--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I looked around the property. “It’s a lot…" description: "\"“I looked around the property. “It’s a lot different here now, with the primary in custody and the lifter about to be nailed. You can almost enjoy it.”..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/073/jeffery-deaver-2663_bad-performance_i-looked-around-the-property-it-s-a-lot_2926753.jpg" --- # I looked around the property. “It’s a lot different here… ![“I looked around the property. “It’s a lot different here now, with the primary in custody and the lifter about to be nailed. You can almost enjoy it.” I glanced at the imposter’s black angular machine gun. It wasn’t pointed near me but if he caught on that I knew who he was I’d be dead before I…” quote by Jeffery Deaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/073/jeffery-deaver-2663_bad-performance_i-looked-around-the-property-it-s-a-lot_2926753.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/073/jeffery-deaver-2663_bad-performance_i-looked-around-the-property-it-s-a-lot_2926753.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/073/jeffery-deaver-2663_bad-performance_i-looked-around-the-property-it-s-a-lot_2926753.jpg) > ““I looked around the property. “It’s a lot different here now, with the primary in custody and the lifter about to be nailed. You can almost enjoy it.” I glanced at the imposter’s black angular machine gun. It wasn’t pointed near me but if he caught on that I knew who he was I’d be dead before I could move an inch. The man said, “That’s true—except for some deer with a suicidal personality who jumped out of the bushes over there a little while ago. We almost had venison for breakfast. Just heard him again, the same place. They’re not really very bright, are they?” “I don’t think that’s why God made them.” Was he suspicious? I couldn’t tell. I continued, “Listen, Tony, when I get back I want to coordinate getting the Kesslers to Fairfax in the morning. Loving’ll be in custody by then. But I want some protection on them for the next couple of days, until everything’s resolved. Agent Frederick said you might be willing to take that on.” I was vamping. Overdoing it? I wondered. I wasn’t sure. A bad performance would kill me.”” [Jeffery Deaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffery-deaver/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator navigates danger and moral ambiguity while planning a covert operation, questioning identity and loyalty under pressure. **In simple terms:** A spy balances danger and duty, questioning trust and purpose. Key Takeaway Act with caution and clear intent. Themes danger trust identity loyalty strategy Mood tense urgent conflicted Type narrative dramatic When to use this quote - covert missions - high‑risk negotiations - team coordination - self‑assessment - risk management Key Concepts espionage moral ambiguity survival Questions to Reflect On - What ethical lines are you willing to cross for a mission? - How does fear influence decision‑making? A Different Perspective The plot may glorify risky behavior without addressing consequences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad performance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-performance/) [Machine gun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/machine-gun/) ## Related quotes > [The heavens are not filled with hostility. 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They are the result of bad relationships.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-dekker/unjust-responses-to-failure-are-almost-never-the-result-of-bad/) [Sidney Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-dekker/) > [There are so many great actors, but I really have a lot of respect for Johnny Depp. I've seen a lot of movies with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-speleers/there-are-so-many-great-actors-but-i-really-have-a-lot-of-respect-for/) [Ed Speleers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-speleers/) ## More by Jeffery Deaver > [Trying to write books with a subject matter or in a genre or style you're not familiar with is the best way to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffery-deaver/trying-to-write-books-with-a-subject-matter-or-in-a-genre-or-style/) [Jeffery Deaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffery-deaver/) > [“I realized finally what the problem was,” I told Maree. “It wasn’t him. It was my wife. 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Had we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffery-deaver/maree-opened-her-eyes-wide-wait-wait-i-know-you-she-regarded-me-with/) [Jeffery Deaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffery-deaver/) > [The best way to learn about writing is to study the work of other writers you admire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffery-deaver/the-best-way-to-learn-about-writing-is-to-study-the-work-of-other/) [Jeffery Deaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffery-deaver/) > [“eager’ and ‘anxious’ aren’t the same, or how ‘disinterested’ doesn’t mean ‘uninterested.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffery-deaver/eager-and-anxious-aren-t-the-same-or-how-disinterested-doesn-t-mean/) [Jeffery Deaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffery-deaver/) > [The recent fascination, I think, reflects the shift in approach by law enforcement officials to embrace technology as wholeheartedly as the rest of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffery-deaver/the-recent-fascination-i-think-reflects-the-shift-in-approach-by-law/) [Jeffery Deaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffery-deaver/) > [“DuBois’s observations were back. She’d largely recovered from the Graham ignominy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffery-deaver/dubois-s-observations-were-back-she-d-largely-recovered-from-the/) [Jeffery Deaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffery-deaver/) > [“Maree may have noted that I said “wife” and not “ex,” which imparted some information to her. She was smarter than the package suggested.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffery-deaver/maree-may-have-noted-that-i-said-wife-and-not-ex-which-imparted-some/) [Jeffery Deaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffery-deaver/) > [“You see tumbleweeds? You see cowpokes? Indians? This isn’t the streets of Laredo.