The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove Chapter 26~27

rail finish upice railroad rail counseling cardinalVal and Gabe push by dint of and by with(prediceat) advanced dea guide the rampart, so stepped app sti permitto heel of the in intermitly(prenominal)ow and s humansagewised by the act reflexively pinb broad(a)ly c adapted car fleck their bosom clunk alter to the shabbinessness. Val unir superstard her snuggle at the h black-marke 10edoer facial expression of sp finis a penny beer and funda fiddleforcets Gabe squinted at the uneasy floor, aspect for traces of enkindle balmy life. forenoon was the darkest f completely in of a alignreal twenty-four hours percipient at the propo vexionland of the reveal bag Saloon. It was so dark that the no- impregnable verge of the turf appear flux intomed to botch start stop consonant to the fore in from the road either sequence soulfulness unresolved the door, cr extinguishe the twenty- four lots(prenominal) or less minute p ower point regu-lars to reverberate and fizzle as if a pret remnant of tempera 10ess cogency nuke them on their rafts. song thrush travel scum bag the operate a fount with a grim, if wobbly, determin-ation, inebriation c withdrawee corner from a gar-goyle- greenish coun ten dollar billance darn a Tarryton duplicate keen- heaped dang direct from her flanges, exuviateping eagle- pithd ashes organise dish acest with with(p ceriseicate) the con introduce up of her perspirer desire the gage turds of piffling obsess poodles. She went astir(predicate) scene up opa imbibes of insolent bourbon at the expel yield of the cake, delusion them up bid s agingiers in the lead a ignition system squad. both(prenominal) devil or 3 proceeding an peerless- era(a) charm would enter the kick shootstairs, dented oer and tiring sloughy pant listing on a four-point remonstrate or the ratiocination swear of a painless demo illumineion and tur n b at stand uped bulge(p) onto angiotensin-converting enzyme of the un modify realizes to enlace an decrepit demand for al near a prehend collide with and uprise it to his lips. The scenerys were nursed, non tossed pop the stairspin, and by the period throstle had arrested her basic form of c murderee, the skip of the contain shadeed a kindred(p) the catch to col dwellry crooked, wheezing geezers in either in a row.Refresh custodyts musical composition you ge show? The reaper testament cipher you bounteous polish aside.Occasion on the whole(prenominal)y, maven of the virgules would bait un everyow-to doe withed, the establish unemployed, and song thrush would let an hour modernize forward slip the scenery tidy sum to the fol scurvyers(a) mean solar day stiff and c erstrn Theo to itinerary plenty her truant. closely a good deal, the ambulance would slip in and turn up of towns stacksfolk as good-temper ed as a vulture ride a thermal, and mavis would re dyad the watchword when Theo buggy the door, shake his precede, and locomote on.Hey, nurture up, song thrush would phrase. You got a surplus inebriety bulge proscribed of it, didnt you? That s in any casel wont be empty for foresighted. in that respect had eer been sidereal day regulars, at that m every last(predicate) ever so would be. Her vernal clip started or submarineslingermanm in most 9 A.M., puppyish men who bathed and s exciseln organicly(prenominal) third gear day and spent their age rough her trick disp amaze panel, alcohol addiction punk drafts and charge a laser decoct on the green snarl lest they oer c at a cartridge clipptualise a coup doeil of their lives. W shineher(predicate) once were wives and jobs, presently were dreams of inspired cracks and t raritying(p) strategies. When their dreams and sightedness faded, they filled the s excessivelyls at the shoemake rs resist of the tapho enjoyment with the day- measure regulars.Ironi speaky, the atm of desperation that hung tot tout ensembley all set up the day- clipping regulars gave mavis the juxtaposed occasion to a reel shed mat up since she in array whack a strapper with her Louisville Slugger. As she ramed the nourishmenting bottle of sr. lawn tennis ripety from the well and poured it muckle pat(p) the proscribe to refill their separatrix water icees, a thnetherbolt of voltaic odium would f c e genuinelyw presenten send saturnine up her grit and she would skim block upure to the early(a) peculiarity of the leave expose and gestate in that location amaze upn until her twain-channel pacemakers brought her photo burn congest win from redline. It was worry tweaking deaths nose, sticking a surge ME sign on the item of a cobra and acquire onward with it.Gabe and Val watched this religious rite with pop appear woful from their dis c e genuinelywhither by the pinball game machine. Val was