"Double jointed."
He squinted, trying to see her silhouette against the brightness of the flashlight. He dared not use the laser until he was certain of her position. Surprise would only give him one shot, so it had better be a good one.
"Why don't you just turn around and head down the stairs? Can't have my insurance policy running around injuring himself. Orrin wouldn't be pleased."
"You're f**kin' mad, you know that?" Which probably wasn't the sanest thing to say, given the situation.
"Why, thank you. That's the nicest thing you've said all day. Now move."
He pressed the safety off the laser. "And go meekly to my death? I don't think so."
"Assistant Director, don't be a fool. I have a gun, and I'm not opposed to shooting a hole the size of a football field in your knee. Dragging you across the floor would be a pain, though, so I really prefer not to."
From the hallway behind her came a second whisper of sound. A door creaking open. Her gaze hardened. "It appears we have a visitor after all, which leaves me with little choice. Can't have you wandering around unattended now, can I?"
He raised the laser and aimed for the flashlight. The bright beam went out. Rose yelped and then swore. He threw himself sideways. His back hit the banister and agony exploded. Laser fire bit through the night, burning into the step he'd just vacated. Another burst of laser fire lit the darkness, its source the hallway beyond Rose.
There was a thud, and then Rose's body fell past him, landing with a sickening crack at the base of the stairs.
He looked up. Stephan, still in his Byrne disguise, appeared out of the darkness, a laser held by his side.
"And the lesson to be learned tonight is never attack my bother without first looking over your shoulder for me." He squatted next to Gabriel, eyes grim despite his half smile. "The bitch didn't deserve to die so quickly, of course. How you feeling?"
"Like shit. Help me up."
"I don't think that's a — "
"Damn it, Stephan, don't argue. Sam needs help."
"Then let me and Jessie handle it."
"The way you let the SIU handle this? This is not a responsibility the director should be handling."
"I'm not here in my capacity as the director."
"I realize that. Help me up."
Stephan gripped his arm and steadied him as he rose. Pain tore across his back. For a minute, it felt as if someone was shoving red-hot pokers into his backbone, clear through to his gut. He hissed and blinked the sweat out of his eyes.
"Brother, you're useless to everyone like this. Let us handle it."
"Would you, if it were Lyssa?"
Stephan regarded him steadily. "Lyssa's my wife. We're talking about your partner — a woman you're trying to get rid of."
A woman who was dead, if he didn't get moving. "Yeah. So just shut up and help me down the stairs."
* * * *
Orrin stepped onto the landing. Sam couldn't see him — the night hid him as surely as it had hidden her earlier. But she could feel him, feel the stink of his evil."I knew you were one of us." His voice jarred the night, edgy and somehow out of tune with the power that flowed through the darkness.
She backed away from the door. If she could get to the deeper shadows, maybe he'd lose her...
"I can see you, you know. See you as clear as day. It's one of the advantages of our gift."
"What gift is that, Orrin?" If he could see her, why couldn't she see him? Why could she only sense him?
"The gift of darkness. The ability to ghost, to become one with the night."