The Complication (The Program #6)(109)

The tall man steps forward, sliding the table aside, and comes to stop in front of Marie. He’s wearing a sharp gray suit with a white shirt, a lemon-yellow tie. He holds out his hands to her, and she grasps them.

“Hello, Luther,” Marie says. “I’m glad you made it.”

“Marie,” he replies in a deep voice. “I’m glad you got my message. I hope it helped.”

Marie nods, and her eyes well up. “It did. We have the cure,” she says. “I’ve done it.”

He smiles. “I always knew you would,” he replies.

They stay silent for a moment, and then he motions the other people forward.

“And Nicole and Deacon?” Marie asks, hopeful, as the people pass.

Luther’s smile fades. “Your kids found me,” he says. “But they left. They told me . . . they said they forgive you, but that they couldn’t be a part of your life anymore. They said good-bye.”

Marie drops Luther’s hands, brushing at her hair. She doesn’t say anything else, but I can see her heart breaking.

Luther’s associates file into the room with Realm, and Dallas strolls out, going to the living room and dropping onto the couch like she owns the place. Boots up on the cushions. She makes a call, laughing loudly. Telling Cas that Realm is alive.

Dallas is Realm’s ex-girlfriend, the one he’s still fond of. The one he didn’t think he deserved. But she came for him. I hope she’ll stay for him.

Wes sits at the table with me while Marie administers the cure to James, the FDA and CDC there to witness and document the entire process. When they’re done, Luther comes out to interview all of us.

I’m a little scared at first, but Marie’s ex-husband is actually very engaging, understanding. And for once, I don’t feel like I’m being manipulated. An adult who’s actually listening to our feelings—what a novel idea.

“You were very brave,” Luther tells me, nodding from across the table. “And we appreciate what you did. We’ll keep you safe. I don’t want you to worry.”

“Uh . . . definitely easier said than done,” I tell him. “I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t scared.”

Luther reaches to put his hand over mine on the table, comforting me. “It’ll get easier over time, but the first days will be hard,” he admits. “The fear . . . it’ll find you at inopportune times. A flash of a memory that might leave you feeling vulnerable.”

Of course the moment he says that, I pull my hand back, thinking of Derek. I roll my eyes to the ceiling to stop myself from tearing up, the memory unsettling me.

“But there’s hope,” Luther says, leaning into the table. “You never gave up, Tatum. None of you. Your fight is what’s going to bring down The Program. Set us back on the right course. Helping people. Not controlling them.”

He exhales heavily, folding his hands in front me. “Just please promise me that you’ll get counseling—deal with this the proper way. You’ll have some things to work through.”

I tell him that I will, thinking of Nicole’s card in my pocket. Who better to understand my issues?

Luther smiles warmly at me and nods a good-bye before interviewing Wes, who really doesn’t know much. When he’s completed all of his debriefings, Luther tells Marie that he’s filing for immediate evaluation of the cure. With him standing by to confirm, they contact Dr. Wyatt and let her know it’s begun.

“I suggest you get these kids out of here before the authorities arrive,” Luther says quietly to Marie, standing in the doorway of the bedroom. “We need to lock down the scene. And then we’ll round up those involved with The Program. We have everything we need.”

Marie smiles at him, and I imagine she feels vindicated, justified in everything she’s done to get us here. I’m not sure I agree, but I’m still grateful. She stares at Luther, but it’s different from how she looked at Dr. McKee, not as deep. She’s lost people too.

“Just give me a few minutes with them,” Marie says to Luther. He nods that he will, and Luther tells Realm and James that he hopes they’ll feel better. He says good-bye to Dallas—who apparently does freelance work for his office—and then offers me one last smile before taking his team, and Marie’s equipment, out to his van to make more calls.

Marie comes over to the stove, her body still shaking, and puts on a kettle for tea. Wes says he’ll be back and goes to the room with Sloane to check on the others. The space is suddenly intimate, and Marie looks at me.

“Thank you,” she says. “Thank you, Tatum.”

She doesn’t need to thank me for being a good human, and I tell her so.

“How are you feeling?” she asks.

“Little bit of a headache,” I say. “Heartache.”

She nods like she understands and leans her back against the sink. “I didn’t know,” she offers. “Not the extent. I was Arthur Pritchard’s employee, and I brought him Quinlan several times, but I didn’t realize how much she knew. I would have never . . . I didn’t know he was so cruel to her.” She closes her eyes and gathers herself.

“I’ve made a lot of mistakes,” she continues after a moment. “And I’ve spent years trying to correct those mistakes, sometimes making more. I’m sure you can understand that.”