Adam went back to the hotel, morbidly silent. James was feeling better, and Adam still wanted to travel north. James knew something was wrong, but his friend spoke barely a word. They packed up the car and drive further into Nebraska.

Stacker and his posse expanded around the college. Halfway there, and still lots more to be done.

BRMB moved on, looking for another helpless man to jock.

Hunter worked on the machine, extending the power further and further.

Briggs was in his office, talking to Jamie when the phone rang. "Briggs, yes. . . . .what? How did that happen? Well, are you stopping it? Who the hell is Chloe Barnette? What? And we didn’t know this before? I thought you had this planned out. Son of a bitch! Well, fucking kill her. I don’t care anymore. I will not accept these failures!"

A new set of eyes had confronted Briggs, and this one had walked away.

And there was this girl . . .

Somewhere, far away, a girl was sleeping in her bedroom. •