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“Don’t try to talk me out of it”

“Wouldn’t if I could,” Joe replied “Do you want some help?”

“I’d love soure out where these dru and hoever they’re s in one basket”

They’d reached the truck Kurt grabbed the lift lever and began to raise the drum

“As soon as you can get to civilization, contact Dirk We have to let Paul and Gamay know they have a mole in their midst”

Joe nodded “Once you grab that girl, get out of the hornet’s nest Don’t take on more than you can chew”

The drum had reached an even level with the truck bed and the rollers “Hornet’s nest? I thought we established that this was a lion’s den?”

“Lions don’t fly,” Joe said “Once you’re up in the air, it’s a hornet’s nest”

“Now you’re getting the hang of this”

The two men stared at each other for a moment, friends who’d bailed each other out of countless scrapes Splitting up went against every instinct in their hearts Fight together, survive together, they’d often said But in this case it wouldin half their chances to alert the world and their friends of pending danger The stakes were too high for that

“You sure about this?” Joe asked

“You take the low road and I’ll take the high road,” Kurt said, “and I’ll be in civilization before you”

“Define civilization?” Joe said, unlashing the barrel and sliding it forward

“Soet an ice-cold Coke if you want one Last one to reach it buys dinner at Citronelle for the whole team”

Joe nodded, probably thinking of the arded DC area restaurant “You’re on,” he said, lashing the drum into place