My team is happy with the deal I cut with Lexi, assuming that I won't honor my end of it when the time comes. They're confident we'll be able to replicate the antidote by then, or find new ammunition to threaten her with to keep me out of Strand's hands.
But I know from my terrible vision that the sequence of events leading to my demise are already unstoppably in motion. I need to use this time to make sure that my friends are in the best position possible when I'm gone. If I can do that, then at least my death will mean something.
Over the next few weeks, I throw myself into the reality series with everything I've got, pushing to script and film as many episodes as possible. At night, I meet up with Harriet and Marie, who are leading the tactical side of taking Strand down and getting the main players locked up.
Harriet is having Aft lead a team to pursue the legal side of things—figuring out what proof we need to take Strand down in court.
Marie is heading up a team dedicated to hacking into Strand's intranet, behind all their firewalls. Much to my dismay, Addie is her partner in this, because she's now firmly embedded in the company, posing as one of the cleanup crew.
It's my idea to take over the Chrysalis and bring it back to life. The number of people treated by the Annex who are looking to be a part of our rebellion keeps growing, and Hautey organizes several floors to be turned into sleeping and living quarters. Almost everyone is happy to be out of the dark, cramped quarters of the Bunker, though I still get chills every time I enter the building.
By every measure, our rebellion is gaining momentum. After the events of Day Zero, I believed that any change would be a long, long time coming. But now there are signs of progress every day—Evolved who are publicly expressing their support of our fight after seeing Leo's viral video and the follow-up news articles. Clinics popping up all over the country to disconnect Throwbacks from Strand's control. Lawsuits in nearly every state protesting the treatment of Throwbacks in the workplace. Change is so palpable in the air that you can almost touch it.
Now that I take the antidote for H2IV every other day, I only suffer from a few nosebleeds and headaches—nothing I can't handle. But my visions seem less intense as well, making me wonder if I delayed taking my antidote by a few hours if I might see a little farther into the future so that I could learn something that would help my friends. It's a risk, though, so for now I take my medicine on time like a good girl.
The productive rhythm of my life is turned on its head when the Bunker receives an urgent comm from the Governor, E. Since it's one of the nights where everyone is either filming or planning in the Chrysalis, I'm down here alone. I'm three hours away from my next dose of the H2IV antidote, and I don't want my friends seeing me coughing blood, so I elected to do research on the Bunker's computers.
The message from E comes to our team's old email handle, the one we used before we upgraded our systems at the Chrysalis for security purposes.
An old Seattle Secondary schoolmate of yours is getting booked downtown, Joseph Macks. We plan to formally arrest him for charges related to Day Zero, but he's barely coherent. Keeps saying he wants to talk to Joan. Send her over—Officer Benjamin Davies will be waiting.
My stomach heaves when I read the message. Joseph is violent and unpredictable. Crew used those parts of his personality to maximum advantage, and I've seen him spill blood up close.
Before I can message Harriet to see what she thinks we should do, one of my visions comes over me. This one knocks me on my ass, and I collapse to the ground.
Joseph's face is covered in mottled, purple bruises. His gums are bleeding. He's in a cell, huddled on a cot in the fetal position. His body begins convulsing, and he throws up blood.
Voices are yelling, and someone calls for an ambulance. Officer Ben rushes into the cell, grabs Joseph's shoulders, and says something to him that I can't make out. No ambulance will help Joseph now. He's dead.
Go now, before this comes to pass. You need to hear what he has to say.
I come to, gasping, on the floor of the Bunker. The urgency of the vision is still pumping through me, and I grab the keys to the motorcycle and race out of the Lab.
Speeding through downtown traffic, my mind races. Joseph is suffering from H2IV. It's easy to recognize the signs that I experience myself every day. Did he come into contact with an Evolved? Or is this Strand?
I skid to a stop in front of the station, and Officer Ben is at the front door, waiting for me.
"Kid's in rough shape," he says, not even pausing for a greeting. "I think he'll need a hospital before we can arrest him."
"Call an ambulance; don't wait. Trust me," I tell him. "And get me to his cell now."
Officer Ben knows me well enough not to question the urgency in my voice. He calls for an ambulance while rushing me to a holding cell toward the back of the station.
Curled on a cot, exactly as he was in my vision, is Joseph. His eyes meet mine, and I can't tell if he recognizes me or not.
"Listen, you asshole, you don't deserve this, but I'm giving it to you anyway. Shut up and take it," I tell him, pulling a vial of the H2IV antidote out of my pocket.
