{"title":"BEST SELLERS (minus Berkley)","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"movingin1-6","title":"Moving In (The Complete Series - 6 books)","description":"\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\" data-mce-style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eHe found the house of his dreams and unleashed his greatest nightmare…\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrian Roy just wants to get away from the stress of city life. Escape the noise, the crime, and the anxiety of his high-pressure job. So when he and his wife move into a beautiful old farmhouse in the scenic New Hampshire countryside, he can finally relax and find some peace.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut Brian quickly finds himself thrust into a terrifying world of the supernatural. Joining forces with others who have faced similar evil, Brian becomes a reluctant ghost hunter, fighting a deadly shadow war against the sinister forces infesting his town. And it will take every ounce of courage and will to purge his neighborhood of the paranormal entities lurking in the shadows.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBrian’s war against the supernatural has begun. He will do whatever it takes to protect his family and town. Even if it means losing his soul in the process…\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis digital box set contains the complete Moving In series. Six bone-chilling novels of supernatural horror guaranteed to keep you reading past the witching hour…\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"Once I got started I couldn't stop reading.\" \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"I highly recommend this set of books!\" \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"Go buy this, you won't be sorry!\" \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"Well written and worth the read!!!\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"I finished the series in record time, just really enjoying the story and the characters.\" \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"Keeps you on the edge of your seat.\" \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBooks Included in the Bundle:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Moving In (Book 1)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ The Dune Walkers (Book 2)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Middlebury Sanitarium (Book 3)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ The First Church (Book 4)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ The Paupers’ Crypt (Book 5)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ The Academy (Book 6)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ctable width=\"100%\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 137.157px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 100%; height: 137.157px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRINT LENGTH\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e821 Pages\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAUDIO LENGTH\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e40 hours and 18 minutes\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNARRATED BY \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003eThom Bowers\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRODUCT DIMENSION\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e6.69 x 1.85 x 9.61 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e960-9-20400-002-4\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLANGUAGE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003eEnglish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePUBLICATION DATE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003eOctober 10, 2017\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"product-block product-block--tab\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsibles-wrapper collapsibles-wrapper--border-bottom\"\u003e\n\u003cbutton type=\"button\" class=\"label collapsible-trigger collapsible-trigger-btn collapsible-trigger-btn--borders collapsible--auto-height\" aria-controls=\"Product-content-tab_f3QTgL8782181630231\" aria-expanded=\"false\"\u003e Read a Sample \u003cspan class=\"collapsible-trigger__icon collapsible-trigger__icon--open\" role=\"presentation\"\u003e \u003csvg aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"icon icon--wide icon-chevron-down\" viewbox=\"0 0 28 16\" focusable=\"false\"\u003e\u003cpath d=\"m1.57 1.59 12.76 12.77L27.1 1.59\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke=\"#000\" fill=\"none\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003c\/svg\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Product-content-tab_f3QTgL8782181630231\" class=\"collapsible-content collapsible-content--all\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsible-content__inner rte\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 17pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 17pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChapter 3: Brian and Jenny in the House\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“What the hell was that?” Jenny asked, looking up from her crochet.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBrian looked up from his book, blinked, and reran the sound through his head. “Sounded like a rifle.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“That was close by,” she sighed. She looked back down at the scarf she was making.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Yeah,” Brian said. “Probably somebody poaching on our land. At least it’s not some dumbass doing a drive-by with some cheap SKS on South Willow in Manchester.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“True,” Jenny said. She looked over at him. “Are you going to check it out in the morning?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBrian shook his head. “In about half an hour. If they did get something, I want to give them plenty of time to get it ready to move. After that, I’ll go out there, make a lot of noise, bring the big LED flashlight. More than likely, they’ll see me and hear me. Should cut down on any more poaching. If it doesn’t, well, I’ll fire off a few shots myself next time, let them know we’re not playing around.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Sounds good to me.” Jenny grinned, blowing him a kiss.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBrian grinned and went back to his book, finishing off his second glass of wine and a few more chapters in the Dumas biography he was reading. Thirty minutes later, the mantle clock, which was one of the few items that had been unpacked, struck seven. Brian put his book down and stood up, stretching. He took his phone off of the side table, slid it into his back pocket, and walked to the hall closet.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe basement door was open again.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eFrowning, he closed it, calling out to Jenny, “Hey, the basement door was open again. We’ll have to get a new lock or something for it.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Okay,” she called back. “I’ll put it on the list.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBrian went to the closet, dug his coat out, and took a flashlight from the bug-out bag on the closet floor. “Be back in a little while. See if I can find anything.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Be safe.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I will,” he answered. Brian turned on the porch light, opened the door, and walked out into the cold night air. After he closed the front door, Brian stood on the porch for a few moments, getting adjusted to the cold.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eIt felt good.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe could smell the wood smoke from the fireplace, and under it, Brian could smell snow in the air. The sky was clear, the stars sharp and bright. The moon was nothing more than a sliver, but that too shone brightly. From somewhere nearby, possibly the old barn at the edge of their property, Brian heard an owl calling out.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eI might get used to this, he thought. There was a definite lack of ambient noise but it felt good, in a strange way.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eNodding to himself, Brian put on his gloves, turned on the flashlight, and walked down the stairs and onto the front lawn. He closed his eyes and once more replayed the sound in his head, remembering where he had been sitting in the house.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eNot the front, he thought. Not the sides. Straight back, towards the woods.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eWith the flashlight illuminating his steps, Brian walked around the side of the house, the grass crackling beneath his sneakers. He kept a steady pace, moving farther away from the house. The tree line was perhaps a thousand yards from the back door, and he suspected he might find the remains of a deer there. It would be the best place to wait. The deer wouldn’t go out too far from the tree line, not since it was still hunting season.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe open fields would be too dangerous for them.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAs Brian neared the treeline, he swept the flashlight from left to right and back again, looking for any indication someone had been around. Then, at the edge of the flashlight’s range, he caught a glimpse of a salt lick and something on the ground. Brian frowned.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eA deer had been baited and shot.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAs he got closer to the salt lick, though, he realized there were two shapes on the ground, and while one was definitely a deer, the other shape was dressed in woodland camouflage.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Oh shit,” Brian said out loud. He broke into a trot, careful of his footing on the grass, knowing the treads on his sneakers were a little too smooth for good traction.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eIn a minute, he reached the body. The dead man was lying on his side in a mess of congealing blood offal. A rifle hung loosely off the hunter’s shoulder, and a skinning knife was a few feet away from the open right hand. Carefully, Brian took hold of the hunter and turned the body towards him.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe look of fear and horror frozen on the man’s face caused Brian’s heart to skip a beat.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 17pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 17pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChapter 6: William Engberg’s Place\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe ride to Wells was smooth and uneventful. The town, located between Ogunquit and Kennebunk, was right over the southernmost border with New Hampshire. Brian hadn’t been there for over a year, the last time he and Jenny had decided they needed to wander around the cold Maine coastline.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eIt was pretty, though, and it was the off-season. No summer folk, but old school Mainers who barely tolerated the rest of New England and who had no use for anyone beyond the ancient borders.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBrian liked the attitude. It fit right in with his own most of the time.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe turned right onto Coast Road, following the winding asphalt which, in turn, followed the beach which was on his left. Old, dull street lamps cast their rough light onto the pavement. Most of the homes on either side were closed up, their owners gone south for warmer climates. The Kia rocked slightly with a harsh wind driving in off of the Atlantic.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThere was nothing in the forecast about a storm, but the weathermen were more wrong than they were right as far as Brian was concerned, and he would hate to be caught near the ocean in a storm.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDrowning was definitely not on his list of things to try.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eSoon he found himself at what he assumed was the end of the road, and he came to a stop. The houses ended on either side and only dunes and grass continued on either side. The last house on the left had the number fifteen, though.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBrian sat in the car, the heat turned up. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and looked at the dunes, the grass, and the small parking lot up and to the right. Then he saw the road curved slightly to the left, around one of the dunes. A glance at the telephone poles showed wiring continued on to another pole a little further down, and then onto yet another.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDamn, Brian thought. The road keeps going.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTaking his foot off of the brake, Brian drove forward through the parking lot and following the road.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe asphalt followed the dunes, and Brian followed the asphalt.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAbout half a mile later he came to the house. White with green trim, a blue pickup in the driveway. Smoke curled up from the chimney into the night sky, and light slipped out around the edges of drawn shades in the windows.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eA battered green mailbox, leaning haphazardly to the left had a large white ‘11’ painted on its side.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eLooks like I’m here, Brian thought. He pulled into the driveway behind the truck, his wheels loud on crushed stone. Brian shut the car down, sent Jenny and Sylvia each a quick text, and got out. In the cold winter air, he stretched. His muscles ached from the drive. He reached back into the car, pulled on his gloves and hit the button to open the trunk.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eClosing the door behind him, Brian went and got his gear out, making sure everything on the car was locked and secured before walking up to the house.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe knocked on the door loudly.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Who is it?” a voice asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“This is Brian,” Brian answered. “From the Leonidas Group.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe door opened, and a tall young man answered the door. The man’s black hair was clipped short, and he wore a thick sweater and khaki pants. He had on a pair of work boots with the laces untied, and he smiled tiredly at Brian.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Come on in, Brian,” the man said. He stepped aside and closed the door once Brian was in the small house.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I’m William Engberg,” he said, extending his hand.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBrian shook it. “A pleasure.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Thank you so much for coming up here,” William said. “Can I get you a cup of coffee or anything?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Coffee would be great,” Brian said.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Good.” William walked around a small sofa and to a kitchenette. “Take a seat in one of the chairs, if you like.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBrian glanced around, saw two club chairs on either side of a bookshelf and took the one on the right. He put his bag on the floor beside him. Across the room, a low fire burned in the hearth. In a moment, William had water boiling in the kettle and came and sat in the other chair.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBrian took a notepad and pen out of his bag as well as a digital recorder. “Do you mind if I record our conversation?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eWilliam shook his head.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Excellent,” Brian said. He pressed the red button on the recorder, set it down on a coffee table and smiled at William. “Okay, William. Tell me what’s going on.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eWilliam gave him a nervous smile. “This is kind of ridiculous for me, okay?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 17pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 17pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChapter 9: Introductions are Made\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eKen hadn’t needed an alarm clock for over thirty years. He woke up every day at four o’clock in the afternoon.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe never had to worry about being asleep when night fell.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBy four thirty he was finished with breakfast, a shower, and had his uniform on for the night. If he needed to run errands, he did so. If not, he made his way to the Sanitarium’s library. No one had ever bothered to remove the books. A tragedy, as far as Ken was concerned, but a boon at the same time.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThere were over twenty thousand volumes. A large portion was extremely outdated medical and psychological texts, but there was still a healthy selection of literature. Newer stuff, like Brooks’ zombie book, he picked up at the Middlebury tipping station. A small shed served as a place for people to put things they thought could be used again.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eKen was thinking about the tipping station when the phone rang.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eFrowning, he walked over to it, took the handset off of the receiver and answered the call. “Hello?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Ken, it’s Carl,” Carl said.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Carl, what can I do for you?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I’ve got a guest at the Factory tonight.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“What?” Ken asked, a chill sweeping through him. “Why?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Well, you know how the Gaiman Foundation is looking to buy the place?” Carl asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Yeah?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Evidently they want someone to check the place for ghosts.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Hell,” Ken said, “place is haunted as hell.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“They don’t want our opinion,” Carl said with a sigh.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“So this guy’s hired by the State?” Ken asked, frowning.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“By the State’s real estate agent,” Carl said. “From what I’ve heard the State’s already irate.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“How come?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“They wanted this guy to sign off and say the place was fine. Evidently he said he wouldn’t.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eKen chuckled, smiling. “Okay. Maybe there’s hope. Where is he?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I had Derek put him in the head nurse’s old place.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Why the hell did you put him there?” Ken snapped. “Jesus, Carl.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“What?” Carl asked, confused. “Where was I supposed to put him?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Hell, he could have crashed here with me. He shouldn’t be on the grounds alone. You know better, Carl.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Dan’s there,” Carl said defensively.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“And Dan’s a good guy,” Ken said. “He can’t handle protecting someone, though, Carl. Damn it.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Are you heading there, then?” Carl asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Of course,” Ken said angrily. “I’ll be there in a few.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eKen hung up the phone and shook his head. He needed to get to the head nurse’s house.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe took his small ring of master keys down off of the rack, slipped the leather strap connected to them around his belt and snapped it shut. He pulled on his coat and his pipe, tobacco, and matches went into his right pocket. He picked up his two-way radio, turned it on and tucked it into his breast pocket. A moment later he had on his watchman’s cap and gloves, and he closed the door to his house.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eA sharp wind cut down from the northeast and burned his nostrils, the scent of impending snow heavy in the air.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBad storm coming, Ken thought, glancing up at the dark clouds rolling down from Canada. He had enough food stocked, of course, he was a born and bred New Englander. You didn’t play with Winter. More often than not the Old Man would sweep down from the north and bury you. No matter what the weathermen said.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eKen zipped his collar to the top so it covered his chin and he quickly velcroed the protective flap over the zipper. He followed the brick path from his front door to the sanitarium’s main road and he took it towards the head nurse’s house.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe two-way radio squawked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eKen grumbled and fished it out. He keyed it and said, “Go ahead, Dan.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“You on the main road?” Dan asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Yup.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Going to the library?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Not yet,” Ken answered. “Just talked to Carl about the guest.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Oh. Yeah. You know they put him in the head nurse’s place?” Dan asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eKen rolled his eyes but kept the frustration he felt out of his voice. “Yup. Keep your ears open, Dan. I’ll be by around eleven, just as always.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Okay, Ken. Base out.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eKen put the radio away and as he followed a curve in the road, his destination appeared. In the stillness, the sound of the generator ripped through the air. Light spilled out from the windows of the dining room and reached for the cemetery.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eOf all the damned places, Ken thought. He fought to keep his anger down. Carl did some stupid things, but he hadn’t risked anyone’s life before.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBut does he even know he’s risking this man’s life? Ken asked himself. Does Carl even understand? Really understand?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Scare Street","offers":[{"title":"PAPERBACK","offer_id":49407484789015,"sku":"MOVING IN SERIES","price":69.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"AUDIOBOOK","offer_id":49443551412503,"sku":"moving1-6","price":64.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"EBOOK","offer_id":47288760926487,"sku":"moving1-6e","price":23.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"EBOOK + AUDIO","offer_id":51555757523223,"sku":"moving1-6ebab","price":39.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0798\/7209\/8583\/files\/WEB_Moving_In_Box_1-6_PBM3.jpg?v=1761964799"},{"product_id":"hauntedcollection1-9","title":"The Complete Haunted Collection Saga: 9 Books of Action-Packed Horror You Won't Be Able to Put Down (FREE U.S. SHIPPING)","description":"\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eListen to a sample here:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"400\" height=\"75\" src=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1UqBqcUe1kAx4QtPh1-rf2jf0-kXva_Ji\/preview\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e🗣 Professionally Narrated by Thom Bowers\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e9 Books. 66+ Hours. One Historian Who Refuses to Run.\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSomeone's selling haunted objects online. And they just mailed death to your doorstep.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA cursed rifle that forces its owner to kill. A mirror that traps souls in its reflection. A child's toy that whispers suicide. These aren't artifacts gathering dust in a museum. They're weapons. And occultist Stefan Korzh is packaging them up and shipping them to innocent families across America.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost men would flee from such evil. Victor Daniels hunts it down.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA widowed historian armed with salt, iron, and a lifetime of research into the occult, Victor knows the rules of the supernatural world. Ghosts can be bound. Curses can be broken. And Stefan Korzh can be stopped. Teaming up with his adopted son Tom Crane, Victor wages a cross-country war against the deadliest antique collection ever assembled.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut as the body count rises and the hauntings grow more vicious, Victor discovers that some secrets are more terrifying than any ghost...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWHAT READERS ARE SAYING:\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"I couldn't put this series down and went through the entire collection (9 books) in less than a week. Ron Ripley is fast becoming one of my favorite authors of horror stories. The plot moves forward and the characters are personal.\"\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"I love these series because I love haunted ghost stories. Wish they made a TV series about this. It is an intense series. 5 haunted possessions out of 5\"\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"The story captures you on every page and is in a class by itself.\"\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eBooks Included in the Bundle:\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e1. Collecting Death\u003cbr\u003e2. Walter's Rifle\u003cbr\u003e3. Blood in the Mirror\u003cbr\u003e4. Hank's Radio\u003cbr\u003e5. The Burning Girl\u003cbr\u003e6. Knife in the Dark\u003cbr\u003e7. Last Breath\u003cbr\u003e8. Ticket to Death\u003cbr\u003e9. Death Rattle\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eComplete series. No waiting. Just 1,900+ pages of salt, iron, and the things that refuse to stay dead.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ctable style=\"width: 100%; height: 137.157px;\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEBOOK\/PAPERBACK\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e1,911 Pages\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAUDIOBOOK\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e67 hours and 39 minutes\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNARRATED BY \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003eThom Bowers\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"product-block product-block--tab\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"product-block product-block--tab\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"product-block product-block--tab\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsibles-wrapper collapsibles-wrapper--border-bottom\"\u003e\n\u003cbutton type=\"button\" class=\"label collapsible-trigger collapsible-trigger-btn collapsible-trigger-btn--borders collapsible--auto-height\" aria-controls=\"Product-content-tab_f3QTgL8782181630231\" aria-expanded=\"false\"\u003e Read a Sample \u003cspan class=\"collapsible-trigger__icon collapsible-trigger__icon--open\" role=\"presentation\"\u003e \u003csvg aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"icon icon--wide icon-chevron-down\" viewbox=\"0 0 28 16\"\u003e\u003cpath d=\"m1.57 1.59 12.76 12.77L27.1 1.59\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke=\"#000\" fill=\"none\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003c\/svg\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Product-content-tab_f3QTgL8782181630231\" class=\"collapsible-content collapsible-content--all\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsible-content__inner rte\"\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eChapter 3: Old Time Radio\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eKristine Tring sat in the small room that served as both living room, and den in the Mayor Maurice Arel Assisted Living Home. In spite of the arthritis in her hands, she held a pair of overly large knitting needles. She worked at a slow, careful pace. Her thoughts were not on the prayer shawl she knitted, nor were they on the people at St. Joseph’s Hospital who would be the eventual recipients of the shawls she made.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eInstead, her mind was far away. December was only three days away, and with it would come the anniversary of her brother Kevin’s death. They had been twins, and he had died in Korea in 1951. Seventeen years old and dead.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eSeventeen years old and he had never grown any older.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe plastic needles clicked in the stillness of her apartment, her hearing aids turned down, so the loud television sets of the neighbors on either side and above her were inaudible. With the death of her only niece on her deceased husband’s side the year before, Kristine had gotten rid of her telephone.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThere was no one to call, and no one to expect calls from. The few friends she had, lived in her building, and she would see them at breakfast, or perhaps in the recreation room for coffee.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eA flicker of light caught her eye, and her hands stopped as she looked up.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAcross the room was the one, unnecessary heirloom she had kept when she moved into the Arel Home. A tall, Zenith floor model radio. It was in poor shape, having been battered and beaten by herself and Kevin when they were children.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAnd now the faceplate on it was lit with the old, yellow glow she remembered so well.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eShe stared at it for a moment, not understanding how the radio could be working.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe plug had broken a decade earlier, and before that, one of the vacuum tubes had broken.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eIt was a nonfunctioning relic, nothing more.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBut there it was, lit as when she and her siblings would sit and listen to the Phantom.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eConfused, Kristine turned the volume on her hearing aids back up.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Good evening,” a man said through the speaker, his voice smooth and pleasant. There was an arousing, enticing quality to his voice. It made her want to listen to him, and to nothing else. “This is Hank McErney, and I’m here with you, are you here with me?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eKristine stared in surprise, not sure what to do.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Hello,” Hank said, chuckling, “didn’t you hear me, young lady? Yes, you with the knitting on your lap.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eKristine straightened up in the chair, taken aback even as she said, “Yes. Yes, I hear you.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Oh, very good,” Hank said. “Tell me, what’s your name?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Kristine,” she replied. Her stomach tied itself into knots she hadn’t felt since she had been a teenager, and she didn’t quite know what to do.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Kristine,” Hank said in a pleased voice, “a pretty name for a pretty girl. I’m curious, Kristine, why are you inside on a night like tonight? Shouldn’t you be out there cutting a rug with some dashing young man?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No one asked,” Kristine answered.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“That I can’t believe,” Hank said, “no one?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No,” Kristine said.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Let’s take care of that, shall we, Kristine?” Hank asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe world bent and twisted, and shifted into shadow as the warmth was torn from the room. And a moment later, a man stood in front of the radio, and she knew it was Hank McErney.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe was tall, his black hair flipped to one side in a style that had gone out of fashion in the forties. An Errol Flynn mustache graced his upper lip, and his nose was aquiline. His chin was square cut, as were the shoulders of the suit coat he wore. A cigarette hung from the corner of his mouth, and there was an air of calm assuredness about him that Kristine found appealing. Hank McErney was a ruggedly good-looking man, and Kristine’s heart fluttered in a way she didn’t think was possible anymore.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Hello, Kristine,” Hank said, and his voice was even more powerful in person than it had been on the radio.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Hello,” she replied, blushing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThis isn’t real, she thought. I must be having a stroke. Or a heart attack. Am I dying?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eChapter 6: Paranoia Runs Deep\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan felt miserable.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eWhile he had never enjoyed his trips beyond his compound, they had taken on a terrible life of their own. Each time he was compelled to leave, he did so knowing full well that the man who had tried to kill him remained at large. And that was in addition to the fact that the police might connect Stefan to Jeremy Rhinehart’s murder in Fox Cat Hollow.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe fear reminded him of when his half-sister had hunted him, and he despised it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe had spent additional funds on establishing motion sensor lights farther up the road that lead to the warehouse. Stefan had also added an extended ring of cameras to the perimeter, and when he went into the observation room shortly after having woken up, there was an alert on his home screen.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe monitoring software he had installed had picked up and isolated the wireless feed he had been trying to hunt down since the failed attempt on his life.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan quickly typed in his passcode, accessed the account, and looked at the feed.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eWhat he found drove a cold, hard spike of mixed hatred and fear into his stomach.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe was looking at not one video feed, but four. Whoever was watching him had placed a camera on each side of the building. No matter where Stefan exited his home from, the unseen watcher would know it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan stared at the screen for a moment longer, then, with an angry grumble, he turned the monitor off.