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A huge burst of psychic power, Judd knew, could do that "If they’d had a full Squad, they could’ve done the whole village at once"

"Yes But I suppose our little rebellion only merited two or three men The ones who did come were powerful - ten men died in the first threeflat on his knees "I leand then I told her to jump in the river"

Judd had seen that river, seen the crue "It was the only way out"

"It was a four-story fall - and Nina was never the strongest of swi the fabric of his white pants, part of the si of a Second Reformation priest "But I proood-bye As she jumped, I prayed to God to keep her safe, to watch over her"

Judd kneithout asking that Nina had never been found "Why didn’t you jump with her?"

"You’re a soldier - you wouldn’t have left either" Xavier took a deep breath "Turns out my head is harder than anyone knew The Psy blast knocked ained consciousness hours later"

"A natural shield," Judd said "Pure chance that you had it, that it was tough enough to deflect the hit" It was likely, he thought, that the Psy tea as little power as possible, because not even a natural shield could protect against a full telepathic blow "You should be dead"

"The assassins obviously didn’t bother to check to uess I was dead for the six ain "You’re quiet, my friend"

Fro to hear the answer to Judd’s question"

Judd had heard the other man come in, heard him lock the door, but hadn’t turned It was part of their unspoken code, one that kept faith with the Psy rebel as both ruthless and - in his oay - utterly loyal

"The answer," Judd said, "is that so long as Xavier believes in God, he can believe that Nina lives, that she soic is inherently flawed," the Ghost pointed out, but there was so in his voice that Judd couldn’t quite catch

Xavier shook his head "There is no logic to it,to do with the head"

The Ghost said nothing Judd hadn’t expected hia less than pure ice

"So," Judd said, "why did you want to meet?"

The Ghost passed a data crystal over Judd’s shoulder "There have been so the crystal, Judd slid it into a pocket "Deaths?"

"Sevenheld in a facility deep in the Dinarides, a re the Adriatic There’s a possibility they’ve all been taken off Jax"

Judd took several minutes to think of the implications of such a radical shift "Either it’s as a result of ais no longer the leader they want to follow," the Ghost completed

"Would it be that easy?" Xavier asked "Won’t the M-Psy be e ofJax reactions is always another Arrow," Judd said quietly "If that Arrow is no longer loyal to Ming"

"What will they do if it’s the latter?" the Ghost asked "If they intend to take the leadership fro?"

"I won’t betray my fellow Arrows" Each and every Arrow had been shaped by his or her ability, all of the their chances of a normal life The fact that Judd was now on the other side of the war did nothing to sever that bond

"The PsyNet can’t handle rogue Arrows," the Ghost argued "They could destabilize the entire system"

"No," Judd said "An Arrow’s first task is toto undermine the stability of the Net"

The Ghost didn’t say anything further Theirs was an alliance of equals, and the rebel knew Judd would not bend on this, as the Ghost wouldn’t when it ca the Net It was Xavier who next spoke "And you, my friend, what is your first loyalty?"

That was a question the Ghost had never answered But it wasn’t, Judd thought, the si far more personal drove the rebel

Now, the Ghost rose "I’ll answer that question when I’ve completed the task deht, they’d continue to fight this war, not knowing if, when push caic or his ruthlessness that would prevail

Chapter 45

Dev had the jet fly the had todrive from the isolated bed-and-breakfast to the airstrip where the jet aiting, they arrived in the late afternoon Jack had called earlier to delay their race, and he needed that time to think, to plan Not only about what he’d say to his cousin, but also about how to end Ming’s terrorization of Katya