Billy watched as Tirov picked up a handful of gravel and threw it at the portal outside the master bedroom, some of it striking the back doors, then he stepped into the kitchen and hid behind the kitchen island. The dog, Bob, began to bark ferociously, throwing himself at the back doors. Stone would be getting up, now.

Then Billy heard something crashing through the brush where he had thrown the rattlesnake meat. He turned and pointed his weapon in that direction, and he was astonished at the size of the thing that emerged. It looked more like what he thought a grizzly should, not a black bear. It made for the kitchen door, moving quickly, headed for where it no doubt knew food could be found.

Tirov heard the noise, too, and turned to face it as it came through the door. He fired two quick rounds at the roaring hulk before it overwhelmed him.

58

Bob’s furious barking woke Stone. Gala was not in bed. Stone reached for his .45 on the night table, but it wasn’t there. He rolled over to Gala’s side and searched her bedside drawer; her pistol was gone, too.

“Bob, be quiet,” Stone said, and the dog obeyed for a few seconds. The kitchen was two rooms away, and some sort of noise was coming from there, but he couldn’t place it. Then came a sound that he recognized: the unmistakable roar of a bear.

This was followed by two gunshots—loud, but not his .45.

Stone got out of bed, stepped into slippers, and let himself out the outside door, leaving Bob barking again, shut in the bedroom. He ran along the back walkway, and as he got through the kitchen door he heard Gala scream at him.

“Stone! Stop!”

He stopped and saw the bear wrestling with somebody, a man. Gala was a few steps away, pointing her gun.

“Boris!” she screamed. “Get out of the way!”

The bear had his jaws locked onto Boris, between the shoulder and the neck. Stone started to move toward them.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t,” Billy said from behind him. “Let this play out. It’ll be over soon.”

“Boris!” Gala screamed again. “Get clear! I don’t want to shoot you!”

Tirov’s feet were off the ground, now, as the bear reared back and shook its head.

“Are you armed?” Billy asked.

“I was, but not anymore. Gala must have taken it.”

Gala turned and saw Billy and Stone. “No, don’t shoot! You’ll hit Boris!”

“In just a minute, Boris isn’t going to care,” Billy said.

The bear had taken Tirov to the floor and was savaging him. Tirov was moaning and making gurgling noises.

“Gala,” Stone said, as quietly as he could, “where is my gun?”

She looked baffled for a moment, then reached into the pocket of her robe and took out the weapon. Stone strode over and took it from her.