Eight           As they passed through the narrowest part of the cave entrance, T. J. took the lead with Willis�s pistol, feeling a great deal more optimistic now that they had a way of protecting themselves.  The weight of it in his hand was enough to inspire confidence, and his right thumb stroked the smooth metal surface as his left hand felt his way along the rough rocky wall toward ---           Thud!           �Ow!� T. J. exclaimed as his head connected with the hard, rocky ceiling.  His other hand went to his forehead, and he instantly bent his body forward to avoid additional injury.           Following behind, Luca grinned, �Forget to duck there, Teej?�  The possession of the weapon had lifted his spirits considerably, and it was easier to joke and make fun of his friend�s failure to remember the gradual narrowing of the walls and the lowering of the ceiling.           �Thanks for the reminder,� Jim added from the rear with a smile in his voice.           �Don�t mention it,� T. J. replied, rubbing the sore spot furiously with his hand.  Midge crowded close against his leg, eager to be out of the narrow dark place, and her shoulder pressed against the back of his leg as she tried to go around him.  �Midge, quit pushing,� he told her.           She whined in response, but obeyed.           The small procession started forward again, and finally they began to see the faint glow of daylight from outside the mouth of the cave.  They were bent almost double now to avoid banging their heads on the low ceiling.           Spying the opening ahead of her and eager to escape from the dark, scary place, Midge finally succeeding in squeezing past T. J., but his hand shot out lightning fast and caught her by the collar to hold her back.  �No, Midge,� he said firmly, pulling her back.           Luca reached forward to take the nervous dog by the collar.  �I got her,� he said.           T. J. released the collar to Luca, and Midge squirmed and whined as T. J. inched forward to view the surrounding area before they emerged from the cave, but the dog didn�t understand the need for caution.  She just wanted out, and her claws dug into the rocky floor as she attempted to pull forward.           Understanding the dog�s anxiety, Luca squatted down beside her and wrapped his arm around her, and began patting her furry side soothingly with his hand.  �Easy there, girl,� he said, quietly.  �We�ll be out of here in a minute.�           She seemed to relax slightly, and she lapped once at his face with her soft, moist tongue, then watched with anxious ears as her master moved slowly to the entrance of the cave.           Luca pressed his face against her head, feeling the softness of her fur against his cheek.  There was something profoundly comforting about petting and stroking an animal, and his hand continued to move from her head down her neck and back in repeated strokes, thinking it might be nice to have a pet some day.  But even as the pleasant thought entered his mind, he was aware of Street standing behind him, and of T. J. in front of him, cautiously checking out the open ground for signs of danger.           T. J. paused just inside the entrance to the cave.  The shrub that spread its limbs across the dark opening was sufficient to prevent people on the outside from actually seeing the cave unless they were looking for it, but it was not so heavily foliated that it prevented him from seeing between the limbs and leaves.  He could see and hear the gently trickling stream which acted as a shallow moat to protect the opening, and the stepping stones that provided access across it.           Cautiously, he stepped through the opening, gripping the pistol in a firing position as he turned first to the left and then to the right, his eyes darting quickly from point to point, seeking out any sign of danger.           Deeming it safe, he motioned with his hand for the others to join him, so Luca stood up and stepped outside.  Midge broke free of his grasp, and splashed into the stream, eager to be as far away from the cave as she could get then stopped and looked back as if wondering why her human friends weren�t joining her.           Street emerged behind Luca, and all three men stood against the bluff, surveying their surroundings, knowing that the pistol T. J. carried was no match for the sub-machine guns and would do them no good at all unless they spotted their pursuers first.           �So, which way?� Luca asked, thinking that one direction was probably as good as another.  Eventually, they would have to come across a street, highway or a local residence.           �If yer headed back toward civilization, it�d be that way,� Willis told them from the mouth of the cave.  Turning back, they saw that he was pointing to his right.  He had followed them out, apparently realizing their uncertainty.           �Maybe you should guide us out of here,� Luca suggested.  �We got ourselves lost yesterday.�           Willis grinned.  �Don�t doubt that none.�           �We�re not from around these parts,� T. J. told him, his voice a bit defensive at what sounded like ridicule.           Willis glanced nervously at the surrounding forest.  �Don�t like to get out much,� he told him.  �It�s too dangerous.�           �You got out yesterday,� Street reminded him.           �Had to find food.�           �So you can walk with us for a spell, just long enough to keep us in the right direction, and maybe you can find some food along the trail,� Luca said.  �We�ll even help you catch it.�  He gestured toward Midge.  �We have a hunting dog.�           Willis�s eyes fell on the dog as he considered the proposition, then he nodded his agreement.  �Okay.  You got yerselves a deal.�  Using the stepping stones, he moved to the other side of the stream.           Street, Luca, and T. J. followed.  The stones were slick with moss, and all three slipped several times, but all made it across without mishap.           For a long time, they spoke very little, and their eyes were on the trees and shrubs around them, searching for anything that seemed out of the ordinary.  Willis was especially nervous, and jumped at every sound, but T. J.�s experience with the weapon seemed to have a soothing effect on him, for he calmed each time the officer brought the pistol into firing position.           The morning passed uneventfully, if not slowly, as Willis was not in good physical condition, but they were at least confident that he was leading them in the right direction.           Luca heard and felt the rumbling protest of his stomach, and brushed his hand across his abdomen as if to sooth it.  The small portion of rabbit that Willis had shared with them last night had done little to stifle the burning hunger, and he longed for a full meal.  A nice spaghetti dinner or lasagna with Mama�s warm homemade bread sticks and a nice side salad would just hit the spot.           He knew the others were just as hungry as he was, and as he trudged along the rough terrain he quietly observed Willis, who walked in front of him.  The man was positively skinny.  His arms were thin and boney, and the ragged clothes he wore were too big, even though he knew they had probably fit when he was healthy.           Suddenly, Willis uttered a happy �Ah!�  Stopping before a thorny shrub, he began picking the berries that grew thick and plump and shoving them eagerly into his mouth.  �Dig in, boys,� he said.           �What are they?� T. J. asked as he scrutinized the berries with critical eyes, unconvinced that eating them was a wise thing to do.           �Blackberries!� Luca exclaimed, recognizing the clusters of juicy berries from his youth.  �When I was a kid, Pop would take all of us out to pick blackberries, and Momma would make cobblers and jams, and freeze some for eating later.�  He carefully reached between the thorns and picked a couple of them.  �I didn�t know they came on this early.�           �Round late June through August,� Willis told him.  �I ate lots of them last year, before the birds and bears got them.�           �These are good!� Luca said, approvingly.  �Man, does this bring back memories!�  Glancing at T. J. and Street, who continued to hang back, he urged, �Come on; eat up!  They�re perfectly safe.�           Street and McCabe glanced at each other with uncertainty.  �You�re sure about that?� T. J. asked, reluctantly.           �Positive!  The worst injuries you�ll get is from the thorns, so be careful,� he added as a thorn snagged the skin on his wrist.  �This was one of the few desserts we got because we couldn�t afford the prepackaged stuff for so many of us.  So we�d go out and pick wild berries.  I�m going to have to get Mama to make a blackberry cobbler when I get back.�           �You from a poor family?� Willis inquired, curiously.           There was a brief pause as Luca considered the question.  For most people, it would have been a straightforward question with a straightforward �yes� or �no� answer, but for the Luca family, things were not always so simple.  �We never really thought of ourselves as being poor,� he answered, honestly.  �Pop didn�t make a lot of money, but we were rich in so many other ways.  I have a lot of brothers and sisters ��           �And aunts and uncles and cousins,� T. J. interrupted.           Luca smiled, tolerantly.  �Anyway, there were a lot of us to feed and clothe, but we were always well-fed and even if we had patches on our knees, we were always neat and clean.�  He filled his cupped hand with berries, then stepped back to give more room for the others.           Hesitantly, T. J. stepped forward and carefully picked one of the berries.  He examined it for anything objectionable, then slipped it into his mouth.  The worry lines on his forehead smoothed out, and his expression indicated that he was pleased.  �There are a lot of seeds, but they�re good.�  He reached for another and offered it to his curious dog.  She took it in her mouth, then dropped it on the ground and pushed it around with her nose, trying to determine if it was edible.           Encouraged, Street finally joined in, and they spent several minutes eating the juicy berries, until Midge suddenly stiffened, her attention directed back down the trail they had just come up.  A low growl rumbled in her throat.           �I think we�ve got company,� T. J. cautioned.  �Quiet, Midge.�  His eyes looked around quickly, and pointed with the muzzle of the pistol toward a fallen tree and a cluster of laurel.  �Get behind that log over there.�           �What are you going to do?� Street asked.           �See about capturing one of those Tommy guns.  That will even the odds considerably.�           Street and Luca started toward the log, but Willis had gone rigid with fear.  He looked like a rabbit that was uncertain whether to bolt and flee or remain frozen still in hopes that the predator will pass right by without noticing.           