Seven           Bob Carver had lain awake much of the night, his mind plotting and planning a possible business opportunity.  He had thought nothing of loaning his livestock to Hondo�s three young subordinates to ride to the pond.  He had the horses that were rarely ridden these days, and they had assured him that they all could ride.  But now that he had time to think about it, it had presented him with the idea of renting his horses to fishermen, hunters, and weekend campers for the same purpose.  There were several large ponds on the property, and all of them should be the habitat of a large number of fish.  There were also plenty of game birds and deer on the property.  Since selling off the cattle, the horses had been used only for occasional pleasure riding; they may as well earn their keep!           Excitedly, he tossed and turned, pondering the pros and cons of going into such a business for himself.  He was still young enough to start up a new business, and it would be almost like a hobby rather than a business.  There was overhead to consider; insurance, equipment, feeding and carrying for the horses, but he was already doing that anyway.  Over fishing of the ponds might be a problem.  Care would have to be taken not to deplete the ponds completely.  He might have to hire an employee to guide some of the parties in, since most people knew little to nothing about caring for horses, but that should not be too difficult.  He had a couple of sons who might be willing to share the profits and their time.           The notion simply would not let go of him, and he was still thinking about it when he rose the next morning.           �You were restless last night,� his wife Clara said as he shaved in front of the bathroom mirror.           �I�m sorry if I disturbed you,� he said, the flutter of excitement still present.  �I was thinking about something.�           �Some problem?�           �Nope.  A possible business venture.�  As he finished shaving, he explained his idea to her.  �I was also thinking . . .   Bobby said last week that he�s between jobs.  He�s real good with horses and loves to take long rides, so I was thinking maybe he�d be willing to go into business with me.  He could pack the fishermen out to the ponds, take groups of boy and girl scouts on trail rides and camping trips, escort hunters in search of game; things like that.  What do you think?�           Clara shrugged, leaning over the counter to bring her face closer to the mirror as she applied her makeup.  �I don�t know if that�s the kind of job he would want.  Our son is a restless person.  And it�s a seasonal job; there won�t be much activity during the winter.  That won�t be a problem for you, since you�re retired anyway, but it might be a problem for the boys.�           �That�s true,� he agreed as he dried his face.  �Well, there are obviously some kinks to work out.  Maybe we could have Halloween and Christmas hay rides or something during the winter.�  He replaced the towel on the bar.  �Well, I�ve got horses that need to be fed.�           Leaving the bathroom to his wife, Bob put on his shoes and made his way through the ranch house to the front door.            He loved living in his childhood home.  The morning air was fresh and clean, so different from the car exhausts of commuters on their way to work.  Instead of car horns and sirens, he listened to the birds singing and the whisper of the breeze in the trees.  The sun was up and the temperature was a pleasant seventy degrees.           Smiling at the prospect of bringing his son into business with him, Bob stepped off the porch and made his way toward the stable where his remaining two horses were kept.  Six horses might not be enough, he thought as he walked across the grassy lawn.  Clara had been after him to sell off some of the horses, arguing that they didn�t need that much livestock for just the two of them, but he had kept them for his children and grandchildren to ride whenever they came to visit.  Now he was glad he had kept them.           Suddenly, he pulled up short, the smile fading from his face.  Chief stood beside the stable door, flapping his short sparsely haired tail across his spotted haunches.  He was still wearing his saddle and bridle, but the saddle was askew on his back, as if he had been rolling in an attempt to rid himself of it.  Turning his head toward his owner, the horse nickered softly through his nostrils, genuinely glad to see the man who would remove the tack from his back.           Standing there in bewilderment, Bob�s eyes scanned the area for the other three horses and found them quickly.  Prince and Buttercup were grazing in the grassy area beside the stable, and Daisy was standing beside the open window of her favorite stable-mate, Rosie.  Her pack harness was still strapped to her back.  Spying her owner, she whinnied and plodded toward him.           Stroking the mare�s soft muzzle, Bob walked around to her side, examining the pack.  The tents were missing, suggesting that the officers had set up camp, but the high lines and some of their provisions were still secured to the harness.  Turning, he looked toward Jim Street�s vehicle, which had transported the three officers to the ranch, and found it still parked at the edge of the driveway.  Moving past the mare, he walked the rest of the way to the stable and slid the double doors open to look inside, thinking they might have returned early and were inside.  