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"Len’s Dead He--"

"Was killed by the Fec?" four voices ask at once, not letting Bowen finish Guns click, feet scuffle, and the tent flap is thrown aside The four guards peer in at uns aimed at my heart

"I don’t knohat happened Len was in the tent," Bowen says, pushing between the guns and et the kid out of there I’ll put hiuys take care of Len"

"Wait … you’re taking hie! Have you lost your--" Tommy’s mouth snaps shut as his dark eyesyour shirt?" he asks

Bowen clears his throat and glances at his bare chest "Yeah I guess so" He kneels beside me, releases my ankle cuffs, and helpsa Level Ten, Bo And he’s not wearing wrist cuffs! It’s no wonder he killed Len For the sake of the calares at Toe of the Fec I’ll do what I deem necessary for the safety of the cauard follows us as he leads me to his tent He holds the flap up while I crawl inside, and then I aated from the others by fabric walls "Do not leave your post! Nooutside his tent "And if the kid does anything, Tase before you shoot Tase to stun, not kill"

"Where are you going?" Tos to do," Bowen says, voice fading as he walks away

I lie atop Bowen’s sleeping bag withmy tender arms around my chest, I roll ontoto happen to me no that I have killed one of thepeople forto stand hts turn slowly froently swirling oblivion, and my eyes refuse to stay open

Quiet footsteps hts aside, I open my mouth to scream

"It’s me," Bowen says His voice is salve to my fear My mouth snaps shut as he crawls into the tent, barely illuray dawn

"Where’s your unifor faded blue jeans and a tattered Sprite T-shirt

"I hid it" He stuffs sos it over his shoulder

"Why would you do that?" I ask

He looks at ue? Youthe camp?"

He nods

"Why?"

"I can protect the camp from you, no problem But …" He takes an empty backpack fro into it "… I can’t protect you froet you to the lab" He tosses the pack at me, and I catch it

"What do youme shiver

"For starters, you killed Len with your bare hands You’re a girl You shouldn’t be strong enough to kill hins of turning" His eyes meet mine "Once the cae"

I sondering if I ae Am I about to morph into a bloodthirsty beast? I don’t feel any different than I did yesterday Not physically, at least

"What do you think," I ask, searching Bowen’s face

Bowen catches his lip in his teeth and stares atif our roles were reversed But that’s not the irl"

I frown, confused

"Most of them haven’t set eyes on a wo, pretty woman"

"What about you?" I ask

"That includes me But I know me And I trust et you out of here Now So put on the backpack"