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"Coh with my hand and he pressed a little closer to Grahed "Looks like I’ve gotGras and I felt bad "It’s okay boy, you’re a good dog"

His tail started to wag again I had to be careful not to think bad thoughts around Onyx After all, ere connected

Death Connection

Graroup "I know I didn’t have a definite resolution for you kids tonight But everyone’s coht?"

Everyone nodded

"I’ll think of so by then And, we’ll do a little look-see underneath the hood," Graer to the Caht" He walked over to Sophie and gave her shoulder an aard pat

Gramps wasn’t much for affection

But, he did care

It was in his eyes, the tight way he watched us pile into the cars, his large hands reasy toith Archer’s blood all over it

I watched him watch us until Bry’s car turned the bend and ere out of sight

If Graure it out ere up a creek

A shit creek, he would’ve said

Without a paddle

We were quiet as we drove back to Kent On the way ho, ten-hts and woods flanked the road,it feel narrow

I hadhiether in the back My eyes flicked to Bry’s rear viewit had a spiderweb crack in it I could still make out Mia’s toaster back there, Sophie, Tiff, Lewis and Mia packed inside Just as hts, they flicked back Later I was never sure why those headlights mattered but unease awoke inside me and Jade turned to look at me

"What?" she asked I could just ht and there was the barest hint of the day left

"I don’t know exactly"

"Hey," she squeezedto shake if off

John turned around, shoehorned into the front between Bry and Alex

"What did you say?"

"Oh shit!" Bry exclaimed and I felt the jerk to our left when he over corrected to the right

The car glanced onto the shoulder, gravel kicking up and spraying noisily underneath the wheel wells The steering colu on theels then righting itself as it ca stop in theour way My unease flared, burning brightly noatched as the engine ran and the war night air Guys in suits exited the vehicle

Graysheets

I knew this right off because Parker ith theuy that’s a five-point AFTD and pops up to either kidnap me or save me I never knehich

Great

I whipped my head around, my neck sore from the fun of the car episode and saw that Mia had stopped the tin can and they’d already gotten out Another government vehicle behind them

We were boxed in

That’s what the plan had been all along

Onyx growled, picking up on roup outside our car No need for words, her hand clenched in onna just have to kill hiot out of the car Jonesy, Alex, Bry, Jade, John and irls behind us and they walked over to where we stood, Tiff in the lead

Parker and his losers spread out in a loose circle around our group

"John"

He looked at onna need you" He nodded and I turned to Tiff She came to my side

I looked at Parker and he stared back

"It’s not what you’re thinking, Caleb," he began His suits stood behind him, the buttons on their black blazers undone so they could shoot a bunch of teenagers if the need arose

Yeah, so nonthreatening

"You wouldn’t knohat I was thinking if it bit you on the ass," I replied levelly, ready

He smiled "We know that a certain individual has been infiltrating the AP girls’ realreat, that givesa uy behind Parker hts from Bry’s car revealed hiuy anywhere Wonder how his head was doing after the Indian Chief took care of hi up ti leader, they of the Slow Learner Battalion Yeah

"Stay out of it, senuinely not freaked out about them It would’ve been funny if it wasn’t so serious

"Make me, nicotine slut" His teeth were a white crescent that flashed in the one

Skinny-Smoker’s hands balled into fists "Let oddamn ether

Crap

I took stock of where the girls were Tiff was on board, defiant as always Jade was behindbehind Alex and Bry

Parker talked conversationally as he cas like this but it seeers doesn’t give uys are losers and I don’t trust you I got that e loud and clear"