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God, I hope I’ht about that
"And sir" I turn to face Merendsen "He’s--Flynn isn’t…" I struggle, searching for some way to explain my connection to Flynn in a way that makes sense That doesn’t sound like I’ve completely lost my mind
Who says you haven’t?
"He’s not what you would think," I say lamely Next to my testimonial to Merendsen’s worth as an ally, it’s a sad, sorry statein to describe what Flynn’s coht, that truth it’s been avoiding for days For once, I’lad I don’t dream, for fear of what uys proh forhere?"
Merendsen’s the first to answer, straightening a little and leaning back against the wall The pose looks nonchalant, but ns that he’s alert, still ready for action "Of course," he says
Flynn’s attention jerks back froer there at being left out of h both of us knoere supposed to never see each other again
"Fine," he ht want to sit down I’ to think I’ve lost my mind, but I promise you I haven’t Well Not in the last day or so, anyway"
I start with the night Iwith a cocktail skewer, and ent in search of a secret facility that doesn’t exist
The girl stands in front of the classroom, and all eyes are on her The students sit in rows, and the walls are decorated with posters colored by hand This week it’s the girl’s turn to talk about her faave her a silk jacket, but she hid it in the botto and has a holo-picture instead It shows the three of the and waving as the picture loops over and over
"But who is that?" the teacher asks, pointing at the photo, and when the girl looks at it again, there are four figures A boy has appeared, dark-haired and handso around his neck
"Who is that?" the teacher repeats, and the girl stares at hiood reen-eyed boy This boy has brown eyes
The boy stands between the girl’sbrother," she tells the class
"I’ in the front row of the class
He shakes his head "I’m not her brother Don’t you knohat she did?"
She casts her gaze down, burning with e, the red trickling down her fingers to her knuckles
I CAN’T STOP WATCHING HER body language as she talks to hi in to drink in his every reaction, eyes locked on his I don’t want to see it, but I can’t look away Watching the towithout me She’s not alone anymore, surrounded by her platoon, her commander, her old captain She’s found her way out
But I still need her, and I hate ht we h our attempt to find the vanished base, her escape, then Davin Quinn’s suicide She’s quiet, objective--she gives ive a military-style report That is, until she catches up to the night I left the hospital and she ended up out in the swaives out, and I see an echo of her shell-shocked horror when she woke to find herself surrounded by death
I can barely stand to hear her tell it, and I turn away, gripping the shelf I’rief in her voice should help, should re to touch her, to find stillness and quiet in the way our wounds mirror each other’s She hasn’t been out ofout in the swamps, holed up in toith Sofia, Jubilee’s been ht it would be better once I saw her, but it’s still here, this tug-of-war betanting her, and just wanting her gone
She stops trying to explain the massacre of et back here He’s been in hiding since then, because his own people will kill hi to find so That’s why I called you Because you’re close to LaRoux Industries, and you’re the only one I knoon’t think I’ve simply cracked You’re the only one I knoon’t kill hi about it" I can hear the edge inI try not to be Co, Lee would have taken care of that" He finds a crate to haul up and sit on "All right, so the Fury is getting worse Taking people like Lee, who used to be immune, and civilians, ere always safe before"
"And we think it has so to do with LaRoux Industries" Jubilee’s focused on Merendsen "They shouldn’t have any interest in Avon, but they have a presence here for some reason Or had, anyway The ident chip I found won’t be enough proof for the higher-ups, but it’s enough for me"