"They rode into the tree line and dismounted, grabbing their carbines as they did so. They let the Mexicans get to within 50 yards and opened up with ... withering fusillade, levering in a fresh round as fast as they could fire off the previous one. It didn't take long to use up the bullets in the magazine when shooting that fast, but, fortunately, the Winchester was fast to reload. They managed to drop five of the eight pursuers, mostly by hitting their running horses, rather than hitting the. The door was open as he approached their room, in contrast to every other room on the floor. He hoped that Sarah had thought to tell Emily about this brilliant plan. He knocked softly on the door jam, hoping the break in the building's silence didn't startle her.Emily turned from the thick textbook on the desk in front of her. "Hi Mike, ya'll come on in," she said cordially. "I've been expecting you."Emily was a pre-med student, and was very serious about her studies. Mike caught the scent of. . something extra to say the least. This year there were five boys coming of age for the selection. They were Nensho, Jun, Hikari, Satomi, and Nel. Of them Nensho was the closest to making the age cut off, just having had his birthday a few days before and he was nervous. The kitsune, to be given to the elder females, were required to be of at least eighteen years of age. Bristling with excitement, Nensho would be looking forward to what was to come, having barely been able to get any sleep the. .. hands on you really are with your boat? Unless that's too personal. I don't want to push myself into your life more than I already have." I'd like that," Gibbs surprised himself by saying. It was very soon—too soon—but he'd lived and loved long enough to know when something was special and this woman was. "It'll be a date," he said quietly, intimately.Knowing the gift he was offering, Abby could only hope that she could find something just as special to return the favor. "Thank you, Jet. I'd.