Page 126 of Seven Deadly Sins

“Sorry I punched you, but you really shouldn’t have lured innocent people to a pretend meeting.” The woman crossed her arms. “I reacted out of instinct. You could’ve been anyone. I didn’t see your badge.”

Harper slapped her badge on the table. “Your name.” She turned on a recorder.

“Susan Wilson.” Her gaze dropped to the badge. “Guess that means he’s really FBI?”

“Yep. How long have you been following Robert Thompson?”

She shrugged. “Since his first mention on the news, I guess. He really has a great vision.”

“Trying to improve the world is a good thing, but killing people in order to do so isn’t.” Now, law enforcement in two cities and the FBI were trying to make the world a better place while a bunch of fanatics ran around doing harm.

“What did you expect from the meeting?”

“Guidance. I really want him to let me help him.”

Hard to do behind bars. “That will have to wait, Ms. Wilson. You’ll be locked up until you stand before a judge. Mr. Thompson is in hiding. What made you think he would come out to meet with people he didn’t know?”

She leaned forward, a smile on her face. “Because he’s a great man with a wonderful vision who needs new workers since you arrested all the other ones.”

Harper shot Liam a “she’s nuts” kind of look before returning to the interrogation. No question got a different answer from Susan Wilson. She kept saying how wonderful Thompson was, how great his vision, and how if the rest of the world would open their minds and follow him the world would be a better place.

How did someone get so brainwashed when they’d never met their idol?

She waved at the mirror for Annie to take the woman back to holding and bring in the next one. While they waited, she faced Liam. “Are we missing something here? She has never met Thompson, yet she’s willing to do whatever he tells her.”

“Happens more than we’d like. Look at Hitler.” Liam sat in the chair next to her since the next one they’d question was a man. “Not all of Thompson’s followers condoned murder, thankfully.”

“No, but his fans seem a bit more fanatical.” That scared the hell out of her.

~

Robert’s blood boiled at the news scrolling across his cell phone. The two people he sought to destroy had lured followers to a meeting the people thought he’d be at. Then, they’d hauled them all to jail.

He could’ve used those people! He needed them. There simply weren’t enough on the compound to help him achieve his goal.

He vaulted to his feet and paced the small cottage he’d claimed as his. Maybe it was time to step things up. Start a war. The compound had a nice armory. The men here would be well armed.

The idea held merit. The only drawback was that the agent and the detective might get caught in the crossfire. He had other plans for them than to die by someone else’s bullet. They would die by his hand alone.

He’d promised his father as he’d stood over his grave that the offspring of those responsible for his death would pay.

His head ached from tension. A sharp pain plagued him from the base of his skull. He reached for the whiskey, the only thing that seemed to dull the pain he’d been experiencing lately.

The time to end it all was quickly approaching. He couldn’t do his part if he hurt.

He moved to the window and caught sight of Lucy leading a man into her cottage. What would it be like for her to lead Robert there? It had been a very long time since he’d been with a woman in the physical sense.

Tomorrow, he’d bring the subject to her. Another aspect of their relationship. On second thought, he’d pass. The woman would be more likely to stick a knife between his ribs than be involved with him in any other capacity than hired assassin.

~

Liam rubbed his temples. He’d never met so many blind people in his life, and they weren’t finished with the interrogations. “I’m getting some coffee. Want some?”

“Absolutely.” Harper gave a weary smile. “We’ve two more to go before we can head home. Sleep is definitely not something we get much of lately.”

“It sounds like they’re all reading off the same script.” The chief turned from the coffee pot when Liam entered the break room.

“Yes, it does, but they all swear they’ve never met before. I’m going to have the bureau dig deeper and see whether Thompson has something on the internet that outlines his beliefs. Something that these crazy people could memorize.” He poured two cups of coffee. “He could hide it easily enough under his alias and on his business website. We still have two to question. We might get lucky, and one of them will tell us how they know so much about Thompson.” God willing.