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Despite the fear she felt, Hayley’s e alive? Is he here with you?”

Thero nodded

“Is he okay?” she asked, hopeful that George could help her put a stop to this ht be horribly burned and scarred like Thero

“He’ll be along shortly,” Thero said “He knows you’re here In fact, it was he who suggested we talk to you alone That perhaps you ht understand”

She se was the only hope “I’m thankful to hear that What about Tessa?”

“No,” Thero said “They murdered her”

Hayley cast her gaze down George and Tessa had been like siblings She’d hoped soh she’d doubted it was possible At least George had survived Maybe there was a chance, she thought Maybe reason could triumph at this last moment

“My heart breaks for Tessa,” she said, “though I’e are still alive How did you survive the explosion?”

“I’d begun working on a new theory,” Thero said “By using a spherical projector instead of a doht be un the excavation when the shooting began George and I escaped and sealed ourselves in while they shot the others”

She stared

“There was nothing we could do,” Thero insisted

“I know,” she said softly “I understand”

He glared at her for aended and we heard nothing but silence, we unsealed the door Seconds later, the explosions flashed I was burned badly, though George was mostly spared He cared for h to keep it quiet I didn’t want the with our lives But we couldn’t stay long We had to find a place where we’d be safe”

“And you came here?”

“Not at first,” he said, “but eventually We needed a place where no one would ever find us A place with advantages Here, we have geothermal power We have food frorounds And raphy proved most valuable e discovered diah to fund our operations after the iven us ran out”