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the edge, then falling.
"Yes! Please, God, yes," Annie cried and her body trembled in uncontrollable
spasms of pleasure as they both climaxed together.
Afterwards, both remained entwined with the other, softly nibbling on each
other's sweaty neck and ears.
Suddenly Eric bolted up. "Did you hear that?"
"Hear wha ?"
And a faint rumbling sound echoed like a distant thunder. The bed began to
vibrate slightly, a framed dance poster on the wall tilted to the left. Then
it was over.
"Earthquake," Eric said.
Annie giggled. "I knew we could make the earth move if we tried."
He smiled, leaned back to kiss her, brushing her hair away from her face. When
they finished she gave him a playful shove. "Better not start something again.
I don't think the San Andreas Fault can bear the strain of our lovemaking."
"It'll have to," he said, reaching an arm around her.
"Okay, but first I want to talk. Seriously."
He sighed. "Yes, I'll respect you in the morning. Sure, I'll do the right
thing if you get pregnant. No, I won't tell the guys in the locker room what
an easy lay you were."
"Serious, Eric."
He sat up. "Okay, serious."
She took a deep breath. "I know you don't want to hear this, but I think it's
time we moved back home."
"But "
"Let me finish, then you can talk."
Eric fell silent.
"During the trial, I thought it was a good idea for the kids and me to be out
of the way, if for no other reason than to put your mind at rest. So I didn't
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complain when you sent us to stay with Big Bill Tenderwolf. Hell, I love Big
Bill and so do the kids. Besides, Timmy found one of the Hopi kids who can
give him a real run at chess." She saw the look in his eyes and laid her hand
on his thigh to keep him from withdrawing. "Even after the trial, when Luther
was killed and the Sempleton kid turned up missing, I agreed to stay on there
a few more weeks. But it's been a month now, Eric, and I'm ready to come home.
I don't want us to only meet on weekends in motels like this, eating out of
cardboard boxes and humping on strange beds. It's got to end sometime, and now
is as good a time as any."
"You done?"
"I don't know. I reserve the right to cross-examine."
Eric shook his head. "I don't like it any better than you do. I've missed you
and the kids more than I've ever missed anything in my life. But I know
Fallows is out there. I know he's going to make his move eventually. And I
know that this time he'll come in person."
"I know that too, sweetheart. I don't want to take any unnecessary chances,
especially where the kids are concerned. But what are our choices? We either
decide to live like a family or we don't. That means we either change our
names and move away, or we go back to our old lives. I'll do either, but I
won't keep up this separation. I know what you're trying to do. Use yourself
as a target, hoping to draw him out in the open. Well, he hasn't done anything
in a month, and he can afford to wait another month, a year if he has to. He's
the kind of man who'd drag it out just to watch you suffer. You know that
better than anyone."
Eric nodded. "I know."
"But we can't let him tear us apart first. We're either a family or we're not.
I have my law studies to continue, the kids have school, and you have a
teaching job. We'll take precautions. Install alarms. Buy a gun. A dozen guns.
I'll take the kids to school every day and you pick them up. But we'll work it
out."
Eric stared at her for a long time. He thought back to that night when the
Sempleton kid had broken in. What if he hadn't awakened, hadn't heard him?
What if he had failed to stop him? He saw Annie lying on their bed, twisted
and bleeding, her body a chewed and bleeding rag. And the children.
But he knew she was right, too. That Fallows could wait, would wait. He'd
always been a patient man. Eric had already considered changing identities,
moving them to a forgotten rural place. But he knew it wouldn't work. Fallows
would find them. He had the brains, the resources.
"Okay," Eric said. "We'll move back into the house, but there will be some
changes."
She threw her arms around him and hugged tight. "I don't care about changes.
As long as we're all together again. Hell, there ought to be something
fashionable in bulletproof vests I can wear. Something in a shortie nightgown
perhaps."
He smiled weakly as he hugged her, sensing that it was a mistake. But
realizing there was no other choice if he wanted to keep Annie and the kids.
Perhaps he should move away by himself. Leave Annie and the kids. Go into
hiding. He'd considered this alternative for weeks, exploring the
possibilities like one probes an open wound. But he couldn't do it. He knew
Fallows would go after them anyway just to punish Eric. At least if he stayed
he could try to protect them.
"Don't worry, sweetheart," Annie said, burying her face in his chest. "We'll
make it work. We can "
The rumbling was louder this time, like a tractor driving through the door.
The whole room shook, the bed shuddering at first, then inching across the
floor, finally sliding toward the middle of the room. The dusty paintings on
the wall clattered a moment before falling to the floor. The telephone pitched
off the bedside table and clanged onto the floor. The lamp tumbled off next,
but didn't break. Instead the lightbulb flickered then went black.
Outside, loud crashing could be heard. And screaming.
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7.
"Pick a year, any year."
They stared back, silent and confused.
"Come on," Eric smiled. "This isn't a trick. Just pick a year at random."
"1547," Philip Marcus shouted.
"A.D. or B.C.?"
"A.D."
"Good choice," Eric nodded, writing the number on the blackboard. "Any
particular reason you picked it, Philip?"
Philip shrugged, embarrassed by the praise. "It's the combination to my
bicycle lock."
Everyone laughed, including Eric. "Well, then you'll all be glad to know that
Philip's combination is your next assignment." This time everyone groaned. "I
want you to write a paper exploring the events of 1547, explaining their
causes and ramifications. Any questions?"
Hands shot up.
"Lisa?"
"How extensive is this paper supposed to be?"
"Very extensive."
She looked annoyed. "How extensive exactly? What kinds of stuff?"
"All right, for example. Let's see, 1547." Eric scratched his scar. "What
happened that year? Ah, yes. Henry VIII died and was succeeded by his son,
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