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"I don't think that's gonna happen I'd rather help you"

He studied her briefly, frowning at what he saw "Fine If you want to help, find us so"

"Is there any food here?" she asked

David nodded "No perishables, but there should be plenty of canned goods in the cabinets and bottled drinks in the fridge If we're lucky, there ht even be some coffee stashed in the freezer"

"I'm on it-David left the room--which Noelle now realized was the kitchen--to do God knehat At least he hadn't left her to just sit here with nothing to think about but whether or not he'd coers so that only a faint glow seeped through and carefully checked the cabinets for supplies She found a drinking glass and set it upside down on the counter and placed her flashlight on top of it so it acted as a sort of lantern, giving her just enough light to work by She found some canned stehich she heated in the e Neither appliance had the usual light inside when the door was opened,Noelle wonder just ned this place It was obviously set up for secrecy

She put everything on the table but didn't dare call out for David Instead, she took her flashlight and headed in search of hih that it didn't take long to find him He was in the baseh weapons and a over his head

"What is this place?" she asked, watching hi

"It's one of our safe houses"

"Our? As in?"

"As in not CIA Military"

"Oh A bit paranoid, eh?"

He shot her a quick grin "That's one way to put it I prefer the ter as it means I don't run out of bullets"

Noelle eyed the shelves lining one wall There were boxes of food, gallons of water, gasoline, medical supplies, communication equipment, batteries"This place looks like it was made as a bomb shelter"

"It was"

"Why don't we just hole up down here until I crack the code then?"

"I would if I thought it was safe"

"But you don't?"

"No Someone on the inside knows about you That's ere attacked today I don't want to take the chance that that same someone will know about this place and come after you Anyone who knows the code and has his handprint on file can get in here"

Noelle felt the blood drain fro for the Swarm?"

A snarl twisted his mouth, but his voice was steady "Looks like"

"So how long can we stay here? Should I start working on the code?"

He grabbed a box full ofbag "I'ht need, then get some food and a quick nap if I'm lucky After you've eaten and had some sleep, we'll talk about the code Until then, I need to focus on keeping you alive and that e of these supplies"

He started filling another canvas bag, this time with food and water and a second medical kit

"Do we really need all that stuff?"

"We ht Chances are we'll have to disappear for a while You don't ht about spiders and all the creepy-crawly things that lived in the dirt "If that's e have to do to stay alive, then I'll do it, but it's not oing to need ht We'll need power" He pulled a couple of large batteries off the shelf and so her laptop into a cigarette lighter Those went into yet another bag

Noelle prayed that he'd find her a nice, safe hotel to live in for a few days rather than a spot of cold ground that was inhabited by bugs

"I heated up soreat," he replied "I'll pack this stuff into the back of the Bronco and be there in a couple of rabbed one of the duffels he'd packed and hauled it over her shoulder The thing weighed nearly as ed to haul it up the stairs David followed closely behind her with a duffel over each shoulder

Noelle set hers down by the back door and gawked as he picked it up and added it to his burden

Even in the lihtened and rippled under the strain He wasn't very bulky, but it was clear that every ounce of muscle he had was entirely functional He was probably carrying over two hundred pounds and didn't seelad he was on her side She was also glad that out of all the men at the safe house who could have escorted her here, it was David who'd taken the job As far as she was concerned, he'd proven hi her twice now, and there wasn't another man alive that she would have trusted more than David to keep her safe from the Swarm

"You still have the keys?" he asked

Noelle dug theers brushed hers for a brief second, but the contact sent a jolt of purely feh her system Damn, that adrenaline and hor her hand as if it had been burned Noas not the ti alive It certainly wasn't the ti alone in a very isolated, very dark house together as she was Or if he was having the sahts that she was

David watched her with those eyes that"You okay?"