Luca came back and grasped his arm.  �Willis, we have to hide.�           �They�re gonna find me!� he said, his voice shaking.  �They�re gonna find me and kill me!  They�re gonna kill all of us!�           �No, they�re not.  T. J. has a plan, so come with us, and you�ll be safe.�           Willis finally submitted to the persistent tug on his arm, and he followed Luca and Street behind the log, where they stretched out on their stomachs to wait.  Since Luca had taken charge of Willis, Street took Midge�s collar, and forced her down beside him.  The center of the log did not make contact with the ground, so they were able to see beneath it, and watched as T. J. moved off the trail and hid behind a tree.           Luca and Street lay quietly hugging the cool ground beneath the California laurel and peered beneath the gap under the fallen oak, watching as the boots of the drug dealer slowly walked past.  Midge lay between them, fighting the urge to growl a warning to him; her master had told her to be quiet, so she must obey, but he would never know just how difficult it was for the dog to lay still and see and smell the stranger that she knew meant harm to her friends.  Willis lay on Luca�s other side, his eyes huge and his fists clenched in fear as he listened to the sounds of the killer walking through the gravel and leaves.           Luca cast frequent glances at the frightened man, concerned that he would panic and betray their position by trying to get up and run or making some sound to alert the drug dealer.  Reaching out, he placed a hand on Willis�s shoulder, drawing his attention.  �Shh,� he whispered.  �We�re going to be fine.  We do this kind of thing for a living, so just be still and stay quiet.�           Willis put his head down on his folded arms, apparently deciding it was better not to watch, and Luca turned his attention back to the narrow gap beneath the log.           A pair of boots entered their line of vision, and stopped beside the blackberry bushes.  They were combat boots, and were so close to their line of vision that they could see the laces and eyes that went up the front of them.  The man stood there for several moments, and it occurred to Luca that he was examining the berry bush, noticing that the berries had been picked.  Realizing that his prey had been there, he turned a slow circle, searching for his evidence that they were nearby.  Spying the fallen log, a perfect hiding place, he started toward it.           Luca and Street tensed, watching the boots moving toward them.  With his head still buried on his arms, Willis apparently did not notice, and for that Luca was grateful, certain that the man would have panicked and tried to run, an action that would have gotten him and possibly the others shot.           Concealed by his tree, T. J. watched as the killer moved slowly toward the fallen log, exposing his back to the SWAT sharpshooter, and knew that now was the time to act.  Stepping from behind the tree, gun in hand, he crept quietly toward the unsuspecting drug dealer and aimed the gun directly at the man�s head.  With his thumb, he cocked the trigger.           Hearing the unexpected �click� of a pistol being cocked, the dealer turned around and found himself staring into the small round hole in the muzzle of a pistol.  He jumped involuntarily, taking a step backward as his eyes shifted beyond that hole to the face of the man who held it.  He instantly knew he was looking at man who was experienced in handling weaponry, but he took a chance and brought the muzzle of his rifle into firing position.           �I wouldn�t,� T. J. warned.  He didn�t actually want to pull the trigger.  If Willis�s revolver did not fire due to the conditions in which it had been kept for the past year, they would lose any advantage they had over the man, so he decided to bluff.  �You may have a more powerful weapon than me, but all it takes is one well placed shot.�           �True enough,� the other man admitted.  �Looks like we got ourselves a stand-off,� he said in a raspy voice.  �But remember, if you shoot me my finger�s gonna press this trigger and spray you with bullets.  And you ain�t gonna survive it.�           �Same here,� T. J. advised.  �Shoot me, and I�ll put a bullet between your eyes.  And you won�t survive that, either.�           The other man nodded, acknowledging the likelihood of such a scenario.  �Probably so.�  He and T. J. stared into each other�s eyes, each one waiting for the other to make a move, and it occurred to the dealer that there was no fear in the eyes of the curly haired man who stood before him.  �So, what�re we gonna do about it?�           �I�ll tell you what you�re going to do,� T. J. said firmly.  �You�re going to lay your weapon down on the ground and back away from it.  Otherwise, my friends may just brain you with those rocks they�re holding.�           An expression of uncertainty flickered across the man�s face, and without moving his head his eyes darted quickly from side to side, seeking evidence that T. J. was speaking the truth.  He saw nothing, nor could he hear anything to back up the claim.  �You�re bluffing.�           �Not a bluff.  You already know there�s more than one of us, and you also know that we didn�t split up.  If you don�t believe me, look behind you.�           �You really think I�m that dumb?  You really think I�m gonna turn my back on you so you can get the drop on me?�           �My friends already have the drop on you.