"Leave me here, God damn it!" Reiss shouted at the two men who carried him. "You won't make it if you have to drag me. I'll never be able to climb out of here anyway."
The two men looked uncertainly at each other.
"Come on, guys," Reiss persisted, "if you leave me close to the armoury at least I can take some of the bastards with me."
The three of them had set off with the others while Warkowski held the vampires at bay. The other humans had disappeared at this stage, and the two men--Reiss didn't even know their names--were struggling with the extra weight. Reiss could tell they were torn between fear for their own safety and loyalty to him. They kept looking back the way they had come and he knew that they'd drop him the instant the vampires appeared. They didn't need much encouragement and immediately made for a doorway a short distance further on up the corridor.
"Okay, drop me here and leave your grenades. I'll set up a little surprise for our friends."
"Well, if you're sure..." the second man muttered and found it hard not to show his relief.
They left Reiss sitting on a box of ammunition with a collection of grenades around him. He had positioned himself at an angle to the door, which gave him a view back down the corridor. At least I'll see them coming, he thought.
The two men left quickly. Neither one was able to look Reiss in the eye when they hurried out of the room.
Can't really blame them, he thought and readied himself.
The men ran down the corridor, but the vampires gained rapidly. Rodgers limped badly and Harris literally had to pull him along, supporting him as best he could. Warkowski supported his other side. Between them they dragged the injured man down the corridor.
With only a twenty-foot advantage, it wouldn't be long before the vampires caught up with them. They ran expecting to feel sharp claws rake their backs at any second. Harris had no idea what they were going to do even if they did make it to the barrier. There wasn't time to plan anything and they were out of the "magic" bullets. There was just no way to delay the creatures any further.
He hoped Sandra had made it out.
Reiss watched the three men struggle along the corridor. The vampires were right behind them; he could see about ten of them from where he sat. In fact, the creatures looked as though they were keeping station behind the men, rather than actually trying to catch them.
Like a mouse playing with its prey, Reiss thought. He judged the distance to the struggling men and performed a quick calculation. He offered a silent prayer, and then reached down and pulled the pins on the grenades in his lap and lay back.
I hope I've timed this right.
Harris knew that the vampires were playing. They taunted them and leaned forward to swipe at exposed flesh. Then they withdrew, only to catch up and swipe again. They knew that they had won, that the humans had finally run out of surprises, and they were enjoying their victory. Long scratches of varying depths covered Harris" back where they slashed at him with just enough force to tear the skin but not enough to take him to the ground, but he continued on in the vain hope that something might happen.
And then, suddenly, it did.
The explosion ripped apart the whole wall to their right. The force picked the three men up and threw them further down the corridor, where they crashed heavily in a jumbled heap. The force of the explosion completely decimated the wall and most of the ceiling.
Debris and dust covered Harris. He lay curled in a ball as the shrapnel continued to fall. The noise of the explosion was deafening in the close confines of the corridor, and his ears rang painfully while he struggled to his feet. He looked around and saw both Warkowski and Rodgers stir, but could see no sign of the vampires.
His leg hurt. He looked down to see a small sliver of metal protruding from his thigh. "God, will this night ever end?" he pleaded out loud before he pulled at the shrapnel. He checked the wound and nodded when he saw that it wasn't bleeding badly. He turned to see what had happened and saw that the roof had caved in behind them, completely blocking the corridor.
Realisation came slowly, but when it did, a low chuckle rose in his throat. By the time Rodgers had limped up behind him, he was laughing and holding his side with the pain that lanced through his battered body.
"What's so funny?" Rodgers asked.
"They were caught on the other side," he managed between fits of laughter. Rodgers joined in, the relief from this short reprieve made them laugh all the more.
"We better move that won't keep them long." Warkowski broke up the party. The other two sobered fast and set off toward the barrier.
Dan Harrington supervised the retreat. They had waited as long as they dared and must now look to the living. The unexpected arrival of some of the defenders, with news of Warkowski's rescue, had buoyed the spirits of the small party. Hope had soared that they might actually get a few more out alive.
Harrington had left his daughter and moved to organise the retreat. Sandra ran to each of the survivors and questioned each one. Her questions became more desperate as the line of men and women grew shorter.
The door to the tower was set into the wall behind them. Dan supervised, while people lined up and went through in single file. The tower measured some twenty-five feet in diameter and contained a walled circle that ran around the circumference. The wall began about six inches into the tower and rose to about four feet in height. Inside the enclosure was a pool of water about three feet in depth. At the far side of the tower a series of metal rungs traced a line up the entire height of the tower.
