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The bullhorn voice took advantage of the moment "Go home Proceed in an orderly fashion" A pause "Sunrise will occur in less than eight minutes"

Around ray sky Here, the buildings were tall enough that it was still as dark as round, and most of the rioters weren’t dressed for daytiht Instead, they’re afflicted with zoe skin, pocked with deep pits Zoin with, but zombie sunburn hurts And zoed toward Boston as a single force, but now it dribbled away as the zoes and thin at the center A few zoround, but no one continued the push toward human-controlled Boston

"Excuse nized him as one of the looters, but now his hands were empty as he shoved them into his pockets He stepped around me and, head down, hurried toward Deadtown

I turned, watching hiht as others joined hiates of the checkpoint into Deadtown stood wide open; the guards were letting everyone through without running their IDs Withinin the street

Smoke blew past I checked to make sure Creature Coiant hand in silent greeting Then he went inside and closed the door As far as I could tell, there was no das in the Zone had fared as well The door of a convenience store hung askew, boxes and broken bottles spilling out into the street Conner’s Tavern had a couple of broken s, and s our way ca? They weren’t sticking it to the nor paranoric skills They’re out for the thrill of destruction: the crack and give of splintering wood, the shriek of a hinge letting go, the blast and roar of hungry flaht foreariving into rage and s whatever stood in your path Even now, the delass, and hurl it through Just for fun Just to hear that sweet, sweet music of the crash and clatter

Do it, a voice whispered insideran upOf its own accord, my arm started to reach for a brick that lay near my feet

"Stop it," I said out loud I pulled ers, pushing out the feeling That voice ht be inside my head, but it wasn’t mine It was the voice of the Destroyer, the Hellion that hadto listen to its insinuations and commands

I would not let the Destroyer rule me

I looked around The Zone was a mess, and I made myself see it for what it was Not beautiful chaos, but needless waste Waste that hurt those trying to scrape out a living here I wasn’t going to add to their misery

Anyway, I had a job to do As my demon mark subsided, I walked away from Deadtown, toward the checkpoint into huone ear blocked my path

"The border is closed" The Goon’s riot helun at me--thank heaven for small mercies--but two Goons rested their hands on their batons The fingers of the one who’d spoken to me twitched

So did my demona fight with four armed Goons would not resolve the situation, unless the resolution I wanted was getting the crap kicked out ofI had a badge or so to prove it "I’ve been called to a crime scene Contact Detective Daniel Costello Hoe Twitchy Fingers took a firrip on his baton

I stepped back and raised my hands, palms out, to show I meant no harm I opened ers advanced oing ho hi my skull split open by an overzealous Goon, there was no question I walked backward, unwilling to take ers, who matched me step for step

A fifth Goon trotted over "Is there a probleers stopped and turned toward the new Goon, as taking off his helmet No,blonde ponytail I knew this cop: Pam McFarren, one of only two female zombies on the Goon Squad

McFarren balanced her riot helave me a sharp nod She turned back to the Goons "Situation?" The way she barked the word sounded ers’s baton went back into its holster His arm dropped to his side He hesitated, and then reured Most norms who join the Goon Squad don’t do it because they want to "serve and protect" us hness on Boston’s meanest streets "The subject refused to return to DA-1," he said, his voice sulky, as though McFarren had spoiled his fun DA-1 was short for Designated Area 1, the bureaucratic name for Deadtown

"And did it cross your round and then make inquiries?"

The Goon looked at his feet, his lips pressed tightly together