Joan Undone

Chapter 40

As the clock ticks down the final forty-eight hours of my life, my mind grows calmer. I thought I'd feel terrified, frantic. And maybe I will feel that way when Crew kills me. But for now, I am content with the profound rightness of my decision. A world without Joan or a world without Justus. There's nothing to debate.

While Harriet drives me to Strand's headquarters to answer Lexi's summons, I send a message to my parents and Addie, asking them to meet me at Addie's apartment later in the afternoon. I have to see them one last time, to say the right thing for once.

"We're here," Harriet says, and I look up to see that she's studying me. Does she guess?

"I'll get Strand off our backs, and then we'll find a way to save Justus," I say, and she nods.

A Sofia clone hustles toward me as I approach the entrance to Strand Studios.

"The Darwin will see you in her office," she says.

I can tell from her jerky, nervous movements that she is the same Sofia that replaced the woman who aided me last summer in getting a list of Strand's key executives. That woman is dead now. And all those executives are dead now too. Because of Crew, but also because of me.

The Sofia doesn't speak on the elevator ride up to Lexi's office. When the doors open on Lexi's floor, she remains inside, her eyes wide and worried.

Lexi sits at her desk, her red suit the brightest spot of color in the room. "You disappointed me. You lack Jo's quick intelligence and guts, but share her insubordinate spirit. You will never be the leader I planned to make you."

Coming closer, I paste on a lazy smile. "How crushing. Your approval means the world to me."

Lexi's finger flicks on the screen of her tablet, and a headache pierces my head. Her face relaxes as she watches my reaction.

"Message received. You're in charge here," I say, letting her believe that I'm another one of her minions.

Harriet told me that the goal is to gather as much information as I can, and taunting Lexi won't achieve that end.

"Crew and the members of his rebellion are scattered around the city," she says, satisfied with my submission. "But I have good information from a Dean working closely with Crew that they have big plans to take over the capitol building."

It's what we already suspected, but Lexi's words hit me in the gut. She is unaware of the powerful weapon Crew will use to achieve his ends.

"You, Harriet, and that good-looking Machiavelli clone will be featured in the final battle. I will equip you with cameras, and you will follow the instructions of the Deans on the set."

The set? Doesn't she mean the battlefield? None of this is real to her. The Throwback lives that she ended in the Chrysalis were nothing more than a plot twist.

"I have it on good authority that Crew plans to make his next move in five days," I lie.

"You've made too many mistakes to be trusted. You had intel that Crew was present in the Chrysalis for the raid, and that was a waste of time and resources."

And human life. But I swallow that comment.

"I know because Crew has given me that amount of time to turn myself in, or he will execute someone I love," I say.

I tap her phone with my own to transfer Crew's video file, which Marie has modified to have him say "five" instead of "three" days. It's crucial Lexi believes this, so that we can strike before she does.

Lexi scans the video. "Good. I was worried he might attack sooner. This will give us a few extra days to get our resources in order."

"And evacuate the capitol building," I add.