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffery-deaver/you-see-tumbleweeds-you-see-cowpokes-indians-this-isn-t-the-streets/) [Jeffery Deaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffery-deaver/) > [“The young woman shrugged, walked to her computer, picked it up. She flopped down on the couch and scanned through it. This was something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffery-deaver/the-young-woman-shrugged-walked-to-her-computer-picked-it-up-she/) [Jeffery Deaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffery-deaver/) > [“As a matter of fact, yeah, they were foolproof. The problem is that you don't have to protect yourself against fools. You have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffery-deaver/as-a-matter-of-fact-yeah-they-were-foolproof-the-problem-is-that-you/) [Jeffery Deaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffery-deaver/) [Explore all 154 Jeffery Deaver quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffery-deaver/) ## More Bad performance quotes > [There are so many great actors, but I really have a lot of respect for Johnny Depp. I've seen a lot of movies with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-speleers/there-are-so-many-great-actors-but-i-really-have-a-lot-of-respect-for/) [Ed Speleers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-speleers/) > [“Unjust responses to failure are almost never the result of bad performance. They are the result of bad relationships.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-dekker/unjust-responses-to-failure-are-almost-never-the-result-of-bad/) [Sidney Dekker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-dekker/) > [Hint: money flows into most funds after good performance, and goes out when bad performance follows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-bogle/hint-money-flows-into-most-funds-after-good-performance-and-goes-out/) [John C. Bogle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-bogle/) > [Film is such a director's medium; you're really in their hands in terms of the real storytelling. As an actor, you can give a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-weisz/film-is-such-a-director-s-medium-you-re-really-in-their-hands-in/) [Rachel Weisz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-weisz/) > [That's what international football is all about - be able to bounce after a bad performance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/didier-deschamps/that-s-what-international-football-is-all-about-be-able-to-bounce/) [Didier Deschamps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/didier-deschamps/) > [Cheer for your teammates, regardless of whether they're fast or slow, veteran or neophyte, varsity or JV. Or rally the spirits of someone who's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-kardong/cheer-for-your-teammates-regardless-of-whether-they-re-fast-or-slow/) [Don Kardong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-kardong/) > [At the end of the day, I write down an 'L' or a 'W,' whether or not the day was a 'Loss' or if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jinder-mahal/at-the-end-of-the-day-i-write-down-an-l-or-a-w-whether-or-not-the-day/) [Jinder Mahal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jinder-mahal/) > [Every time I've had a bad performance at an event, I've come back more determined and focused.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shaun-white/every-time-i-ve-had-a-bad-performance-at-an-event-i-ve-come-back-more/) [Shaun White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shaun-white/) > [When you are new to the business, you think if you give a really bad performance, that's one they will print. You will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-are-new-to-the-business-you-think-if-you-give-a-really-bad/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is a part of me, and I can't put it into words but it's kind of like second nature. That's not to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lola-young/it-is-a-part-of-me-and-i-can-t-put-it-into-words-but-it-s-kind-of/) [Lola Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lola-young/) > [I am not a character who gets carried away with good or bad performances and I won't get carried away by bigger or lesser…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-mignolet/i-am-not-a-character-who-gets-carried-away-with-good-or-bad/) [Simon Mignolet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-mignolet/) > [We can't take such unfair criticism. It would be difficult for me to continue as captain if this unhealthy trend of demoralising the team…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/inzamam-ul-haq/we-can-t-take-such-unfair-criticism-it-would-be-difficult-for-me-to/) [Inzamam-ul-Haq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/inzamam-ul-haq/) > [If I had a bad performance in a particular leotard, I threw it in the trash.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lou-retton/if-i-had-a-bad-performance-in-a-particular-leotard-i-threw-it-in-the/) [Mary Lou Retton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lou-retton/) > [Bad performances can happen and are not that serious - even with new players. You can't, say, sell him, get a new one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jurgen-klopp/bad-performances-can-happen-and-are-not-that-serious-even-with-new/) [Jurgen Klopp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jurgen-klopp/) > [I've seen some of my favorite actors give bad performances, and I have to tell myself that failure is a part of success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aya-cash/i-ve-seen-some-of-my-favorite-actors-give-bad-performances-and-i-have/) [Aya Cash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aya-cash/) [Browse all 33 Bad performance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-performance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I looked around the property. “It’s a lot different here now, with the primary in custody and the lifter about to be nailed. You can almost enjoy it.” I glanced at the imposter’s black angular machine gun. It wasn’t pointed near me but if he caught on that I knew who he was I’d be dead before I could move an inch. The man said, “That’s true—except for some deer with a suicidal personality who jumped out of the bushes over there a little while ago. We almost had venison for breakfast. Just heard him again, the same place. They’re not really very bright, are they?” “I don’t think that’s why God made them.” Was he suspicious? I couldn’t tell. I continued, “Listen, Tony, when I get back I want to coordinate getting the Kesslers to Fairfax in the morning. Loving’ll be in custody by then. But I want some protection on them for the next couple of days, until everything’s resolved. Agent Frederick said you might be willing to take that on.” I was vamping. Overdoing it? I wondered. I wasn’t sure. 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