He gave her phone numbers and e-mail addresses for the principals of each school in Ferryman’s Landing and promised to call them immediately so they would be expecting her request.

“Meg, I can stay here and watch for deliveries while you and Ruth run up to the Business Association’s room and send the e-mails,” Merri Lee said.

“Anything you want me to do?” Eve asked. “Until the Others take possession of the apartment buildings—or until they clear out the furniture and that efficiency apartment is ready for a good scrub—there’s not a lot for me to do. I was going to go up to the Green Complex and check the garden, see if it needed any weeding or watering while Pete watched the kids, but that can wait.”

“I think we’re covered,” Merri Lee said.

Brittle cheerfulness, but Meg thought they all felt better about being able to do something.

•••

Monty had expected all the patrol officers under Burke’s command to show up whether it was their shift or not, and he wasn’t surprised to see Commander Louis Gresh and his bomb squad in attendance, but he was surprised to see the other captains who worked at the Chestnut Street station file in to hear... whatever this was.

“Make a little room?”

Startled by the voice, Monty took a step to the side to make room. Apparently, even the station’s chief was attending—and looking apprehensive.

Burke stood behind the podium. “I appreciate you all responding so quickly. I’ll be brief so you can get back to your duties.”

Burke hesitated, and Monty felt a cold knot in his belly. Douglas Burke didn’t hesitate.

“As most of you know, I have a pretty good grapevine when it comes to getting information.” Nervous laughter followed Burke’s statement. “This is a best guess based on the photos news reporters took when they went back to some of the towns in the Midwest and Northwest for a follow-up story, as well as reports from police officers who drove to towns where they couldn’t raise anyone from the police station or government building.” He scanned the room. “Based on those sources, I would say the terra indigene retaliated against every town or ranch that had some residents who killed the Wolfgard. They gutted those towns—in some cases, literally. The terra indigene slaughtered the humans in the same way the Wolves were slaughtered. In some cases that meant they killed everything that was human, whether it was a man, woman, or child. In other places, a phone call was made to the nearest surviving human place. The people who answered that call found all the young children in the community together in a building at the edge of the town. Those children were unharmed, so I’m speculating that the Wolfgard young had also escaped the slaughter of the adults.”