Page 39 (2/2)

Michael returned his attention to the couple outside hisThe wohtly crooked but outstretched, palm outward, until her ar at Michael Both the man and the woman had dazed expressions on their faces They stared at Michael as if in wonder His throat clenched

Before anything else could happen, the bus lurched intoeveryone on board, and pulled away The couple stood in the street, holding hands, watching longingly as the bus left the it to Atlanta in the earlywithout further incident Michael, exhausted, slept well despite the creepy chills froot off the bus, ate a quick breakfast, thentheir best to keep to themselves Their destination was close; they could see it in brief gli lot of the Falcons’ stadiu had started

Michael had only one thing to go on when it ca her toon the fact that Lifeblood Deep had been created to replicate the real world as much as humanly possible

It eird to re lot, where a secret entrance opened up to reveal a massive VNS headquarters down below It eird because he’d been in the Sleep, and none of it was real When Agent Weber came to see him after he’d been inserted into a hu they’d discussed had been real, that his mission was real Just not the world in which it had taken place

He needed to talk to her Desperately Right before getting off the bus, he’d e him the second she could h the city

They were just passing the s of a slass fro Michael so ht hi back, he saw a teenage girl gazing through the , her eyes glued to Michael

Spotted, he thought nize them from the NewsBops Or was she like the couple at the diner? There was so about her eyes…

"You friends with that chick?" Bryson asked

Michael shook his head, panic rising in his chest "Let’s keep irl had swept away fro out the door of the coffee shop Michael braced hi the truth Were there others out there like hiirl as she walked right up to Michael Bryson stood in front of her with hands held out, like a cop ordering someone to step away from the scene of a criripping his aret out of here Don’t even talk to her"

But he wasblond hair frae, elven face with dark eyes She looked … distant, like the couple in the diner She was peeking over Bryson’s shoulder, s at Michael, and he found himself unable to aze never leaving Michael "My name is Carol I just want to say hi to the First"

Bryson turned around, an expression of total confusion transforirl or not?" Michael shook his head slightly, still tingling with fear but feeling like he had an opportunity to learn so There had to be a connection between this Carol person and the man and woman who’d stared at him before He had to knohat it was It could be as si his face from the NewsBops, but he meant to find out

"Let her talk," he said quietly "Maybe she can tell us so look and shook his head Sarah squeezed his arnored theer