The survivors waded through the water and began to climb. Harrington looked up and judged the climb to be some two hundred feet straight up, and then another fifty or so back down on the outside to reach the ground. He glanced up, frowned at the brightening sky, and looked at his watch.
My God, he thought, we've fought all night.
"All right, people," he said aloud, "let's make all this effort and sacrifice worth something. It's time to get out of here."
Harris and his two colleagues rounded the corner and saw the barrier. He looked quickly behind him and could see no sign of the vampires. His heart beat faster and hope began to grow. "Come on," he urged the others, "not far now."
Nero fidgeted while his pack cleared the debris. He fumed that he hadn't beheaded the humans when he had the chance, but his pride had demanded retribution and he had enjoyed the chase. "Next time," he vowed, "I will rip them to shreds and take my time over their carcasses."
He marvelled at the humans' ingenuity. Twenty vampires dead. He shook his head. He would not have thought they could kill one of his kind, let alone twenty, and he itched to finish this embarrassment. The vampires were too slow for him and, with a bellow of rage; he grabbed several creatures, threw them aside, and attacked the debris. His great strength pulverised rock and produced a hole in the barrier in seconds.
"Now," he shouted, "tear them to pieces!"
And the remaining creatures flooded through.
The three men had reached the tower door when they heard the scream of triumph back down the corridor.
"Come on, hurry," Harris encouraged the other two men. He pulled open the door and ushered them inside. Harris followed and immediately looked for a means to secure the door. The door lock was a simple one that would not hold the vampires for long. He turned the key and told Warkowski and Rodgers to begin climbing, and then he dragged the pump machine that Reilly had used earlier in front of the metal door.
Grunting with the effort, Harris dropped the machine flush with the door and nodded.
That'll have to do, he thought and then glanced upwards. Warkowski and Rodgers were already a quarter of the way up and further past them he could see some of the others near the top.
"Thank God," he whispered, "at least Sandra is safe."
The first loud clang against the metal door reverberated around the tower as he began to climb.
The door exploded inward with such force that it landed clear across the far side of the tower. The vampires poured in so swiftly that those in the lead failed to realise that there was an enclosure until the pain began to register. They waded into the water and then suddenly stopped. They howled as the blessed water seeped through their clothes and began to burn like acid. Flesh and bone melted away in seconds; the creatures lost their balance and fell into the water. The screams intensified as arms, knees and faces were the next to touch the water. The pitiful creatures howled while their bodies decomposed in the cool water until, finally, they slumped forward and slid beneath the surface.
The other vampires had barely enough time to see the trap and paused at the door to change to their bat forms. When they were ready, they rose into the air and flew after the escaping humans. Halfway up, they felt the prickly sensation of the dawn's light and screamed when the faint light began to burn their bodies.
Small pockets of flame appeared on the lead vampires. One by one they fell to the ground. Two vampires fell into the pool below and thrashed wildly when the blessed water immediately seared their thin wings and destroyed them in seconds. Another vampire tried to continue flying despite the flames, but suddenly erupted into a fireball and fell in a smouldering heap in the corner.
Nero felt the prickly sensation of the light, but his skin was much tougher than the newer vampires. He looked up and saw Harris near the top. The frustrations of this whole debacle consumed him and he screamed at his hated foe. That man had done this and he would pay.
Heedless of the pain that seared through him, he continued up into the light and forced his body to grow and mutate while he shot upwards. His wings expanded until they reached across the entire tower. His features changed, his lips drew further back, teeth grew and his skin became scaled to protect against the light.
The few fires that had appeared on his body grew smaller and went out as the tougher skin covered the exposed flesh. He grinned grotesquely as he neared his prey.
Harris hurried as fast as he could. The sweat on his palms made him slip occasionally, but slowly he neared the top. He looked down and saw Nero approaching with the speed of a freight train. He glanced quickly upward. He still had some twenty rungs to go.
Too far.
He felt the wind from the vampire's wings draught past him as it loomed closer.
Fifteen rungs.
And then he felt a searing pain in his back when Nero slashed at him. His grip loosened and he almost fell. Blindly, he reached upward and felt cold metal with his right hand. He gripped frantically and swung precariously from the ladder, while he flailed his left hand out to steady himself. He knocked against the wall and used the momentum to grip the rung more tightly, and finally got his other hand onto the ladder. He heard a deep laugh and closed his eyes while he braced for another blow.