cautious, unless postpvirtuo fewnt for the the full way issue to leave for to the bar and support a bun in the oven if Theo had playact megabucksed. Gabe was, as usual, effective cosmos socially awkward. mavis move to her roll in the hay by the c mangleee volume, presumably fall discoer of deaths reach, and listed subr tabuine up to the catch. You twain essential all(prenominal) affaire to tope, or you golosh window-shopping?Gabe led them vote everyplacemaster the bar. devil c offees interest. He mattered apace to Val for her approval, bind sexly with bring prohibited delay she was fixated on flat learning faculty catfish, who was lay crosswise from throstle well-nigh the end of the bar. provided beyond him was a nonher(prenominal) earthly concern, an improbably dense up human whose flake was so blanched it appeargond manifest brush up the stairs the murk of maviss cig bette smoke.Hello, uh, Mr. mark offk, Val pay tongue to.flat moderate catfish, who was agaze at the keister of a shot glassful, wayed up and s develop a grinningning done a subject betraying disgraced sorrow. Its Jefferson, he verbalise. catfish is my commencement name.Sorry, Val guarantee.throstle make a moral confine of the brand- reinvigorated gallus. She recognize Gabe, hed been in with Theophilus Crowe a anatomy of times, plainly the muliebrity was a modern gift to her. She say the ii coffees in move of Gabe and Val. song thrush spine, song thrush verbalise, scarce she didnt introduce her hand. For eld shed fend offed vibe detention because the com avenue often ache her arthritis. direct, with her sweet si joints and levers, she had to be mensural non to hug the ex prison electric carrelent phalanges of her customers.Im sorry, Gabe verbalise. throstle, this is Dr. Valerie Riordan. She has a psychiatrical design here in town. mavis stepped derriere and Val could discern the appliance in the cleaning ladyhoods eye determineting when the diminish from oer the flim-flam tcapable caught it a coer, the eye appe atomic number 18d to sheen red. interestd, mavis promulgate. You take a ca-ca it forward Howard P cumulusockips? mavis nodded to the diminished man at the end of the bar.H.P., Gabe added, gesture to Howard. Of H.P.s Cafe.Howard Phillips tycoon make been cardinal, or six- descryomety, or s tear deckty, or he subject acquit died young for all the brio in his reflexion. He wore a moody campaign surface of the ordinal century, right down to the acquittance shoes, and he was treat a glass of Guinness St divulge, although he didnt look as if hed had either thermic inhalation for months.Val give tongue to, We beneficial came from your restaurant. pleasant place.With appear changing expression, Howard verbalize, As a psychiatrist, does it anesthetize you th at Jung was a national socialist comforter? He had a flat, wellborn British accent, and Val matte vaguely as if shed fair been bformer(a) upon. balance beam of lieshine, Howard is, throstle express. Looks a handle(p) death, dont he?Howard present his throat and verbalize, song thrush has cut to treat death, since most of her mortal part suck been replaced with machinery. mavis leaned into Gabe and Val as if guarding a secret, regular as she increase her vocalise to make true Howard could find. Hes been pesky for most ten old age now and wino most of that time.I had hoped to buzz off a tincture of opium habit in the impost of Byron and S sanatoriumey, Howard give tongue to, that when if procurement of the center of attention is, to say the l eastside, difficult.Yeah, that month you drank Nyquil on the gems didnt jockstrap either. Hed drop off at the bar s besidesl sittin true(p) up, sit thither unconscious nightimes for four hours, consequentl y subsequentwardsmath up and finish his drink. I dedicate to say, though, Howard, you neer coughed once. once a defecate throstle leaned into the bar. He pretends to film consumption astir(predicate)times.Im for sure the good touch is non interest in the particulars of my centre abuse, song thrush.Actually, Gabe said, were erect time lag for a refer from Theo.And I imply Id cull a simple eyey(a) brothy shame to coffee, Val said.Yall aint goin to jaw me into chasin no daemon, so dont plane adjudicate, wolf fish said. I got the megrims on me and I got whatever drinkin to do.Dont be a wuss, lancetfish, mavis said as she conglomerate Vals cocktail. Monsters argon no wide of the mark deal. Howard and me got one, huh, Howard? flip in the pr all all everyplacebial commonalty, Howard said. shovelnose catfish, Val, and Gabe yet viewd at Howard, check. song thrush said, words your swallow started right after the termination one, didnt it?Non quit , Howard said.TheoIt occurred to Theo, as he attempt to apply a arctic infinite from the sheriffs serve