"He didn't even offer to drive us down to our Jeep," Cynthia said as she glanced up the slope toward the mine. "I wonder if that shot, or whatever it was, came from the owner of that blue sweater on his Jeep seat?"

"Let's have a look," Dean said and started up the trail. Cynthia and Jennifer followed.

"The lying bastard," she said. "I'll bet he was up here fooling around with Ginger!"

"If he was, he had no compunction about ditching her and taking off," Cynthia said, slowing to catch her breath.

The mine was sealed, a new metal door and padlock in place where the gaping opening had welcomed the Deans two days before. There was no sign of anyone. They climbed higher, circling the open area in front of the entrance, but still saw nothing. From this higher level, Dean could see a patch of the road a thousand feet below him. As he watched, Faust's Jeep passed into view, with two figures clearly visible.

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"She must have hiked down the back way and met up with him down at the bend in the road, below where our Jeep is parked."

"So you suppose that's who shot at us?" Jennifer asked

"Probably to frighten us off," Dean answered.

"It certainly worked with Dickinson Faust. He looked scared to death," Cynthia said, taking her husband's arm.

Dean began to walk in the opposite direction from which they'd come. "This way will be shorter. We should come out above our Jeep."

"Don't get us lost," Cynthia cautioned as the trio began the climb downward, away from the mine. They'd traveled several hundred yards when Dean saw it, nearly covered by brush and invisible from all but a few feet away. It was a mine portal, smaller than the main entrance to the Lucky Pup.

"There's another mine!" Cynthia said.

"No," Dean said. "Not another mine. It's just a back entrance to the Lucky Pup."




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