<meta name="LineWrap" content="true"><TITLE>SR_Bk1 0052</TITLE><A HREF="SR_Bk1-0053.txt">Next (Page 53)</A><BR>P><P>"Go ahead," Daptin said with a sigh.<P><P>"Ha ha!" Jerald said as he shot the window with a burst of bullets, shattering it immediately.<P><P>"Okay Jerald--that's enough. Stop!" Daptin yelled.<P><P>Jerald stopped firing, but then saw that some glass in a corner of the windowframe was still intact, so he shot at it.<P><P>"Stop it! That's not a toy," Daptin said.<P><P>"You sound like my uncle," Jerald said, stepping through the windowframe. <P><P>Daptin and Fake followed, finding themselves on a deserted street, with a lot of lights visible in the distance over to the right.<P><P>"Tell me about this Spanking New Sarah," Tavmatey said. <P><P>"For godsake, not now," Daptin said.<P><P>"Which way?" Fake asked.<P><P>"Well," Daptin said. "We have to see which direction Tav here is louder in. Tell you what--let's test it at one end of this block, and then the other. Maybe we'll be able to hear a difference."<P><P>"Um--actually, Elaine told me that I was somewhere in the downtown area of Boltpike. So why don't you head that way? Maybe you see the lights?" Tavmatey said.<P><P>"Um--okay," Daptin said. "We can see downtown from here, but it's a few miles off. How did you know?"<P><P>"Elaine briefed me on your route. She knew where this bridge came out."<P><P>"I wish she'd have told us that," Fake said.<P><P>"Just keep moving," Tavmatey said. "Remember, I don't know how much longer I've got."<P><P>"Whatever that means," Daptin said. <P><P>"What?" Tavmatey asked.<P><P>"Nothing," Daptin responded.<P><P>"So let's go!" Fake said.<P><P>The three began walking toward downtown Boltpike. About a minute later, however, everything went wrong. It felt like the street dropped out from under them, and what seemed to be a bright sun was darting about relentlessly in the sky above them. A sound like a thousand touch tone dialings came to their ears. They all lost their balance and fell to the sidewalk under them.<P><P>"What's happening?" Jerald yelled.<P><P>"I don't know!" Fake yelled back.<P><P>"Super! Super!" Daptin yelled, attempting unsuccessfully to stand up.<P><P>"What went wrong?" Fake asked.<P><P>"I don't think this--" Daptin began, but then everything turned red. <P><P>All they could see was red. They smelled a citrusy odor and heard distant windchimes.<P><P>"Don't stop," Tavmatey said, much louder now. "Don't stop now."<P><P>Before any of them could respond, they lost consciousness.<P><P>--------------------------<P>CHAPTER 12<P>--------------------------<P><P>Daptin awoke to find himself on a hill covered with freshly cut grass. He heard the sound of a distant lawnmower, but couldn't see where it came from. A light breeze blew, and a very normal sun shone down from a cloudless sky. Nearby, he could see a wooded area.<P><P>The other two began to stir.<P><P>"Well, we managed to fuck our mission up royally," Daptin said, not fully awake yet.<P><P>"Was I dreaming?" Fake asked, rising.<P><P>"I'm scared," Jerald said.<P><P>"Oh, you're back," Tavmatey said from the Cup, sounding almost as if she were right next to them.<P><P>"Tav--Tavmatey--how long were we out?" Daptin asked.<P><P>"Not long. Maybe five minutes."<P><P>"What happened?" Fake asked.<P><P>"Beats me," Daptin said. "Any ideas, Tav?"<P><P>Tavmatey didn't respond.<P><P>"I guess not," Daptin said.<P><P>"No I guess..." Tavmatey said, "I guess I might as well tell you that Elaine had to mislead you a little. The actual plan was different than what she told you. Sorry I didn't--"<P><P>"--yes!" a booming voice was heard to say nearby.<P><P>"What the..." Daptin said, looking around.<P><P>"Uh-oh," Fake said, looking down the hill.<P><P>"After eighty years it has come to pass," one of the individuals coming up the hill said.<P><P>"You led us into a trap!" Daptin yelled.<P><P>"No!" Tavmatey said. "No! There shouldn't be anyone else there! It's impossible!"<P><P>Daptin looked down at the group approaching him and his fellows.<BR><A HREF="SR_Bk1-0053.txt">Next (Page 53)</A>