Chapter Nineteen

defense network. Manny hadn't exactly planned to find an answer to that question on this trip. Now it seemed like he wouldn't have a choice in the matter. His escorts, Alexander's men, hadn't said much. They directed him to the proper transport and told him to keep his mouth shut when he asked for an explanation. Manny did as they asked, because he half expected them to gun him down if he made a real fuss. Roland's bound to find me. He can find any fucking one. I just need to

stay alive long enough for him to get here. Once upon a time, the Tesla factory had been an immaculate sign of what some commenters called the Texan Renaissance. After the fall of the old United States, the Republic of Texas had been one of the first functional states to arise in the southwest. Dallas had been wrecked by the Lakewood Blast, but the rest of the state still had

tens of millions of people and abundant natural resources. For a while, the hardcore libertarian policies of the Republic had created a minor economic miracle. Tesla had gotten this factory going about three years before that boom went bust. The first room they were taken to had clearly been some sort of reception area and probably a showroom at one point. There were three large, oval shaped plinths that had once held cars, and a handful of metal desks bolted hard

into the ground. There were also several benches stripped of whatever they had once been upholstered with, and a few dozen folding chairs that were clearly recent additions. Many could see signs that the walls had been attacked at several places in an attempt to strip them of wires. The damage was obvious, but not as extensive as he'd expected. Bessierda de MARTA's standards. This building was in good shape.

A dozen martyrs occupied the room. They wore quality, non powered body armor and toted rifles that must have been looted new from their republic's armories. One of the desks was manned by a haired looking young man in an off white suit. He wore no sign of rank, but did have a white cross arm band around his left bicep and a golden cross pin on his lapel. He was balding, baby faced, and the deep bags under his eyes spoke of severe exhaustion. His face lit up when

he saw Manny another. My prayers have been answered, as the Lord wills it, one of Manny's escorts replied. They brought him to the desk, and the besuited man looked up at him. He had a hungry look in his eyes. He'd started to sweat a little too. You may call me Isaac. What's your name, young man? Me Emmanuel Emmanuel Sanchez. The little man jotted that down on a piece of paper and then continued asking questions. What's your date of birth?

Do you have any family history of allergies or illnesses? Have you ever undergone surgery? Before, what biomodifications, if any, are currently active in your system, do you have any inactive modifications? And so on. After about ten minutes of questioning, the little Man told Manny to stand up and follow him into an examination room. His tone was cordial, even warm, but Manny tasted doom behind it. He smelled death in this place, and his soul cried out against heading further

into its bowels. But there was nothing to do but follow. Alexander's men left after dropping him off, but there were plenty of guards on the front room. Two of them followed Manny and the young man backed through the double doors and into the heart of the facility. They walked through what had once been an open floor office. There were a few overturned desks and chairs, but mostly the place was barren and half cannibalized for scrap. It was

ill lit and derelict. What are we doing here, Manny asked. Isaac put a hand on his shoulder and smiled. We're doing God's work, he said, the same as everywhere in this blessed kingdom. I know that, Manny said, in a slow, careful tone, but I don't understand why I was pulled out of training or why I was removed from my unit?

What is this place? Isaac didn't answer. Instead, he walked Mannie to a door in the back of the empty office and opened it to reveal a small, well lit, white room with a bench, a weight scale, and a computer terminal built into the wall above a rolling cabinet. Isaac weighed him, marked down his height, and then pulled a strange measuring device out of the cabinet. It looked like a cross between a protractor and a pin vice. This is a craniometer, Isaac explained, once he saw the

confusion on Manny's face. It's for measuring the size of your skull. Isaac set right to work. He fit the strange device around Manny's head and tightened it until the vice grip bit into Manny's scalp. Isaac jotted down some more numbers on his notepad and removed the craniometer. He looked, pleased that alone was enough to turn Manny's stomach. Can you please tell me what this is all about? Isaac's eyes darted up from his paper For just a moment.

