I wanted most of my defenders on the second floor, so they could lean out the windows a long ways an' shoot at anybody what had made it ta the walls b...low. I figured that was a good place for Cindy with her crossbow, since she was too big in the belly ta do much runnin' an' carryin' on. I changed my defensive plans a little bit once everybody had shown up the next morning. I put five crossbowmen upstairs with Cindy an' scattered 'em around the windows. I filled in with muskets an' did the same. I had two laptops with me. Mine and Julian's. First thing on Saturday I went into town looking for an unsecured wireless link. It wasn't hard to find. More in hope than anger I pulled Julian's computer from my backpack, and fired it up. I was surprised when it connected. The second machine wasn't needed.I would have expected him to cancel his internet account. If he hadn't cancelled that, maybe I could still access his intranet. I dug out the list of passwords, and I was in! That provided. . I mean... Oh, hell, woman! I wish you'd let me know if you're going to invite house guests!"With that, I slipped under the covers and sought Amanda's lips. It was a practice that had become habitual. I made a point of kissing her when I came to bed, no matter what the hour, and she had grown to depend on it to the point where she reminded me, on the rare occasions when I forgot. Tonight, her lips were hungry, but not for sex. I don't know how I knew this, but I did. I kissed her with passion. "Just drive ... It's two blocks up on the right." My wife stared out her window as she spoke. I couldn't tell if she was mad at me or if she was lost in thought.The Bull Pen had a humble neon sign with a moveable letterboard that announced tonight was "Lady's Nite: Free Drinks." The club was housed in a large concrete building—it might have been a converted auto parts store—at the far end of a parking area nearly half a block deep, and almost completely full. I was about to pull into the only.