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"Hard to say A lot The place was at least twice the size of Kerrville From e could see, they ell armed, too"

"Did they have power?"

"Yes, but I don’t think they were running on oil More likely hydroelectric and biodiesel for the vehicles The agricultural andThree large structures, one at the center, a kind of dome, and a second to the south that looked like an old football stadium The third was on the west side of the river-eren’t sure what it was It looked like it was under construction They orking on the thing day and night"

"And you made no contact?"

"No"

The president directed Lucius’s attention to the perimeter "This here "

"Fortifications A fence line Nothing insubstantial, but not enough to keep the dracs out"

"Then what do you think it was for?"

"I couldn’t say But Crukshank had a theory"

"And as that?"

"To keep people in"

The president glanced at the map, then back at Lucius "And you’ve never spoken about this? Not to anyone"

"No, ma’am Not until now"

A silence fell Lucius had the i; the president had gotten what she’d come for She returned the map to her portfolio As she rose from the chair, Lucius said:

"If Ime about this now? After all these years"

The president stepped to the door and knocked twice As the tumblers turned, she turned back to Lucius

"They say you’ve becoht want to pray that I’"

Chapter 27

Peter was in the medical bay for ten days Three cracked ribs, a dislocated shoulder, burns on his legs and feet, his hands scraped raw like slabs of ashes and cuts all over, too many to count He’d been knocked cold but had apparently failed, despite his best efforts, to crack his skull Every

"Frooddamn lucky to be alive," the doctor said-a man of about sixty with a bulbous nose veined froed His bedsidethe saht take with a hopelessly disobedient dog "Stay on your back, Lieutenant You’re mine until I say otherwise"

Hennearrison He was still a little out of it, doped up on painkillers; the lided over his brain with the disassociated contours of a conversation occurring in another roouely knew A man, a very old man, with a tattoo of a snake on his neck Yes, Peter confirainst the pillow, that hat they saw Did he tell thenacio, Peter replied He told us his nanacio The major obviously had no idea what to make of these answers; neither did Peter Henneain, in only slightly altered forms; at soain-as he would soon discover, a day and a night having passed-he was alone

He saw no one else except the doctor until the afternoon of the fourth day, when Alicia appeared at his bedside By this ti to hold his shoulder in place That afternoon he’d taken his first walk to the latrine, asteps had left hi to feed hies

"Flyers, you look like hell, Lieutenant"

The light in the tent was die color of her eyes was soh she rarely let others see theestured toward the bowl of corn to spoon in his mouth

"Want a little help with that?"

"Don’t you wish"

She flashed a sot your pride Hennerill you?"

"I barely remember it I don’t think he liked the answers very lob of the gluey paste onto his shirt "Shit"

"Here, letto clae of the bowl to wedge it into his palot this"

"Will you? Just stop"

Peter sighed and let the spoon drop to the tray Alicia dipped it into the bowl and aimed for his mouth "Open up for mama"

"You know, you never struckto make an exception Just eat"

Bite by bite, the boas e and wiped his chin

"I can do that myself, you know"

"Nuh-uh Coood as new" She put the rag aside "We had the service for Satch this h Satch was presumed killed in the explosion, Henneman had led a squad back up the esture was symbolic; still, it had to beWhat had happened at the base of the cave would never be known

"So that’s that, I guess"

"Satch was a good guy Everybody liked hied "Doesn’tthe sa: the plan had been theirs, and now Satch was dead

"Seeing as you’re fed, I should be heading off Apgar’s sending me south to recon so was down there?"

The question seemed to catch her short "I don’t really have an answer, Peter It was justa feeling"

"A feeling"

She was staring past him "I don’t really kno to put it into words"

"I thought only A the subject aside: Don’t press "I guess I owe you for going out on a lihouse at least"