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"As long as it’s in range of the transmission, yes," he said "But when I said it’s a kill code, it’s literal If we push it today, it kills three people in this room: Bryn, Riley, and Annie"

"Four," Joe said Manny looked stricken "Sorry Meant to tell you but we haven’t exactly had a chance to catch up It was this, or being dead on a cell floor"

Manny took in a deep breath "Four people in this room But it’s not only that There are unknown numbers out there--the survivors from Pharmadene The ones the Fountain Group has infected, deliberately The ones already inoculated by other groups I don’t have any idea how many lives this will take--thousands, maybe tens of thousands My point is this: tomorrow, it will be more Howaction?"

The silence was profound enough that Bryn thought she could hear Patrick’s heartbeat It see adrenaline into her body like shiht In this case, neither one would work

"I’ht about it, every single day since you disappeared; at the tiet back for what those bastards did That’s why I put it together--revenge Revenge and paranoia, because you know me, I’m paranoid and I adot up, and looked out theat the array of h person to make this call"

"Nobody is," Riley said "You can’t We can’t You’re talking about playing God as much as those people are"

"It has to be done" That came from probably thedown in the chair, looking young and sweet and utterly vulnerable Her clear gaze was locked on Manny like a laser "Guys, it has to be Never mind us Never mind who else dies that doesn’t deserve to The point is, we stop it now or it doesn’t stop Because if we don’t want to push the button on four people here, or a thousand out therewhat happens at a million?" Her eyes filled with tears, and she blinked theet a choice None of us did, really So I say push the button"

"It’s not a vote," Patrick said "It’s your sister’s life, and I’ to just--give up There’s another way"

"Not one that works," Manny said He spun the computer around "Just press enter It’s ready to send"

On the screen was a text box, a pop-up that read sihlighted

"Liam?" Manny said The older man stood still for a ersbut then he shook his head and looked away "Patrick?"

"Fuck you," Patrick said tightly "No"

"Pansy?"

"No," she whispered "I’m sorry I can’t"

That left the four of them The infected

"No," Riley said, unprompted "Not at that price"

"You mean, at the price of your life?"

"That’s exactly what I ht she saw the same flat, predatory expression in her eyes that Jane had so often flashed We’ve changed, she thought, and felt a chill We’ll keep changing He’s right We ht still be human, but it won’t last

Joe just shook his head when Manny’s gaze flicked to him That left Bryn and Annie

Bryn held out her hand Annie took it

"Together?" she asked

"Bryn!" Patrick grabbed her "No No, you can’t do this"

"Yes, I can," she said "You don’t see it You’ve never seen it"

"Seen what?"

"The monster," she said "And I don’t want you to ever see that"

She reached for the button

Riley hit her fro face-first onto the corner of the desk; bone shattered, blood splattered Bryn rolled, throwing her off balance, and et her ar into her eye It went through the ht between the bones; she used that, and twisted, yanking it out of Riley’s fingers She punched Riley, punched her again, tossed her into the wall, and buried the knife in the other wom Riley screaes and drawing blood

"This," Bryn asp out "This is e are now No future, no fa after us Just the et worse This is the future Push the button!"

Patrick had forgotten her sister, riveted by the horrifying violence she and Riley were inflicting on each other

Nobody thought to stop her as Annie, weeping, walked to the desk and pressed ENTER