He gave Manny an insincere, distracted smile. Everything will be explained soon. Enough, young man, right now, which should be enough to know you're doing the Lord's work. Manny was very, very tired of that response. Isaac finished his notes and led Manny out a back door in the room and into what Manny had to assume was the final step in their journey. The scent of blood in the air was too heavy for anything else to be the case.

Manny felt hair stand up on the back of his neck, his shoulders went tinse, and a moment later he felt the strong hands of his guards on either bicep. This new room was part mechanic shop, part abattoir. It had once been the main factory floor, and it was filled with the half looted carcasses of robotic auto workers. Several of those machines had been restored to some level of functional capacity. Manny could see twentyish new vehicles and various

states of construction across the vast space. Instead of sleek, consumer gray electronic cars, most of these vehicles seemed to be very old and warns sedans and trucks. A handful of them were outdated and ni obsolete. Military drones palettes of plastic explosives sat outside several of the vehicles. Many could see human workers packing blocks of it into a battered off white Kia a few dozen feet in front

of him. None of this was particularly shocking. Vehicle based improvised explosive devices had been de rigueur for terrorists insurrections for the last seventy years. Two things about this factory struck Manny as strange. The first is that none of the vehicles in construction had any armor added to them. Most V B I E d S would be covered in thick slabs of concrete and welded scrap metal to

ensure they made it safely to their target. The vehicles here seemed like they would look normal when they finally rolled off the reassembly line. The second odd thing was the dozens of surgical tables and the rather significant amount of red blood coating the floor underneath them. Five of the beds were occupied with bodies covered by blood speckled white sheets. The men under them appeared dead. Oh God, Manny forgot his cover in the dawning horror of the moment.

What the hell is this place? What's your mouth? Young man? Isaac snapped, This is a temple of the Lord where young heroes delivered themselves into the waiting arms of Eternity. A tall man in a lab coat made his way over to them. He had gray hair and warm brown eyes behind horn rimmed spectacles. He gave Manny a warm smile and extended out a hand in greeting the Lord be with you, Emmanuel. I'm doctor Ernest. I'm sure you

must be full of questions right now, gentlemen. He glanced towards the guards, who still had their hands on Manny. You can let him go now. This young man is a hero and he should be treated as such. The hands loosened. Manny heard the men step back. He flashed a nervous smile back at the doctor. Keep him talking, Manny thought, The longer you drag this out, the more time Roland will have. What is going on here? These ah He grappled for the correct terminology. These martyrdom devices

seem different. And I don't know what's going on with with with all the medical equipment and the bodies. Doctor Ernst finished his question without so much a break in his warm smile. Yes, God bless him, but diplomacy is not Isaac's strong suit. He gets rather focused on the task at hand. Many noticed that the odd little man had already wandered off towards a rolling tray of medical equipment near one of the surgical beds. That set Manny's

heart beating even faster. Follow me, said doctor Ernst, and I'll explain everything. The doctor led him to one of the shrouded bodies and pulled its covering down, revealing the dead man's face. Manny wasn't exactly surprised to see that it was Jonathan, the young man from Atlanta he'd met just a few days before. Jonathan was, of course quite dead. A bloody red line ran across his skull, just above his ears. His eyes were closed, and his lips were

turned up in a beatific smile. You know this man, yes, doctor Ernst asked gently. Yes, of course you do. The doctor chuckled. You're both colored men and the heavenly kingdom. I'd be surprised if you hadn't developed a connection. It's only natural to gravitate towards your own kind. Many fought down the urge to slap Doctor Ernst. Jonathan here started his journey to martyrdom just a few hours ago. I know he appears dead, but as it was with our

Lord and savior appearances. Quanby quite deceiving. His brain is still quite alive and alert. It's just been moved. Doctor Arn't gestured over to the Kia. Many saw that another lab coated worker was now carrying a peculiar metal box over to the v B I e ed. The box was about head sized and covered with sockets and plugs.

