Kaspian rolled his eyes. “Arrows won't kill me.”
“Arrows won't . . .” I gaped at him, then recovered. “Not arrows. Remember those weapons I mentioned? They're called guns and they shoot small pieces of metal very fast, much faster than arrows. Those metal pieces are called bullets and they can pierce a body as if it were butter.”
“I would still survive.”
“Kaspian, a gun can fire projectiles rapidly, shooting several bullets in seconds. It would be the equivalent of being shot with twenty arrows that went straight through your body. Guns bring down anything, even the largest animals on the planet.”
Kaspian frowned. “I would survive. I am not an animal.”
I gaped at him again.
“You don't believe me.” He rolled his eyes.
“It's fine. Look. That's my driveway.” I pulled down the gravel road, past the mini forest that filled the front of my property, around a bend that circled the house, and then parked in the garage.
Kaspian unlatched his seatbelt and shot out of the truck as soon as I parked. Within seconds, he was investigating the boxes of old gear and the toolbox I stored out there.
“Let me get you inside and then you can look around all you want.” I unlocked the door that led into the utility room and headed in.
Just like my craftsman, the garage let into the laundry room. An old washer and dryer combo loomed in one corner, beside a rust-stained sink. A few steps took us into the kitchen. It was small and outdated, but clean. The kitchen window also had a nice view of the creek. Yeah, the layout was like my craftsman but the place itself was nothing like my primary residence.
Kaspian glanced at the view, then focused on me. “Go. I'll be fine. I know enough about your human homes to make myself comfortable while you're gone.”
“Don't use the stove.” I pointed at the oven. “But you can help yourself to anything you find in the fridge or cabinets. I'll be back as soon as I can.”
“Yes, I understand. Go, Demetrius. I will wait here.”
“Stay inside for now, okay?”
“Go!”
I rushed back to the truck and within minutes, I was on my way back to Salem. Hopefully, I'd be faster than Will and Tommy.
Chapter Eleven
I was home for only half an hour or so when there was a knock on my door. I had the TV on and a beer in my hand, trying to appear as casual as possible when I opened the door. And there they were—two men in black suits, wearing sunglasses. Even though Gromit had warned me, I was still shocked to see them. I thought that whole government uniform thing was just in the movies.
Leaning against my doorjamb, I looked them over. “What are you—Mormons? Didn't you see the sign?” I pointed at the sign on my door that told annoying people, including religious ones, to leave me the fuck alone. Please.
The men pulled out their credentials, just as they do in the movies, and held them up for my inspection.
“I'm Agent Watkins,” the white guy said.
I looked at the Asian. “If you say you're Agent Holmes, I slamming this door in your face.”
“Do I look like a Holmes?” The guy got points for showing a personality. “I'm Agent Chinen. Are you Mr. Gabris?”
“Yup. What are you agents of—chaos? If it's chaos, I'm down. I used to D&D when I was a teenager.” I peered at Chinen's badge. “NSA? Seriously?” I straightened. “Are you fucking with me? Who hired you to mess with me? Come on, I won't tell them you cracked this soon. You can finish the job early and still collect your pay.”
“The credentials are authentic, Mr. Gabris.” Watkins didn't look pleased by my performance, but he also looked as if he were buying it. “We need to speak with you about a matter—”
“Of national security?” I finished for him with a wide grin and backed up. “Whatever, man. Come on in. You guys want a beer?” I headed into the living room.
They followed me, with Watkins saying, “I assure you, Mr. Gabris, we are NSA agents. And that's a no to the beers.”
“But thank you,” Chinen added. Because evidently he was the only one with manners. He even shut the door behind him. Although, that might not have been a good sign.
I sat down on the couch and motioned at the chairs. “Take your pick. And go on then—I'm dying to know what this is about.”
