"I think we're okay for now. Told you it'd be a cinch," the first commando said, relaxing a little. He shovcd his revolver in his field trousers and smiled down at Sister Mary Theresa. The frightened nun felt a strange flash of something other than fear take hold of her body. His black eyes flickered with excitement and fury. The man's animalistic power both terrified and attracted the confused woman. No, no, I must remain in control, she told herself, holding onto the front edge of the desk for support. She had to have something tangible pressing against her. This situation was dreamlike in its ferocious intensity. The woman needed to take hold of something to remind herself of reality.

"Who are you?" she stammered out.

"My name's Tolbo… Jack Tolbo. But name's ain't important now," he said, sneering at her.

"We gonna wait 'til it gets dark?" one of the men at the door said.

Dark? Sister Mary Theresa thought of the two other nuns. Soon they'd be coming through that door, victims of these men. She started to explain about the other two when Jack slapped her across the face.

The suddenness of the blow paralyzed the young nun. She fell to one side, her hands grappling desperately for support. Sister Mary Dominic screamed, then pressed her fingers tightly to her mouth as the other nun slipped to the floor.

"I ain't no Catholic, honey, so don't think you're gonna hide behind some fancy hocus pocus. Rick, anybody doin' anything out there?"

One of the men at the window shook his head from side to side, his eyes still peering through the slats of the closed blinds.