Page 4 (1/2)

"Yes--they sound like brood parasites, don’t they?" Winkler agreed

"But the cuckoo chick pushes the eggs or the nestlings of the parent birds out so it can get more food," Ashe pointed out "You haven’t heard of that happening, have you?"

"No But we don’t know much at all about these faest you ask his, the Director of the Joint NSA and Homeland Security Departrinned at Ashe In the dim interior of the van, Ashe barely saw it

"Sounds like you know hiether for twenty years"

"You really are connected to National Security, aren’t you, Mr Winkler?"

"Yep But don’t let that out It’s a secret"

"Got it" Ashe turned to look at the cut-rock sides of h which they traveled They shone in the nearly full Moon overhead "News said it ht rain tomorrow," Ashe added

"I hope it doesn’t rain on Sunday," Winkler chuckled "Wet fur and mud isn’t fun"

"I just stay inside and flap around the house," Ashe said Winkler laughed

"This is your house?" Ashe stared openmouthed at the three-storyAshe up the wide, er I bought this one for someone before she died," he added "Never had the heart to sell it afterward The faht here initially, for the announcement Trace and Jason are inside--they’ll stay here with you"

"When are the fa," Winkler replied Ashe watched as Winkler unlocked the substantial front door and punched a code into the security alar wood staircase split and went up both sides of a gallery; the tiled, oval floor of the entryas of polished ht Winkler hit a switch, bathing the entire foyer with brightness

"How’s the bustling metropolis of Cloud Chief?" Trace walked in with a soda in his hand He’d heard Winkler and Ashe enter the house and walked in froreet the new arrivals

"There’s nothing bustling about Cloud Chief or anything else within a hundred-rinned at the nearly seven-foot olf Jason followed Trace and hugged Ashe

"How are you, son?" Jason sood, Mr Landers," Ashe assured the older olf Trace had told him the year before that Jason wasto Oklahoma with you, to help out with those kids," Jason said "And we’ll be giving regular reports to Mr Winkler and the Director"

"So I’d better behave, huh?"

"Yup Hate to have to ground you," Trace ruffled Ashe’s slightly curly, light-brown hair

"Being grounded sucks," Ashe nodded

"Come on, kid, you’re on the second floor between Jason and et it" Ashe turned toward the door

"Nah, Trace will handle it Co to drink?" Jason motioned for Ashe to follow hiest kitchen he’d ever seen at the back of the house

"Mom should see this," Ashe breathed The kitchen island was ten feet long and held a separate sink and dishwasher

"Do we have transportation to Cloud Chief arranged?" Winkler spoke with Jason over Ashe’s head