Joan Undone

Chapter 34

Justus meets me at the entrance to the Bunker. His face is pale and set in deep lines.

"They arrested Dad."

My mind instantly goes to Officer Boer. Is this another maneuver by him, too?

"He was picked up at a rally at the state building today," Justus says, and I release a breath of relief.

"I'll send the governor a message, now," I promise him, putting my hand on his shoulder.

He sags into my touch. "Thank you."

Nic slips his arm around my waist. "Sun called our fancy lawyers for you, Justus. They're down at the station with your dad."

"Come on, let's go get him," I say. "Nic, can you make sure Flo is on hand in case...Aft needs her?"

Justus winces at the implication of what his dad might be enduring at the hands of the Evolved police. Nic nods, his eyes moving between Justus and me.

"Come on," I urge, pulling Justus by the hand out of the Bunker.

Harriet has the van idling by the exit to the Lab when we emerge from underground.

"Your dad is tough," Harriet says to Justus when we climb in.

"That's what I'm afraid of. I know that you and Joan think of him as weak and ineffective—"

"We don't!"

"Yes, you do. But he's not. Dad never holds his tongue, even when he should. He'll demand his rights, quote the law, and generally piss off every Evolved police officer in that station. If Boer is there, he'll beat the shit out of him."

I shudder. "He wasn't the arresting officer, at least."

"How do you know?" Harriet asks, her tone sharp.

"Because I had a run-in with him tonight, myself."

"Did he touch you?" Harriet asks, whipping around to look me over before returning her eyes to the road.

"No," I say. "He threatened what I care most about. My friends."

Her grip on the steering wheel tightens. "Maybe Crew will do us a favor and kill him next."

The van glides to a stop outside the Evolved police station.

"The fewer of us that go in, the better. Under the law, I'm Evolved, so they have to give me an audience. Wait here," Justus says.

"That's not happening," I counter.

Harriet shrugs. "I agree with Joan. If you can't help your dad with your silver tongue, you might need a battering ram."

"I'll take that comparison as a compliment," I reply, and am rewarded with a twitch of Harriet's mouth as if she's repressing a smile.

My phone pings with a message from Nic, giving me a rundown of the advice our lawyers gave him and Sun. I scan the information, absorbing as much as I can.

"I'll stay right out front until the cops run me off," Harriet promises.

Justus approaches the tall doors. "I wonder if I'm always going to have to remind myself that I can get admittance into these places that were always closed to me growing up a Throwback."

"Eventually, maybe all Throwbacks will have to get used to that, when we change the world."

My words achieve their desired effect, bringing a smile to Justus's face.

We march up to the front desk, and the officer on duty straightens when he sees us. It's Officer Ben. An enormous weight lifts off my shoulders. At least one part of tonight will go easy.