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"He didn’t, sir Itheive me if I seem incredulous on this point-that the six of you walked all the way froht, we drove some of the way For some of it, we took a train But instead he simply answered, "Yes, sir"

"And why, ?"

Peter opened his ain the answer, the true one, seeun to fall in earnest, dru story," he ed

"Well, I’m sure it is, Mr Jaxon And I’d be very interested to hear it For noe need to concern ourselves with a few preliuests of the Second Expeditionary For the duration of your stay, you’re under my authority Think you can live with that?"

Peter nodded

"In another six days, this unit will besouth to rendezvous with Third Battalion at the town of Roswell, New Mexico From there, we can send you back to Kerrville with a supply convoy I suggest you take this offer, but this is entirely your choice No doubt it is so yourselves"

Peter broke his gaze away to look at the others, whose faces seemed to mirror his own surprise He hadn’t considered the possibility that their journey ht be over

"Now, as for the other matter," Vorhees went on, "which you heard me speak of with the major I will need you to instruct the women in your party that they are not to have any contact with my men, beyond what is absolutely necessary They are to reo to the latrine Any needs they have are to go through you or Major Greer Is this clear?"

Peter had no reason to refuse, other than the fact that the offer struck him as plainly ridiculous "I’m not sure I can tell theed There were no other words for it "We’re all together That’s just how it is"

The general sighed "Perhaps youonly as a courtesy The mission of the Second Expeditionary is such that it would be coerous, for theer?"

He frowned "They wouldn’t It’s not the wo of" Vorhees took a patient breath and began again "I will explain this as simply as I kno We are a volunteer force To join the Expeditionary is to do so for life, by blood oath, and each of these men is sworn to die He’s cut all ties to the world but this unit and the men within it Each time a man leaves this compound, he wholly believes he’ll never come back He accepts this More than that, he embraces it A man will happily die for his friends, but a woman-a woman makes him want to live Once that happens, I proate and never coiving it up But after all they had been through, it was si any of them, Alicia especially, that they would have to hide in their tent

"I’hters," Vorhees continued "You couldn’t have made it this far if they weren’t But our code is very strict, and I need you to respect it If you can’t, I will return your weapons and send you on your way"

"Fine," he said, "we’ll go"

"Wait, Peter"

It was Alicia who had spoken Peter turned to face her

"Lish, it’s all right I’o"

But Alicia didn’t acknowledge hieneral Peter realized she was standing at attention, her aridly at her sides

"General Vorhees Colonel Niles Coffee of the First Expeditionary sends his regards"

"Niles Coffee?" A light seemed to come on in his face "The Niles Coffee?"

"Lish," Peter said, herupon hi She didn’t even look at him Her expression was set in a way that Peter had never seen before

"Young lady Colonel Coffee was lost with all his o"

"Not true, sir," Alicia said "He survived"

"Coffee’s alive?"

"KIA, sir ThreeAlicia with his eyes again "And who, ave a crisp nod frohter, sir Private Alicia Donadio, First Expeditionary Baptized and sworn"

No one spoke So irrevocable He felt a wave of disorienting panic rising inside hiravity, had been suddenly, and without warning, stripped away

"Lish, what are you saying?"

At last she turned her face to look at hi tears

"Oh, Peter," she said, as the first one broke away to descend her dirt-stained cheek, "I’m sorry I really should have told you"

"You can’t have her!"

"I’eneral said "This isn’t your decision to make It’s no one’s decision" He stepped briskly to the door of the tent "Greer! So on?" Michael de about?"

Suddenly everybody was speaking at once Peter gripped Alicia by the ar? Think about what you’re doing"

"It’s already done" Through her tears, her face see carried had finally been put to rest "It was done before I knew you Long before The day the Colonel came into the Sanctuary to claim me He made me promise not to tell"

He understood, then, what she’d been trying to say to hi them"

She nodded "Yes, for the last two days When I was scouting downstream I found one of their camps The ashes of their fire were still warm Way out here, I didn’t think it could be anybody else" She shook her head faintly "Honestly, Peter, I didn’t know if I even wanted to find theht they were just an old man’s stories You have to believe that"

Greer appeared at the door of the tent, dripping with rain