It was the very beginning of Valentine's Day, 1972. Valentine's Day had been a disaster for me the last two years... I guess all of that was nothing compared to the blood-soaked minutes just past. I felt nauseated, but there was too much to do. Our window of opportunity was shorter than even the pessimistic thirty minutes we had previously estimated. It was down to the speed we were capable of going right this minute. Toby and Consuelo had no doubt turned in the alarm. I made a mental note to reload my shotgun at the first opportunity."Like the odds, Dex?""Shit, man... I was just goin' fishin' when these bastards decided to turn me into a savage once again. They get what they deserve, but they'll never take me alive."I reached out in the dark and patted him on the shoulder. He had said it all.