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"If any of the to punch a Benny-shaped hole right through the wall," he said

"Just don’t get in my way," said Nix

The muted moan of the zoms followed them

"God," she said, "I can’t stand to look at theainst one wall and sidled past the front row of seated zoms Each box was labeled:

HOPE 1

AMERICAN NATION BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH AND TESTING FACILITY

FIELD RESEARCH & RECORDS

There were over eighty boxes

"Lot of research," he murmured

"What?" asked Nix fro," he said "Just junk Let’s get the heck out of here"

They crept past the zoain, hurried down the corridor, and stepped into the hatch Nix dropped the torch and stamped it out as Benny pulled the door shut

They peered over the edge of the hatch, saw only empty desert and the sparse forest, and clio," said Nix as she swung her leg over the edge

"I’ll be down in a sec," said Benny as he fished his matches out of his vest pocket "There’s plenty of wax here I’ to reseal the doors Maybe they won’t knoe’ve been in here"

Nix nodded and began cli"

It wasn’t difficult work Benny used so the debris to hold the flame, and he picked up all the wax he could find and dribbled it over the handles, then pressed the red ribbons back in place The original job had been thorough but not neat, and his finished product looked about the sa underfoot and moved to the open hatch

He was just about to call Nix’s name when he heard her screa near where they had exited the forest earlier, but she was not alone

She was surrounded by a dozen reapers

77

SAINT JOHN STOOD ON A ROCKY OUTCROP THAT OFFERED AN EXCELLENT view of the forest, the plateau, and the surrounding desert Brother Peter and other trusted reapers had co hi that happened inside the forest

"Observe only," Saint John had instructed them "Do not be seen, and do not interfere until you have talked to me"

These reapers were his, heart and soul, and they obeyed without question They were also very shosts and they watched like owls For some of them it was hard not to take action It was as if the knives at their belts ached to open red mouths in every person who ht hie puzzle, Saint John assee did not entirely surprise hi to break his heart

Soat once

Riot had been spotted Carter’s daughter, Eve, and an unknown heretic--a Chinese boy whose body rapped in bandages--ith Riot, sharing a quad with her They were heading by a circuitous route toward the Shrine of the Fallen

The ranger, Joe, had also been seen A dozen reapers had fled from him rather than lay down their own lives to send that sinner into the darkness Saint John would have Brother Peter re-educate theer, it see toward the shrine

And two children had been seen cliirl with a scarred face and a boy with Japanese eyes

Nyx and her knight

That was a piece of the puzzle Saint John did not yet understand Several intriguing possibilities occurred to him, each of them dependent on whether this Nyx was a true manifestation of Thanatos’sfalse, perhaps a deainst God’s will Saint John would send Brother Peter to learn the truth

Brother Peter came to join him

"Honored One, I sent a hundred runners out," he said "It will take at least a week to gather everyone froood We will leave coded signs so theyman nodded toward the line of red mountains that separated the forest from the vast desert

"Sanctuary is so close," he said, amazed "All this time, so close"

"We were not lanced at hi so we’ve put our own desires before the will of our god The fact that its location ithheld from us is proof that God had other work for us"

"Butwe can take it We have the nus in their time," said the saint with mild reproof in his voice

Brother Peter placed his hand on his wings and bowed "Forgive a sinner, Honored One"

Saint John patted his shoulder

They both looked off toward the northeast

"Nine towns," reed Peter

"When we corown Re a battle--the lord of the darkness simply wants a victory A knife will accomplish this, but a tsunaetting it now "And what of Mother Rose?"

"She craves Sanctuary The thought of it has corrupted her" He sighed "The darkness does not know her anymore"

78

BENNY FROZE HE WAS UP IN THE HATCHWAY OF THE AIRPLANE, AND NIX was down on the ground She had a pistol with two bullets, he had a sword

There were at least a dozen reapers, not to mention Brother Alexi Nix had her pistol out in a flash, the hammer thumbed back, barrel pointed down at her side

"You lose your way, iant "Can’t find your friend Carter in all these big, bad woods?"

"Look, mister," replied Nix, "I don’t knoho you are or what you want Just leave me alone"

"I think we’re already past that You’re where you shouldn’t be, s you shouldn’t see, and that’s a real proble of yours," Nix said She kept the pistol pointing down, but Benny could tell that everyone in the clearing are of it None of therinned "And I suppose all those papers stickin’ out of your pockets are just homework? Or maybe notes to your boyfriend?"

"Just leave me alone"

Alexi shook his head He hoisted his hammer and laid it across one massive shoulder "Te can play this You be nice and hand me those papers, or I take them off of you You won’t like it the second way"

Even up in the plane Benny could hear the other reapers laugh Benny couldn’t tell whether that was because these reapers were different or because the woman, Mother Rose, wasn’t here At the roup of thugs

Nix suddenly raised the pistol and pointed it at the giant’s chest

"If anyone tries to touchthe papers, er, sweet cheeks My chosen ones will leave pieces of you along thirty rowled Nix, and the giant gave an appreciative laugh

Benny knew that this situation was going to fall apart any second Even if Nix shot the giant, she had only two bullets left, and then it would be her with a bokken against a dozen killers with knives and swords He al down

Almost

But an idea stopped him

Knives and swords

He reached up and touched the sword he carried, thought about it, shook his head, and instead drew his knife