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Connor had stopped responding in the middle of the battle, and the Juvies had, one by one, taken out the power generators, plunging the ComBoht it’s over Through the s of the Co ra out: Mission accomplished

Hayden thinks that otten--that they can sit it out for a few more hours, then make a break for freedom But the Juvenile Authority is smarter than that

"We know you’re in there," they shout through a bullhorn "Coet hurt"

"What do we do?" the kids around hi" Being that the ComBom was the communications center and brain of the Graveyard, it’s one of the few crafts with all its outer doors in place and in working order It’s also one of the few crafts that can only be opened froan, Hayden had sealed the airtight hatch, leaving them as self-contained and cut off as a submarine Their only defense is their isolation and a subun Connor insisted that Hayden have He doesn’t even kno to fire the thing

"You’re in a hopeless situation," the Juvies yell through their bullhorn "You’ll only make matters worse for yourselves"

"What could be worse than all of us getting unwound?" Lizbeth asks

Then Tad, who fro close to Hayden as if they’re joined at the hip, says, "They won’t unwind you, Hayden You’re seventeen"

"Details, details," Hayden says "Don’t bother me with details"

"They’ll storm us!" warns Nasias us, and a SWAT tea us out!"

The others look nervously to Hayden to see what he’ll say "The riot police have already left," Hayden points out "We’re not ih to storm We’re just cleanup I’ll bet they just left the fat, stupid Juvies to wait for us" And the kids laugh He’s glad that they can still laugh

Regardless of IQ and body ht," they announce "We can wait as long as you can"

And they do

At dawn they’re still there--just three squad cars and a sray transport van The h the raid, are now camped out just fifty yards away, their antennas and satellite dishes high

Hayden and his holdout Whollies have spent the night dozing on and off Now the sight of the ives soo out there," Tad says, "we’ll be on the news Our parents will see us Maybe they’ll do son a second unwind order? You only need one"

At seven fifteen, the sun clears the ins to roast They h for fifteen kids who are already beginning to sweat out ht o’clock, the temperature hits one hundred, and Hayden knows this can’t last So he comes back to his favorite question, but this time it isn’t rhetorical

"I want you all to listen to me and think about your answer to this," he tells them He waits until he’s sure he has all their attention, then says:

"Would you rather dieor would you rather be unwound?"

They all look to one another Some put their heads in their hands Some sob dry tears because they’re too dehydrated to cry Hayden silently counts to twenty, asks the question again, then waits for the answers

Es hacker, is the first to break through the firewall of silence "Die," she says "No question"

And Nasim says, "Die"

And Lizbeth says, "Die"

And the answers start to come faster

"Die"

"Die"

"Die"

Everyone answers, and not a single one of the

"Even if there is such a thing as ‘living in a divided state,’ " Eset unwound, the Juvies win We can’t let them win"

And so, as the teainst the bulkhead and does so he hasn’t done since he was little He says the Lord’s Prayer Funny how soet

"Our father, who art in heaven"

Tad and several others are quick to join in "Hallowed be thy nains to recite an Isla the Shema in Hebrew Death, as they say, doesn’t just ions one

"Do you think they’ll just let us die?" Tad asks "Won’t they try to save us?"

Hayden doesn’t want to answer him, because he knows the answer is no From the Juvies’ point of view, if they die, all they lose are kids no one wanted anyway All they lose are parts