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"Lish, you know I can’t leave you here Sanjay will have my ass You’re not even Watch anymore"

"Maybe not, but Peter is And since when did you start taking orders froave them a puzzled look "Jimmy says so Sanjay declared awhat do you call it? A civil eency"

"We know all about that That doesn’t ives the orders"

"You better tell Jimmy He seems to think so Galen too"

"Galen? What does Galen have to do with anything?"

"You haven’t heard?" Dale scanned their faces quickly "I guess you wouldn’t have Galen’s Second Captain now"

"Galen Strauss?"

Dale shrugged "It doesn’t ether and told us Galen had your slot, and Ian has Theo’s"

"What about Jimmy’s? If he’s moved up to First Captain noho has his slot at second?"

"Ben Chou"

Ben and Ian: It made sense Both were in line for second But Galen?

"Give et two more Watchers No captains Find Soo if you can, and tell her what I told you"

"I don’t knoho that leaves-"

"I o"

They opened the lockup and stepped inside The room was barren, a featureless concrete box Old toilet stalls, long since e these was a line of pipes and above it a longon the floor under the s They’d left hi of water and a bucket, but that was all Lish balanced her cross against one of the stalls and crouched before hione?"

Alicia nodded Peter could see how frightened the boy was He looked like he’d been crying

"I’ to putto happen I promise you"

He wiped his runny nose with the back of a hand His face and hands were filthy, his nails encrusted with grime "What can you do?"

"Let me worry about that" She drew a blade off her belt "You kno to use this?"

"Flyers, Lish What a to do with a blade?"

"Just in case Do you?"

"I can whittle soood"

She pressed it into his hand "Put it out of sight"

"Lish," Peter said quietly, "you think that’s such a good idea?"

"I’ain "You just hold tight and be ready Anything happens, and you have a chance to get away, don’t hesitate You run like hell for the cutout There’s cover there, I’ll find you"

"Why there?"

They heard voices outside "It’ll take too long to explain Are we clear?"

Dale stepped back into the roo She was just sixteen, a runner Not even a season on the Walls

"Lish, I’et out of here"