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My gaze ency insignias and one pickup truck sit parked near the ca as they look over the dead bodies One man walks to each one and snaps a photo of their faces Done with that, the rest of them then lift and deposit the corpses in the back of the truck, tossing them like sacks of corn I flinch at the thud of each body Soon they’re all gone, collected like garbage to be discarded

That could have been me

If I hadn’t walked ahen I did Sweat beads ht, pained blink Lucky doesn’t begin to describe it Maybe it’s fate Orand everyone, looking out for me The instant I think this, I feel sick Selfish and stupid Why would I think myself any more important than all those people in the back of that truck? No Not people anyain, tossing a few bags and othernothing behind

Doors slaines rev and dust billows in the air as they drive off, their taillights fading away in the ht Except for the still ripe scent of blood in the air and stained earth, it’s like nothing ever happened here I wait several moments, half-afraid they’ll come back Maybe it’s a trick Maybe they left so for uy who stared inout here somewhere

Or ainst the ground The grit grinds into my skin, but I don’t care My shoulders shake with silent sobs I’ency headquarters in Los Angeles only further confirms the necessity of our role in a country ever closer to chaos This is not a time to weaken our resolve Greater ht carriers We need to find the head of the snake and cut it off

--Dr Wainwright

in a private hearing before Congress

EIGHTEEN

I’M NOT SURE HOW LONG I STAY PUT AT LEAST LONG enough to convince h to stop shaking so very badly Long enough to decide that I have to try and get to Caden Tell him what happened Warn him

By the ti The sun is high in the sky My scalp feels burning hot beneath ht a hat with me

I think of Caden and hohen he foundthe day There’s a reason for that beyond avoiding patrols I understand that now The heat is et worse as the day advances