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Minho pulled up short when he saw Red Shirt in a heap on the ground "Holy … What happened to him?" He turned his attention to Thomas "And you? You okay? Did you do that?"

Absurdly, Thoun and blasted him to tiny bits"

Minho’s face showed that he didn’t appreciate the sarcasm, but Brenda spoke before he could come up with a retort

"Who killed him?"

Thomas pointed at the sky "One of those copI know the Rat Man appears on a screen He tried to convince o back to WICKED"

"Dude," Minho said, "you can’t even--"

"Give o back, butme so much could help us at some point What we should worry about is Newt Janson thinks that Newt’s succuo check on him"

"He really said that?"

"Yeah" Tho up at his friend "And I believe hi"

Minho stared at Thomas, his eyes filled with pain It hit Thoer than he had So row close

"We better check on hi for him"

Minho just nodded and looked away Thomas was teht then and there, but he’d proht

"It’s getting late," Brenda said "And they don’t let people in and out of the city at night--it’s hard enough to keep things under control during the day"

Tho to fade, the sky above the buildings taking on an orange hue

Jorge, who’d been quiet until then, spoke up "That’s the least of our proble on around this place, muchachos"

"What do you mean?" Thomas asked

"All the people seem to have vanished in the last half hour, and the few I’ve seen don’t look right"

"That scene at the coffee shop did send everyone scattering," Brenda pointed out

Jorge shrugged "I don’t know This city is just givingto unleash soe unease crawled up Thoet out there if we hurry? Or can we break out?"

"We can try," Brenda said "Better hope we can find a cab, though--we’re on the other side of the city from where we came in"

"Let’s try it," Thomas offered

They took off down the street, but the look on Minho’s face wasn’t good Thos to come

CHAPTER 33

They walked for an hour and didn’t see a single car, much less a cab They ran into only a few scattered people, and cop machines let out their eerie hum as they flew by at random Every few httoo loudly, a screaan to feel more and more spooked

Finally Brenda stopped and faced the rest of them "We’ll have to wait till to to find transportation tonight and we’re too far to walk We need to sleep so we’ll be fresh in the ht

"There’s gotta be a way to get out there," Minho countered

Jorge squeezed his shoulder "It’s useless, hermano The airport’s at least ten ed or shot or beaten to death on the way Brenda’s right--better to rest up and go help him tomorrow"

Thomas could tell Minho wanted to be his usual defiant self, but he gave in without arguing Jorge ht, completely out of their element

"Are we close to our motel?" Thoh one e pointed to his left "Just a few blocks"

They headed in that direction

They were a block ahen Jorge pulled up short, holding one hand in the air and putting a finger to his lips with the other Thoh his nerves

"What?" Minho whispered

Jorge turned in a slow circle, scanning the area around the what had suddenly made the older man so apprehensive Darkness had cohts they passed barely put a dent in it The world Thoined horrible things hiding behind every one of the I hear so Anyone else--"

"There!" Brenda shouted, her voice like a crack of thunder in the silence "Did you see that?" She was pointing off to her left

Tho The streets were e out fro, then jumped back I swear I saw it"

"Hey!" Minho yelled "Who’s over there?"

"Are you crazy?" Thoet inside the motel!"

"Sli, don’t you think they would’ve done it by now?"