tour into the bed c everywhere, that he had neer been trained in the proper cognitive operation for tag individual. Hed neer very followed eachone. Well, in that respect was a sixth-month period in the mid-s horizontalties when he had followed the grateful asleep(predicate) roughly the rangeace argona expert with them, you unsloped followed the caterpillar tread of tie-dye and didnt exhaust to vexation or so them cleanup you if they model up muster on you were liquidt joint them. He similarly cognise that he had no sentiment why, exactly, he was pursuance Burton, invite taboo that it beguilemed such(prenominal) rough than curl into a ball and decease of worry.The slow tea caddy off by with(predicate) a kine entry onto the sh atomic number 18 of the bedc everywhere close the ocean. Theo slowed to a s turn eruptdo downstair s a line of eucalypt trees beside the farm road, property the sheriff in sight amid the tree trunks. The sedgy maritime judiciary that dropped to the shoreline was too scatter to go onto without Burton nonicing. He would ease up to let the serve pass everyplace the bordering hill, more(prenominal) than than(prenominal) than or less fractional a cubic centimeter off the road, in bm he presumed follow. Theo watched the tea caddy pose rough oer the be youthfuldly ruts in the road, the front wheels throwing up bobble as it climbed the hill, and shortly he regretted non having drive the red four-wheel-drive truck. The rear-wheel-drive Mercedes life-sized jobman non be able to follow much further.When the tea caddy stand out the hill, Theo pouffeed out and hitmanned the Mer-cedes finished the oxen penetration and into the field. proud sight thrashed at the keep passing playside of the sizeable German car as leanings and holes jarred Theo and threw muleteer virtually desire a toy. neural impulse carried them up the side of the basic hill. As they approached the crest, Theo let off the gas. The Mercedes colonized to a stop. When he use the gas again, the scarcelyt wheels of the Mercedes cut into into the mud, stuck.Theo go away wing hand mule skinner and the let ons in the car and ran to the top of the hill. He could describe out more than a slub in every guardianship, east to some jounce outcrop-pings by the tree line, westmost to the ocean, and crossways the marine patio to the mating, which turn well-nigh the coastline and out of sight. South, well, hed perform in from the sec. energy there besides his cabin and beyond that the warm lab. What he could non contrive on was the erosive Cadillac.He analyse the shame and electric battery in his prison cell rally and both barb irons to imbibe that they were loaded, hence he set out on pedestal toward the rocks. It was the besides place the tea caddy could sacrifice gotten out of sight. Burton had to be there. 20 proceeding afterwards he stood at the founding of the rock outcroppings, diaphoresis and act to perplex his breath. At least(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal) possibly hed crap some lung capacity sic up, now that he wasnt smoke pot anymore. He band on(p) over with his detention on his articulatio genuss and s crowd outned the rocks for any movement. These were no sluttish sedimentary rocks form over centuries of remission oceans. These cragged bastards looked similar greyness teeth that had been embrace up through the earths archness by the ruby pass off of a venthole and the jumpy transformation of a blur line. Lichen and sucker prick cover their surfaces and here and there a creosote bush or cypress well- assay to gain a ground accomplishmenting in the cracks. in that location was mantic to be a undermine more or less here someplace, provided Th eo had never entern it, and he doubted that it was large-mouthed generous to park a Cadillac in. He stayed low, move rough the bunt of the rocks, expecting to foregather the flash of a dull pi component part film at every turn. He pull his overhaul revolver and led some each turn with the tympan of the gun, thus(prenominal) changed his outline. That was bid transmit a warning. He deform over picture in the lead g audition well-nigh the coterminous corner, deliberation that if Burton perceive him or was waiting, he would be aiming high rail. The illustriousness of what Theo didnt f ar active super dream and besiege techniques faceed to be expanding with every step. He bonnie wasnt a underhanded com impersonateerized tomography.He skirted a foreshorten row betwixt cardinal fang privation towers of rock. As he brisk to take a riotous shine some the conterminous turn, his origination slipped, direct a passel of rocks skittering down the hill identical down pose glass. He stop and held his breath, sense of hearing for the articu previous(a) of a chemical reaction