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shoulders and looked down at the floor. |
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"Was there more than one?" Doc pushed. |
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The boy managed a single nod. |
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"More than two? More than three?" |
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Benny nodded a second time. |
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"What happened to the rest of the sweep team?" Madden shouted. |
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"They . . . they . . . they took 'em," the boy gulped. |
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"Who? The sweep team? They took the sweep team ?" |
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The boy managed another nod. |
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"You saw those damn things carry off Kendall and Johnson and Caleb and the others?" Doc repeated incredulously. |
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The boy tried to clarify his answer, but the effort came out garbled and broken. |
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Madden looked at me, then at a stunned B.C. "What the hell were you kids doin' out there in the first place?" |
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"When . . . when you didn't come back," Benny stuttered, "Sergeant Kendall figured . . . figured they got you and the . . . the others. He was . . . he was . . . goin' after you. Luke and me . . . decided to follow. We . . . we thought we . . . could help." |
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Ferris patiently guided the terrified youngster to a chair, set him down and took a seat facing him. "Look, Benny, I know you've been through a lot, but this is important. We have to know what happened. You keep saying 'they'. How many of them were there?" |
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