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I screeched to a stop in front of an empty lot Where the Bandit headquarters – aka Donovan’s house – had been now sat a single tree that had been in their backyard and a bald patch of land where the house had once stood Even the detached garage had vanished, along with all the tools and motorcycle parts therein I could’ve sworn that’s where I’d left it Donovan was going to be pissed when he got back If he ever came back

Thankfully, the asylum was still there, but my key to the front door, which I’d never even had the chance to use, would do ood In place of the old chain-link fence that had surrounded the asylu in the sun, and it bordered the entire block, not just the asylu deal I could just scale the fence and sneak in through aout back that led to the baseed the locks But this new fence, with its crisply installed posts and tight weaving, had been topped off with razor wire Razor wire! Who did that?

I sat in Misery and conte over the razor wire unscathed I’d seen it done in filloves, and a few sheets tied together

I coasted forward until I could see the new billboardlike sign in front of the asylue black and blue letters And below that, this property is owned by c&r industries all trespassers will be prosecuted

Sounded oet to Rocket now? I’d just have to coht and try to find a way in

Fortunately, it would be dark soon I could go grab a bite and make a plan As I headed that way, the super-duper downside of so this land hit o? Where would his sister go? I would invite hi na, and the landlord would probably have a cow Or at least a sed outCookie atout to be a pain in the ass No ain?"

"No"

"Then it’s still Saturday and I haven’t finishedfordon?"

"Don’t you have an assistant for these things?"

"I do, but I sent her off to a concealed weapons class"

"Why?" he asked, beco her?"

"Besides ht, but she has class all day tomorrow, too"

"Well, we’ll all be safer for it"

"Can you find out ns C and R Industries? They bought the old abandoned oing to do with it?"

"I don’t knoas hoping their overcon would say, but it just says ‘private property’ and shouts lots of threats in capital letters, all of which I plan to co to tear it down, build aparth, he said, "Okay, I’ll put someone on it But you know, the Albuquerque Police Departs out for you"

"Really? That’s weird"

Before he could get too snippy, I hung up and took one last look at the asylum Then a plan formed I didn’t need a prison unifor forward to the visit I was on the outside I had access to things those guys in the ht, but cohtfall, I would be reunited with Rocket Hopefully I’d cohosts inside, that outcome was always questionable Especially since Officer Taft’s little sister, Strawberry Shortcake, had joined the gang Either way, Iin

I got another text from Cookie on ood If I had to do without her for thole days for nothing, Noni, the instructor, was getting an earful

I stepped to my door and for the first time in several days there was no sticky note on it I looked over at Reyes’s door Was that it? Was he already tired ofextra careful, I openedwhat to expect Would the departed women still be in there? I found out quickly the answer to that would be a resounding yes And yes Where I’d left probably nine or ten women, my apartment was now populated with at least twenty dirty blond wo states of trauma I stopped just inside my threshold and looked on as wo tolike a spider One was huddled in a corner where tallsShe hadn’t h this carnage none the wiser – besides being a little chilly perhaps – I could not walk through the departed They were as solid toto ers or toes Itwalk If anyone were to see aritas