"Huh?" replied Jack dully, still staring at the shuffling monster coming closer.
"I really think I can. It's just the bulb, I think."
The goon was now less than ten feet away. Only it didn't really seem to be moving toward Cat. More toward Jack, who stood in the center of the formation.
But no. Too tight. Too close.
"Cat!, Bring the light over here and fix it."
"No. Just a sec. I've got it."
"Cat! Get over here!"
"Would you shut up a minute? I know I can... Yeah. Here. I've got it!"
And the lantern went completely dark.
"Cat!"
No answer.
"Cat! What are you doing?" yelled Adam, who had managed to be quiet until now.
And the light came on and the monster's gnarled hand closed on Cat's throat and the gray teeth came flashing down and Cat yelled, "Jesus!" and tried to pull away but the monster had him and Jack jerked the crossbow into aim and fired from the hip and the great arrow cracked into its chest and it shrieked and vibrated and jolted into the air but it still held Cat, who flopped and jounced about in its grip like a rag doll and Jack called out for Adam and Felix to come and help because he knew Cat would never survive that pounding.
Adam was already on his way, rushing forward with his pike in his hand, calling out, "Cat! Cat!" But he never made it. He was only a few strides away when the monster leapt and howled once more and the long cable warped through the air like a jump rope and cracked Adam full force on his left temple, spinning him upside down through the air and smashing him hard onto the dusty cement.
Jack saw Adam move out of the corner of his eye and knew he was all right, just stunned, but that didn't matter now. Adam couldn't help them.
"Felix!" cried Jack. "Felix!"
But Felix just stood there unmoving, staring at the sight, not even acknowledging Jack's voice.
When Jack reached them, Cat was barely conscious. He doubted the vampire was even aware of its prey as it lurched and cried in the agony of impalement. But it still held Cat, tossing him this way and that in its pain. Jack had no idea how to get Cat loose.
He took a deep breath and threw himself forward, tackling them both to the floor.
It made it worse. The vampire might have forgotten it held Cat, but it sure as hell noticed Jack. It hissed and spat and struck fangs at him like a snake. Only Cat's grip on its jagged throat kept the gray teeth from Jack's face. And when one of the gnarled hands loosed itself from Cat to grab at him, Jack had about half a second of triumph before he felt that awesome vise-grip on his arm. And he punched and kicked at the monster to free himself but he was as helpless as Cat, who, crazily, still held on to the light.
"Felix!" hollered Jack desperately. "FELIX!" as the three of them bounced and crashed and hissed and punched, with the lantern throwing shadows through the dust.
There was a sharp tug as the winch came on and began to drag them toward the doorway. At first Jack was delighted - the sunlight would kill it - and then he remembered how it would die and how hot those flames would be.
"No!" he cried into his headset. "Carl! Turn it off! You'll burn us alive!"
The cable went immediately slack.
"Felix!" cried Jack desperately. "FELIX!"
The monster began twisting and spitting at them again.
"Cat!" yelled Crow. "Drop that damn light!"
"Huh?" muttered Cat. Then "Oh... yeah!"
And he finally released the lantern so he could use both hands and the light bounced and clanked loudly on the cement and began to roll away from them, over and over, spilling light into the dust, before it was kicked back toward them by the shoe of a six-foot-four-inch black man who had been killed while working the graveyard shift at the Texaco station.
The man still wore his uniform. It still bore his name, "Roy," on the little patch above his left breast pocket.
But he didn't care. He didn't care what he wore. He didn't care that he