“Damn it!” Hammett screamed, leaning around the dumpster, discharging his firearm. “Put some fire on those sons of harpies! And watch the shadows!”
Hammett’s shots brought down a vampire who had taken position along one of the buildings above Lee, only moments before the creature was about to open fire on the unsuspecting officer. The fiend toppled down, crashing into a pile of rubbish. Lee quickly glanced at the enemy, relieved to see two smoking holes in its chest, glowing like embers, and that the body remained as still as stone.
By this time the CN leader had retreated within the apartment entrance, along with several others. The front door slammed shut, and the vampires inside kicked out the windows on each side of the door. Now well protected, the CN holed up in the apartment lobby began firing through the window sills toward the approaching officers.
“We have to get closer!” Hammett screamed above the gunfire. “I want suppressing fire on those windows!”
Several more loud pops detonated close to Hammett’s head, sending a shrill ringing through his ears, causing him to lurch back against the dumpster in shock. Vega’s firearm had been discharged right next to him, the barrel aimed in the direction of a building across the street. Two more vampires had flitted through the shadows and had taken position on a dark patch on a building’s surface, directly behind the men opposite Hammett, with the intention of attacking them from the rear.
Lee, deducing the enemy’s strategy, with her finger pointing at the surrounding rooftops, yelled, “Jackson! Flares!”
A female officer nodded, quickly returned her sidearm to its holster, and removed a small pack from her back. Reaching in, she withdrew a simple cylinder an inch in diameter and some eight inches long. Aiming one end toward the roof of an adjacent building, the woman quickly pulled a tab at the opposite end. A ball of white light shot out of the cylinder like a roman candle, hissing and sputtering through the air, and glided in an arc onto the building’s roof, illuminating the alley brilliantly. The process was repeated, setting another adjacent roof ablaze with pure light. Lee attempted to fire another flare directly through one of the apartment’s busted windows, but the ball of light merely bounced off the building several feet from the target. A second was fired, and while it came closer to Lee’s goal, it still failed to pass the windowsill. Before a third could be prepared, the vampires within had caught on, blockaded the windows, leaving only a small opening for them to continue firing, and now rendering it virtually impossible to shoot a flare through.
“Who else has flares?” Hammett barked, seeing the street light up near Lee’s position.
“Sir!” an officer yelled, pulling out three more cylinders from a leg pack attached to his dead comrade.
“Light them up!” Hammett ordered, grabbing one and firing it across the street as the young officer fired his onto the roof above.
As Hammett’s flare seared through the darkness, wiping away the shadows, he could see that a number of vampires had taken position on the other side of the mattress pile, and that the officer who had advanced there moments before was lying on his back, lifeless eyes staring into the sky above. From this new advantage, the CN were able to fire not only in the direction of Hammett and his group across the street, but also toward Lee’s unit with a comfortable level of cover.
“We have to press forward!” Hammett yelled. “They’ve clearly taken the advantage! We’ll never get anywhere like this!” Vega reached over and grabbed the last remaining cylinder and gestured to the Cyclops. Hammett nodded fiercely. “Suppressing fire on that mattress heap!” he barked at the people around him, repeating it again as loud as he could to the officers across the street, who were cowering behind the single story building wall, firing sporadically at the mattress pile.
A great many pops crackled as multiple weapons rained down fury on the vicinity of the mattresses, and the foes taking refuge behind them ducked down and temporarily ceased firing. Bent as low to the ground as possible, Vega charged headlong into the street, through the whizzing bullets, flare in one hand, discharging firearm in the other. When he closed half of the distance to his target, Vega quickly fired his flare over the mattress heap. As the Spaniard safely slid into cover of the mattresses, a searing white blast lit up on the opposite side, sending a waft of ashes flitting through the air as the vampires were instantaneously incinerated.
“Move up! Move up!” Hammett yelled, changing the clip on his pistol. The Cyclops was about to follow as the officers rushed forward from their cover and filed in behind Vega, when his eye went wide in disbelief. Three more vehicles had just appeared from the north, and multiple CN were filing out, firing upon Lee’s position. “Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!” Hammett exploded, furious that the tide was turning heavily in the enemy’s favor. “Split your fire between the apartment and the reinforcements,” he yelled toward Vega. “We can’t let any more of them get inside!”
