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"It’s Riley," Allie finally said "Mish, I’ All three of them watched him

"No," Mission whispered

"You shouldn’t have told hiht to know!" Allie demanded "He’s an only son, now His father would want hireen hills and blue skies That world blurred with tears as surely as it ht with dust "What happened?" he whispered

She told hied to go and help fight, had been told no, and then disappeared He’d been found with a knife from the kitchen still clutched in his hands

Mission stood and paced the rooone Ever He should’ve been there He wasn’t there for Cam, either Death preceded him in all the places he couldn’t be He had done the sa for them all

There was soiven up on any of the others couns, instead They would ask hi he was an iht about Jenine, had the sickening feeling that his call to arer More deathdays

He pushed the door shut, saw that the Crow had no lock on the thing, and wedged a desk under the handle Frankie grabbed another desk Mission didn’t see that they would do any good He hurried toward Allie, told her to get behind the Crow’s desk He grabbed the back of the old teacher’s wheelchair--the overhead wire swinging dangerously--but she insisted she couldto be afraid of

Mission knew better This was Security co for them--Security or some other mob He’d traveled the stairwell, kneas out there This was so, not his friends There was no part of hiht be both

There was a knock on the door The handle jiggled The boots outside quieted as they gathered around Frankie pressed his finger to his lips, his eyes wide The wire overhead creaked as it swung back and forth

The door budged Mission hoped for atheir rounds He thought about hiding under the sheets used to cover the unneeded desks, but the thought ca as it skittered across the floor, and the first person through was Rodny

His sudden appearance was as jarring as a bomb He hite coveralls, the creases still in thereat letter H across his stomach and down his chest His hair had been cut short, his face newly shaved, a nick on his chin

Mission felt as though he were staring into a mirror, the two of them in costume, the same costume More men in white crowded behind Rodny in the hallway, rifles in hand Rodny ordered them back and stepped into the rooed and easped with surprise and hurried forward, arms wide as if for an embrace Rodny held up a palun like the deputies wore His eyes were not on his friends but on the Old Crow

"Rodny--" Mission began His brain atteo rescue him, but he looked in little need of it

"The door," Rodny said over his shoulder

Aas he was asked and pulling the door shut This was not the demeanor of a prisoner It was one who held captive the attention of others Frankie lurched forward before the door shut all the way, calling "Father," as he caught a glimpse of his oldfor you," Mission said He wanted to approach his friend, but there was soerous in Rodny’s eyes "Your note--"

Rodny finally looked away fro to help--" Mission said

"Yesterday, I needed it," Rodny said He circled around the desks, the gun at his side, his eyes flicking fro close to the Crohether to protect her or feel protected, he couldn’t say

"You shouldn’t be here," Mrs Crowe said with a lecturing tone "This is not where your fight is"

The gun rose a little

"What’re you doing?" Allie asked of her old friend

Rodny pointed at the Crow "Tell them," he said "Tell them what you’ve done What you do"

"What’ve they done to you?" Mission asked His friend was different beyond the garb

"They showed un at the posters on the wall "That these stories are true" He laughed and turned to the Crow "And I was angry, just like you said Angry at what they did to the world"

"So hurt the like a door about to slaot a call And now I knohat you’ve been doing here--"

"What’s this about?" Frankie asked, still in the middle of the room He moved toward the door "Why is my father--?"