Queen. Aimee Carter

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СКАЧАТЬ entire weight of the United States Army is coming for you, and the people will not protect a bunch of murderous traitors. And I promise you, sister, by the end of this—” He leaned in close enough for me to see a popped vein in his eye. “You will be the one in chains.”

      The broadcast cut out, and the stunned reporters and anchors all scrambled for something to say. Rather than listen, however, Knox turned the screens off, and silence permeated the room for several long seconds before he let out a victorious holler.

      “That idiot. That egomaniacal fool.” Knox whooped and hit the desk so hard that a paperweight toppled to the floor. “He’d won the war. He had it wrapped in a bow and delivered straight to his doorstep. All he had to do was keep quiet and let his generals do his dirty work, and he would have had us.”

      “And now he doesn’t?” I said, confused. Knox turned to me, grinning for the first time since—I couldn’t remember ever seeing him grin like that, actually.

      “Because he couldn’t stand giving Celia even the impression of a victory.” Knox punched his fist into the air. “Now the whole country knows doubles of Daxton exist. First they’ll question whether he’s really who he claims to be—if he isn’t a double himself, and the real Daxton’s dangling by his neck on that door.”

      “He’s the real Daxton. Or Victor, I guess,” I said quietly. No one could fake that sadistic stare.

      “I know,” said Knox. “But they don’t. They’ll question it, and before long, that conversation will lead to them wondering if you were telling the truth after all. He just blew his entire defense. The sympathy, the martyrdom, his legacy—all because of his stupid pride and need to make sure everyone knows he’s still in control.” He shook his head, still beaming. “We have a chance, Kitty. We actually have a chance.”

      “We have more than a chance,” I said firmly. “We’re going to win this.”

      Knox and I walked into the noisy living room side by side, and instantly everyone fell silent. Several members of the Blackcoats paced, their expressions twisted with anger, while others slumped over with disappointment. No one, not even Benjy, looked happy.

      “Why are you smiling?” demanded Strand as we headed to the front of the room. Knox stopped underneath the portrait of Daxton, and I stood beside him, for once not feeling like a burden or a nuisance. I hadn’t done anything, but even if I had, Knox was too happy to care.

      “Because we just went from losing this war to having a real chance at winning it,” said Knox. As he launched into an explanation, Benjy joined me, his brow furrowed.

      “Where have you been?” he whispered, taking my hand in his.

      “I was watching the news with Knox,” I whispered in return.

      “All night?”

      I nodded and gave him a strange look. “What else would I be doing with him?”

      Benjy opened his mouth to say something, but wisely shut it. His grip on my hand tightened, however, and he didn’t let go.

      “Though Celia’s plan backfired, it’s also offered us an unparalleled opportunity to gain the country’s support,” said Knox to the other Blackcoats. “We must seize this chance and prove our allegations are true.”

      “How? By tying Daxton down and forcing him to admit it?” said Strand. But before Knox could answer, I knew exactly what he was going to say.

      “The file.”

      Everyone in the room looked at me. I cleared my throat. It wasn’t the first time I’d blurted out something ridiculous, but this time, I was absolutely sure I was right.

      “There’s a file full of evidence that Daxton is really Victor Mercer,” I said. “I stole it a few weeks ago. It’s part of the reason Daxton had me arrested and thrown into Elsewhere. I hid it,” I added. “In Somerset.”

      “We’ll send word to the D.C. team at once,” said Strand. “We can have it in our possession in minutes and out to the public by noon.”

      Knox shook his head. “I’m not trusting anyone else with something this important. There could be spies among us, and this folder is the only chance we have to prove Daxton is Victor Mercer.”

      The rest of the room grumbled their discontent, but I understood Knox perfectly. We both knew the real reason for his hesitation was Celia. After the stunt she’d pulled the night before, I didn’t blame him for not trusting her. He couldn’t very well throw Celia’s loyalty and rationality into question in front of her army, however, not when she was the one running the rebellion outside Elsewhere.

      “So what are we supposed to do, then? Go get it ourselves?” said Strand.

      “Yes,” said Knox. “I’m going to assemble a team of volunteers willing to sneak into Somerset and steal the file back without ever alerting the other Blackcoats to our presence.”

      “We’re not at war with ourselves,” said Benjy. “Given the importance of this file, we could use all the help we can get.”

      “This is a need-to-know mission only,” said Knox. “It does not leave this room, is that understood?”

      The others nodded, though several cast wary looks at Knox. I squeezed Benjy’s hand.

      “I’m going with you,” I said. Knox scowled, but I cut him off before he could protest. “I’m the only one who knows where the file is, and even if I tell you how to get there, it’s possible you won’t be able to reach it. Besides, I’m the one who hid it. I should be the one to recover it.”

      A deep line formed in his forehead. “If something happens to you, our campaign will never recover.”

      “Then I guess you’ll have to make sure it doesn’t,” I said. “I know exactly where to find it. We’ll be in and out, no problem.”

      “Don’t jinx it,” muttered Knox, but he nodded stiffly. Beside me, Benjy shifted.

      “Kitty—”

      “I’m the only one who can get to it,” I said quietly, looking up at him. “It’ll be fine.”

      He stared at me, doubt clear in his gaze, but there was no talking me out of this. I didn’t just owe it to Knox and myself—I owed it to the entire country to do this. I was the reason Daxton wasn’t dead in the first place, and countless people would suffer—had already suffered, and would continue to suffer—because of it. This was mine to make right; no one else’s.

      “We’ll only have a short time frame before the Shields launch a counterattack,” said Knox. “But if we can get in before sunset, we should be fine.”

      “And how do you propose we do that?” said Strand. Knox and I glanced at one another.

      “I’m afraid that’s classified,” said Knox. “I’ll need half a dozen volunteers. We’ll take a jet out in exactly one hour.”

      What he needed half a dozen other people for, I couldn’t fathom, but I didn’t question it, either. It would only take two of us to get into Somerset—hell, I could do it on my own, but I knew Knox wouldn’t СКАЧАТЬ