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eSwearing under his breath, Stefan stood up, shoving his chair back before he went stomping out of the room. He went to the kitchen, skipped his morning coffee, and reached for the vodka. Without bothering with a glass, Stefan opened the bottle, brought the mouth of it up to his lips, and took a long, bitter pull from it. He only stopped when he needed to breathe, his mouth burning, and his eyes watering from the strength of the alcohol.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan gripped the counter with one hand to steady himself, then he took another, smaller drink.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe knew it had to be the man who had tried to kill him. And Stefan felt certain his father and stepsister had put the man up to it. The stranger had been skilled. Extremely so, and Stefan suspected that the man had misjudged Stefan’s own capabilities.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eIt wasn’t a mistake the stranger was apt to make twice.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eFurious, Stefan brought the bottle back with him into the observation room. He turned on the monitor, immediately exited the feed for the enemy’s cameras, and sat down. In silence, Stefan brought up his sales and pondered over them. He tried to focus, realized that he wouldn’t be able to, and shifted his attention to the newspapers where he had shipped various items off.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHis anger increased, rising to a steady speed until he shoved the mouse away from him and pressed his hands against his eyes. The websites were empty of any sort of information regarding the dead and the damage they could inflict.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eGrinding his teeth in frustration, Stefan took a deep breath and reminded himself it was only a matter of time before something happened.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDropping his hands from his face, Stefan took hold of the mouse and began to search his sales again, hoping to find something there to appease his anger.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThere wasn’t.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan snarled and threw the mouse across the room, the plastic shattering against the wall. He sat in the chair for several minutes, irate and unable to move.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eFinally, when he had calmed down, Stefan opened his desk drawer, took out a new mouse, and went through the familiar motions of getting it ready.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eChapter 12: Adventure and Excitement\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor had managed to fall asleep in his bed rather than the chair in the study, and by doing so, he had obtained a good night’s sleep. When the sun had risen, so had Victor. He had eaten breakfast alone, and he was halfway through making his travel plans when Tom walked in, yawning.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy rubbed his face with his hand, the left sleeve of his pajama top hanging loose. Tom only put on the prosthetic in the morning when he was going to work out first, and it still shocked Victor when he saw the empty sleeve.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“How are you doing?” he asked as Tom waved at him.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy shrugged and got himself a glass of water.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Late night?” Victor asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No,” Tom said, putting the empty cup down on the counter. “Just tired. Bad dreams. You know?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor nodded. He knew all too well about bad dreams. The nights when he managed to get through to dawn without them were few and far between, and they were to be treasured.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Any big plans for today?” Tom asked, taking a box of Fruit Loops cereal down from a cabinet and carrying it to the table.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I need to go up to Concord,” Victor explained.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom’s eyes widened in surprise as he sat down. Then, fumbling with the box top, he said, “Concord, Massachusetts?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No,” Victor said, shaking his head, “Concord, New Hampshire.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“You’re spending a lot of time up in the granite state,” Tom said. Victor watched the boy hold the cereal box against his chest and fish a handful of the multicolored loops out. The teen ate them dry, waiting for Victor’s response to his statement.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I have to,” Victor stated. “At least right now. Seems like Korzh sent another item out.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHatred flashed through the boy’s eyes, but he regained control of himself instantly. “What happened?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor gave him all of the information he had been able to dig up on the internet about the ring. He watched the boy’s jaw tighten, his fingers twitching.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Do you want me to go with you?” Tom asked after a moment.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor shook his head. “I need you here, on the off chance that another item should show up in Fox Cat Hollow. It’s unlikely, I know, but there’s the possibility it could happen.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“What should I do if it does?” Tom asked. “I’m not exactly a hundred percent here, even with my prosthetic on. I’m just not that skilled with it yet.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I need you to be my eyes and ears,” Victor replied. “Read the papers. The local stuff and the ones you can find online. Make sure that you use your new name, too. If anyone asks.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom rolled his eyes and asked, “Why Jeremiah?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I don’t know,” Victor answered.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom shook his head. “I don’t like it.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“You don’t have to, Tom,” Victor replied. “You just need to use it. Can you see if you can get Iris to call you Jeremiah in public, too? And, speaking of Iris, try to keep her out of anything that might pop up, okay?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom frowned. “She won’t like that. Iris does what she wants.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor couldn’t help but smile. “I figured that. That’s why I said try. The last I heard, Korzh is still in the area. And so is Anne Le Morte.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom paled slightly at the name. He had faced the doll once before at the gas station, and the boy was fully aware of how dangerous the ghost could be.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Are you okay with that?” Victor asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom nodded, the color easing back into his cheeks.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Good. I should be leaving in about half an hour,” Victor said. “Unless you need something from the store.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No,” Tom said. “I should be alright. Iris will come over later. If I need anything, I’ll ask her to bring it. She’s usually okay with that.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I figured she would be.” Victor smiled. “Okay. I’m going to finish getting my stuff together. Make sure you keep your phone on and with you, even when you’re spending time with Iris.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Yeah,” Tom said, grinning. “I will.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy stood up, still pressing the cereal box to his chest. “Have a safe trip. You’ll send me a text when you get there?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Of course,” Victor said. “I’ll talk to you soon, Tom.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy nodded, smiled, and left the room.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor sighed and tried to focus on his trip. He didn’t like leaving Tom alone but bringing him to deal with another killer wasn’t a priority.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy would be safer in Pennsylvania than New Hampshire.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Scare Street","offers":[{"title":"PAPERBACK","offer_id":49443273179415,"sku":"HAUNTED COLLECTION SERIES","price":109.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"AUDIOBOOK","offer_id":49443525951767,"sku":"hc1-9","price":49.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"EBOOK","offer_id":47308326666519,"sku":"hc1-9e","price":34.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"EBOOK + AUDIO","offer_id":51617823392023,"sku":"hc1-9ebab","price":59.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0798\/7209\/8583\/files\/1-WEB_HCS1-9_BSpread_45-_v3.1.jpg?v=1766719839"},{"product_id":"hauntedvillage1-9","title":"Haunted Village Series: Books 1 to 9 Bundle","description":"\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"color: #00000;\" data-mce-style=\"color: #00000;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #00000;\" class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\" data-mce-style=\"color: #00000;\"\u003eWelcome to the ultimate experiment in terror…\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eProfessor Abel Worthe is brilliant, wealthy, and utterly immoral. He is an expert in a very particular field: the study of fear and death. Using his vast resources, Worthe has transported a collection of haunted houses and paranormal sites to his hidden village. And kidnapped civilians are forced to confront unknown horrors in the chilling name of research. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMarcus Holt thought his worst memories were behind him. A veteran of the Vietnam War, this old soldier is haunted by nightmares of brutal conflict. But he’s about to discover that his battle for survival has only just begun… \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\"\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAt first I had a had time understanding the premise of this series... if you are the same way, hang tight you'll understand soon. Professor Abel Worthe is sadistic and easy to detest. Each haunted house they put in the village has its own awful presence, and challenges. Subject B, Marcos Holt, and his friends - fight these ghosts, try and save other subject that they can and thwart the Professor at every turn.\" - Reviewer\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \u003c\/strong\u003e\"I really wish I could see this series on tv or cable. I really enjoyed reading this series. I wish I could read another series with all characters combined from both of the long series so I could see how they deal with the afterlife of what happened to them to this point. Thank you for writing this series. It was great just like the other series I have read about haunted objects. I will seek out more of this authors work.\" - Reviewer\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \u003c\/strong\u003e\"Each book has a new house, new ghosts, new challenges for the group.... Professor Worthe is clearly demented, as are those who work for him.\" - Reviewer\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBooks Included in the Bundle:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Worthe's Village (Book 1)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Hell's Hammer (Book 2)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Butcher's Hands (Book 3)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Soul Harvest (Book 4)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Poisonous Whispers (Book 5)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Brutal Lessons (Book 6)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Christopher's Blade (Book 7)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Silent Death (Book 8)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Deranged Souls (Book 9)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable style=\"width: 100%; height: 137.157px;\" width=\"100%\" data-mce-style=\"width: 100%; height: 137.157px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRINT LENGTH\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAUDIO LENGTH\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNARRATED BY \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRODUCT DIMENSION\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLANGUAGE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003eEnglish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePUBLICATION DATE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003eJanuary 28, 2020\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"product-block product-block--tab\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsibles-wrapper collapsibles-wrapper--border-bottom\"\u003e\n\u003cbutton type=\"button\" class=\"label collapsible-trigger collapsible-trigger-btn collapsible-trigger-btn--borders collapsible--auto-height\" aria-controls=\"Product-content-tab_f3QTgL8782181630231\" aria-expanded=\"false\"\u003e Read a Sample \u003cspan class=\"collapsible-trigger__icon collapsible-trigger__icon--open\" role=\"presentation\"\u003e \u003csvg aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"icon icon--wide icon-chevron-down\" viewbox=\"0 0 28 16\" focusable=\"false\"\u003e\u003cpath d=\"m1.57 1.59 12.76 12.77L27.1 1.59\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke=\"#000\" fill=\"none\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003c\/svg\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Product-content-tab_f3QTgL8782181630231\" class=\"collapsible-content collapsible-content--all\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsible-content__inner rte\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 17pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 17pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChapter 2: An Unwanted Conversation\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“You know, I’m rather upset with you,” Worthe said.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eMarcus stood at the base of the stairs, wanting to go back inside and get out of the cold, but he knew it wouldn’t happen.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eNot until he has his say, Marcus thought. He took out his pipe, put the stem in his mouth, then quickly lit the tobacco.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Aren’t you even going to ask what I’m upset about?” Worthe asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eMarcus looked from his captor to the armed guards around the man, then back to Worthe and the fur-parka he wore.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No,” Marcus said, exhaling smoke into the morning air. “I can’t say that I am particularly interested in what pleases or upsets you, Mr. Worthe.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I do have my doctorate, Mr. Holt,” Worthe replied, and for the first time, Marcus felt as though he had touched some nerve in the man. Before, Worthe had always ignored any lack of title.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I think that we would have to debate the subject of your doctorate, Mr. Worthe,” Marcus said, careful not to push the man too far. Someone mad enough to kidnap us and keep us prisoner would certainly be mad enough to have us shot out of hand.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eWorthe’s face reddened for a moment, then he laughed and shook his head.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I am not particularly upset about the destruction of the taxi station,” Worthe confessed. “I will freely admit that I suspected it might come about. What I am a little disgruntled about is the situation with the Drake house.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I’m not,” Marcus said. “Now, Mr. Worthe, if you don’t mind, I would like to get inside and warm up before I suffer from any frostbite.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“A moment more,” Worthe said, and by his guards’ change in body posture, Marcus knew it wasn’t a request.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Yes?” Marcus asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I have noticed,” Worthe said, “that you have a tendency to see yourself as a protector.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eMarcus nodded.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Excellent,” Worthe said, grinning. “Well, I would like you to know that in a very short time you will have another opportunity to meet someone and try to save them. Or let them die. Whichever you choose. I suspect it will be the former and not the latter. Regardless, there is another structure coming in, and there is another subject, of course. I wanted to make sure you were aware of this, to allow you some measure of time to prepare yourself both mentally and physically.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“You mean,” Marcus said, “you want to see me work myself up and remain in a state of worry until the individual actually arrives.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“However you want to phrase it,” Worthe said with a chuckle. “Six of one, half a dozen of the other. Well, say good morning to your colleagues for me, Marcus. I am sure we will speak together again soon.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eWithout waiting to watch the man leave, Marcus turned around and walked into his home.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“What did he want?” Joyce asked once Marcus was settled in his chair.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“To gloat and to antagonize,” he replied, sighing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAlex came into the room and sat down beside Joyce. The woman wrapped her arm around his shoulders, an act so natural that neither of them seemed to notice it happen.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“It would appear,” Marcus began, “that he is once again bringing in a building, and that there will be a ghost attached to it in some way. Also, he fully intends to bring in a new subject. One who will evidently require some sort of protection.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Is he telling the truth?” Alex asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eMarcus smiled at the boy.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I am sure he is,” Marcus said. “He wouldn’t have anything to gain in lying to us. If we didn’t believe him anymore, he wouldn’t be able to increase the mental pressure on us. Or possibly enable us to convey that worry to the most recent subject.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“He’s a real sweetheart,” Joyce said bitterly.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Did he say when it would happen?” Alex asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eMarcus shook his head. “I am afraid not. We need to keep our eyes open and to try and get the other ghosts to do the same.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 17pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 17pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChapter 5: Learning from Past Mistakes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJane wasn’t a stupid person.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eShe tended not to let on she was intelligent. It didn’t always work out well for her. But one fact she prided herself on was her ability to learn from her mistakes.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAnd transporting the damned greenhouse had been nothing but one huge mistake, she thought grimly. A mistake that will not be repeated.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJane sat in Luis’ car, the man asleep in the driver’s seat beside her. His head was back at a slight angle, his mouth agape, and small snores occasionally emanated from him. Beyond the car’s interior, the world was dark. Lights from the security guards’ post at the gate into the lot illuminated the building and the guardsmen who patrolled the area. And while most people, Jane knew, would be disgruntled with Luis sleeping, she wasn’t.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eShe knew how quickly he came awake. Jane had seen it in the past, and it was a fearful sight.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eLuis didn’t awaken to a blind rage or panic.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe awoke with the same calm, cold attention and ability to perform violence as if he hadn’t been sleeping at all.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDavid made a good call, putting Luis in charge, she thought.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJane picked up her phone and checked her text messages. As she did so, one came through.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDFC. ETA 15MIKE.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eShe nodded as she read it, then typed back, 10-4.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Was it them?” Luis asked without opening his eyes.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I hate it when you do that,” Jane replied, putting her phone down. “And yeah, that was the Crew. They’re about fifteen minutes out.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eLuis grunted, although she didn’t know if it was in approval or disapproval.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe opened his eyes and straightened up.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“You okay?” he asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eShe looked at him in surprise. “Yeah. Why?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I didn’t know if anyone leaned on you about the last building acquisition,” he said.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eFrom anyone other than Luis, Jane would have been offended.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No,” she answered. “They haven’t said a thing. Well, wait, that’s not true. Shorty from accounting came down and complained about the cost to clean up the mess.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Shorty always complains about everything,” Luis said dismissively.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJane snickered and nodded. “Yeah. That’s the truth right there.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Just curious,” Luis said. “How are you moving this one?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Two separate steps prior to actual transportation,” Jane said. “Bringing the medium in to see if she can chat up the ghost for us. Second, going to use iron-lined mesh on all openings. I had a crew map them out today, and I had the mesh made after the greenhouse transport.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eLuis offered her one of his rare smiles. “That’s why you’re the best there is for house acquisitions, Jane.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eShe grinned at him. “Thanks, Luis. I appreciate that.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“It’s true,” he said.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThey were quiet for a moment, and then Jane asked Luis a question no one seemed to want to ask.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Luis, you surprised Timmy didn’t get all upset about not getting Suzie’s job?” she asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eLuis shook his head. “No. I would have been surprised if he had. He and Amir were pretty tight. Well, about as tight as Timmy can be with anyone. He always thought Amir should have had it over Suzie anyway. But Timmy didn’t want it. If he had, he would have burned down Heaven and cut his way through Hell to get to it.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJane grunted her agreement. “That’s true. Timmy’s not exactly someone I’d want to cross.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Not even a matter of crossing him,” Luis said, closing his eyes and getting comfortable again. “It’s a matter of whether or not he wants it. He’ll do what he thinks is necessary. That’s what most people don’t realize about him. About why he’s so good at killing people. Timmy just doesn’t care. He doesn’t compartmentalize or tuck those memories away to deal with on a drunken binge. Nope, not our Timmy. Killing someone is as easy as taking out the trash or doing the dishes. He might not want to do it, but that’s because he’s feeling lazy, and not because he thinks there’s a problem with the kill.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 17pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 17pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChapter 8: Cartography\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe paper was spread out over the kitchen table, pencils and pens of different colors neatly arranged at the top. A cold cup of tea was on his right, and his pipe, the tobacco long since finished, was still held between his teeth.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eMarcus looked at the rough outline he had drawn and furrowed his brow.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Knock, knock,” Joyce said, limping into the kitchen.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eMarcus glanced at her, took the pipe out of his mouth and smiled.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eShe laughed and shook her head.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“What?” Marcus asked, wincing as he straightened up in his chair. He wasn’t done healing from his injuries, and he doubted he would ever fully recover from them.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“You,” Joyce answered. “Your smile. I’m amazed you never married, Marcus. I think you were probably a devil before you mellowed out.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I was a devil,” Marcus agreed.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Do you want some coffee?” Joyce asked, going to the stove. “Or are you going to nurse that tea for the next hour or so?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Coffee would be excellent, thank you,” Marcus said. He tapped the ashes out of his pipe and onto an old plate scattered with the same. Marcus drew his tobacco pouch out of his pocket and filled the pipe.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“So, what are you working on in here?” Joyce asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“A map to the kingdom of Heaven,” Marcus said.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“What?” she shot him a confused glance over her shoulder.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“When I went to visit Worthe in his home,” Marcus explained, “I memorized every detail I could. I am hopeful it will be enough when we get out.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJoyce walked over and looked down at the map. After a moment, she said in a slightly awed tone, “You did all that from memory?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eMarcus smiled. “Yes.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Damn, the details are amazing,” she said softly. “You’ve got the entire Village sketched out as well. The fence, the guards. Marcus, are those the times the guards patrol?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“They are,” Marcus said. “And the shift changes as well. Everything is set up in an eight-day rotating pattern, but it is still a pattern. The guards change, of course, but the routine stays the same. One of the beautiful aspects of the military. Everything continues as planned unless something radically alters the plan.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“So, when it’s time to leave,” Joyce said, “we’ll know exactly when and how to get out.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“That’s the theory,” Marcus agreed. “But putting it into practice will be something entirely different. There is a maxim—military, of course—stating all generals enter battle with a plan. Only a fool, however, sticks to it.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Sounds about right to me,” Joyce murmured. She limped around to the other side of the table, pulled the chair out and sat down. “I have a question.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Yes?” Marcus asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“What are we doing about getting Elaine back?” Joyce’s look was intense.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I am hoping I might be able to negotiate with Worthe.” The statement hung in the air between them, and Joyce shook her head.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“How? What in the hell do you have he would possibly exchange her shackles for?” Joyce demanded.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Me.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJoyce blinked in disbelief.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“What?” she asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I have myself,” Marcus said. “I will offer myself up for some random test. I am certain he will jump at the opportunity to have me willingly isolate myself and be placed in some strange situation to judge my reactions.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Marcus,” Joyce said, reaching across the map and taking his hand into hers. “You can’t do this. That’s too much.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“But it’s not too much,” Marcus replied, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. “She means a great deal to Alex. If we, if I, do not try this, then he will be lost to us. He will not trust us to come through for him, should something happen, because he does not see her as merely a ghost. She is more. Elaine is his friend.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJoyce sighed and looked down at the map. Finally, she nodded, slipped her hand out of his and said in a voice thick with emotion, “You’re right.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“There is something else I feel I must address,” Marcus said. “I have spent a great deal of time considering our situation, and I have come to a conclusion.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJoyce frowned at him, and waited for him to continue.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I will not be able to escape.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe statement hung in the air for a long time between them.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eMarcus could see the muscles in her jaw working as she struggled to express herself.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Why,” Joyce said in a low, raw voice, “do you think that?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\" dir=\"ltr\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 22pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\" data-mce-style=\"background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I am old, my friend,” he said, taking her hand into his own. The callouses on her fingers were comforting. “Granted, I am stubborn, and I would force myself to keep pace. You, though, are getting stronger every day. The boy is strong, too, but both of you would eventually be forced to either remain with me, as I dragged us down, or you would be required to leave me.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Scare Street","offers":[{"title":"PAPERBACK","offer_id":51939120906519,"sku":"HAUNTED VILLAGE SERIES","price":109.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"AUDIOBOOK","offer_id":50112609485079,"sku":"hv1-9","price":69.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"EBOOK","offer_id":47851960467735,"sku":"hv1-9e","price":39.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0798\/7209\/8583\/files\/FF_1-9.jpg?v=1706871540"},{"product_id":"tormentedsouls1-6","title":"Tormented Souls Series: Books 1 to 6 Bundle","description":"\u003ch2\u003e\n\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003eThe dead speak and one man hears their harrowing cries...\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDan Tate survived a heart-breaking tragedy and is plagued by nightmares of his terrifying ordeal. Withdrawing into an emotionless shell, he has driven away everyone who cared about him. Dan is lost, and utterly alone. Until he hears the voices…\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn Coffin Cemetery, the anguished spirits cry out, seeking a way to move on. But Dan isn’t the only one who speaks with the dead. Janet Ladd, a greedy and corrupt medium, also hears their call. She intends to use these tormented souls to fulfill her own petty desires.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAs the body count increases, panic and chaos ensue, and the police find themselves at a loss to explain the mangled corpses on the streets.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDan and his ghostly allies are the only thing standing between Janet and the innocent citizens of Anger. He’s just one man… scared, broken, and traumatized by pain most can only imagine. But he’ll put his life on the line to defend his loved ones.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEven if it costs him his mortal soul…\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"I would like to see this series as a made for tv movie. I would definitely want to see it. I love the style of writing. Thanks for writing. I ll be looking for more of this authors work. It fits with my reading requirements for books. Sometimes the horror is darker than usual which makes it great for me. I wouldn't recommend this series for immature readers. They wouldn't understand a lot of the writing. I love this writing. I ll read mire when I find it.\" - Reviewer\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"Love all Ron Ripley books, this was a really good read from 1st book to the last, master horror writer lots of detail, can't wait to read another\" - Reviewer\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\"I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this series. It is definitely horror. Sometimes dark horror which is what I look for. I love the characters and the villains are horrible and I'm waiting for some of them to get their just deserts. I have heard of a childhood story my mother told me about a missing young girl in her neighborhood as a kid. Never thought I d read about the whole family being treated that way. Yes this story is fiction. My mother's story wasn't that's why it really was disgusting. But that's what good horror fiction is. Thank you for writing. Looking forward to reading the rest of the available writings of this author.\" - Reviewer\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBooks Included in the Bundle:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Coffin Cemetery (Book 1)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Anger and Death (Book 2)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Feast of Fear (Book 3)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Bloody Anger (Book 4)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Streets of Anger (Book 5)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Anger's Ruin (Book 6)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThis Offer Is Not Available Anywhere Else!