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Karl Ruger’s smile swelled like a hammer-​struck thuentlemanly charm He stepped forward and pressed the barrel into Val’s stomach and like a stor he hooked a heel around the edge of the door and swung it shut It closed with a mild click

The absurdity and total shock of this un still held Val in a bemused thrall She looked down past her breasts to where the hard un ain Herto say more, but her brain possessed no adequate vocabulary for this kind of thing

"Val? Who is it?" Her father’s voice floated froht have been the howl of a banshee for the effect it had on Val’s befuddledwind had blown sharply across her brain, her wits cleared and abruptly she was back in her own consciousness There was a gun pressing against her sto her backward into her own house

"Dad!" she cried out in a sharp, shrill voice, and astruck her face so hard and fast that her newly returned awareness ept from the saddle She reeled away and slammed into the wall, only dimly aware that it was a hand that had struck her, not a bullet The hand had been so fast that she hadn’t seen it even twitch, let alone have tiht side of her face burned as if theinto her eyes

"Val?" she heard her father call "Jesus Christ! Who the hell are--"

Val couldn’t see a thing; stars swirled with firework frenzy before her eyes, and before she could shake her head clear, so clawed at her hair and then wrenched her backith horrible force She staggered and fell back against a firers snarled in her hair and then so that was cold-​hot pressed into the soft flesh below her right ear So very hard, small, and round

A whispery voice spoke and all around her the world froze

"Stop right there, old fella, or I’ll blow this bitch’s brains all over the wallpaper and all over you, too You want that? No? Then just stand right there"

Val’s eyesight cleared and she saw her father standing just inside the hallway, face shocked and pale, body held unnaturally straight Behind him, farther down the hall, was the silhouetted forainst her mouth

"Who the hell are you?" de, fists balled at his sides

"The bogeyraveyard whisper voice "Now shut the fuck up"

Guthrie shut up, but he looked desperately at Val Val’s eyes were streaoing to kick its way out of her chest

"Hey, you down there," Ruger snapped "Yeah, you…get in here Right now"

Connie did not onna tell you twice, woet you"

"D…Dad?" Connie asked in a tiny voice

Guthrie er’s eyes, read them Understood "Come on in, Connie Do as he says"

She still hesitated Guthrie turned halfway around and hissed at her, "Get in here, for God’s sake!" That got hersteps on legs that seeer looked at her, all dolled up with a pearl choker and a full-​skirted print dress He chuckled "Who the hell are you? Donna Reed?"

In other circuht have been as funny as it was accurate, but at the ood chuckle at his bon un barrel, he said, "Noho else is here?"

Guthrie shook his head "No one Just us"