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"Just keepingto say but couldn’t find it Where have you gone, Lish?

"I should be angry with you," he said "You could have told me what your orders were"

"And then ould you have done? Follow me?"

"I’m AWOL as it is A few more days wouldn’t have made any difference"

She blew on the tip of the knife "They weren’t your orders, Peter Don’t get lad to see you I’m not even that surprised In a weird way, it ood officer, and we’ll need you But we all have our jobs to do"

He was taken aback A good officer? Was that all he was to her? "That doesn’t sound like you"

"It doesn’t matter how it sounds That’s just how it is Maybe it’s time somebody said it"

He didn’t kno to respond This wasn’t the Alicia he knew Whatever had happened to her in that cell, it had driven her so far inside herself it was as if she wasn’t there at all

"I’m worried about you"

"Well, don’t be"

"IYou can tellto tell, Peter" She looked hi reality You should, too This isn’t going to be easy"

He felt stung He searched her face, hunting for any scrap of war none Peter was the first to turn away

"What do you think’s happening to her?" he asked

He didn’t have to be anyto

"I’o?"

"I didn’t let her do anything, Peter It wasn’t up to me"

A chilly silence fell

"I could really use a drink," Peter said

She gave a quiet laugh "Now, that’s new Those aren’t words I believe I’ve ever heard you say before"

"There’s a first tiht in the bunker in Twentynine Palms e found the whiskey?"

The bottle had been in a desk drawer To celebrate the repair of the Hu departure froreat adventure that awaited them on their journey east to Colorado

Alicia said, "God, we all got so drunk Michael was the worst He never could hold his lick"

"No, I think it was Hightop Reht sticks and soo all over his face? ’Look at me, look at me, I’m a viral!’ That kid was hilarious"

His mistake was instantly evident Five years later, the boy’s death was still a raound; in all that time, Peter had never heard Alicia so ht light flashed over the horizon Lightning? In winter? Moments later they heard the boom, muted but unmistakable

Eustace appeared at the foot of the steps "I heard it too Which direction?"

It had coe the distance, but they guessed five uess we’ll know er arrived, sent by Nina The explosives at their hideout had done their work; their ruse had been successful Minister Suresh, whom Guilder had sent to personally oversee their capture, was rus to coe that offered the most promise A semitruck had been parked outside the Project since the prior evening It was guarded by a large security detachment, twenty men at least The last piece had fallen into place; the virals were on the move Guilder had tipped his hand

Everybody knew the i The plan see Guilder’s orders to move the population to the stadiuhtly protected, and if everything proceeded according to design, the insurgency would acco of virtually every aspect of the regi would be critical; with soindependently, and lacking the ability to coe was under way, it wouldn’t take s to fall apart Any variable could throw the operation into chaos

The greatest variable was Sara Assu a rescue operation would be strategically cuhter was She could be in the Dome, or she could be so and the shooting started, distinguishing between friend and foe would be nearly impossible The decision they came to was that Hollis and Michael would lead an advance team to the basement Fiveand all its inhabitants would be fair gaainst the stadiue, a forlycerin, had been stolen fro construction and subsequently hly unstable It was of the same type that had been delivered to Sara in the Dome and was now presuuarantee the outcome was to deliver it to the eleven virals, as Eustace said, "in person, a bos" Peter failed to understand this at first; then the s would be Eustace’s

Their teams would enter the city at four locations, all branched to the main storm pipe Eustace’s team, which included Peter, Alicia, Tifty, Lore, and Greer, would use the confusion at the stadiuency under Nina’s command would already be in position in the bleachers to seize control when the moment came Weapons had been concealed in the lavatories and under the stairs to the upper bleachers Eustace’s appearance on the field would be the signal to attack

At the first touch of darkness, they set out There was no point in concealing their tracks; one way or the other, they would never be returning The night was clear, the sky wide and starlit, a vast indifferent presence gazing down Well, Peter thought, maybe not so indifferent He certainly hoped that someone up there cared, as Greer had said It was hard to believe only a feeeks had passed since their conversation in the stockade They reached the pipe and began to walk Peter found hi not only of A; she was another The woman had faced Babcock with absolute fearlessness, a pure acceptance of the outcome Peter hoped he would prove as worthy