It was far more comforting than the alternative.  The lights were out, leaving the interior of the stable dusky, but he could easily see the two remaining horses that hung their heads over their stall doors.  They turned toward the open door and whinnied a greeting to the man who would feed them.           Bob�s stomach clenched with apprehension.  Something must have happened.  Turning, he nearly bumped into Daisy, who had followed him to the stable door.  She nudged at his arm with her muzzle, as if imploring him to remove her tack.  Chief crowded close behind her, and Prince and Buttercup were plodding toward him, all eager to be relieved of the tack they had worn all night.  Unfortunately for the horses, there was no time at the moment.           As fast as he was able, he ran back to the house and picked up the telephone in the living room.  With nervous fingers, he quickly dialed Hondo�s phone number.                                                           -()-           Lieutenant Dan �Hondo� Harrelson had gotten up in a particularly good mood.  Today, he was planning to take his family to the zoo, and then hire a babysitter while he took his wife to dinner and a movie.           �I�m starving!� he said to his wife as she prepared breakfast in the kitchen.           �Go sit down, it�s almost ready,� she instructed as she lifted golden pancakes from the griddle and transferred them to a platter.           Hondo reached for a slice of bacon, and managed to secure his prize before Betty swatted her husband�s hand.  �Ouch!� he exclaimed with mock indignation as the phone on the wall beside the refrigerator began to ring.           �Saved by the bell,� she quipped.           �I�ll get it,� he said.  He stepped across the kitchen and lifted the handset.  �Hello?�           �Hondo, I�m glad I caught you,� Bob said, panting slightly.           Concern sprang to Hondo�s eyes.  �Bob, is something wrong?  You sound like you�re out of breath.�           �I just ran back from the stable.  Hondo, the horses came back without the boys.�           Hondo was quiet, his mind turning over the possible reasons why the horses would be back at the stable, and he first stated the obvious one:  �They probably broke their tethers or pulled down the picket lines.�           �Can�t be,� Carver replied.  �The picket line is still on the pack horse�s harness.�           �Is their vehicle still there?� Hondo asked.  �Maybe they came back early for some reason and decided to leave without waking you.�           �The car is still here, and the horses are still tacked up; saddles, bridles, everything.  They came back on their own, but even if they didn�t, I can�t believe those boys would leave the horses loose in the yard still wearing their saddles and bridles.�           �Maybe they got thrown,� Hondo suggested.  �They all said they haven�t ridden in years.�           �I suppose it�s possible in theory, but I can�t think of anything that would cause all three of them to get thrown at the same time.  All four horses are here.�           �That is strange,� Hondo agreed.  After another pause, he suggested, �Maybe the horses were spooked by a rattlesnake.�           �Nah!� Bob scoffed.  �That�s Hollywood nonsense!  A horse�ll pull up and shy away when it sees or hears a snake, but it isn�t going to go berserk like they do on TV.  I gotta bad feelin� something�s happened to your boys.�           �Yeah, looks that way,� Hondo agreed, quietly.           �Think maybe I ought to saddle one of horses and head up that way?�           �No.  If they�re injured, you�d have no way of getting them back.  Sit tight.  I�m going to recruit a chopper and get up there, pronto.�           �I�ll be waitin�.�                                                               -()-           Luca awakened with a start, and as his wide-open eyes stared unseeing into the pitch black, he experienced a moment of panic, thinking he had lost his vision during the night.  Then the hard ground beneath him and the dank musty odor reminded him that he had slept inside a cave, and he realized that the fire must have gone out at some point during the night.           Fumbling with his hand, he found his wrist watch and pressed the button which illuminated the face:  6:30.  Soon, they would need to be on their way again in the hopes of reaching Bob�s ranch house before dark.           Hearing the movement beside him, T. J. rose up on his elbows, even though he could see nothing.  �Dom?� he asked, his voice low to avoid waking anyone who was still sleeping.           �Yeah,� Luca answered.           �For a moment there I thought I�d gone blind!�           Dom grinned at T. J.�s confession, pleased that he wasn�t the only one who had been startled upon waking to find that he couldn�t see anything, but did not admit to the moment of panic he had experienced.  �It is easy to get that feeling.�  Then he sobered.  �Think they�re still looking for us?�           �I�d bet on it,� T. J. replied, confidently.  �I just hope we get out of here before dark.  I�d hate to have to hide from that helicopter again.�           �Yeah.  I don�t mind telling you, a part of me would rather just stay here in this cave in the hopes that they get tired of looking.�           �Somehow, I don�t think that�s going to happen.  I�ve been thinking about something, though.  