‘Looks like,’ Shane said. He opened the SUV’s door and stepped out as Hannah Moses approached. She wasn’t alone, Claire realised; there were two other men with her, dressed in Morganville PD uniforms. And more police cars coming, lights flashing.

Too many for comfort.

Somehow, Claire wasn’t too surprised when Hannah drew her gun. Shane slowly raised his hands.

‘I’m sorry about this, Shane,’ she said. ‘But laws are laws, and I don’t want you doing anything stupid. You too, Claire, Michael, Eve – all of you, out of the car. Now.’

All the good feelings were gone, Claire thought, and she climbed down from the truck’s cab to stand next to Shane, leaning against the fender. Michael and Eve got out, too. Wind shivered over the desert, and drew icy fingers down Claire’s face. The other police car parked behind the second SUV, and more cops arrived, all pointing guns.

‘What’s the meaning of this?’ Oliver demanded, as he got out of the second vehicle. Myrnin stepped down with him, dark eyes flashing around in restless motion, cataloguing everyone and everything. Jesse joined them, and she held Irene Anderson still as the professor tried to pull away. ‘There’s surely no question of our right to entry!’

‘Not at all,’ Hannah said. ‘But we have something we have to take care of first.’ She stepped up, fastened handcuffs around Shane’s wrists, then Claire’s, then Eve’s. ‘I’ll need that lady over there, too. Paul, put some cuffs on her and bring her over here. Michael, if you would, please stand over there.’ She pointed at Irene Anderson, who was escorted over and handcuffed. Michael went to stand next to the other van.

It was weird and confusing, but there was no reason not to trust her; Hannah seemed the same as she always had. Competent, calm, professional.

It was only as they did it that Claire realised that Hannah had just separated the humans … from the vampires.

And then the cops stepped back, and two others stepped forward with double-loaded crossbows. It happened fast, so fast. Four quick shots, deadly accurate to the heart, and the vampires went down. Jesse first, then Myrnin, then Oliver and Michael almost in the same instant.

Eve screamed. Claire didn’t. It’s wood, she told herself. They’re staked with wood. They’re not dead. But she didn’t know why this was happening, and worse, she didn’t know why Hannah was doing it.

‘Hannah?’ Her voice sounded small and confused, and the police chief looked at her with sympathy, and no small amount of pity.

‘They’ll be all right,’ she said. ‘But they’ll be taken to a safe place. I’m sorry, Claire. I’m sorry for everything. But it’s for the best.’

‘Amelie’s going to—’