Page 157 of Seven Deadly Sins

“No.” He stared at the floor between his knees. What would they say to a madman who wanted nothing more than to see them die for crimes they didn’t commit?

“Anger is what makes a clear mind seem clouded.” – Kazi Shams

Chapter Two

Harper nursed acoffee at the kitchen table the next morning. She’d declined the offer of Liam cooking breakfast, opting instead for a couple of slices of buttered toast. Anything else would sit like a boulder in her stomach.

Today was the day they faced Robert, and she had no idea what to say. They couldn’t challenge him. Instead, they needed a way to draw them out so it could be just the three of them. No National Guard, no followers, no law enforcement. Only those three directly involved.

“What do we say?” Liam sat across from her. “I’ve never not known what to say to someone before.”

“Me either.” She gave a sarcastic chuckle. “I’ve talked armed men out of their homes on domestic abuse charges, but I have no idea what to say to a psychotic cult leader. It’s not as if we can pretend to want to be enlightened.”

“I agree. He set the path of us being punished for the final sin before this all began.” He took a sip of his coffee and hissed. “Too hot.”

Despite the seriousness of their predicament, she giggled. “You did just pour the cup.”

He grinned, sending her stomach flip-flopping. How could she keep a man alive who would be determined to step in front of a bullet for her? The thought of a world without him stabbed at her heart.

She took a deep breath. “We approach Robert and tell him we’re ready. We don’t have to say what for. He’ll know. Then, we tell him to give us a meeting place and time. Just the three of us. If he says no, we retreat and tell him we’re sending in the National Guard. If he says yes…we figure out the next step.”

“It’ll be dangerous.”

“Yep.” She stared at the dark liquid in her cup. “How far away is he?”

“About an hour.”

She exhaled heavily out her nose. “I’ll shower and be ready in half an hour.” She set her half full cup in the sink and headed to her room.

Twenty-five minutes later, she joined Liam by the front door and hooked cuffs and a radio to the belt around her waist. Her gun holster fit across her. The jacket she wore hid her weapon. “Let’s do this.”

“No turning back.”

“No turning back.” She forced a smile to her face that trembled, showing her nervousness as he opened the front door.

They both paused on the porch, studied the area, then marched to the jeep. They had no more reason to hide in a borrowed undercover vehicle. The radio on Harper’s belt crackled before she had her seatbelt on.

“Scranton.”

“Where the hell are the two of you? We had a meeting scheduled for eight this morning.” The chief barked over the air waves.

Ooops. She’d been so deep into the upcoming confrontation, she’d forgotten. So had Liam, obviously. “Sorry, sir, we’re out working the case. We’re halfway up the mountain.”

“Get your rearends back here! I told McConnell last night that we were going to let the National Guard handle bringing Thompson down.”

“Sir? You’re…break…ing…up.” She resorted to the oldest trick in the book.

“I know you can hear me. If you get yourselves killed, I’m locking you up.” He hung up.

“I’m going to be in big trouble when we return to the office.” She hung the radio back on her belt. It wouldn’t surprise her if she ended up suspended. It would all be worth it if they stopped Robert.

“So will I once he informs my director.” He reached over and gave her hand a quick squeeze. “Let’s worry about that later.”

He backed from the drive and headed toward the GPS coordinates he’d put into his phone earlier that morning. Harper stared out the passenger window, working on coming up with the right words to say to Robert.

Hey, wanna meet us at the flagpole in front of the courthouse? Three o’clock? Didn’t seem like the right words. This wasn’t a playground spat. Confronting Robert would start another war, albeit a smaller one, than what he planned for Oakdale.

She wasn’t naïve enough to believe he’d leave the town alone. Once she and Liam were out of the way, he’d swoop in and form his dominion. The man hadn’t said so, but she knew it in her gut. He needed a base in order to cleanse the world, and it seemed he’d chosen Oakdale.