I wouldn�t be a bit surprised if they already have someone positioned near the house waiting to intercept us.�           Luca felt an inner jolt at the thought that someone might be lying in wait for them.  �I hadn�t thought of that, but you may be right, assuming that our druggies know where we�re headed.  Hell, I�m so turned around, even I don�t even know where we�re headed!� he added.           Nearby, they heard a low groan.  �Oh, no!  The fire went out!  I don�t have any more matches.�           They heard the sound of clothing rustling together as someone shifted position, and a moment later they heard the sound of a match being brushed against the striker.  Street had pulled a book of matches from his pocket, and now held the flame at the end of the small paper stick.  The tiny glow barely managed to penetrate the intense darkness inside the cave, placing Street within a small halo of light, but it was just enough for Willis to place some wood and kindling in the fire pit.           �Ouch!� Jim exclaimed as the flame burned his fingers.  He dropped the match and struck another one.  By then, the kindling was ready, and he applied it carefully to the dry twigs until they were well ignited.  Jim tossed the matches to Willis.  �Here, you may as well keep these.  I brought them in case we needed extra ones for our campfire, but under the circumstances, I don�t think we�ll be lighting any fires outside this cave.�           Willis caught the book of matches, and gave a quick nod.  �Thanks.  You fellows are real nice.�           Street and T. J. both looked at Luca, a silent reminder that there were issues that needed to be discussed.  Since he was the one who insisted on going slowly the night before, they deferred to him to bring up the subject.           With a nod of acknowledgement, Luca said, �Yeah, look Willis.  We�re going to be heading out of here pretty soon.  I think you know that you can trust us not to betray you to those goons out there, but I think you also understand that things have happened up here that must be reported to the law.�           Willis immediately became uncomfortable, and he busied himself adding more wood to the fire and stoking it into a strong blaze.  �I never let the fire go out,� he said, in an effort to dominate the conversation.  �When I need to clean out the firepit, I transfer it to that one over there.  That way I�m never without light.�           �You maintain a good fire,� Luca agreed, patiently.  �You know how to keep it nearly smokeless, and it gives off a lot of light.  You�re really good out here in the woods.  But in this day and age, no one should have to live like this.  You don�t have to live like this.�  His voice was kind and friendly, with a trace of sympathy as well, for he understood the man�s reluctance to help them, yet firm enough to express the fact that they expected answers.  �Willis, there is a man lying dead out there.  He has a family.  He has children, and they�ve suffered with worry and fear, wondering what happened to their father.  His wife is a widow, and she doesn�t even know it.  There are probably benefits that she could claim to help her family financially, but she can�t collect them without a death certificate.  She needs to know what happened to him.�           Willis� busy hands slowed, then stopped as he sank back onto the hard ground.  He avoided looking at them, but his expression was remorseful.  �I didn�t know he had a family, and I feel bad about that, I really do.  But if I testify to what I saw, they�ll kill me, I know they will!�           Encouraged by the man�s acknowledgement, Street added, �We�re going to do everything we can to prevent that from happening.  You just have to trust us.�           Willis looked up, his eyes flashing in the light from the fire.  �You can�t guarantee that those killers won�t find me.  This isn�t a bunch of small-time growers here!  They have connections, and they don�t like people interfering with their stuff.  That�s what got that ranger killed!  He should�ve known not to come out here on his own!  He should�ve notified federal marshals instead of investigating on his own!  He should�ve known better!�           Luca, Street, and T. J. all looked at each other, then T. J. said, �We knew he was a uniformed officer of some kind, but we never suspected that he was a park ranger.�           Willis realized he had said too much, and began nervously rearranging the stones around his fire pit.  �I done said too much already.  I�m not saying anything more.�           �You have to!� Street insisted, growing frustrated by the lack of cooperation.  He grasped Willis by the front of his shirt and pulled him to his feet.  �You know a lot more than you�re saying!�           Willis hung his head to the side, refusing to look at him, but his eyes closed in apparent misery.           �Easy, Jim,� Luca advised.           Reluctantly, Jim released him and watched as he sank back down to the ground.  His eyes were averted, avoiding looking at the men who stared at him.           Luca squatted down in front of grizzled man.  �I know you�re tormented by what you saw.  It couldn�t have been an easy thing to see; and we all know you saw what happened.  Tell us about it,� he urged, his voice kind.            Willis sighed heavily with regret, and was shaking his head back and forth, either in refusal or in resignation, yet he remained silent, reluctant to speak.           