Morganville (Justin Bieber)

Chapter 53

It was a good thing the Morganville police force was otherwise occupied, because I thought that Eve probably broke every traffic law that was on the books. Twice. I couldn't bring myself to open my eyes very often—just peeks every other block or so—but it seemed like we were going very, very fast, and taking corners at speeds that would have given a driver's-edinstructor a heart attack. Not much traffic, at least, in this predawn darkness. That was something, I supposed. I clung to the stiff aftermarket shoulder belt as Eve screeched the big black Cadillac through a hairpin right-hand turn, then another, and into one of the storm-drain tunnels.

"Oh God,'" I whispered. If I'd been in danger of motion sickness before, it was ten times worse in the tunnel. I squeezed my eyes tight shut and tried to breathe. Between the dark, the panic, and the closed-in spaces, it wasn't exactly my best rescue attempt ever.

"Almost there,'" Eve said, but I thought she said it to herself. Eve wasn't calm, either. That was...not comforting. "Left turn up ahead...'"

"That's not a turn!'" I yelped, and braced myself against the dashboard as Eve slammed on the brakes and the big car shimmied and sprayed shallow water as it skidded. "That's a dead end!'"

"Nope, that's a turn,'" Eve panted, fought the wheel, and somehow—I had no idea how—got the car to make the impossible corner with only a little bang and scrape up against the concrete wall. "Ouch. That's gonna leave a mark.'" And she laughed, high and wild, and hit the gas again. "Hold on, Ana Bear! Next stop, Crazytown!'"

I lost track of the nauseatingly twisty course we were following. In fact, I started to think that Eve didn't know where she was going at all, and was just making random turns hoping to find an exit, when suddenly the tunnel ended, and the car hit an upslope, and we rocketed out into the open darkness again.

"Bond Street,'" Eve said. "Home of upscale vampire shopping, fine restaurants, and...oh shit.'"

She hit the brakes and brought them to a fast, complete stop that tossed me painfully against the restraints. Not that I noticed all that much, because like Eve, I was pretty much horror-struck by what I was seeing ahead.

"Tell me that's not the place,'" I said.

Because if it was, the place was on fire.

Richard Morrell's police cruiser was parked at the wrought-iron gates, it's doors hanging open. The guys had bailed out fast. Eve moved the Caddy closer, then shut off the engine, and we looked in dawning horror at the flames shooting out from the windows and roof of the big stone building.

"Where's the fire department?'" I asked. "Where are the cops?'"

"I don't know, but we can't count on help. Not tonight.'" Eve opened the door on her side and stepped out. "Do you see them? Anywhere?'"

"No!'" I flinched as glass exploded from one of the upper windows. "Do you?'"

"We have to go in!'"

"Go in?'"I was about to point out how crazy that was, but then I saw someone inside the gates, lying very still. "Eve!'" I ran to the gate and rattled it, but it was locked tight.

"Up!'" Eve yelled, and scrambled up on the wrought iron. I followed. It was slippery and sharp, and cut my hands, but somehow I made it to the top, then dangled from the crossbar and let myself fall on the other side. I hit hard, and rolled clumsily back to my feet. Eve, who'd come down a lot more gracefully, was already moving toward the guy lying on the ground.

Who was one of Jeremy's guys. Dead. Eve looked up at me wordlessly and showed me the blood on her hand, shaking her head. "He was shot,'" she said. "Oh, God. They're inside, Ana. Michael's inside!"