The Substitute

Chapter Ten: The Substitute

The text arrived that night, earlier than usual, as though whoever was on the other end had been listening at the door of Julian's apartment.

He's very convincing, isn't he.

She thought so too. Right up until the end.

Mara's hands shook as she typed back, cornered now, done pretending this was anything but what it had become. Tell me who you are. Right now. Or I'm done listening to you.

The reply took only seconds.

You already know who I am, Mara.

You've been sitting at my desk for six weeks.

Wearing my cardigan. Answering my phone. Falling for my ring, in my apartment, in my life, exactly the way I knew you would, because I chose you. I picked you off that recruiter's list myself, because you looked enough like me to slip into my skin without anyone asking too many questions.

I'm not dead, Mara.

I left. On purpose. Because I found out exactly what Julian Cole is capable of, and I needed someone to prove it for me — someone close enough to see it, someone the company wouldn't miss if things went wrong.

I'm so sorry it had to be you.

But you're almost there. One more push, and you'll see what I saw.

And then, Mara — then we'll talk about how you get out.

Mara stood frozen in Julian's dark kitchen, phone glowing in her hand, his voice calling her name from the other room, utterly unable to tell — for the first time since she'd taken this job, this desk, this borrowed and increasingly dangerous life — which one of them she was actually supposed to be afraid of.