Page 144 (1/2)

"Just a one now"

A I ondering when he’d show up"

The na?

"It’s all right" She drew the blanket aside for him "Come back to bed"

He climbed under the covers; at once, the memory of the man receded into unimportance The warm pressure of the blankets, and Amy beside him; these were all he needed

"What do you think he wanted?" Peter asked

"What does Fanning ever want?" Ahed wearily, almost with boredom "He wants to kill us"

--

Peter aith a start He’d heard soain: the creak of a floorboard underfoot

He rolled, reached his right hand to the floor, and took the weight of the pistol in his grip The creak had come from the front hallway; it sounded like one person; they were trying to keep quiet; they didn’t knoake; surprise was therefore on his side He rose and crossed the room to the front ; his security detail, two soldiers stationed on the porch, were gone

He thues, he kneere loud The moment the door opened, the intruder would be alerted to his presence

He pulled the door open and moved at a quickstep down the hall The kitchen was e a stride, he turned the corner into the living roo the pistol

A man was seated in the old wooden rocker by the fireplace His face was turned partially away, his eyes focused on the last erate He appeared to take no notice of Peter at all

Peter stepped behind hiun Not a tallthe chair "Show me your hands"

"Good You’re awake" The man’s voice was calht, all right" He held his hands away froers spread

"Get up Slowly"

He lifted hirip on his pistol "Now face ht Peter Holy, holy shit

--

"You thinkat ed, but of course they all had The difference was that the Michael he knew--his e of the man--had leapt forward two decades in an instant It was, in a way, like looking in a es you didn’t notice in yourself were laid bare in the face of another