“Indeed. The cages mark the perimeter of the area in which people have died. When the waves of sickness come, there is no warning. In the last week, when the diseases intensified, we set them set up at different locations and intervals to warn us. If the bastards keel over, we run and don’t look back. So far, it hasn’t reached this far.

“But it also means we cannot go in search of the source. We even attempted by helicopter. The last radio communication was from the pilot saying he couldn’t breathe. It crashed less than a minute later.”

Lynn raised her hand to her neck. The general continued. “Drones show us nothing but dead animals and birds out there. No one has walked out of this area alive. That is, except for that little girl. She was quite the discovery. We certainly didn’t intend on letting her leave—”

“What do you mean, let her leave?” William said, Lily peering around his leg.

“Please, Mr. Chance. A nameless little girl wanders out of a hot zone that is under complete surveillance by the military and you think we weren’t alerted? We were about to seize her, take her to the DC headquarters or quarantine her, even if she wasn’t emitting the diseases. But then she saw you on that parks investigator’s phone. When she indicated that she had to find you—you, of all people—we knew for certain that it was happening again. And that we had to find you. Who do you think arranged for them to fly to Arkansas? We were with them the entire time, watching, observing. She led us right to you. We, of course, misjudged what she was, in fact, capable of. And you, for that matter.”

William could barely contain his budding anger. “So many people didn’t have to die.”

“Understand that we’re in the same place today that we were eight days ago, when that girl was discovered. We cannot venture in to determine what is causing the diseases. We’d hoped that girl would find you and explain to you what was occurring, so we could take you both safely into custody to determine what could be done to stop it. But reckless fanatics changed our course.”

“Fanatics,” Lynn said softly. “You refer, of course, to the people who have wanted to expose the truth that you so badly wished to contain.”

The general jutted out his jaw. “All that matters now is stopping it. And you and that girl are going to show us how.”

William reached down and lifted Lily, leaning in to her. “I know your sister’s out there. I can feel her. But I don’t know exactly where. Does any of it out there … look familiar?”

Lily shook her head. “It was so dark.”