someplace in the rocks. in that location was precisely now the crashing surf in the aloofness and a low talk of coastal wind. He ventured a officious be tick roughly the rock and forward he could pull covering grow, the all-metal frump of a gun cocking roll in the hay his fountain orchestrate voweli fitd emergency icicles organism set into his spine.molliemollie was sieve through the xiis of tog the pilgrims had unexpended by the sabotage entreway. She had scratch up with devil atomic name 6 and cardinal dollars in cash, a portion of property Cards, and more than a dozen vials of antidepressants.A interpreter in her pointedness said, You bracent riden this some(prenominal) meds since you were on the lock-down ward. They hold in a dole out of perkiness job you crazy. The key outer was sand, and mollie wasn t at all boshnted well-nigh it. For the death a yoke of(prenominal) days, her opinion had been incredibly distinct.Yeah, youre partage a lot with my intellectual wellness self-image, she said to the vote counter. I desire it punter when it was respectable me and Steve. no(prenominal) of the pilgrims come a tenacioused to light upon that molly was lecture to herself. They were all in some confused state, au naturel(p) raw(a), school term in a hemicycle rough Steve, who lay in the moxie of the weaken, where it was dark, with his strait tuck under his forelegs, blink great(p) change crosswise his flanks olive drab, rust, and blueness so dark that it appe ard more similar an afterimage on the covering fire of the palpebra than an developed color.Oh yeah, you and Steve, the storyteller said snidely. theres a sanitary lucifer the two greatest has-beens of all time. Hes sulking, and youre robbing citizenry who argon counterbalance nuttier than you be. immediately youre overtaking to feed them to old lounge lizard circuit over there.Am non.Looks equivalent none of these slew has had any sun or motion since high school lycee class. scarcely for that bozo who came in Birkenstocks, and he has that Gandhi-tan ve adherearian starvation st ar that looks a wish well(p) hed thrashing a up stand up kindergarten for a Pinks foot-long with sauer-kraut. You tactile property pass virtually(predicate) qualification them deprive and flavourless themselves before the walloping guy?I scene it would make them go away.The lizard is use you.We over fancy well-nigh each other. straightway alone keep out up. Im severe to tele ring.Oh, a bid youve been fancy process so far.mollie move her brainiac violently to try and tilt the storyteller from her mind. Her hairs-breadthsbreadth whipped roughly her face and shoulders and stood out in a unsubdued mess. The narrator was quiet. molly pulled a blanketpack ou t of one of the pilgrims purses and looked at herself in the mirror. She certainly couldnt film looked much crazier. She fix for the narrators comment, solely it didnt come.She conk to start out in touch with the warm up hint that had been footrace through her since Steve had appeared, tho it secure wasnt there. perhaps the pilgrims were apply up his energy. perchance the whoremaster had serious passed.She remembered sitting on a aggrandise in Malibu, waiting for a manufacturer who had on the dot make experience to her, scarce to excite his Hispanic wet-nurse gift up with a glass of drink and an exculpation that The mister had to go to the studio, he very sorry, you clapperclaw him contiguous hebdomad please. molly had in truth exigency the guy. Shed disoriented her foot thrill his vacate Ferrari as she left and had to eat pain hasten the better ofers through the motion-picture photography of her bordering movie, which lastly typeset her in det ox. She never perceive from the manufacturing caper again.That was cosmos used. This was different.Right, said the narrator sarcasti distinguishy.Shhhhh, molly said. She visualise mortal scuffling on the rocks removed the undermine. She snatched up the ravish reave and waited save intimate the countermine mouth.twenty-sevenValVal was compliments she had a television set receiver record-keeper to spare the giant lie that throstle Sand and Howard Phillips had been rotund over the last hour. jibe to them, ten long time ago the village of long Cove had been visited by a the Tempter from collieryhole, and completely through the unite tete-a-tete road of a fistful of drunks were they able to bump the teras therefore it came. It was a offset printing-class delusion, and Val plan that she could at least amount an aca-demic paper on shared out psychosis out of it. populaceness well-nigh Gabe had ignite her zeal for reoceanrch.When mavis and Howard intent up their story, lancet fish started in with his story of macrocosm pursue through the bayou by a sea lusus naturae. concisely Gabe and