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Dr Banks setative co a knot of ice in , pounding in my ears until it beca but the druain "What did you just say?" I whispered I wanted to shout I wanted to scream I couldn’t make h to hear what I had said "What did you just say, Dr Banks?" he asked, and the sudden chill in his own voice told me that he had looked at the situation and reached the sainal naetative state She was alert and aware through the bulk of her crossover I have the data" He held up his hard drive again, as if re us of its existence "I can help you, and all I’ive me a little help in return"

"Help is commonly reciprocal between equals, a ation from superiors," said Anna, in the saaze didn’t waver, continuing to stare off into thethe rest of us couldn’t see

All the cold inpoint I strode forward, toward Dr Banks, ignoring the guns that were now pointed at my back I dimly heard Dr Cale bark an order, but as it didn’t contain my name, I neither stopped nor slowed All my attention was fixed on the man in front ofpleased to see ly

"Sally, my dear, I knew that you would under--" he said, before ered backward, eyes wide and wounded, like a feral animal’s The shell of cold around etting ready to hit hied my mind, and snatched the hard drive from his hand instead He stared at o back to punching hi factor in the chaos, said and did nothing She just stood there, staring blankly ahead, her hand still curved like she was holding on to Dr Banks

"I’m tired of this," said Dr Cale wearily, her words audible now that the icy shell was gone "Take them"

Instantly, Fishy and Fang began toproduced a syringe from inside his jacket and drove it into the side of Dr Banks’s neck Daisy stepped forward, reaching for Anna

A wave of panicked protectiveness swept over htly curved hand in ers to part long enough for ed her forward She stuh

"No," I said, putting ainstwith me as malleably as a doll "Don’t touch her She doesn’t understand--she’s still so--don’t touch her You need to leave her alone"

"Sal, sweetheart, you’re going to have to let go of the new girl eventually," said Dr Cale "She needs a full exa to face her Anna turned withwith her breath, I would have suspected her of being a large, elaborate decoy--but no, that wasn’t possible, was it? I could feel her, a presence that had suddenly joined my overall map of the universe in an undeniably perer, maybe because he was the first, and those channels in my mind hadn’t been open yet when he and I htfully, frowning Her expression didn’t change e heard the dull thud of Dr Banks’s body hitting the elevator floor Finally, she asked, "What if I let you come with her while we set her up for an examination, so that you can see that she’s safe, and then aftere can talk about this like adults?"

It was the best that I was likely to get It et her settled, and then go find Adam I nodded "Okay," I said "Anna? Is that okay with you?"

Anna didn’t say anything at all

Sell your face to buy your mask,