Judging from its name alone, Fettle Clinic was an unassuming place.

As such, Frank was not surprised to find the clinic in a remote corner of the suburbs, just past the fringes of Lake Cove.

It was evening, but every door and window of the clinic was shut, as if closed for businesses.

Still, Frank's sharp hearing could pick up the voices inside.

He was alone, and it was a familiar face at that-it was Hardy Xinder!

Narrowing his eyes, Frank leapt agilely up to the second floor and slipped inside from a venting window.

Hardy, whose hair was now completely white, was sitting by a desk and asking into the antique rotary phone, "Hey, what's going on here? You're saying that there have been problems in Zamri, but what am I doing here?"

"What? A trap? What the hell are you talking about?!"

Hardy sounded clearly impatient and was even holding the phone as he paced around. "Damn it, Yaga-so what are you playing at?! Shouldn't the Lane family be going after Frank Lawrence's head by now?! And with your relatives in Bralog getting on his case too, he's not going to get away, is he?!"

"Wait, he's coming? Are you kidding me?!"

furiously over the phone, he felt

and, before he knew it, found a knife held there,

he stammered as he said the name on his mind.

knew I'd

of the knives on the table to restrain Hardy,

"It really is you!"

skeptical about Baba Yaga's words

finding him in a place like

"Talk! Where's Baba Yaga,

and he

know, because I'm looking for her too! That hag was the one who called me here, but

"Wait, this is bad..."

immediately felt a pang

"Kikiki... Hello, Frank Lawrence."

laughter rang over Hardy's phone. "I knew you'd make it as soon as lost contact with Borc. don't know how you found out who I

"What-"

before Frank realized it, he heard a soft pop behind him, and

Hardy pushed him aside and ran straight for the exit... where the green gas was. "Fuck! You

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