Epps knew neither of the hired killers.  They weren't agency, just a couple of freelancers Lodge had access to.  One of them, the Latino, had attempted to get a conversation going.  The other, a handsome black man dressed likle a banker, had little to say.  He was still angry at Epps for his earlier criticism'

"What cover do you have if we get pulled over by the local or the staties? I've been down here five or six times. It's rare tp see a white man in a suit.  A black man?  Hell, you might as well come dressed like an astronaught," Epps had said in his typically blunt fashion.

"Man, I ain't no workin' class nigger.  I'm doin; this job as a favor to your boss.  Thing is, I don't plan on doin' anything stupid  to get their attention.  Now if you so bothered 'cause a brother dress nice, maybe I oughta check out, the black man retorted angrily.

The Latin had jumped in to the arguement at that point.  "Yo man," he said to the black man, "I think this dude's point is you gonna catch a look even doin' nothin' but lookin' strange to them crackers>"

The black man gave the Latino a hard look.  "Oh, now I got some beaner, look like he in a Taco Bell outfit givin' me advice.  This **** ain't rea;."

All three of the men had guns in their hands.

"O.K., o.k.Epps said, "let;s all  calm down.  This isn't about who's a nigger or who's a spic.  They could have sent me two guys, any color, in clown suits.  I'm just pissed that I got handed you two without a vote. I take back any insults.  Let's get our heads right.  I've done a few of these hillbilly types before.  You don'g have to dig tolo deep to find a gun nut in a place like this."

"Aw right," the black man saiid,"you just get over it.  When I got the call the man, your man, was  hurtin' for help but you know  he don't hire anybody but the very best.  I ain't talkin' fpr Pancho here, but you got no worries 'bout me."

 "Oh man, you gonna make yourself some problems," the Latin said to the black man. "I was just goin' to ask Epps did he get a free nigger with the suit or do they sell separate."

"Whoa! shouted Epps.  "Can't we all just get along?  His comic and dead on impression of Rodney King brought laughter from both of them.  "Let's stick with the plan,  We're here to do a piece of work.  Nobody's paying us to have our own race riot.  In the pocket behind my seat I have the layout of the compound and a recap of their security measures.  Can't be sure we have them all.  My stuff is a month old and they may have upgraded after that screwed-up break in try by a pair of local cops we had on the payroll."

Those two cops Epps referred to were officers Dunhill and Eustis, considered by all who knew them as the most incompetent pair of detectives in police history.  While Epps and the kllers were driving down to the computer company site, the two knucklehead cops were making their second attempt to get into the computer company to retrieve any data about the auctioned computers.  They were doing this for free for an FBI agent they were trying to impress.  They hoped he'd  get them FBI jobs.

So it happened that Dunhill and Eustis, or "downhill and useless" as their chief called them were in the woods about two hundred yards from the compound as twilight fell. 

"It's dark enough, let's go." said Dunhill.  They took a last check of their weapons.  Dunhill carried a Smith & Wesson .357 magnum with three extra loads.  Eustis, who unbelievably had never qualified with the pistol in nineteen years of police work carried the lighter and less poweful Beretta 9mm and four extra magazines.  This was theor second, and they agreed, final attempt.  The FBI man didn't know about this sortie.  After the debacle of the first attempt they were trying to impress him by surprise.

"Last time we played it too loose." Dunhill told Eustis. "tonight we have a plan, it'll be different."

"It'd already different," Eustis said," we look much more professional in these camouflage outfits. We should have bought the berets too.  I think they were cool."

"Yeah,. Just like a grownup," Dunhill growled at him.  Listen up, Rambo."

"Dunhill," Eustis whined,"lighten up on me or you can do this alone. I can't seem to talk to you without being criticized.  You've been a jerk ever since I've known you.  I'm running clean out of give a ****.  You need to get over it and get on with it.  I mean it."

That was far and away the longest speech Dunhill ha ever heard from Eustis.  It was the most backbone he'd seen from him too.  It pissed him off.  It was true though, and he knew it.

"O.K," he responded, softening his voice. "I'm sorry if I've been a little more rough around the ages lately.  Ellen and I had thirty-five years.  What kind of woman leaves you after thrity-five years?  Anyway, you did right to call me on it.  I'm sorry."

Eustis, surprised and pleased by Dunhill's apology, clapped him on the shoulder.   "I'm sorry too about Ellen,"Eustis told him, "but don't worry, you still have me."

Dunhill had to laugh.  "That's a happy thought.  I guess you're my silver lining."

"And your personal Rambo?":

"O.K. Rambo," Dunhill answered, "let's get this show on the road>"