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I s hiuys are okay with it, I’o talk to Kowi and Trip, and then get Peter, Ronald, and Jahway?"

I looked at Winky and she nodded I answered, "Yeah We’ll travel from before sunrise to noon every day to avoid the canners We’ll sleep in the brush off the side of the highway"

"I don’t want to pass you up We ride faster than you guys"

Winky joined in "We’ll leave you a sign of where we are Look for the bird"

"What bird?" I asked, picturing Nina in my mind That was another issue to deal with I wondered if Bodo knehere she was, and I hoped he wouldn’t givehere without her if he didn’t

"Like the tattoos you’ve seen on souys I’ll use a coal stick to draw one on the shoulder of the highway Just keep your eyes peeled I’ll try to do it near a oing to go now I don’t want to waste any time"

I waved him away "Go We’ll be fine"

"Grab some food on your way out," said Winky at his back "And be careful with Trip!"

Rob waved over his head, not looking back

We watched hirab some hunks of food he tossed into his mouth He stopped to talk to Kiersten and then left We said nothing until the door on the side of the property closed behind hiuess we have sos to look forward to" She sh

"Yeah Like a canner war"

She shrugged "More like canner annihilation We’ll be ready for thereed with her

"Yep We have friends here now and in Kahayatle We’llto build a fortress no one can enter I’ll bet the barbed wire and walls are already there"

I s ht now I’d s I’d done far from here would have no consequences out of their immediate area and time I’d counted on the fact that there were no coot about the pony express Maybe they weren’t riding ponies any es And we need to do the saetting Bodo sobered up I tried not to pay too much attention to the festivities that included lots of what looked like Alejandro being passed around He didn’t seeo out of et Bodo to have a normal conversation, anyway

When he was finally ready to leave a few hours later, just before sunrise, we dragged hi one of their bikes with us, proive it back

Kiersten walked us to the gate "Good luck down at the prison Who knows,to?"

"There’s est one is Everglades, not far froet there in two days If you’re looking to set up a new coo there"

I took her offered hug "Thanks That’s where we’re going, then" I pulled away so she could hug Winky "I don’t kno big the couess we should be prepared for the best, right? And we’d love for you to visit That would be nice" I wasn’t just saying that either I had a lot of respect for someone who could build a fairls ed, and it was obvious it was because of the strong leadership they had in Kiersten

Melody ca over to us, all s, fat kisses to thank you for bringing Joshua into our family"

"Joshua?" asked Winky

"That’s what I’ve named him He looks like a Joshua, don’t you think?"

We both nodded our heads I wasn’t sure that I really agreed, but it didn’thands, and that’s what he needed Hopefully, his nutty nize hiirl who lost her baby would find a way to heal from it with Joshua’s presence in her life

"Thanks for the food And for reed "Bodo appreciates it, too" I looked over at hi at atwo inches fro trouble getting sober and keeping his focus on the conversation, and if it weren’t so sad, it’d be hilarious

Winky started laughing, only stopping when I whacked her on the shoulder

"Co it a little

He cah the side door in the wall As soon as ere through and the door closed behind us, he said, "Dat was a close one, Bryn I wass alirls Dey said dat if I didn’t have the sex with them, dey would cut off my man parts Andt I like my man-parts tooto choose to keep h "No, Bodo I’ood" He stopped his bike and looked up into the sky, gazing froht, back and forth

I was afraid we’d lost hiain, but as soon as he spoke, I knew that wasn’t the case

"Before we go back, I need to find Nina"

I was glad the door had already closed behind us, hoping they’d h not to hear us anymore I didn’t know if Bodo had talked about his bird with them, but all we needed was for the they should know about