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"We’re just being careful"

"You had damn well better be careful" I spoke loudly so Skarda’s crew could hear "We’reto the cabin no ’bout we all err on the side of caution, okay?"

"Okay," said a voice

"Don’t start nothing, won’t be nothing," said the other

"Really," I said "You’re talking smack?" I lowered my voice "Any last words, Dave?"

"Dammit, Jimmy," he said "Don’t screw around"

"I won’t," he said

How the hell do you get yourself into these things?the Twins on TV

Too late now, I told myself

"Here we go," I said out loud

I eased Skarda away froht line toward the square of light We walked slowlythan fear itself I saw nothing, heard only the sound of crickets and wind rustling the leaves of invisible trees When we reached the deck stairs, I turned so that my back was to the cabin and Skarda was directly in front of ether we cliht at the top of the stairs, I turned Dave so that he was shieldingthe wall to the door I opened the door, backed across the threshold Once inside, I spun Skarda around so that he was now facing the cabin and I was behind hiht my eye She smiled at me, but that was meant only as a distraction An oldjust inside the doorway Long hair as gray as roadside slush fell to his shoulders He was bracing the wooden stock of a 16-gauge double barrel against his shoulder The business end was pointed at un," he said