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stracted again。 One； humans didn’t know about vampires。 Two； Riley encouraged us to be inconspicuous； not to attract the notice of humans and educate them otherwise。 Three； Diego and I had decided that all vampires must be following that guideline； or else the world would know about us。 Four； they must have a reason for doing so； and it wasn’t the little popguns of the human police that motivated them。 Yeah； the reason must be pretty important to make all vampires hide all day long in stuffy basements。 Maybe reason enough to make Riley and our creator lie to us； terrify us about the burning sun。 Maybe it was a
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reason Riley would explain to Diego； and since it was so important and he was so responsible； Diego would promise to keep the secret and they would be cool with that。 Sure they would。 But what if what actually happened to Shelly and Steve was that they’d discovered the shiny skin thing and not run？ What if they’d gone to Riley？ And； crap； there went the next step in my logical path。 The chain dissolved and I started panicking about Diego again。 As I stressed； I realized that I’d been thinking things through for a while。 I could feel dawn ing on。 No more than an hour away。 So where was Diego？ Where was Riley？ As I thought this； the door opened and Raoul leaped down the stairs； laughing with his buddies。 I hunched down； leaning closer to Fred。 Raoul didn’t notice us。 He looked at the crispy fried vampire in the center of the floor and laughed harder。 His eyes were brilliant red。 On the nights Raoul went hunting； he never came home till he had to。 He would keep feeding as long as he could。 So dawn must have been even closer than I’d thought。 Riley must have demanded that Diego prove his words。 That was the only explanation。 And they were waiting for the dawn。 Only… that would mean that Riley didn’t know the truth； that our creator was lying to him； too。 Or did it？ My thoughts twisted up again。 Kristie showed up minutes later with three of her gang。 She reacted indifferently to the pile of ashes。 I did a quick head count as two more hunters hurried through the door。 Twenty vampires。 Everyone was home except Diego and Riley。 The
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sun would rise at any moment。 The door at the top of the basement stairs creaked as someone opened it。 I sprang to my feet。 Riley entered。 He shut the door behind him。 He walked down the stairs。 No one followed。 Before I could process this； Riley roared out an animalistic shriek of rage。 He was staring down at the ashy remains on the floor； his eyes bulging in fury。 Everyone stood silent； immobile。 We’d all seen Riley lose his temper； but this was something different。 Riley spun and raked his fingers through a blaring speaker； then ripped it from the wall and hurled it across the room。 Jen and Kristie dodged out of the way as it exploded into the far wall； sending up a cloud of pulverized drywall dust。 Riley smashed the sound system with his foot； and the thudding bass went silent。 Then he leaped to where Raoul stood； and grabbed him by the throat。 “I wasn’t even here！” Raoul yelled； looking afraidI’d never seen that before。 Riley growled hideously and threw Raoul as he’d thrown the speaker。 Jen and Kristie jumped out of the way again。 Raoul’s body crashed right through the wall； leaving an enormous hole。 Riley caught Kevin by the shoulder andwith a familiar screech ripped off his right hand。 Kevin cried out in pain and tried to twist out of Riley’s grip。 Riley kicked him in the side。 Another harsh shriek and Riley had the rest of Kevin’s arm。 He tore the arm in half at the elbow and threw the pieces hard into
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Kevin’s anguished face smack； smack； smack； like a hammer striking stone。 “What is wrong with you？” Riley screamed at us。 “Why are you all so stupid？” He made a grab for the blond SpiderMan kid； but that kid leaped out of his way。 His jump left him too close to Fred； and he stumbled back toward Riley again； gagging。 “Do any of you have a brain？” Riley smacked a kid named Dean into the entertainment center； shattering it； then caught another girl Sara and tore her left ear and a handful of hair from her head。 She snarled in anguish。 It became suddenly obvious that Riley was doing a very dangerous thing。 There were a lot of us in here。 Already Raoul was back； with Kristie and Jen usually his enemies flanking him defensively。 A few others banded together in clusters around the room。 I wasn’t sure if Riley was aware of the threat or if his rant came to an end naturally。 He took a deep breath。 He tossed Sara her ear and the hair。 She recoiled away from him； licking the torn edge of her ear； coating it with venom so that it would reattach。 There was no remedy for the hair； though； Sara was going to have a bald spot。 “Listen to me！” Riley said； quiet but fierce。 “All our lives depend on you listening to what I’m saying now and thinking！ We are all going to die。 Every one of us； you and me； too； if you can’t act like you have brains for just a few short days！” This was nothing like his usual lectures and pleadings for
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control。 He definitely had everyone’s attention。 “It’s time for you to grow up and take responsibility for yourselves。 Do you think you get to live like this for free？ That all the blood in Seattle doesn’t have a price？” The little clusters of vampires no longer seemed threatening。 Everyone was wideeyed； some exchanging mystified glances。 I saw Fred’s head turn toward me in my peripheral vision； but I didn’t meet his gaze。 My attention was focused on two things： Riley； just in case he started to attack again； and the door。 The door that was still closed。 “Are you listening now？ Really listening？” Riley paused； but no one nodded。 The room was very still。 “Let me explain to you the precarious situation we are all in。 I’ll try to keep it simple for the slowest ones。 Raoul； Kristie； e here。” He motioned to the leaders of the two largest gangs； allied for this brief moment against him。 Neither of them moved toward him。 They braced themselves； Kristie baring her teeth。 I expected Riley to soften； to apologize。 To placate them and then persuade them to do what he wanted。 But this was a different Riley。 “Fine；” he snapped。 “We’re going to need leaders if we’re going to survive； but apparently neither of you is up to the task。 I thought you had aptitude。 I was wrong。 Kevin； Jen； please join me as the heads of this team。” Kevin looked up in surprise。 He had just finished putting his arm back together。 Though his expression was wary； it was also unmistakably flattered。 He slowly got to his feet。 Jen looked at Kristie as if waiting for permission。 Raoul ground his teeth
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together。 The door at the top of the stairs did not open。 “Are you not able； either？” Riley asked； irritated。 Kevin took a step toward Riley； but then Raoul rushed him； leaping across the long room in two low bounds。 He shoved Kevin against the wall without a word and then stood by Riley’s right shoulder。 Riley permitted himself a tiny smile。 The manipulation wasn’t subtle； but it was effective。 “Kristie or Jen； who will lead us？” Riley asked with a hint of amusement in his voice。 Jen was still waiting for a sign from Kristie as to what she should do。 Kristie glowered at Jen for an instant； then flipped her sandy hair out of her face and darted to stand on Riley’s other side。 “That took too long to decide；” Riley said seriously。 “We don’t have the luxury of time。 We don’t get to fool around anymore。 I’ve let you all do pretty much whatever you feel like； but that ends tonight。” He looked around the room； meeting everyone’s eyes； making sure we were listening。 I held his gaze for only a second when it was my turn； and then my eyes flipped back to the door。 I corrected instantly； but his glare had moved on。 I wondered if he’d noticed my slip。 Or had he seen me at all； here beside Fred？ “We have an enemy；” Riley announced。 He let that sink in for a moment。 I could tell the idea was shocking to several of the vampires in the basement。 The enemy was Raoul or if you
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were with Raoul； the enemy was Kristie。 The enemy was here； because the whole world was he