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In the name of duty, I’ll pump them for information As Rune had answered so e"

FOUR

New Orleans

PRESENT DAY

Oh, gods, Rune, so close! Pleasepleasepleaseohgods, yes, yes, YESSSSSS!"

When Jo’s super-hearing picked up a third wo her way to ecstasy--froot piqued

Ti

She’d pinned hiainst a brick wall, un a pinaled open season Then the fucker had used it on a prostitute, a girl younger than Jo The chick huddled on the curb, cheek swelling as she watched Jo delivering punishment

"You gonna coh he couldn’t answer She squeezed till things broke; this guy’s windpipe was crushed "Huh?"

Staring at her eyes, he tried to shake his head

"You do You die Get ain, I’ll co over you in your bed, your very own nights and hissed

He started to urinate--occupational hazard--so she tossed hiazed up at Jo "Thanks, Lady Shady"

My o had morphed into some weird-ass villain protector of prostitutes Could be worse "Yeah S’cool"

As Jo dusted off her hands, she heard another scream "Rune! Rune! YES!"

All three ecstatic wootta see

Though the girl atching her, Jo went into ghost-ible, she headed down Bourbon Street toward the screaround

Since she’d arrived in the city a fewThe uncanny things--and beings--she’d witnessed here had lit a hope in her she hadn’t felt in years

No longer did she gaze at the stars, losing herself in dreaer did she pass endless days and nights¸ zoning out with co in

A wasted pedestrian stuh her, and shuddered So did she Tourists were rank They sweated like crazy, gorged on dorenades