She reached the apartment complex when the sun was high in the sky: five buildings that had looked like three from her vantage point back in the skyscraper. It was the same place. There was a wide lawn around and between them, now filled with saplings, and she pushed through it carefully as she passed the buildings. This was the one we passed first, and this was the one we went into. . . . She came around the side and looked up, seeing the massive hole they’d blown in the wall three stories up. A vine wound around a dangling floor joist, and a bird perched on a crooked shard of rebar. The violence was gone, and nature was reclaiming it.

They had come here looking for the source of the smoke, and they’d chosen that apartment building because it looked out on what they assumed was the back of the occupied house. Kira kept her rifle up as she walked, rounding the first corner, then the next. This would be the street, and if she’d guessed correctly on her map, the house she was looking for would be six doors down. One, two three, four . . . no. Kira’s jaw dropped, and she stared in shock at the sixth townhouse in the row.

It was an empty crater, blown to pieces.

CHAPTER SIX

“This Senate meeting will now come to order,” said Senator Tovar. “We extend an official welcome to all our guests today, and we look forward to hearing your reports. Before we begin, I’ve been asked to announce that there’s a green Ford Sovereign in the parking lot with its lights on, so if that’s yours, please . . .” He looked up, straight-faced, and the adults in the room all laughed. Marcus frowned, confused, and Tovar chuckled. “My apologies to all the plague babies in the room. That was an old-world joke, and not even a very good one.” He sat down. “Let’s start with the synthesis team. Dr. Skousen?”

Skousen stood, and Marcus placed his binder on his lap, ready in case the doctor asked him for anything. Skousen stepped forward, stopped to clear his throat, then paused, thought, and stepped forward again.

“I take it from your hesitance that you don’t have any good news,” said Tovar. “I guess let’s move on to whoever’s ready to not give us the next bad report.”

“Just let him speak,” said Senator Kessler. “We don’t need a joke in every single pause in conversation.”

Tovar raised his eyebrow. “I could make a joke when someone’s talking, but that seems rude.”

Kessler ignored him and turned to Skousen. “Doctor?”

“I’m afraid he’s correct,” said Skousen. “We have no good news. We have no bad news either, aside from the continued lack of progress—” He paused, stammering uncertainly. “We . . . have had no major setbacks, is what I’m saying.”