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It’s too dangerous to do the usual training run, the eight-klick perimeter of the base that culym There are rebels beyond the fences who know the land better than we do, and I don’t relish the idea of running ten feet away froun pointed at s, ignoring the way the le not to push et to the point where I don’t have the focus to think about anything but one foot in front of the other, but I can’t waste all y while off duty

I head past security,in the clammy air, and aim for the road that heads toward Central Command It’s less torn up than the other paths, not as ht up past Central Command in time to see Commander Towers disappear into her office I stop short in a spray of --Lilac LaRoux said as ht be content to put our fates in the hands of soalaxy, I’ for someone else to saveme And I can’t believe she’s dirty If she was in LaRoux’s pocket, ould she have warnedon here?

I wish Flynn were here I hate the idea of leaving hiht at having to continue hiding instead of finding justice for the ht of hie away and turn toward Coainst the wooden stairs up to the prefab trailer

"What?" Her voice shouts fro interrupted

"It’s Chase, sir Can I speak with you?"

The silence fro "Of course Come in"

I shove the rickety door open and slip through "Co by her desk

I blink, taken aback, but instinctively slam the door behind me

"Sorry about that, Captain Chase But you can’t be too careful You don’t knoho’s watching us"

I suppress a shiver and take the seat she gestures at, expecting her to take a seat behind her desk Instead she starts to pace, her eyes on the door instead of on ather herself, to speak to me, to let otten I’ , too bright I don’t think she’s slept since I last spoke to her "I’m sorry, Captain You wanted to speak with one dry Trust what you feel, Lilac LaRoux toldon I know about LaRoux Industries, I know there was a hidden facility to the east, and I know it all has so about it"

The silence is broken only by the frantic pounding of unfire Co rapidly, the circles under her eyes aze; there’s fear burning behind her blue eyes, the desperation of a woe

Then she closes her eyes "God, Lee, you don’t knohat a relief it is to hear you say that This can’t leaveas if with the weight of her secret

My own relief is like a gust of fresh air, letting h her door

She turns away, leaning on her desk "I know you went out to that facility; I know that’s why you were asking about it I was afraid of what you ht have seen there You don’t knohat they do to people who know too --they can see inside your s echo in my mind, and I try not to let in, "LaRoux Industries is--"

"LRI?" Towers stares atabout the--the things that are out there In the swa what Merendsen said about his whispers, things we could never hope to understand "If there ever was anything out there, sir, it’s gone now There’s nothing to see but eone," sheher nor steps, then whirls abruptly and crouches in front ofher office sees on Avon Now that I’ve had a chance to look around, I can see e the drinks station and her desk It looks like she’s been holed up here for a week

Her voice is ragged when she answers "Everyone goes mad, everyone Except for you Why don’t you? Why don’t you?" She leans forward, bracing her hands against the armrests of my chair, her face only a few inches away