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His nose never lied

Mac’s eyes followed the tcomers Well, one actually The Archer kid, queer as a da a lot better than when he’d seen hiht up Nice kid Well-spoken and obviously shie but what to do? The ones that had beat on hiay but they were cowards That rated higher in Mac’s Loser Code As a point of fact, they were ranking very near the top currently

This latest fiasco in which they’d tried to gang up on one boy told Mac all he needed to know about the direction that little gang of brats was going

Nowhere

He thought they were prime candidates for The Solution

He felt the srin

Caleb

I watched Onyx brown nose Grarin on his face I walked over there, leaving the argu to start the bonfire behind

"What are you thinking about, Gra"

Jade took the last bag of candy from him and frowned after she touched it

Looks like he’d been doing a littleShe did giveon her tiptoes to do it "I’o run interference between Buddy and Jonesy, K?"

Yeah, I heard that

I watched her walk away, bundled up like ere in the Antarctic instead of a suburb of Kent Her huge pink puffy dwarfed her sreat view of Jade

"Need any help, Graivingfor witnesses

"You got soet off your chest, Caleb?" he asked, planting his big hands on his hips His eyes, so much like my mom’s, bored into me

I told him about the Graysheets event on the way back from his house yesterday

The Parker Encounter Sorta extra terrestrial Not that there were aliens

What a dumb idea that was

I finished and watched as his fists curled into ha at h eyes that had darkened to storm clouds "They just won’t leave ya alone And why is Parker reeling you in, trying to warn you?" he spoke out loud, scrubbing his face, thinking about if it was connected

Hoas connected

He put up a waggling finger "Somehow, those damn Graysheets are behind this I don’t kno but I think you’re gonna have to figure that out, Caleb Better not to get surprised again Better to sniff this thing out before it bites you in your keister"

Suddenly he barked out a laugh and I cocked a brow

When he finally settled down he said, "I love the bug idea! That’s a hoot death-by-bugs Who said you weren’t creative? You get that frolad I could be the source of humor for the day

The Parents and Bill and Helen drove up about the sa to watch the avalanche of crap exiting the Jones’ vehicle It was incredible All that for a four et over here and help Mom with Micah’s stuff!"

"Oh hell," JonesyBuddy and Sophie drape all over each other

He trudged over there like the deathto help

I could see why Micah was hollering, her little fists flailing and pu in the air, her skin a sea of chocolate swaddled in pink

I was intensely glad I was an only child I saw siot over there and Bill handed off all the stuff So unfolded out of the car and he and Jonesy set it up a safe distance fro s that the neighbors wouldn’t call the fire departn again," he responded

"What sign, Mr O’Brien?" Archer asked

"Mac," he corrected

Lewis nodded, waiting

Cripes

"Well, ot a little hot under the collar when they found out I was a believer in home defense Didn’t like all the weaponry I had"

Lewis frowned and John and Alex smiled They knew all about Gramps’ take on Home Defense

Establish the arsenal

Uh-huh

Gran that says that ’I respect their passivity and if there is an intruder, I would not use hed "Really?"

Gra and bitching"

Archer looked around, taking in the blazing fire and huge lawn

And he hadn’t even been inside the house yet

"So, let ht You don’t follow any of the mandatory environmental sanctions and when you are called on it, you throw out the sign"

"Yes I don’t win any popularity contests and neighbor relations are kinda strained"

I did a mental eye roll Like he cared

Gra, they can do the pansy dance while I prepare for the possibilities that our fine country now offers"

Archer raised a blond eyebrow

"Conditional protection They protect American citizens within a very narrow scope now," he said, looking at otten under their grandfathering year by this ether

Grahts While they had their thu out paperwork at all the govern to me "He kinda reminds me of you, Caleb"

Gramps shook his head "No Caleb reminds you of me, pal"

Archer smiled and that’s when I noticed that the baby’s wailing had quieted down

"God, look at that!" Archer whispered, awestruck

It was Jonesy, all Man of the Hour He had a strong forear a little tune and swinging his hips back and forth