FIREFIGHT I landed hard and fast in front of house, dismantled the ship and walked onto the porch. I made a lot of noise. Kimball and Mallory spun around and took aim.

“There’s a man,” Kimball said quietly.

Cab shifted uneasily.

“If they put up a fight, don’t get fancy,” I said. “I want normal violence, got it?” I hopped the last step and knocked on the door, then stepped back and to the right, out of the cone of death. If they answered the door with a shotgun blast I didn’t want to have to...