Conduit

Ch. 19

Frank's initial plan seemed fair and realistic. There was still that nagging fear in the back of my head as we sat in my apartment, waiting for time to fall into night. Frank thought it was best; it took twenty-four hours for everything to go into effect, which meant the preparation for disposal wouldn't happen within the first ten hours.

I just couldn't shake the feeling.

Victoria prepared and served coffee for both of us, but I stared at the steaming cups. "I think I need something stronger, Vicky." I passed my hand over my face.

She blinked at me but insisted on pushing the cups closer. Frank took his without complaining. "I think a little caffeine is in order," she said. "Alcohol, as I'm assuming that's what you're asking for, will only lower and hinder your judgment in this case. We need you to be at your best to get this done."

She was right. That didn't fix how I felt. Inhaling sharply, I pressed my hands on either side of the cup and looked into her emerald eyes. The amount of anxiety pushing through me made it feel like the kitchen's island would give way. "Yeah," I said, my voice slightly trembling, "but the buzz will push away doubts. I can't be doubting now, right?"

Her brows pinched together. "Elijah..."

Frank bumped my shoulder. "Just drink the coffee, we'll be fine," he said.

I looked at him. The calm demeanor and certainty—the Frank I met on day one was back again. Perfect, because we needed that guy. Not me; I wasn't the person to set the mood for this kind of plan. I could only see myself slipping up.

That was why I wanted a drink.

Knowing I wouldn't get one, I reached for the cup, brought it to my mouth, and sipped. The scent plus the heat was refreshing. "Okay." I licked my lips and put the cup back where I got it. "Could you run the plan back to me again?"

Frank continued drinking his coffee as he glanced at me. Then he pulled the cup away and sighed. "Won't know exactly how we'll do it until we get to the disposal floor, but the idea is easy. We just need the androids to move and find enough parts that it looks like they've been destroyed once everything starts."

I took another sip from my cup and turned. Reggie stood by the TV. He'd been glued to the tablet since Victoria gave it to him. The look of curiosity on his face was nice to see; especially at a time like this. I wanted the androids who Katherine deemed unworthy to have that chance, to be free and curious.

With the cup to my mouth, I shot Frank a side glance. "Where are we going to put them?"

Frank dipped his head back, his eyes facing the ceiling. "Again, something else we'll need to figure out once we get down there." He placed his cup back on the island. "Why do you keep asking? You don't trust me?"

"No offense," I put my cup down, too, "yesterday I put my faith into someone with my plans and now I'm correcting it." I chewed on the insides of my cheeks. "What was supposed to be easy, now's a mess."

Frank's brows shot up. "You mean Logan, right? Katherine didn't mention it, but—"

"Katherine thinks I did all of this alone." I locked eyes with his.

"She knows everything." Frank looked down at his cup and turned it before Victoria took it from him. She grabbed my cup, too.

Rude. I wasn't done. "I know she does." Dropping down into one of the stools, I faced him. "She made it clear that she sees everything in this building. So, whether she knows about Logan or not, it'll be a mystery to me. But us moving inside of her walls has me anxious."

As he closed his eyes, Frank pinched his nose. "I wouldn't have trusted him with something like this," he hissed.

Heavy footsteps approached us. We both turned to look and see as Reggie pushed off the wall, crossing the gap between us. His eyes danced between Frank and me. Then he smiled.