Two more flares ignited from Lee’s direction, curling toward the newly arrived vehicles up the street. The vampires exiting the vehicles roared angrily, quickly dispersing in a panic to escape the blistering light, although two of their number only managed to get several feet away from the cars before exploding into a cloud of red hot ash. Seizing this momentary chaos in the CN ranks, Hammett dashed out of cover, madly hurling himself down the sidewalk, before finally tumbling at Lee’s feet. “You need to call for backup,” the Cyclops barked.
“I already did, sir,” she replied, firing her weapon at the apartment windows. “They’re on their way…but the soonest anyone will get here is a minimum of ten minutes, if we’re lucky. Nearly all of my available people were here to begin with.”
“Damn it. We’ll be routed in less than five minutes, the way this is going. We have to get inside that apartment complex. If we let the CN get their hands on Necrosia now that’ll be the last anyone ever hears of the woman.”
“I believe my people can prevent these newcomers from advancing for a little while more, but there’s no way we can hold our position for an extended period. And I don’t know how we’d go about breaking through that apartment door. Our small New Brasov force has never been supplied with UEL body armor or heavy machinery, nor have my people been properly trained for such a scenario.”
“How are you doing on flares?”
“Fine. I have plenty left, and they seem to be very effective, although their range leaves much to be desired. I’m much more concerned about our supply of ammunition. The rate we’re going, if they make a heavy push against us the last of it will be exhausted in no time flat. If that happens, we have no choice but to pull back.”
Hammett grunted angrily and surveyed the status of the battle. “Then we’ll have to make the first move. We’ll show those CN bastards that we can be even more aggressive. Here’s what I need you to do…” Hammett explained his strategy to Lee quickly while grabbing an armful of flares from the satchel. “Understood?”
“Sir!”
“Very good. Wait for my signal. Covering fire, please,” he added as he leaped up and darted across the street toward the mattress pile. Several shots whizzed by as he broke cover before Lee’s return fire suppressed the attack. “Did you miss me?” Hammett gasped as he rushed to Vega’s side.
“I don’t think we can hold here much longer, sir,” a female officer blurted out, her sweat-covered face awash with fear.
“Don’t worry, Officer Lee has called for backup and they are en route. Additionally, I’ve got a plan. Everyone take a flare. Now, when I give the signal, I want all of you to launch your flares toward the apartment entrance and make this bit of real estate as bright as the surface of the bloody sun. At the moment the flares are let loose, my partner and I will charge forward and break through the door.”
Vega stiffened and shot the Cyclops a look of absolute disgust. “Oh, get off it,” Hammett replied. “Here, take a flare. You’ll need it.” Vega grabbed the flare angrily, and pointed it at Hammett’s face with an accusing wag. “And one more thing
, please do your best not to shoot us in the back while we make our advance,” he added to the local officers with a stern expression. “All set, old friend?” he smiled, winking playfully at Vega. “Time to show these goblin lickers who’s in charge. Light them up!”
A volley of blinding balls of light shot up from behind the mattress pile, and descended upon the entrance to the apartment. Seeing Hammett’s group take action, Lee’s unit shot off a second wave of flares in the direction of the CN reinforcements. This portion of the street was now so brightly lit that even the police officers had to shut their eyes. The gunfire ceased altogether as all turned away from the searing radiance.
Running close to the ground, eye shut tight, Hammett barreled toward the apartment door. In one hand he held his firearm, a flare in the other, point held out straight ahead to feel for obstructions like a blind man with a cane. He could distinctly hear Vega’s footsteps following close behind. He felt the heat of the sizzling, sputtering flares curl about his body. The Cyclops knew he had to be close to the apartment when his foot caught a low step and he stumbled forward, falling face first onto the cement block directly in front of the door. Lifting his head and cautiously opening his eye, arm held in front to shield the brightness, he saw that the initial burn of the flares had already died down and that he could make out the front door and barricaded windows just a few steps away. He was preparing to lift himself up when he felt a great shadow hurl over him as Vega nimbly sprang over his partner’s sprawled body. Swiftly the Spaniard thrust his back flush against the door, jammed the open end of the flare into the small opening in the left window and set it loose. For a fraction of a second Hammett heard several angry screams from within, followed by a crispy crackle, like the sound of leaves rustling down the street on a chill autumn day. Leaping to his feet, Hammett rushed to the door, kicked it inward and fired his flare straight through the doorway for good measure.
