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Things¡¡were¡¡slowing¡¡down¡¡out¡¡there¡£¡¡Wizard¡¡and¡¡his¡¡number¡two¡¡walked¡¡away¡¡from¡¡their¡¡piece¡¡of¡¡sidewalk£»¡¡disappearing¡¡around¡¡a¡¡corner¡£¡¡Dagwood¡¡soon¡¡did¡¡the¡¡same£»¡¡getting¡¡right¡¡into¡¡his¡¡car¡¡while¡¡his¡¡lieutenant¡¡drove¡£¡¡Charlie¡¡was¡¡gone¡¡the¡¡next¡¡time¡¡he¡¡looked¡£¡¡That¡¡left¡¡Archie¡¡and¡¡Jughead¡¡to¡¡his¡¡south£»¡¡and¡¡Big¡¡Bob¡¡to¡¡the¡¡west£»¡¡both¡¡still¡¡making¡¡sporadic¡¡sales£»¡¡many¡¡of¡¡them¡¡still¡¡to¡¡upscale¡¡clients¡£¡¡Kelly¡¡continued¡¡to¡¡watch¡¡for¡¡another¡¡hour£»¡¡until¡¡Arch¡¡and¡¡Jug¡¡were¡¡the¡¡last¡¡to¡¡call¡¡it¡¡quits¡¡for¡¡the¡¡night¡¡¡£¡£¡£¡¡and¡¡they¡¡disappeared¡¡rather¡¡fast£»¡¡Kelly¡¡thought£»¡¡not¡¡sure¡¡how¡¡they¡®d¡¡done¡¡it¡£¡¡Something¡¡else¡¡to¡¡check¡£¡¡He¡¡was¡¡stiff¡¡when¡¡he¡¡rose£»¡¡and¡¡made¡¡another¡¡note¡¡on¡¡that¡£¡¡He¡¡shouldn¡®t¡¡sit¡¡still¡¡so¡¡much¡£¡¡His¡¡dark¡accustomed¡¡eyes¡¡watched¡¡the¡¡stairs¡¡as¡¡he¡¡descended£»¡¡as¡¡quietly¡¡as¡¡he¡¡could£»¡¡for¡¡there¡¡was¡¡activity¡¡in¡¡the¡¡house¡¡next¡¡door¡£¡¡Fortunately£»¡¡the¡¡rats¡¡were¡¡gone£»¡¡too¡£¡¡Kelly¡¡looked¡¡out¡¡the¡¡back¡¡door£»¡¡and¡¡finding¡¡the¡¡alley¡¡empty£»¡¡walked¡¡away¡¡from¡¡the¡¡house£»¡¡keeping¡¡his¡¡pace¡¡to¡¡that¡¡of¡¡a¡¡drunk¡£¡¡Ten¡¡minutes¡¡later¡¡his¡¡car¡¡was¡¡in¡¡sight¡£¡¡Fifty¡¡yards¡¡away£»¡¡Kelly¡¡realized¡¡that¡¡he¡®d¡¡unthinkingly¡¡parked¡¡the¡¡car¡¡close¡¡to¡¡a¡¡street¡light¡£¡¡That¡¡was¡¡a¡¡mistake¡¡not¡¡to¡¡be¡¡repeated£»¡¡he¡¡reproached¡¡himself£»¡¡approaching¡¡slowly¡¡and¡¡drunkenly¡¡until¡¡he¡¡was¡¡within¡¡a¡¡car¡¡length¡£¡¡Then£»¡¡first¡¡checking¡¡up¡¡and¡¡down¡¡the¡¡now¡vacant¡¡street£»¡¡he¡¡got¡¡in¡¡quickly£»¡¡started¡¡the¡¡engine£»¡¡and¡¡pulled¡¡away¡£¡¡He¡¡didn¡®t¡¡flip¡¡on¡¡the¡¡headlights¡¡until¡¡he¡¡was¡¡two¡¡blocks¡¡away£»¡¡turning¡¡left¡¡and¡¡reentering¡¡the¡¡wide¡¡vacant¡¡corridor£»¡¡leaving¡¡the¡¡not¡so¡imaginary¡¡jungle¡¡and¡¡heading¡¡north¡¡towards¡¡his¡¡apartment¡£
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C14
¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡CHAPTER¡¡14
Lessons¡¡Learned
The¡¡early¡¡flight¡¡back¡¡from¡¡New¡¡Orleans¡¡to¡¡Washington¡¡National¡¡was¡¡too¡¡short¡¡for¡¡a¡¡movie£»¡¡and¡¡Kelly¡¡had¡¡already¡¡eaten¡¡breakfast¡£¡¡He¡¡settled¡¡on¡¡a¡¡glass¡¡of¡¡juice¡¡at¡¡his¡¡window¡¡seat¡¡and¡¡was¡¡thankful¡¡that¡¡the¡¡flight¡¡was¡¡only¡¡about¡¡a¡¡third¡¡full¡¡as£»¡¡after¡¡every¡¡bat¡¡action¡¡of¡¡his¡¡life£»¡¡he¡¡went¡¡over¡¡every¡¡detail¡£¡¡It¡¡was¡¡a¡¡habit¡¡that¡¡had¡¡begun¡¡in¡¡the¡¡SEALs¡£¡¡Following¡¡every¡¡training¡¡exercise¡¡there¡¡had¡¡been¡¡an¡¡event¡¡called¡¡various¡¡things¡¡by¡¡his¡¡various¡¡manders¡£¡¡¡®Performance¡¡Critique¡®¡¡seemed¡¡most¡¡appropriate¡¡at¡¡the¡¡moment¡£
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