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Steve activated the kit The lid locked down, flattening my palm until I felt the tendons stretch There was afor it, I couldn’t feel the needles as they began darting in and out of an to cycle, flashing red, then yellow, and finally settling, one by one, into a steady, unblinking green The entire process took a matter of seconds

Steve s “Despite all natural justice, you’re still clean”

“That’s one lance to the side showed , while Rick’s test was just getting started

“Yeah, well, stop el work so hard,” said Steve, more quietly I looked back to hirave “You can leave the zone now”

“Right,” I said I walked to the gate, where two blank-faced ainst thepad Another needle bit deeply, and the light switched froate clicked open Shakinghand, I stepped out

Our van and Rick’s car had been joined by a third vehicle: a large black van with lea The top bristled with enough antennae and satellite dishes to make our own relatively modest assortment of trans it, as Shaun and Rick made their own exits from the ranch and moved to stand beside iver to you?” Shaun asked

“Can’t io up, say hello, and thank theht have been , but an armed ambush? Definitely a unique way to show that you care” Shaun went bounding for the van Rick and I followed at a more sedate pace

Shaun banged on the van door with the heel of his hand When there was no reply, he balled his hand into a fist and resuood rhytheneral who glared at us with open malice

“I don’t think he’s a music lover,” I commented to Rick He snorted

“I don’t knohat you kids think you’re doing—” began the general

“Pretty sure they were looking for eneral cut off, shifting the force of his glare to the senator Ignoring him, Senator Ryman moved around hiood to see you’re all right I was a bit concerned when I heard that transot lucky,” Shaun said, with a grin “Thanks for getting us through the red tape”

“My pleasure” Senator Ryes, thank you for your concern for the well-being ofto your superiors about this operation, and I’ll eneral paled Still grinning, Shaun waggled his fingers at hi back to Rick andhis ar really stupid shit for the edification of the ht us another three percent today? No, that’s too conservative, for I a men and a poker into unpokeable places Make that five percent Truly, you should all worship h to glance at the Senator He was still forcing himself to smile, but the expression wasn’t reflected in his eyes That was the face of a man under considerable strain

“Maybe later,” I said “Senator Ry to your report,” the senator said “When he heard you’d found so, he called me, and we came out here immediately”

“Thank you for that, sir,” said Rick “If you hadn’t, we ht have had a few issues to contend with”

“Per at overn facility,” I countered “Sir, did you want us to follow you back to the house and give you the details on e found?”

“Actually, Georgia, thank you, but no Right now, I’d like the three of you to return to your hotel and do whatever it is you need to do Go do your jobs” There was soht he looked old at the funeral, but I rong; he looked old now “I’ll call you in the , after I’ve had tihter’s death wasn’t an accident, and to get very, very drunk”

“I understand,” I said Looking to Rick, I said, “Meet us at the hotel” He nodded and turned to head for his car I didn’t want him to ride with us and leave it here We’d just annoyed the army A little accidental “vandalism” wasn’t outside the real, sir?”

“You can count on it” The senator’s voice was overner-side door, holding it open I couldn’t see any other security guards, but I knew they were there They wouldn’t be taking any chances with a presidential candidate this close to a recent hazard zone Especially not after the things we’d just learned

I watched the senator climb into the car Steve shut the door behind hi out Rick’s little ar down the road toward civilization

Shaun put his hand onbefore the jerks in power come up with a reason to detain us? Other than the cat Rick took the cat with hi to be detention, it’ll just be hi electrodes strapped to sensitive parts of his body ”