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"DO AS SHE SAYS," GROWLED A VOICE BEHIND THEM, AND BENNY, NIX, and Chong wheeled around to see aout of the woods beyond the bristlecone tree He was tall and ed, with black hair tied back in a ponytail and bloody bandages around one thigh and his forehead

He stopped forty yards away and raised a shotgun to his shoulder, the barrel pointed at Benny’s head

"Riot," barked the irl--Riot--gave a short, harsh laugh "Y’all heard the oodies andair come sundown"

Benny did not drop his sword, but instead irl

Riot looked past Benny "You okay, squirt?"

"Ry-Rywhere’s--?" Then the little girl saw thesaid, "‘Daddy’?"

The man’s face hite, but his eyes hardened "Take your filthy hands off ’s cool here and--"

"I won’t tell you a second ti step forward

Nix swung the pistol toward hi stare "You pull that trigger, mister, and I’ll kill you where you stand"

The irl"

"And you’re at a long range for a shotgun Let’s see who’s left standing to take the next shot"

Benny said, "And you really want to fire a shotgun with a kid here?"

They were all in bad positions Benny felt the er, probably everyone would die

The man’s face was flushed, and fury seethed in his eyes as he looked froain "Why can’t you freaks just let us be?"

"What are you talking about?" barked Nix "How are we bothering you?"

A third stranger ca, and once more Benny realized that he and his friends were boxed in

The newco a hooded sweatshirt that was sht blood She held an ax in her hands, and its blade glistened with red

Blood, whispered Tom inside Benny’s mind Zoms don’t bleed

I know, Benny told hi?

Behind Benny, Eve cried, "Mo tried to hold Eve, but Riot shot a stone at Chong,his nose by half an inch Eve broke free and ran like lightning across the clearing toward the woman

The woman fairly shrieked "EVE! Oh my GodEvie!"

She dropped her ax and swept Eve into her ar and all that, but if they’re here, then where’s Lilah?"

Benny cut a cautious look around, but there was no sign of the Lost Girl

The hter and wife, but he kept his shotgun pointed at Benny They were thirty yards away, and Benny took a step toward hilad to--"

"You freeze right where you are, boy," barked thevoice "If you reaper scuirl’s head, I’ll see you dead--and it won’t be no ticket to paradise No sir, it’ll be slow and ugly Tell "

Benny froze, and his s paint in a stiff wind "No," he said neutrally, "I think you’re telling the absolute truth But you aren’t"I’m real certain I don’t like the sound of that"

"Benny--?" began Nix, but Benny cut in

Under his breath he said, "Keep your gun on hi himself squarely between Nix and Riot

"Sarah," said theto her?"

"I’rowled at her

"Hush, girl"

The wohter, then pulled her into another hug "She’s fine, Carter They didn’t hurt her"

"They didn’t have time," sneered Riot "I told you we’d find her"

"Of course we didn’t hurt her," snapped Nix "We rescued her"

"Oh yeah," mocked Riot, "I’m sure"

"What’s the truth of it, Evie?" said Carter "None of your pretend stories now Did these people hurt you? Did they touch you?"

Eve shook her head Her eyes ide and filled with doubt and confusion

"It’s true,chased by zohtening her aim at Nix "Rescued, huh? Don’t buy that bullcrap, Carter I’ll bet rab Eve so they could sacrifice her That’s just the kind of thing she’d like"

"Sacrifice?" gasped Benny "What are you, nuts or so chased and--"

"We know she was being chased," cut in Riot "How stupid do you think we are?"

"You really want an answer to that, baldy?" asked Nix coldly

"Well, ain’t you got a srin "I’d love to kick it off your face"<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>