around the curtain. Tim had assigned Kyle to watch the backyard from the kitchen.
âFive hundred channels and what do we get? Infomercials and cartoons. What kids stay up until 2:00 A M on a school night?â
âThere are different time zones,â Samuel said. âThey gotta entertain kids all over the country. All over the
world
â
âYou telling me theyâre watching
Scooby-Doo
in China and Nicaragua? In English?â
âHow should I know what language theyâre watchingâ it in?â
Sighing, Tim returned to Manhattan Minute News and Cheryl Maceâs report on the murder and kidnappingat Synful Reading. âDoesnât she ever get tired of saying the same thing over and over?â
âYou donât seem to get tired of listening to her.â
âIâm just waiting for new developments.â
âBe glad there arenât any. Thatâs the problem with people today: everyoneâs watching the cable news networks, waiting for new developments, so the networks have to frame trivial events to seem like new developments.â
âThis isnât trivial.â
âNo, it isnât.â
âYou think Gabriel and Raphael will shut down the store?â
Samuel shrugged. âItâs not good for the store to be in the spotlight, but something like this could turn it into a real hot spot for tourists.â
âCommerce versus survival of the species. I wonder how Angelaâs doing.â
âI donât know.â
âShe was hot. Iâd have mated with her.â
âSure you would have. And gotten yourself a little closer to Gabrielâs inner circle.â
âWhatâs wrong with that?â
âNothing, I guess. Too bad she mated with one of them.â
âYeah. How do you think that happened? I mean, I know weâre all the same on the outside, but it isnât natural.â
âI check out fine-looking women every day, and I think, âYou could be a Wolf and not even know it.â Itâs tempting to see if I can bring it out of them. I guess thatâs how it happens.â
Tim yawned. âIt must have been an embarrassment to Gabriel, though.â
Samuel looked out the window. âI donât think Gabriel can
be
embarrassed.â
âWhatâs that supposed to mean?â
âHeâs too thoughtful, too willing to listen to dissenting voices. Heâs a peacemaker more than a leader. I wish Raphael was in charge.â
Tim sat up. âGabrielâs the eldest. Thatâs all there is to it. Besides, he runs things the way Angus did.â
âAngusâs way was fine for the previous generation. The worldâs changed. We need to change with it.â
âI donât want to talk politics. Tell me about some of those fine women you check out.â
âNot now. I see a van. Turn off the TV and warn Kyle.â
Angelo steered the black passenger van along the quiet residential street with Michael sitting beside him. Except for lights flickering in one or two picture windows, the houses in the neighborhood were dark inside, their exteriors illuminated by colorful, flashing Christmas decorations. As they neared their destination, Angelo killed the headlights and slowed down, allowing the van to coast.
âRight on schedule, 0336 hours,â Michael said.
Behind them, bodies shifted in the darkness. All the team members wore loose-fitting black garments beneath their long dusters, which were unbuttoned.
Michael unrolled his black mask over his head and affixed his headset. Then he pulled on his night vision goggles, and everyone but Angelo did the same. The world before himturned bright green. Finally, he put on his black leather gloves.
âOpen the door,â Michael said.
Someone did, allowing cold air to flow inside.
âNow.â
One at a time, the Torquemadans jumped out of the moving van and landed on the pavement with precision and in