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face.
“Chelle!” he screamed.
Duncan and Ana raced to him as Liam fell to the ground screaming.
CHAPTER 32 — Jonah Lovecraft
J onah crossed The Barrens and went back to the train station, following Egan and Calla. They ignored the ladder where Jonah had ascended, running through a thicket of trees, then a wide clearing and into what looked like the remains of a long forgotten depot, with snow-covered crumbles of concrete and exposed piping.
Egan ducked beneath a fallen concrete pillar, then descended a set of stairs into the tunnel. Calla quietly followed her father, with Jonah right behind her.
Inside the station, Jonah was led to a large room just inside the entrance. Egan opened the door, Calla hovering at his side, then pointed to one of the several dozen chairs in what had been some sort of waiting area, once upon a time.
“You can wait there. I’ll go get Father Truth. I need to tell my wife of Dani’s death.” Egan looked at Calla, apology for the loss like a dim light in his eyes, then turned back to Jonah. “Father will come in a few minutes, with everything you need.”
Jonah nodded.
Calla followed Egan from the room, leaving Jonah completely alone.
It was maybe 15 minutes before Father Truth stepped through the door. During every one of those minutes Jonah strongly considered leaving the station, hating the thought of Ana in The Barrens fending for herself. He finally stood and was halfway to the door when Father came inside, carrying a large bag and a tiny smile. He sat the bag down on a chair in front of Jonah, unzipped it, and pulled out a miniature-sized metallic globe.
The small globe had a little screen a few inches wide. It looked like a mini-orb, though not quite like a Network orb or any other orb Jonah had ever seen.
“Is this State made?” Jonah asked, turning it in his hand.
“Not exactly,” Father shook his head. “But I can’t tell you anything more than that, so I suggest you not ask.”
“Can I ask what it does?”
“Wouldn’t give it to you if you couldn’t,” Father said. “It taps into the TV feed, so you’ll be able to see the same thing folks behind The Wall are seeing, while they’re seeing it. That’s your best bet at finding Ana. Besides this,” Father held up the bag, bulging at the sides, and handed it to Jonah.
Jonah sat down and pulled the bag into his lap, and peeked inside, eyes widening at the contents. “This is for me? All of it?”
“It is,” Father nodded. “Don’t make me regret it.”
Inside the bag were two guns, four boxes of shells, dried fruit, four vials of something marked “health,” five bottles of water, and a hand-drawn map of The Barrens, which seemed to offer a good trail to where Ana might be.
“So can I go now?”
“Yes, at least in a second. We’ve gotta destroy your chips first.”
“I thought you said it was dangerous,” Jonah said.
“A little bit, but it’s far more dangerous if you get tracked by hunter orbs. There’s an energy field surrounding the station that prevents the orbs from tracking you here. But once you step outside the field, you’re fair game. So you want to do this if you want to live.”
Father unzipped a small pack at his waist and pulled out a long, thin box, about the length of his hand. He unfastened the latch at the top, lifted the lid, then shook a translucent blue pill into his hand and handed it to Jonah.
“A pill? You’ve gotta be kidding.”
“Not at all,” Father said. “The pill has nanotech scrubbers, to destroy the chips. In your bag, I’ve also included another pill to give your daughter once you find her.”
Jonah liked that he said “once” instead of “if.”
“Now I have to warn you, once you swallow, you will be disoriented. You’ve convinced yourself that you can’t afford any time to rest, but I’d argue, and loudly, that you can’t afford not to rest if you expect to save your daughter. I suggest waiting at least two hours before leaving, though you and Egan will both likely argue for one, and for different reasons.”
“I have to go. I don’t have two hours.” Jonah shook his head. “Every minute I’m down here instead of up there looking looking for Ana is another minute I put her at risk.”
“If they set hunter orbs on you, you’re dead. So is she. Have faith in the daughter you raised, Jonah. Clear the chips and clear your mind, then rescue Ana.”
Father handed the pill to Jonah. “Unleash yourself.”
Jonah
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