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too easy to make out. See for yourself."
It was typed on what looked like the most ancient manual machine in all the
Americas. The letter was missing, as was the . The lines were irregular, e
t looking like a mule going up a ladder, and were so pale you had to angle the
paper toward the sunlight to read them. It was obvious that the typewriter was
also lacking any capital letters.
anyon wan s o know abou aurora should con ac caffs groc ri s in wrigh vill nor
h of walk r on 395. will b h r un il nd nov mb r. jk z lig.
They were now within only a dozen miles of Wrightsville, north of Walker,
ready to locate Caff's Groceries.
WHEN AT LAST the pickup rolled to a halt, they stared in surprise.
"Christ! It's open for business," Kyle said.
All three of them got out of the cramped cab, their breath frosting in the icy
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Axler, James - Earth Blood 02 - Deep Trek.htm morning air. Sly scampered to
the rear of the truck, unzipping himself as he ran.
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Carrie and Kyle looked thoughtfully at the building that stood across from
them.
In many ways it seemed like any grocery store in any town, any state,
anywhere.
Tar-paper roof, single storied, standing alone, with some fresh snow lining
its eastern wall. The sign, Caffs, had obviously once been illuminated with a
row of light bulbs, but only the broken stumps remained.
The difference between Caffs Groceries and most other stores, before
Earthblood, was that it had been turned into a fortress.
Steel grilles were bolted over windows and the only visible door. Inside them
it was possible to make out the sullen glint of armored shutters, giving
protection against anything short of a concentrated artillery barrage.
There were gun ports cut in the walls, allowing the occupants a range of fire
that covered the entire area around the store.
A professionally painted sign was fired over the door, scarred in one corner
by what looked like a shotgun shell.
Caffs is open twenty-four hours and 365 days. Knock and wait. A smile greets
genuine traders for all kinds of food, drink and weapons. Death greets any
robbers, raiders, pimps, scum, whores, dwellers in urban canyons and
publishers.
"Why publishers?" shouted Kyle, startling away a bright-colored jay from the
satellite aerial on the roof.
The response confirmed his belief that they were being watched.
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"Wrote a book once and got screwed by the publisher. Never forgot it." A
hearty laugh accompanied the words. "Truth is, not many publishers came this
way since the plants started to bleed. What do you folks want?"
"Shells for a .32 and .357. If you got them."
"I got them."
"And for a .22," called Carrie.
Sly had finished relieving himself and was standing with them, staring at the
armored building.
"Twenty-two, lady? You aiming to shoot you some squirrels? Do better throwing
stones."
"Come out here and say that," she shouted defiantly.
"Maybe not. What you got to trade?"
"Can we come closer?"
"Sure. But don't step any nearer than ten yards. Beyond that and you get
dead."
They all walked away from the pickup, stopping at a cautionary shout from
inside the store.
Kyle looked around, but the rest of the world seemed deserted. "You heard of
Aurora, mister?"
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As the silence stretched out, Kyle found his right hand reaching around for
his
Mondadori automatic. Sly had bent down and picked up a small pebble with a
hole through its center, bringing it to his right eye and squinting through
it.
"I asked "
"I heard you."
"Well?"
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"You got a name?"
"Sure I do. Why should I tell it to you?"
Carrie had drawn her .22. "How about you telling us your name, mister?"
"Ted Abbey."
Sly had been painfully spelling out the name on the roof, letter by letter.
Triumphantly he announced that it spelled "Caff."
The invisible man heard him. "She was my daughter, son. Worked in prisons,
doing theater stuff. She went off to England before Earthblood. Haven't heard
from her since. Named the store after her. Guess I still hope she's& " The
sentence trailed off into a flurry of fine snow blowing around the trio
outside the store.
Kyle shook his head. "It's cold as charity out here, Mr. Abbey."
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