Darkness had fallen before the two young women left the lecture hall.

"I wish my husband could be like that," Jennifer Wales sighed.

"Tom's a very nice man," Rena Cole protested.

"Oh, he's nice enough," Jennifer said, "but he's just so dull. He never does anything exciting."

"And I suppose you'd like for him to fly planes and nearly get himself killed in far off places like our speaker did?" Rena questioned.

"Nothing so drastic," Jennifer admitted. "I'd just like for him to change a little. He's dull in just about everything he does, even in bed."

"Jennifer!" Rena said sharply.

Jennifer shrugged her shoulders. She knew her slim, dark-haired friend didn't like to talk about sex. Rena could be a real prude about some subjects.

"Jennifer!" Rena said.

Jennifer waited patiently while Rena fumbled in her purse for her car keys.

"Here they are," Rena said, and dropped them on the pavement.

"Oh damn!"

She bent down to pick them up but suddenly a man was there snatching them off the ground.

Jennifer almost yelled but one look at the black pistol in the man's hand convinced her not to.

The man was short and squat, with thick shoulders and arms, He had been working out in the sun for his skin was tanned a deep brown a his hair was almost golden.

"Don't scream, ladies," he said. "I'm a desperate man. I don't mind shooting you both right here in the parking lot. Don't make any mistakes about that."

Rena couldn't have screamed if she'd wanted her skin had gone pale and she was leaning against the car for support. She was scared to death.

Jennifer was also scared but she was thinking quickly. She was remembering all the things she ever heard about this kind of situation.

"You can have the car," Jennifer said, we won't scream or try to stop you. Just take it."