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“Put down the syringe, Governor,” I said, keeping the gun level “Let her go”

“Shaun, the CDC is piggybacking our feed,” said Mahir “They’re not stopping the trans in Dave and Alaric are rity, but I don’t know that we can stop it if they want to cut us off”

“Oh, they won’t cut us off, will you, Dr Wynne?” I asked I was starting to feel a little light-headed This was all e You think I want to be an only child?

“I’ve got it, George,” IDr Wynne? You there?” If it was him, the CDC ith us If it was anybody else

There was a crackle as the CDC broke into our channel “Here, Shaun,” said the fa in the background “Are you in any danger?”

“Well, Governor Tate’s holding a syringe on Senator Ryes we’ve seen have been full of Kellis-A this one’s any different,” I said “I’ve got a gun on him, but I don’t think I can shoot before he sticks her”

“We’re on our way Can you stall hi my best” I forcedme impassively “Co down and go out like a man instead of like a murderer? More of one than you already are, I mean”

“Not exactly diplo the best I can,” I said

“Shaun, who are you talking to?” asked Senator Rye of live virus on his wife probably had so to do with that

“Dr Joseph Wynne from the CDC,” I said “They’re on the way”

“Thank God,” breathed the senator

“Want to put it do, Governor?” I asked “You know this is over”

Governor Tate hesitated, looking fro crowd Suddenly weary, he shook his head, and said, “You’re fools, all of you You could have saved this country You could have brought rip on E into her husband’s embrace Senator Ry away Governor Tate ignored them “Your sister was a hack and a whore ould have fked Kellis hiotten in a week, when your fickle little audience of botto to remember me, Mason They always remember the martyrs”

“We’ll see,” I said

“No,” he said “We won’t” In one fluid h and pressed the plunger ho at the top of his lungs, ordering people to get back, to get to the elevators, behind secure doors, anything that would get the outbreak Still looking at e,” I said, taking a few seconds to adjust e Less to co off was almost drowned out by the screa and looked, for an instant, almost co the ruined un trained on hins of further movement After several moments had passed without any, I shot him three more times anyway, just to be sure It never hurts to be sure

People were still screa past each other as they rushed for the doors Mahir and Dr Wynne were trying to shout over each other on our open channel, both de to knohether I was all right, whether the outbreak had been contained They were givingit on the table Let the I didn’t need to listen any? It didn’t e’s It was red and bright now, but it would start to dry soon, turning brown, turning old, turning into soot hi my name, but he was too far away to matter Steve and Emily would never let him this close to a hot corpse Until the CDC showed up, I could be alone I liked that idea Alone

Taking two steps backward, I pulled out a chair and sat down at a table that would let me keep an eye on Tate Just in case There was a basket of breadsticks at the center, abandoned by fickle diners when the trouble started I picked one up with un trained on Tate He didn’t move Neither did I When the CDC arrived to take co, Tate with his pool of slowly drying blood, me with my basket of breadsticks They seized the site, sealed it, and ushered us all away to quarantine and testing I kept n that it wasn’t over, that the story wasn’t done He neverdarkness of e? Well, was it? Tell me, if you can, because I swear to God, I just don’t know

I don’t know anything any For You

The next person who says “I’et punched in the nose Because “I’ except remind me that this can’t be fixed This is my world now And I don’t want it