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We’d been passing abandoned cars and empty houses the whole tiht had keptat as around us Now, the sun was rising, and there was no way not to see the wreckage of the world Not without closing h for what had happened that I couldn’t bring myself to do that This was the world ly hurt a hu, or that I had actually killedmyself firmly on the side of my creators This was still e weren’t alone The streets of Vallejo were equally choked, although the vehicles had been carefully pushed to this side or that, creating open channels in the ht those channels were organic, arising naturally as the drivers had succu the car from one clear path to the next, it was clear that they had been created to allow for occasions just like this one

It ht have been okay if the cars had been es were too much to ask Windoere s-dried blood, or both Bodies were still belted into the seats where they had died, while others had fallen in the street, dried out by the elements or picked clean by predators Every tied another flock of crows, sending the urban scavenger birds flapping into the early h to turn bold, because they came back as soon as we rounded the next corner; I could see the to their prizes if I looked behind hts were still on in half the city, with flickering streetlaruously well-lit storefronts on every street Nathan sawand said, "Not all systeh of the city is on solar or hydro power that it’ll be months before Vallejo is completely dark"

"Even then, a few of the power stations are still puo around and shut everything off, but if this place goes dark before it stops being a bright spot on the grid, soure out that we’re here, and we’d rather avoid that for as long as possible"

"Why?" I asked

"Because Doctor C is wanted for terrorism, naturally," said Fishy

Nathan didn’t say a word

I twisted in my seat to look at him, eyes wide, and asked, "Is that true?"

"She did help create a creature that is now in the process of destroying the human race," said Nathan "Whether that was her intention or not, it doesn’t look good"

"Oh," I said, and then the vast, primary-colored shape of Captain Candy’s Chocolate Factory came into view ahead of us, and conversation died, at least for thelot and through an open gate into an underground garage that had probably been used to house delivery trucks, once upon a tione now, except for a few parked against the far wall Fang drove across the garage to the row of spaces right in front of a pair of sliding glass doors Soft white light poured through the glass, bathing us in radiance, welcoain, asshole," said Fishy a up his rifle as he slid out "Dr Cale’s going to have your head"

"Dr Cale doesn’t drive, and like I keep telling you, hu "How else can you explain the things we’ve done to ourselves? Sal, I’ain" He got out of the car, pocketing the keys, and went striding toward the door

"Asshole," repeated Fishy, and trotted after hi like they were frozen to the seat I’d wanted nothing et back to the people I’d lost since I was taken, and now that safety seerasp, I was terrified What if Dr Cale was angry with rabbed? What if they tried to lock ain? I couldn’t handle another cage I just couldn’t

"Sal" Nathan’s voice was gentle I turned to face hiainst htened I’m pretty sure that I’d be scared too, if our positions were reversed But you’re ho to be mad at you To be honest, she thinks you’re so to see you again" His voice broke a little on the last word That,the truth

I leaned forward and kissed him He kissed me back, and for a few minutes, all the rest didn’t ether, and no one was trying to pull us apart That orth everything in the world So I kissed hime into his lap, and I was exactly where I was , and would have been, if we’d been just a little bit more careful

Nathan’s cheeks were flushed when he pulled away, and his glasses were fogged,and wild-eyed and a little lost "I thought you were gone, and I was trying to make myself believe it," he said "I aive up on you"