Page 17 (2/2)

DAY 14

The cadets ju us backward down the staircase

They screa with the raw exhilaration true bullies feel

Punching and kicking and pushing, they whaled on us as they pushed us down to the bottotore inside athering up ain I felt jumbled and frozen with the pain of it

I just lay back down on the floor

"Zareet Anna and the others," the lead cadet ordered "Tell theht up for us"

One of the two cadets started back up the stairs

I saw Jake sit up, shaking his head to clear it, trying to recover

"Mickey?" Jake said "Mickey Zareure on the stairs stopped and turned

"Who are you?" he asked

He had short brown hair and a huge bruise on one side of his face

"Jake Simonsen Remember me? I was a prospective at the Academy … I stayed with Ja back down the stairs "I do know this kid Jake He stayed with Jaado This kid can hold his liquor!"

Mickey wanted to cross to Jake, you could feel it, but he waited for a nod froered over to Jake himself

"So we know you, huh, kid? Lucky for you Pretty darn lucky"

Payton gave Jake a hand and pulled hiht up to his face

"Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Bradley Payton, squadron cohtin’ Fourth," he said "And you are?"

"Jake Si

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Jake," Payton said, his face just inches away frorip and Jake backed away a step and looked at the floor

"I hope you got a lot of food, kid ’Cause we’re starving"

"Yeah, totally, whatever we got is yours" Jake grinned, the model of jocularity "We have ht at me and I read total terror behind that s Payton, and a little girl The girl was so a white jacket that wasn’t filthy She looked strange and withdrawn

"This is Anna She’s my niece and she’s our little decoy Our lucky charm" Payton ruffled her hair "Like a rabbit’s foot Only don’t touch her Nobody touches her It’s one of our rules That’s because she’s irl looked far, far away She smoothed her hair doith utter detach any layers so that meant they were all either AB (paranoia) or B (sexual dysfunction) They had guns Shotguns and handguns Each one see

As they clattered down the staircase,a o out and warn Astrid?

Would she know to stay hidden and not co to see what had happened?

Most of all, hoe going to get them to leave?

It was obvious that Payton was paranoid He seeressive

After he’d helped Jake up, Payton saw the wrapped-up bodies in the corner and went right over to the theun

"Naughty, naughty!" he said, wagging a finger at Jake "So to have to keep an eye on you And your friend, too"

What’s your name, honey?" he said He strode over to look into et it! Like the dean of a school!"

Payton was at least twenty, maybe twenty-one or twenty-two Broadly built His crew cut was brown and there were little dots of dried blood on his face From a splatter that was not his own

His eyes were the color of yellow un "What are you, O or A or AB or what? Is that your handiwork over there?" He nodded toward the bodies in the corner

"I’et you out of here before you start to peel, son" He winked atdown the stairs

"Well? Let’s eat!" Payton boomed "Come on, Dean and Jake Simonsen, you two lead the way!"

One of the other cadets hauled me up and I cried out from the pain in my shoulder

"Oh now, don’t whine I hate whiners!" Payton tut-tutted

"Wait," I croaked as the cadet manhandled me toward the two main doors

"What?" Payton shouted "What did you say?"

"Be cool, Dean," Jake said, anxiety heavy in his falsely light tone

"The hatch," I said, talking loudly so I could be heard through my mask "We need to close the hatch"

Payton looked atme for the first time

"Brilliant! Yes! Of course we need to close the hatch I like this kid I like these kids, Zarember! Nice work!"

And he threw his arm around me

My shoulder screamed, but I kept my mouth shut

Jake and I walked them toward the Food aisles (and away froonized step was a prayer for Astrid to get the kids and hide, hide, hide

The cadets whooped and started tearing into the cookies and chips and crackers

Jake and I thought ere forgotten for a moment I took my mask off and rubbed at my face My whole body was covered in a cold sweat

It was stupid, but I was allasses were lost and broken, somewhere outside near the palette loader Maybe I looked cooler and tougher without thele" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>