A single green light flickered on one side. See they're loading him into his chariot now, and soon he'll pilot this anointed engine of heavenly will to the ruin of our enemies, many thought, backed that last day before the invasion, to Reggie's questions about that mysterious checkpoint bombing, This must be how they did it. He realized the STFs checkpoints were perfectly capable of reading the itinerary of any autonomous vehicle that drove towards them. They'd shoot anything that didn't

broadcast to its destination. But the Kingdom had found a way to hide a human driver capable of taking over once the car was past the checkpoint. His eyes drifted over to a combat drone lying half disassembled on the table a few yards to his left. It was a hefty beetle black monster with a heavy underslung machine gun. It reminded Manny terribly of the drone that had almost killed him in Reggie a few days earlier. This explains why the STF drone jammers didn't work. The Heavenly Kingdom

wasn't really using drones. Manny realized with downing horror that the drone's open cavity was likely the intended resting place of his brain. Ah. Doctor Ernst smiled, I see you've already spotted your chariot. Yes, Emmanuel, you are quite fortunate. Martyre Ditmar noted your intelligence and suggested you be implanted into a drone. I assure you it's a high honor, even in this sacred place. Manny's heart thudded like the tolling of a church bell. For a while, he couldn't

hear anything else. He felt himself gripped by a sudden, clustrophobic arr were. The worst thing wasn't even the thought of being cut open, torn apart. It was the thought of being trapped inside that little metal box, forced to kill and die in the name of a cause he abhorred. Many knew he'd started to shake, but there was nothing he could do to quell the terror. Doctor Ernst to put a hand on his shoulder. Many assumed it was

meant to reassure him. It did not have that effect. Immanuel, I know this is quite a lot to take in, but all you really need to know is that you've been blessed, truly blessed with the chance to play a real role in making the Heavenly Kingdom a reality. The Storming Battalion are God's elite, the holiest of our martyrs. I'm sure once the shock wears off, you'll realize what a privilege this is. Many heard footsteps. He didn't need to look to know his guards were stepping back up

behind him. He felt the noose titan and his hope slip ever farther away, Where the hell is Rowland? I am um, he stuttered, Can I have some time to h to prey on this? Of course, emmanual. Doctor Ernst smile ever looked false or forced. He put a hand on Manny's shoulder. It will be a few minutes before we're ready to begin the operation. I commend you devotion. This is an ideal time to pray for guidance. A few minutes his heart pounded so hard, he thought it

might beat its way free from his chest. He was sure doctor Ernest must have heard it, but if he did, he said nothing about it. Instead, the doctor led Manny over to a small carpeted area that looked to have been set aside as a prayer room for the soon to be martyred members of this battalion. It consisted of a half dozen shares, at least they're padded, a three foot tall white stone statue of Christ on a cross, and two small inn tables, each with a couple of

dog eared bibles. Manny sat down, bereft of any better idea, he grabbed a Bible and flipped it open to a random page. King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide. Manny rolled his eyes the flaming ale as a cubit. He skimmed the next few verses until he realized which story he'd stumbled upon. His religious school hadn't been intense, but he had gone to church most Sundays for the better part of a decade.

He'd listened to enough sermons and attended enough Sunday school classes to know the story of Shadrak, Mishak and Abednego, three stupid assholes who'd wandered into a furnace and trusted in Deus ex deos to save them. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the god we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from your Majesty's hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold

you have set up. It struck Manny that his current predicament had more than a little in common with these ancient men, if they'd ever existed in the first place. The chief difference was that, of course, Manny wasn't praying for the help of a god. He was, however, strongly hoping for rescue from a godlike being that felt close enough to give him a sense of kinship towards the

men and the story. The king's command was so urgent and the furnace so hot, that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrak, Mishak and Abednego, and these three men firmly tied fell into burning furnace. He hadn't remembered that bit from Sunday School, the part where the king's soldiers were burnt alive by the heat of his fire. Many wondered what kind of soldiers would so willingly step into a pointless death at some mad

