Dead Surround - The Julia Poe Vampire Chronicles Read Online Free PDF Page A

know how egotistical he is. And the head cheese is Trench’s Obi-Wan. His objective is to take back the stolen cattle and kill Sainvire.”
    “I should’ve killed Trench when I had the chance,” Poe said as she stabbed the sand with her stick. Deep down it gave her goosebumps to think Quillon still harbored a grudge against her. She didn’t think he would easily forget the incident. “I hope he never gets his hands on me ’cause I’m really gonna get it. Vanity’s a top motive for violence.”
    “So I take it you don’t know about the bounty on your head.”
    “Bounty?” Poe swallowed with an audible gulp.
    “You said I was number two? You’re serious?”
    “Yes, but never mind,” Passionada waved the business away. “Anyway, last year Sainvire put out an APB on you to his people throughout SoCal and the Central Valley. We’ve been hard at work making sure you don’t get into any trouble.”
    “You’re kidding, right?” Poe gave the woman an annoyed glance. “I didn’t even know there were any of you around. And for the record I never got into any trouble.”
    “Despite what you think, it’s hard being invisible while keeping you out of a sticky muck,” said Passionada. She pursed her lips as the last cloud of oh-too-sweet cotton candy melted on her tongue.
    27

    Rono/DEAD SURROUND
    “Burning down a house on Iowa Avenue, I’d call that trouble.”
    “What?” Poe shook her head then remembered the charred bungalow she’d looted for can food and towels a few days ago. “I didn’t burn that house down.”
    “Well somebody was roasting a can of cream corn on the stove and forgot about it.”
    “I, I—” Something nagged in the back of her mind. “I didn’t mean to do it.”
    “Still, a team of us had to leave our comfy hideaway to extinguish the blaze. Couldn’t have smoke signals for greedy vamps and scavengers to notice.”
    “Um, I didn’t know,” was all Poe could say.
    “Then there was the incident with the cars parked along Armacost Avenue. Did every single windshield have to meet with the thick end of a baseball bat?” Passionada droned, her large eyes in slits. “You know, some of those cars are operational.
    They’re laboriously kept up for emergencies.”
    “Look. If I had known, I wouldn’t have done any of those things,” Poe said, wincing. “I was super-depressed that day.”
    “Fair enough,” Passionada acceded. “I’ve told Sainvire from the beginning that keeping you ignorant was a stupid idea. Truce then. Let me properly clean your wounds and give you a set of rabies shots.”
    “Oh no. Sister Ann gave me those shots four years ago,” Poe said, letting out a long breath. “If we’re going to be friends, Passionada, you gotta know I can’t handle needles. To me they’re worse than rotten vamp teeth.”
    28

    Rono/DEAD SURROUND
    “Very well then. I see your point. I don’t like flat shoes.” Passionada shook her head with disgust.
    “Even though heels make me look like a female Paul Bunyan, I love them to death. If you can believe it, I can run with three-inch heels without breaking a sweat or injuring myself.”
    “Nice. With or without heels I’m clumsy. No chance of looking graceful or classy there.”
    She followed the giantess to one of the clothing shops on the boardwalk that had been converted into a plush dwelling. Porcelain poodles in different shapes and sizes occupied every table, bookshelf, and cranny while posters of Clive Owen, Christian Bale, and Matt Damon covered the walls. Meeting Passionada gave an extra lilt in her step.
    Before she could think of magic carpets, cloud cities, and the healing power of friendship, her happy mood quickly turned to shock. Passionada thwacked Poe on the head with a weighty granite pestle. Poe collapsed into confused oblivion.

    

    Something stunk.
    Like Roquefort cheese with veins of blue mold.
    The kind Mom and Dad chomped noisily while watching Conan O’Brien. Why did the floor heave?