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He strode briskly down the hallway,past the empty common room and the vacant nurse’s station and farther still, into the early
Chapter 15
It was late on the second day, approaching the Missouri border, that Grey saw an obstruction ahead They were in the ht the car to a halt
Lila looked up fro Grey had gotten it for her at a mini-mart in Ledeau, with a pile of others Family Life, Baby and Child, Modern Toddler In the last day, her attitude toward him had shifted so the fiction that their journey was nothing out of the ordinary, but she was beco to him as if he were an uncooperative husband
"Will you look at that" She dropped the e of a ruddy-cheeked girl in a pink jumper WHEN PLAY DATES GO BAD, the caption read "What is that?"
"I think it’s a tank"
"What’s it doing there?"
"Maybe it’s lost or so"
"I don’t think they just lose tanks, Lawrence Like, excuse me, have you seen my tank anyplace? I knoas around here sohed heavily "Who just parks a tank in the road like that? They’ll have to move it"
"So you’re saying you want me to ask them," Grey stated
"Yes, Lawrence That’s exactly what I’"
He didn’t want to, but to say no see dusk "Hello?" he called He glanced back at Lila, atching hier"I think it’s empty"
"Maybe they just can’t hear you"
"Let’s just turn around We can find another road"
"It’s the principle of the thing They can’t just block the road like that Try the hatch I’m sure there has to be somebody inside"
Grey doubted this, but he didn’t want to argue He clambered up on the exposed treads and hoisted himself to the top of the turret He positioned his face above the hatch, but it was too dark to see anything down there Lila had exited the Volvo and was standing at the base of the tank, holding a flashlight
"I’ood idea," Grey said
"It’s just a tank, Lawrence Honestly Sometimes you men are all the saht There was nothing to do now but look inside Grey pointed the beah the hatch
Jesus fk
"So? What’s down there?"
Grey guessed there had probably been two of the to sort out, visually It looked like sorenade, that’s how torn up the soldiers were But it wasn’t a grenade
Do you see, Grey?
He startled, as if hit by a jolt of current The voice Not like the one in the garage; the voice was in his head The voice of Zero Lila was staring at hi, to warn her, but no words would leave his ry: famished The sensation seemed to take hold of every part of hi inside hier so profound
It is ift of blood
"Lawrence, what’s the matter?"
He sed "I’ll bejust a sec"
Down the hole he went He had dropped his flashlight, but that didn’t ht to his eyes, each surface gloith its beautiful coating of blood A titanic need seized hi his tongue along it
"Lawrence! What are you doing in there?"
He was on his hands and knees now, licking the floor, burying his face in the syrupy remains So wonderful! As if he hadn’t eaten for a year, a decade, a century, only to be presented with the richest banquet in the history of the world! All the joys of the body rolled into one, a trance of purest pleasure!
The spell was broken by a violent booers were in his mouth; his face was covered in blood What the hell was he doing? And as that sound, like thunder?
"Lawrence! Come quick!"
Another boom, louder than the first He scra with the sky; everything seelow
Lila took one look at his bloody face and began to screa the air with their velocity; a violent white sheen lit the sky, and Grey was slapped by a wall of heated air that knocked hi out of hi with light
Lila was backing away from him, her hands held protectively before her face "Get away from me!"
There was no time to explain, and ould he have said? It was clear as happening now, they had wandered into the war Grey grabbed her by the ar, thrashing in his grip Soer door and shove her in, but then he realized his mistake: the instant he closed the door, Lila hit the locks
He pounded on the glass "Lila, letheavy He scanned the ground near the car but found nothing In another moment Lila would realize what she had to do; she would take the wheel and drive away
He couldn’t let that happen