\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ctable style=\"width: 100%; height: 98px;\" width=\"100%\" data-mce-style=\"width: 100%; height: 98px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.6px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRINT LENGTH\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.6px;\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAUDIO LENGTH\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%;\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.6px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.6px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNARRATED BY \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.6px;\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.6px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.6px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRODUCT DIMENSION\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.6px;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%;\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.6px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.6px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLANGUAGE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.6px;\"\u003eEnglish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePUBLICATION DATE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%;\"\u003eJune 30, 2022\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"product-block product-block--tab\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsibles-wrapper collapsibles-wrapper--border-bottom\"\u003e\n\u003cbutton type=\"button\" class=\"label collapsible-trigger collapsible-trigger-btn collapsible-trigger-btn--borders collapsible--auto-height\" aria-controls=\"Product-content-tab_f3QTgL8782181630231\" aria-expanded=\"false\"\u003e Read a Sample \u003cspan class=\"collapsible-trigger__icon collapsible-trigger__icon--open\" role=\"presentation\"\u003e \u003csvg aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"icon icon--wide icon-chevron-down\" viewbox=\"0 0 28 16\" focusable=\"false\"\u003e\u003cpath d=\"m1.57 1.59 12.76 12.77L27.1 1.59\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke=\"#000\" fill=\"none\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003c\/svg\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Product-content-tab_f3QTgL8782181630231\" class=\"collapsible-content collapsible-content--all\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsible-content__inner rte\"\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eChapter 4: Moonlight\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDan finished his coffee, put the mug down, and stood up. I’ll check again.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe had gone through the entire cemetery several times, but he hadn’t seen the ghost of the boy again. Dan understood that ghosts existed. As far as he was concerned, they had to exist. The burden of evidence was with the naysayers.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJessica didn’t believe, he thought, then chided himself. Don’t bring her up.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eIt was always a challenge to function normally after seeing his ex-wife. It drained him, emotionally, to speak with her. Every syllable uttered was a painful reminder of how he had never spoken enough during their marriage.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThen, there was the issue with the children.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eChildren, he thought. I need to look for that boy again. What help does he need from me?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDan shook the thoughts away. He knew he needed to find the boy and help him if he could. Some ghosts, he remembered from television and movies, needed help. Others did not.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eNo, Dan thought. Others want the opposite. They want to destroy the world.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDan stretched a little to work out the kinks in his back. One more loop tonight. Then I’ll go to bed. I have twenty-five pages to read to keep on my goal.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe idea that he would soon be reading served as a pleasant distraction while he prepared for his last walkthrough of the night. He picked his mug back up and carried it to the sink. After rinsing and drying it, he set it on the floor beside the coffeemaker. Dan left the small room, exiting the building by way of one of the front doors. The night was clear, the light of the moon and the stars stunning in their brilliance. Dan smiled at the old headstones, the way some of them leaned, and others sank a few inches.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eMentally, he marked off the headstones which would require movement or repairs of some kind. He proceeded slowly along the perimeter of the fence, pausing to commit a section to memory. The old urge to write, to research, and to create sprang up within him, and Dan found himself staring at an ancient, slate headstone.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe epitaph carved into it concerned returning to the dust from whence the reader came, and he smiled. Yes, Dan thought, chuckling. It would be good to research these people. Get some new information.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThen, his thoughts collapsed upon themselves as the sound of gunfire and screams exploded in his memory. He shuddered, rooted to the ground as reality faded before the onslaught of the past.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eA terrible cold swept over him, and Dan closed his eyes, trying to shut down the memories before they became too much for him to bear.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBreathe. Breathe. Breathe. Each word was a command, not a suggestion. Hours of therapy had been reduced to a single word. He was unable to do anything other than focus on the most basic bodily function of all—respiration.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and he shivered violently, trying to warm himself as he continued to squeeze his eyes shut. His hands balled into fists, and his breath rushed in and out through clenched teeth. Once again, he smelled the heavy, iron-rich stench of too much blood.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Are you unwell?” a soft voice asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDan gasped, turned around to respond, and saw nothing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHis heart skipped a beat, his breath caught in his throat and, for a brief moment, he wondered if he had gone mad.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eI’ve been worrying about this, he thought, feeling detached. Is it possible I’ve driven myself into insanity? Yes, anything is a possibility. If I recognize it as a problem, doesn’t it mean that I’m not insane? Or are there moments of lucidity, like now? Here’s another question: do I care if I’m insane or not?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBefore he could answer himself, a dark shape dashed between a pair of granite obelisks, catching his attention.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eI think that was a person, Dan thought. He cleared his throat nervously and said, “Hello, if you’re there. You have to leave the cemetery. We’re closed from dusk to dawn.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eFrom behind the obelisk on the left came a child’s mournful voice.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I can’t leave,” the child replied. “This is where I have to live now.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eFear and uncertainty were batted aside by concern for the unseen child.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“What do you mean?” Dan asked. “Did your parents make you leave?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No,” the child answered. “They’re dead.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eChapter 7: Acceptance\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Dan!”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDan put his saw down and looked over his shoulder.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eGarrett Pence, the man in charge of the cemeteries and parks, strolled up the narrow road, his hands in his pockets. Dan picked up his water bottle, opened it, and took a long gulp as Garrett closed the distance between them. By the time Dan had finished his drink and set it back upon the ground, Garrett reached him, offering his hand.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDan shook it. “What brings you out today?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Just work,” Garrett responded. “Want to sit down?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDan nodded and sat, resting his back against one of the sawhorses. Garrett took out a pack of gum and offered a stick to Dan, who shook his head. They sat in silence for a few minutes.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“How are you doing out here, away from everyone?” Garrett asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Fine.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Do you see the kids at all?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDan shook his head. “No. They don’t want me to.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eGarrett frowned. “I thought the judge awarded you shared custody?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“He did,” Dan replied. “I won’t force them to see me, though.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Dan,” Garrett murmured, sighing with exasperation. “How are you going to mend bridges if you won’t even talk to them?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDan stiffened. “I won’t.” He looked down at the grass, picked a few stems and added, “They don’t like me, Garrett, and I don’t know how to talk to them. They’re too old now.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Dan,” Garrett began, then stopped. “Too old?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDan nodded.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eGarrett frowned again, then his eyebrows raised. “Are you comparing them to the kids from Clayton High School?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDan swallowed nervously.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Hey man,” Garrett said. “You have to try and work past that. Otherwise, all you’re going to see every time you bump into a teenager is the school.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDan slumped as he whispered, “I can’t get past it. I try. I try every day. But I see them. I hear them. Hell, Garrett, I feel them. Do you understand that? Can you?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eGarrett shook his head.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDan continued. “One of them, she died in my arms. Right there, she died. I could see her go. Out of her mouth, like someone stuck a hand into her throat and pulled her soul out.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Damn,” Garrett sighed. “Have you talked to anybody about this?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Not about all of it.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Remember Courtney Lee, from high school?” Garrett asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Yeah,” he replied.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“She runs her own practice in town now,” the man informed him. “You could probably get in and see her. Hell, if you need it, I can give her a call and ask if she can squeeze you in. You look terrible, Dan. You need help. And sooner rather than later, okay?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDan opened his mouth to argue, but then he closed it. He had seen his reflection in the small mirror over the sink. He knew how bad he looked. Worse, he knew how terrible he felt.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Yeah,” he agreed finally. “If you could call her, that’d be great.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eGarrett clapped him on the back. “There, it’s settled. Now, what are you working on?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Putting in some new boards along the back wall, between my room and the rest of the school.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“You sure you don’t want to stay with me?” Garrett asked, looking at the schoolhouse. “Don’t imagine the room’s very big or comfortable.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“It’s big enough and comfortable enough,” Dan assured him. “It’s what I need.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eGarrett was quiet for a moment, then added, “Kids can’t see you if you only have a place big enough for a hammock, Dan.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe nodded but didn’t reply.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eGarrett sighed. “Do you even want to see your kids?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDan looked down at his hands. “No, not yet. They don’t need me. I wasn’t a good guy, Garrett. Before the shooting. I wasn’t a good guy.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eSilence fell over them, and they sat there, listening to bird songs and the chatter of squirrels. Beneath the sweet sounds of nature, Dan Tate still heard the screams of dying children.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eChapter 17: Found\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eA hand touched Dan’s shoulder, and he shuddered, scurrying away from it and inadvertently striking his head against a headstone. He swore as stars exploded in front of his eyes.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Dan!”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe tried to focus and succeeded. Jessica stood in front of him, her car parked a short distance away. Aaron and Emily were in the vehicle, eyes wide and filled with disappointment as they looked upon their father.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eShame burned his cheeks, and he looked down at the ground between his legs.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Dan,” Jessica said again, her voice lower. “What the hell is wrong with you?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe never spoke to her about the shooting. Not once. His silence had been too much. The final spike driven between them, the proverbial straw and the camel’s back.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHis words were barely a whisper when he replied. “Nothing.” Dan reached up, took hold of the top of the headstone and, trembling, pulled himself to his feet.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJessica looked at him, then shook her head in disgusted disbelief.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I have change from the shoes,” she muttered, reaching into her pocket.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Keep it.” Dan’s voice was rough. “Buy the kids lunch. I know they don’t eat Happy Meals anymore, but I don’t know, maybe something else.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJessica tilted her head a fraction of an inch. “Dan, what’s wrong?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Clayton,” he managed to utter before his throat closed up and his lips pressed together, his fear rendering him mute.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Oh hell,” she sighed. “You need to get some help. Believe it or not, the kids, they miss you. As difficult as you were, you’re their dad. I’m not going to preach to you about this. We’ve been over it too often. Maybe, if you can get your act together, you can salvage your relationship with them.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJessica looked at him, and Dan saw the woman he had fallen in love with twenty years earlier. Black hair that fell in curls to her shoulders, olive-toned skin, deep brown eyes.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe nodded. “Okay. Please, tell them I’m sorry. I’ll, I’ll try and see someone. Garrett, he recommended a therapist.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Do it,” she said. “Do it and give your kids a call, Dan. I’ll take them out to eat. Tell them it was from you.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Thanks.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eShe gave him a tight smile, turned, and left. He clung to the marker as she got back into her vehicle and put it in gear. As the brake lights flashed, Dan raised a hand in farewell and was surprised when both children returned the gesture.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThen they were gone, and he was alone.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eFor a few more minutes, he remained upright courtesy of the headstone. When he felt strong enough, Dan stepped away from it, bent down and picked up his backpack. He walked on tense legs to the schoolhouse.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eLater, when he was in his room, his pack forgotten on his chair, he sat in front of the wall with a box of penny nails on the floor before him. With a sigh, he opened the box and took out a handful of the fasteners. He picked out a single nail and set it on the floor, parallel to the wall. A second followed it, then a third.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAs he sought some sort of control and peace, nail after nail followed. Ten, then twenty. A hundred and two hundred. Hours passed, and still, he worked on his organization.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHis phone chimed, telling him it was six in the evening and time for dinner. Dan had missed lunch, and his stomach growled and twisted. He got to his feet, wavered for a heartbeat, regained his sense of balance, then went about the familiar and comforting routine of preparing and eating dinner.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eWhen he finished, Dan sat down in his chair, stared at the wall, and wondered when Garret would return with information about Courtney Lee.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDan closed his eyes and tried to take a deep, calming breath, but all he could manage were ragged inhalations. His exhalations sounded like the dying gasps of a steam engine.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eShould I just kill myself? he thought. It wasn’t the first time such an idea had crossed his mind. Until he actually did commit suicide, he doubted it would be the last.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eNo. Dan shook his head. That would be too much for the kids. I can’t do that to them. No.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe yawned and considered getting up and going to his hammock. Such an act would require him to move, and Dan felt incapable of movement. I can sleep in my chair tonight. Or at least for a little bit.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Scare Street","offers":[{"title":"EBOOK","offer_id":47854161920279,"sku":"ts1-6e","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"AUDIOBOOK","offer_id":50112614531351,"sku":"ts1-6","price":59.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0798\/7209\/8583\/files\/FF_1-6_778713ba-2724-488b-b4ba-57bfbfb9f951.jpg?v=1706873581"},{"product_id":"deathhunter1-6","title":"Death Hunter Series: Books 1 to 6 Bundle","description":"\u003ch2 data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\" style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\" data-mce-style=\"color: rgb(0, 0, 0);\"\u003eGet 6 horror-packed books, guaranteed to send shivers down your spine with our exclusive Death Hunter Series bundle!\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eA ghost collector grows deadlier than the spirits he hunts…\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShane Ryan knows all about pain and suffering. A retired Marine gunnery sergeant, Shane has seen the worst humanity has to offer. He survived his ordeal, but his soul has been tainted by the darkness, leaving him with a permanent connection to the world of the supernatural.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShane sees the spirits of the dead, he hears their whispered cries of pain. And it’s a gift he plans to put to good use, when he travels to Detroit to investigate the death of one woman who saw through all the darkness in his heart. A woman who became his lover, many years ago.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShane is certain she was working a case, tracking down a deadly collector of the paranormal. And he’s determined to use his abilities to force the spirits haunting the urban sprawl to reveal her killer. But when he clashes with retired police detective Enoch Liddell, Shane realizes he’s not the only one hunting ghosts.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe two men soon find themselves locked in a supernatural game of cat and mouse. But it will take more than guts and guns to defeat this opponent, and his sinister ally…\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"This was a great close for Alex and what he became. I hope to see Shane again in the future. May he achieve the peace he needs after all of this. I also hope to read about his friends as well. A great read. Thank you for writing.\" - Reviewer\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"I'm happy to read about the characters I have read about in the past. I'm not happy about how Alex turned out but u understand why he did. I will continue to seek out the work of Mr Ripley. Thank you for writing.\" - Reviewer\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"Can't wait to read the rest of the books, Shane is a great character, I highly recommend this series if you like ghosts and kicking ass.\" - Reviewer\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBooks Included in the Bundle:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ City of Ghosts (Book 1)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Moran and Moran (Book 2)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Thorne's Tome (Book 3)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Mistress of Death (Book 4)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Sin's Judgment (Book 5)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Shadows' End (Book 6)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThis Offer Is Not Available Anywhere Else!\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ctable style=\"width: 100%; height: 98px;\" width=\"100%\" data-mce-style=\"width: 100%; height: 98px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.6px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRINT LENGTH\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.6px;\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAUDIO LENGTH\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%;\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.6px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.6px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNARRATED BY \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.6px;\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.6px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.6px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRODUCT DIMENSION\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.6px;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%;\"\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.6px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.6px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLANGUAGE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.6px;\"\u003eEnglish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePUBLICATION DATE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%;\"\u003eJuly 04, 2022\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"product-block product-block--tab\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsibles-wrapper collapsibles-wrapper--border-bottom\"\u003e\n\u003cbutton type=\"button\" class=\"label collapsible-trigger collapsible-trigger-btn collapsible-trigger-btn--borders collapsible--auto-height\" aria-controls=\"Product-content-tab_f3QTgL8782181630231\" aria-expanded=\"false\"\u003e Read a Sample \u003cspan class=\"collapsible-trigger__icon collapsible-trigger__icon--open\" role=\"presentation\"\u003e \u003csvg aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"icon icon--wide icon-chevron-down\" viewbox=\"0 0 28 16\" focusable=\"false\"\u003e\u003cpath d=\"m1.57 1.59 12.76 12.77L27.1 1.59\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke=\"#000\" fill=\"none\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003c\/svg\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Product-content-tab_f3QTgL8782181630231\" class=\"collapsible-content collapsible-content--all\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsible-content__inner rte\"\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eChapter 4: Detroit\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“And you are certain they are both dead?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHarry turned away from the large picture window overlooking the street and sighed. “Enoch, that’s a helluva question to ask me, isn’t it?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eEnoch’s mind raced for a moment, searching the proper response for offending someone. His lack of empathy and his inability to grasp social norms and facial cues made conversations difficult, and he had had to study proper responses for years.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eEnoch found the applicable reaction, and he offered Harry a tight smile as an apology. “You know I have to ask, Harry. All the boxes need to be checked off.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe dead man chuckled and walked to the rocking chair in the far corner of the room. It seemed impossible that the former fighter could have ever sat comfortably in the chair, and it was strange that he was attached to it. “Yes, I suppose you do. In answer to that, yeah, Enoch, I killed them both. The woman was hard as nails. Fought the whole time.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I am not surprised,” Enoch conceded. He closed the woman’s file on the computer, keeping it in secure cloud storage. “Anything of interest in the house?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHarry shrugged and rocked slowly. “Don’t know for sure. There was a safe. Iron and I suppose lead on the inside. Couldn’t figure it out, obviously.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Where was it? Out in the open or any place easily discoverable?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe dead man shook his head. “No. I poked around and saw it in the basement. Looks like it should be part of the old coal-burning furnace, but it ain’t. Why? You thinking of going in after it?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eEnoch considered the question and picked up his pipe. He packed tobacco into the bowl methodically and lit it before he offered an answer. “No. I think it would be too much trouble. More than likely, it is being used to confine someone. However, we are nearly at our quota at this time and are merely awaiting a response as to whether or not our client wants more. If he does, then we will entertain the idea of going into the house for the safe.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Fair enough.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAs Enoch smoked, the living man and his dead compatriot sat in silence. A large truck passed by on the street, rattling the photographs hanging on the walls and the Waterford Crystal in its cabinet. Enoch shifted his gaze to the crystal and thought of his mother. She had always been kind to him. So, too, had his father. Yet he couldn’t mourn them. He wasn’t certain he wanted to.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Hey, Enoch, what’s the next job?” Harry’s voice cut through Enoch’s cold, distant examination of his feelings toward his parents.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I was thinking of the library,” Enoch answered. “There are quite a few well-documented ghosts in the main building. At least two of them are violent and they will help us to fill the quota. I think it should be easy enough to get in and locate them.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHarry stopped rocking the chair and looked at him. “That’s a helluva distance.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I know. I was going to try something different, see if it worked or not.” Thinking it a suitable expression, Enoch forced a smile. He inhaled the pipe smoke deeply, enjoying the soft, cherry flavor.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“What’s that?” Harry asked, interlacing his fingers together on his lap and leaning forward.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThere was no mistaking the coiled violence in the dead man, the obvious joy the idea of fighting brought to Harry’s eyes.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eIf he was alive, Enoch thought, I would shoot him for asking so many damned questions.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHiding his annoyance behind a neutral demeanor, Enoch answered the question. “I will carve a fair-sized splinter out of the back of your rocker. You know, to see if you are attached to any part of the rocker, or if it has to be the whole thing. Anyway, when I have a piece cut off, we will do a test run to see how far you can go, if at all, past the mile mark.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“And if it doesn’t work?” Harry asked. “What then?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Then I rent a van, load your rocking chair into it, and we find a place to park within a mile of the library.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHarry chuckled, leaned back, and rocked gently. Enoch took long, slow draughts from the pipe, and enjoyed the warmth of the morning sun’s light coming through the picture window.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eChapter 10: A Little Night Reading\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eGina Collette liked to work late. It was the only time she could truly be alone with the books at the main branch of the Detroit Public Library. More than once, she had stayed the entire night, and she was always thrilled to do so.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThere were ghosts in the library, and while she had heard that some of them were violent, they left her alone, for the most part.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eOnce, when she had first started working there, she had been attacked by the ghost of an angry old woman who was, of all things, arguing about the fines of a late book. Gina had managed to escape the ghost’s wrath when she promised to wave the dead woman’s fines and to reinstate her borrowing privileges.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eShe had nearly turned in her resignation after that incident, but as she reflected the day after, Gina had decided that she wasn’t going to let an old, angry ghost stop her from working in a building she had loved since she was old enough to walk.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDetermined to remain and to protect herself, Gina had researched the best way to keep herself safe, and that was to bar the door to her office with salt. Several times she had brought salt with her and poured a thick line of it across the threshold to keep herself safe from their harassment. Then, while shopping one day, she had come upon the idea of using a draft stopper filled with salt. It was easier to clean up, less wasteful, and she could keep it in the bottom drawer of her desk without anyone wondering why. The library was drafty in more than one place, and it wasn’t unusual for someone in a back office to have a pair of heavy slippers to warm their feet with when not out on the floor.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eGina turned on her Keurig machine, dropped in a pod with hot chocolate, and when the water was heated, she brewed the drink. As the machine whirred and hummed, the smell of the hot chocolate filled the office and brought a smile to her face. She stifled a yawn and saw it was almost midnight.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eGina had finished the extra work she had wanted to get done earlier in the evening, and she had no desire to go back to her apartment. Her roommate, Ellie, and Ellie’s boyfriend, Nate, were spending a romantic evening celebrating their two-month anniversary.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eGina rolled her eyes. Ellie had a lot of romantic celebrations with a lot of boyfriends.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eI need a new roommate, Gina thought, opening the Keurig when it finished and throwing out the pod. She turned off the machine and unplugged it before she picked up her mug. She held the ceramic between her hands, bringing the mug up to her nose and closing her eyes as she inhaled the sweet aroma of the beverage. So good.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eShe went to take a sip when there was a loud, rattling sound from the end of the hallway. Her heartbeat spiked, and she hastily set the mug down on her desk. Gina hurried to the door and closed it without looking around. The noise continued as she locked the door, then took out the draft stopper and laid it across the bottom of the door. On her desk, she had a replica troll-ward from Norway. It was made out of forged iron nails, and iron was the only other object she knew of which could stop a ghost.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAll thoughts of her hot chocolate faded as she listened.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eSeveral doors rattled, and there was a clatter as something was knocked down in another room. Clutching the troll-ward in her hand, Gina held her breath, biting back a scream as something tried to enter her office.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eIt let out a furious shout as the salt rebuffed its entry, and the door shook in its frame as the ghost tried to force its way in.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eGina tightened her grip.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Who are you?!” a woman screamed.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eGina was about to answer when someone else did.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Name’s Harry, doll. You need to step on back and get to your object now. You understand?” His voice was deep and absent of any kindness.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe woman swore at him, and a chill seeped into her room. Gina strained her eyes to peer through the frosted glass of her door, but she couldn’t see anyone.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHarry laughed. “Huh, ain’t no way for a lady to talk. Are you a lady? I mean, you look a little strong. Might ‘n you be a man under all that makeup?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eGina’s eyes widened at the language used by the unseen woman and the creativity of her curses.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Listen,” Harry grumbled, “I want to know what the hell you’re attached to, right? This way, it’ll be easier on all of us when we come to take you outta this place.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe shattering of glass answered his question as the female ghost swore once more.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eSilence followed, and Gina wondered if the other ghost, Harry, had left, too. She waited and listened. The minutes ticked by on her desk clock and her heartbeat slowed to its normal rhythm. She picked up her hot chocolate, took a nervous sip, and coughed as the liquid started down the wrong pipe.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThat, she thought, was terrible.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eChapter 15: Cataloging a Collection\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eCharles Newcomb Hoeffler leaned over his table and wrote in his ledger. Each pen stroke was precise, his arthritis-swollen hands complaining with every movement. Yet Charles ignored the pain as he always did.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eKeeping an accurate account of his collection was far more important than the petty annoyances of the flesh.