Luca was watching him carefully, observing the shame on his face and in his slumped posture, and the reality struck him abruptly.  �You�re one of them!� he said, accusingly.  �You didn�t just witness it; you were in on it!�           �What?� Street and T. J. said together.           �It�s true, isn�t it?� Luca prodded.  �That�s why you didn�t go to the authorities.  You were afraid you�d be arrested and prosecuted as well.  How could your conscience allow you to do that?  How could you just hide up here like this, and allow those criminals to keep selling their poison?  Not to mention, getting away with murder!�           Willis was shaking his head, helplessly.  �No, no � That isn�t the way it was.  I wasn�t involved in shooting him!  You don�t understand what happened.  You don�t understand --"           �No, we don�t understand!� Street agreed, explosively.  �Because you haven�t told us!�           �Jim,� Luca said, quietly.           Street backed off again, his frustration vividly demonstrated in his posture and expression, but he respected Luca�s experience in dealing with difficult people.           Willis fell quiet for a long time, and the other two men kept glancing at Luca, apparently wondering how long he was going to wait for an answer.  The youngest man was patiently prodding at the wood in the fire with a stick, watching the popping and crackling of the dry wood.  T. J. found the drinking gourd and went to the stream for water.  Midge followed her master, reluctant to let him out of her sight inside the uncomfortably enclosed environment of the cave.  When he returned, the men around the fire were still silently waiting.           Willis�s posture was slumped, his expression one of humiliation as he struggled with his conscience.  Finally, after considerable time had passed, he spoke, his voice quiet, as if fearful that he might be overheard.  �What year is it?�           �Nineteen seventy six,� T. J. answered.  �June.�           �Only a year.�  He shook his head, slowly as if in disbelief.  �It happened almost a year ago.  Somehow, it seems a lot longer than that.�           When the mysterious squatter fell silent again, Luca set aside his stick, sensing that the man was about ready to talk.  �Talk to us, Willis,� he said, gently.  �Tell us what happened, so we can help you.�           Willis remained silent so long that they thought he was ignoring them, but then finally he began speaking:  �It wasn�t supposed to be like that.  No one was supposed to get hurt.  It was just a way to get back at Carver and make some cash in the process.�           Luca cocked his head, curiously.  �Bob Carver?  What does he have to do with this?"           Willis looked up, surprised.  �Bob?  No, not him.  The old man, Wayne.�           �Wayne Carver passed away six years ago.  His son owns the property now.�           Willis was quiet for a moment, digesting the information that the man he hated for the past six years had died shortly after evicting him.  �Can�t say I�m sorry to hear that.  He was a hardnosed old tyrant.  I�m a farmer and for years, I leased a couple hundred acres from the Carvers just south of here.  I always kept up my lease, year after year without any problem until we suffered a drought back in �70, and I couldn�t meet my payments.  I explained the situation to him and promised that I would pay it as soon as I could get another job, but he turned me out.  With no place else to go, I moved in with my cousin in one of the lower class neighborhoods in L.A.  I had to take odd jobs to make a little cash, but nothing paid enough to do more than pay for my keep and buy cheap groceries.  I hated it,� he added with vehemence.  �I was a fish outta water living in the City, and the noise!  There was always sirens and car horns, people fightin� and yellin� at each other.  I had only intended to live there long enough to get back on my feet again, but for several years, I was livin� hand to mouth, barely scrapin� by.  Then one day a man came to see me.�           The other three leaned forward without realizing that they were doing so, anticipating the revelation of how Willis had gotten involved in the illegal operation.           Willis�s eyes glittered in the firelight as his mind traveled back to the day, seeing it as fresh in his mind as if it was just happening.  Finally, he continued, �This man told me that he know�d I was outta work and barely getting� by, and he offered me a proposition I couldn�t refuse.  He said they needed someone to help put in a large profitable crop, someone who knew a good place to grow it, and someone to help work the ground and apply the fertilizer.  Someone who was willin� to keep their mouth shut.�  He gave a lame shrug.  �I knew immediately what the crop was going to be, but I was desperate, and he knew it.  I had already lost nearly everything I owned.  My girlfriend left me because she knew there was no future in hanging around with a bum like me, so I jumped at the chance to get ahead again, and saw it as the perfect opportunity to quietly get back at old man Carver.�           �By secretly using his land to grow an illegal crop,� T. J. said.           �Yep.  I knew he never went out in that area that borders the wildlife reserve, so that made it a perfect spot.  Course, I didn�t� know he was already dead, by then.