owHawkakenitover.What’sinitisnotgold.It’seighthandgrenades.”

    11

    “What?Handgrenades?”Mr.Kaffeesppedhishandsoeeringwheendsaid.

    “Yap.Handgrenades!Hawknoseandhisgangmustbepnningtodosomethingdrastidmakeabighaul.Whydon’twemakeuseofthisopportunitytomakeasweepandfinishthemoffwithasingleblohatwillkillofthewholelotoftheminoneswoop.”Richardhithisforeheadwithhishandandsaid,

    “Goodidea!”andturogo.

    “Waitaminute”saidMr.Kaffee.“Notsofast.Thishastobedolyandeffitly.Whetherwesucceedorfail;whetherweliveordie,nothingmustlinkthistoDimitriaheeohiser.”

    “Ofcourse.Whydon’tyoutakeRomiandWhitefairyaillleavetheminutewearedone.”

    “That’sdoable”saidMr.Kaffeeafteramomentofthought.“Butyouthreemustbeverycareful”

    “Iwillgowiththem”saidWhiteFairyturningintoapuffofsmoke.“ThiswayIreportbaitriahemknowtheoute.”

    “That’sgood”saidMr.Kaffeenodding.Richardtightenedhisholdoeeringwheel,gaveitamightytwistanddroveoffintheoppositedirer.KaffeealsodroveawayquicklywithRomi.

    Hawknose’sdenwasbrilliantlylit.TheyhadnotfouwocorpsesinthebackyardyetandmusthavethoughttheyhadgoerthefleeingRomi.Ihehouse,Hawknosecouldbeheardshoutingandcursing.Thefourinthecarlookedateachotherasifagreeingitwastimetostrike.RichardkeptthejalopypurringwhileJamazandBigOopehecardoor,pulledthefuseandwithaswingoftheirmightyarmsthrewtwohandgreothegarden.Loudexplosionsfollowedamidfusedshoutsfromthepeopleinsidewhohadnonotionofwhatening.Thentwrenadesexplodedfromanotherdire.RichardwasinchargeofdrivingwhileJamazandBigOwereresponsiblefortheattack.RichardbacktrackedtothebatrahehouseandJamazandBigOthrewinawogrenades.Soogrenadesweredisposedofandtheroaroffireandcolpsingbuildingsrockedthetranquilsilehenight.Thecssyoldresidencehadbeeaseaoffmes.

    WhiteFairy’sfordpellingstorycausedthebeautiespattheirchestsandexcim

    11

    “Hhtening!”

    “Makesmebreakintoacoldsweat!”

    “Thisisbetterthanwatgathrillingaovie!”

    “It’sluckyeverythingturwelndnoonewashurt.Otherwisethesequenceswouldbeunimaginable!”

    “Isuggestwealldrinktothesuccessofthisventurealeournerves”saidYokojumpingtoherfeet.Dimitrididnotopposethesuggestionandthebeautiesseemedagreeable,soYokowentinsideandsoocarryingatraywithtwobottlesofbrandyandsomegssesonit.Amalialovedtodrinksoshegrabbedholdofthebrandy,pulledoutthecorkanddrankstraightfromthebottlewithoutbwithagss.

    “Slowly”cautionedShei.“Slowly,Amalia,oryou’llchoke.Nooneisgoingtakethebottleawayfromyou.Butdon’tdrinktoomuchoryou’llgetintoadruagain.”Dimitritulpfromhisgss,andluxuriatedinthefeelingofthewarmliquorflowingdownhisthroatstraighttohisabdomen.

    “MyinitialpnwasjusttosaveRomi”hesaid.“That’sall.Buttheywentallthewayandmadeabigdealoutofit–handgrenades,fireahofallthesepeople!Iftheyleftanycluesthatcouldleadtheauthoritiestothem,thatwouldbeacamity!”

    “Ithinktheydidverywell”saidMegginnputtingdownhergss.“Theywereandeffectiveandelimiheenemyinoneswoop.HaveyoueverthoughtofhowcloseHawknose’sdenwastous,Dimitri?Theywerejustacrosstheke!Thatguywasanotoriouswomanizer.Ifitevercamet

owHawkakenitover.What’sinitisnotgold.It’seighthandgrenades.”

