The dark van bumped over the dirt road, a thick plume of dust behind. Face got out and sauntered up to the house as one of the men he recognized as a kidnapper came out carrying a shotgun. "Howdy," Face said. "You new around here?"
"Whattya want?"
"Oh, just being neighborly. Got a spread over that way 'bout fifteen, eighteen miles," Face drawled. "Sell snakes, reptiles, things like that."
"Whattya want, man?"
"Glass of water would be nice," Face said, walking casually by the man and up on the weathered porch. "And have you seen any unusual looking snakes around? Big black ones with yellow diamonds. Darn fool tanglefoot, he let a passel of then get out. They went in every direction about a week ago. Caught one only a mile from here yesterday." Face was on the porch, but the shotgun-carrying crook was right behind him. "Water in here?" Face said innocently and opened the screen door.
"Get outta here, snake," the crook snarled. "We don't like strangers here!"
"Okay, okay, I can understand that," Face smiled, backing off. "But keep an eye out, huh? Those yellow-backs--whoooeee! One bite and you are gone, gone, gone in ten minutes flat! Have a happy day now!" He got in the van and drove away.
"Boy's in the back room," Face reported to Hannibal. "Just a glimpse, but he's there. He looks okay and I don't think he's tied up."
"B.A., we need something to get up close with. Face, I want you to sneak around to the back and get the kid put while we distract them out front." Face gulped thinking of the shotguns, but he nodded.
"Take two, three hours, Hannibal," B.A. said. "I saw some stuff at that junk yard about four miles back."
"Go to it. Murdock, you go with him. Face and I'll stay here, see they don't run off or . . ."
"Or kill the boy," the pilot said. "Right. C'mon, B.A., let's go rig up a suitable diversion."
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