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“I bet ould have, too,” said Steve, watching as I dropped the testing unit into a biohazard bag He was holding his sunglasses loosely in one hand, and his eyes were the eyes of a man who’s looked into hell and found he couldn’t cope hat he was seeing I wouldn’t have been willing to bet that ot a plan from here?”

“Oh, the usual Get a vehicle, head for whatever site they have the candidates under lockdown at—”

“Right where you left them,” Steve interjected

“Well, that’s convenient I know the security layout there Anyway, head back to the candidates and have a chat with Governor Tate” I shrugged “Maybe blow his brains out I don’t know The plan is still in the forrinned, the expression feeling foreign on my face “I’d love one”

“Good Because my boys and I—what’s left of et hurt just because you felt like being stupid and going it alone”

The ludicrousness of it all was enough to et er security detail?”

“Guess so”

“Get your boys” The laughter faded as I looked at hiot on the road”

So door between our rooht We’d still share a room if they’d let us, turn the other room into an office and have done with it Because both of us hate to be alone, and both of us hate to have other people—people outside the country we’ve ether—around e’re defenseless We’re always defenseless e’re asleep

We leave the connecting door open, and I wake up in the night to the sound of hi to stay alive after he finally slips up He’ll die first, we both know it, but I don’t know I really don’t kno long I’ll stay alive without him That’s the part Shaun doesn’t know I don’t intend to be an only child for long

—Froia Mason, June 19, 2040