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eI am working for the sake of posterity, he told himself. As they say, pain is temporary, but glory is forever.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe finished the line he was writing and straightened up. Holding the pen over a scrap piece of paper, he advanced ink into the tip of the pen, then proceeded to make certain he had not left a “t” uncrossed or an “i” undotted.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eSatisfied that all was as it should be, Charles cleaned his fountain pen and returned it to its proper stand. Using the same piece of scrap paper, he blotted his ledger, then set it aside to ensure that it dried properly.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe backed his wheelchair out from the table, turned, and rolled himself up the ramp and into the kitchen. Passing through the room, he turned off the light, made his way into the dining room, then the television room, and finally into his bedroom. The strong, familiar urge to inspect his collection gripped him, and he could only resist by reminding himself that his alarm was already set for two. When it went off, he would go to the second floor and assure himself of the safety of the items.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eCharles brought his wheelchair to a stop beside his bed. Locking the wheels in place, he gripped the bed and pulled himself into it. With a grunt, he found the bedrail and tugged it up into place, locking it firmly before he removed his clothes and changed into his pajamas, a quick process considering he lacked legs below his mid-thighs. He massaged the stumps, kneading the scarred flesh, and then eased himself onto his pillow.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003ePulling the blankets to his chest, he rested his hands on his stomach and waited for his thoughts to return to some semblance of order. The end of each night was difficult. Usually, memories of the accident and being subsequently abandoned by Tessa afflicted him.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThis isn’t exactly new news, Charles, he reminded himself. You’ll be seventy-three this month. Perhaps it is time to move on to some other complaint.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe shivered and then stiffened.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHis room was never cold.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eWithout moving, he looked at his clock and watched as the digital readout faded. Silently, he pulled the blankets to his shoulders and slid his hands beneath the covers.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Who are you?” Charles asked. He knew his pieces were still in their room, locked away.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThere was silence and Charles frowned.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Are you a Peeping Tom?” he asked. “Come to spy on an old man while he lies in bed?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Heh, I’ve been called a lot of things, but a Peeping Tom isn’t one of them.” The cool, dispassionate voice was unwelcome and unexpected.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eCharles had collected the dead for a long time.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eWithout turning to face the direction the voice had come from, Charles spoke.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“You had best move on out,” he told the ghost. “I’m in no mood and I’m tired as hell.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThere was a momentary pause, and when the dead man spoke again, there was humor in his tone.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Huh, guess you aren’t afraid?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Not really,” Charles answered. “Not thrilled with the idea of dying, but that won’t be happening tonight.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“How do you figure that?” the dead man asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Because you won’t come in my room,” Charles told him. “You can’t come in my room. You don’t know it yet, but you will if you try.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“And how do you know that, smart guy?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“There’s salt in the threshold,” Charles yawned. “I don’t know why you’re here, or what you want. I would appreciate it if you go on your way. I’m tired.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe temperature in the room didn’t increase, nor did the digital clock become readable.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Okay, here’s the deal,” Charles said. “I know you’re still here. If you try and wait me out, that’s fine. Before you do that, I want you to think, if I have salt in the threshold, where else do I have it? In addition to the salt, I have iron. In fact, I have some here as we speak. Tell me, are you here to rob me?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Scare Street","offers":[{"title":"PAPERBACK","offer_id":51991327375639,"sku":"DEATH HUNTER SERIES","price":74.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"AUDIOBOOK","offer_id":50112620691735,"sku":"dh1-6","price":59.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"EBOOK","offer_id":47854946976023,"sku":"dh1-6e","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0798\/7209\/8583\/files\/FF_1-6_c973c108-5cb8-4c6d-9ef5-d5f989a9def8.jpg?v=1706873760"},{"product_id":"leo1","title":"Haunted Secrets: Tales of Leo Moreland Vol. 1","description":"\u003ch2\u003eFace your darkest fears...\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex-1 overflow-hidden\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex-1 overflow-hidden\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"react-scroll-to-bottom--css-misvr-79elbk h-full\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"react-scroll-to-bottom--css-misvr-1n7m0yu\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex flex-col pb-9 text-sm\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-testid=\"conversation-turn-25\" class=\"w-full text-token-text-primary\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"px-4 py-2 justify-center text-base md:gap-6 m-auto\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex flex-1 text-base mx-auto gap-3 md:px-5 lg:px-1 xl:px-5 md:max-w-3xl lg:max-w-[40rem] xl:max-w-[48rem] group final-completion\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"relative flex w-full flex-col lg:w-[calc(100%-115px)] agent-turn\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex-col gap-1 md:gap-3\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex flex-grow flex-col max-w-full\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"min-h-[20px] text-message flex flex-col items-start gap-3 whitespace-pre-wrap break-words [.text-message+\u0026amp;]:mt-5 overflow-x-auto\" data-message-id=\"99495370-4071-4a7a-bf95-98e5b7d0e3d3\" data-message-author-role=\"assistant\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"markdown prose w-full break-words dark:prose-invert dark\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLeo Moreland is more than just a paranormal investigator. He helps the living and the restless find peace in an unforgiving world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJoin Leo as he confronts a spectral voice tormenting cab drivers, faces the dangers posed by an unearthly childhood friend, and battles a centuries-old witch that threatens to consume everything in its path.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis anthology features seven bite-sized tales that delve deep into the supernatural, letting you experience Leo’s terrifying past like never before.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReady for a haunting you’ll never forget? Download this collection now and let the nightmares begin!\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable width=\"100%\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 137.157px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRINT LENGTH\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAUDIO LENGTH\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e3 hours and  11 minutes\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNARRATED BY\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003eThom Bowers\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRODUCT DIMENSION\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e6 x 0.5 x 9 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e9798894760728\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLANGUAGE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003eEnglish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePUBLICATION DATE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003eMarch 08, 2024\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"product-block product-block--tab\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsibles-wrapper collapsibles-wrapper--border-bottom\"\u003e\n\u003cbutton type=\"button\" class=\"label collapsible-trigger collapsible-trigger-btn collapsible-trigger-btn--borders collapsible--auto-height\" aria-controls=\"Product-content-tab_f3QTgL8782181630231\" aria-expanded=\"false\"\u003e Read a Sample \u003cspan class=\"collapsible-trigger__icon collapsible-trigger__icon--open\" role=\"presentation\"\u003e \u003csvg aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"icon icon--wide icon-chevron-down\" viewbox=\"0 0 28 16\" focusable=\"false\"\u003e\u003cpath d=\"m1.57 1.59 12.76 12.77L27.1 1.59\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke=\"#000\" fill=\"none\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003c\/svg\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Product-content-tab_f3QTgL8782181630231\" class=\"collapsible-content collapsible-content--all\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsible-content__inner rte\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 2.4; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 24pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 4pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #434343; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eWitch of the Woods\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 8pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe surveyor set up the TST and checked that it was working properly. The total station theodolite had never failed him—it was brand-new equipment, after all, and fairly state-of-the-art. But he went through all the steps, following the manual on his iPad, just to be sure.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eIt’s not because I don’t want to go into the woods,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e he told himself. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eI am a professional. I am used to working alone in remote areas.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eI am not a frightened schoolboy.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJust a few months ago, he had been in Mexico surveying an ancient burial site, working with a team of archaeologists. He enjoyed that kind of work, the sense of contributing to human knowledge. Being near the dead didn’t bother him. He didn’t believe in legends, curses, or ghosts.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eOr at least, he told himself he didn’t. He’d been reminding himself of that for a few days now.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe equipment checks were finished. The TST was working fine, a little miracle of modern science. Now he could carry the reflector into the forest, drive that pole into the ground, and control the theodolite remotely. No need for an assistant. A very efficient, modern approach.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eWhich required him to go into the trees. Alone.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe surveyor glanced back at the highway, just a dozen yards away. He was not far from the outskirts of Nashua in the pleasant and peaceful state of New Hampshire. Cars, trucks, or buses had been passing every few minutes. None were passing now. His van sat looking slightly forlorn. He felt a sudden urge to pick up his gear, get into the van, and drive home. Claim that there was some hitch with the equipment.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVery unprofessional, of course. And he couldn’t afford to blow this job. It was the last day. He’d pretty much covered the whole area. He told himself not to be foolish.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Think of the money, buddy,” he breathed, the timeless mantra of the regular working stiff. “Baby needs a new pair of shoes.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe picked up a telescopic pole, checked the black box on top, and wiped the lens of the reflector. It was fine, like the total station. No more excuses to delay. He turned his back on the highway and set off through the trees. A hundred yards or so was all that was needed. He’d determined the lay of the land. After this, it was up to the contractor to rip it up and build a fancy gated community.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe woods were not especially large, just badly overgrown, seemingly left unmanaged for decades. Storm damage and occasional fires had prevented them from becoming completely impassable, but it was still a hard slog. He thrashed at some bushes with the pole to clear a path. A small bird fled, wings beating frantically, and the man felt a pang of guilt at having disturbed it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThen, he noticed that no birds were singing. They had been just a few minutes earlier. Now, all that disturbed the air was a light breeze stirring the branches above him.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Scared them, is all,” he muttered. “Focus, for chrissake.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“For Christ’s sake.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe words were almost indistinguishable from the restless movements of the trees. He looked around, seeing no one, and told himself that he had not heard someone speak. An overworked imagination, fueled by absurd folktales, had tricked him. He was tired. The sun was far down in the west. A distinct autumn chill was in the air. He needed to get the job done. Then he could take his paycheck and find a place in town that served cool beer.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe forged through the undergrowth for a few more yards, glancing back to make sure he still had a line of sight to the TST. Then, he found a suitable spot for the reflector. He rammed the pole’s spiked tip deep into a drift of leaves beside a fallen trunk. The pole went in easily but then moved. The leaves stirred.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThen a small face appeared, pale and contorted with pain and rage. He had stabbed someone!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 2.4; text-indent: 22pt; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Scare Street","offers":[{"title":"PAPERBACK","offer_id":49539647897879,"sku":"9798894760728","price":5.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"EBOOK","offer_id":48017332535575,"sku":"leoe","price":3.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"AUDIOBOOK","offer_id":48017332502807,"sku":"leo","price":5.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0798\/7209\/8583\/files\/WEB_Leo_vol.1_FF.jpg?v=1731400096"},{"product_id":"jimmy1","title":"Haunted Secrets: Tales of Jimmy Hsu Special Edition","description":"\u003ch2\u003eDive into Jimmy Hsu's world of terror…\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex-1 overflow-hidden\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex-1 overflow-hidden\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"react-scroll-to-bottom--css-misvr-79elbk h-full\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"react-scroll-to-bottom--css-misvr-1n7m0yu\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex flex-col pb-9 text-sm\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"w-full text-token-text-primary\" data-testid=\"conversation-turn-25\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"px-4 py-2 justify-center text-base md:gap-6 m-auto\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex flex-1 text-base mx-auto gap-3 md:px-5 lg:px-1 xl:px-5 md:max-w-3xl lg:max-w-[40rem] xl:max-w-[48rem] group final-completion\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"relative flex w-full flex-col lg:w-[calc(100%-115px)] agent-turn\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex-col gap-1 md:gap-3\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex flex-grow flex-col max-w-full\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-message-author-role=\"assistant\" data-message-id=\"99495370-4071-4a7a-bf95-98e5b7d0e3d3\" class=\"min-h-[20px] text-message flex flex-col items-start gap-3 whitespace-pre-wrap break-words [.text-message+\u0026amp;]:mt-5 overflow-x-auto\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"markdown prose w-full break-words dark:prose-invert dark\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVenture into the shadows of Anger, New Hampshire, where a teenager with a unique ability fights a war hidden from the naked eye. This anthology features Jimmy Hsu’s chilling encounters with entities beyond the grasp of ordinary men. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJoin Jimmy as he races against time to save his friend from a vengeful spirit, comes face to face with the horrors of a haunted pet cemetery, and confronts the undead in an abandoned neighborhood.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eHaunted Secrets: Tales of Jimmy Hsu Special Edition\u003c\/em\u003e\" is an anthology like no other. This collection brings together 28 of Jimmy Hsu's most thrilling stories originally featured in the Night Terrors, Short Horror Stories, and Scary Stories anthologies, plus a bonus of 4 never before seen shorts guaranteed to send shivers down your spine.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePrepare yourself for a terrifying adventure, where each whisper holds the key to untold stories. Get your copy now!\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable style=\"width: 100%; height: 137.157px;\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRINT LENGTH\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e611 pages\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAUDIO LENGTH\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e18 hours and  52 minutes\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNARRATED BY\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003eThom Bowers\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRODUCT DIMENSION\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e6 x 0.5 x 9 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e9798894760773\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLANGUAGE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003eEnglish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePUBLICATION DATE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003eMarch 29, 2024\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"product-block product-block--tab\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsibles-wrapper collapsibles-wrapper--border-bottom\"\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"Product-content-tab_f3QTgL8782181630231\" class=\"label collapsible-trigger collapsible-trigger-btn collapsible-trigger-btn--borders collapsible--auto-height\" type=\"button\"\u003e Read a Sample \u003cspan role=\"presentation\" class=\"collapsible-trigger__icon collapsible-trigger__icon--open\"\u003e \u003csvg viewbox=\"0 0 28 16\" class=\"icon icon--wide icon-chevron-down\" role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\u003cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#000\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"m1.57 1.59 12.76 12.77L27.1 1.59\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003c\/svg\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsible-content collapsible-content--all\" id=\"Product-content-tab_f3QTgL8782181630231\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsible-content__inner rte\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"line-height: 2.4; text-align: center; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 24pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 4pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #434343; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eSummer Camp\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"line-height: 2.4; text-align: center; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 20pt 0pt 4pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #434343; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBy Ron Ripley\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 8pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eSomeone told Jimmy Hsu’s parents that summer camp was a good idea, and they believed it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJimmy suspected it was Father Michael at St. Patrick’s Church. His suspicion increased when it had turned out the summer camp he was going to attend was in Hudson, New Hampshire, at the Presentation of Mary Academy.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJimmy didn’t argue with his parents when they had told him about the camp. He didn’t pretend to like the idea either. His mother noticed that he wasn’t pleased.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJimmy’s father, apparently ignorant of his son’s discomfort around others and with the great outdoors, left the room. His mother remained behind.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“This doesn’t please you,” she stated in Cantonese.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“It does not,” Jimmy agreed.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Why?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe forced himself to think before answering. It was difficult, and it was something he and the special education teacher had worked on quite a bit. “Because I don’t want to be outside.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eShe raised an eyebrow, waiting.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“And other children don’t understand me. It will be a long week. I will have no place to be alone.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHis mother nodded. “This will not be a bad thing.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJimmy didn’t respond.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Do you want us to send you to Hong Kong for the summer?” his mother asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJimmy shook his head. He knew there were relatives there who would be happy to see him and to help him stay abreast of customs, but it was too different. He struggled enough when it came to navigating the town of Anger. Jimmy couldn’t imagine how difficult it would be in a city the size of Hong Kong.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Well, this is the next best thing,” his mother said, switching to English. “You need to go out more, Jimmy, not less. Last summer you spent far too much time indoors. I will not have it again.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJimmy suspected his parents wanted what they euphemistically referred to as “grown-up time.” Why they didn’t state their desire for carnal relations outright, he couldn’t understand. He filed the thought away. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eMaybe there will be someone I can ask at camp.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAloud, he asked, “When do I have to leave?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Monday,” his mother answered.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe blinked, surprised. “Tomorrow?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eShe nodded.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe tilted his head to one side. “Why so soon?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“We didn’t want you to have too much time to think about it. I will help you pack tonight, then your father and I will drive you to the camp in the morning.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJimmy accepted the statement, got to his feet, and left the room. It was nearly time for him to go to bed, and since he had no choice in the matter of his trip, there was no further need to discuss it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe morning came far sooner than he wanted it to.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBy seven, he had eaten his breakfast and was dressed, standing by the door as his parents spoke with each other in the kitchen. Their voices were low, and the words were difficult to understand. They were speaking Mandarin rather than Cantonese, and his knowledge of the language was not strong enough for him to pick out more than one or two words.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eFinally, they finished their conversation, and in a short time, they were all in the car. His bag was on the backseat beside him, and in his hands, he held a new book his father had purchased for him on Friday. It was a large, old volume on fairytales and folklore in New England. His parents kept track of his browsing history on the computer, and since he never bothered to use any sort of incognito program, they knew how much folklore he researched. They thought he read the information for pleasure.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eWhat would they think,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e he wondered, looking out the window, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eif I told them I knew all the information was true? At least most of it? What of the creatures in the woods, and the ghosts in the cemeteries and the houses?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"line-height: 2.4; text-align: center; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 4pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #434343; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHome Sick\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"line-height: 2.4; text-align: center; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 20pt 0pt 4pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #434343; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBy Ron Ripley\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 8pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJimmy Hsu knew how to hide.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe had been picked on most of the time in elementary school because of his high- functioning autism, and there were some days in middle school when he didn’t think it was worth getting on the bus. Jimmy always did, of course. His mother would have been too upset to learn he was being picked on, and his father would have gone down to the school and gotten into a fight.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJimmy didn’t want either of those events to occur.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eSo, he went to school.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eMost days.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eSome days, though, he knew it would be too difficult. Some days, boys like Carlton Erskine made it too hard.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJimmy had known Carlton since kindergarten. Carlton had picked on him since kindergarten. Only once, in second grade, had Jimmy told his parents about how miserable Carlton made him, and he instantly regretted it. That moment in his history informed him as to how his parents would react if they were to learn Carlton was still picking on him.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJimmy didn’t want that.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAll this passed through his mind as he lay in bed, the old-fashioned thermometer in his mouth, placed under his tongue. His mother sat on the bed beside him, dutifully counting the seconds until she could remove the thermometer and see what his temperature was.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJimmy wasn’t feeling well, and he hoped it was the beginning of a cold and not the threat Carlton had delivered on the bus the previous day.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Open up,” Jimmy’s mother said in Cantonese.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe did so and his mother removed the thermometer. She frowned and Jimmy waited. The frown was unreadable, as were most of his mother’s expressions.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“You have a fever of one hundred,” she informed him, and set the thermometer down on the bed table. “I am going to give you a fever reducer. Do you need me to stay home with you today?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJimmy knew a smile was required, although he was never certain as to why his mother enjoyed such emotions. Still, he smiled and shook his head. “No, thank you.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eShe frowned again. “Are you sure?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJimmy nodded.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I will leave food for you, if you become hungry,” she told him. After a moment’s hesitation, she leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead. “Try and sleep. It will be best for you.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I will try.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe forced himself to smile again as his mother left the room.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJimmy lay in bed and listened as she spoke with his father. There was no argument about whether Jimmy should stay home. His father deferred to his mother in all things when it came to raising and caring for him. He suspected it was due to his paternal grandmother who raised Jimmy’s father alone in Hong Kong.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eClosing his eyes, Jimmy yawned, opened them, and realized he had fallen asleep at some point. His clock, in the shape of Lloyd from the Lego Ninjago series, showed it was eleven fifty-two. He wasn’t certain how he had managed to sleep several hours without noticing, but he suspected some of it was due to the fever he felt working through him.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThere was sweat on his brow, and his bedclothes were damp with it as well. He sat up and had to remain still for a moment, his head pulsing. Jimmy was thirsty, and without any further hesitation, he stood up and stumbled into the bathroom. He filled his cup and drank it quickly, then winced at the way the water seemed to churn in his stomach.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe remained in the bathroom for a short time, uncertain whether he would throw up.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eWhen he felt it was safe to venture out, he did so by taking short steps and making certain he wouldn’t be too far from the bathroom if he had to rush back.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eReaching his room, Jimmy held onto the doorjamb and waited. When he didn’t faint or become weaker, he decided to try the stairs. His feet tread softly on the hall carpeting. Once he stood at the top of the stairs, he gazed down them and realized he couldn’t navigate them safely in an upright position, so he sat down and slid down on his behind, doing so carefully, moving onto one stair at a time.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAt the landing for the first floor, he shakily got to his feet and refused to look back up the stairs. With one hand on the wall for support, he walked into the kitchen and stopped, closing his eyes and enjoying the warmth of the sun as it streamed in through the window over the sink. As he stood there, he heard a faint laugh, a sound that made him shudder.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 style=\"line-height: 2.4; text-align: center; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 4pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #434343; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eGwen Speaks\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #434343; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #434343; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBy Ron Ripley\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 8pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJimmy Hsu knew ghosts were real.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe had seen them. He had spoken with them. Jimmy had even been hunted by them. They were, as far as Jimmy was concerned, another aspect of life in Anger, New Hampshire.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eNothing more and nothing less.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe fact that there was a rumor of a ghost on South Boston Road was interesting, but it was not disturbing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Jimmy.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe looked over at his mother. “Yes?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Why are you standing there?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe blinked and considered the question. After a moment, he replied, “I was thinking of where I would like to go for a walk.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eShe raised an eyebrow and waited for him to continue.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe swallowed nervously, disliking the unpleasant way he felt when his mother appeared to question his motives.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I would like to walk along South Boston Road,” he told her.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Why?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Because there is a rumor of a ghost there.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eShe smiled, and a look of relief flashed across her face. While his mother believed in ghosts, she did not believe American ghosts were a threat. The ghosts of Asia, the world she had left behind, they were dangerous.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAmerican ghosts were not the same. They would not eat her son. She did not believe that they would harm him.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJimmy had no intention of telling her otherwise.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“What will you do if you find one?” she asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I will speak with it,” he admitted.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Will you be going alone?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe nodded.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eShe hesitated, as if unsure as to whether she should continue with her questioning, and for a moment, Jimmy hoped that she would stop.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eShe did not. Indeed, he knew she could not.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eShe was his mother.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“How far on the road will you go?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe closed his eyes and brought up the image of the map in his mind, his photographic memory placing the spot perfectly. Without opening his eyes, he stated, “I will be traveling two-point-one miles along the northeast axis of the road. It is said that the ghost lingers near a ditch in the road.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe opened his eyes and saw his mother peering at him.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“How many books are in there?” she asked softly.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJimmy blinked. “In my mind’s library?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eShe nodded.