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Ina roof Vines covered it inside and out

Even as they stared at the house, the sky darkened

Jack looked at Sean "Can you beat that? Daylight--and it just has to be storo," Jack said

They entered the house, each with his gun at the ready, stakes and swords slipped into their belts, duffel bags over their shoulders

"I ondering eapon I’d be using first Never iht," Jack h the door first Ahead of hi stairway Vines curled around it Portraits covered the walls Just as Maggie’s painting rested on the wall of the midlevel of the stairway, so did Aaron’s It startled hi him to totter down the steps when he first flashed the ray of light upon it

"Jesus!" Jack whispered, and Sean kneas n of the cross on his chest

"It’s hi to try the bedroo downstairs He carefullythe areas where they had rotted through

His footsteps sounded louder than cannon fire His h the ruins

He reached the top landing Moving slowly, not for silence but to avoid falling through the faulty flooring, he started to the left of the landing There were three doors here, no roof above the hall or the roolad he didn’t step in The door led to a gaping black hole The second door offered the res, filmy traces of drapes on the s, rotted dressers He closed the door The third rooain, and found another series of doors Odd that someone had closed the doors of a house so decayed But here, the roof reht toward the ceiling, he nearly screa and squalling and diving all around him

"Sean!" Jack called froht Just bats"

"Just bats!" Jackvaht be awake by day, and it’s just bats! Yeah, right!"

"Keep looking!"

Sean started back down the hall He paused, certain he heard ritted his teeth and moved as silently as he could

He threw open the door

Despite the fact that he had his gun drawn and ready, he was startled by the impetus of the attack upon hi at him He could have, should have fired

For some reason, he didn’t Instinct?

It was a wo out at hi hirip on her shoulders Footsteps pounded on the stairway Jack ith hi to bite hiht--" he began Jack’s flashlight illuminated her face

"Shit!" Sean swore Jeanne! Jeanne Montaine, Bessie Girou’s friend, the one who had taken Bessie’s son to be her own "Jeanne, it’s Sean Canady It’s the cops, Jeanne--it’s all right--"

"No, no, it’s not all right!" Jeanne swore hysterically, still trying to strike Her dark hair was in wild tangles, her pretty face was dirty and streak-stained with tears "You may be the cops, but it doesn’t matter, don’t you understand? He’ll kill you He’ll kill me, he told me he’d kill me if I didn’t protect hi blood He’ll kill him, then what he’ll do to me, oh, God, I have to kill you--"

"No, no, Jeanne, we’ll protect you--" Sean began

"Oh, God, you don’t understand!"

"Who is she?" Jack asked, trying to set his hands soothingly on Jeanne’s shoulders

"Bessie Girou’s friend, the one keeping her little boy," Sean explained "Jeanne--" he began again, about to swear that they would protect her But could they really protect her? They had to

He was a cop, he reminded himself That hat he did Serve--and protect

"Jeanne, where is he?" Sean de her a serious shake

Jeanne didn’t answer He heard the sniffing sound again It was co from the other side of the bed

Even with both powerful flashlights shining, the room was filled with eerie shadows that seemed to waver and find solid form with each movement Jack stared at Sean; Sean nodded Jack moved carefully to the side of the bed

He stood there very still for a long moment "It’s the kid," he said softly He reached down "Come on, Son Come on, we’re here to help you"

"His naently

The little boy’s head and huge, trusting eyes appeared "Co Like a Dober at Jack, growling, hissing, scratching, clawing