Another dropped lifeless to the ground as crimson blossomed on his forehead. I could only stand in stunned silence watching Katie rampage like a Mafioso with a Tommy gun, spraying the vampires' positions until the gun clicked empty.
She stood frozen, her breath coming in ragged pants before apparently realizing there were no more bullets. Her eyes grew wide as she took in the bodies, the blood, the carnage. The gun dropped from her hands. Vampires poked their heads from behind cover. I jerked Katie behind the dumpsters as they returned fire.
Bullets dinged and ricocheted off the dull green metal. We crawled through the smelly refuse on the ground toward an open hatch protruding from the ground. Its top was lined with bricks. When closed, it would blend in with the surrounding pavers—perfect camouflage. The gray man appeared ahead of us. His hat was gone, as were his Jersey-boy shades, but I didn't notice any bullet holes in him.
I'd been in danger before. Giant dragon worms had nearly run me down; creepy, dark, cherub creatures had tried to drain me, and even shadow people had taken a shot at sending me to an early grave. But there was something about being shot at that made my bowels turn to water. I crawled at top speed along the ground, like a baby whose diapers were on fire. God knew I'd need diapers if I didn't get down that hole in a hurry.
"Stop firing, you idiots!" Amanda screamed from somewhere behind us. "They're out of ammo. Go get them!"
Katie trembled as she reached the open hatch and climbed down a ladder inside. I saw tears streaming down her face as she vanished into the darkness below. I waved the gray man to go ahead of me and followed him down, closing the hatch with a click as the sounds of running footsteps approached. With any luck, the vampires wouldn't find it. I didn't plan on waiting around to find out.
"I didn't think, Justin." Katie sobbed and almost dropped to her knees in the cramped tunnel. "Oh, god, they're dead."
I grabbed her before she collapsed and surveyed the darkness with the aid of my night vision. Flashlights hung on a rack nearby, but I didn't bother with them. The tunnel was dry, roughly hewn from rock. We could stand, but judging from the irregular ceiling, I didn't dare put Katie on my back and run. One of the crags in the roof might brain one of us.
"Can you see in the dark?" I asked the gray man.
"Yes."
I looked at his eyes, but unlike most supers, his didn't glow in the dark.
Katie sniffed and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "Oh, god, I'm such a mess. I go all vampire slayer and then fall to pieces."
"It'll be okay. Just hold it together until we get out of here, okay?"
She nodded.
Placing her hand on my shoulder, I guided Katie down what was, for her, a pitch-black tunnel. Her breathing grew rapid, and I heard her struggling to keep her sobs under control. It was a fight to keep my own fear subdued as I listened for sounds of pursuit. We jogged down the tunnel, despite Katie's blindness in the pitch. She kept her head low and hand against my back.
Light appeared ahead from a hole. I stopped. Katie ran into my back.
"Is that light?" she asked.
I heard voices ahead. We had nowhere to go but back, and damned if I was going to go back. The light from outside was dim—probably from a street lamp—but it was enough to make my night vision flicker wildly. A figure dropped down the ladder, followed by another.
Vampires.
It had to be. They must have already known about this exit. Amanda could have radioed ahead to cut us off. If they wanted to take me back in, they'd pay dearly for it.
I took Katie's hand and transferred it. "Katie, hang on to the golem."
"But—"
I didn't listen. I launched myself at the shadow ahead. Crashed into it. A female yelled in surprise. I bulldozed her back into the one following her, roaring like a crazed beast. I had to get up the ladder. Had to escape.
The first vampire gripped my neck. I punched her in what felt like the face.
"Oh dear, what's going on down there?" said a very familiar voice.
I reared back my fist again just as a bright light illuminated the person I straddled. I caught a glimpse of Fausta's face just before her fist eclipsed it