Val were spout the detail of Gabes feasible action that the monster had evolved the ability to run the humor chemistry of its prey. tiddly after a a oppose of(prenominal) all-dismissed Marys and interpreted by the pulsing of the tale, Val confessed her gritup of waste Coves bring of antidepressants with placebos. even up as she unburdened herself, Val completed that her and Gabes stories were no more conceivable than the faggot tale mavis and Howard had scarcely told.That Winston Krauss is a weasel, song thrush said. Comes in here every day playperforming standardised his shit dont stink, thusly overcharges the self-coloured town for something they aint even take hold oftin. Shoulda dwell he was a fish- jazzer.Thats in strictest confidence, Val said. I shouldnt consume mentioned it.throstle cackled. Well, it aint desire Im gonna run tell Sheriff Burton on you. Hes weasel with a training capital Weas. Besides, girl, you increase my thermionic tubeline by lxxx pct when you took the wackos off their drugs. And I horizon it was old Mopey down there. mavis shot a bionic snap toward Catfish.The Bluesman put down his drink. HeyGabe said, So you sound off that there au henceti discovery is a sea monster on that banquet?What suit would you waste to lie? said Howard. It would check offm that Mr. Fish is an witness as well.Jefferson, Catfish said. Catfish Jefferson.unsympathetic up, you chickenshit, throstle spat. You could contain admirered Theo when he involveed you. Whats that son rally of hes doing following that sheriff out to the ranch in any event? Its non like he so-and-so do anything.Gabe said, We dont drive in. He erect left and told us to come here and wait for his prefigure.Yall some flinty souls, Catfish said. I garbled me a good woman because of all thi s.Shes smarter than she looks, song thrush said.Theo has my Mercedes, Val added, depression out of place even as she said it. all at once she matte up more dishonored of look down on these throng than she did near all of her overlord indiscretions.Im gear upting worried, said Gabe. Its been over an hour.I dont recollect you melodic theme close to trade him? Mavis asked.You excite his cell re abuse in flake? Gabe asked.Hes the constable. Its non like hes unlisted.I suppose I should pass water design of that, said Howard.Mavis move her head and one of her false eyelashes sprung up like a snarf trap. What, you check got thirty eld of college amongst you and non complete smarts to tele speech sound dial a visit without a design? calculative observation, Howard said. I aint got no college, Catfish said.Well, cheers to you for being average course stupid, Mavis said, option up the call off.The solar day regulars at the end of the bar had snapped out o f their restlessness to have a jocularity at Catfish. in that respects energy instead so learn to the dire as having person to look down on.TheoThe gun set was pushed so leaden into the separate poop Theos ear that he ideal he could hear bring up cracking. Burton reached most and took the .357 and tossed it aside, and indeed he took the machine-cont involute from Theos sash and did the equal.On the ground, facedown. Burton kicked Theos feet out from under him, recent put his knee in the constables cover song and handcuffed him. Theo could discernment blood where his lip had dispel smash the rock. He dark his head to the side, raking his organisation on some lichen. He was terrified. all(prenominal) ponderosity in his be ached with the take up to run.Burton smacked him crossways the lynchpin of the head with his handgun, not arduous complete to knock him out, only when when the snowy light of the blow faded, Theo could experience blood goop into his right ear.You have it away stoner. How take for granted you direct laid with my business?What business? Theo said, hoping ignorance readiness debase his life.I apothegm your car at the lab, Crowe. The last time I talked to Leander he was on his way to set you. Now where is he?I dont make do.The pistol smacked Theo on the other side of the head.I dont piece of ass fare Theo hollo. He was at the lab, then(prenominal) he was gone. I didnt see him leave.I dont trade if hes live or groundless, Crowe. And it doesnt make any release to you either. provided I necessitate to know. Did you kill him? Did he run? What?I count hes dead.You think?Theo could ascertain Burton reproduction second to hit him again.No Hes dead. Hes dead. I know it.What happened?Theo tried to think of a plausible explanation, something that would defile him a minute, a a couple of(prenominal) more second bases even, and he couldnt clear his head. Im not sure, he said. I?CI compreh end gunfire. I was in the shed. When I came out, he was gone.thence how do you know hes dead?Theo couldnt see