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“It may take me a few minutes to go through the titles,” he informed her.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eShe shook her head. “No. Give me an estimate.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe winced at the word, but he did as he was told. “Somewhere in the range of two thousand.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHis mother chuckled. “It is impressive.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I only do what must be done,” he responded, confused at her statement. “All the books must be stored and cataloged properly for retrieval.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I know.” She sighed. “Yes, you may go and look for your ghost. But you will be home in three hours, by one o’clock this afternoon. That gives you plenty of time to walk to the spot, investigate, and return home.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe nodded.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Good. Go and be safe. Promise?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Yes, I promise, Mother.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJimmy bent down, picked up his knapsack, and put it on. It was slightly heavier, packed with a small foldable shovel, additional iron nails, and several bags of salt, each of which was located in the exterior pouches of his knapsack.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eJimmy forced himself to smile, knowing that it made his mother happy, and then he left the house. Within a few minutes, he settled into a steady, comfortable pace, and he cataloged the world around him as he walked toward the spot on South Boston Road.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 12pt 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eWithout meaning to, Jimmy found himself counting his steps. After nearly a mile of silent introspection, he discovered the reason for his focus.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 2.4; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 12pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe possibility of a ghost is not what is causing me discomfort,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e he rationalized. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eIt is the possibility of what the ghost represents.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Scare Street","offers":[{"title":"PAPERBACK","offer_id":49538855993623,"sku":"9798894760773","price":34.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"AUDIOBOOK","offer_id":48119483826455,"sku":"jimmy","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"EBOOK","offer_id":48119483859223,"sku":"jimmye","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"EBOOK + AUDIO","offer_id":51619069264151,"sku":"jimmyebab","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0798\/7209\/8583\/files\/WEB_Jimmy_Special_Edition_FF.jpg?v=1731399613"},{"product_id":"anderson1","title":"Haunted Secrets: Tales of the Anderson House Vol. 1","description":"\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eBehind every wall of the Anderson House, something dark is watching…  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"my-0.5\"\u003eThe Anderson House hides more than its towering walls and shifting passageways reveal. Beneath the scent of lilac lies something far darker, waiting to ensnare all who enter. Its secrets are deadly, and those who venture inside rarely leave unscathed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRead about the time Thaddeus had to face his deepest fears, how a business partner of Mr. Anderson’s met his gruesome end, and Roberto’s journey up to his final days and beyond. Each story is woven into the fabric of this haunting place.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAre you ready to step into the darkness? Haunted Secrets: Tales of the Anderson House Vol. 1 is now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook format.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGet your copy today and witness the terror that refuses to stay hidden.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ctable width=\"100%\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 98px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 100%; height: 98px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.6px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.6px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRINT LENGTH\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.6px;\"\u003e117 pages\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.6px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.6px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAUDIO LENGTH\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.6px;\"\u003e3 hours and 11 minutes\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNARRATED BY\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%;\"\u003eThom Bowers\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.6px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.6px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRODUCT DIMENSION\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.6px;\"\u003e6 x 0.5 x 9 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e979-8-89476-273-9\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"height: 19.6px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.6px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLANGUAGE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.6px;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.6px;\"\u003eEnglish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 67.1944%;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePUBLICATION DATE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%;\" data-mce-style=\"width: 32.5847%;\"\u003eSeptember 16, 2024\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"product-block product-block--tab\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsibles-wrapper collapsibles-wrapper--border-bottom\"\u003e\n\u003cbutton type=\"button\" class=\"label collapsible-trigger collapsible-trigger-btn collapsible-trigger-btn--borders collapsible--auto-height\" aria-controls=\"Product-content-tab_f3QTgL8782181630231\" aria-expanded=\"false\"\u003e Read a Sample \u003cspan class=\"collapsible-trigger__icon collapsible-trigger__icon--open\" role=\"presentation\"\u003e \u003csvg aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"icon icon--wide icon-chevron-down\" viewbox=\"0 0 28 16\" focusable=\"false\"\u003e\u003cpath d=\"m1.57 1.59 12.76 12.77L27.1 1.59\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke=\"#000\" fill=\"none\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003c\/svg\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Product-content-tab_f3QTgL8782181630231\" class=\"collapsible-content collapsible-content--all\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsible-content__inner rte\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 4pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 12pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 4pt 0pt;\"\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #434343; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #434343; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBorn in Darkness\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #434343; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #434343; background-color: transparent; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 8pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 8pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHenry Allen Broomfield did not tolerate a cheat. The last man who tried to pull a fast one found himself with a broken nose and an empty wallet at the end of the evening, and that was just over a card game. When it came to bigger deals and bigger money, Henry had a commensurate response.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBroomfield had met Duncan Anderson three months earlier. They had crossed paths in Boston, and Broomfield learned that Anderson was something of a financial wizard. From what he had heard, Anderson could double an investment in as few as thirty days. He wasn't just a flash-in-the-pan success, either. His results were consistent.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHenry wasn't normally the kind of person to fall for such a pie-in-the-sky story. He'd made investments and had some decent success, but he knew the risk of making a bad call. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eIn his mind, the market was less consistent than a game of cards. There were only so many ways fifty-two cards could be arranged and played. The stock market had infinite variables that were all too difficult to predict.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDespite his reservations, Anderson had some heavy hitters in Boston who vouched for him. Some were unknown to Broomfield, and their word did not mean much, but some he considered men of reason and wisdom. Their recommendations carried weight, and that was why he was willing to give Anderson a chance to prove himself.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThey had met at a members-only club in Boston in the late autumn. Anderson was already in the lounge, a cigar in one hand and a double shot of whiskey in the other. Broomfield respected the man's drink choice if nothing else. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHenry joined him, and they shared a drink and some pleasantries. Anderson was not big on small talk, however, and he dived into the meat of the matter soon after. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I sense the trepidation, and I understand. You don’t know me from Adam. But you’re interested or you wouldn’t be wasting your time talking to me.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe spoke with a confidence that bordered on arrogance. Henry was certain the man’s demeanor rubbed many people the wrong way, but he found it refreshing. After years of dealing with people who trafficked in nonsense and double talk, it was nice to deal with someone who cut to the chase and didn't seem to be blowing smoke.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I can’t trust just anyone with my money,” Henry explained.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Nor should anyone who wants to keep their money and not be made to look the fool,” Anderson said.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“The numbers you promise are outlandish, Anderson. You can offer double the money in a month? Unless you’re robbing banks, I’m not seeing it.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“This invention will change the world, Broomfield. We’re talking about innovation the likes of which we've never seen. Think of how the railroad opened the frontier. Or how the telegraph destroyed the Pony Express. Hell, think of the automobile and what it’s already doing. This is bigger than all of them.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“A bold claim made by carnival barkers and snake oil salesmen since before my grandfather was born. You need more than words.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAnderson smiled around his cigar, showing his teeth. Henry finished his drink and set it on the glass table between them while the other man swirled his, letting the ice clink against the side of the tumbler.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Are you interested in taking a trip?” Anderson asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e***\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe train from Boston to Nashua took nearly five hours, but the journey was not unpleasant. Henry had never been to the town. He had spent little time in New Hampshire but found the state to be quite beautiful. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe trip was as enjoyable as one could expect an impromptu train voyage to be. Anderson walked the train like he owned the thing and arranged a poker game in the bar car with a pair of bankers on their way to Vermont. By the third hour, half the train was either watching or participating, and Henry made just shy of two hundred dollars. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAnderson made a call before leaving Boston, and when they arrived in Nashua, his butler was waiting with the car. The drive from the train station to his home on Berkley Street was also pleasant enough. The town was quaint and quiet, not nearly as ostentatious as Henry expected for a man like Duncan Anderson. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAnderson seemed like a man who should have plied his trade in Manhattan or at least downtown Boston or Philadelphia. That he kept his home in such a quiet, out-of-the-way place spoke of another side he had yet to reveal.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eWhen they arrived at his house, Henry was impressed. It was a large, foreboding structure, set away from the street up a long driveway. The gardens around the house were robust and bright. Anderson had particular tastes and had cultured his home to match them.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAnderson led them through the front foyer. He sent a servant girl to fetch some drinks but said nothing to anyone else as he showed Henry to a staircase and accompanied him to the second floor.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“My study,” Anderson said, opening a door and inviting Henry inside.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe room smelled of something floral that Henry had trouble putting his finger on. It was cold but brightly lit. Anderson took a seat behind a large oak desk and offered Henry a seat on the opposite side.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Pick something,” the man said, gesturing to his desk.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I’m sorry?” Henry replied.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“An item from my desk. For a demonstration. Anything you wish.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHenry was not sure what Anderson was playing at, but he was willing to go along with it. Anderson had been tight-lipped on their voyage about what they would see when they got to his house. He assured Henry that he would demonstrate the power of his invention and convince him that an investment was the smartest choice. Seeing was believing, he had said.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“The letter opener,” Henry said.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTo the right of Anderson's hand was a silver letter opener that looked like a small dagger. Henry had seen similar styles and recognized Anderson's as a high-quality one. It was likely worth a decent amount of money.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Excellent,” Anderson said.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\" data-mce-style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: justify; background-color: #ffffff; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; padding: 12pt 0pt 0pt 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\" data-mce-style=\"font-size: 13pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe placed the letter opener in the center of his desk between them. Anderson's smile was confident and cool as he locked eyes with the other man. Nothing happened, and Henry began to grow impatient.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Scare Street","offers":[{"title":"PAPERBACK","offer_id":49643789582615,"sku":"9798894762739","price":5.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"EBOOK","offer_id":49625946390807,"sku":"ah1e","price":3.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"AUDIOBOOK","offer_id":49625946423575,"sku":"ah1","price":5.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0798\/7209\/8583\/files\/WEB_Anderson_House_vol.1_FF.jpg?v=1731400863"},{"product_id":"hcs1-3","title":"Haunted Collection Series Books 1 to 3: Action-Packed Horror You Won't Be Able to Put Down","description":"\u003ch2\u003eThree Books. Three Cursed Objects. The Beginning of Victor Daniels' War.\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSomeone's selling haunted objects online. And the first three just claimed their victims.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA demonic teddy bear glowing with hellfire. A rifle possessed by a blood-thirsty specter. A mirror that reveals family secrets no one should see. Occultist Stefan Korzh isn't just inheriting these cursed antiques. He's mailing them to innocent families and watching them die.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Victor Daniels' wife becomes the first casualty, his grief turns to cold, hard rage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVictor Daniels never planned to fight ghosts. But when his wife is murdered by a cursed toy, the mild-mannered historian becomes a hunter. Armed with salt, iron, and a researcher's mind, he wages war on the supernatural. But as Victor races to stop the killing spree, he discovers that the Collection is far larger than he imagined.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd the worst is yet to come.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWHAT READERS ARE SAYING:\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"I couldn't put this series down and went through the entire collection (9 books) in less than a week. I immediately dove into the next book after finishing the previous one. Ron Ripley is fast becoming one of my favorite authors of horror stories.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"Buy the box set and start a series you won't want to put down! The plot moves forward and the characters are personal. I've read many of Ripley and Scare Street and will continue to be a fan of the books.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"Getting next book ASAP! It is an intense series. The story captures you on every page and is in a class by itself.\"\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThis Bundle Includes:\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Collecting Death (Book 1) - The blood-soaked teddy bear that started it all\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Walter's Rifle (Book 2) - A weapon that craves massacre\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Blood in the Mirror (Book 3) - Secrets trapped in glass\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWant the complete nightmare?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/scarestreet.com\/products\/hauntedcollection1-9\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGet Books 1-9 for 45% off and experience the full war against Stefan Korzh.\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ctable width=\"100%\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 137.157px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEBOOK\/PAPERBACK\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e 518 pages\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAUDIOBOOK\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e22 hours and 46 minutes\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNARRATED BY \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003eThom Bowers\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePART OF SERIES\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003eFirst 3 Books in This 9-Book Series\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"product-block product-block--tab\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"product-block product-block--tab\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsibles-wrapper collapsibles-wrapper--border-bottom\"\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"Product-content-tab_f3QTgL8782181630231\" class=\"label collapsible-trigger collapsible-trigger-btn collapsible-trigger-btn--borders collapsible--auto-height\" type=\"button\"\u003e Read a Sample \u003cspan role=\"presentation\" class=\"collapsible-trigger__icon collapsible-trigger__icon--open\"\u003e \u003csvg viewbox=\"0 0 28 16\" class=\"icon icon--wide icon-chevron-down\" role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\u003cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#000\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"m1.57 1.59 12.76 12.77L27.1 1.59\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003c\/svg\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsible-content collapsible-content--all\" id=\"Product-content-tab_f3QTgL8782181630231\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsible-content__inner rte\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eChapter 3: Old Time Radio\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eKristine Tring sat in the small room that served as both living room, and den in the Mayor Maurice Arel Assisted Living Home. In spite of the arthritis in her hands, she held a pair of overly large knitting needles. She worked at a slow, careful pace. Her thoughts were not on the prayer shawl she knitted, nor were they on the people at St. Joseph’s Hospital who would be the eventual recipients of the shawls she made.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eInstead, her mind was far away. December was only three days away, and with it would come the anniversary of her brother Kevin’s death. They had been twins, and he had died in Korea in 1951. Seventeen years old and dead.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eSeventeen years old and he had never grown any older.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe plastic needles clicked in the stillness of her apartment, her hearing aids turned down, so the loud television sets of the neighbors on either side and above her were inaudible. With the death of her only niece on her deceased husband’s side the year before, Kristine had gotten rid of her telephone.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThere was no one to call, and no one to expect calls from. The few friends she had, lived in her building, and she would see them at breakfast, or perhaps in the recreation room for coffee.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eA flicker of light caught her eye, and her hands stopped as she looked up.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAcross the room was the one, unnecessary heirloom she had kept when she moved into the Arel Home. A tall, Zenith floor model radio. It was in poor shape, having been battered and beaten by herself and Kevin when they were children.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAnd now the faceplate on it was lit with the old, yellow glow she remembered so well.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eShe stared at it for a moment, not understanding how the radio could be working.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe plug had broken a decade earlier, and before that, one of the vacuum tubes had broken.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eIt was a nonfunctioning relic, nothing more.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBut there it was, lit as when she and her siblings would sit and listen to the Phantom.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eConfused, Kristine turned the volume on her hearing aids back up.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Good evening,” a man said through the speaker, his voice smooth and pleasant. There was an arousing, enticing quality to his voice. It made her want to listen to him, and to nothing else. “This is Hank McErney, and I’m here with you, are you here with me?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eKristine stared in surprise, not sure what to do.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Hello,” Hank said, chuckling, “didn’t you hear me, young lady? Yes, you with the knitting on your lap.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eKristine straightened up in the chair, taken aback even as she said, “Yes. Yes, I hear you.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Oh, very good,” Hank said. “Tell me, what’s your name?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Kristine,” she replied. Her stomach tied itself into knots she hadn’t felt since she had been a teenager, and she didn’t quite know what to do.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Kristine,” Hank said in a pleased voice, “a pretty name for a pretty girl. I’m curious, Kristine, why are you inside on a night like tonight? Shouldn’t you be out there cutting a rug with some dashing young man?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No one asked,” Kristine answered.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“That I can’t believe,” Hank said, “no one?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No,” Kristine said.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Let’s take care of that, shall we, Kristine?” Hank asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe world bent and twisted, and shifted into shadow as the warmth was torn from the room. And a moment later, a man stood in front of the radio, and she knew it was Hank McErney.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe was tall, his black hair flipped to one side in a style that had gone out of fashion in the forties. An Errol Flynn mustache graced his upper lip, and his nose was aquiline. His chin was square cut, as were the shoulders of the suit coat he wore. A cigarette hung from the corner of his mouth, and there was an air of calm assuredness about him that Kristine found appealing. Hank McErney was a ruggedly good-looking man, and Kristine’s heart fluttered in a way she didn’t think was possible anymore.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Hello, Kristine,” Hank said, and his voice was even more powerful in person than it had been on the radio.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Hello,” she replied, blushing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThis isn’t real, she thought. I must be having a stroke. Or a heart attack. Am I dying?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eChapter 6: Paranoia Runs Deep\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan felt miserable.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eWhile he had never enjoyed his trips beyond his compound, they had taken on a terrible life of their own. Each time he was compelled to leave, he did so knowing full well that the man who had tried to kill him remained at large. And that was in addition to the fact that the police might connect Stefan to Jeremy Rhinehart’s murder in Fox Cat Hollow.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe fear reminded him of when his half-sister had hunted him, and he despised it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe had spent additional funds on establishing motion sensor lights farther up the road that lead to the warehouse. Stefan had also added an extended ring of cameras to the perimeter, and when he went into the observation room shortly after having woken up, there was an alert on his home screen.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe monitoring software he had installed had picked up and isolated the wireless feed he had been trying to hunt down since the failed attempt on his life.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan quickly typed in his passcode, accessed the account, and looked at the feed.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eWhat he found drove a cold, hard spike of mixed hatred and fear into his stomach.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe was looking at not one video feed, but four. Whoever was watching him had placed a camera on each side of the building. No matter where Stefan exited his home from, the unseen watcher would know it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan stared at the screen for a moment longer, then, with an angry grumble, he turned the monitor off.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eSwearing under his breath, Stefan stood up, shoving his chair back before he went stomping out of the room. He went to the kitchen, skipped his morning coffee, and reached for the vodka. Without bothering with a glass, Stefan opened the bottle, brought the mouth of it up to his lips, and took a long, bitter pull from it. He only stopped when he needed to breathe, his mouth burning, and his eyes watering from the strength of the alcohol.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan gripped the counter with one hand to steady himself, then he took another, smaller drink.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe knew it had to be the man who had tried to kill him. And Stefan felt certain his father and stepsister had put the man up to it. The stranger had been skilled. Extremely so, and Stefan suspected that the man had misjudged Stefan’s own capabilities.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eIt wasn’t a mistake the stranger was apt to make twice.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eFurious, Stefan brought the bottle back with him into the observation room. He turned on the monitor, immediately exited the feed for the enemy’s cameras, and sat down. In silence, Stefan brought up his sales and pondered over them. He tried to focus, realized that he wouldn’t be able to, and shifted his attention to the newspapers where he had shipped various items off.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHis anger increased, rising to a steady speed until he shoved the mouse away from him and pressed his hands against his eyes. The websites were empty of any sort of information regarding the dead and the damage they could inflict.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eGrinding his teeth in frustration, Stefan took a deep breath and reminded himself it was only a matter of time before something happened.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDropping his hands from his face, Stefan took hold of the mouse and began to search his sales again, hoping to find something there to appease his anger.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThere wasn’t.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan snarled and threw the mouse across the room, the plastic shattering against the wall. He sat in the chair for several minutes, irate and unable to move.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eFinally, when he had calmed down, Stefan opened his desk drawer, took out a new mouse, and went through the familiar motions of getting it ready.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eChapter 12: Adventure and Excitement\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor had managed to fall asleep in his bed rather than the chair in the study, and by doing so, he had obtained a good night’s sleep. When the sun had risen, so had Victor. He had eaten breakfast alone, and he was halfway through making his travel plans when Tom walked in, yawning.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy rubbed his face with his hand, the left sleeve of his pajama top hanging loose. Tom only put on the prosthetic in the morning when he was going to work out first, and it still shocked Victor when he saw the empty sleeve.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“How are you doing?” he asked as Tom waved at him.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy shrugged and got himself a glass of water.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Late night?” Victor asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No,” Tom said, putting the empty cup down on the counter. “Just tired. Bad dreams. You know?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor nodded. He knew all too well about bad dreams. The nights when he managed to get through to dawn without them were few and far between, and they were to be treasured.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Any big plans for today?” Tom asked, taking a box of Fruit Loops cereal down from a cabinet and carrying it to the table.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I need to go up to Concord,” Victor explained.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom’s eyes widened in surprise as he sat down. Then, fumbling with the box top, he said, “Concord, Massachusetts?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No,” Victor said, shaking his head, “Concord, New Hampshire.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“You’re spending a lot of time up in the granite state,” Tom said. Victor watched the boy hold the cereal box against his chest and fish a handful of the multicolored loops out. The teen ate them dry, waiting for Victor’s response to his statement.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I have to,” Victor stated. “At least right now. Seems like Korzh sent another item out.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHatred flashed through the boy’s eyes, but he regained control of himself instantly. “What happened?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor gave him all of the information he had been able to dig up on the internet about the ring. He watched the boy’s jaw tighten, his fingers twitching.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Do you want me to go with you?” Tom asked after a moment.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor shook his head. “I need you here, on the off chance that another item should show up in Fox Cat Hollow. It’s unlikely, I know, but there’s the possibility it could happen.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“What should I do if it does?” Tom asked. “I’m not exactly a hundred percent here, even with my prosthetic on. I’m just not that skilled with it yet.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I need you to be my eyes and ears,” Victor replied. “Read the papers. The local stuff and the ones you can find online. Make sure that you use your new name, too. If anyone asks.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom rolled his eyes and asked, “Why Jeremiah?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I don’t know,” Victor answered.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom shook his head. “I don’t like it.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“You don’t have to, Tom,” Victor replied. “You just need to use it. Can you see if you can get Iris to call you Jeremiah in public, too? And, speaking of Iris, try to keep her out of anything that might pop up, okay?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom frowned. “She won’t like that. Iris does what she wants.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor couldn’t help but smile. “I figured that. That’s why I said try. The last I heard, Korzh is still in the area. And so is Anne Le Morte.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom paled slightly at the name. He had faced the doll once before at the gas station, and the boy was fully aware of how dangerous the ghost could be.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Are you okay with that?” Victor asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom nodded, the color easing back into his cheeks.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Good. I should be leaving in about half an hour,” Victor said. “Unless you need something from the store.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No,” Tom said. “I should be alright. Iris will come over later. If I need anything, I’ll ask her to bring it. She’s usually okay with that.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I figured she would be.” Victor smiled. “Okay. I’m going to finish getting my stuff together. Make sure you keep your phone on and with you, even when you’re spending time with Iris.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Yeah,” Tom said, grinning. “I will.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy stood up, still pressing the cereal box to his chest. “Have a safe trip. You’ll send me a text when you get there?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Of course,” Victor said. “I’ll talk to you soon, Tom.