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"Lana, keep her alive," Sam said

Lana jumped down into the boat, which rocked madly back and forth

Dekka was beyond speech, past even crying out

Lana laid her hands on Dekka’s contorted face

Brianna followed her into the boat, landed lightly, and pushed both Quinn and Saot this," she said

One by one she snatched the e creatures--some of which raced to attack Sam, others of which just ran like panicked cockroaches around the bottom of the boat--turned theh the bottoun blasts

Quinn tossed a rope over the dock cleat and pulled the sinking boat in Sam and Quinn shoved and hoisted Dekka onto the dock where she lay split open like a burst orange

Lana held Dekka’s head on her lap

Saht looked vaguely fa, a circle of horrified fascination

The boat sank The blasted bodies of the insects floated

Dekka’sbut no sound ca without seeing

"She’s trying to say so," Quinn said

"She should shut up and let nant look at Brianna "You owe ain Dekka tried to speak

"It’s you, Breeze," Sam said "She wants you"

Brianna frowned, not sure Saht But she knelt beside Dekka and put her ear close

Brianna listened, closed her eyes for a

"What did she say?" Quinn asked

"Just thanks," Brianna said "She just said thanks"

She turned and took off but not so quickly that she , "That’s not the truth"

Chapter Forty-Two

3 MINUTES

ASTRID WATCHED, HELPLESS

She could no longer see Orc He ht already be dead down there

Jack seerasp And Drake knew it He looked up at Astrid and winked

She had reached the decision not to harm Little Pete, to let hiht and moral decision

But in a minute or less Jack would asphyxiate And Drake would catch her She had no illusions about what that psychopath intended

Drake and his ar And what could stop them? Who could stop them?

She found she could hardly breathe

Her whole body seey Was it fear? Was this what panic felt like?

Jack’s face was turning dark His struggles were less focused His fingers clawed iht pop out of his head