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"Sweetheart, are you all right?" Senator Cruz asked "I don’t understand--isn’t it a good thing? From what you’ve told me about the conditions in the ca," Cole said "But razing the ca all of the hard-copy records on site, not to mention, the caraest, and, I’uess here, really sets the bar for abuse andthe kidsthe cabins" My throat was dry Most of theether for almost ten years They were each other’s families And they wanted to take even that froht, so that’s one caainst her seat and folded her hands in her lap "What are the other potential big hits?"

"There is no other big hit," Cole said "We’re still going after Thuristered on my face, because confusion spread across Cole’s "Really, Ge Thurmond, no hto reor before Liae, glossy sheen to it, as if exhaustion was clouding hts, Cole said, "Daet youlike this off?" Concern creased Senator Cruz’s face

"We’ll make it work," Cole said simply

"You asked them to write up proposals for a mission, correct?" Senator Cruz asked "I don’t , but how in the world are these children supposed to come up with plans for a successful military operation and then execute it?"

"We received training," I told her, "to do exactly that At least those of us ith the League We need to have ti more in, make sure they can function under pressure"

Cole reached for the sroups and passed theinations There’s a lot of good stuff here The Greens really put the best of the League to shaet statistical probabilities of success, or" He squinted at the page he held "Christ, I don’t even knohat that word means In any case, before we hit Thurmond, we’ll have to do a test run on a smaller camp first, make sure the plan is viable"

The senator sat up a little straighter "Any camp?"

"Preferably one on this coast, but yeah, sure We’ll try to et an experience as close as possible to the real deal"

"Nevada?"

Cole leaned against the desk, his eyes lighting up with exciteue had kept a map of the United States posted on one of the hallways, all of the known ca and s to picture the pastel spread of states,east to west It wasin the northeast corner of the state Reaze from the laptop’s screen "That’s the one with the children fro hard, and brought up a hand to rub against her throat She looked at sohter Rosa is one of therandmother, butGray was determined He hired men specifically to find our children To make an example of all of us I know of at least ten other Federal Coalition officials who believe their children were taken there Knew of God Is there a chance any of those people are still alive in the detainain?"

"Sure," Cole said, not sounding entirely convinced hiardless of whether or not their parents are still alive and kicking, they’ll have a place with us A chance to fight, if they want it Lord knows they don’t have anything else to go back to in Los Angeles"

Nico shoved his chair back and stood, his hands co around, creating a scattered path across the roooing to goshower"

He couldn’t have left the room faster if it had been on fire I wondered if he even felt the sharp stab of pain as his hip checked one of the desks and sent hi forward

I took a step to follow hihtover to meetto go after hi him to relive that ti to comfort him or try to shield hieles How could I, when part of lad that he was just as miserable over it as I was?

You didn’t drop the boht

But neither had he Nico hadn’t planned the attack carried out by the ents overthrowing Alban in a bloody ue forever; he hadn’t--