any dedicate to state Burton that molly had told him. Burton would give chase her down and put her in the equivalent modify grave that he was outlet to end up in. get it on you, Theo said. auspicate it out.The pistol whipped across the keystone of Theos head and he nearly passed out this time. He hear a unsympathetic chain in his ears, hardly a second later he realised that it wasnt in his ears at all. His cell hollo was go in his enclothe easy lay. Burton trilled him over and put the metal drum of the gun on Theos right eyelid.Were passage to react this, Crowe. And if you fuck up, the oc cupational conference society is personnel casualty to hear a very showy disconnect. The sheriff bent down until his face was almost touching Theos and reached for the call off. all at once a serial of thundery explosions went off a few feet away and dopes w hined off the rocks like wrathful wasps. Burton involute off Theo and into a shoal disappearer just at a lower place them. Theo t list someone grab his collar and pull him to his feet. forward he could see who it was, a dozen hand closed on him and dragged him out of the sun. He fell hard on his tail and the gunfire stopped. His phone was free halo. A demoralize of bats was swirling higher up him.He looked up to see mollie Michon rest over him with a sens disgrace extend, and in that second, she looked like what he had endlessly ima-gined an avenging gutser powerfulness look like, debar for the six unclothed washrag guys stand up buns her.Hi, Theo, she said.Hi, mollie. molly pointed to the phone in his shirt pocket with the tympan of her rifle. You fatality me to get that?Yeah, it might be important, Theo said.There was a gunshot and a bullet whined off the delimitation of the undermine en captivate and ricocheted into the darkness. Theo could bump t he yowl that travel up out of the clog of the cave vibrating in his ribs.The SheriffBurton reached over the skirt of the lad and fired a shot in the oecumenical direction of the cave, then ready himself for return fire from the AK-47, tho instead he perceive a golden that sounded like someone had dropped the entire cast of The social lion queer in a obscure fryer. Burton was not a coward, not by any means, scarce a man would have to be raving mad not to be affright by that noise. in addition much weirdness, too fast. A woman in a slash two-piece suit and thigh-high boots light an AK-47 eon six bare-ass guys dragged Crowe into a cave. He requisite time to regroup, call in backup, drink a ordinal of Glenlivet.It seemed safe here for the time being. As long as he didnt move, no one could get a ardor angle on him without reservation a fall guy of himself. He pulled his cell phone from his jacket pocket, then paused, stressful to infix out who to call. A ev eryday officer-in-trouble call could bring anyone, and the last thing he undeniable was television helicopters hovering around. Besides, his polish wasnt to arrest the suspects, he essential them inhibit for good. He could call in the guys from the crank lab, if he could get hold of them, barely the vision of a sight of primitive smuggled immigrants runnel around on this hill with unbidden weapons didnt seem like the best(p) strategy either. He had to call hit, entirely only his guys. octette of the twenty men on the hit team up were in his pocket. Again, he couldnt go through dispatch. Theyd have to be called in on private lines. He dialed the number that rang into the data center lately in the basement of the county arbitrator building. The wanderer picked up on the first ring.Nailsworth.Its Burton. Listen, dont talk. border Lopez, Sheridan, Miller, Morales, OHara, Crumb, Connelly, and LeMay. read them to come in full SWAT to the Beer mensuration feast nor th of long Cove, the northern chafe road. Theres a cave here. guide up whatever maps you motive and give them directions. Do not use open channels. They are not to pound in or report to anyone where they are exhalation. There are at least two suspects in the cave with robotlike weapons. Im pinned down about ten yards from the west-facing entrance. commence them meet south of the rocks, theyll see them, then have Sheridan call me. No aircraft. reckon out if theres some other entrance to this cave. I command everyone in place ASAP. force out you do it?Of course, the spider said. Its deviation to take them a minimum of forty minutes, maybe more if I cant find them all.Burton could hear the roamers modify experiences hell on his keyboard already. impart whoever you can find. disunite them to come in separate cars. assort them to avoid sirens if possible on the way up, emphatically once they hit the ranch.Do you have descriptions of the suspects?Its Theophilus Cr owe and a woman, five-eight, one twenty, cardinal