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The air in the truck changed, and then the sky; they were approaching the channel

"For fucksakes, I only just came from here," said the woman

Five more miles and the causeway appeared Patch and hisat the bottleneck Barriers of razor wire had been laid across it As the truck drew to a halt, Patch stepped up to the driver’s

"Didn’t expect you back so soon"

"What has Lore told you?" Michael asked

"Just the bad parts No sign of the into the back of the vehicle, "I see you’ve brought souess Rand says she’s driving everybody crazy down there"

Michael turned toward their passengers "You three," he said to the soldiers, "get out"

They were looking around with bewilderhest-ranking a them, a corporal with eyes empty as a cow’s and the soft, baby-fatted face of a fifteen-year-old

"I don’t know," Michael said dryly, "be soldiers? Shoot at things?"

"I told you, we haven’t got any ammo"

"Patch?"

The man nodded "I’ll fix them up"

"This is Patch," Michael said to the three "He’s your new CO"

They looked blankly at one another "Aren’t you guys, like, criive a daood fellows and do like theaskance at one another, the soldiers disembarked Once Patch and the others had pulled the barrier aside, Michael gunned the engine and roared down the causeway Randknotted around his head

"What’s our status?" Michael asked, stepping down "Have you flooded the dock?"

"There’s a problem Lore found another bad section There are soft spots all through it"

"Where?"

"Starboard bow"