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy nodded, smiled, and left the room.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor sighed and tried to focus on his trip. He didn’t like leaving Tom alone but bringing him to deal with another killer wasn’t a priority.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy would be safer in Pennsylvania than New Hampshire.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Scare Street","offers":[{"title":"PAPERBACK","offer_id":51656773271831,"sku":"HAUNTED COLLECTION 1-3","price":39.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"EBOOK + AUDIO","offer_id":51656773370135,"sku":"hc1-3ebab","price":44.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0798\/7209\/8583\/files\/1-WEB_HCS1-3_3Books_v1.2.jpg?v=1766720974"},{"product_id":"haunted-collection-series-books-4-6","title":"Haunted Collection Series: Books 4-6","description":"\u003ch2\u003eA deadly collection of haunted antiques has been unleashed…\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA cursed rifle. A possessed mirror. A demonic child’s toy. Dark relics with a bloody past are unleashed by a sadistic occultist.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eStefan Korzh’s desire to destroy the lives of everyone around him knows no bounds. His haunted antique collection continues to spread and turn his diabolical plans into reality. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eVictor Daniels and Tom Crane are the only ones who can stop the madness before it’s too late.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBut as Victor and Tom track down the man responsible for this deadly game, they come face to face with secrets that will change the course of their lives forever.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"I couldn't put this series down and went through the entire collection (9 books) in less than a week. I immediately dove into the next book after finishing the previous one. Ron Ripley is fast becoming one of my favorite authors of horror stories.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe plot moves forward and the characters are personal. I've read many of Ripley and Scare Street and will continue to be a fan of the books.\" \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"I love these series because I love haunted ghost stories. Wish they made a TV series about this. I do not give spoilers away and lets just say it is an intense series. 5 haunted possessions out of 5\" \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"The story captures you on every page and is in a class, by itself.\" \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eBooks Included in the Bundle:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Hank’s Radio (Book 4)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ The Burning Girl (Book 5)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Knife in the Dark (Book 6)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ctable width=\"100%\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 137.157px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRINT LENGTH\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e1,911 Pages\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAUDIO LENGTH\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e67 hours and 39 minutes\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNARRATED BY \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003eThom Bowers\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRODUCT DIMENSION\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e6 x 1.46 x 9 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e960-9-20400-003-1\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLANGUAGE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003eEnglish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePUBLICATION DATE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003eMarch 06, 2019\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"product-block product-block--tab\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsibles-wrapper collapsibles-wrapper--border-bottom\"\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"Product-content-tab_f3QTgL8782181630231\" class=\"label collapsible-trigger collapsible-trigger-btn collapsible-trigger-btn--borders collapsible--auto-height\" type=\"button\"\u003e Read a Sample \u003cspan role=\"presentation\" class=\"collapsible-trigger__icon collapsible-trigger__icon--open\"\u003e \u003csvg viewbox=\"0 0 28 16\" class=\"icon icon--wide icon-chevron-down\" role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\u003cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#000\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"m1.57 1.59 12.76 12.77L27.1 1.59\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003c\/svg\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsible-content collapsible-content--all\" id=\"Product-content-tab_f3QTgL8782181630231\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsible-content__inner rte\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eChapter 3: Old Time Radio\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eKristine Tring sat in the small room that served as both living room, and den in the Mayor Maurice Arel Assisted Living Home. In spite of the arthritis in her hands, she held a pair of overly large knitting needles. She worked at a slow, careful pace. Her thoughts were not on the prayer shawl she knitted, nor were they on the people at St. Joseph’s Hospital who would be the eventual recipients of the shawls she made.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eInstead, her mind was far away. December was only three days away, and with it would come the anniversary of her brother Kevin’s death. They had been twins, and he had died in Korea in 1951. Seventeen years old and dead.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eSeventeen years old and he had never grown any older.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe plastic needles clicked in the stillness of her apartment, her hearing aids turned down, so the loud television sets of the neighbors on either side and above her were inaudible. With the death of her only niece on her deceased husband’s side the year before, Kristine had gotten rid of her telephone.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThere was no one to call, and no one to expect calls from. The few friends she had, lived in her building, and she would see them at breakfast, or perhaps in the recreation room for coffee.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eA flicker of light caught her eye, and her hands stopped as she looked up.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAcross the room was the one, unnecessary heirloom she had kept when she moved into the Arel Home. A tall, Zenith floor model radio. It was in poor shape, having been battered and beaten by herself and Kevin when they were children.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAnd now the faceplate on it was lit with the old, yellow glow she remembered so well.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eShe stared at it for a moment, not understanding how the radio could be working.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe plug had broken a decade earlier, and before that, one of the vacuum tubes had broken.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eIt was a nonfunctioning relic, nothing more.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBut there it was, lit as when she and her siblings would sit and listen to the Phantom.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eConfused, Kristine turned the volume on her hearing aids back up.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Good evening,” a man said through the speaker, his voice smooth and pleasant. There was an arousing, enticing quality to his voice. It made her want to listen to him, and to nothing else. “This is Hank McErney, and I’m here with you, are you here with me?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eKristine stared in surprise, not sure what to do.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Hello,” Hank said, chuckling, “didn’t you hear me, young lady? Yes, you with the knitting on your lap.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eKristine straightened up in the chair, taken aback even as she said, “Yes. Yes, I hear you.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Oh, very good,” Hank said. “Tell me, what’s your name?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Kristine,” she replied. Her stomach tied itself into knots she hadn’t felt since she had been a teenager, and she didn’t quite know what to do.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Kristine,” Hank said in a pleased voice, “a pretty name for a pretty girl. I’m curious, Kristine, why are you inside on a night like tonight? Shouldn’t you be out there cutting a rug with some dashing young man?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No one asked,” Kristine answered.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“That I can’t believe,” Hank said, “no one?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No,” Kristine said.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Let’s take care of that, shall we, Kristine?” Hank asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe world bent and twisted, and shifted into shadow as the warmth was torn from the room. And a moment later, a man stood in front of the radio, and she knew it was Hank McErney.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe was tall, his black hair flipped to one side in a style that had gone out of fashion in the forties. An Errol Flynn mustache graced his upper lip, and his nose was aquiline. His chin was square cut, as were the shoulders of the suit coat he wore. A cigarette hung from the corner of his mouth, and there was an air of calm assuredness about him that Kristine found appealing. Hank McErney was a ruggedly good-looking man, and Kristine’s heart fluttered in a way she didn’t think was possible anymore.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Hello, Kristine,” Hank said, and his voice was even more powerful in person than it had been on the radio.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Hello,” she replied, blushing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThis isn’t real, she thought. I must be having a stroke. Or a heart attack. Am I dying?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eChapter 6: Paranoia Runs Deep\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan felt miserable.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eWhile he had never enjoyed his trips beyond his compound, they had taken on a terrible life of their own. Each time he was compelled to leave, he did so knowing full well that the man who had tried to kill him remained at large. And that was in addition to the fact that the police might connect Stefan to Jeremy Rhinehart’s murder in Fox Cat Hollow.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe fear reminded him of when his half-sister had hunted him, and he despised it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe had spent additional funds on establishing motion sensor lights farther up the road that lead to the warehouse. Stefan had also added an extended ring of cameras to the perimeter, and when he went into the observation room shortly after having woken up, there was an alert on his home screen.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe monitoring software he had installed had picked up and isolated the wireless feed he had been trying to hunt down since the failed attempt on his life.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan quickly typed in his passcode, accessed the account, and looked at the feed.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eWhat he found drove a cold, hard spike of mixed hatred and fear into his stomach.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe was looking at not one video feed, but four. Whoever was watching him had placed a camera on each side of the building. No matter where Stefan exited his home from, the unseen watcher would know it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan stared at the screen for a moment longer, then, with an angry grumble, he turned the monitor off.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eSwearing under his breath, Stefan stood up, shoving his chair back before he went stomping out of the room. He went to the kitchen, skipped his morning coffee, and reached for the vodka. Without bothering with a glass, Stefan opened the bottle, brought the mouth of it up to his lips, and took a long, bitter pull from it. He only stopped when he needed to breathe, his mouth burning, and his eyes watering from the strength of the alcohol.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan gripped the counter with one hand to steady himself, then he took another, smaller drink.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe knew it had to be the man who had tried to kill him. And Stefan felt certain his father and stepsister had put the man up to it. The stranger had been skilled. Extremely so, and Stefan suspected that the man had misjudged Stefan’s own capabilities.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eIt wasn’t a mistake the stranger was apt to make twice.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eFurious, Stefan brought the bottle back with him into the observation room. He turned on the monitor, immediately exited the feed for the enemy’s cameras, and sat down. In silence, Stefan brought up his sales and pondered over them. He tried to focus, realized that he wouldn’t be able to, and shifted his attention to the newspapers where he had shipped various items off.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHis anger increased, rising to a steady speed until he shoved the mouse away from him and pressed his hands against his eyes. The websites were empty of any sort of information regarding the dead and the damage they could inflict.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eGrinding his teeth in frustration, Stefan took a deep breath and reminded himself it was only a matter of time before something happened.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDropping his hands from his face, Stefan took hold of the mouse and began to search his sales again, hoping to find something there to appease his anger.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThere wasn’t.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan snarled and threw the mouse across the room, the plastic shattering against the wall. He sat in the chair for several minutes, irate and unable to move.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eFinally, when he had calmed down, Stefan opened his desk drawer, took out a new mouse, and went through the familiar motions of getting it ready.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eChapter 12: Adventure and Excitement\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor had managed to fall asleep in his bed rather than the chair in the study, and by doing so, he had obtained a good night’s sleep. When the sun had risen, so had Victor. He had eaten breakfast alone, and he was halfway through making his travel plans when Tom walked in, yawning.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy rubbed his face with his hand, the left sleeve of his pajama top hanging loose. Tom only put on the prosthetic in the morning when he was going to work out first, and it still shocked Victor when he saw the empty sleeve.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“How are you doing?” he asked as Tom waved at him.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy shrugged and got himself a glass of water.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Late night?” Victor asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No,” Tom said, putting the empty cup down on the counter. “Just tired. Bad dreams. You know?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor nodded. He knew all too well about bad dreams. The nights when he managed to get through to dawn without them were few and far between, and they were to be treasured.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Any big plans for today?” Tom asked, taking a box of Fruit Loops cereal down from a cabinet and carrying it to the table.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I need to go up to Concord,” Victor explained.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom’s eyes widened in surprise as he sat down. Then, fumbling with the box top, he said, “Concord, Massachusetts?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No,” Victor said, shaking his head, “Concord, New Hampshire.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“You’re spending a lot of time up in the granite state,” Tom said. Victor watched the boy hold the cereal box against his chest and fish a handful of the multicolored loops out. The teen ate them dry, waiting for Victor’s response to his statement.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I have to,” Victor stated. “At least right now. Seems like Korzh sent another item out.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHatred flashed through the boy’s eyes, but he regained control of himself instantly. “What happened?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor gave him all of the information he had been able to dig up on the internet about the ring. He watched the boy’s jaw tighten, his fingers twitching.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Do you want me to go with you?” Tom asked after a moment.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor shook his head. “I need you here, on the off chance that another item should show up in Fox Cat Hollow. It’s unlikely, I know, but there’s the possibility it could happen.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“What should I do if it does?” Tom asked. “I’m not exactly a hundred percent here, even with my prosthetic on. I’m just not that skilled with it yet.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I need you to be my eyes and ears,” Victor replied. “Read the papers. The local stuff and the ones you can find online. Make sure that you use your new name, too. If anyone asks.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom rolled his eyes and asked, “Why Jeremiah?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I don’t know,” Victor answered.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom shook his head. “I don’t like it.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“You don’t have to, Tom,” Victor replied. “You just need to use it. Can you see if you can get Iris to call you Jeremiah in public, too? And, speaking of Iris, try to keep her out of anything that might pop up, okay?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom frowned. “She won’t like that. Iris does what she wants.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor couldn’t help but smile. “I figured that. That’s why I said try. The last I heard, Korzh is still in the area. And so is Anne Le Morte.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom paled slightly at the name. He had faced the doll once before at the gas station, and the boy was fully aware of how dangerous the ghost could be.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Are you okay with that?” Victor asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom nodded, the color easing back into his cheeks.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Good. I should be leaving in about half an hour,” Victor said. “Unless you need something from the store.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No,” Tom said. “I should be alright. Iris will come over later. If I need anything, I’ll ask her to bring it. She’s usually okay with that.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I figured she would be.” Victor smiled. “Okay. I’m going to finish getting my stuff together. Make sure you keep your phone on and with you, even when you’re spending time with Iris.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Yeah,” Tom said, grinning. “I will.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy stood up, still pressing the cereal box to his chest. “Have a safe trip. You’ll send me a text when you get there?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Of course,” Victor said. “I’ll talk to you soon, Tom.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy nodded, smiled, and left the room.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor sighed and tried to focus on his trip. He didn’t like leaving Tom alone but bringing him to deal with another killer wasn’t a priority.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy would be safer in Pennsylvania than New Hampshire.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Scare Street","offers":[{"title":"PAPERBACK + FREE EBOOK \u0026 AUDIO","offer_id":51702519857431,"sku":"HAUNTED COLLECTION 4-6","price":39.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"EBOOK \u0026 AUDIO","offer_id":51702519955735,"sku":"hc4-6ebab","price":44.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0798\/7209\/8583\/files\/WEB_Haunted_Collection_Box_1-9_PBM3.jpg?v=1726465894"},{"product_id":"haunted-collection-series-books-7-9","title":"Haunted Collection Series: Books 7-9","description":"\u003ch2\u003eA deadly collection of haunted antiques has been unleashed…\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA cursed rifle. A possessed mirror. A demonic child’s toy. Dark relics with a bloody past are unleashed by a sadistic occultist.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eStefan Korzh’s desire to destroy the lives of everyone around him knows no bounds. His haunted antique collection continues to spread and turn his diabolical plans into reality. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eVictor Daniels and Tom Crane are the only ones who can stop the madness before it’s too late.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eBut as Victor and Tom track down the man responsible for this deadly game, they come face to face with secrets that will change the course of their lives forever.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"I couldn't put this series down and went through the entire collection (9 books) in less than a week. I immediately dove into the next book after finishing the previous one. Ron Ripley is fast becoming one of my favorite authors of horror stories.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThe plot moves forward and the characters are personal. I've read many of Ripley and Scare Street and will continue to be a fan of the books.\" \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"I love these series because I love haunted ghost stories. Wish they made a TV series about this. I do not give spoilers away and lets just say it is an intense series. 5 haunted possessions out of 5\" \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"The story captures you on every page and is in a class, by itself.\" \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eBooks Included in the Bundle:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Last Breath (Book 7)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Ticket to Death (Book 8)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Death Rattle (Book 9)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ctable width=\"100%\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 137.157px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRINT LENGTH\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e1,911 Pages\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAUDIO LENGTH\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e67 hours and 39 minutes\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNARRATED BY \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003eThom Bowers\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRODUCT DIMENSION\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e6 x 1.46 x 9 inches\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e960-9-20400-003-1\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLANGUAGE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003eEnglish\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePUBLICATION DATE\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003eMarch 06, 2019\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"product-block product-block--tab\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsibles-wrapper collapsibles-wrapper--border-bottom\"\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"Product-content-tab_f3QTgL8782181630231\" class=\"label collapsible-trigger collapsible-trigger-btn collapsible-trigger-btn--borders collapsible--auto-height\" type=\"button\"\u003e Read a Sample \u003cspan role=\"presentation\" class=\"collapsible-trigger__icon collapsible-trigger__icon--open\"\u003e \u003csvg viewbox=\"0 0 28 16\" class=\"icon icon--wide icon-chevron-down\" role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\u003cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#000\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"m1.57 1.59 12.76 12.77L27.1 1.59\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003c\/svg\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsible-content collapsible-content--all\" id=\"Product-content-tab_f3QTgL8782181630231\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsible-content__inner rte\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eChapter 3: Old Time Radio\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eKristine Tring sat in the small room that served as both living room, and den in the Mayor Maurice Arel Assisted Living Home. In spite of the arthritis in her hands, she held a pair of overly large knitting needles. She worked at a slow, careful pace. Her thoughts were not on the prayer shawl she knitted, nor were they on the people at St. Joseph’s Hospital who would be the eventual recipients of the shawls she made.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eInstead, her mind was far away. December was only three days away, and with it would come the anniversary of her brother Kevin’s death. They had been twins, and he had died in Korea in 1951. Seventeen years old and dead.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eSeventeen years old and he had never grown any older.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe plastic needles clicked in the stillness of her apartment, her hearing aids turned down, so the loud television sets of the neighbors on either side and above her were inaudible. With the death of her only niece on her deceased husband’s side the year before, Kristine had gotten rid of her telephone.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThere was no one to call, and no one to expect calls from. The few friends she had, lived in her building, and she would see them at breakfast, or perhaps in the recreation room for coffee.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eA flicker of light caught her eye, and her hands stopped as she looked up.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAcross the room was the one, unnecessary heirloom she had kept when she moved into the Arel Home. A tall, Zenith floor model radio. It was in poor shape, having been battered and beaten by herself and Kevin when they were children.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAnd now the faceplate on it was lit with the old, yellow glow she remembered so well.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eShe stared at it for a moment, not understanding how the radio could be working.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe plug had broken a decade earlier, and before that, one of the vacuum tubes had broken.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eIt was a nonfunctioning relic, nothing more.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBut there it was, lit as when she and her siblings would sit and listen to the Phantom.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eConfused, Kristine turned the volume on her hearing aids back up.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Good evening,” a man said through the speaker, his voice smooth and pleasant. There was an arousing, enticing quality to his voice. It made her want to listen to him, and to nothing else. “This is Hank McErney, and I’m here with you, are you here with me?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eKristine stared in surprise, not sure what to do.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Hello,” Hank said, chuckling, “didn’t you hear me, young lady? Yes, you with the knitting on your lap.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eKristine straightened up in the chair, taken aback even as she said, “Yes. Yes, I hear you.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Oh, very good,” Hank said. “Tell me, what’s your name?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Kristine,” she replied. Her stomach tied itself into knots she hadn’t felt since she had been a teenager, and she didn’t quite know what to do.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Kristine,” Hank said in a pleased voice, “a pretty name for a pretty girl. I’m curious, Kristine, why are you inside on a night like tonight? Shouldn’t you be out there cutting a rug with some dashing young man?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No one asked,” Kristine answered.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“That I can’t believe,” Hank said, “no one?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No,” Kristine said.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Let’s take care of that, shall we, Kristine?” Hank asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe world bent and twisted, and shifted into shadow as the warmth was torn from the room. And a moment later, a man stood in front of the radio, and she knew it was Hank McErney.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe was tall, his black hair flipped to one side in a style that had gone out of fashion in the forties. An Errol Flynn mustache graced his upper lip, and his nose was aquiline. His chin was square cut, as were the shoulders of the suit coat he wore. A cigarette hung from the corner of his mouth, and there was an air of calm assuredness about him that Kristine found appealing. Hank McErney was a ruggedly good-looking man, and Kristine’s heart fluttered in a way she didn’t think was possible anymore.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Hello, Kristine,” Hank said, and his voice was even more powerful in person than it had been on the radio.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Hello,” she replied, blushing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThis isn’t real, she thought. I must be having a stroke. Or a heart attack. Am I dying?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eChapter 6: Paranoia Runs Deep\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan felt miserable.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eWhile he had never enjoyed his trips beyond his compound, they had taken on a terrible life of their own. Each time he was compelled to leave, he did so knowing full well that the man who had tried to kill him remained at large. And that was in addition to the fact that the police might connect Stefan to Jeremy Rhinehart’s murder in Fox Cat Hollow.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe fear reminded him of when his half-sister had hunted him, and he despised it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe had spent additional funds on establishing motion sensor lights farther up the road that lead to the warehouse. Stefan had also added an extended ring of cameras to the perimeter, and when he went into the observation room shortly after having woken up, there was an alert on his home screen.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe monitoring software he had installed had picked up and isolated the wireless feed he had been trying to hunt down since the failed attempt on his life.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan quickly typed in his passcode, accessed the account, and looked at the feed.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eWhat he found drove a cold, hard spike of mixed hatred and fear into his stomach.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe was looking at not one video feed, but four. Whoever was watching him had placed a camera on each side of the building. No matter where Stefan exited his home from, the unseen watcher would know it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan stared at the screen for a moment longer, then, with an angry grumble, he turned the monitor off.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eSwearing under his breath, Stefan stood up, shoving his chair back before he went stomping out of the room. He went to the kitchen, skipped his morning coffee, and reached for the vodka. Without bothering with a glass, Stefan opened the bottle, brought the mouth of it up to his lips, and took a long, bitter pull from it. He only stopped when he needed to breathe, his mouth burning, and his eyes watering from the strength of the alcohol.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan gripped the counter with one hand to steady himself, then he took another, smaller drink.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe knew it had to be the man who had tried to kill him. And Stefan felt certain his father and stepsister had put the man up to it. The stranger had been skilled. Extremely so, and Stefan suspected that the man had misjudged Stefan’s own capabilities.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eIt wasn’t a mistake the stranger was apt to make twice.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eFurious, Stefan brought the bottle back with him into the observation room. He turned on the monitor, immediately exited the feed for the enemy’s cameras, and sat down. In silence, Stefan brought up his sales and pondered over them. He tried to focus, realized that he wouldn’t be able to, and shifted his attention to the newspapers where he had shipped various items off.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHis anger increased, rising to a steady speed until he shoved the mouse away from him and pressed his hands against his eyes. The websites were empty of any sort of information regarding the dead and the damage they could inflict.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eGrinding his teeth in frustration, Stefan took a deep breath and reminded himself it was only a matter of time before something happened.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDropping his hands from his face, Stefan took hold of the mouse and began to search his sales again, hoping to find something there to appease his anger.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThere wasn’t.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan snarled and threw the mouse across the room, the plastic shattering against the wall. He sat in the chair for several minutes, irate and unable to move.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eFinally, when he had calmed down, Stefan opened his desk drawer, took out a new mouse, and went through the familiar motions of getting it ready.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eChapter 12: Adventure and Excitement\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor had managed to fall asleep in his bed rather than the chair in the study, and by doing so, he had obtained a good night’s sleep. When the sun had risen, so had Victor. He had eaten breakfast alone, and he was halfway through making his travel plans when Tom walked in, yawning.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy rubbed his face with his hand, the left sleeve of his pajama top hanging loose. Tom only put on the prosthetic in the morning when he was going to work out first, and it still shocked Victor when he saw the empty sleeve.