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Rick felt a chill run up his spine as he carefully watched Dr Evans, seeingelse Both he and Oles sensed the change that calanced at each other before Rick approached Dr Evans and sat down nearby

“I’m… sorry, doc I know she meant a lot to you”

Dr Evans looked up at Rick, his eyes clouded with tears “She spoke toto be used” He took a deep breath and let it out in a long, slow sigh “She was the first one to talk to overnment suits and other socially low-functioners like ure out that Not her First thing she asked me when she arrived at Cheyenne here was I fro okay”

“She was a good person There’s no doubt about that” Rick glanced over at Oles “Dr Evans, ill re on down here What happened with Jacob and Ostap? Were you able to find the codes to Damocles?”

Dr Evans closed his eyes, sending double trails of wetness down his cheeks He leaned back in his chair, taking in yet another long breath before releasing it in a slow sigh “Oles?” Dr Evans spoke softly “You fill him in”

Chapter 4

Outside Ellisville, VA

To Dianne and Sarah, as they worked feverishly to save their friend’s life, it felt like hours had passed since Tina had been shot For Mark and Jason, though, it had only been a couple of minutes since Nealson fired a round into Tina’s chest and taken off in his car The pair had rained hellfire down upon the vehicle, but Nealson’s erratic driving and the pair’s aood on his escape

With the car fading into the distance, Mark and Jason turned to one another, suddenly re what had happened to Tina They bolted for the entrance to the co to a halt just inside the door as they looked down and saw Dianne and Sarah kneeling over Tina’s still form

“Holy… Mom! Is she okay?”

“Jason!” Dianne ignored her son and barked at Sarah’s husband “Where’s Nealson? Did you kill him?”

“We couldn’t get hiot away”

“You sure he’s gone?” Dianne didn’t look away from Tina as she placed another strip of duct tape across the older woman’s chest

“Very”

“Good We need to get Tina in the truck and get her hoauze and duct tape to ith” She looked over at Mark “I want you and Sarah to go through everything in this room Get any supplies that look useful and throw theet it parked outside We’ll have to slide her into the back seat”