Page 155 of What Remains

“But something had to springboard this all into motion for Molly to suddenly put together this plan now out of nowhere,” Natasha points out.

“Molly weaponized our trust. Zoey’s, too.” I go back to work, muttering, “She turned us all against each other.”

“This fake video that may have been shown to Zoey . . .” Dad starts, and his words hang in the air before he finishes, “. . . what was it of?”

“Me killing Preston.” Carter snaps out a curse, and the cabin goes still. “Molly gave Zoey the answers she’s been searching for. Proof she couldn’t ignore.”

“Fake proof,” I grumble.

He glances at me, eyes dark as black glass as anger slices through him. Maybe a little hurt, too. “It was real enough for someone hell-bent on revenge and drowning in grief.”

“I suppose the video could’ve passed forensic checks at first glance,” Natasha suggests. “Especially if Jezebel had a hand in creating it.”

“And she convinced Zoey you were covering for me,” Carter says, gaze still sharp on me. “Protecting the chain of command.”

Bloody hell. “Maybe Zoey just wanted to get ahold of my rig, but to do that, she needed me away from The Sapphire. She knows I never go anywhere without it.” Piece by piece finally fits into place. “Zoey figured if you’re guilty, we’re all guilty. She assumed the evidence would be on my rig.”

“She intended to set us up for crimes we didn’t commit as revenge for the one she thinks I did.” Carter’s icy voice blasts through the cabin. “All of us, including the president. The secretary of defense. Anyone she believes knows the truth and kept it hidden from her.”

“But I just can’t imagine she ever thought I was going to be taken and hurt like I was.” I’m not sure why I’m defending her, but something still doesn’t sit right with me. “Justice is different than murder. She’s not evil, just misguided. Heartbroken. Still burdened by the pain of her loss.”

“What are we really saying here?” Easton stands, his corded arms dropping to his sides. “Are you suggesting Zoey only thought your laptop would be stolen, and you’d be framed for the fake attacks? Did she really go to all that trouble—living on that island for a month, risk all those innocent lives—just to take us down?”

“But no one innocent did die,” Natasha reminds us. “They were all artificial attacks. From the fake bombing to the air traffic control one in London.”

“Wouldn’t all these AI videos have her questioning if what she saw was real, then? Question if she was played, and wonder if Carter didn’t really kill Preston?” Easton asks, raising a good point. “Throw in the fact Gwen was taken, and if she really didn’t expect that, she had to wonder if⁠—”

“That’s why she felt guilty,” I interrupt him, lifting my hands from the keyboard. “It’s why she wanted to go off on her own to hunt down Molly and get to the bottom of what really happened. Find out if she had been tricked and betrayed.”

“And she took the first chance she got to run to London, too,” Natasha adds. “I bet while she was working alongside Julian, she learned about the CCTV nuke antidote. She decided to steal his rig—probably saw him type in his password—and thought she could verify the truth about Preston’s murder for herself. See if what Molly showed her was real or not.”

“But since I never told her about the antidote, she also had no clue it wouldn’t work that far back,” I whisper. “Julian was in London, sleeping next door to the enemy because of me.”

“Better than actually sleeping with her,” Jack grumbles, and Gray nudges him so hard in the side, he stumbles forward and nearly collides with Carter. “Shit, sorry.”

Carter doesn’t shoot Jack daggers, though. Instead, he peers at Easton with an anguished expression for some reason.

“Either Molly was having Zoey followed, and that’s how Molly learned Julian’s alive, or Zoey told her beforehand,” I say. “Regardless, Molly switched up her plan to have me killed and to take Julian hostage.”

“If Molly knew Julian was alive, she would also know how powerful his family is, which is why they didn’t break into the hotel while they’ve been holed up there.” I wrestle my attention toward Dad. “But then Zoey made a run for it, so they took advantage of the chance to grab them.”

“You really think it’s a coincidence Zoey ran while we were being attacked by the Swiss?” Easton asks, and I redirect his way.

My shoulders slump. “I guess I’m reaching, but I don’t want Zoey to be bad bad, you know?”

Gray steps forward, hands slipping into his pockets. “We’ll figure this out once we can talk with Zoey face to face. For now, let’s get to Julian.”

“You’re right.” I lock in on my rig. “But unfortunately, it looks like they were driven outside of city limits, and that’s going to take me even longer to—” My words die in my throat at what pops up on my screen. “Julian!” Oh. My. God.

“What is it?” Dad asks as Natasha leans in to have a look.

I zoom in on the blinking indicator and spin my rig toward everyone. “You see this?” Relief presses under my ribs, slowing my pulse. “That’s not a breadcrumb Julian left us. That’s a damn Bat-Signal to his location.”

CHAPTER 56

Gwen

The storm hasn’t let up. Rain hammers the hangar roof in relentless sheets, wind whining through. The two jets sit side by side, lights low, and the engines quiet.