Then the time was there and Jack Crow reached out and fitted the cutting stone in place and then he grabbed up the mallet and held it high and muttered something Felix couldn't hear and then the mallet came down and there was an awful "snick" noise and the fabric around the throat separated cleanly and then heavy fluid began to stain the edges.
Jack didn't pause to tamp the flow with the towel there at his other hand. Instead he grasped the stake, placed it over the heart of one of his dearest comrades, and drove it mightily home with one solid rap.
There were more prayers but Felix didn't hear them. He didn't hear anything but the pounding of his own heart and wondered if that was fear or hatred of the beasts that made this necessary.
After a while, Felix realized he was the only one still standing there except for the bishop's men ready to take away the body. He nodded self-consciously and stepped back to give them room. But just before he did he craned his neck around to see the writing on the other side of the stake.
It read: "Not one damned regret."
Part Three Chapter 26
"Rome," said Felix and the entire table went silent.
"Rome," he repeated. "We've got to get to Rome."
And they looked at him like he was some rude interloper but he really didn't give a shit. He appreciated the meal and the bishop's hospitality and he knew damn well everyone had needed this restful few hours in this great house.
But dammit! It was time to face the facts. The vampires were still out there.
Still looking for them.
Still monsters.
Felix turned to Adam. "Can the Church get us there? Right away?"
Adam blinked, stared at him, looked to Crow, who was sitting across from him.
Crow sighed and looked down at his empty plate. He looked tired.
"Okay, Felix," he said softly, "let's talk."
He pushed his heavy chair back from the bishop's grand table and stood up. He looked at the others around the table.
"Let's all talk," he said with a wan smile and motioned them to follow.
Felix hesitated, suspicious, then stood up with the rest of them - including the bishop - and followed Crow into the Common Room. The bishop took his customary chair, a great embroidered something that looked like a throne. Jack sat in a big leather piece beside him. Felix remained standing next to the great hearth. The rest of them took seats around the huge pile of Team equipment piled up in the center of the room. They had brought it with them along with Carl's remains. Crossbows and crossbow bolts and pikes and spare pistols and several cases of silver bullets. The stack was a mess because that's the way they had loaded it into the motorhome and that's the way they had brought it into the house because there hadn't really been enough room in the motorhome to store it the way they had - far from Carl's body.
But somehow that had seemed important at the time.
When they were all settled and cigarettes were lit and attendants had found the necessary ashtrays...
"All right, Felix," began Jack Crow, "let's hear it."
Felix paused a moment, trying to read Jack's eyes. Was there a challenge in there somewhere? Anything?
Whatever.
And he got down to it:
They were being hunted. They didn't know who was hunting them or where they were. All they had was a clue that somebody had taken over Davette's house and even if that was correct... If that was correct, they still didn't have enough people to take the target.
"I would have no idea whatsoever how to blow that wall the way Carl planned. Does anybody else know explosives that well?"
There was a pause before they all shook their heads.
Felix nodded, satisfied.
"And it would be suicide to go down into those shadows away from the sunshine. Remember the 'god' in the Cleburne Jail?"
He didn't wait for an answer.
"This Team has had it. No place to run, not enough firepower to fight, no place to hide - but one. Rome. We have got to get to Rome. And I mean: now."
It was quiet after that. Uncomfortable and quiet and all eyes were on Jack Crow but it was the bishop who spoke next.
"If you will forgive me," he began with a kindly nod toward Jack, "I think this young man