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Ten minutes later Pitt returned from the house loaded doith a sed into more practical clothes He failed to hear the silenced pair of bullets that sht the antifreeze flooding the ground under the front bu on the porch of the cabin

"Soout of here," he said quietly to Julia as she distributed what little food he had, and he passed out the blankets to the shivering Chinese

"What do you mean?" she asked

"Your friends just punctured ine heated up and the bearings froze"

"I wish you'd stop calling them my friends," she said flippantly

"Merely a form of speech"

"I fail to see a probleents in another hour"

"Too late," said Pitt seriously "Shang'sparty They're probably closing off the road and for a net around the cabin while we stand here"

"You can't expect these people to hike h the woods in the dark," said Julia firmly "They can endure no m

ore There et the"

"Why does it always have to be me?"

"Because you're all we've got"

Feic, Pitt mused How do they come by it? "Are you in the mood for romance?"

"Romance?" She was completely taken aback "At a time like this? Are you crazy?"

"Not really," said Pitt casually "But you ht for a boat ride under the stars"