{"title":"occult-seeker","description":"","products":[{"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":"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\/occult-seeker.oembed","provider":"Scare Street","version":"1.0","type":"link"}