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Bloodstone Nancy Holzner 27160K 2023-08-31

"The thing was about fifty feet tall," he said, stretching a hand way above his head "It looked like the devil, with horns and everything Like a htrowled at the screen

"It was Myrddin," I said "I shot hie into his demon form" The demon had been closer to twenty feet tall than fifty, but otherwise the witness gave a pretty good description

But the problem was his use of the word "monster," and not just because Kane found it politically incorrect A press conference held by Police Coing at his necktie and reading froht hours, an eency containhout Massachusetts"

Kane and I gaped at each other A containment order meant that all residents of Deadtown had to be present and accounted for within its borders by sundown on the day of issue And they had to stay in Deadtown until the order expired

"In addition," Hanated Area 1 during that tinated areathe period of the containment order The Joint Human-Paranormal Task Force will conduct random compliance checks"

Hampson’s curfew covered the ti a curfew on Deadtown in thedown the norht and five on a weekday Ha out the Goon Squad to knock on people’s doors and make sure they stayed home

The containet ht It would ain Myrddin wanted my life force to complete his ritual, but he’d make do with that of some random victim if I wasn’t around And I wouldn’t let that happen

Kane paced the length of the living roo, and I realized that Haer proble that he was stuck in wolf fore when the moon wasn’t full would send the nor for athe entire species to the secure retreats

"Kane," I said He paused in his pacing and looked at h the checkpoints when you left Deadtown?"

He nodded

"And then we sneaked back in That means there’s no record of your reentry So as far as the authorities know, you’re still outside Deadtown" That didn’t ht to be in Massachusetts All paranornated areas: Deadtown, a olf retreat, or one of the smaller paranorfield If another murder happened, any "monster" asn’t accounted for would be a suspect

But maybe we could convince them he was out of state

I dialed the number for 24-Hour Copy

"Vicky," Carlos said, when he came on the line, "don’t tellto have to start offering you a voluot the last card you ht maybe you could help me with another little proble news for my bank account What’s up?"

"You’ve heard about the containment order?" He had "I need to come up with evidence that soo"

"And stays out of state for at least the next forty-eight hours Gotcha Where?"

"DC" Kane had rented an apart full-time on his Supreme Court case The lease hadn’t yet expired I explained asCarlos that Kane was currently a wolf

But Carlos was never one to ask for inconvenient details "Here’s what I can do," he said "I’ll call a nor to take a quick trip to DC on Kane’s ID All expenses paid, of course" Of course "Guy I have in ht and build Just needs to dye his hair I canLet me see, what tiirl, you’re not giving uy can make the trip, he’ll drive down as hiht" The states didn’t keep records of the huet busy with the state databases to add a few records showing that Kane drove downyou said a couple of days ago When, exactly?"

"Make it MondayLetfor a pencil and paper on his cluttered desk "Okay Get et the fake ID done in titon, along with the number of a credit card in Kane’s naroceries, ets into town, he can pick up the cards at my associate’s establishment He buys some more dinners on the credit card, flashes his ID a few places, and--ta da!--plenty of evidence he was outside of Massachusetts during the contained on the availability of Carlos’s norm friend, so he said he’d call back to confirm I explained the plan to Kane, and by the ti was a go I ed not to faint when he toldexpenses