"Don't go out there!" she cried. "They're in a mood to shoot anything that moves!"
"But if they kill Mario, Julie will swear I did it!" Marc said. "I've got to stop them!"
Suddenly the air rattled with gunfire, this time closer at hand. In the quiet that followed there was the sound of swiftly approaching footsteps. An instant later, Moose crashed into the clearing and jounced to a stop against Marc's chest.
"Get outa the way, you civilian!" the thug yelled blindly. "The joint is swarmin' with bulls!"
Marc had only barely digested this frenzied bulletin when Floss, Hotstuff, the blousy blonde and the other assorted criminals hurtled drunkenly through the opening.
"Cops everywhere!" Hotstuff wailed. He fixed Marc with a cold eye. "Who tipped 'em off, huh?"
"I didn't," Marc said. "Where are they?"
"Fannin' out!" Floss whined. "Closin' in!"
"Both at the same time?" Toffee asked curiously.