Chapter 217 A Ditch Effort (1)

• After Hanna drove the Mover Mech back to the dam and parked it right next to the river, John grabbed her arm and led her through the claustrophobic mass of townspeople crossing over the dam. The masses were going north along the river as Bell, Mr. Flanigan, and others were directing them that way in an attempt to escape the town. However, John took Hanna and headed south. Both knew that they had to find Mary and the others right away and get them to escape before the defenses at the dam broke.
• Just before John and Hanna left the dam and entered the town below, John noticed that the fires burning in the town were much closer. Though he didn’t have time to wonder why for a distant rumbling from the baby Hoard Mother spurred him to speed up. Hanna was having trouble keeping up, but she did her best to follow.
• The two of them hadn’t gone more than three intersections when they were passed by others hurrying northwards. At first it was only couples, or small family units and John assumed it was just a coincidence. Then the small groups turned into sizeable crowds and the pace of their numbers increasing worried John.