"I don't care who the hell you are. Step back."
I stepped back, body tense. I had to get in there.
"Hey, Herzeg, is that you?" I heard a familiar voice from inside the closed off area.
"Tanner?"
"Let her in, Gillespie." Tanner waved. I saw she had a large, bulging satchel slung over one shoulder. "She's with me for now."
"If you say so, Detective."
"I do say so, now let her in."
The officer stepped to one side and lifted the police tape stretched across the sidewalk. I ducked under it.
"You picked a fine time to run off," Tanner said when I reached her. "The kid okay?"
"In the car." I hitched a thumb over my shoulder. "Cuffed because the vampires Pushed her. She tried to knife me on the ride here."
"As if I didn't like her enough before."
"I love you too, Detective."
Tanner's eyes flicked down to the blood drying on my arm. "Seriously, you okay?"
I nodded. "I'll manage."
Tanner met my eyes for a moment, then returned my nod.
I tilted my head in the direction of the building. "So, what's going on here?"
"Your vampire friends have taken the Mayor and City Council hostage. They have the police that were in the building, including Detective Ware, standing guard over the politicians."
"How many vampires?"
"I didn't get much chance to look," Tanner said. "And I couldn't just ask the folk in the command post to give me a count on vampires. Best guess, between ten and fifteen."
"And I took down four in Fort Wayne, but they were all newly turned so I suspect there are at least three still unaccounted for." I shook my head. "That's just great."
"Ain't it, though?"
I could see the vampire's plan. By forcing the police to act as guards on their behalf, they undermined the very concept of law and order.
And to put James, who was more than a cop, more than a detective, who was in his heart a protector of the innocent in that position...
I'd thought I'd hated vampires before, but I'd never felt this raw fury.
"I know Ware is inside." I forced calmness into my voice. I had to be all business here. "Who's still available from the team?"
"Just me and the Fibbie," Tanner said. "Blake's inside with James."
"Two," I mused. "I think I can do two."
I pressed the heels of my hands to my temples and rubbed in anticipation of the pain to come.
"Herzeg?"
"I'm going to try to use Push to protect you and Reid from the vampire's ability to influence minds. Then we need to go hunting."
"The Fibbies are taking over the case," Tanner said. "They aren't going to let..."
"I wasn't planning on asking."
Matei's Push was wearing off. The careful web of influence he had built to keep me in place with at least some access to police resources was coming undone.
This was the worst possible situation. Me and two humans against multiple vampires at night. The vampires would be active. Add in innocents to protect, including innocents forced by Push to work for the vampires. Oh, and one of them was James. I'd run out of time.
Bad situation or not, I had to take these vampires down. Now or never.
Reid, Tanner, and I gathered at the base of the stairs leading up to one of the side entrances to the building. Tanner's satchel contained four lightweight duffle bags, folded. It also contained stakes and the silver-treated knives and ammunition.
"I'm going to use my Push—" I started stuffing stakes into one of the duffle bags. "—to instruct you to resist the vampires if they try to use Push against you."
"You're going to try to control our minds?" Reid shook his head. "No way. Not going to happen."
"Shut up, Reid," Tanner said. "I saw what they did to James." Her eyes locked with mine. "You can protect us from that?"
"Think so." With my share of stakes in the bag, I turned my attention to topping off the magazines for the CZ. Tanner passed me another gun, a police issue Glock. I looked up at her at this and she just shrugged.
I did not have a proper holster, so I tucked it into a pouch on the side of the duffle bag. Between the Glock and the CZ with an extra partial magazine, I had better than forty rounds ready to go. I expected I'd need them.
She handed me another item that looked like a small pill case. I popped it open. It held a pair of electronic ear plugs, the kind that let ordinary sounds go through but suppressed ear damaging sounds, like the sound of gunshots.
"Thanks," I said.
"Don't mention it." She was wearing a similar pair.
I stood up. "Ready?"
"All right." She nodded. "Do it."
"Detective Tanner." I put Push behind my words, trying to ignore the increased pain behind my head. "If any vampire tries to influence your mind, you will reject it and act on your own best judgment."
I broke eye contact and Tanner shook her head. "Funny. I don't feel any different."
"You won't. You might feel it if a vampire is trying to influence your mind but you'll be able to ignore it." I turned to Reid. "Your turn."
He looked at me for several seconds, then nodded. I gave him the same instructions I'd given Tanner. When I was done my head felt like someone was using a jackhammer between my eyes and I had enough Push to maybe influence a fly.
"You ready?" I looked from Reid to Tanner. They both nodded.
I darted up the stairs, followed by Reid and Tanner.
"Hey!" Someone shouted. "Get away from that—"
I reached the door and did not even slow down. I sprang up off my right foot and stamped forward with my left. I hit in the center of the tempered glass door, which shattered into thousands of pellets.
Tempered glass breaks into small chunks, not the razor shards of ordinary plate glass. I hurdled through the door in a shower of glass and landed in a low crouch. Tanner and Reid followed, Reid pivoting right and Tanner left.
"Clear right," Reid called.
"Clear left."