Vega and Hammett rushed inside, firearms at the ready, eyes watering from the intense glow. But after several anxious moments of waiting, it became evident that their enemy no longer held the apartment foyer, and that a thick layer of black ash now covered the tiled floor. The charred remains of the vampires crackled under their footsteps as they cautiously approached the stairwell. While the sounds of battle raged on outside, it was as silent as death within. And though the lobby was brightly lit, the design of the stairwell kept it enveloped in shadows from the second story up, exuding an ominous vibe. There was no knowing what lay in wait for them on the floors above.
Hammett took the lead, proceeding one guarded step after the other upward, Vega following two steps behind. They reached the second level having seen no evidence of a CN presence, yet the anxious feeling continued to linger in the stale air as the darkness grew stronger. Hammett craned his head, peering suspiciously at the next flight of stairs leading up to the third story, not so eager to blindly press forward into danger. Just then a commotion broke out somewhere in one of the units above, an alarming mix of muffled yells and heavy thrashing. Fearing that the enemy was assailing Necrosia, Hammett charged up the stairs, with Vega in hot pursuit.
The Cyclops had only ascended halfway up to the third floor, however, when a heavy black void dropped from the ceiling directly behind him. A vampire had perched himself in the blackness of the stairwell wall, and the moment his prey had passed unaware, he dove on top of Vega. The force of the blow thrust Vega violently down onto the stairs, hitting his chin hard, and the shock sent his handgun tumbling several steps behind him. The vampire now lurched toward Hammett, who was turning around to face the attacker. The creature caught hold of Hammett’s wrist like a vice as he spun around, and the Cyclops’ weapon fired impotently into the wall but inches away from the fiend’s head. Hammett tried to pull backward, but the vampire, greatly strengthened by the blanketing shadows, yanked him forward and into the stairwell wall with a crash. With another jerk, Hammett was hurled against the banister, nearly toppling over the railing in the process. His back arched against the guardrail, Hammett clenched the jacket lapel of his attacker for support. Twice his wrist was smashed onto the railing before Hammett could no longer retain the grasp upon his weapon, dropping it so it hurtled to the floor below.
Having regained his senses, Vega clambered up the stairs toward his struggling partner. The vampire, however, was well aware of the Spaniard’s movements, and at the moment Vega prepared to tackle the fiend from the side, it dissolved with a hiss, leaving him clutching nothing but air. With a thud the vampire materialized above them in the stairwell, and leaped downward again, positioning itself between Vega and Hammett. Thrusting backwards with its right elbow, the vampire caught Hammett square in the chest, sending the Cyclops head first over the railing. The inspector desperately reached for something to grab hold of, momentarily grasping the bars of the metal banister, before the downward thrust of his weight wrenched loose his grip. Tumbling wildly, Hammett’s torso slammed hard onto the banister railing lower down the stairwell, before finally crashing with a thud onto the ash-covered lobby floor.
Vega had no time to wonder about the condition of his partner as he grappled with the suited vampire. The enemy was enjoying the activity immensely, almost as if he were toying with his prey. Grunting and panting, Vega wrestled vigorously with the vampire, only to find that as soon as he acquired a solid hold on the creature it would vanish with a hiss and reappear behind him, throwing a vicious punch into his side. The creature at last began to grow weary of his game, and with the Spaniard tiring and now tightly in its grasp, began slowly pulling the man’s neck closer to its open mouth, eager to bite. In a final, desperate move, Vega rammed the top of his head directly into the vampire’s jaw. The enemy’s pointy fangs pierced painfully into its own tongue and lips, and with an angry roar the vampire flung Vega forward. As Vega rolled down the stairs out of sight, the vampire licked its lips and withdrew a firearm from its jacket. Two shots were fired in quick succession, aimed in the direction Vega had rolled. The CN vampire descended two steps, murderous rage in its eyes, hungering to finish off his prey. But then it stopped dead in its tracks. The scuffle upstairs had become louder and more intense with the sounds of vicious screaming and yelling, accompanied by destructive crashes and thuds. Whatever was happening above with Scarab had now become the top priority. The vampire dashed up the stairs, darting from shadow to shadow in a blur.
