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I never got the chance to find out, though, because before I got to the as grabbed froo around ot to breathe for several beats too long I was sure it had to be a guy because his hand was big and his grip was fir, because I soing me backward, which he did before I’d even reain

My eyes ide as I was jerked away froed down the hallway, all the way to the back of the house I’d never really been a tough girl, not in the fighting sense, but I had no intention of giving in without a fight I kicked and thrashed like hell, flinging s as wide and as wildly as I could I didthe way, trying to stop hi roo a lamp when it hit the floor, and kicked over a chair once we reached the kitchen

All I could think was that I didn’t want to vanish again

Not againnot againnot again

"Stop it!" a voice hissed against er than I’d ih I wavered for just a ain "If you screa in after you We only have a few ht They’ll come in here and help me I had no idea who "they" were, but they had to be better than the guy who’d just assaulted me in ainst my ear "I swear I’oat still

We were in the kitchen now, and the o of myit still--he leaned over the top of me and revealed hie-colored eyes

Seeing hiain How the hell did he, of all people, end up here in my house? And now, of all ti "I can see you have questions, but trust me, now isn’t the tiet you--" And as if he’d coordinated the ti to confirm his o from the front room It sounded like someone had just set off a bomb at my front door

And before I could ask hi, and who "they" were and what they wanted froet you out of here right now, they will take you"

We heard footsteps and voices, and then we disappeared through the already-open back door

He kept giving nals, like ere part of some covert ops mission, but I didn’t understand any of thehbors’ backyards, keeping low and h frorown shrubs of the O’Flannerys’ house, I stopped panting long enough to glare at hi all over, barely able to containon back there, but this better be the best explanation ever or I’ the cops myself"

He told me, "I’m Simon" And then he held his hand out toourselves at so at it like it was so with this? He wanted to shake hands right now?

I shoved his hand away frouy who left the note on my receipt, and now you co too loud, but I could barely restrain ive et it This is a shock But let "

He drew me out froh so I could see all the way down the street He kept his hand on my shoulder, ready to reelon ht out of a sci-fi movie Car doors slammed as more and more people arrived Many were covered from head to toe in what I could only assume were hazmat or so, they were intended to protect their occupants froerous

They see by the second The street, for as far as I could see, was lined with polished black vehicles: cars, vans, SUVs, and so that resembled a small bus or an ambulance with doors in the back that were opened wide Inside I could make out a stretcher and what appeared to be iant tarp, and so a metal frame that was surrounded on all sides by si There was a table set up at the far end of the yard, near the road And even fro of radio static and saw several people talking into black handhelds

Seriously, the only thingwas a squadron of ar overhead

Whatever they were collectingdown the front steps of ent Truman