Morganville (Justin Bieber)

Chapter 119

Eve pulled up outside of the big Founder House; it was lit up in every window, a stark contrast to its dark, shuttered neighboring residences. As she put the car in park, the front door opened and spilled a wedge of lemoncolored light across the immaculately kept front porch. Gramma Day's rocker was empty, nodding in the slight wind.

The person at the door was Lisa Day--tall, strong, with more than a slight resemblance to Hannah. She watched us get out of the car. Upstairs windows opened, and gun barrels came out.

"They're all right," she called, but she didn't step outside. "Ana, right? And Eve? Hey, Hannah."

"Hey." Hannah nodded. "Let's get in. I don't like this quiet out here."

As soon as we were in the front door, in a familiarlooking hallway, Lisa slammed down locks and bolts, including a recently installed iron bar that slotted into place on either side of the frame. Hannah watched this with bemused approval. "You knew this was coming?" she asked.

"I figured it'd come sooner or later," Lisa said. "Had the hardware in the basement. All we had to do was put it in. Gramma didn't like it, but I did it, anyway. She keeps yelling about me putting holes in the wood."

"Yeah, that's Gramma." Hannah grinned. "God forbid we should mess up her house while the war's going on."

"Speaking of that," Lisa said, "y'all need to stay here, if you want to stay safe." Eve exchanged a quick glance with me. "Yeah, well, we can't, really. But thanks."

"You sure?" Lisa's eyes were very bright, very focused. "Because we're thinking maybe these vamps will kill each other off this time, and maybe we should all stick together. All the humans. Never mind the bracelets and the contracts."

Eve blinked. "Seriously? Just let them fight it out on their own?"

"Why not? What's it to us, anyway, who wins?" Lisa's smile was bitter and brief. "We get screwed no matter what. Maybe it's time to put a human in charge of this town, and let the vampires find someplace else to live."

Dangerous, I thought. Really dangerous. Hannah stared at her cousin, her expression tight and controlled, and then nodded. "Okay," she said. "You do what you want, Lisa, but you be careful, all right?"

"We're being real damn careful," Lisa said. "You'll see."

We came to the end of the hallway, where the area opened up into the big living room, and Eve and I both stopped cold.

"Oh, shit," Eve muttered.

The humans were all armed--guns, knives, stakes, blunt objects. The vampires who'd been assigned to guard the house were all sitting tied to chairs with so many turns of rope it reminded me of hangman's loops. I supposed if you were going to restrain vamps, it made sense, but--

"What the hell are you doing?" Eve blurted. At least some of the vampires sitting there, tied and gagged, were ones who'd been at Michael's house, or who'd fought on Amelie's side at the banquet. Some of them were struggling, but most seemed quiet.

Some looked unconscious.

"They're not hurt," Lisa said. "I just want 'em out of the way, in case things go bad."

"You're making one hell of a move, Lisa," Hannah said. "I hope you know what the hell you're about."

"I'm about protecting my own. You ought to be, too."

Hannah nodded slowly. "Let's go," she said to me and Eve.

"What about--"

"No," Hannah said. "No radio. Not here."