by Derek Gunn
Oh Shit! Thought Harris.
Chapter 31
The vampires attacked en masse and with such ferocity that the humans couldn’t hope to stop them. Vampires poured through the gap, scaled over the top of the barrier, and ripped flesh with their claws and teeth. Men and women fell and blood splattered everywhere. The coppery smell of the blood only sent the creatures further into frenzy.
Father Reilly panted with the exertion. He swung a wooden spear and impaled yet another creature. Its scream sent a shiver down his spine, but he had no time to gloat. He had carved the spear to a sharp point at either end, which made it easier to use in close combat. He pulled the weapon from the dead creature and continued the arc backwards to impale a second creature attacking from behind.
There’s too many, he thought as yet another appeared through the gap. He pulled the spear from the dead vampire, but this creature was too quick. It grabbed the weapon and pulled it easily from his grasp.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Father. Did you want it back?” the creature mocked and then spun the weapon faster than Reilly could hope to follow. The point drove straight through Reilly’s chest. The creature’s strength forced the spear out through his back and continued on through most of the weapon’s six-foot length. The spear nearly touched the ground behind him and left about six inches sticking from his chest.
“Now you know what it feels like, priest. It hurts, doesn’t it?” the creature spat.
Reilly felt the strength leave his legs and stumbled forward. The creature laughed and leaned in to rip the priest’s throat out and gorge on his blood. Reilly’s vision began to blur and the reek of the creature’s breath filled his nostrils.
“Why don’t you tell me?” Reilly said.
The priest grunted, grabbed the creature by its shoulders and, before it could react, pulled the vampire towards him and impaled it on the protruding spear. The vampire screamed in agony, and then both of them fell to the ground, locked in an eternal embrace.
Reiss sat on the barrier and sprayed holy water at any vampires that came within range. His leg was useless from his earlier fall, but the water gave him enough range to keep the creatures at bay for now. His supply, however, was dwindling rapidly.
Another creature lunged at him and he flicked the bottle toward it, spraying a fine mist in its direction. The creature screamed as the liquid burned a line across its face. Its left eye melted on contact. Pain seared into the vampire’s skull and it thrashed blindly into the melee. Its frenzied flight caught another vampire by mistake and gauged deep furrows across the creature’s face before the blinded vampire was brought down by its own kind in a brief but violent exchange.
“Hey, don’t mind me,” Reiss quipped. “Feel free to tear each other to pieces. I’ll just sit here and watch.”
The vampires growled their response, but kept their distance. Reiss smiled confidently, but he knew that the water wouldn’t last much longer.
“Let me go!” Sandra Harrington screamed and fought against her father. They had made it back to the second barricade long before she had regained consciousness, allowing her father the opportunity to clean and dress her wound. The second barrier was merely a ragged line built with any materials they had left over from the main barricade. It wasn’t really meant to stop the vampires, but it had given the men something to do while they waited for the assault to begin.
Sandra had woken with a start and immediately looked about her. She saw the relative calm around her and looked at her father questioningly. “What happened?” she asked. Her voice rose as realisation hit her. “Where is he?” she asked without waiting for a response to her previous question.
“He told us to come back here and wait for him. You were injured…” Dan Harrington stopped halfway through his explanation, knowing that it wouldn’t do any good. “Look Sandra,” he put his hands firmly on her shoulders and looked directly into her eyes, “we left them at least ten minutes ago and the gunfire stopped five minutes after that. We…”
“No!” she screamed. “Let me go!” She pulled away from her father and thumped her fists against his chest while the tears streamed down her face. “He promised we wouldn’t separate this time, he promised…!”
Her father reached out and folded her in his arms, comforting her while she wept.
Rodgers stirred. His head felt like it had been slammed into a wall. Then he remembered that was exactly what had happened. He rolled over, opened his eyes, and suddenly came fully awake.
“Oh my God!” he muttered when he saw the carnage in front of him.
The creature swiped at Harris and tore the flesh of his right arm from elbow down to his wrist. The sudden pain made him drop the machete. The creature grinned evilly and took its time advancing on its helpless prey. Harris looked around frantically for something to protect himself with and made a grab for a piece of metal sticking out of the barrier. His hand had just closed on the bar when he felt it ripped from his grasp. He looked up and saw the Minotaur creature lift the entire barrier up and fling it with ease back down the corridor.
“He’s mine,” the monster growled.
Harris paled as the creature reached for him and he braced himself for the attack. Suddenly, from behind him, Harris heard an almighty roar and watched in disbelief while the creature’s head and most of his upper torso disappeared in a spray of blood and bone. The attack was so sudden and so devastating that all fighting stopped and everyone watched the giant, headless creature sway and then collapse to the floor.
Humans and vampires continued to stare at the corpse in utter shock, unable to move until a loud yell drew their attention back down the corridor. Harris couldn’t believe his eyes. A smile spread across his face when he recognised the figure.
“Warkowski!” he whispered, “you beautiful bastard.”
Warkowski stood some twenty feet away; his body covered in bandages, holding the biggest damn machine gun Harris had ever seen. “Alright, unless you bastards want some of the same,” he warned, “I suggest you all just cool it and move on back a bit.”
Warkowski's voice carried easily. Harris could see the vampires look uncertainly at their leader.
Nero looked at the devastated remains of Pollock and then back at the huge weapon in Warkowski's arms.
“I said move back!” Warkowski shouted and let loose a short burst at the closest vampire. The bullets that slammed into the creature tore it clean in half. “There’s plenty more left if you want some,” he warned with the weapon pointed at Nero.
Nero nodded quickly at the rest of his pack and they hurriedly withdrew.
Harris and the remaining humans quickly gathered up those unable to walk and made their way over behind Warkowski. Harris” eyes scanned the many dead men and women around him and sighed deeply at the loss. Two men lifted Reiss in their arms and carried him forward. Just as he was about to leave, Harris noticed movement from a crumpled form over by the wall.
“I don’t suppose there’s any chance of a beer?” Rodgers smiled. Harris rushed over to help his friend.
“It’s just as well you hit the wall with your head,” Harris commented when he saw the trickle of blood still seeping from a wound on his forehead, “nothing major there to damage.”
Rodgers” smile grew into a grin.
“What are you waiting for, Warkowski? Let them have it.” Harris came up behind Warkowski and nodded toward the remaining vampires. The men faced the vampires over a gap of twenty feet, while the vampires looked warily at the massive machine gun in the big man’s hands. Most of the other survivors had already started back to the other barrier.
“Ah, bit of a problem there, I’m afraid.” Warkowski grinned.
“What do you mean?” Rodgers asked and hobbled up beside him.
“Well, I was trying to make a big impact, you understand,” he continued and then nodded at the huge gun in his arms. “Only problem being there wasn’t much in the way of ammunition and--”
“But you said there was ple
nty left.” Harris fought to keep his voice low.
“Well, I, ah, exaggerated a bit.” Warkowski shrugged.
“When you say a bit--”
“Well, a lot actually. I used my last rounds to kill that vampire over there.”
The vampires were beginning to mutter among themselves and inch forward again.
“You’re mad; you know that, don’t you? Stark raving mad!” Harris exclaimed and eyed the vampires. “I think we’ve just been rumbled. On my mark I suggest we get the hell out of here.”
The others nodded.
“Okay, RUN!”
Chapter 32
“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.