This Would Be Paradise (Book 3)

Chapter 31

I blew open the lock on the door to Keenan's room and Lucas forced the injured mercenary in first just in case it had been a trap. No people were lying in wait inside the room, just an unmade bed and messy desk. We did a quick sweep just to make sure, then Lucas threw the man onto the bed. He bounced on the mattress, letting out a cry when his leg with a bullet hole in it got caught underneath him. Lucas threatened that if they guy so much as got up, he would be killed slowly. The way Lucas had said it even sent chills down my spine.

We went through the scribblers and papers on the desk. It mirrored what we had found at the first compound-I even found the ledger. I was too disgusted to even open it. There were a couple sets of car keys hanging on small hooks above the desk. I pocketed a couple. We would need another vehicle to get all the girls out of here.

Rose held up her own find-a map of south and west Baton Rouge where it touched the Mississippi river. Lucas took the map from Rose and held it in front of the man's face. He pointed to the red circle. Was it a dock or a port?

"This it?"

The mercenary swallowed. "I don't know! They never told me anythin'. If it's in here, then it's your best bet."

Lucas drug his tongue along his teeth as he regarded the man. Now came to tough part. What did we do with the man?

"Maybe we should make you come along. We can get you back to Shawn. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you," Lucas taunted.

I bit my lip. I didn't like that Lucas was toying with the guy. If he was going to kill him, Lucas should just get it over with. The unmasked fear on the guy's face told me that being turned over to Shawn would be a terrible fate.

"Let me go or kill me! Just don't that," the guy cried. "Please."

"Just how bad is this Shawn guy?" I asked more to Lucas, but the mercenary answered instead.

I mean the mercenaries were bad in their own right, but if this Shawn guy's own men feared him that much, he must be really awful.

"He's the worst of us," the guy explained in a rush. "There's a rumor that he was awaitin' sentencin' for a huge homicide when the dead bastards took over. Killed an entire family, kids and all."

He did not sound like a pleasant guy. In a room full of starving wolves, he was the bloated lion. I looked at Lucas for confirmation.

"I heard the same thing too. Guy is scary as hell. Only had the pleasure of meetin' 'im once when he forced the dead ones on me when I was discovered. Calm and collected type, not some ragin' lunatic who goes off at the drop of a hat," Lucas said.

And now he possibly had Zoe with him.

"Then what do we do with 'im?" Rose said, pointing an accusing finger at the mercenary.

Lucas looked at the man, who had started to cry again as his fate was called into question. I motioned for Lucas and Rose to meet me back out in the hallway. It seemed really ... cold to discuss a man's fate in front of him. We were only far enough to be out of ear shot, not eye sight. I could still see the mercenary sniveling away on the bed.

"There's no way we're actually takin' 'im with us, right?" Rose asked Lucas. "He would be a liability."

"No," Lucas said.

He confidence faltered a bit as he stared at his rifle.

"How about we just leave him here?" I suggested.

After everything that had happened since we invaded the compound, the last thing I-or anyone else-wanted was to play executioner in cold blood. I was sure the guy deserved it, but I didn't have it in me to shoot a guy who was utterly helpless. Maybe if he was coming at me with a machete I could do it.