“Glad I don’t have any joints to ruin,” Hoff complained, moving to the hatch with his rifle in hand. He popped it open, the door sent flying awa... from the capsule by a set of explosive bolts. With his weapon shouldered, he leapt out onto the sand, sweeping the barrel around. Brenner followed him out, the airborne dust pounding on his armor, the heat starting to bake him.“What a shithole,” he muttered, scanning his surroundings with the sensors on his helmet. Visibility was about seventy meters,. You cannot buy your way into heaven with the gold you steal from these poor villagers, and you cannot bribe the Gods for their favor. Your body will die one day, but your soul will live forever.”“Aye, I’ll die one day, but isn’t that all the more reason to enjoy meself while I can?”“The pleasures of this world are base and ephemeral.”“Says the boy who hasn’t spent a day outside his monastery since he came of age.”“That’s not true,” he snapped, annoyed. “I’ve traveled plenty, I’ve seen much of. . that I can use to force you to give me the names of all known gang members in the Los Angeles area.”It was suddenly difficult to hear over the sounds of half a dozen police cars, with sirens blaring, pulling out of the police station. The radio on the front desk filled with so much chatter that it was nearly impossible to make out a single word. The last time the desk sergeant had heard that much excitement over the radio, there had been riots after some policemen had been found not guilty of. .. “How could you not know?”Amber trembled. “Neto was the only boyfriend I ever had.”“That’s impossible!”“I mean he was the only boyfriend I ever got physical with.”“Really?”“It’s true, Ricardo.”“So he took you as a virgin?”Amber sighed. “Yes.”“And you never saw another man’s cock?”“Not erect, no.”“But what about the Internet?”“Oh, I don’t know. There I guess, but I never thought to make comparisons. Please Ricardo, I’m trying to cooperate. Will you let me go?” She grimaced as she felt a tug on.