Nero laughed and swung a killing blow at the helpless human, but, suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He looked down and saw a long wooden spear protruding from the centre of his chest, left of his heart. Puzzled, he glanced upward to locate the source of this latest attack, and then felt himself lifted away from the human and hauled out into the sunlight.
Harris saw the creature rush past him and disappear out over the lip of the tower. Relief flowed through him. He gathered up the last of his energy and hurried onward.
Steele strained as he levered the vampire out into the daylight. He planted the end of the spear against the tower's edge to support the weight of the creature, and sent it sprawling down to the ground below. Freed of the spear, Steele quickly wrapped his hands with his jacket, gripped the outside of the ladder and shot down to the ground below. He used his legs to slow his descent and quickly turned to face the vampire while it still struggled to its feet.
"You!" Nero shrieked. He disdainfully ripped the spear from his body and threw it at Steele, who pivoted to the side. The spear embedded itself into the tower wall and quivered slightly as it remained in place. The sun had moved higher in the sky and its heat bathed the adversaries. Small pockets of flame began to appear over Nero's body again despite his armour.
"That must be painful," Steele commented with a grin as the flames continued to spread slowly.
The blue flame that licked over Nero's flesh created the impression of an aura around him. Flesh puckered and flaked blackening one minute and then turning pink as new flesh formed, boils suddenly erupted on his skin and then burst. The creature's healing process created new flesh beneath that, before it too began to burn and then heal. The process was agonising, but not fatal to the ancient vampire, who looked at Steele balefully.
"I told you before, human," he hissed "this pathetic light is not enough to kill one as old as I. You will die for this."
He launched himself at Steele, slamming into his chest and taking both of them to the ground.
The proximity to the flames burnt the very air in his throat and Steele gagged when he attempted to draw breath. He tried desperately to pull away, but was too late. The creature grabbed him and the flames seared his arms before the creature threw him across the clearing. In a blur the vampire had crossed to where Steele lay and reached down for him. The other humans watched the two figures struggle in shock. They were completely at a loss to explain what was happening.
Rodgers shook himself from the paralysis and ran to help Steele. He had no idea who the man was; he had already been at the base of the tower when the survivors had descended. He hadn't said a word, just stood waiting until the last of the party had jumped to the ground. Without a word he had pulled a wickedly sharp spear from the ground beside him and proceeded to climb to the top. He obviously knew Nero, but he was human, and that was enough for Rodgers.
Rodgers took off his jacket and wrapped it around his hands while he ran. He grabbed the vampire. His hands burning even through the heavy fabric, but he wrenched the creature off the struggling human heedless of his scorched flesh.
Nero spun in a blur and backhanded Rodgers, sending him crashing against the tower wall. The distraction had been enough, however, and Steele took the opportunity to power upwards and overbalance the vampire while he slid out from under him.
Rodgers lay gasping for breath at the base of the tower when Harris jumped the last few feet to the ground beside him. "Go, help him," he croaked.
Harris ran at Nero, caught the vampire low and carried him away from the blond stranger. They tumbled toward the rest of the group. Rodgers pulled himself to his knees and noticed that the others had begun to join the fray.
Dan Harrington was the first to reach the vampire. He swung at the creature. Nero reacted far too quickly though and easily dodged the blow. Then he reached forward and grabbed the overbalanced human by the arm. The creature turned him around and pulled him tightly against his chest to use as a shield. Flame seared into Harrington's back and scorched his neck where the vampire held him. The other humans backed off.
Rodgers could see the vampire smile and then, without warning, he traced a claw gently across Harrington's neck. A thin red line appeared under Harrington's chin, and then a few trickles, and finally a deluge poured from his throat. Rodgers looked on helplessly as the creature leaned down and viciously ripped into Harrington's throat before he discarded the body. The flames that had raged all over the creature's body suddenly began to flicker as he drank and then they died.
"Noooo!" Sandra Harrington screamed as her father crumpled to the ground at the creature's feet.
Rodgers could see her glare at the vampire with pure hatred. Suddenly she ran at Nero. Her reaction was so quick that neither of them had expected it. She crossed the short distance in a blur and slammed into the creature, her momentum enough to overbalance the vampire and force it backward.
Rodgers ran after her and tried to get her to break off, but she was oblivious to everything around her. The creature's skin still hissed from the heat of the flames, but she pummelled the vampire, heedless of the pain as her skin was scorched with each blow. Rodgers gained on them and saw the spear lodged in the wall scant seconds before the two slammed against it. He fell to his knees as they both screamed in pain and the spear tore into both of them.
