"We called ourselves The Carrion Crew, and our big idea was to take scores away from other crooks. Sort of a Robin Hood thing, except we kept the swag instead of giving it away."

Candace smiled. The SUV bucketed over the washboard of a fire trail, the crash site couldn't be much further, she hoped. Her backside, however well-padded, had taken a beating.

Todd's grin looked off-center. "M'Caliber was a genius with any kind of long range weapon and pretty good at figuring tactics and operational needs. A bit of a coward in a stand-up fight though, but Catclaw, Leo as he calls himself now, more than made-up for that. Anyone more ferocious in hand-to-hand wouldn't be human. Literally."

After a moment, he repeated it, "Wouldn't be human."

* * *

Krystal lay down her cards. "Knock," she said. Tessie and Leo moaned and began to count their penalties.

"You keep feeding her," Tessie complained. "Let's switch chairs."

Krystal ran the totals quickly. "I'm out, 300. We could play something else?" she suggested, glancing over at Kenny, still lying in the floor and watching The Incredible Hour on television.

"Nah," said Leo. "Cutthroat is my second favorite game." He gathered the cards in his big, scarred hands. "We'll just deal the other direction this game. That way I can feed you for awhile," he said to Tessie who promptly blushed.

"What's your favorite game?" she asked to cover her embarrassment.

Leo and Krystal exchanged glances.

"Oh," said Tessie. "Gross." Leo winked at her and she blushed again.

* * *

"Blooddraught was our intelligence, finding jobs and getting details. A punker chick who went deeply goth before goth was cool. She liked to think of herself as Mata Hari or something and almost no one caught wise that their new girlfriend had set them up."

"Men are stupid that way," agreed Candace, causing Todd to snort.

A pair of boulders, and the surrounding trees, effectively blocked the progress of the car so they got out. Rain hats and slickers kept off the worst of the high altitude drizzle, the day like so many on this side of the mountains had gone all gray and damp.

"Take this," said Todd.

Candace belted the holster on then checked the load and safety, using the open rear hatch for shelter. A simple 9mm holding 13 rounds, a lot like what most cops carried these days, she knew. Todd had two guns; another nine and a ten, a fully automatic machine pistol.

"What was your job in the group?" she asked.

Todd checked his load and safeties and passed her another gun, a one-shot flare she could clip to her belt.

"I had to convince people we would kill them if they didn't give it up," he said. He closed the hatch and they started up the hill.

* * *

The cabbie asked, "You sure this is the place."

"I'm certain," said Kendra, "but can you wait? I may not be here long."

"Sure, the meter's running, though, lady. And I need another hunnert before you get out of the cab."

She gave him the money and stepped out on the curb next to the Munson mailbox.

* * *

The family mutt had taken one look at Leo and hid himself in the back of Kenny's closet behind the toybox. Now he emerged and made his way to the family room. Whining, he placed his head in the boy's lap and cut his eyes toward the front rooms.

Kenny looked up and frowned. "Mr. Paine?" he called out. "Someone's outside, Beefus always knows."

Leo grunted, glaring at his hand. "He and I both knew that ten minutes ago, he's just getting around to telling you." He looked across at Krystal and Tessie. "Got any fours?" he asked.