Chapter 28

There was a bite in the wind as night descended, and the budding tree branches that stretched

above the respectable neighborhood creaked in protest. There was little of the promise of spring

left in the air. A low, thin fog hung over the lawns and gardens, as if bleeding the last of the

recent warmth away and the new life that

it carried along with it.

But for the wind, the night air was silent as the grave, with no sign of life nor note

of movement to be heard.

The streets were quiet and upon the air there were faint wisps of the smell of fires coming

from the houses that ran up the hill.

Those fleeting aromas promised warmth and comfort within the comfortable homes,

and suggested to any and all that inside was a much fitter place than out on such a night as this.

Near the top of the hill, across a wide expanse of lawn,

there were two fleeting shapes that clearly did not share this view.

Were there any present to look for them, it is doubtful they could have been seen,

so completely did they make the long, grasping shadows their home.

The moon showed itself through the mist and chill and bathed the home of Joshua Cain in a pallid, unearthly glow. The approaching figures froze and clung

to the grey stone of the building as invisible as ghosts. Thirty feet away they could just

see the front door of Kane's stylish home around the corner. The porch light was out and

there seemed to be no impediment to their progress. It was difficult to say if this apparent

convenience itself was what had

given them pause, but they held their positions like statues for a full two minutes. At last the

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