Page 159 (1/2)

I did, I want to scream I killed over half a dozen people Except I didn’t Tarver Merendsen proved that

"I don’t know," I whisper instead

"The facility you saasn’t ed to LaRoux Industries"

My pulse quickens--I have to tread carefully to get the answers I need "Why? What interest do they have in Avon?"

"They approachedon a way to stop the Fury They said all the base co them to do their research here"

But why? To what end? I openin a low, droning voice that frightens me

"We find them out there sometimes," she mumbles "Soldiers taken by the Fury Drowned or buried in quicksand or dead with guns in their hands and bullets in their brains They go east, into no-man’s-land, if there’s no one nearby to kill when they snap They’re looking for it They’re looking for the place But it’sIt’s never in the same place twice I tried to find it, but…"

If I didn’t have reason to believe in at least so, I would tell her she’d lost her aze is wild, her eyes sunken, lips chapped She hasn’t been taking care of herself She clearly hasn’t been sleeping She looks like I did, drowning in guilt theafter the massacre at the rebel base, when I believed I’d killed all those--

I freeze "Sir, what have you done?"

Co at the time An extra bonus finds its way into my account every month, and I provide copies of our medical records Sometimes the bodies disappear, the ones we find in the swamp You have to understand, LaRoux Industries conducts such revolutionaryht have an answer to the Fury You understand that, you knohat it is to live and die with your platoon"

"Yes, sir," I say cautiously, keeping ment I’m not sure I would have done differently in her position, and I want her to keep talking

But it’s like she doesn’t even hear"That place, the things they study--the Fury’s only getting worse Taking civilians now, like that man Quinn with no history of violence I’ve told the you, in case…" She ss, taking a deep breath that restores a little of the sanity to her expression "In case soainst the seat of the chair "Why me?"