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Back Less than Dead Save as PDF
Chapters (50)
  1. COVER PAGE
  2. TITLE PAGE
  3. COPYRIGHT PAGE
  4. DEDICATION
  5. CONTENTS
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Nick shrugged and slowly rose from his chair. “It was worth a try,” he said, “but if you won’t do it, you won’t do it. Thanks for the help with the pizza, everybody; nice to meet you, and good luck with your fall season. Oh, that reminds me—can somebody tell me how to get to Front Royal?”

“Why do you want to go to Front Royal?”

“I want to meet their football team,” Nick said, looking back at Biff again. “Maybe somebody in Front Royal has got more guts than you do.”

Nick stared at Biff and waited—and so did everyone else.

The boy stood up with clenched fists. “Okay,” he said. “I’ll take you up there, but only to show you that I’m not afraid.”

“I’ll meet you outside in five minutes,” Nick said, and started for the door.

“What if we can’t find her?” Biff called after him.

Nick turned and smiled. “We’ll find her—there’s a full moon.”

5

5

Nick and Biff stood in front of an eight-foot chain-link fence, illuminated by the headlights of Biff’s Ford F-150. The pavement had turned to gravel half a mile back down the road; it disappeared here behind a double gate wrapped with a thick chain and sealed with a rusted padlock. Nick jerked hard on the padlock, but it held. He put his fingers through the links of the fence and shook it. There was a sign on the gate that warned in large red letters: POSTED: NO HUNTING, NO TRESPASSING. VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED.

“So this is it?” Nick said, glancing over at Biff.

The boy’s eyes looked as wide as the headlights. “This is her lair,” he whispered.

“Well, we can’t open this gate. Shut off your headlights—let’s see if we can find another way in.”

Biff looked at him. “Shut off the lights? Do we have to?”

“If you want to have a battery left when we get back. C’mon, it’s a clear night—we should have plenty of light.”

“I told you I’d bring you up here—that’s all I said I’d do.”

“You said you’d take me to see the witch. I don’t see any witch, do you?”

“I don’t see what you need me for.”

“Look—I’m a total stranger here, but you’re a local. You said it yourself: Everybody knows everybody in a town this size. Even if you don’t know the witch, the witch might recognize you. I figure I might get a warmer reception if I bring a familiar face along—okay?”