king's command. And then he remembered where he was. He looked up from the Bible at the twenty or so armed men stationed around the factory. I really, really hope someone comes along to burn them to death. Many heard footsteps behind him. He looked back this time and saw Doctor Arnst advancing with two guards in Isaac. The bald little man was visibly excited. An obscene smile played across his features. He held an almost comically large needle in

his hands. Many looked over from him to the doctor Immanuel. Doctor Arnist said it's time. Many stood. His mind raced for some sort of delaying tactic. I need to uh pray more, I need more pray. Time confused, jan passed over all the men's faces. Time is of the essence here. Doctor Ernst insisted, don't delay this important work because you're scared. Trust in the Lord, open your heart to his will. See I have I I totally have, Manny stammered, and

I'm pretty sure he's actually not down with us. Yeah, I think he wants me to be a soldier, a regular soldier with a gun, not a brain in a drone. Doctor Ernst glanced back at the two guards flanking him. He nodded, and they advanced. One man had a kalashnikov on his back, the other had a holstered side arm. Both men were much larger and more muscular than Manny. He glanced around for a weapon, as if anything left

around would be useful against two firearms. There was still a bible in his hands that probably would have been enough for Roland. Manny had no doubt the posthuman could kill a dozen men with a book, more if it was hardcover. Emmanuel, the doctor's voice was low, soft and as comforting as a lullaby. I know this is a frightening thing, but you must trust me, You must trust all of us. The heavenly Kingdom not spend your life this way if we were not certain your sacrifice would

further the will of our Lord. That is why you came here, Emmanuel. I know if you listen to God, you'll see what's right. Manny closed his eyes. He listened not for the voice of God, but for the sound of footsteps. After a few seconds pause, he heard the guards move towards him again. He gripped hard on the Bible in his hand, and he tried not to think too much about what he had already decided he had to do. The footsteps grew closer until Manny could almost

feel the heat coming off the other men's bodies. Very good, Emmanuel, doctor Ernst cood, God loves you. Manny opened his eyes. The guards were right in front of him, now reaching for him. Manny swung the Bible up underhanded into the kalashnikov man's chin. Then he dove to the right and slammed his head into the other man's crotch with all the force his five foot ten inch frame could bring

to bear. The man howled. Manny half fell, caught himself, and dropped into a dead run, aimed straight for Isaac. Both the bald headed needleman and doctor Ernst stared at him in astonishment. Belatedly, Isaac raised his arms up in defense. The gesture did nothing to stop Manny from plowing into him and knocking him to the ground. He punched the other man in the face hard, and then scrambled back

to his feet too. He felt the pain of the gunshot before he heard it, or rather, he didn't register the sound of the gunshot as a gunshot until the pain made it clear he'd been shot. And then Manny was on the ground. His world shrunk to the space below his belly button, which now pulsed with spurts of deep red blood. His hands covered the wound, pressing back against it in an instinctive attempt to protect himself. He stared in fascination at the spreading red. He watched as

his blood turned chunky and thick. The spurting faded away to a slow ooze. The pain caught up to him now, and Manny's vision went black for a moment. The world faded into view after a while. Doctor Ernst Isaac and both guards were standing above him. The guard with the handgun had a drawn a wisp of smoke trailed up from the barrel. Manny watched, enthralled as it curled up to the sky and gradually disappeared into the air around them. You've made a grievous error, my boy, Doctor Ernst's voice

was grave, now devoid of all compassion. You was so close to paradise it almost brings me to tears. The doctor was only a few feet away, but his voice sounded distant and muffled. I'm dying, aren't I? Manny thought, no, if that was a kill shot, i'd be dead by now. The bleeding's already stopped. The thought did little to calm his nerves. He'd thoroughly blown his cover. Even if they never guessed his true purpose in coming to the Heavenly Kingdom,

he'd be executed for trying to flee. This is going to put us even further behind schedule. That was Isaac. His nose was bleeding, but it didn't look broken. I wish I was better at punching. Take ab outside, Doctor Arnest said to the guards, and make it quick. There's no sense in stringing him up in public for simple cowardice. So this is how it's going to end. Manny was confused by how it peace. He felt with that some of it was gil Alajandra was dead, Amide was dead,

