Falling

Chapter Four

The wind blew through the trees and tickled the hairs on the back of Marisol's neck as she walked away from the Library. She watched as the bees flew speedily around her, panicked little insects always looking for signs of danger. How simple their lives must be. Mony startled at a bee that flew close to his ear, letting out an exclamation.

"Holy shit."

Ivy, never one for publicly showing any emotion whatsoever, smirked at his surprise. Behind her, Marisol could hear Boone and Lane whispering and giggling softly like little girls. She smiled to herself, knowing they would have a fit if they knew she was comparing them to little girls.

The group slowed as they approached the supermarket. Hiding behind an old rusty mailbox, Marisol saw the agents enter the building. There were only two agents, outnumbered by herself and her friends. An easy take down. One was tall and slender, the other short and stocky, and neither looked like they would be much trouble to get the drop on. Before she could give the order to advance, however, she saw two large vampires creeping their way towards the entrance of the building.

"Should we fall back?" Boone asked, after a moment of watching the vampires enter the supermarket.

"No." Marisol responded.

"What?" Lane asked, startled. "We never engage vamps hunting agents. They can defend themselves. If we help, we give away our identity and risk capture."

"I know. But I have a feeling those two won't be a match for the vamps. Too flimsy." She countered. "It'll be an in and out. Mony, Ivy and I will stake the Vamps, you and Boone get the merchandise. When all's said and done, get the hell out. And for god's sake, don't let them see your face."

She motioned for them to follow her, and began moving slowly towards the front doors of the building. Upon entering, they spread out, and Marisol paused to look and listen for any indication of the vampires. She saw nothing, but heard the telltale whimpers from aisle seven. Shit, she thought, one's already been attacked. She moved quickly and quietly toward the sounds, keeping a lookout for the second creature. When she reached the aisle, she peeked into it, and was startled to see a pile of ash. So they got one, she realized. Further down the aisle, the remaining vampire was lying on top of the skinnier agent, his mouth clasped to his prey's neck, a hand roaming beneath the thin layer of clothing covering the agent's bottom. She growled. Vampire's often saw their meals as playthings, to be done with as they pleased, and then killed. Before she could charge, Ivy lept from over the top shelf and brought the stake down into the base of the vamp's neck. The demonic creature let out a surprised, pained screech, and recoiled, releasing the man he was devouring. Marisol sprang forward and drove her stake straight through the creature's heart, flinching as he exploded into a cloud of particles. Turning, Marisol witnessed Mony crouching down to the cowering man, delirious from trauma and blood loss. She ran to them. "Shh, it's okay. It's over now. You're gonna be okay." But the man lost consciousness, and fell limp in Mony's arms.

"What now?" He asked.

"We leave him. We did our job. Let his friend find him." Ivy coolly responded.

Marisol hesitated to answer. She knew they should leave him in order to protect their identities, but she also knew that if he was left on his own, he might bleed to death before his partner found him. She hated the thought of being responsible for the death of a human. "We take him with us. If we leave him, he'll die. There's supplies at the Library. McKenna can help him."

"But he's from the Halo Network! What if they come after him? What if they find us?" Ivy spoke angrily.

"They won't find us, if they haven't yet. You both vowed to help protect people from the evil in this world. It's not our job to discriminate, just to help those in need. We take him with us." Ivy scowled, but did not speak. Seeing that this was the final decision, Mony hoisted the man up on his shoulder, and headed out towards the mailbox where Boone and Lane were waiting. Marisol and a reluctant Ivy followed.