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Damn He really liked her

Sarah watched hiive it a quick inspection She kept it in good condition Clean Well-oiled No rust or dust in any of the grooves or crevices He seemed satisfied

"There’s a bullet in the chaood with it?" Marcus asked

"Very good," Sarah answered un if you aren’t prepared to use it"

Roland handed it back to her

"Don’t you need it?" she asked, taking it

"I want you to hold on to it If my assailants catch up with us before we reachhis index and ers, he pointed out the key arteries on his own body in his neck, arhs "Here, here, here, and here Got it?"

"Yes" Everycops, had told her to aiood shot she was, a her to aim for major arteries?

That was odd

"Don’t hesitate," he stressed earnestly "If you even think one of the"

"Will do," she promised

Marcus cleared his throat "And don’t shoot us"

She frowned up at hiet"

"And I’et us," he countered, eyebrows raised "Please?"

She looked at Roland and caught hi as if she were , she addressed Marcus "Fine If it will make you feel better, I pro to hold you to that"

If she didn’t know better, she would have thought he truly believed she rabbed her tote bag "Let’s get going"

Marcus collected the duffle bag and briefcase and headed outside

Sarah stuffed the spare clip into her back pocket and gripped the 9ht hand, nervous all of a sudden

His expression softening, Roland touched her left arm "Don’t worry I won’t let anyone har his hand down until their palave her hand a light squeeze

Butterflies erupted in her sto as innocent as holding hands sometimes feel so intimate, she wondered as he locked and closed the door behind them

Darkness enfolded them, so complete Sarah couldn’t see an inch in front of her face

When Roland started down the front steps, she reed to a halt

"I can’t see"

The porch light flickered, then cahtness, she looked up at the glowing bulb, back at the closed door, then at Roland, aited on the steps

He shrugged "Must be faulty wiring I turned it on as ere leaving Co the steps, Sarah followed hiht

The house was old The wiring, too Perhaps she shouldn’t have exchanged the diinally been in the archaic fixture with a hundred-watt one There had just been too round between the gravel driveway and the front steps because the loattage bulb only lit the porch

The brilliant white light of this bulb spilled down the stairs onto the grass and extended all the way to Marcus’s shiny black Prius, which was parked close behind her sixteen-year-old grungy white piece of crap Geo Priser door, and started around the front of the car

Roland released Sarah’s hand and reached for the passenger door handle, then paused

Marcus stopped short

Both men tilted their heads to one side, like an anih for hus they carried and spun around to face the trees on the opposite side of the house

Ice skittered down Sarah’s spine as they raised their faces to the sky, drew in deep breaths, and held theuys could be creepy

Roland’s chin dipped "They’re here"

Chapter 5