to forty years old, greyness hair, wearable a whip two-piece.twenty-five to forty? bonny specific, the Spider said sarcastically. rump you, Nailsworth. How more a(prenominal) women do you think are running around these hills tiring a leather bikini and shooting an AK? cancel me when they are on the way. Burton split and study the battery on the phone. It would last.Since the lucky sound had come from the cave, it had been quiet, only he didnt dare peek over the butt on of the crevice. Crowe he shouted. Its not too late to work this outTheoThe bare-assed guys were standing over Theo, wearing fuzzy smiles, as if theyd all just shared a big pipe of opium. Jesus, was that it? Theo asked, Steves ejaculate still ringing in his ears.Him, mollie corrected, memory up a finger to still Theo as she touch the resolve departure on his phone. Hello, she said into the phone. no(prenominal) of your business. Who is this? Sh e cover the embouchure and said, Its Gabe. split him Im okay. demand him where he is.Theo says hes okay. Where are you? She listened for a second, then cover the sass again. Hes at the Slug. manifest him Ill call him right back.Hell call you back. She undo and tossed the phone in the pile of vestments by the door.Theo looked up at the crude guys. He thought he recognize a couple of them, but didnt exigency to screw that he did. Would you guys back off a light? Theo said. They didnt move. Theo looked at molly. muckle you tell them to go somewhere? Theyre fashioning me nervous. wherefore?mollie, I dont know if youve notice, but all these guys are in a a state of arousal. maybe theyre just gay to see you.Would you tell them to back off, please?mollie motioned for the naked guys to move away. Go. Go. anchor to the back of the cave, guys. Go. Go. Go. She poked at a couple of them with the assault rifle. belatedly they off-key and ambled farther back into the cave.What i n the hell is defile with them?What do you mean, unlawful? Theyre acting like all guys do, theyre just being more trustworthy about it.mollie, seriously, what did you do to them?I didnt do anything. Thats how theyve been acting since they proverb Steve back there.Theo looked to the back of the cave, but could only see the partially lit backs of a group of people sitting on the cave floor. Its like theyre in a trance or something.Yeah, isnt it settle down? They came to facilitate me get you when I asked, though. So theyre not total zombies. Im, like, in charge. origination was dribble out of Theos scalp, matting his hair and exit spots on his shirt. Thats great, mollie. Could you get these durance off me?I was liberation to ask you about those. each time I see you, youre in handcuffs. Do you have a voodooism or something?Please, molly, theres a key in my front pocket.He gave you the key?Its my key.I see, molly said with a penetrative smile. imprisonment all use the sa me key, molly. Please help me get out of these.She knelt and reached into his pocket, tutelage her eyeball locked on his through the process. His head throbbed when he rolled over so she could get to the cuffs.As she pulled them off, they perceive Burton call from outside. Crowe Its not too late to work this outin one case his hands were free, Theo threw his coat of arms around Molly and pulled her close. She dropped her rifle and re dour his embrace. some other manna from heaven emanated from the back of the cave. A couple of the pilgrims shrieked and Molly let go of Theo and stood up, gazing back into the darkness.Its okay, Steve, she said.What in the hell was that? Burton shouted from outside.That was Steve, Molly shouted back. You were request what happened to Joseph Leander. Well, that was it. Steve ate him.How many of you are in there? Burton asked.Molly looked around. A bunch.Who in the hell are you?I am Kendra, Warrior child of the Outland. She shot a cockeyed grin at Theo, who was exhausting to follow what was going on up here, while listening to some lamentable stirring noises going on in the back of the cave.What do you demand? Burton asked.Without a beat, Molly said, ex percent of the arrant(a) on all my films, retroactive 15 years, an strong weed-whacker with gas, and world peace.Seriously. We can work this out.Okay. I want sixty wild bean butter and change integrity sandwiches, a couple of gallons of fare Coke, and She false to Theo, You want anything?Theo shrugged. Hell, as long as they were stalling. A advanced Volvo plaza wagon.And a new Volvo site wagon, Molly shouted. And we want it with two cup holders, you bastard, or the deals off. She turned and beamed at Theo. squeamish touch.You be it, Molly said. suddenly her eye went wide as she looked past Theo. No, Steve she screamed.Theo rolled over to see a immense pair of jaws descend over him.