Joan Undone

Chapter 19

I'm sending a private message to Aft and Justus about the data I downloaded from the drive Leo gave me when Marie comes barging into the sleeping quarters, where I'm holed up for privacy.

"Not right now, okay? Over a hundred of Aft's safe houses are on this drive. It will take time to evacuate them all."

"This is more urgent. There's new activity from our algorithm on Strand's servers. You have to see it," she huffs, out of breath.

"Tell me," I demand as we make our way to the main room.

"A new target emerged, and the address... It's your parents' house, Joan."

My vision narrows to a point, like it always does when I panic, so I take slow, measured breaths and remind myself that my team has my back.

Sure enough, Nic, Harriet, Mason, and Justus are strapping on the new laser and bullet-proof vests that Strand gave us. Nic puts one over my head and cinches the straps on my side, tight.

"I've sent you the GPS directions with the fastest route, Harriet," Marie says.

"Crew will have men onsite, Joan," Sun says, stepping in front of me and gripping my shoulders. "We all know he's capable of violence, but he's doing this primarily to shake you up, to warn you. He knows that if he kills someone you love, any chance he thinks he has for a relationship with Jo would be over."

Sun's words succeed in slowing my heartrate from a gallop to a run.

"He won't anticipate how fast we respond to his presence," Justus adds. "They won't be expecting us yet."

Harriet jogs beside me as we make our way through the tunnels up to where our van is parked. "I texted Addie, because Marie says her phone is the only one not being monitored by Crew yet. She's got your parents safely tucked away in the basement."

We climb inside the van, and Harriet instantly merges into the heavy afternoon traffic. It's the first time I've stopped moving since Marie told me what she found. My panic has been replaced by purpose, and the gratitude I have for my friends right now would overwhelm me if I let it.

Instead, I put my head between my knees and force myself to inhale and exhale slowly as Nic goes through our plan.

With Harriet at the wheel, we're down the street from the cul-de-sac where my parents live in under ten minutes.

"Harriet, you are our getaway car. Be ready to take off, fast," Nic says, and Harriet's face turns stoic as she chafes at not coming with the rest of us to rescue my family.

"Let's go invisible," Mason adds, and then activates the disc from Strand that will bloc us from being viewed through any cameras.

Harriet has always been able to put logic before emotion, and she gives me a tight smile as Mason, Nic, Justus, and I hurry to my house.

The entire block is quiet and peaceful in the afternoon sun. The giant trees lining the street are always epic in the fall when the leaves change color. This was one of my favorite sights as a kid, but now all the reds blur together and remind me of Windsom Carter's blood on the sidewalk all those weeks ago.

"Breathe. Focus," Justus reminds me.

Nic signals to Justus and Mason to evacuate the neighbors, in case Crew gets desperate, while he and I go inside to get my parents.

The house is messier than usual. Dad's coffee cup is on one of the steps that lead upstairs, and I trip over a pile of shopping bags in the entryway.

"In and out. Maybe we'll get away before Crew shows up," Nic says, but I can read him well enough to hear the doubt in his voice.