea where he’s hiding.”

“There are news reporters here. He’ll see me and contact you. All we have to do is wait.”

Harper didn’t have time for Liam to wait for hours. Neither did those in the bank with her. He glanced at the Director. “You get me for two more hours, then I’m defying orders and heading back.”

“You could lose your job.”