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o I ’m le ft w it h m y h om em ad e w ea p on s, P V C p ip e s lin gsh ots , a n d o th er t r in kets .
“T hey f o u nd a n oth er o n e,” T ess s a ys. S he s q uin ts t o g et a b ette r lo ok .
I lo ok d ow n a n d s e e t h e s o ld ie rs s p ill f r o m a n oth er h ou se . O ne o f t h em s h ak es a c a n o f s p ra y p ain t a n d d ra w s a g ia n t r ed
X on th e d oor. I k now th at
h ou se . T he f a m ily t h at liv es t h ere o n ce h ad a lit tle g ir l m y a ge. M y b ro th ers a n d I p la yed w it h h er w hen w e w ere y ou nger— fr eeze t a g a n d s tr eet h ock ey
w it h ir o n p ok ers a n d c ru m ple d p ap er.
Tess t r ie s t o d is tr a ct m e b y n od din g a t t h e c lo th b undle n ea r m y f e et. “ W hat’d y ou b rin g t h em ?”
I s m ile , t h en r ea ch d ow n t o u ntie t h e c lo th . “ S om e o f t h e s tu ff w e s a ved u p t h is w eek . I t’ll m ak e f o r a n ic e c ele b ra tio n
on ce t h ey p ass t h e in sp ectio n .” I
d ig th ro u gh th e lit tle p ile o f g ood ie s in sid e th e b undle , th en h old u p a u se d p air o f g oggle s. I c h eck th em a gain to m ak e s u re th ere a re n o c ra ck s in th e

d ig th ro u gh th e lit tle p ile o f g ood ie s in sid e th e b undle , th en h old u p a u se d p air o f g oggle s. I c h eck th em a gain to m ak e s u re th ere a re n o c ra ck s in th e
g la ss. “ F or J oh n. A n e a rly b ir th day g if t.” M y o ld er b ro th er tu rn s n in ete en la te r th is w eek . H e w ork s fo u rte en -h ou r s h if ts in th e n eig h borh ood p la n t’s
fr ic tio n s to ves a n d a lw ays c o m es h om e r u bbin g h is e y es f r o m t h e s m ok e. T hese g oggle s w ere a lu ck y s te a l f r o m a m ilit a ry s u pply s h ip m en t.
I p ut t h em d ow n a n d s h uffle t h ro u gh