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39 Roland

Roland opens the envelope that Hayden has just handed him, and reads the note inside:

I KNOW WHAT YOU DID I'LL MAKE YOU A DEAL

MEET ME AT THE FEDEX JET

The note isn't signed, but it doesn't have to be Roland knoho sent it Connor's the only one with nerve enough to blackh The note sets Roland'sI knohat you did There are quite a lot of activities Connor could be talking about He enerators so he can blaht know about the bottle of ipecac he stole fro to flirt with Risa He was planning to use the stuff to spike the drinks, create a puke-fest, and then bla Yes, there are plenty of things Connor could have found out about Roland puts the note in his pocket, showing no eer boy now?"

"Hey," says Hayden, "I'ood with chocolate"

"Get lost," Roland tells him

"Already am" And Hayden strolls away

It burns Roland that he s And after all, bargains and subterfuge are a way of life for hi sure he takes a knife with him--in case there's no deal to be made

40 Connor

"I'm here," Roland calls from outside the FedEx jet "What do you want?"

Connor reet one chance at this, so he's got to do it right "Come inside, and we'll talk about it"

"No, you cooing to be on my terms "If you don't come in, I'll tell everyone what I know I'll show everyone what I found"

Silence for a moment, then he sees Roland's silhouette as he clie now His eyes have adjusted to the diht of the hold, and Roland's have not He leaps forward and firainst Roland's back "Don't o up, as if he's been in this position many times before "Is this your deal?"

"Shut up" Connor uses one hand to frisk hio hold Satisfied, he pushes the gun harder against Roland "Move"

"Where ao Crate 2933 Move!"

Roland begins to walk forward, squeezing between the narros of crates Connor is conscious of every un to his back, Roland is arrogant and sure of himself "You don't want to killto me, they'll tear you apart"

They reach crate 2933 "Get in," Connor says

That's when Roland rabs for the gun Connor expected this He holds the gun out of reach and, using the crate behind hiut and pushes him back Roland falls backward into crate 2933 The second he does, Connor lurches forward, slaes inside, Connor takes aiun once, twice, three ti with the terrified screams from within the crate, and then Roland shouts, "What are you doing? Are you insane?"

Connor's shots had been very precise; they were low, and directed at a corner of the crate "I've given you soiven you airholes" Then he sits down "Noe talk"

41 Mob

Half a mile away, a search party returns from the desert They didn't find Eraves behind a distant outcropping of rocks In a few short h the ranks like flames in a steady wind The Goldens have been found, and apparently they weren't so golden after all Soestion becomes a rumor, and the rumor quickly becomes accepted as fact The Ad Roland says he is--and, hey, where is Roland? He'stoo? So is Connor! What has the Admiral done to them?!

A ry have all simultaneously found one e Theupthe way

42 Risa

A few minutes earlier, Risa had responded to the Admiral's request and showed up at his jet with soreeted by the Admiral, who, as she had told Connor, didn't even know her na her that the experience she's getting here is better than what anyone her age gets in the outside world She tells hi an Army medic, and he seems pleased He coives it to him, but just to be on the safe side, she checks his blood pressure, and he applauds her for being so thorough

There's some sort of co the Admiral's blood pressure Commotion is not unusual here Whatever it is, Risa suspects it will end with bandages and ice packs for someone Her work is never done

43 Mob

Furious kids begin to arrive at the Admiral's jet

"Get him! Get him! Pull him out!"

They climb the steel steps The hatch is open, but just a crack Risa looks out at the wave oftoward her

"He's got a girl in there with him!"

The first of the kids reaches the top of the stairs and heaves the hatch open, only to be met by Risa, and a brutal punch to the jaw It sends hiround--but there's more where he came from

"Don't let her close that door!"

The second kid is ht to his eyes The pain is excruciating He stu up the stairs, and they tus it closed, and seals it fro every piece of loosehow much of a plane can be shredded by bare-handed fury

"Break the s! Pull theround throw rocks that hit their comrades as often as they hit the jet On the inside it sounds like a hailstorm The Admiral blanches at the scene outside the s His heart races His shoulder and arm ache "How did this happen? How did I let this happen?"