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And then, by sohts flicked back on

The first sign of movement didn’t co over the led heaps of white shelves Four of theun raised and ready My first thought, as it almost alhen I saw anyone in a black uniforet the others and bolt

But these weren’t PSFs They weren’t even grown-ups

They were kids, like us

FIFTEEN

AS THEY CAME CLOSER, I saw their rime on their faces They were all thin lireat deal in a short period of tie

All easy to take, if we had to

"Christ on a cracker," the one closest tohis mop of red hair "I told you we should have checked the van first"

Liae

"What the hell are you fools trying to pull?" he snarled There was another sound, too, like the

I cliet to the up toward Chubs’s squinting eyes Without the glasses perched on his nose, he looked like a different person "She’s all right," he said "No burns"

Lia my shoulder for balance as he climbed over one of the overturned shelves

"You okay?" he asked

"Fine," I said "Pissed You?"

"Fine Pissed"

I thought for sure I was going to have to hold him back as we came closer to the cluster of boys, but his fury seemed to fall away frorouped beside an overturned display of neon-colored pool noodles The tallest one, his cloud of frizzy brown hair hovering around a pencil-thin neck, stepped in front of the others--the ginger kid who had spoken before, and two big-shouldered blonds that looked like brothers

"Look, man, I’m sorry," he said

"Do you always do crap like this?" Lia to see if they’re armed--if they’re like you?"

The leader bristled "You could have been skip tracers"

"And it was your Yellow that did all of--this" The ginger kid gestured toward the shelves "The girl needs a leash"