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The US Army and National Guard had created a virtual barrier around don Los Angeles using the elaborate freeway systeht circle around the inner city, choking us off from the outside world The 101 was to the north and east, the I-10 to the south, and the 110 to the west Weif we’d left i back up to the surface froe of HQ, butthere was that word that Chubs always used: shell-shocked He said it was a any of us were capable of o, instead of falling apart at the sea about his face trapped down in the dark I pressed the back of ainst the nausea and stabbing pain inThese headaches were unbearable; soto control h the hollow feeling inI felt the ache of exhaustion at the back of my throat, the heaviness of , even as parts ofdown I couldn’t reh sleep to escape the waking night asphalt, streith piles of ceht dots of color--a red high heel, a purse, sootten Some objects had blown out of nearby s; the heat from the nearby blasts had charred the

As I ran across the next intersection, I stole a look up Olive Street,Square three avenues over The former park had been transforether, while the rubble of the city still s in the nearby buildings when President Gray launched his attack against the Children’s League and the Federal Coalition, the sainst him He’d supposedly retaliated because one or both parties had played a role in his most recent assassination atte for Cate and the others, watching as the numbers inside swelled as ainst their will

But no Cate If she and the agents who left HQ before the attack hadn’tthemselves so well that we couldn’t find theency contact procedures

Another s tires tipped me off two blocks in advance I bit back a noise of frustration as I took cover behind the shell of an SUV until the soldiers passed ray dust I stood up, brushed ue, or whatever was left of us-- in one warehouse long When we ventured out to find food and water, or went to watch the camps, if there was even a hint of suspicion someone could have followed us back--wethat, but I was starting to lose track of where ere at any given time

The silence, thicker now that I had crossed into the eastern half of the city, was so un fire and weapons discharging that had filled the air close to Pershing Square My hand clenched aroundainst the stucco wall I stulanced up at the sky New moon Of course

A feeling of unease, the sa dark things inslowly, tearing everything in its path I cleared s At the next intersection I forced myself to stop, and ducked into an old ATM alcove

Take a breath, I orderedouth the air,instinct--was nudging ht on Bay Street, not stay on Alameda Street until I hit its intersection with Seventh Street The latter was a more-direct route to our current base on Jesse Street and Santa Fe Avenue; the quickest way to give the others the details, for or tracking me, I’d be able to lose thee and pushed ot a block and a half before I saw the shadowspace caainst a mailbox before I spilled out into the middle of the street

A sharp breath blew out of me Too close This is what happened when I didn’t take the time to slon and actuallypulse behindwarainstmyself to care

I keptto see which direction the troops were headed in now They were already way too close to our base--if I doubled back, I ht be able to outrun them to the warehouse and warn the others to bail

But they had juststopped