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They stopped before the door Fros: the girls were ju to open it?" Rachel asked

Carter didn’t answer Rachel looked at hi shifted in her face She understood that he would not be going with her

"Have to be this way," he explained "You go on, now Tell the on thearded the knob with a deep tentativeness Inside, the girls were laughing ild delight

"Mr Carter--"

"Anthony"

She placed a palain; co a little himself When she kissed him, he tasted not just the softness of her mouth and the warmth of her breath but also the saltiness of their tears conjoining--not a taste of sorrow, strictly speaking, though there was sorrow in it

"God bless you, too, Anthony"

And before he knew it--before the feel of her kiss had faded froone

76

2030 hours: the light was al at a creep

They were in a coastal tableland of tangled scrub, the road pocked with potholes in places, in others rippled like a washboard Chase was driving, his gaze intent as he fought the wheel A the tanker at the rear of the column "How much farther?"

"Six miles"

Six miles at twenty miles per hour Behind the all shadows

"We should see the channel bridge soon," Greer added "The isthmus is just south of there"

"Everyone, we need to push it," Peter said

They accelerated to thirty-five Peter swiveled in his seat to ap opened, then narrowed The cab of the Huhts

"How o?" Chase asked