Sawyer is alone. She wants to crack open the door and watch the commencement but knows it’s too risky. Daniel will come get her when it’s time. Until then, she must wait out the next thirty minutes alone, trying not to slip into a desert storm filled with fear and uncertainty. Malakai offered to wait with her, but he’s more needed outside. She’s safe in this locked room and Malakai can help with crowd control.
For the first ten minutes, she attaches the wireless mic left on the coffee table and attempts to practice her speech.
When that fails, she pulls out her phone, reading through texts. But the words are sand slipping from her mind.
Finally, she sits on the edge of the couch and imagines what will come next. Will the country actually watch and listen to what she’s saying? Will the Resurrection grow with new members? She hopes for a peaceful solution that’s better for everyone. She expects war. She imagines who will be watching. Strangers and acquaintances who will form their own opinion of her. Committee chairs and oligarchs who will want her dead. Friends and family who will either be proud of her or ashamed.
Her father. Her sweet, loving father who has been lying to her for so long that she’s unsure if she ever really knew him.
“Lincoln has been working with them for years. I think he wants to take over the Registration. He’s known about all of it. He’s been a part of all of it. Even Ellery’s death.” Lynell’s words from the day before cut through her mind. For a moment, she didn’t believe any of it. She wanted proof. She thought Lynell might be tricking her.
Then Harlow found her, and her face broadcast the truth. She opened her mouth, and Sawyer couldn’t run from the facts. Before yesterday, any time Sawyer asked Harlow questions about her past, Sawyer’s family, or her friendship with Elizabeth Crane, Harlow would say, “It’s not my story to tell.”
Maybe it wasn’t Harlow’s story, but it’s Sawyer’s. It’s Lynell’s. And they will tell it.
A soft knock.
A turn of the doorknob.
Daniel peeking inside.
It’s time.