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“How are you doing?” he asked as Tom waved at him.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy shrugged and got himself a glass of water.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Late night?” Victor asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No,” Tom said, putting the empty cup down on the counter. “Just tired. Bad dreams. You know?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor nodded. He knew all too well about bad dreams. The nights when he managed to get through to dawn without them were few and far between, and they were to be treasured.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Any big plans for today?” Tom asked, taking a box of Fruit Loops cereal down from a cabinet and carrying it to the table.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I need to go up to Concord,” Victor explained.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom’s eyes widened in surprise as he sat down. Then, fumbling with the box top, he said, “Concord, Massachusetts?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No,” Victor said, shaking his head, “Concord, New Hampshire.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“You’re spending a lot of time up in the granite state,” Tom said. Victor watched the boy hold the cereal box against his chest and fish a handful of the multicolored loops out. The teen ate them dry, waiting for Victor’s response to his statement.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I have to,” Victor stated. “At least right now. Seems like Korzh sent another item out.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHatred flashed through the boy’s eyes, but he regained control of himself instantly. “What happened?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor gave him all of the information he had been able to dig up on the internet about the ring. He watched the boy’s jaw tighten, his fingers twitching.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Do you want me to go with you?” Tom asked after a moment.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor shook his head. “I need you here, on the off chance that another item should show up in Fox Cat Hollow. It’s unlikely, I know, but there’s the possibility it could happen.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“What should I do if it does?” Tom asked. “I’m not exactly a hundred percent here, even with my prosthetic on. I’m just not that skilled with it yet.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I need you to be my eyes and ears,” Victor replied. “Read the papers. The local stuff and the ones you can find online. Make sure that you use your new name, too. If anyone asks.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom rolled his eyes and asked, “Why Jeremiah?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I don’t know,” Victor answered.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom shook his head. “I don’t like it.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“You don’t have to, Tom,” Victor replied. “You just need to use it. Can you see if you can get Iris to call you Jeremiah in public, too? And, speaking of Iris, try to keep her out of anything that might pop up, okay?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom frowned. “She won’t like that. Iris does what she wants.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor couldn’t help but smile. “I figured that. That’s why I said try. The last I heard, Korzh is still in the area. And so is Anne Le Morte.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom paled slightly at the name. He had faced the doll once before at the gas station, and the boy was fully aware of how dangerous the ghost could be.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Are you okay with that?” Victor asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom nodded, the color easing back into his cheeks.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Good. I should be leaving in about half an hour,” Victor said. “Unless you need something from the store.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No,” Tom said. “I should be alright. Iris will come over later. If I need anything, I’ll ask her to bring it. She’s usually okay with that.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I figured she would be.” Victor smiled. “Okay. I’m going to finish getting my stuff together. Make sure you keep your phone on and with you, even when you’re spending time with Iris.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Yeah,” Tom said, grinning. “I will.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy stood up, still pressing the cereal box to his chest. “Have a safe trip. You’ll send me a text when you get there?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Of course,” Victor said. “I’ll talk to you soon, Tom.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy nodded, smiled, and left the room.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor sighed and tried to focus on his trip. He didn’t like leaving Tom alone but bringing him to deal with another killer wasn’t a priority.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy would be safer in Pennsylvania than New Hampshire.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Scare Street","offers":[{"title":"PAPERBACK + FREE EBOOK \u0026 AUDIO","offer_id":51702552756503,"sku":"HAUNTED COLLECTION 7-9","price":39.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"EBOOK \u0026 AUDIO","offer_id":51702552854807,"sku":"hc7-9ebab","price":44.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0798\/7209\/8583\/files\/WEB_Haunted_Collection_Box_1-9_PBM3.jpg?v=1726465894"},{"product_id":"hcsboxv3","title":"The Complete Haunted Collection Saga: 9 Books of Action Packed Horror You Won't Be Able to Put Down (FREE U.S. SHIPPING)","description":"\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eListen to a sample here:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"400\" height=\"75\" src=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1UqBqcUe1kAx4QtPh1-rf2jf0-kXva_Ji\/preview\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e🗣 Professionally Narrated by Thom Bowers\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eLimited Time Offer: Get the complete e-book and audiobook editions FREE when you buy the paperback box set. That's over $200 in value. Free U.S. shipping included.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e9 Books. 66+ Hours. One Historian Who Refuses to Run.\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSomeone's selling haunted objects online. And they just mailed death to your doorstep.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA cursed rifle that forces its owner to kill. A mirror that traps souls in its reflection. A child's toy that whispers suicide. These aren't artifacts gathering dust in a museum. They're weapons.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd occultist Stefan Korzh is packaging them up and shipping them to innocent families across America.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost men would flee from such evil. Victor Daniels hunts it down.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA widowed historian armed with salt, iron, and a lifetime of research into the occult, Victor knows the rules of the supernatural world. Ghosts can be bound. Curses can be broken. And Stefan Korzh can be stopped.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTeaming up with his adopted son Tom Crane, Victor wages a cross-country war against the deadliest antique collection ever assembled.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut as the body count rises and the hauntings grow more vicious, Victor discovers that some secrets are more terrifying than any ghost...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWHAT READERS ARE SAYING:\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"I couldn't put this series down and went through the entire collection (9 books) in less than a week. Ron Ripley is fast becoming one of my favorite authors of horror stories. The plot moves forward and the characters are personal.\"\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"I love these series because I love haunted ghost stories. Wish they made a TV series about this. It is an intense series. 5 haunted possessions out of 5\"\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"The story captures you on every page and is in a class by itself.\"\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eBooks Included in the Bundle:\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e1. Collecting Death\u003cbr\u003e2. Walter's Rifle\u003cbr\u003e3. Blood in the Mirror\u003cbr\u003e4. Hank's Radio\u003cbr\u003e5. The Burning Girl\u003cbr\u003e6. Knife in the Dark\u003cbr\u003e7. Last Breath\u003cbr\u003e8. Ticket to Death\u003cbr\u003e9. Death Rattle\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eComplete series. No waiting. Just 1,900+ pages of salt, iron, and the things that refuse to stay dead.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ctable style=\"width: 100%; height: 137.157px;\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEBOOK\/PAPERBACK\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e1,911 Pages\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAUDIOBOOK\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e67 hours and 39 minutes\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNARRATED BY \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003eThom Bowers\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"product-block product-block--tab\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"product-block product-block--tab\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"product-block product-block--tab\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsibles-wrapper collapsibles-wrapper--border-bottom\"\u003e\n\u003cbutton type=\"button\" class=\"label collapsible-trigger collapsible-trigger-btn collapsible-trigger-btn--borders collapsible--auto-height\" aria-controls=\"Product-content-tab_f3QTgL8782181630231\" aria-expanded=\"false\"\u003e Read a Sample \u003cspan class=\"collapsible-trigger__icon collapsible-trigger__icon--open\" role=\"presentation\"\u003e\u003csvg aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"icon icon--wide icon-chevron-down\" viewbox=\"0 0 28 16\"\u003e\u003cpath d=\"m1.57 1.59 12.76 12.77L27.1 1.59\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke=\"#000\" fill=\"none\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003c\/svg\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Product-content-tab_f3QTgL8782181630231\" class=\"collapsible-content collapsible-content--all\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsible-content__inner rte\"\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eChapter 3: Old Time Radio\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eKristine Tring sat in the small room that served as both living room, and den in the Mayor Maurice Arel Assisted Living Home. In spite of the arthritis in her hands, she held a pair of overly large knitting needles. She worked at a slow, careful pace. Her thoughts were not on the prayer shawl she knitted, nor were they on the people at St. Joseph’s Hospital who would be the eventual recipients of the shawls she made.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eInstead, her mind was far away. December was only three days away, and with it would come the anniversary of her brother Kevin’s death. They had been twins, and he had died in Korea in 1951. Seventeen years old and dead.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eSeventeen years old and he had never grown any older.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe plastic needles clicked in the stillness of her apartment, her hearing aids turned down, so the loud television sets of the neighbors on either side and above her were inaudible. With the death of her only niece on her deceased husband’s side the year before, Kristine had gotten rid of her telephone.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThere was no one to call, and no one to expect calls from. The few friends she had, lived in her building, and she would see them at breakfast, or perhaps in the recreation room for coffee.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eA flicker of light caught her eye, and her hands stopped as she looked up.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAcross the room was the one, unnecessary heirloom she had kept when she moved into the Arel Home. A tall, Zenith floor model radio. It was in poor shape, having been battered and beaten by herself and Kevin when they were children.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAnd now the faceplate on it was lit with the old, yellow glow she remembered so well.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eShe stared at it for a moment, not understanding how the radio could be working.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe plug had broken a decade earlier, and before that, one of the vacuum tubes had broken.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eIt was a nonfunctioning relic, nothing more.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBut there it was, lit as when she and her siblings would sit and listen to the Phantom.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eConfused, Kristine turned the volume on her hearing aids back up.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Good evening,” a man said through the speaker, his voice smooth and pleasant. There was an arousing, enticing quality to his voice. It made her want to listen to him, and to nothing else. “This is Hank McErney, and I’m here with you, are you here with me?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eKristine stared in surprise, not sure what to do.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Hello,” Hank said, chuckling, “didn’t you hear me, young lady? Yes, you with the knitting on your lap.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eKristine straightened up in the chair, taken aback even as she said, “Yes. Yes, I hear you.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Oh, very good,” Hank said. “Tell me, what’s your name?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Kristine,” she replied. Her stomach tied itself into knots she hadn’t felt since she had been a teenager, and she didn’t quite know what to do.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Kristine,” Hank said in a pleased voice, “a pretty name for a pretty girl. I’m curious, Kristine, why are you inside on a night like tonight? Shouldn’t you be out there cutting a rug with some dashing young man?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No one asked,” Kristine answered.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“That I can’t believe,” Hank said, “no one?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No,” Kristine said.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Let’s take care of that, shall we, Kristine?” Hank asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe world bent and twisted, and shifted into shadow as the warmth was torn from the room. And a moment later, a man stood in front of the radio, and she knew it was Hank McErney.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe was tall, his black hair flipped to one side in a style that had gone out of fashion in the forties. An Errol Flynn mustache graced his upper lip, and his nose was aquiline. His chin was square cut, as were the shoulders of the suit coat he wore. A cigarette hung from the corner of his mouth, and there was an air of calm assuredness about him that Kristine found appealing. Hank McErney was a ruggedly good-looking man, and Kristine’s heart fluttered in a way she didn’t think was possible anymore.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Hello, Kristine,” Hank said, and his voice was even more powerful in person than it had been on the radio.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Hello,” she replied, blushing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThis isn’t real, she thought. I must be having a stroke. Or a heart attack. Am I dying?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eChapter 6: Paranoia Runs Deep\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan felt miserable.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eWhile he had never enjoyed his trips beyond his compound, they had taken on a terrible life of their own. Each time he was compelled to leave, he did so knowing full well that the man who had tried to kill him remained at large. And that was in addition to the fact that the police might connect Stefan to Jeremy Rhinehart’s murder in Fox Cat Hollow.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe fear reminded him of when his half-sister had hunted him, and he despised it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe had spent additional funds on establishing motion sensor lights farther up the road that lead to the warehouse. Stefan had also added an extended ring of cameras to the perimeter, and when he went into the observation room shortly after having woken up, there was an alert on his home screen.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe monitoring software he had installed had picked up and isolated the wireless feed he had been trying to hunt down since the failed attempt on his life.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan quickly typed in his passcode, accessed the account, and looked at the feed.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eWhat he found drove a cold, hard spike of mixed hatred and fear into his stomach.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe was looking at not one video feed, but four. Whoever was watching him had placed a camera on each side of the building. No matter where Stefan exited his home from, the unseen watcher would know it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan stared at the screen for a moment longer, then, with an angry grumble, he turned the monitor off.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eSwearing under his breath, Stefan stood up, shoving his chair back before he went stomping out of the room. He went to the kitchen, skipped his morning coffee, and reached for the vodka. Without bothering with a glass, Stefan opened the bottle, brought the mouth of it up to his lips, and took a long, bitter pull from it. He only stopped when he needed to breathe, his mouth burning, and his eyes watering from the strength of the alcohol.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan gripped the counter with one hand to steady himself, then he took another, smaller drink.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe knew it had to be the man who had tried to kill him. And Stefan felt certain his father and stepsister had put the man up to it. The stranger had been skilled. Extremely so, and Stefan suspected that the man had misjudged Stefan’s own capabilities.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eIt wasn’t a mistake the stranger was apt to make twice.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eFurious, Stefan brought the bottle back with him into the observation room. He turned on the monitor, immediately exited the feed for the enemy’s cameras, and sat down. In silence, Stefan brought up his sales and pondered over them. He tried to focus, realized that he wouldn’t be able to, and shifted his attention to the newspapers where he had shipped various items off.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHis anger increased, rising to a steady speed until he shoved the mouse away from him and pressed his hands against his eyes. The websites were empty of any sort of information regarding the dead and the damage they could inflict.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eGrinding his teeth in frustration, Stefan took a deep breath and reminded himself it was only a matter of time before something happened.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDropping his hands from his face, Stefan took hold of the mouse and began to search his sales again, hoping to find something there to appease his anger.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThere wasn’t.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan snarled and threw the mouse across the room, the plastic shattering against the wall. He sat in the chair for several minutes, irate and unable to move.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eFinally, when he had calmed down, Stefan opened his desk drawer, took out a new mouse, and went through the familiar motions of getting it ready.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eChapter 12: Adventure and Excitement\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor had managed to fall asleep in his bed rather than the chair in the study, and by doing so, he had obtained a good night’s sleep. When the sun had risen, so had Victor. He had eaten breakfast alone, and he was halfway through making his travel plans when Tom walked in, yawning.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy rubbed his face with his hand, the left sleeve of his pajama top hanging loose. Tom only put on the prosthetic in the morning when he was going to work out first, and it still shocked Victor when he saw the empty sleeve.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“How are you doing?” he asked as Tom waved at him.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy shrugged and got himself a glass of water.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Late night?” Victor asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No,” Tom said, putting the empty cup down on the counter. “Just tired. Bad dreams. You know?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor nodded. He knew all too well about bad dreams. The nights when he managed to get through to dawn without them were few and far between, and they were to be treasured.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Any big plans for today?” Tom asked, taking a box of Fruit Loops cereal down from a cabinet and carrying it to the table.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I need to go up to Concord,” Victor explained.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom’s eyes widened in surprise as he sat down. Then, fumbling with the box top, he said, “Concord, Massachusetts?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No,” Victor said, shaking his head, “Concord, New Hampshire.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“You’re spending a lot of time up in the granite state,” Tom said. Victor watched the boy hold the cereal box against his chest and fish a handful of the multicolored loops out. The teen ate them dry, waiting for Victor’s response to his statement.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I have to,” Victor stated. “At least right now. Seems like Korzh sent another item out.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHatred flashed through the boy’s eyes, but he regained control of himself instantly. “What happened?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor gave him all of the information he had been able to dig up on the internet about the ring. He watched the boy’s jaw tighten, his fingers twitching.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Do you want me to go with you?” Tom asked after a moment.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor shook his head. “I need you here, on the off chance that another item should show up in Fox Cat Hollow. It’s unlikely, I know, but there’s the possibility it could happen.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“What should I do if it does?” Tom asked. “I’m not exactly a hundred percent here, even with my prosthetic on. I’m just not that skilled with it yet.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I need you to be my eyes and ears,” Victor replied. “Read the papers. The local stuff and the ones you can find online. Make sure that you use your new name, too. If anyone asks.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom rolled his eyes and asked, “Why Jeremiah?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I don’t know,” Victor answered.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom shook his head. “I don’t like it.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“You don’t have to, Tom,” Victor replied. “You just need to use it. Can you see if you can get Iris to call you Jeremiah in public, too? And, speaking of Iris, try to keep her out of anything that might pop up, okay?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom frowned. “She won’t like that. Iris does what she wants.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor couldn’t help but smile. “I figured that. That’s why I said try. The last I heard, Korzh is still in the area. And so is Anne Le Morte.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom paled slightly at the name. He had faced the doll once before at the gas station, and the boy was fully aware of how dangerous the ghost could be.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Are you okay with that?” Victor asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom nodded, the color easing back into his cheeks.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Good. I should be leaving in about half an hour,” Victor said. “Unless you need something from the store.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No,” Tom said. “I should be alright. Iris will come over later. If I need anything, I’ll ask her to bring it. She’s usually okay with that.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I figured she would be.” Victor smiled. “Okay. I’m going to finish getting my stuff together. Make sure you keep your phone on and with you, even when you’re spending time with Iris.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Yeah,” Tom said, grinning. “I will.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy stood up, still pressing the cereal box to his chest. “Have a safe trip. You’ll send me a text when you get there?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Of course,” Victor said. “I’ll talk to you soon, Tom.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy nodded, smiled, and left the room.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor sighed and tried to focus on his trip. He didn’t like leaving Tom alone but bringing him to deal with another killer wasn’t a priority.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy would be safer in Pennsylvania than New Hampshire.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Scare Street","offers":[{"title":"PAPERBACK + FREE EBOOK \u0026 AUDIO","offer_id":52303918989591,"sku":"HAUNTED COLLECTION SERIES","price":109.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"EBOOK \u0026 AUDIO","offer_id":52303919087895,"sku":"hc1-9ebab","price":59.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0798\/7209\/8583\/files\/WEB_HCS_PB_EB_AB_Image1_v4.jpg?v=1772190214"},{"product_id":"hcs1-3v4","title":"Haunted Collection Series Books 1 to 3: Action Packed Horror You Won't Be Able to Put Down","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"product-block product-block--tab\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsibles-wrapper collapsibles-wrapper--border-bottom\"\u003e\n\u003cbutton type=\"button\" class=\"label collapsible-trigger collapsible-trigger-btn collapsible-trigger-btn--borders collapsible--auto-height\" aria-controls=\"Product-content-tab_f3QTgL8782181630231\" aria-expanded=\"false\"\u003e Description \u003cspan class=\"collapsible-trigger__icon collapsible-trigger__icon--open\" role=\"presentation\"\u003e \u003csvg aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"icon icon--wide icon-chevron-down\" viewbox=\"0 0 28 16\"\u003e\u003cpath d=\"m1.57 1.59 12.76 12.77L27.1 1.59\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke=\"#000\" fill=\"none\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003c\/svg\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Product-content-tab_f3QTgL8782181630231\" class=\"collapsible-content collapsible-content--all\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsible-content__inner rte\"\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eListen to a sample here:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe src=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1UqBqcUe1kAx4QtPh1-rf2jf0-kXva_Ji\/preview\" height=\"75\" width=\"400\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e🗣 Professionally Narrated by Thom Bowers\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThree Books. Three Cursed Objects. The Beginning of Victor Daniels' War.\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSomeone's selling haunted objects online. And the first three just claimed their victims.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA demonic teddy bear glowing with hellfire. A rifle possessed by a blood-thirsty specter. A mirror that reveals family secrets no one should see.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOccultist Stefan Korzh isn't just inheriting these cursed antiques. He's mailing them to innocent families and watching them die.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Victor Daniels' wife becomes the first casualty, his grief turns to cold, hard rage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVictor Daniels never planned to fight ghosts. But when his wife is murdered by a cursed toy, the mild-mannered historian becomes a hunter.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eArmed with salt, iron, and a researcher's mind, he wages war on the supernatural.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut as Victor races to stop the killing spree, he discovers that the Collection is far larger than he imagined.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd the worst is yet to come.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWHAT READERS ARE SAYING:\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"I couldn't put this series down and went through the entire collection (9 books) in less than a week.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI immediately dove into the next book after finishing the previous one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRon Ripley is fast becoming one of my favorite authors of horror stories.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"Buy the box set and start a series you won't want to put down! The plot moves forward and the characters are personal. I'm a lifelong fan!\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"Getting next book ASAP! It is an intense series. The story captures you on every page and is in a class by itself.\"\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThis Bundle Includes:\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Collecting Death (Book 1) - The blood-soaked teddy bear that started it all\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Walter's Rifle (Book 2) - A weapon that craves massacre\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e✅ Blood in the Mirror (Book 3) - Secrets trapped in glass\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWant the complete nightmare?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003ca rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/scarestreet.com\/products\/hcsboxv4?variant=52798034772247\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGet Books 1-9 for 70% off and experience the full war against Stefan Korzh.\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ctable width=\"100%\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 137.157px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEBOOK\/PAPERBACK\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e518 pages\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAUDIOBOOK\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e22 hours and 46 minutes\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNARRATED BY \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003eThom Bowers\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePART OF SERIES\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003eFirst 3 Books in This 9-Book Series\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"product-block product-block--tab\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"product-block product-block--tab\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsibles-wrapper collapsibles-wrapper--border-bottom\"\u003e\n\u003cbutton aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"Product-content-tab_f3QTgL8782181630231\" class=\"label collapsible-trigger collapsible-trigger-btn collapsible-trigger-btn--borders collapsible--auto-height\" type=\"button\"\u003e Read a Sample \u003cspan role=\"presentation\" class=\"collapsible-trigger__icon collapsible-trigger__icon--open\"\u003e \u003csvg viewbox=\"0 0 28 16\" class=\"icon icon--wide icon-chevron-down\" role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\u003e\u003cpath fill=\"none\" stroke=\"#000\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"m1.57 1.59 12.76 12.77L27.1 1.59\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003c\/svg\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsible-content collapsible-content--all\" id=\"Product-content-tab_f3QTgL8782181630231\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsible-content__inner rte\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eChapter 3: Old Time Radio\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eKristine Tring sat in the small room that served as both living room, and den in the Mayor Maurice Arel Assisted Living Home. In spite of the arthritis in her hands, she held a pair of overly large knitting needles. She worked at a slow, careful pace. Her thoughts were not on the prayer shawl she knitted, nor were they on the people at St. Joseph’s Hospital who would be the eventual recipients of the shawls she made.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eInstead, her mind was far away. December was only three days away, and with it would come the anniversary of her brother Kevin’s death. They had been twins, and he had died in Korea in 1951. Seventeen years old and dead.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eSeventeen years old and he had never grown any older.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe plastic needles clicked in the stillness of her apartment, her hearing aids turned down, so the loud television sets of the neighbors on either side and above her were inaudible. With the death of her only niece on her deceased husband’s side the year before, Kristine had gotten rid of her telephone.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThere was no one to call, and no one to expect calls from. The few friends she had, lived in her building, and she would see them at breakfast, or perhaps in the recreation room for coffee.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eA flicker of light caught her eye, and her hands stopped as she looked up.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAcross the room was the one, unnecessary heirloom she had kept when she moved into the Arel Home. A tall, Zenith floor model radio. It was in poor shape, having been battered and beaten by herself and Kevin when they were children.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAnd now the faceplate on it was lit with the old, yellow glow she remembered so well.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eShe stared at it for a moment, not understanding how the radio could be working.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe plug had broken a decade earlier, and before that, one of the vacuum tubes had broken.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eIt was a nonfunctioning relic, nothing more.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBut there it was, lit as when she and her siblings would sit and listen to the Phantom.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eConfused, Kristine turned the volume on her hearing aids back up.