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First the cable to the crossbow fouled Jack had just lifted the weapon and prepared to fire when he realized he had no slack He called Joplin on the radio to find the trouble and then stood there with the others, waiting for a reply, as the second fiend lumbered slowly toward them

It had almost reached the left lantern when Joplin called back that he knehere the trouble was, that the cable had snagged in the doorjahed and cursed, then ordered the others back to the doorway

He had to call Felix’s naht of the ragged tissue on the goon’s neck

So they all faded back to the door and stood there, interht, as Joplin fiddled with the door

The repair took fivethere blind as they were But it was unlikely anything would attack theht either And by the tione fro the second monster had retreated, Jack couldn’t stand that sound anymore He reached over to the ry flourish

"All set," announced Joplin, sticking his head inside

"Good news," replied Cat wryly "Now maybe you can fix this"

And he held up the detector to shohere Jack had broken the switch off

So they had to stand there blind soht on his head, replaced the toggle switch with a paper clip and wire

That took another five ood mood by the time they had resumed their stations behind the two lanterns The delays had lost them their stride His team looked jumpy-except for Felix, who looked paralyzed - and he wasn’t feeling so hot either

And he couldn’t stand that godda its job The beeps got closer and closer just as before, and when they reached the previous interval, the goon reappeared, this tiht side Cat’s side

"Okay, people," ordered Jack, lifting the crossbow, "get set"

It was about then that the right-side lantern began to flicker

"Shit!" hissed Jack and he lowered the crossbow and stared with the rest of the teaht blinked on and off The only oon It was now only twenty feet away And co steadily

Jack didn’t knohat to do He didn’t want to fight in the dark But he didn’t want to have to start everything up again And besides, darily "Fix that light!"

Cat, whose endary, just stared back and said, "How?"

"I don’t know, daoon was now only fifteen feet away

"And hurry!" snarled Jack

Cat nodded "Right!" And he rushed forward and bent down over the flickering lantern

"Well?" deoon was now only a dozen feet - six shuffling steps - away And whenever the lamp would flicker, it would see

"Well?" repeated Jack, louder than before

"I don’t believe it," replied Cat excitedly

"What?" cried Jack, concerned

"I think I can fix it!"

"Huh?" replied Jack dully, still staring at the shufflingcloser

"I really think I can It’s just the bulb, I think"

The goon was now less than ten feet away Only it didn’t really see toward Cat More toward Jack, who stood in the center of the forht over here and fix it"

"No Just a sec I’ve got it"

"Cat! Get over here!"

"Would you shut up a ot it!"

And the lantern went completely dark

"Cat!"

No answer

"Cat! What are you doing?" yelled Adaed to be quiet until now

But still, no answer

"Adam! Hit your chest lamp That’ll