Joseph tries to reach for it, but his fingers are too clumsy. Instead, I pour it down his throat and watch him swallow.
"How'd you get this?" Joseph rasps.
"None of your fucking business. Tell me what you know."
"Been in Strand's labs since Crew died," he says, and his voice cracks. "They did stuff to me. Horrible stuff."
His face spasms as if he's remembering something awful. It's hard not to feel sympathy. Joseph is a monster, but something tells me he's had to pay for his sins, with interest.
"How did you get out? I know they didn't let you go."
"They got some kind of Throwback genius back there that they're holding hostage. Don't know how she did it but she was able to get me through four layers of security and out a back exit. She was with me almost till the end. Then they hit her with a doozy of a headache and she collapsed."
"And you just left her there," I say, not hiding my disgust. Joseph must be talking about Lozen. Lexi said she was a master at escaping.
"I had to get out! I couldn't take any more! Couldn't even kill myself! Anyway, that girl still had her chip, so there was no way for her to escape. But Crew disconnected mine months ago, so once I got far enough away, they couldn't kill me or track me."
Joseph starts coughing, spitting blood onto his pillow.
"What did they want with you?"
His eyes meet mine. "I'm gonna die without more of that antidote."
"Which is what you deserve."
"Maybe. But if you keep me alive, I can tell you everything I found in there. And there's something else. Something I can do that helped me escape."
His eyes drift over to the officer guarding his cell. The man suddenly starts turning in circles, and then hops from foot to foot. My gaze goes from the man to Joseph and back again as a horrible realization hits me. Joseph is controlling this man's movements.
Joseph's head falls back on his pillow, and he's barely conscious. He sees the look on my face and grins. His teeth are bloody from tiny tears in his gums.
"Don't wet your pants. It takes so much of my energy that I can barely walk, and I can only control one person at a time. It's practically useless."
I can think of about a thousand ways that's not true, but I don't voice any of them. "This dose should last you a couple days. I'll come back and let you know what we've decided to do with you. And if you use your power again, for any reason, I will let you die."
Joseph doesn't answer. The paramedics rush in with a stretcher, and I move out of the way. Joseph will survive today, thanks to me. If only I was sure that I made the right choice.
~ ~ ~
Office Ben and I settle into his office and I give him an update on Joseph, as well as some highlights about what we're working on at the Chrysalis. Naturally, I leave out the parts that involve some gray areas when it comes to the law, such as hacking into Strand's systems and gathering a stash of weapons in case we have to defend ourselves from a physical attack. Officer Ben and I might be friendly, but he's still Evolved, and a cop.
"I've got officers I trust doing regular patrols by the Chrysalis. We'll be close if anyone tries to bother you," he promises.
"There's one other thing you should know. That guy you brought in today, Joseph Macks, has H2IV."
Officer Ben heaves a sigh. "Then he's a dead man."
"Not exactly. Lexi has an antidote that staves off the virus, but it has to be taken every few days. I have a stash of the antidote, but not enough to last for long, especially with both of us taking it."
"Both of you...Joan, no," he says, and his face drains of color. "Does Governor Woods know?"
"You can tell her; it's not exactly a secret. My friends are sure that we'll be able to replicate Lexi's antidote, but I have my doubts. I want you to promise me that you'll help my friends after I'm gone."
"You don't have to ask that. It's what I would do anyway."
"It might be harder than you think. You're Evolved, and their trust only goes so far. But we need Evolved allies like you and E if we want to achieve real change. I want to know that you'll take the initiative to get involved, and don't let them shut you out."
Officer Ben's eyes are a little glassy when he replies. "Joan, you saved my life. I know you don't consider that a debt that I need to repay, but knowing you has changed me for the better in many ways. And you have my word that your friends will have allies in law enforcement whenever they need it."
"Thank you. I'll be back in a couple of days with more antidote for Joseph. Will he still be here?"
"Probably for a few more weeks, until he goes to trial."
"Make sure you keep at least two officers guarding him at all times. This virus has a weird effect on some of us. In Joseph's case, it gives him the ability to control a person, and I don't know the limits of his power."
Officer Ben's eyes go round with shock. "The guards shouldn't be armed, in that case. Joseph could have one shoot the other."
That scenario never crossed my mind, and it makes me want to puke. The only thing stopping Joseph from causing serious harm is my threat that I won't give him more of the antidote. Which makes me like Lexi, blackmailing someone by holding their life in my hands.
Maybe Joseph deserves to suffer, but having so much in common with Lexi still settles like lead in my stomach.