Oscar was dead, mister Perrone was dead. This was nothing more than he deserved. He was pleasantly surprised to find that as the little robots in his blood, flooded his system with happy drugs. That sense of guilt began to fade. He felt wonderfully detached from the world. He wondered if this was how Roland felt all the time, disconnected and pleasant in a vague, indefinable way. The guards bent down. Many felt their hands on his arms. He felt them

lift him up. He felt a terrible, shifting pain in his gut as another rush of clotting blood poured out of him. Many thought of mister Perrone. He could almost see his face. Maybe the Christians were right about the after life. That was a nice thought. Actually, he thought mister Perrone would be proud of him. I tried to do something, Sir, I really did. Many didn't see the source of the noise. It sounded like something heavy falling from a high height onto something soft and squishy, some

one soft and squishy. He realized the guards dropped him. Men started to yell gunshot, gunshot gunshot. Manny thought, and he giggled a little bit. The sounds of chaos and violence that had erupted inside the factory could only be Roland's doing. Manny lifted up his head with considerable effort and looked over towards the waiting area, where most of the guards had sat idle. It was a mess now.

Several of the chairs in one of the big tables were mashed together with a chunky red paste that resembled good salsa. People salsa, he thought, and then giggled again. Manny caught a glimpse of Rowland as the chrombed man rocketed across the factory floor and into a trio of guards. The men didn't even have the chance to fire their weapons. The first guard burst like a balloon full of jelly. It was hard to tell exactly what happened next, as

it occurred under a red cloud of human viscera. Manny slipped in his own blood and fell back onto the floor. He stared up at the ceiling for a little while and just focused on trying to keep his breath steady. There was nothing else he could do here anyway. Immanuel Sasha, he thought, Ula he said, it's okay. He held her warm hand on his forehead. Don't talk. You've been shot, but you're probably not going to die. Probably, he had to admire her fundamental honesty. I'm going to try to

drag you out of here. If you can walk, that would be really helpful. She grabbed Manny under the armpits and tried to pull him up. He let out a coughing cry at the pain of being moved again, but he also realized late in the game that he still had some control over his legs. He pushed up, and, with Sasha's help, fought gravity well enough that he soon

stood under mostly his own power. Sasha wrapped one of his arms around her shoulder and took some of the weight off his weakened limbs, and then together they hobbled free of the Chinel factory that had almost been his tomb. An hour later, Manny sat with Roland and Sasha on the roof of an old Bank of America and watched as the Tesla factory burned in the distance. Manny had passed out almost as soon as Sasha had got him out the door. He recalled waking up a few times

during the run away from the factory. At some point Roland had met up with them and started carrying him. He'd come to on the roof of the old bank building just in time to see Roland dribble a trail of weirdess blood into his gunshot wound. He'd felt a little revulsion at the act, but it had passed once his pain dissolved. I should really find a way to bottle that stuff, he thought. What happened, Manny asked. Once reality had solidified a little more, Roland found me, Sasha said,

just after they took you. I told him that Alexander had mentioned a factory, and then well he seemed to know this must be the factory they'd been talking about. Thanks for that, Reggie, he told me he was going to She coughed a little and her cheeks reddened an embarrassment, feed them their own dicks, and that I should wait until they were engaged to run in and drag you out. A large explosion echoed across the city. Escape and the Trio watched a small orange mushroom cloud light up the

