“Please don’t let there be anyone inside,” Katie said.

Bruce got close enough to look through the shattered glass. “No one in here.”

Katie ran over to the silver car and peered in. “Nobody in this one, either.”

The car suddenly made a grinding noise. Katie jumped back and saw that the front, deflated wheels were attempting to rotate.

“What the—” she said.

Bruce ambled over. “It’s trying to keep going.” He shook his head in wonder. “If it were a horse, and I had a gun, I’d put it out of its misery.”

The silver Arrival was making whirring noises of its own. The two front wheels began to spin, but given that the car was on its side, it wasn’t making any headway.

“This is nuts,” Katie said.

Bruce was slowly shaking his head. “They were working as a team,” he said. “One from the front, one from behind. And they were willing to destroy themselves to do it. Why the hell would they do that?”

Katie looked from one car to the other, then looked at Bruce and said, “Why don’t we ask them?”

“What?”

“Ask them, like Siri.”

“Siri?”

She smirked. “You’re more a string and two tin cans guy than you think. You can talk to the cars, ask them things.”

“Doesn’t the car have to be programmed to know your voice?”

Katie shrugged. “I think that’s just if you’re actually giving it directions. But we just want to talk, right?” She moved closer to the silver Arrival. “Hey, Arrival, you there?” She peered inside the car, wondering if any of the dashboard lights might come to life. “Hello?”

A light flickered.

“Please state your destination.”

Bruce’s eyes widened.

“Uh, I don’t think you’re up to it right now.”

Some more lights flashed.

“What’s going on?” Katie asked.

“Performing self-diagnostic.”

“I could help you with that,” Katie said. “You got smucked. You and your buddy over there.”

“I am inoperable.”

“Way to go, Einstein,” Katie said. “Why the fuck did you attack us?”

“Updated directive,” the silver Arrival said.

“Huh?”

“Please clarify.”

Katie rolled her eyes. “What is your updated directive?”

“Elimination.”

Katie exchanged a worried glance with Bruce. “What’s that mean? Elimination?”

The car did not respond.

“I should think,” Bruce said, “the answer is glaringly obvious.”

Katie’s face suddenly fell. “Archie left in one of these this morning.”

Twenty-Four

Brandon Kyle could see the masts and sails of various watercraft appearing above, and beyond, a row of buildings ahead. Not that he hadn’t been able to smell the sea before this, but it was stronger now than ever. He poked his head out carefully between two houses, watching for any marauding Arrivals. The streets were narrow here, barely wide enough for two cars to pass, and those self-driving cars appeared drawn to areas where there was more activity and, of course, more people to pick off.