    11

    “What?Handgrenades?”Mr.Kaffeesppedhishandsoeeringwheendsaid.

    “Yap.Handgrenades!Hawknoseandhisgangmustbepnningtodosomethingdrastidmakeabighaul.Whydon’twemakeuseofthisopportunitytomakeasweepandfinishthemoffwithasingleblohatwillkillofthewholelotoftheminoneswoop.”Richardhithisforeheadwithhishandandsaid,

    “Goodidea!”andturogo.

    “Waitaminute”saidMr.Kaffee.“Notsofast.Thishastobedolyandeffitly.Whetherwesucceedorfail;whetherweliveordie,nothingmustlinkthistoDimitriaheeohiser.”

    “Ofcourse.Whydon’tyoutakeRomiandWhitefairyaillleavetheminutewearedone.”

    “That’sdoable”saidMr.Kaffeeafteramomentofthought.“Butyouthreemustbeverycareful”

    “Iwillgowiththem”saidWhiteFairyturningintoapuffofsmoke.“ThiswayIreportbaitriahemknowtheoute.”

    “That’sgood”saidMr.Kaffeenodding.Richardtightenedhisholdoeeringwheel,gaveitamightytwistanddroveoffintheoppositedirer.KaffeealsodroveawayquicklywithRomi.

    Hawknose’sdenwasbrilliantlylit.TheyhadnotfouwocorpsesinthebackyardyetandmusthavethoughttheyhadgoerthefleeingRomi.Ihehouse,Hawknosecouldbeheardshoutingandcursing.Thefourinthecarlookedateachotherasifagreeingitwastimetostrike.RichardkeptthejalopypurringwhileJamazandBigOopehecardoor,pulledthefuseandwithaswingoftheirmightyarmsthrewtwohandgreothegarden.Loudexplosionsfollowedamidfusedshoutsfromthepeopleinsidewhohadnonotionofwhatening.Thentwrenadesexplodedfromanotherdire.RichardwasinchargeofdrivingwhileJamazandBigOwereresponsiblefortheattack.RichardbacktrackedtothebatrahehouseandJamazandBigOthrewinawogrenades.Soogrenadesweredisposedofandtheroaroffireandcolpsingbuildingsrockedthetranquilsilehenight.Thecssyoldresidencehadbeeaseaoffmes.

    WhiteFairy’sfordpellingstorycausedthebeautiespattheirchestsandexcim

    11

    “Hhtening!”

    “Makesmebreakintoacoldsweat!”

    “Thisisbetterthanwatgathrillingaovie!”

    “It’sluckyeverythingturwelndnoonewashurt.Otherwisethesequenceswouldbeunimaginable!”

    “Isuggestwealldrinktothesuccessofthisventurealeournerves”saidYokojumpingtoherfeet.Dimitrididnotopposethesuggestionandthebeautiesseemedagreeable,soYokowentinsideandsoocarryingatraywithtwobottlesofbrandyandsomegssesonit.Amalialovedtodrinksoshegrabbedholdofthebrandy,pulledoutthecorkanddrankstraightfromthebottlewithoutbwithagss.

    “Slowly”cautionedShei.“Slowly,Amalia,oryou’llchoke.Nooneisgoingtakethebottleawayfromyou.Butdon’tdrinktoomuchoryou’llgetintoadruagain.”Dimitritulpfromhisgss,andluxuriatedinthefeelingofthewarmliquorflowingdownhisthroatstraighttohisabdomen.

    “MyinitialpnwasjusttosaveRomi”hesaid.“That’sall.Buttheywentallthewayandmadeabigdealoutofit–handgrenades,fireahofallthesepeople!Iftheyleftanycluesthatcouldleadtheauthoritiestothem,thatwouldbeacamity!”

    “Ithinktheydidverywell”saidMegginnputtingdownhergss.“Theywereandeffectiveandelimiheenemyinoneswoop.HaveyoueverthoughtofhowcloseHawknose’sdenwastous,Dimitri?Theywerejustacrosstheke!Thatguywasanotoriouswomanizer.Ifitevercamet