sky where the Tesla factory had been. It's about damn time, Roland grumbled. The detonators those fuckers stole from the Republic were garbage. Hey, He looked over to Manny. The hell was that place anyway? Yes, Sasha added, and how exactly did you wind up getting shot there? Manny related the whole story as best he could, Sasha's face went pale white with outrage and disgust when he explained exactly how the Heavenly Kingdom had managed to get its suicide vehicles

past the sd f's checkpoints. Oh god, she moaned, Oh God above, no, no, no. Roland just laughed. That's as clever as a two headed crow. I'll give him that, He clapped Sasha on the shoulder. Come on, lady, you can't still be surprised by how funk the Kingdom is. How many people did you watch them? Hang? Sasha didn't respond. She just sat there, eyes red and watery, and stared

out at the burning factory. Manny felt like he should have said something, but his mind was still catching up to his body after the events of the last couple of hours. Staring straight ahead represented the extent of his abilities right now, Sorry, Roland sudden response to the silence not for get you kids aren't used to this sort of ship. I'll tell you it gets easier. What almost dying, asked Manny. We're being betrayed by the only thing you

ever believed in, asked Sasha. Roland shrugged. Both I guess, I mean neither is much fun. But hey, y'all pop some cherries today, so it's got to mean nothing but downhill from here on out. Neither of them responded, but Roland plowed right along. I meant downhill and like the positive sense of the word, you know, sledding like that or something more. Silence Roland's side and took a loud gulp from a piece of sheet metal he'd been into

a makeshift cup. The beverage inside smelled like another batch of his gut liquor. It burned Manny's nose from three feet away. A minute went by, and then another Without a word. They listened as emergency sirens sounded and drew closer to the side of the blast. So what the fund do we do now, Manny asked. Roland grunted and then belched, Well, we've probably gotta roll back into town, break those ladies out of jail, and then I don't know,

we should probably leave right Many rolled his eyes. The casual recklessness of Roland's confidence had been fun and reassuring when he wasn't recovering from a gunshot wound. The events at the testa Plant had proved to Manny that the post human's protection wasn't enough to guarantee his safety or Sasha's. He was the deadliest thing Manny had ever seen, but he couldn't be everywhere at once. Wait, who are you

breaking out of jail, Sasha asked? Those three negotiators, Manny said, from the City of Wheels, the woman you examined, and their mail companion. Sasha gave Manny a look he couldn't quite parse out what he asked. Is that why you started talking to me, she asked, Because you knew I was working with those women, and you thought I might be able to get you into the jail. No, started Manny. I mean sort of right, finished Roland. That was sure,

as she had a big BLUs. Many glared at the post human Rowland had all attacked and diplomacy of a chainsaw. That's why I'm here in the first place, he reminded himself. Look, Roland continued, there's no point in dressing any of this up. Sasha, you fled your home to join a militant terrorist organization that butcher civilians. Manny, you kind of manipulated her in the hope of getting information. I just beat like twenty people to death, plus I fed Martyr Ditmar his own

hand and I feel genuinely bad about that. Roland shook his head. I'm really trying not to fall completely off the murder wagon here, guys. But when I get angry and the battle drug start flowing, he shivered, I get ugly. Once again. Roland's words were met with stunned silence, and once again he plowed forward. Nonetheless, what I'm saying is this whole situation as ugly as fun and none of us as a hero. But we're probably the least shitty

people in the city with any kind of power. So let's all forgive each other's trespasses and use that power to try to save a couple of nice people from being crucified or whatever it is Christians due to the people who piss them off. Is it just hanging I Sasha started to respond, then shook her head and exasperation. Probably not, she said. Instead, all right, Roland clapped and put on a bright smile. So how do we get

in there? I mean, I can just sort of balls my way through the front door or the ceiling, but since this is an actual jail, it's probably reinforced. There's a good chance they'll kill the hostages. Before I punched my way into the cells. Manny could almost hear the wheels turn and Sasha's head as she caught her thoughts up with what was now apparently her reality. To her credit, she responded in short order, that's probably the case, she nodded.

