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When you first see San Angelo, the sun is a quarter hidden below the skyline, its soft red glow reflecting upon a cluster of tall buildings that stand at the city’s centre. They are the ravaged shells of banks and state offices that were the pride of this once-prosperous city before ‘The Day’. Surrounding them, for many miles, is a sea of dust and rubble. Your skin prickles when you realize that this is all that remains of the city’s suburbs, an area that was once home to more than a million Texans.

You are about to drive towards the centre when you notice that a fortified wall has been erected around the tall buildings of the downtown area, and that the northern highway approaches are controlled by roadblocks. It would be near-suicidal to approach any closer, so you decide to make a wide detour around the city limits and try to approach from the south.

It takes you nearly two hours to reach the south side of San Angelo, by which time night has fallen. Fortunately, your decision to go south pays off; this section of the city is virtually uninhabited by the Angelinos and your approach goes undetected. Hidden by the darkness, you are able to get within a mile of the downtown area before you encounter any sign of clan activity. You know that if your rescue of Kate is to be successful you must not allow your roadster to fall into enemy hands, and with this in mind, you search for somewhere safe to leave it while you venture into the downtown area on foot.

An underground parking lot situated below the looted ruins of a Sears megamarket provides just such a safe haven, and it is here that you hide your car. You are tired after the rigours of your journey, so you decide to get a few hours’ sleep and attempt your rescue at first light.

Turn to 29.