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"It’s okay, Nix"

She wheeled on hiet it? I told Zak that my mom knew about the Lost Girl, and I think that’s why Charlie came to the house It’s because of what I said!"

She hissed the last words at him in a voice that boiled with pain and self-hatred

"My mom’s dead because of rowl He took her by the ar She tried to break away and stand up, but he held her "Listen to me, Nix! Your mom’s dead, because Charlie Matthias is a freak and a h to describe that monster’s nature

Tears streamed down Nix’s face, but her teeth were set and bared "Charlie knew you had the sa they should have just taken the card from you He was furious with you He said that you sassed hi, he’d have shown you manners Manners … That’s a word he used at our house He said that we all needed to show hio of her arms, and Nix leaned back away froh? There have to be several of those cards in print now, even rare Chase Cards like that In all the towns He can’t kill everyone who has one"

"No … it wasn’t just the card It hat he thought Moirl Where to find her And … I think ht have told her where he thought the Lost Girl was" She cut hi about my mom and Gameland?"

Benny nodded

"Mo zos she had to do just because ofto ht was right She did what she had to do She did it because she loved you Only a h to do what she did You can’t let it chew you up"

Nix wiped more tears fro that would take her years to work through He hoped they would have those years

"A few uess Tohtmares were a lot worse after that, and she kept on me all the time not to ever be alone with Charlie or the Haht, Charlie told her that they were taking ave her Mo pin I wished she’d killed him, but he turned on her like an anie her to tell any ht birds kept up their continuous chorus

"Then they hit uess I blacked out, and when I woke up ere already out here in the Ruin They toldme to Gameland"

"Then it’s somewhere close?"

"I don’t think so I overheard the Ha one of the other bounty hunters that they were heading to Charlie’s camp up in the "

"I’ about you with those maniacs"

"Charlie wouldn’t let them hurt me too much He said that I had to be ‘fresh’ for the Z-Ga," Benny said, "in town last night, out here, at Gameland … It’s worse than what the zoms do"

"I know," she said "Zoms are driven by some disease, but, really, they’re mindless and soulless These men have souls and minds, and yet they still do this stuff Not once, but over and over again"

There was a sound off in the distance that sounded like a screah Was it Apache or Chief? Or just the call of so bird?

Benny shifted to sit a little closer to Nix "To kids from places where they wouldn’t beabout that?"

"Yes One of the men said that they’d rounded up a bunch of kids and that they aiting at the camp"

"Do you knohere this camp is?"

"No … but it can’t be far"

Benny chewed on that "If Toht be able to find the caet those kids out"

Nix looked at him "God! I wish there was some way that we could do it"

"Us? Fat chance We don’t have weapons, training, or anything, and there are about a ? We don’t do anything? We just let those kids be taken to that place?"

Benny shook his head "That’s not it, Nix … It’s just that we can’t do anything I mean, be realistic"

"Realistic? Yeah, and you’re always living in the real world, Benny Imura"

"What’s that supposed to irl you saw on a Zo me to be realistic" She shook her head, and they lapsed into a tense silence

"I’m not in love with anyone, Nix Besides, I don’t even know Lilah Don’t be crazy," Benny said

Nix runted

"Benny," she said after a while "A couple of years ago, when Mo Tom to kill Charlie She wanted Tom to find him out here in the Ruin and kill him … But he didn’t do it, Benny! He should have done it … but he didn’t"

"I know But … I think he ht have burned Gameland down"

"So what? The problem isn’t the place, Benny, it’s the people Tom didn’t stop them I think he was afraid of Charlie"

Benny shook his head "You don’t understand To about him He wasn’t afraid of--"

But Nix was on the attack and cut hi him now You always said he eak He was supposed to be so tough, and yet he wouldn’t even do what my mom wanted He couldn’t … and look what happened Mom’s dead" She pounded her fists on the ht-black trees Benny heard the echo and quickly grabbed her wrist