There are armed guards outside of each cell, and there's a real disgust for those captives among the martyrs. They probably would shoot those women rather than let them escape. And what about the guy? I never saw him? I dealt with the women, Marigolden. Oh, what was her name? Tully? But I assume he was in the same jail. Is Roland confirmed, or at least he was last time I sniffed around there. Manny's mind finally spun up to full speed. The pain in his guts had subsided, as had the

light headed, bloodless feeling he'd woken up with. He felt comforted by the mere fact of having a simple problem to solve. At the core, this question was a logistical one, just like the problems he faced every day as a fixer. He needed to deliver his team to a certain location the jail in a amitted time frame, So Manny's first job was to figure out what connections he'd need to make in order for that to be possible. Sasha, he asked,

who can help us get inside that jail? Do you know anyone who has the authority to come and go from there with impunity? Doctor Brandt, She replied. He's a good man, I think, but he's committed. He's not going to work with us to betray the Kingdom. He doesn't need to. Manny assured her. I'm going to guess he's a smart guy, right. He has to be somewhat worldly

to be an actual doctor. Sasha nodded, He's not a mindless zealot, if that's what you're asking most of us, aren't you know there was a reasonable case for supporting the Heavenly Kingdom at just She trailed off, and Many put his hands out in a placating gesture. No, No, that's not not what I'm getting at. I want to make sure this guy has a sober, realistic understanding of what someone like Roland can do. Sasha's eyes went cloudy, but she nodded. He talked about them with me a little,

She said. I would say he has a healthy respect for post humans, good Manny said it. So we find him and we make him an offer either Roland tears the heart out of the kingdom or doctor Brandt helps us get those captives out of the jail. If he's a sensible man, who'll have to see the reason in that. Sasha didn't look so sure about that, but after some consideration,

she nodded and agreed that it was at least possible. Okay, so we find this doctor Brandt, we use him to get inside the jail, Roland does Roland things, and then we beat feet to get out of Seda Demuerta. Roland shrugged and took another deep pull from his gut beverage. He seemed on board. Sasha raised another question, though, Okay, so who are you two supposed to be? Then, every time doctor Brandon I visited the jail, we had a driver in an armed guard. But you two don't exactly

look like you fit the bill. Right now, you, she appointed to Manny, clearly just took a bullet, and you, she jabbed a finger at Roland, look like you just murdered dozens of people, which I guess you did, right, Manny clapped his hands. That's easy enough to fix. It's what five am. Now the city is starting to wake up. Do you know what shift doctor Brandt's expected to work today, Sasha. Lately he's been doing seven to seven and Rowland. Manny continued,

do you know where the vehicle pool is? The big man nodded, Oh yeah, I drag that downer in my first reconde. It's about thirty minutes away on foot for you guys five minutes from me. We'll go slow, said Manny. Sasha, you let us know when you recognize doctor Brandt's cheep and driver will stop them, relieve them of their uniforms, and drive on to the doctor's house. Roland, you think you can take out two men without bloodying up their uniforms?

He gave another shrug. Fifty fifty all right? Manny nodded. That's plan A, then, and what's Plan B? Sasha asked, Close your eyes and hide behind Rowland. Hey, I'm Robert Evans. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I hope you enjoyed the chapters to come. You can find the free e pub of every chapter and eventually the whole book at a t r book dot com, complete with illustrations. If you want to support me in writing the sequel, you can crowdfund me at after the Revolution the Sequel at

go fund me. Just type and go fund me After the Revolution the Sequel. Um. I'd like my books to always be free, so I'm just going to try to crowdfund the next one and see how that works. So After the Revolution the Sequel on go fund me. You can also find the community of fans of this book online at our slash after the Revolution on Reddit. So after the Revolution the Sequel on go fund me, and our slash after the Revolution on Reddit. A t r book dot com for the whole book. Thanks