�           �Didn�t it bother you at all that those people were selling their poison to kids?� Street asked.           �It bothered me some.  But sometimes, a person�s gotta look out for themselves, you know what I mean?  I�d sampled the hard times, the hardest I�d ever thought possible, and I didn�t ever want to go through that again.  Those boys promised to pay me real good once the harvest was sold, enough that I�d be able to buy my own house and, and actually put money in the bank!  For the first time in years, I would be out of debt! Do you have any idea what that�s like?�           Luca shook his head, and replied, honestly, �No, I don�t.  But what you were doing was illegal!�           �I objected to it too, at first,� Willis admitted.  �But they said that everyone smokes a little pot now and then.  Ain�t no big deal.�  He looked down again, and added, �Least it weren�t supposed to be.  The catch was that I had to live on site and wouldn�t get paid until the end of the season, after the harvest.  They didn�t want anyone to see the vehicles coming and going and leaving tire tracks in the grass.  That was okay, though, because I didn�t have anyplace I needed to be, and they fed me good and gave me a tent to live in.  For the first time in a long time, life was pretty good for me.  They was real pleased with my work and my knowledge of growing crops, and the plants thrived.  Prettiest green plants I ever did see, and I was proud that they were growing because of my experience at farming.�           �What about the ranger?� T. J. prompted.           �I�m gettin� to that!� Willis said, shortly.  �One day as we were harvesting, we saw a jeep parked nearby with a man standing up in it.  He was watching us with binoculars, but when he realized we had seen him, he immediately sat down and started to get out of there.�           He stopped here, and an expression passed across his face as if he had bitten into something that tasted bitter.           �He didn�t make it out,� Luca prompted.           �No, he didn�t make it.  Them sharpshooters are always close by to guard against trespassers, and they went after him.  We heard the shots and knew they�d taken him down.�  He fell silent for a long time, reliving the event as the light from the fire danced in his somber eyes, giving them a haunted look.  Finally, he continued, �They brought him back and laid him out on the ground so we could all see him, and they warned us about what would happen to us if we dared tell anyone what we saw.  Then they dumped the body in the pond and told us to get back to work.  It made me sick to my stomach, literally made me sick, but I knew I couldn�t tell a soul about it if I wanted to keep breathing!  They drove his jeep back into the reserve, and left it there.  Never did hear if anyone found it.  I wondered why he didn�t radio for help when he saw us, but I heard one of them boys laughing about the fact that the battery was down on his radio.  Things was just goin� against him, and he didn�t have the sense to get out of there before getting� spotted.�           He fell silent again, and after allowing him several minutes to sort out his thoughts, Luca prompted, �What happened then?�           �I couldn�t sleep that night; not at all.  I kept hearing those shots and seeing that poor man lying on the ground, and I finally acknowledged what I knew all along but refused to accept; that these people are dangerous.  That they�d kill any of us as soon as look at us.  I knew I was in way over my head, but I couldn�t quit.  You don�t �quit� jobs like that.  They�re like the mob; once you�re in, you�re in for life.  They don�t let you just walk out, like a legitimate occupation.  And I knew I couldn�t go to the cops.  It would have been easier if we�d been allowed to go home each day after work.  I would�ve lit out as far and fast as I could.  But I was stuck up here with no transportation, surrounded by a bunch of killers.�  He paused briefly, as if he had something else he wanted to reveal, but seemed to change his mind.            �So you went to work with the others the next morning?� Luca asked.           �No.  I gathered up most of my belongings and used my knife to cut a slit up the back wall of my tent.  They had a guard posted, so I had to be careful, but it was dark and I managed to slip away without being seen.  I had found this cave years ago, when I was still leasing Carver�s property, so I just hid out here.  I couldn�t head back to town.  It�d take days to walk, and I knew they�d be waiting for me when I got there if they didn�t catch me long before that.�  He sighed, as if in defeat.  �I didn�t have no place to go, anyway.�           �Is this part of the property you leased?� Luca asked.           �No, but it�s near here.  I�d ride over some times and fish his pond and just scout around.  Always made me angry that some people have it all, and the rest of us ain�t got nothin� worthwhile.  I never told anyone about that cave,� he mused.  �I�m sure glad now that I didn�t.�           �Didn�t you think that the farther you got from those growers, the safer you�d be?� T. J. asked.           �Of course I did!� Willis retorted.  �I thought about it plenty, but I knew they were lookin� for me.  Every time I stepped out of this cave, I imagined them all around me, hiding behind every tree and rock.  