Harris ran after the struggling pair and howled when he saw the spear rip through Sandra's back.
She cried out once and then slumped forward against the creature. The vampire bellowed when the spear penetrated its heart. He wrenched the woman away from him and sent her flying backward. Harris saw Sandra driven back and jumped to catch her body and ease her to the ground. He looked down at the blood pouring from the wound and placed his hand against the flow, vainly trying to stop the gushing fluid.
Tears ran down his face, and then the blond stranger appeared at his side. He forced Harris away while he examined the wound. His hands ran knowledgeably over her body and then he tore strips from his own clothes and began to pack the wound.
Harris looked at her face. So pale, he thought and then felt himself being helped to his feet.
"Come on, buddy, let him work."
He looked up in a daze and saw Rodgers. Blood covered the left side of his face and an ugly bruise had already puffed up the cheekbone, giving him the appearance of a chipmunk. Harris glanced down, saw an axe swinging from a loop on Rodger's belt and, without a word, grabbed the weapon and turned to face the struggling vampire.
The creature lay back against the tower wall with the spear protruding some six feet outward. He was slumped forward breathing hard and laboured through his torn chest while small fires begun to appear over its body again. The creature looked at Harris.
"So you've come to gloat, human."
"Actually, no," Harris replied and raised the axe.
The creature saw the weapon; Harris saw fear cross its face as the axe descended. Again and again he raised the axe and brought it down on the vampire. Blood spurted and flesh tore until, exhausted, Harris slumped to his knees and the bloodied axe fell from his grasp. The vampire was a bloody mess, sunlight had not yet killed it; the spear through the heart had not been enough to send this ancient creature to hell, but the combination of these things had overloaded its healing ability and, finally, it had begun to die.
The sun had grown in strength over the last few minutes and the creature screamed when its flesh began to melt from its face. Flames flickered over his body and grew in intensity. Flesh blackened and peeled away from the bone. His eyes popped, the liquid within burst in flame and seared into the creature's brain. Its mouth opened to scream, but its tongue shrivelled in the heat, and all Harris could hear was a dry rattle before its body slumped forward on the spear and the flames consumed the remains.
Rodgers came forward and touched Harris on the shoulder. "It's over, come on," he urged.
"Just a second," Harris replied. He rose to his feet and approached the blackened corpse, raised the axe one more time, brought it down on the exposed neck and severed the creature's head in one fluid strike. The skull fell to the ground at his feet. He raised his boot, brought it down hard on the skull, and shattered the brittle bone.
"Just to be sure," he nodded at Rodgers and allowed himself to be led back to the group.
"She was lucky," Steele began. "An inch lower and she'd be dead. As it stands, it'll be a while before she's up and around. She lost a lot of blood, so her body will have to replace that before she can really heal."
"Thank you," Harris leaned forward and shook Steele's hand. "Who did you say you were again?"
"The name's Steele."
"Harris," the other replied.
The two men smiled at each other, but Steele could see the suspicion in the other's eyes.
"You, ah, knew him?" Harris fumbled the question and nodded toward the creature's corpse. The man was obviously human but Harris was still uncertain where his loyalties lay. Where had he come from and how did he know the vampire master?
"Yeah, I used to work for him." Steele met Harris" glare evenly as if daring him.
"Why the sudden change of heart?" Harris asked as he stared into the man's eyes trying to determine how much he could trust this stranger. He had saved both Sandra's and his life and for that Harris was willing to ignore quite a lot, however, the safety of the community was more important.
"Well, a colleague of mine showed me that there's a difference between existing and living. I decided to try living."
"Good for you," Harris pursed his lips as he considered the man in front of him. He raised his eyebrows as if suddenly making up his mind about something. "Any plans?" Harris ventured.
"No, not yet. You?" Steele replied.
"Oh, I thought we'd clear up here, then go into town and start weaning the rest of the city off that damned serum. After that we'll move on to the next city, then the next. After that, who knows?"
"That's a mighty tall order," Steele commented as he studied Harris with equal interest.
"That it is."
"There might be pockets of thralls left in the city," Steele ventured.
"We can handle them," Harris smiled, "now that there masters are dead they won't be as confident."
Steele looked over at the bedraggled band of humans dubiously. There were fifteen in total, all injured to some degree. He looked back at Harris and something seemed to pass between the two men. Steele smiled. "I know a shortcut."
After a second Harris grinned. "I thought you'd never offer."
Both men laughed and turned back toward the small group.