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Ryan and Zack were about a hundred feet behind the thing They were running all out, but the creature was just as fast and staying ahead of theure out what the hell it was It looked big and lu As I watched fro strides, then it raced past the French Market and toward the Moonwalk and the Mississippi River

What the hell? Is it going to throw her in the river? Dread shot through me The Mississippi was over ainto the river, even near the bank, could be deadly At night it would be damn near impossible to find her if she went in

Ryan and Zack were beginning to close the distance, but I couldn’t see any way that the agents would be able to stop the creature before it reached the river

Skalz suddenly went into a steep dive, and I yelped and clutched tighter We skimmed up over the levee and across the railroad tracks, then, in complete defiance of the laws of physics, the zhurn stopped dead about ten feet froered briefly as the deun from the holster in the s was Its face looked crude and half-formed--small depressions where eyes would be and a lump for a nose--like a sculpture that hadn’t been finished

"Let her go!" I commanded as I took careful aim at its head, not even sure if it would understand what I was saying I wasn’t even sure if it was soht, but it didn’t see that lived

I didn’t have a chance to wonder about it for long The thing opened its h h as if to throw her into the river I gave a shout and started forward, but before I could take more than half a step a black oily blur struck the creature in theboth it and Lida into the water Half a heartbeat later she and the creature disappeared beneath the roiling current

Chapter 3

I frantically scanned the water as both Ryan and Zack pelted up alongsideof mud and water and rot and the effluvia of every city upstream It smelled a bit like death, and for the barest instant I felt the power beneath thesurface--a deep and ancient force that had carved its way through a continent I’d felt the barest touch of that raw eleer River But there was no co that trickle to this beast There was no way I could tap the power of this river and survive

Fortunately, I had other means at my disposal "Get her out!" I commanded the zhurn

But ht circle after tackling the pair and now made a silent dive into the water Five heartbeats later it knifed back out of the river, with Lida in its grasp It deposited her at my feet and then stepped back and hly that I could only see it because I knew to look for the two pinpricks of red light that were its partially closed eyes

Okay Totally worth the effort to summon a demon to use as backup! My pulse slammed in relief now that disaster had been averted, and I sent an is I crouched by the coughing and shaking girl "Lida, are you hurt?"

Ryan rateful smile and shined it quickly over her Her makeup was streaked in chaotic patterns across her face and her hair was plastered to her skull in snaky tendrils, but I couldn’t see any obvious injuries "Are you hurt?" I repeated

She shook her head "No," she gasped "II don’t think so" She looked up at me, eyes wide, and for an instant I could see beyond the crazy s to the scared and uncertain teenager "Wh- as it? What happened?" She looked around in confusion "How did I get out of the river? Oh ht I was dead for sure!"

Crap We were all quite obviously dry "Another ed you out," Ryan said quickly "He’s gone to see if we can find the, uh, guy who attacked you"

I had to hide a smile Well, it was mostly true

"Team?" The confusion in her face increased "Who are you?"

"Police and FBI," I explained "Your er contacted us about the death threats, so ere staking out the concert"

"Oh," Lida said, her eyes wide and her voice sulped "Wow Good thing that Adaht chose that instant to pull up to the levee in his un, then headed our way at an unhurried pace