Ventura had his pistol out, and they were moving toward the power
building. Morrison had his little gun in the pocket of his jacket, but
it offered him little comfort.
If they got past Ventura, he didn't believe he was going to be able to
stop them. He could die here. Tonight. Soon.
The headlights of the approaching cars shined through the trees. They
were almost here!
He voiced the thought: 'They're almost here!'
But they were at the power building. Ventura said, 'You stay put. I'm
going to go have a short conversation with the power supply.'
Ventura vanished inside the building.
Morrison tried to calm down. He forced himself to take long, slow
breaths, but it didn't help. His heart was racing so hard he could
feel it pulse all over his body. Come on, come on, come on--!
The lights died, and the heavy thrum of the diesel generators began to
fade.
Ventura appeared from nowhere.
'They want lights, they are going to have to crank those babies back
up. Let's go' ' 'What about night scopes Won't they have those?'
'I would, but it won't matter if they do. I have a little something
for any spook eyes that might go on-line.' He patted his pocket.
'Come on, time to leave.' He smiled.
It was the most joyful expression Morrison had seen Ventura make.
It was like a glass of cold water in the face. The realization that
came with it was: 'You're enjoying this!'
'Of course. It's what I do. Doctor. Stay with me.'
They ran.
Ventura felt the adrenaline surge in him, and he didn't try to stop it.
Riding the hormonal high was like climbing onto a half-wild stallion.
If you could stay there and point him in the right direction, it would
be a thrilling trip at breakneck speed. Bend him to your will just
enough, and you could fly like the wind. Lose control, and you would
surely perish.
This was the zen of life and death, and the part of him he kept hidden
from the world. It was the stretch, the reach, the ultimate test, the
perfect way to be totally in the moment. The past was dead, the future
not yet born, there was only the now! Fail, and you die. Succeed, and
you live.
Ah, but to make it a real test, you had to level the playing field.
Four against one was not fair, not when the one was Ventura. He had
the advantage. They had to capture Morrison alive, so they were
hobbled. Therefore, he would give them a chance. He could have taken
Morrison and fled immediately. Turning out the lights wasn't
necessary--they wouldn't be looking for two men on a scooter, they
would be expecting their quarry to be in a trailer. Even if they were
nothing but a probe designed to keep him busy while the real attack was
mounted, Ventura was aware of this possibility, too. He was way ahead
of them, he knew it, and in no real danger. So he delayed.
Killed the power, which gave him darkness, but which also gave them a
warning: I know you are here. Let's play. Come and find me.