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Good evening,” a man said through the speaker, his voice smooth and pleasant. There was an arousing, enticing quality to his voice. It made her want to listen to him, and to nothing else. “This is Hank McErney, and I’m here with you, are you here with me?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eKristine stared in surprise, not sure what to do.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Hello,” Hank said, chuckling, “didn’t you hear me, young lady? Yes, you with the knitting on your lap.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eKristine straightened up in the chair, taken aback even as she said, “Yes. Yes, I hear you.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Oh, very good,” Hank said. “Tell me, what’s your name?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Kristine,” she replied. Her stomach tied itself into knots she hadn’t felt since she had been a teenager, and she didn’t quite know what to do.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Kristine,” Hank said in a pleased voice, “a pretty name for a pretty girl. I’m curious, Kristine, why are you inside on a night like tonight? Shouldn’t you be out there cutting a rug with some dashing young man?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No one asked,” Kristine answered.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“That I can’t believe,” Hank said, “no one?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No,” Kristine said.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Let’s take care of that, shall we, Kristine?” Hank asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe world bent and twisted, and shifted into shadow as the warmth was torn from the room. And a moment later, a man stood in front of the radio, and she knew it was Hank McErney.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe was tall, his black hair flipped to one side in a style that had gone out of fashion in the forties. An Errol Flynn mustache graced his upper lip, and his nose was aquiline. His chin was square cut, as were the shoulders of the suit coat he wore. A cigarette hung from the corner of his mouth, and there was an air of calm assuredness about him that Kristine found appealing. Hank McErney was a ruggedly good-looking man, and Kristine’s heart fluttered in a way she didn’t think was possible anymore.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Hello, Kristine,” Hank said, and his voice was even more powerful in person than it had been on the radio.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Hello,” she replied, blushing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThis isn’t real, she thought. I must be having a stroke. Or a heart attack. Am I dying?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eChapter 6: Paranoia Runs Deep\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan felt miserable.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eWhile he had never enjoyed his trips beyond his compound, they had taken on a terrible life of their own. Each time he was compelled to leave, he did so knowing full well that the man who had tried to kill him remained at large. And that was in addition to the fact that the police might connect Stefan to Jeremy Rhinehart’s murder in Fox Cat Hollow.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe fear reminded him of when his half-sister had hunted him, and he despised it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe had spent additional funds on establishing motion sensor lights farther up the road that lead to the warehouse. Stefan had also added an extended ring of cameras to the perimeter, and when he went into the observation room shortly after having woken up, there was an alert on his home screen.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe monitoring software he had installed had picked up and isolated the wireless feed he had been trying to hunt down since the failed attempt on his life.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan quickly typed in his passcode, accessed the account, and looked at the feed.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eWhat he found drove a cold, hard spike of mixed hatred and fear into his stomach.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe was looking at not one video feed, but four. Whoever was watching him had placed a camera on each side of the building. No matter where Stefan exited his home from, the unseen watcher would know it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan stared at the screen for a moment longer, then, with an angry grumble, he turned the monitor off.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eSwearing under his breath, Stefan stood up, shoving his chair back before he went stomping out of the room. He went to the kitchen, skipped his morning coffee, and reached for the vodka. Without bothering with a glass, Stefan opened the bottle, brought the mouth of it up to his lips, and took a long, bitter pull from it. He only stopped when he needed to breathe, his mouth burning, and his eyes watering from the strength of the alcohol.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan gripped the counter with one hand to steady himself, then he took another, smaller drink.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe knew it had to be the man who had tried to kill him. And Stefan felt certain his father and stepsister had put the man up to it. The stranger had been skilled. Extremely so, and Stefan suspected that the man had misjudged Stefan’s own capabilities.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eIt wasn’t a mistake the stranger was apt to make twice.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eFurious, Stefan brought the bottle back with him into the observation room. He turned on the monitor, immediately exited the feed for the enemy’s cameras, and sat down. In silence, Stefan brought up his sales and pondered over them. He tried to focus, realized that he wouldn’t be able to, and shifted his attention to the newspapers where he had shipped various items off.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHis anger increased, rising to a steady speed until he shoved the mouse away from him and pressed his hands against his eyes. The websites were empty of any sort of information regarding the dead and the damage they could inflict.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eGrinding his teeth in frustration, Stefan took a deep breath and reminded himself it was only a matter of time before something happened.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDropping his hands from his face, Stefan took hold of the mouse and began to search his sales again, hoping to find something there to appease his anger.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThere wasn’t.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan snarled and threw the mouse across the room, the plastic shattering against the wall. He sat in the chair for several minutes, irate and unable to move.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eFinally, when he had calmed down, Stefan opened his desk drawer, took out a new mouse, and went through the familiar motions of getting it ready.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eChapter 12: Adventure and Excitement\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor had managed to fall asleep in his bed rather than the chair in the study, and by doing so, he had obtained a good night’s sleep. When the sun had risen, so had Victor. He had eaten breakfast alone, and he was halfway through making his travel plans when Tom walked in, yawning.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy rubbed his face with his hand, the left sleeve of his pajama top hanging loose. Tom only put on the prosthetic in the morning when he was going to work out first, and it still shocked Victor when he saw the empty sleeve.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“How are you doing?” he asked as Tom waved at him.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy shrugged and got himself a glass of water.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Late night?” Victor asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No,” Tom said, putting the empty cup down on the counter. “Just tired. Bad dreams. You know?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor nodded. He knew all too well about bad dreams. The nights when he managed to get through to dawn without them were few and far between, and they were to be treasured.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Any big plans for today?” Tom asked, taking a box of Fruit Loops cereal down from a cabinet and carrying it to the table.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I need to go up to Concord,” Victor explained.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom’s eyes widened in surprise as he sat down. Then, fumbling with the box top, he said, “Concord, Massachusetts?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No,” Victor said, shaking his head, “Concord, New Hampshire.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“You’re spending a lot of time up in the granite state,” Tom said. Victor watched the boy hold the cereal box against his chest and fish a handful of the multicolored loops out. The teen ate them dry, waiting for Victor’s response to his statement.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I have to,” Victor stated. “At least right now. Seems like Korzh sent another item out.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHatred flashed through the boy’s eyes, but he regained control of himself instantly. “What happened?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor gave him all of the information he had been able to dig up on the internet about the ring. He watched the boy’s jaw tighten, his fingers twitching.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Do you want me to go with you?” Tom asked after a moment.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor shook his head. “I need you here, on the off chance that another item should show up in Fox Cat Hollow. It’s unlikely, I know, but there’s the possibility it could happen.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“What should I do if it does?” Tom asked. “I’m not exactly a hundred percent here, even with my prosthetic on. I’m just not that skilled with it yet.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I need you to be my eyes and ears,” Victor replied. “Read the papers. The local stuff and the ones you can find online. Make sure that you use your new name, too. If anyone asks.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom rolled his eyes and asked, “Why Jeremiah?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I don’t know,” Victor answered.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom shook his head. “I don’t like it.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“You don’t have to, Tom,” Victor replied. “You just need to use it. Can you see if you can get Iris to call you Jeremiah in public, too? And, speaking of Iris, try to keep her out of anything that might pop up, okay?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom frowned. “She won’t like that. Iris does what she wants.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor couldn’t help but smile. “I figured that. That’s why I said try. The last I heard, Korzh is still in the area. And so is Anne Le Morte.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom paled slightly at the name. He had faced the doll once before at the gas station, and the boy was fully aware of how dangerous the ghost could be.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Are you okay with that?” Victor asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom nodded, the color easing back into his cheeks.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Good. I should be leaving in about half an hour,” Victor said. “Unless you need something from the store.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No,” Tom said. “I should be alright. Iris will come over later. If I need anything, I’ll ask her to bring it. She’s usually okay with that.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I figured she would be.” Victor smiled. “Okay. I’m going to finish getting my stuff together. Make sure you keep your phone on and with you, even when you’re spending time with Iris.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Yeah,” Tom said, grinning. “I will.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy stood up, still pressing the cereal box to his chest. “Have a safe trip. You’ll send me a text when you get there?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Of course,” Victor said. “I’ll talk to you soon, Tom.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy nodded, smiled, and left the room.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor sighed and tried to focus on his trip. He didn’t like leaving Tom alone but bringing him to deal with another killer wasn’t a priority.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy would be safer in Pennsylvania than New Hampshire.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Scare Street","offers":[{"title":"BOOKS 1 - 3: PAPERBACK + FREE EBOOK \u0026 AUDIO","offer_id":52798033461527,"sku":"HAUNTED COLLECTION 1-3","price":44.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"BOOKS 1 - 3: EBOOK \u0026 AUDIO","offer_id":52798033559831,"sku":"hc1-3ebab","price":29.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"COMPLETE 9 BOOK SERIES: PAPERBACK + FREE EBOOK \u0026 AUDIO (FREE U.S. SHIPPING)","offer_id":52799045140759,"sku":"HAUNTED COLLECTION SERIES","price":109.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"COMPLETE 9 BOOK SERIES: EBOOK \u0026 AUDIO","offer_id":52799045173527,"sku":"hc1-9ebab","price":59.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0798\/7209\/8583\/files\/1-WEB_HCS1-3_3Books_v1.2.jpg?v=1766720974"},{"product_id":"hcsboxv4","title":"The Complete Haunted Collection Series: 9 Books of Action Packed Horror You Won't Be Able to Put Down (FREE U.S. SHIPPING)","description":"\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eListen to a sample here:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"400\" height=\"75\" src=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1UqBqcUe1kAx4QtPh1-rf2jf0-kXva_Ji\/preview\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"color: #000000;\"\u003e🗣 Professionally Narrated by Thom Bowers\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eLimited Time Offer: Get the complete e-book and audiobook editions FREE when you buy the paperback box set. That's over $200 in value. Free U.S. shipping included.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e9 Books. 66+ Hours. One Historian Who Refuses to Run.\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSomeone's selling haunted objects online. And they just mailed death to your doorstep.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA cursed rifle that forces its owner to kill. A mirror that traps souls in its reflection. A child's toy that whispers suicide. These aren't artifacts gathering dust in a museum. They're weapons.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd occultist Stefan Korzh is packaging them up and shipping them to innocent families across America.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost men would flee from such evil. Victor Daniels hunts it down.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA widowed historian armed with salt, iron, and a lifetime of research into the occult, Victor knows the rules of the supernatural world. Ghosts can be bound. Curses can be broken. And Stefan Korzh can be stopped.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTeaming up with his adopted son Tom Crane, Victor wages a cross-country war against the deadliest antique collection ever assembled.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut as the body count rises and the hauntings grow more vicious, Victor discovers that some secrets are more terrifying than any ghost...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWHAT READERS ARE SAYING:\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"I couldn't put this series down and went through the entire collection (9 books) in less than a week. Ron Ripley is fast becoming one of my favorite authors of horror stories. The plot moves forward and the characters are personal.\"\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"I love these series because I love haunted ghost stories. Wish they made a TV series about this. It is an intense series. 5 haunted possessions out of 5\"\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ \"The story captures you on every page and is in a class by itself.\"\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eBooks Included in the Bundle:\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e1. Collecting Death\u003cbr\u003e2. Walter's Rifle\u003cbr\u003e3. Blood in the Mirror\u003cbr\u003e4. Hank's Radio\u003cbr\u003e5. The Burning Girl\u003cbr\u003e6. Knife in the Dark\u003cbr\u003e7. Last Breath\u003cbr\u003e8. Ticket to Death\u003cbr\u003e9. Death Rattle\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eComplete series. No waiting. Just 1,900+ pages of salt, iron, and the things that refuse to stay dead.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003ctable style=\"width: 100%; height: 137.157px;\" width=\"100%\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEBOOK\/PAPERBACK\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e1,911 Pages\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAUDIOBOOK\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e67 hours and 39 minutes\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr style=\"height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 67.1944%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNARRATED BY \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"width: 32.5847%; height: 19.5938px;\"\u003eThom Bowers\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"product-block product-block--tab\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"product-block product-block--tab\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"product-block product-block--tab\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsibles-wrapper collapsibles-wrapper--border-bottom\"\u003e\n\u003cbutton type=\"button\" class=\"label collapsible-trigger collapsible-trigger-btn collapsible-trigger-btn--borders collapsible--auto-height\" aria-controls=\"Product-content-tab_f3QTgL8782181630231\" aria-expanded=\"false\"\u003e Read a Sample \u003cspan class=\"collapsible-trigger__icon collapsible-trigger__icon--open\" role=\"presentation\"\u003e\u003csvg aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"icon icon--wide icon-chevron-down\" viewbox=\"0 0 28 16\"\u003e\u003cpath d=\"m1.57 1.59 12.76 12.77L27.1 1.59\" stroke-width=\"2\" stroke=\"#000\" fill=\"none\"\u003e\u003c\/path\u003e\u003c\/svg\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/button\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Product-content-tab_f3QTgL8782181630231\" class=\"collapsible-content collapsible-content--all\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"collapsible-content__inner rte\"\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eChapter 3: Old Time Radio\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eKristine Tring sat in the small room that served as both living room, and den in the Mayor Maurice Arel Assisted Living Home. In spite of the arthritis in her hands, she held a pair of overly large knitting needles. She worked at a slow, careful pace. Her thoughts were not on the prayer shawl she knitted, nor were they on the people at St. Joseph’s Hospital who would be the eventual recipients of the shawls she made.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eInstead, her mind was far away. December was only three days away, and with it would come the anniversary of her brother Kevin’s death. They had been twins, and he had died in Korea in 1951. Seventeen years old and dead.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eSeventeen years old and he had never grown any older.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe plastic needles clicked in the stillness of her apartment, her hearing aids turned down, so the loud television sets of the neighbors on either side and above her were inaudible. With the death of her only niece on her deceased husband’s side the year before, Kristine had gotten rid of her telephone.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThere was no one to call, and no one to expect calls from. The few friends she had, lived in her building, and she would see them at breakfast, or perhaps in the recreation room for coffee.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eA flicker of light caught her eye, and her hands stopped as she looked up.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAcross the room was the one, unnecessary heirloom she had kept when she moved into the Arel Home. A tall, Zenith floor model radio. It was in poor shape, having been battered and beaten by herself and Kevin when they were children.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAnd now the faceplate on it was lit with the old, yellow glow she remembered so well.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eShe stared at it for a moment, not understanding how the radio could be working.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe plug had broken a decade earlier, and before that, one of the vacuum tubes had broken.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eIt was a nonfunctioning relic, nothing more.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBut there it was, lit as when she and her siblings would sit and listen to the Phantom.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eConfused, Kristine turned the volume on her hearing aids back up.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Good evening,” a man said through the speaker, his voice smooth and pleasant. There was an arousing, enticing quality to his voice. It made her want to listen to him, and to nothing else. “This is Hank McErney, and I’m here with you, are you here with me?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eKristine stared in surprise, not sure what to do.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Hello,” Hank said, chuckling, “didn’t you hear me, young lady? Yes, you with the knitting on your lap.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eKristine straightened up in the chair, taken aback even as she said, “Yes. Yes, I hear you.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Oh, very good,” Hank said. “Tell me, what’s your name?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Kristine,” she replied. Her stomach tied itself into knots she hadn’t felt since she had been a teenager, and she didn’t quite know what to do.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Kristine,” Hank said in a pleased voice, “a pretty name for a pretty girl. I’m curious, Kristine, why are you inside on a night like tonight? Shouldn’t you be out there cutting a rug with some dashing young man?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No one asked,” Kristine answered.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“That I can’t believe,” Hank said, “no one?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No,” Kristine said.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Let’s take care of that, shall we, Kristine?” Hank asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe world bent and twisted, and shifted into shadow as the warmth was torn from the room. And a moment later, a man stood in front of the radio, and she knew it was Hank McErney.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe was tall, his black hair flipped to one side in a style that had gone out of fashion in the forties. An Errol Flynn mustache graced his upper lip, and his nose was aquiline. His chin was square cut, as were the shoulders of the suit coat he wore. A cigarette hung from the corner of his mouth, and there was an air of calm assuredness about him that Kristine found appealing. Hank McErney was a ruggedly good-looking man, and Kristine’s heart fluttered in a way she didn’t think was possible anymore.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Hello, Kristine,” Hank said, and his voice was even more powerful in person than it had been on the radio.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Hello,” she replied, blushing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThis isn’t real, she thought. I must be having a stroke. Or a heart attack. Am I dying?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eChapter 6: Paranoia Runs Deep\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan felt miserable.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eWhile he had never enjoyed his trips beyond his compound, they had taken on a terrible life of their own. Each time he was compelled to leave, he did so knowing full well that the man who had tried to kill him remained at large. And that was in addition to the fact that the police might connect Stefan to Jeremy Rhinehart’s murder in Fox Cat Hollow.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe fear reminded him of when his half-sister had hunted him, and he despised it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe had spent additional funds on establishing motion sensor lights farther up the road that lead to the warehouse. Stefan had also added an extended ring of cameras to the perimeter, and when he went into the observation room shortly after having woken up, there was an alert on his home screen.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe monitoring software he had installed had picked up and isolated the wireless feed he had been trying to hunt down since the failed attempt on his life.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan quickly typed in his passcode, accessed the account, and looked at the feed.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eWhat he found drove a cold, hard spike of mixed hatred and fear into his stomach.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe was looking at not one video feed, but four. Whoever was watching him had placed a camera on each side of the building. No matter where Stefan exited his home from, the unseen watcher would know it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan stared at the screen for a moment longer, then, with an angry grumble, he turned the monitor off.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eSwearing under his breath, Stefan stood up, shoving his chair back before he went stomping out of the room. He went to the kitchen, skipped his morning coffee, and reached for the vodka. Without bothering with a glass, Stefan opened the bottle, brought the mouth of it up to his lips, and took a long, bitter pull from it. He only stopped when he needed to breathe, his mouth burning, and his eyes watering from the strength of the alcohol.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan gripped the counter with one hand to steady himself, then he took another, smaller drink.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHe knew it had to be the man who had tried to kill him. And Stefan felt certain his father and stepsister had put the man up to it. The stranger had been skilled. Extremely so, and Stefan suspected that the man had misjudged Stefan’s own capabilities.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eIt wasn’t a mistake the stranger was apt to make twice.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eFurious, Stefan brought the bottle back with him into the observation room. He turned on the monitor, immediately exited the feed for the enemy’s cameras, and sat down. In silence, Stefan brought up his sales and pondered over them. He tried to focus, realized that he wouldn’t be able to, and shifted his attention to the newspapers where he had shipped various items off.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHis anger increased, rising to a steady speed until he shoved the mouse away from him and pressed his hands against his eyes. The websites were empty of any sort of information regarding the dead and the damage they could inflict.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eGrinding his teeth in frustration, Stefan took a deep breath and reminded himself it was only a matter of time before something happened.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDropping his hands from his face, Stefan took hold of the mouse and began to search his sales again, hoping to find something there to appease his anger.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThere wasn’t.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eStefan snarled and threw the mouse across the room, the plastic shattering against the wall. He sat in the chair for several minutes, irate and unable to move.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eFinally, when he had calmed down, Stefan opened his desk drawer, took out a new mouse, and went through the familiar motions of getting it ready.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 17pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eChapter 12: Adventure and Excitement\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; text-align: center; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor had managed to fall asleep in his bed rather than the chair in the study, and by doing so, he had obtained a good night’s sleep. When the sun had risen, so had Victor. He had eaten breakfast alone, and he was halfway through making his travel plans when Tom walked in, yawning.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy rubbed his face with his hand, the left sleeve of his pajama top hanging loose. Tom only put on the prosthetic in the morning when he was going to work out first, and it still shocked Victor when he saw the empty sleeve.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“How are you doing?” he asked as Tom waved at him.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy shrugged and got himself a glass of water.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Late night?” Victor asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No,” Tom said, putting the empty cup down on the counter. “Just tired. Bad dreams. You know?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor nodded. He knew all too well about bad dreams. The nights when he managed to get through to dawn without them were few and far between, and they were to be treasured.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Any big plans for today?” Tom asked, taking a box of Fruit Loops cereal down from a cabinet and carrying it to the table.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I need to go up to Concord,” Victor explained.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom’s eyes widened in surprise as he sat down. Then, fumbling with the box top, he said, “Concord, Massachusetts?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No,” Victor said, shaking his head, “Concord, New Hampshire.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“You’re spending a lot of time up in the granite state,” Tom said. Victor watched the boy hold the cereal box against his chest and fish a handful of the multicolored loops out. The teen ate them dry, waiting for Victor’s response to his statement.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I have to,” Victor stated. “At least right now. Seems like Korzh sent another item out.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHatred flashed through the boy’s eyes, but he regained control of himself instantly. “What happened?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor gave him all of the information he had been able to dig up on the internet about the ring. He watched the boy’s jaw tighten, his fingers twitching.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Do you want me to go with you?” Tom asked after a moment.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor shook his head. “I need you here, on the off chance that another item should show up in Fox Cat Hollow. It’s unlikely, I know, but there’s the possibility it could happen.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“What should I do if it does?” Tom asked. “I’m not exactly a hundred percent here, even with my prosthetic on. I’m just not that skilled with it yet.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I need you to be my eyes and ears,” Victor replied. “Read the papers. The local stuff and the ones you can find online. Make sure that you use your new name, too. If anyone asks.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom rolled his eyes and asked, “Why Jeremiah?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I don’t know,” Victor answered.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom shook his head. “I don’t like it.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“You don’t have to, Tom,” Victor replied. “You just need to use it. Can you see if you can get Iris to call you Jeremiah in public, too? And, speaking of Iris, try to keep her out of anything that might pop up, okay?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom frowned. “She won’t like that. Iris does what she wants.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor couldn’t help but smile. “I figured that. That’s why I said try. The last I heard, Korzh is still in the area. And so is Anne Le Morte.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom paled slightly at the name. He had faced the doll once before at the gas station, and the boy was fully aware of how dangerous the ghost could be.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Are you okay with that?” Victor asked.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTom nodded, the color easing back into his cheeks.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Good. I should be leaving in about half an hour,” Victor said. “Unless you need something from the store.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“No,” Tom said. “I should be alright. Iris will come over later. If I need anything, I’ll ask her to bring it. She’s usually okay with that.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“I figured she would be.” Victor smiled. “Okay. I’m going to finish getting my stuff together. Make sure you keep your phone on and with you, even when you’re spending time with Iris.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Yeah,” Tom said, grinning. “I will.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy stood up, still pressing the cereal box to his chest. “Have a safe trip. You’ll send me a text when you get there?”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Of course,” Victor said. “I’ll talk to you soon, Tom.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy nodded, smiled, and left the room.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eVictor sighed and tried to focus on his trip. He didn’t like leaving Tom alone but bringing him to deal with another killer wasn’t a priority.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height: 1.38; text-indent: 22pt; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Twentieth Century',sans-serif; color: #000000; background-color: #ffffff; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eThe boy would be safer in Pennsylvania than New Hampshire.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Scare Street","offers":[{"title":"PAPERBACK + FREE EBOOK \u0026 AUDIO","offer_id":52798034772247,"sku":"HAUNTED COLLECTION SERIES","price":109.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"EBOOK \u0026 AUDIO","offer_id":52798034805015,"sku":"hc1-9ebab","price":59.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0798\/7209\/8583\/files\/WEB_HCS_PB_EB_AB_Image2_v4b.jpg?v=1772193531"}],"url":"https:\/\/scarestreet.com\/collections\/best-sellers-minus-berkley.oembed","provider":"Scare Street","version":"1.0","type":"link"}