door and leaned on it with the help of passengers inside.
"Follow the lights," she yelled, helping distraught passengers get their bearings to stem their panic.
The team began running, but Shabazz turned back. "Where's Mike?"
A woman was huddled on the floor of the empty first car, her body shielding another one. She looked up with tears streaking her face as Mike shined an emergency light on her.
"She's old," the young woman said. "She fell and was trampled. She doesn't speak English-I think she's Russian, or something."
Mike squatted down as the young woman slowly moved away from a frail, elderly woman who lifted her head and wept.
"I just couldn't leave her, mister," the young woman with braids said, her voice shaky as she tried to stand. "Please. You've gotta help her. She could be anyone's momma."
Mike looked back toward his team. He could hear them calling for him, panicking in the darkness. He put the light closer to the young woman's face. Her big eyes glistened in the eerie bluish emergency-light stick. Her dark brown, round face was gentle, and her hands trembled as they patted the old lady's arm. "Yo!" he hollered. "Back here. We've got injured. Two minutes."
The girl closed her eyes and leaned down to the old woman. "Thank you," she said, glancing up at Mike. "Ma'am, don't worry, this officer is going to help you."
The elderly woman looked up at Mike and smiled a toothless grin. "Bless you," she said. "I'm all right."
Both Mike and the young girl stared at her, amazed as she pulled herself up on a subway pole and they helped her stand.
"C'mon, lady, let's get you up the stairs," Mike said, putting his arm around the old woman.
"But she couldn't speak English," the girl said, her voice filled with awe.
"You two go up to where the guy is with the flashlight. It's dangerous down here. We'll handle it," Mike said, wondering who the sweet sister was who had risked life and limb for a stranger.
"No," the old woman protested, walking quickly. "You must take her with you-she's one of yours. Hurry, before they come."
Mike stood very, very still as the elderly woman walked without assistance, looked both ways as she stepped over the train-door threshold, and quickly paced toward the light. Instantly he pulled a weapon on the girl. "State your business, sis. Fast."
Confusion and terror filled the girl's face.
"Mike, you cool?" Shabazz hollered. "Two minutes is up."
"I'm-"
Before Mike could finish his sentence the train rocked, glass shattered, and the girl in the car with him screamed and hit the floor. Something was moving so fast through the cars, splintering metal doors, taking out poles, and shattering glass, that Mike only got off a short burst of automatic rounds when the huge head struck at him.
He fell back. He could hear people screaming in the distance. A thick, muscular rope of black serpentine body whipped through the car. He rolled on the other side of the pole, dodging the huge razor fangs that dripped acid. The floor sizzled, the young girl shrieked and screamed and balled up in a seat. The long body retracted as the head made another powerful lunge. He heard his teammates rushing toward them. The angry serpent's head collided with the ceiling of the stalled subway car, making metal bend and more glass shatter as it tried to gore Mike.
From the corner of his eye he saw the girl reach into her bag and pull out a switchblade, slashing blindly with her eyes closed as she screamed. She got a deep slice in that drew the demon back for a second, but it redoubled its efforts becoming angrier than before.
The momentary pullback offered him just the opportunity he needed as he sent another controlled burst dead aim into the center of the beast's chest.
A small explosion rocked their car, blowing out the remaining glass and creating a shower of embers as the creature turned to ash and withered.
He was panting, sweat pouring down his temples; his shirt became second skin as it matted to his torso. "C'mon," he yelled to the girl, dragging her by the arm as he heard another slithering sound rocket in their direction.
She was on her feet, stumbling, running. Shabazz had her other arm as the team tried to find the stairs, their light source gone.
"Not the stairs!" Marlene yelled, sending the team in a new direction just as a large head came down the steps.
Jose had fallen on his back and opened fire, sending shells