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“Get down,” Kurt said

They dropped behind the concrete of the building’s structural wall When Kurt looked up again, he saw thein the other direction

“Where’s it going?” Nagano asked

“Toward the dock,” Kurt said “Trying to head us off at the pass”

“What, exactly, was that thing?” Joe asked

“Han calls it a warbot,” Kurt said “I was given a demonstration of them inside his factory” He pointed to the pistol in Joe’s hand and then held up the sword he was carrying “Fro to be ainst them”

Kurt dropped back down as two htly different path “They’re spreading out,” he said “No telling howto come this way”

“It won’t be easy getting to the water if they knoe’re co,” Joe said “There are only a few spots around the island where it’s safe to get in the sea Three stairwells and the dock”

“We can be certain that those are already guarded,” Nagano said

Joe nodded “Which o over the wall and jump for it”

Kurt wasn’t sure that would work “All that gets us is a fifty-foot drop into churning sea, with rocks and concrete pilings below us Tiet it right, we risk being thrown back into the wall before we can get past the breakers”

Nagano looked at the two o,” he said “The currents are treacherous and my hand is useless I won’t be able to keep up, let alone swio on without me Perhaps I can distract these war machines while you escape”

Kurt shook his head “We didn’t coet you just so we could leave you behind Besides, hen we can fly?”

• • •

CERTAIN THAT Austin, Zavala and Nagano were out of theroo his way to the control center Ushi-Oni accoiven him to replace the Masaround across tiny specks of flint