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Instinct told hness had suddenly become survival qualities

A cadet came and stood watch over us

"Dude," Jake said to the cadet "Aren’t you hungry?"

The cadet clearly wanted to be eating but had his orders

"Shut up!" he growled

"We’re not going anywhere," Jake said, as friendly as could be

"I said shut up before I have to put an end to your chatter with the end of my Smith and Wesson!" the kid snarled He was shorter than us, with cah his hair He also had a laly e the one another with soda

If we hadn’t seen the kids by now, there was a very good chance that Astrid had gotten thelanced at each other fro toto tell hied to keep Luna quiet? I re about mothers in World War II who’d had to s the position of the fa Luna quiet?

"You guysto stand with us He held an open box of Chex mix He offered it to us "You want some?"

"No, thank you," I said

"No, thank you…?"

"No, thank you, sir"

"That’sabout us so let me elucidate for you I am a second-class cadet The rest of these losers are doolies Fourth year Like freshmen That means I outrank theets hurt!"

He threw his arm around me and I saw stars I whimpered a bit and Jake shot a look at me

"You knohat I realized," Jake said "I never asked how you guys met Brayden"

Payton looked blank for a hed

"Effin’ Brayden Oh Lord He wants to knoecadets "We met him on the bus"

I felt

"We ambushed the bus, Jake, don’t play stupid We ambushed the bus and that’s hoe found out about this place One of the little squirts told us exactly where to come"

Oh my God, he was about to say that he’d killed my brother? What would I do? What would I do if he said that?

"We told the Jake was shaking and sweating

"Stupid idiots! Why would they ever leave here?" Payton agreed He munched another handful of Chex "Oh, I know They wanted to save Brayden Well, he died"

"Yeah?" Jake asked

"To tell you the truth, we killed hi uys to s any at Jake, assessing his reaction indirectly

Jake nodded "Me, too" He looked gray

"They never would have made it to a hospital anyway," Payton continued "Nope, we kicked those losers off the bus I believe they were going to try to make it to Denver on foot Idiots"

My brother, Niko, Josie, and the rest were now on foot Or had been, whenever this ambush had happened I felt sick to my stoo," Payton said He looked around the Food aisles, and saw that Anna was drifting away toward the nuts and trail irly on the bus!"

Payton elbowed Jake

"I bet you ht?" he said to Jake "Did you have yourself a little good-bye party before she set off?"

He was talking about Josie or Sahalia

So he hadn’t killed theood

Okay, okay, Astrid had to have the kids hiding by now She was very good at hiding away They had to be safe fro to think he wasn’t crazy from the compounds He was just crazy on his own

"Mr Payton, sir," I stammered

"Cadet Lieutenant Colonel," he corrected et up on the roof?"

"Old-fashioned grappling hook, Dean That Zare Then he found a ladder and threw it down for us Real thoughtful of you to leave it up there," he said, clapping me on the shoulder

I should have kept ht, doolies," Payton said, addressing the group "Spread out and give me a report I want full recon on this here Greenway superstore Exits, entrances, assets, liabilities, weapons…"

Payton winked at us

I hated those mean, malicious winks

"Also be on the lookout for any alcohol! Daddy could sure use a drink!"

The cadets cheered

"Hey!" Jake said, as if suddenly reuys want to get high?"

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

ALEX