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"Are you okay?" he asked gently.
Sam nodded. "I am now."
He looked to Amber's severed head across the room. "I'm sorry I had to kill your best friend."
Sam managed a nervous, uneasy laugh. "I was thinking about finding a new one anyway."
Max reclaimed his sword and guided Sam from the room. "Let's get out of here before something else happens."
"How did you find me?" Sam asked curiously as they headed up the stairs.
"I followed that bastard here after he'd come back to finish me off," Max informed her. "He left the back door unlocked. I followed the three of you down here and nearly lost my opportunity when he locked the door."
"But how did you ring the doorbell and be standing outside of the door at the same time?" Sam asked as they entered the kitchen.
"I rewired the doorbell wire that came into the basement to make it ring when I touched the wires together," Max informed her then smiled. "I'm a lot more handy than I appear."
"Handy isn't the word," Sam replied with a tiny smile.
"More like stupid," came Baxter's voice from behind them.
Both spun around. Baxter tackled Max to the kitchen floor. Max's sword flew across the room. They struggled over the dagger, now pointed into Max's face.
"Don't you know you don't leave the killer unless you're certain he's dead?" Baxter cried out while on top of Max.
Max kicked Baxter off of him. Baxter flew across the floor then scrambled to his feet. Max crawled across the floor and retrieved his sword. He flipped himself over into a sitting position. Baxter was about to plunge the dagger into him. Sam appeared behind Baxter and plunged a butcher knife repeatedly into Baxter's back. She screamed with every thrust. Baxter turned around. Sam released the knife within Baxter's back. He faced her and raised the dagger. Max suddenly kicked Baxter's legs out from underneath him, and Baxter fell onto his back, embedding the knife deeper into his back. Baxter gasped several times as blood seeped from his mouth. His head turned to the side, and his eyes closed. Sam gasped for a breath and finally relaxed.
Max scrambled to his feet and approached Sam and Baxter. Max suddenly chopped downward with his sword and severed Baxter's head from his neck. Sam cried out with surprise and stared at Max. Max continued to breath heavily and stared at Baxter.
"I do now," Max informed Baxter simply. Max grabbed Sam's hand and pulled her from the kitchen through the back door.
Sam and Max walked along the road past his mangled Bronco against the cemetery fence. Police cars could be seen parked everywhere in front of Amber's house. The sun was already beginning to rise. Max looked at his Bronco and held Sam against him while they walked.
"God, what a night. I can't wait to take a hot shower and sleep for a week," Max muttered softly. "I'm sure your parents will be happy to hear from you. They must be worried sick."
"I'll call them and tell them I'm okay," she replied softly with a tiny smile.
"You don't want them to come and get you?" Max asked and looked at her.
Sam studied Max and smiled gently. "I'm so tired, I just want to go to sleep. And when I wake up, I want to wake up in your arms."
Max smiled and held her against him. "I'm glad to hear that. Of course, now I don't feel like sleeping."
Sam smiled warmly. "Me either."
Max stopped her and turned her to face him. He kissed her warmly but passionately. They slowly pulled away and looked to the cemetery ten feet away. Both became uneasy. They turned and hurried away from the cemetery.
**End**
August 8, 2001