�           �He�s right,� a voice said directly behind him.           The man jumped and started to whirl around, but Luca thumped him on the back of the head with a stone, not hard enough to kill him or even knock him out, but just enough to send him sprawling onto the ground. The rifle dropped onto the ground and was instantly scooped up by T. J., who passed the pistol off to Street.           T. J. stepped away from the fallen drug dealer, who was on his hands and knees, shaking his head as if to clear it.  There was no way was he going to make the same mistake twice!  His hands expertly handled the familiar tool, bringing it into firing position.  Street aimed the pistol at the dazed criminal, while Luca stood nearby with his rock, looking and feeling a bit inadequate amid the firepower on either side of him.  Still, it made him feel a little better to know that he and his rock were the ones who had actually neutralized the guy.           �You; sit down and stay put,� T. J. commanded.           Disarmed, injured, and more than a little puzzled that he had unwittingly allowed himself to be so easily taken, he had no choice but to obey, but there was a resentful fire in his eyes as he sat down on the ground.           �Well, that was easy enough,� Street said.  �That�s three down.�           �That�s teamwork,� Luca agreed, still brandishing the rock he had used.  �Willis, it�s safe to come out now.�           Cautiously, Willis crept from his hiding place and stared in disbelief at the drug dealer, who was rubbing his hand on the knot that was forming on the back of his head.  �You got him!� he exclaimed.  �I don�t believe it!�  He looked at the three policemen, admiringly.  �You guys made it look so easy!�           �Like I said, we do this for a living!� Luca said, cheerfully.  �We bring in bad guys all the time.�           Their moods were considerably lighter due to the firearm that was equal in power to those of the rest of the drug dealers, but they knew they must deal with the man who now sat on the ground before them, watching and listening to them.           �So,� Luca said.  �Want to tell us your name?�           The man spat at him, and again, the youthful officer watched the foamy saliva arch through the air and land at his feet.           �You and that other guy; what�s his name, Crowe?  You must have learned your manners from the same person,� Luca said with disgust.  �What did you do, grow up in a barnyard?�           The insult seemed to fly past his head, for he was more interested in the mention of his co-worker.  �What�ve you done with Crowe?�           �Well, let�s just say that he�s been effectively dealt with,� Street told him, calmly.           �You killed him, didn�t you?  Just like you killed Warwick.�  For a moment, it looked as if he was considering the idea of rushing at T. J., but was quickly reminded that he was facing the wrong end of his own rifle, and thought better of it.  If they had killed Warwick and Crowe, they would not hesitate to kill him.           �We only kill when we have to,� T. J. replied.  �Warwick gave us no choice.  Unlike you, we�re not murderers.  Crowe is probably fine, unless the wild animals got to him last night.  Now, you never did tell us your name.�           The man glared at them silently, clearly intent on being uncooperative.           �Say, that there�s Phipps!� Willis exclaimed.           Upon hearing his name, Phipps looked up with no apparent recognition, his eyes focused on the thin bearded man who was staring at him.  �Do I know you?�           Willis was stunned.  �You don�t know who I am?�           �Should I?�           Willis looked at the officers as if for instruction.  �Should I tell him?�           �Up to you,� Street replied.  �He can�t harm you now.�           Willis was uncomfortable giving out the information.  �Well, I guess it ain�t like he can look me up in the phone book, is it?�  To the criminal, he said, �My name�s Virgil Willis.  I was one of the cultivators of your �crop� last year.�           Phipps frowned as his mind struggled to remember.  �Ah, you�re the little weasel who slipped out in the middle of the night.  Hart had some of us waitin� for you back in town in case you showed up, and when you didn�t, he figured you�d gotten eaten by one of the bears or cougars.�  Mockingly, he looked the malnourished man up and down, and with a grin said, �So, you managed to survive out here all this time.  Still, it looks like you ain�t doin� too well.  You�re skinnier than a scarecrow.�           �I�m doin� better than you�re gonna be doin�,� he shot back, surprising himself and the others with his boldness.  To the officers, he said, �He�s one of the men who murdered that ranger.�           �You little -- � Phipps began, but was immediately halted by a warning sound from T. J. and the rifle that he held.  �You know how to use that, boy?�           �Yep,� T. J. replied matter-of-factly.  �Dom, search him and see if he�s carrying something we can tie him  up with.�           �Me?� Luca shot back, startled.  �Why me?�           �Because Jim and I have the guns.�           �Only because you passed the pistol to him instead of me.�  Resigning himself to the fact that he would have to search the guy, he said, �Okay, but keep him well covered.�  To Phipps, he said, �Lie down on your belly.�           Phipps looked at him defiantly.           �Do it,� T. J. warned.           