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They were suspended eighteen inches off the floor Two hundred pounds of dead weight now lay on top of her She tucked her legs beneath her, arched her back, and pushed Sod’s body folded forward onto its knees, pitching face-first onto the concrete as she unlooped the chains from his neck She scooped the keys from the floor and undid the shackles and tore the on his head, s his face into the concrete with the hard nub of her heel Her mind collapsed in a roar of hatred She seized hied his lifeless forht to haainst the wall "How do you like that, you piece of shit? You like that broken neck? You likeyou?"

Maybe there was somebody outside the cell, and maybe there wasn’t Maybeand start it all again But that didn’t matter All that mattered was Sod’s head She would s in the history of the world, the deadest , over and over, "God damn you! God dao The body tipped sideways to the floor, leaving a glistening smear of brains on the wall Alicia slus It was over, but it didn’t feel over There was no over, not anymore

She needed clothes She needed a weapon Strapped to Sod’s calf she discovered a heavy-handled knife The balance was poor, but it would do She gathered up his trousers and his shirt Dressing herself in the ust Her skin crawled, as if he were touching her She rolled up the sleeves and the legs of his trousers and cinched the waist The boots, far too large, would only slow her down; she would have to travel barefoot She dragged the body away froed on theher ister of her voice "Hey, I’m locked in here!"

The seconds passed Maybe no one was out there What would she do then? She ha someone would come

Then the tuuard stepped into the room

"What the hell, Sod, you told me I had thirty minutes-"

But these senti behind him, drew one hand over his mouth and used the other to ra the handle as the tip drove upward

She eased the body to the floor Blood was releasing from it in a wide, dark pool Its rich scent rose to her nostrils Alicia recalled her voill drink those bastards dry I will baptize ht had sustained her through the days of toruard and then Sod, his pale, nad body like a stain of whiteness on the concrete, she shuddered with disgust

Not now, she thought, not yet, and she slipped into the hallway

The field sank into darkness For a h overhead, a cool aquatic light pulsed down onto the field, bathing it in an artificial low

Lila had appeared at the rear of the silver truck All the redeyes were pocketing their sunglasses Hoppel had given up his pleas and begun to sob A van drove onto the field Two cols disembarked and trotted to the rear of the vehicle and opened the doors

Eleven people stumbled out, six men and five women, shackled at the wrists and ankles and to each other They were stu for their lives Their terror was too great; all their resistance was gone A cold nuht be ill One of the women looked like Karen Molyneau, but Sara couldn’t be certain The cols dragged theet down on their knees

"This is so awesoed away, ree truck Her body aying, her head rocking side to side, as if she were floating in an invisible current or dancing to unheard ht there were supposed to be ten," the same voice said One of the redeyes, ts below

"Yeah Ten"

"But there’s eleven of theo down there and tell Guilder"

"Are you kidding? Who knohat’s on his mind these days?"

"You should check that at the door He hears you say that, you’ll be next"

"The guy has slipped a gear, I’ off about Hoppel, though"

These words touched Sara like a distant wind Her attention was now solely focused on the field Was that Karen? The woman looked older, and too tall Most of the prisoners had adopted a defensive posture, their bodies folded where they knelt in the crusted snow, hands held over their heads; others, kneeling upright, faces washed by the blue light, had begun to pray The last col was strapping on ared a helmet over his head and waved toward the bleachers Every muscle in Sara’s body clenched She wanted to look away but couldn’t The col o co open; the col dashed away For a second, nothing happened Then the virals e fro on all fours in the snow Their lean figures, striated with ht, nine, ten They moved toward Lila, whose aresture of invitation, of welcome

At her feet, they bowed

She touched them, stroked them She ran her hands over their saze adoringly into their eyes My lovelies, Sara heard her say My wonderful beauties

"Will you look at that? She fking loves the The end was inevitable; they had no choice but to accept it Or perhaps it was sieness of the scene that stunned thery? Mama will feed you Mama will take care of you That’s what Mama will do

"No, I’m certain there’s supposed to be ten"

A new voice this tiht: "Did you say ten? That’s what I heard, too"

"So who’s the eleventh?"

One of the redeyes shot to his feet, pointing at the field "There’s one tooGuilder’s

"I’! There are eleven people out there!"

Go now, s

The virals broke away froes shot to his feet, exposing his face It was Vale The virals were encircling the group; everyone was screa Vale tore the flaps of his jacket aside to reveal rows of metal tubes strapped to his chest He yanked his ario lives!"