I knew some survival techniques, and there was plenty of fish in the pond, so I knew I�d be okay for a while, as long as I was careful not to be seen.  But the longer I hid, the easier it became to simply stay out here.  I�ve been holed up in this cave for nearly a year, venturing out only long enough to find food, mostly in the pond where you boys camped last night.  Then I started snaring small game, like rabbits and squirrels, but now they�re becoming scarce as well.�            There were several moments of silence again, and Luca brought up the obvious question:  �Are they out here year round?  I mean, they can�t grow their crops during the winter months, since it gets pretty cold up here.  Why didn�t you try to make it out then?�           �They don�t grow year round, but the temperatures usually don�t freeze, so they work the field during the winter.  You know, tilling the ground, working in the fertilizers.  That�s a big plot of earth that they�re using.  Takes a long time to cultivate.  I was surprised when they planted again this spring, but I guess they figured that by now I didn�t pose any threat to them.  They probably figured I wandered off and died of exposure or something.�  He cast a fleeting glance at the three men who listened with intense interest.  �Now, I told you boys everything you wanted to know to satisfy your curiosity, but I can�t tell the cops about any of this.�           Luca exchanged glances with T. J., then revealed the secret they had been keeping from him, �You just did.�           Surprise flickered across Willis�s face, then quickly his expression hardened with bitter resentment.  �What?  You three are cops?  You lied to me!�           �No, we didn�t lie.  We told you that we were just up here to camp and fish for a few days, and that�s the absolute truth,� Luca told him, hastily, trying to smooth his ruffled feathers.  �There was really no need to reveal our occupation at that time.�           �Withholdin� that information is the same as lying,� Willis said, accusingly.  �It�s entrapment!�           �Would you have told us your story if we had revealed who we were?� Luca asked.           �You know I wouldn�t have!�           �Listen, Willis,� Street stepped in with an air of calm authority.  �If you cooperate with the prosecutors, I�m sure you will be granted some form of immunity to testify against the people you were working for.�  He raised his hand quickly to cut off Willis�s protest.  �And I�m sure we can work out some form of protection for you.  We will help you find a good lawyer who will negotiate everything for you.�           �The system has never worked for me!� Willis protested.           �You have an obligation to tell what had happened!� Luca told him.  �Because you remained silent, there are more drugs out there on the streets!  And those murderers have never been brought to justice.�           �I can�t go back, don�t you see?  No matter what kind of deal your people can work, it won�t be enough to protect me from those killers out there!  I feel bad for that man�s family, but I won�t do it!�           Street glanced at his partners, and realized that they weren�t getting any farther with the frightened man.  �It would have been easier with Willis�s testimony, but with all the evidence still out there, I don�t there will be any trouble bringing these dealers to trial,� he said.  �We�ll go back and tell the authorities about the body and about the marijuana.�           �Yeah, you�re right,� Luca agreed.  �They might be able to match up the bullets in the body to the guns that fired them, and that should help get convictions.�  He stood up and brushed off his hands against the seat of his jeans.  �Well, we have a long walk ahead of us, so I guess we�d better head that way.�           The other two men also stood up, and Midge followed their lead, her tail wagging with the realization that they were leaving.  But as they moved toward the entrance, Willis suddenly called, �Wait!�           The SWAT officers stopped and turned around, curiously.           Willis was rummaging around in his gear, and to their astonishment, he withdrew a small handgun and held it toward them on his palm.           T. J. exchanged glances with Luca and then Street, and went back to accept the offer of the weapon.  He opened the chamber and saw that it contained five bullets.  Snapping it shut, he asked, �Where did you get this?�           �It was mine in my other life, before I was evicted.  I almost pawned it for the cash several times, but kept it around in case I needed it.  When we were brought up here, I carried it inside my gear in case those boys I was workin� for caused me any trouble.  I realized as soon as I got here that it wasn�t worth much against all their firepower, though.  After I escaped, I used it once to kill a deer, and those boys were there to investigate within a half hour.  I didn�t dare use it after that.  This here cave�s a bit damp, so like I said, I don�t know if it�ll still work, but you boys are welcomed to take it.  Don�t know how much good it�ll do you.  Sure ain�t done me much good.�           T. J. was grinning.  �It just may be what we need to increase our odds.�           �Thanks, Willis,� Luca said.  �Be thinking about what we talked about, though.  We could sure use your help�           �I ain�t likely to change my mind,� Willis replied.           Feeling a great deal more confident, the three SWAT officers filed out of the cave.