I heard a voice from behind shouting. "Nobody else move, dammit. I'll deal with those assholes later." He continued shouting, directed at us and telling us not to be stupid and come out. I tuned him out.
"Reid, Tanner." I pointed. "You sweep this floor and move up. Stay together. Remember, head shots are best. The silver will keep them down for a minute or two, long enough to get a stake into them. Don't worry about heads now. We'll deal with cleanup later. Remember they are stronger and faster than you are, a lot stronger and faster, so don't give them a chance to close."
"What about the people they've controlled?" Tanner asked.
"Unfortunately, they're threats until, well if it goes well, the Push will be broken when we kill the vampire controlling them."
"I can't kill people being controlled," Tanner snapped.
"You can't let them stop you either. There is no cavalry. We are it." I glanced back over my right shoulder. "Reid, you've been quiet. Anything to say?"
"These bastards, or monsters just like them, killed my partner. I'll do what I have to."
"Good enough."
"Where are you going?" Tanner asked.
I tilted my head up. "Top floor. Work my way down. Hopefully we'll meet in the middle."
With a last nod at Tanner and Reid, I trotted toward the stairs. The three of us were nowhere near enough to deal with this many vampires but we were all I had.
We'd have to make do.
Somehow.
As I sprinted up the stairs, I could not help running over the long odds in my head. Ten vampires, maybe more, hell, probably more, and there was just me and two humans. At least I'd insulated the humans against Push.
Normally, I would work around the edges, pick off the vampires one by one since vampires are too arrogant for good teamwork. But these vampires were not behaving normally, and I could not rely on normal tactics.
We were in serious trouble.
I had somehow taken dow
n four vampires single-handedly—although Liz had helped keep them down—with the help of...
I paused on a landing to catch my breath and let my hand fall to the dagger at my belt. Steel, yet it had hurt those vampires more than the best silver. I could only hope it would continue to be so effective. I needed every edge I could get.
I reached the top floor without incident and stopped. I wasn't out of breath, not entirely. Even with my strength and speed, that was a long climb.
I cocked my head, listening. No sound of movement. The question was how to go through the stairwell door, fast or slow.
I chose slow. I eased open the door with my left hand while keeping my right, with the CZ, in a tight high ready position.
Nothing in my field of view. Just the corridor illuminated by fluorescent lights. I held the door open ninety degrees to provide some concealment from the other direction then slipped through the doorway, pivoting to face back the other direction. My right arm pushed out, locking. My left came up to meet my right hand in a push-pull grip as I fell into a modified Weaver stance.
Yes, this little maneuver was awkward, but that was the problem of working alone with nobody to watch your back.
There was something unnerving about moving through a building in silence, one that appeared to be deserted, all while knowing there were monsters about. While years of experience trained me to ignore that feeling, it did not make it go away.
I lowered the gun to a low ready position as I began a search, moving as quickly as I could consistent with silence. Locked doors I ignored for the time being on the presumption that vampires would have no reason to lock up and any humans concealed behind a locked door would do better to remain there.
About halfway through the floor, I froze at the sound of a female voice up ahead.
"Where are you, little rabbit?" The voice sing-songed. "Are you playing a game? What's my prize when I win? Is it a tasty prize?"
I flattened myself to the wall of the corridor and worked my way in the direction of the voice.
"I smell you, little rabbit. I know you're here."
I neared a cross corridor up ahead. The voice was coming from the left branch.
"Am I getting warmer, little rabbit?"
I listened as I brought my gun up. Her voice was receding. So, it wasn't me who was her "little rabbit." Someone else she was seeking.
Just before reaching the cross corridor I stepped out, sidestepping in an arc so I could "cut the pie" around the corner.
"Is it this door, little rabbit? Have I found you?"
I froze. She was close again. Very close.
Decision time. Once I opened fire, all attempts at stealth would be over.
A loud bang, as of a superhumanly strong fist striking a security door decided me. I holstered the CZ. My left hand dove into the duffle for a stake. I drew the dagger with the right and sprinted around the corner.
The vampire stood about ten feet up the corridor, her arm buried up to the elbow in the hole she had just punched through a door.
She pivoted to face me, hampered by her arm in the door. She reached out with her free hand to grab me. I swept with the dagger, drawing the edge across the inside of her forearm. Blood sprayed. The vampire shrieked.
Using the full force of my charge, I rammed the stake under her sternum and up. It pierced the heart. The vampire went limp.
I dragged the limp figure free from the door and left it to lie on the floor. Time to deal with it permanently later. I flattened myself next to the doorway.
"You okay in there?"
"D...Dani?"
"Mary?"
"Oh, God, Dani, it's you." I could hear tears in her voice. "I been so skeered."
The door opened and Mary poked her head out.
I forced a smile. "I'm glad you're okay."
"You...you come to get us out?"
"Not just yet," I said. "I need to deal with the vampires. But if you'll sit tight you can..."
"No!" Mary's voice was completely different. "Mary is not going to sit and wait for more of those things to get us. You promised to keep us safe. You promised.
I held up a hand. "All right. All right." I smiled. "Which one are you."
