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"I don’t think so"

A tray drops on the table so abruptly that I jump in my seat And I hate that I jue here when I most need to appear calm Natural a the opposite would s out

I look hard at Sean, just so glad he’s here So flutters inside me as he tosses the sun-streaked hair back froaze over everyone, his eyes inscrutable but no less penetrating

He acts like everything is ordinary As though he sits at this table every day Like Mount Haven is nothing new He pops the top on a can of peach juice and takes a long swig I watch, mesmerized at the play of muscles in his throat

"Friend of yours?" Jackson asks, and there’s souardedness that wasn’t there before

"Yes," I say

Sean sets his can down and levels his gaze on Jackson and Tully He looks iainst the fabric of his T-shirt I scan hi the cut of his biceps The intricate tattoo pattern spiraling over sinew andsoft about him Dead eyes Flat, cold He’s the boy I first saw in Pollock’s office This glis that all back He scared me then

The silence lengthens Jackson and Tully stare back at Sean, unblinking Tension lines their shoulders and thickens in the air

Gil speaks up "We all caether"

"Nice," Jackson ering onfor my plate, Sean lifts a slice of bacon off it The action is faether Friends Maybe more than that Untrue, of course He made that clear when I visited his when I think on it We’ll never beback in his chair, he tears a bite with his strong teeth "It is nice"

No one says anything else for the remainder of the lances atat me, Sabine, Sean, and Gil

"Five minutes, people!" one of the instructors shouts

Relief ripples through me

Jackson and Tully shovel in severaltheir trays with them

Sean follows their retreat with narrowed eyes before sliding me a look Emotion sparks in his eyes I’one "You need to keep a low profile"

"Like that’s possible I’onistic," Gil points out

I glare at him "What am I supposed to do? Just roll over for him?"

"You saw hiot his rocks off every time you ht

Sean looks athe can’t be here every minute for me And that infuriatestrash onto my tray

"Davy" His hand snatches hold of er on h he thinks I just need hihtens my chest as I realize just how much I want hi can protect us in here"

I pull ently squeeze Sabine’s shoulder, so slight and delicate beneathtrained in here They don’t want us to hurt each other We’ll , I deliberately avoid looking at Sean Sabine rises beside , I move to the line where everyone waits to dump their trash Sean and Gil follow I can feel their presence behind me, hear the low murmur of their voices

I feel eyes onateach other up, probably wondering who’s going to be the first to crack in this place and let their killer out

Quarantined Zones:

ATLANTA, GEORGIA

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND

FLINT, MICHIGAN

ST LOUIS, MISSOURI

OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

DALLAS,TEXAS

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

MIAMI, FLORIDA

DETROIT, MICHIGAN

LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS

CLEVELAND, OHIO