“You know,” she said, “I’m paid well for the job I do, but those company conferences just kill my social life. I have to be so careful around...all those guys, and if I were to have anything to do with anyone of them, even if only rumors, I could lose this good job. Because I have to act distant and all business with everyone I meet, I haven’t had a date in probably six months.”“Well, you certainly have a reputation for being all business,” I replied, “but wouldn’t you call this a date?”She. A smile glinted on her lips, dangerous, victorious, my stomach sank. I pushed Mary behind me, my eyes scanning for the trap. Ive waited so long for this day, Lilith purred, violet eyes shining in triumph. My heart was pounding, this was very wrong. My eyes flickered about. Where was the trap? Was it a haja cloaking itself about to fire a beam No, Mark! Mary shouted, then screamed in pain. I whirled about. My heart stopped. Mary was falling to the ground, her shoulder bloody, Jessica stood over. She was so adorable in her littlecheerleader uniform. He knew that she was going to make the biggestchallenge to his mind control but he also knew she was no match forhim. She was like all the other cheerleaders that he had known when hewas younger. They all treated him like shit while they went after thejocks in the school. He had lusted after cheerleaders when he was inhigh school and college while at the same time hating them for the waythey treated people like him. This group was no. "To be honest, Bill," I began,"you've got about the sharpest operation I've ever seen - especiallyfor a small town like Ovid."Bill grinned happily."I've got to level with you though," I went on. "There's a glitch inour database. We found you by accident."Bill chuckled. "You aren't the first folks to tell me that." We aren't?" Brooks blurted out.Bill shook his head. "Nope. It seems like mapmakers are alwaysforgetting about us. You buy an atlas - one of those nice Gousha jobs- and we're not in.