Her hand rested on the knob as she glanced around the hall. She studied every shadow and nook as she searched for any sign of life, but nothing stirred. Deciding she couldn't keep putting it off anymore, Cassie plunged into the room and instantly staggered back.
The smell of death sent her emotions and senses skittering in a thousand different directions, none of them were even close to sane. Her bloodlust surged to the forefront at the same time that all she wanted was to vomit and flee from the five day old road kill stench.
She didn't see the death that lingered within yet, but it was there. Luther, she had to get to Luther. She hoped the sheets wrapped around her would be enough protection for a few seconds as she scurried toward him. Seizing hold of his arm she roughly heaved him up and half tossed him over her back.
He released a low moan that sounded as if he were in pain, but she couldn't think about that now. Not now. Now they had to break free of this trap. Cassie spun but faltered beneath the extra burden of Luther's weight, and the fact that she finally spotted the source of the stench permeating the room.
There were bodies, at least three of them, tucked within the tiny bathroom. The world tilted precariously, tears burned her eyes and slid down her cheeks as she stared at the massacre. And to her, it was a massacre, because all of the bodies had been children. She didn't know where any of the monsters were in this building, but if she found them, she would destroy them.
Half dragging, half carrying Luther, she managed to get him into the hall and slam the door closed. Though she felt a little woozy, she thought she'd managed to get out of the room quickly enough not to have too many effects from the gas. She hefted Luther back up and hurried down the hall as fast as she could with him.
She was halfway down the hall when the first figure emerged. Burdened by Luther's weight, the effects of the gas, and the bulky sheets still engulfing her she barely evaded the onrushing attack. Luther groaned when she cracked his elbow against the wall as she fell back. She almost toppled to the floor as the large figure barreled past and nearly crashed into the far wall before darting into another room.
Though it was unceremonious and probably hurtful, Cassie dropped Luther like a sack of potatoes to the ground. She snatched the metal legs out of the twisted sheets and prepared to use them to beat their attacker bloody if she didn't rip their throat out first. The attacker rushed back out of the doorway, a strangled cry tore from his throat as he charged her.
Her eyes widened on the stake the man held. They somehow knew what she was, or at least suspected it. The man lunged at her and grunted as Cassie swung out with the metal leg. She didn't get a solid hit in, but she did knock him back a step as the glancing blow bounced off of his chest.
The man regained his balance and prepared to come at her again. There was a growing hum of power flowing through her as she shifted into a fighting stance. It didn't appear that the man had any real training but thought he could take her down on brute strength alone. His far superior size and strength may have been enough to take down other people before, but he'd never come across someone like her.
His lunge was awkward and off balance as he rushed at her again. Cassie twisted to the side and clasping her hands together she slammed her fists into his back with as much force as she could. The loud cracking of ribs rebounded off of the sterile walls.
A small gasp escaped him as he plummeted to the ground. The stake fell from his hand and clattered across the tile floor. His fingers jerked on the ground, he lay for a breathless moment before he rolled to the side and back to his feet. Instead of trying to get away from her, he came back at her with a furious bellow that reminded her of a charging bull.
Cassie hadn't been expecting that maneuver and didn't have enough time to get out of the way before his hand seized the tangle of sheets. He jerked her off of her feet as he pulled down on the cumbersome material. Her knees and palms thwacked off the tiling. The man clawed at her, using the sheets to gain better access as he tried to get at her face. Cassie strained to get free but her legs were entangled in the mess that she had created herself. His hand grabbed hold of her shirt and roughly jerked her forward.
For some strange reason panic didn't fill her, she didn't fear for her safety or her life. Instead, everything seemed to slow within her as something else rose up to take over. Something that craved blood and death, and wouldn't be satisfied until it got it. A low growl escaped her as she punched the man in the cheek hard enough to knock his head to the side.
With his jugular exposed, she launched forward, seized hold of his hair and ripped his head back. She didn't hesitate, didn't even think as she dove forward and sank her fangs into his neck. The man howled as he clawed at her in a useless attempt to pry her free. She wasn't giving up her meal; she was not going to allow this monster to live, and he was a monster. As his blood flowed into her she saw every horrendous act this man had ever done, and the great pleasure that he'd taken in torturing and murdering innocent children and people.
It was more than just righteousness that drove her now. It was also the sweet rush of the blood that eased the fiery hunger that seemed to be ever present in her veins now. She felt the lessening of his life as his essence drained away, but unlike the vampire she felt no grief, no guilt over the murder she had just committed. Instead, she felt a sense of justice that rattled her even more. The man had gotten what he deserved, but it wasn't her place to judge or decide that. Unfortunately, right now, it didn't matter as they were still in danger and she was still willing to rip out the throat of the next person that attacked them.
She pushed the man back and grappled to get out from underneath his dead weight. She tore at the sheets to rid herself of the nuisance they created now. Finally free she glanced around the hall, her senses and thirst on high alert as she searched for the next attack. With the man's blood pumping through her she felt stronger and less lightheaded as she pulled Luther up with far more ease. She felt almost high and giddy with the sensations coursing through her.
She wrapped Luther's arm around her shoulders and held his hand as she hurried him down the hall. Cassie's heart sank when she spotted the door at the end of the hall. Just as she'd suspected, her jacket was gone and the door was firmly locked. She cursed loudly and bit back a scream of frustration as she slammed her hand against the steel door.
She placed Luther on the ground and propped him against the wall. Keeping one eye on the hall she began to search for the mechanism that had to be hidden somewhere within the wall. Panic started to fill her as her movements became more frantic. What if there was no switch on this side? What if the opening for this door was somewhere else within here? She glanced around the hall, expecting another attack, but it remained still.