“Ten-four,” Nat said.

Curt threw up his hands in exasperation.

“What’s the matter?” Steve questioned.

“Don’t ask,” Curt said. “I’m going to kill them all!”

“Do you have any cables in your truck?” Carl called. “We may have to jump-start this sucker.”

“What else can go wrong?” Curt didn’t like the idea of driving his own truck into the fenced-in parking area, but there was no other way. He sprinted back to his vehicle. As he climbed into the cab, Nat went by in his truck heading for

Willow Street and beeped in greeting. Matt and Carl waved and grinned. Curt swore under his breath. How had he teamed up with such a bunch of lunatics?

As quickly as he could, Curt pulled into the parking area and nosed in next to the Wouton pickup. With his engine still running, he opened his hood, then leaped out. He grabbed his jumper cables from under the seat. Mike took the other ends as Curt attached his to his battery.

As soon as the leads were connected, the pest control truck engine leaped to life. Curt disconnected the leads from his own truck while Mike did the same with the Wouton vehicle.

“All right,” Curt blurted anxiously. “Steve, you and Clark drive this freaking pest control contraption back to the White Pride, but don’t drive back through town and go left here on Hancock! And drive the speed limit, no faster! If you’re stopped by the fuzz, the mission is a failure. Mike, you come with me! “

“But the White Pride will be closed,” Steve complained.

“So ring Jeff’s goddamn buzzer,” Curt retorted. “Jeez, do I have to think of everything?”

Curt swung into his cab and quickly backed out onto the street. Then he climbed back out of the truck as Clark steered the Wouton pickup through the gate.

“Where’re you going?” Mike questioned.

“I want to close the gate,” Curt said. “I don’t want to advertise that the truck’s gone.”

As the gate’s hinges squeaked closed, Curt heard distant shouts and cries for help coming from the direction of Willow Street. It made his hackles rise.

Back in the truck, Curt gunned the engine and took off toward Willow Street. He left his lights off.

“Did you hear those yells?” Mike questioned.

“Of course I heard them,” Curt snapped.

“It pisses me off,” Mike said. “I miss all the fun.”

Curt shot his minion a dirty look but resisted telling him off.