released Charles's hand and shook Tony's.
"I'm a neighbor," Hunter explained.
"Nice to meet you. Didn't know they had any..."
"I'm from down the block."
"Nice sword," Charles said. "Careful with it. I'd hate to lose my other ear."
"I'll be careful."
Charles glanced up the stairway as if hoping for Laura to appear.
Releasing Hunter's hand, Tony turned to Eleanor. "What happened to your hardboiled dick costume?"
Underneath the sheet, her shoulders moved up and down. "You don't like this?"
She doesn't sound much like Shannon, Hunter thought. But apparently her voice was similar enough to fool Tony. He hadn't caught on during all that kissing and hugging on the porch, so why should he notice a difference in her voice?
"I think it's great," he said.
"Thanks."
Grinning at Eleanor, Charles blurted, "He's always wanted to get you between the sheets."
As Eleanor laughed, Tony swept off his deerstalker cap, let go of her hand, Lurched toward Charles and whipped him on the bloody side of the head.
Eleanor whirled around and ran for the door.
"No!" Hunter yelled.
She shoved the screen door open and dashed outside.
Hunter lunged forward to go after her, yelling, "Stop her! She isn't Shannon! She..."
Tackled from behind, he slammed down hard on the porch floor His sword scooted away and fell down the stairs. He tried to gel up, but someone scurried onto him. Sat on his rump. Bent both arms up behind his back.
Breath knocked out, he raised his head.
Eleanor was gone.
"It's all right!" Tony shouted. "Shannon? You can come back now! I've got him!"
Hunter lowered his head.
"Charlie, go and get her, okay?"
"You got this guy?"
"Yeah. Go get Shannon."
"Not till I've checked on Laura. Jesus. If he did anything to..."
Hunter heard quick pounding sounds of Charles running across
the foyer and up the stairs. In a scared voice, Charles called out, "Laura? Laura!"
"She better be all right," Tony said. His voice, hardly more than a whisper, sounded savage.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
"That's your plan?" Shannon asked.
"Have you got a better idea?"
"I'll squash you."
"You're not that much bigger than me."
"I'm a lot heavier."
"I'll be okay. Anyway, whatever happens, it'll be better than staying here. They are gonna come back. We'd better be gone when they do."
"All right."
Laura and Shannon brought their arms in against their sides and slid their legs together.
"So which way should we go?" Shannon asked.
"To my right. That'll be your left."
"I know."
"The creek's over that way."
"Great idea," Shannon said. "If we get that far, we can drown."
"If we get that far, maybe they won't be able to find us, But don't know if we can make it." She turned her head and peered through the moonlight, "I think we can clear the end of the bench all right." Beyond the marble bench, she saw shadows, shifting patches of moonlight, scattered bushes and trees and the pale shapes of several tombstones. "If we can't make it to the creek, at least we can get away from where they left us."
"I guess anything's better than nothing," Shannon said.
"Attagirl," said Laura.
"Attagirl my ass."
"Ready?"
"I'm ready if you are. You're the one about to be squished."
"Think light," Laura told her.
"Here we go."
The way they were lashed together, Laura had worried it might be difficult to roll over. But Shannon didn't have any trouble at all. She rolled to her left, tilting Laura sideways. Laura's right arm met the ground. A moment later, Shannon mashed her down, squeezing her breath out, pushing her bare skin into crunchy leaves,
"I'm a neighbor," Hunter explained.
"Nice to meet you. Didn't know they had any..."
"I'm from down the block."
"Nice sword," Charles said. "Careful with it. I'd hate to lose my other ear."
"I'll be careful."
Charles glanced up the stairway as if hoping for Laura to appear.
Releasing Hunter's hand, Tony turned to Eleanor. "What happened to your hardboiled dick costume?"
Underneath the sheet, her shoulders moved up and down. "You don't like this?"
She doesn't sound much like Shannon, Hunter thought. But apparently her voice was similar enough to fool Tony. He hadn't caught on during all that kissing and hugging on the porch, so why should he notice a difference in her voice?
"I think it's great," he said.
"Thanks."
Grinning at Eleanor, Charles blurted, "He's always wanted to get you between the sheets."
As Eleanor laughed, Tony swept off his deerstalker cap, let go of her hand, Lurched toward Charles and whipped him on the bloody side of the head.
Eleanor whirled around and ran for the door.
"No!" Hunter yelled.
She shoved the screen door open and dashed outside.
Hunter lunged forward to go after her, yelling, "Stop her! She isn't Shannon! She..."
Tackled from behind, he slammed down hard on the porch floor His sword scooted away and fell down the stairs. He tried to gel up, but someone scurried onto him. Sat on his rump. Bent both arms up behind his back.
Breath knocked out, he raised his head.
Eleanor was gone.
"It's all right!" Tony shouted. "Shannon? You can come back now! I've got him!"
Hunter lowered his head.
"Charlie, go and get her, okay?"
"You got this guy?"
"Yeah. Go get Shannon."
"Not till I've checked on Laura. Jesus. If he did anything to..."
Hunter heard quick pounding sounds of Charles running across
the foyer and up the stairs. In a scared voice, Charles called out, "Laura? Laura!"
"She better be all right," Tony said. His voice, hardly more than a whisper, sounded savage.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
"That's your plan?" Shannon asked.
"Have you got a better idea?"
"I'll squash you."
"You're not that much bigger than me."
"I'm a lot heavier."
"I'll be okay. Anyway, whatever happens, it'll be better than staying here. They are gonna come back. We'd better be gone when they do."
"All right."
Laura and Shannon brought their arms in against their sides and slid their legs together.
"So which way should we go?" Shannon asked.
"To my right. That'll be your left."
"I know."
"The creek's over that way."
"Great idea," Shannon said. "If we get that far, we can drown."
"If we get that far, maybe they won't be able to find us, But don't know if we can make it." She turned her head and peered through the moonlight, "I think we can clear the end of the bench all right." Beyond the marble bench, she saw shadows, shifting patches of moonlight, scattered bushes and trees and the pale shapes of several tombstones. "If we can't make it to the creek, at least we can get away from where they left us."
"I guess anything's better than nothing," Shannon said.
"Attagirl," said Laura.
"Attagirl my ass."
"Ready?"
"I'm ready if you are. You're the one about to be squished."
"Think light," Laura told her.
"Here we go."
The way they were lashed together, Laura had worried it might be difficult to roll over. But Shannon didn't have any trouble at all. She rolled to her left, tilting Laura sideways. Laura's right arm met the ground. A moment later, Shannon mashed her down, squeezing her breath out, pushing her bare skin into crunchy leaves,
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