The scar on Rick's cheek flared red-purple. He leveled his gun slowly, with steady aim. After the trigger was pulled, Fatso stopped moving. "More meat for the Sand Vulture," he answered Leeda. "Now let's move." * * * * * The red dust whispered at Leeda all day--Death--Death--Death. Even with a pebble in her mouth to suck on, she felt her lips split and wrinkle. Her blood, sweet in her mouth, was welcome moisture. She set her shoulders forward and plodded through the endless sand and pebbly underfooting. Toward evening Jocco stumbled and fell several times. At last he lay limply; looking to Leeda and Rick pleadingly. His lips moved slackly until he at last managed to croak, "Gotta rest. Can't go on. Please don't leave me." Rick mouthed his reply thickly. "I'm pretty beat myself. Let's rest." Leeda flopped to the sand without an answer. Her mouth was full of tongue. The pebble she had been sucking feeling like a file against her lips. Every muscle ached; every cell screamed for moisture. After a long, wordless rest, Rick hauled himself to his feet and faced Leeda. "Can't trust you now. You'll sneak off and leave us alone." Leeda looked at him scornfully. "Don't worry about that. I meant what I said. I want to see you die." "Still got to watch you," Rick replied. He turned to Jocco. "You get some sleep first. I'll watch her. Later I'll wake you to take over." Leeda molded a hip hole in the sand and settled down. The night cold had long descended when the two men changed shifts. All through his trick, Rick had sat facing her. She lay quietly, simulating sleep. At last Jocco began to nod and doze. For a while he managed to jerk himself awake; but he finally fell over and slept. Cautiously she crept over to him and shook his arm. He didn't stir. Satisfaction touched with grim humor warmed her internally as she bent over him and removed his boots. She moved with them off into the desert. Satisfied at last that she was far enough from camp, she heaved the boots into the desert darkness. She wasn't gone long, but even so she had barely settled down again when she heard Rick shake Jocco, "Wake up, you fool. I'd like to kill you for this. The girl could have crept off and you wouldn't have known it." "I'm sorry, Rick. But I'm tired. I couldn't help it." Rick began to cuss but stopped. "What's the use. Go back to sleep. I'll finish your watch." * * * * * It wasn't until they were ready to move the next morning that Jocco noticed that his boots were missing. He turned to Leeda. "You stole them." "Don't be a damned fool," Rick answered. "She was watched all night. You probably had a nightmare and heaved them out into the desert. Let's look." Leeda watched them search in an ever widening circle. Limping and still bootless, Jocco moved with Rick back to the camp. "You'll have to try it as is," Rick was saying as they came close.