Hunters

Chapter 23

Daniel blasted door after door aside with his shield, as he stalked through the long, narrow hallways. Rachel followed, one hand on her forehead, trying to drive the images back. But with each step they took, the visions of their death became gorier. It wasn't just darts anymore.

Execution involved a lot of blood now. She threw a glance over her shoulder. Behind them, Vlad and Justin jogged to keep up.

"If I have to live as a renegade for the rest of my life, fine," Daniel mumbled. "I hoped we'd open their eyes, change their ways. But no! They have to be a bunch of idiots. I'm sorry we ruined Vlad. I'd have paid him good money to shove their protocol up their asses."

"Why did we bring Vlad along?" Rachel asked. Not that she had a problem with it. He was harmless to them now, apparently bound by some need to protect them, and could be useful in battle. But he and Daniel had been on the verge of ripping each other's guts out.

Vlad sneered in her ear. "You still hope you'll be cleared once I tell them about Angus, don't you?"

"Honestly, I don't give a fuck right now." Daniel waved his hand, and a door and pair of incoming Hunters, guns pointing, flew backward. "All I want is to get Rachel out of here."

"Danny, we should go back and face them." Rachel tried to keep her voice in check, but it came out trembling. "We shouldn't run away. I see us dead."

"Oh, man," Justin moaned, floating faster and bypassing the rest of them.

"You're going to be okay. Trust me," Daniel said through gritted teeth.

Rachel felt his annoyance and clamped her mouth shut. He really wanted to change the future she saw, and it frustrated him that he had no idea how. She didn't either, and her blood felt like chips of ice. But she wouldn't give up. They weren't going down without a fight.

The last door flew off its hinges and the four stepped into a small, square, inner courtyard. Tall, crumbling brick walls obstructed their vision of what lay beyond, but above, the first stars were already visible in the rapidly darkening sky.

Vlad shielded his eyes from the light. "Goddamn it!"

"What are you moaning about?" Justin clasped his shoulder. "You're not a vampire anymore. Light doesn't burn you, or whatever it did to you before."

"You idiot wisp! Try living in the dark for five hundred years, then talk."

"Shut up, both of you!" Daniel called over his shoulder, pulling Rachel toward the wall.

She sunk her heels in the ground. Running away showed them dead. She wanted to stay. As soon as she made up her mind, the only verses she hadn't understood chimed inside her head as though stuck on replay. Only one must take the blame... "Angus," she whispered. This was all his damn fault. They should be prosecuting him, not fleeing. "Wait, we have to stay."

"Are you out of your mind?" Daniel wheeled to face her. "They want to kill us! My shield can't hold all of them off. "

Rachel turned her back to him and nodded at Vlad. "What will happen to the vampires, now that you're gone?"

Vlad scowled at her, but seemed to give up on protecting his former secrets. "The batty woman got it right. My minions are probably fighting over my throne as we speak. None of them can keep the others in check. Stroe and Iancu were the only ones competent enough, but they're most likely dead."

"So we did bring your empire down."

"Yes, yes you did." Vlad looked like he had lockjaw. "And why the hell am I so happy about it?"