Sprawled on his back upon the filthy lobby floor, the entire universe spinning around in chaos, his body wracked with pain, Hammett heard a door being kicked in high above him. Three loud bursts now echoed down the stairwell into his throbbing ears, and he knew at that moment that the enemy had won.
Chapter 13- And Don’t Forget the Baklava
“Oh my god, I’ve been freaking shot!” Alex groaned, gazing in disbelief at his trembling, blood covered hand. “What the hell? Moody, I’ve been shot!” He now turned to the hunchback, palm upwards for display, feeling as though he were in a waking dream.
Moody, however, didn’t even seem to be aware of his presence in the room. She was kneeling on the floor barely a foot away from him, blood splattered on her shirt and pants. Lying next to her was Scarab, face first on the floor. Moody’s eyes, bulging out of her head in fear, were fixed squarely in the direction of the door.
Slowly, Alex twisted his head toward the doorway. Standing in the doorframe was a tall, handsome, pale sort of man in a fine suit, now stained, wrinkled and torn. Blood trickled from his lower lip, and his eyes were wild with rage. In his hand he tightly clutched a handgun, the barrel emitting a slim thread of smoke, pointed straight at Moody’s head. The figure hesitated, deliberating whether or not to pull the trigger, and Alex could do nothing but stare into the figure’s cruel eyes. To his dismay, Alex found his body frozen in horror, so shocked and overwhelmed with terror that even the scream building within couldn’t escape his lungs.
Finally, the vampire lowered his weapon, though his eyes remained just as fierce. Quickly he walked over to Sc
arab’s body, and with a rough kick, flipped the forger onto its back. Alex and Moody simply stared at the scene, like living statues, not so much as breathing in front of this powerfully intimidating presence. The Cosa Nosferatu agent hurriedly passed his eyes across the blood soaked chest of Scarab, and apparently satisfied, now turned his attention to Moody. His cold hand quickly darted down onto the hunchback’s shoulder, digging his fingers into her flesh uncomfortably, and roughly hauled her off the ground. Roused from her immobility, Moody began viciously screaming, kicking, punching and biting her assailant, which seemed to have no effect on the vampire. With the snarling hunchback tucked securely under his arm, the CN now holstered his weapon and latched onto the front of Alex’s overalls. With a jerk Alex was lifted high off the floor, body limp as a Slinky, and his head was brought level with the vampire’s, so that the fiend could closely inspect the young man’s face. The CN sneered while studying Alex, licking the blood off of its lip thoughtfully, and after deciding that this was indeed the same person in the photograph with Serene and her invention, curled Alex under his other arm.
The vampire turned and rushed toward the door, only to find Raphael Vega standing there, breathing heavily, favoring his left side, with trickles of blood running from his chin and the right side of his face. Vega glared at the vampire in defiance, gritted his teeth, and slowly shook his head from side to side, clearly stating that the vampire would not be allowed to take another step forward. With a teeth-baring snarl, the CN agent charged forward undaunted, plowing his shoulder into Vega’s gut. The Spaniard gasped as the air was thrust out of his lungs, but even as he began falling backwards, Vega managed to wrap his strong hands around Moody’s leg. The hunchback screamed in anger and pain as she was yanked out from under the vampire’s arm and onto the hard floor. Now off balance, the vampire teetered momentarily before losing his footing entirely, landing on his side, with his weight thrust upon Alex. Still incredibly nimble even after having taken such a beating, Vega leaped onto the vampire’s back, wrapping his arm around the creature’s neck.
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