"Sorry, Dani," Mary's voice was back to its original. "Judy doesn't usually come out like that. But she's right. I can't go back and just wait, wond'rin when one o' them's gonna bite me. I can't."
I sighed and thought perhaps I could make virtue of necessity. "All right. Stay close behind me and watch behind us. Warn me if anything comes that way."
It would have been nice to have somebody armed to watch my back but...no. I was not going to give Crazy Mary a gun.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
I knelt to ensure the stake remained properly positioned in the body of the vampire. Since I was using oak, the hit had to be solid. If I just nicked the heart, the vampire might regenerate enough to wake and pull the stake out.
Before I could complete my check, I heard the sharp report of three gunshots. I froze, waiting. A moment later I heard three more.
"Tanner and Reid have made contact, I guess."
"D...Dani?" Mary started to step closer to me then paused. I understood her hesitation. Closer to me also meant closer to the vampire body on the floor.
"The police are working their way up from below," I said. "I'm working down from the top. We'll catch the vampires in the middle."
I confirmed the stake was well placed and stood. "Let's go. Remember, stay close and watch behind us."
"Maybe..." Mary looked nervously over her shoulder. "Maybe I should have a..."
I looked her in the eye. Schizophrenic, at the very least. In layman's terms, crazy. But she was coming with me of her own free will.
I removed one of the silvered knives from the duffle, flipped it, and handed it to her grip first. "You won't be able to kill one with this, but it can hurt them, and the wounds take time to heal. It might give you time for me to get to you.
She held it in an ice-pick grip. I sighed.
"Here. This way." I took out my dagger and showed her. "Cut anything that comes in reach. Arms. Legs. Anything. And keep cutting because it will heal if you give it a chance."
She nodded.
Of course, she didn't have any chance at all against a vampire. They were just too strong and too fast, and Mary had no training in combat. But if it made her feel better, more confident? Well, that was worth giving up one of the knives.
With Mary in tow, I finished the sweep of the top floor. I found additional locked doors and left them. If anyone was hiding in them, I was more than willing to leave them alone.
Mary muttered along behind me. It didn't sound like she was arguing with her voices, more like they were giving her a pep talk. That was, perhaps, better than I had hoped.
We paused at one of the stairwells and I cracked open the door, listening and watching. Nothing.
I ghosted through the door and started silently down the stairs. Mary followed, making what seemed a racket although I was sure she thought she was being quiet.
The sound of more shots came from elsewhere in the building. I gritted my teeth. I had to trust the others to do their job and take care of themselves. I had my own job to do.
Faint sounds, as of two people arguing, came through the door to the next floor. Too soft to be close, so I opened the door and slipped through it.
"What's..." Mary started to say. She stopped when I held a finger to my lips.
"Softly," I whispered.
"You hear that?"
I nodded. Now that we were through the door, I could hear the voices more clearly. I could not understand them. I did not recognize the language.
I worked my way in the direction of the voices. I moved quickly, although I still took a moment to at least glance into each office I passed on the way. The argument was getting more heated.
I reached the room from which the voices emanated. The door, ripped from its hinges, leaned crumpled against the opposite wall of
the corridor. I flattened myself to the wall where I would be out of sight from anyone within.
The two voices argument seemed to be coming to a conclusion. I settled the duffle on my shoulder, ensuring I could reach into the opening and grab fresh stakes or knives at need. I had the CZ in my right hand, a stake in my left.
I pivoted around the doorframe and into the room, an open floor plan office with at least six desks. Pens, notepads, and a broken computer monitor littered the floor around one of the desks. On that desk lay a woman, immobile except for her eyes and the slow rise and fall of her chest. Her face was frozen in a mask of fear.
To each side of the woman stood two vampires. The vampire to her left was on the short side, about five feet five inches and rail thin except for a protruding belly. Asian, I thought, from the facial features although vampiric ruddiness masked whatever his original skin tone might have been. The vampire on the woman's right was taller, close to six feet, and female. She had a hand in the human woman's hair and was just starting to bend down.
My right hand came up almost without thought. Sight picture. Squeeze. The CZ barked. The bullet hit the female vampire almost in its left ear hole. Shift point of aim. Squeeze and fire. Ride the recoil. Fire again. Two bullet holes appeared within an inch of each other in the sternum of the other vampire.
The first body had not hit the ground. The woman on the table was moving now, the Push on her released with the death, however temporary, of the controlling vampire. She drew in a breath in preparation to scream.
I drove a stake under the sternum and up in the female vampire, piercing the heart. A vault over the desk put me next to the other vampire. The woman's scream started as I stooped and drove in another stake, this one between the ribs.
Mary ran from the doorway to the desk, wrapping her arms around the screaming woman and making shushing noises. I met her eyes and she smiled and nodded. I left her to tend to the victim and ran back to the door, glancing both ways down the hallway to see if anyone, anything, else was coming.
Behind me, I heard the screams quiet down, turning into sobs. I turned back to find Mary sitting on the desk with the other woman. The other woman had her head on Mary's breast and was softly crying.
The Unmasking (Dhampyre the Hunter Book 1) Page 21