Phipps slowly stretched out on his abdomen, then shot a resentful look at Luca when the young man kicked his feet apart.  T. J. moved to a position where Phipps could see the rifle, a constant reminder that he would shoot if necessary.            �Stretch your arms out in front of your head,� Luca told him.           With a glance at T. J. and the rifle, Phipps stretched out his arms and rested his hands on the ground.           Cautiously, Luca began searching the man�s pockets, keeping a wary eye on his hands in case he made a move to try to grab him to use as a shield, but T. J. had apparently made a believer out of him, for he submitted to the search without moving.           A hunting knife was found in a sheath on his belt, and a small pocket knife was removed from a front pocket.  A satchel was draped over his body, hanging from the right shoulder so that the pouch rested against his left hip, and Luca grasped it and pulled it off.           �Hey!� Phipps exclaimed, possessively reaching for it to reclaim it, but was stopped by a warning command from T. J.:           �Don�t!�           Staring into the muzzle of the rifle, Phipps froze.           Stepping away from the prone figure of the drug dealer, Luca opened it and his expression changed from intense scrutiny to surprise.  �Well, look what we have here.�  Carefully, he removed a hand grenade and held it out for everyone to see.  �I haven�t seen one of these since �Nam.  There are four of those things in there, plus extra rounds of ammo and the walkie-talkie.  No rope, but we can use the handle on this bag.�           �Okay, do it,� T. J. said.  �Phipps, put your back against that tree and wrap your arms around it.�           �You boys ain�t gonna get away with this,� Phipps growled as he sat up and moved against the elm tree that T. J. had indicated.  �Booth is still out there, and he won�t let himself be taken down as easily as I was.  And Hart still has that helicopter out here lookin� for you.  He�s gonna catch you, sooner or later.�           �Oh, I wouldn�t bet on that,� Luca replied as he detached the cloth handle from the satchel with the help from the hunting knife, then set the bag aside, noticing that the man had moved against a rough-barked elm tree, apparently thinking it would be a good place to rub his tethers.  �Not that tree,� he instructed.  �The sycamore with the smooth bark.  That�ll slow you down if you decide to rub the bark in an attempt to break the tether.�           Glaring furiously, Phipps scooted to the next tree and wrapped his arms around it from behind.           Kneeling behind him, Luca tied the man�s wrists together securely.  �That ought to do it,� he said, stepping back.  �A word of advice.  I wouldn�t pull on them or try to get out of them because it�ll just tighten, and it might get pretty uncomfortable.  So just sit here and relax.  We�ll send someone back for you later.�           �Now, we have a few more questions for you,� Street said.  He stepped forward and squatted down in front of him.  �How many of you are there?�           Phipps grinned.  �Guess you�ll have to find that out on your own.�           Street gave an unconcerned shrug.  �Well, lets apply some powers of deduction here. We saw four of you in our camp yesterday.  Warwick is dead, Crowe is sitting against a tree in the same position you are.  You mentioned someone named Booth, so he�s obviously the fourth man.  And we saw the helicopter last night.  I�m guessing that�s all that�s left.  Am I right?�           Phipps clenched his teeth, but again made no comment.           �Well,� Luca said, cheerfully.  �We should be able to handle that okay.  After all, we took down Warwick and Crowe when we were totally unarmed.  And we took you down with a rock.�  He grinned.  �You guys really aren�t very good, you know that?�           Phipps� face darkened with anger at the insult, but there was nothing he could do to retaliate.           �Well,� Luca continued.  �I guess there�s no reason to hang around here.�  He passed the hunting knife to Willis.  �This probably has a sharper blade than yours, so it�ll be better for skinning game.�           Willis accepted the knife with a grateful expression, but having witnessed the take-down of one of the men he feared and hearing about the capture and killing of the other two had inspired him to think seriously about his life in the woods and the information they wanted from him.           As they started to walk away from Phipps, Willis called, �Hey, boys.  Wait a minute."           They stopped and turned to face him.           �I�ve been thinkin� about what you said.  You know, about needing my testimony to put these guys away.  I�m tired and I�m hungry and visitin� with you boys has shown me how lonely I am.  And I know my health is failing out here.  If�n you boys can promise that I�ll get a fair shake and protection, I�d like to tell what I know.  I want these criminals put away.�           Smiling, Luca reached out to give him a friendly slap on the arm.  �You�re making the right decision, Willis.  I promise, we�ll do everything we can to protect you.�           Street and McCabe were nodding their heads in agreement, both smiling and offering their approval.           �Then let�s do it,� the nervous man said.  �I can�t live like this any longer.  I want to be part of society again.�           �Lead the way,� Street urged.           Taking the lead again, Willis guided them through the woods toward civilization.