Only when I got close to the front door, key in hand, I had a sense that something was wrong...I opened the door and stepped inside. Then I felt a han...d close to my wrist. I gasped, but I was quickly yanked inside and a damp cloth smelling strange was placed over my mouth and nose. Rousing slowly, my head seemed to swim. My hands were now bound behind my back and a piece of cloth was covering my eyes. Mercifully my clothes were still on. I tried to turn my head, but then I felt a sharp slap. White couldn't fire anyone while he was gone. If he didn't intervene, she would have fired me long ago over some little perceived slight." How long is he gone for?" Maria asked."He'll be gone another week," I told her. "It's the worst when he's gone, because we don't have his calming influence around here. She becomes a holy terror." I have an idea," Maria told me. "If I do this, however, she will most likely get far worse over the next week. You will just have to keep in mind that it will be. I was the first one ready for the shower. I dressed in the blue denim cargo shorts they were Bermuda shorts length. They were very much like blue jeans. The were cut more like cargo pants, just made from the same material as modern jeans. Needless to say I liked them a lot. I didn’t know how long I would be gone, so I tossed two more pairs of cargo shorts into my largest pack. I also put in five colored tee shirts along with five golf type knit shirts. Extra shoes, socks, along with the Colt. I made a decision and I went with it.We moved through the labyrinth at a brisk walk now. The ground was crumbled stone. Gravel with tufts of grass growing here. It was dark but lightning as the sun climbed higher and higher into the sky. Every time we came to a turn, I chose the one that I thought would lead us to the center.Sometimes, we hit a dead end and had to backtrack.We looked around for any traps, too. We had no idea what we would find here. We just knew we had to be on our guard. This.