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Where was he in all this though? Travis wasn’t sure He had a job to do

He planned to get it done

He had slid out of bed in the ate system and felt satisfied he had worked out the probleood inside, but one look at Katie and that feeling slipped away He was mad for her and he knew it

Never had he been in love with any woman as he was in love with her But at the same time, he wanted just to make sure she was okay He did not want to cause her anyiven him hope Given hi Nerit’s expression as she slid out of her truck, clutching her sniper rifle in one hand and the collar of her dog in the other, Travis could see just how devastating love could be

Nerit looked pale, her eyes red and swollen She let go of the dog and held out her ar onto both of them, she let out a soft whimper and Travis’ heart broke

Nerit didn’t have to say a word for all of theood, is it," Juan said from behind Travis

Travis glanced back at him and shook his head "No, it’s not"

Thirty minutes later Nerit sat in the council rooarette lit and sarettes at her request and he had taken a pack from his sacred stash

Travis sat down across from her while Jenni and Katie flanked her Both of the women looked stricken Nerit looked calo," she started then took a long drag on her smoke "I was bored I read a lot and had read all the books in our house So I went across the street to the store I knew that they carried sorab sohed "So I went into the grocery store and started collecting reading arden It felt safe, but I still had my rifle, you know?"

Katie nodded "I know We can’t take chances"

"No, no, we can’t There are worse things than zohed She lowered her head for aon soh the paperback rack and I hear a noise outside I look and I see a van with fourout of it in front of the store Ralph stands up, calls out, and one of the men tells him to open the door Ralph says not until he knows that none of them has been bitten So one of theseas she took a deep breath, "One of them shot Ralph"

"Shit," Juan said softly

Jenni lowered her head and Katie reached out to take Nerit’s hand gently

Nerit gripped Katie’s hand so tightly Travis could see that her knuckles hite "So they shot hi to break in They broke out the s and tried to figure out how to pull the bars out of the s

But that building is old and strong They couldn’t figure it out I went to the roof of the grocery store while they did their best to get in" Nerit fell silent as she gathered her strength, then looked up once more "I made it to the roof and took up position They did not even look up"

Travis shifted in his chair, picturing the scene oh too clearly in hisinto position: the men below oblivious

"I could see Ralph slu to start to shoot…make the bastards pay…when anothera woed I could see she was struggling and thedrag on her cigarette, Nerit paused, clearly trying to keep control of her emotions

Travis stood up and sloalked over to theHe had a feeling the story was only going to get worse and the pain e out of Nerit re out of Katie at times

Juan sat next to Jenni and put an arers still rested lightly on Nerit’s ar the girl and I was about to put hiirl’s face It ild…dead…hungry Then he said, ’I told you she was bit’ and kept kicking her She was in a horrible state Her thighs were raw and covered in blood Her breasts bruised and cut To me it looked like they raped her until she was dead But she was alive again or alive as those things are"