Hello all my wonderful, rabid readers and reviewers! Here is my Christmas present to you all!

So everyone turn around and wave good-bye to the rising action, and then say "Hel-lo" to the climax! : D It's going to be spanning (so far) at least six or so chapters. Cruel cliffhangers will run wild, so prepare yourselves my rabid readers! : P

My thanks, hugs, and Christmas fudge to all my readers!

Enjoy!

Out of Time (part II)

The hallway lights were dim, casting long shadows on the floor and walls. The only sound that Mick could hear was the soft click of his and Beth's heels against the tiled floor. He glanced over at Beth. She was walking beside him, her hand interlaced within his. Her face was composed, calm, but Mick could tell she was scared. He could see the fear in her eyes, smell it in her emotions. He wished there was some way he could give her more comfort. Beth must believe she was walking to her death…No. You are going to save her. He repeated the thought over and over in his mind as they slowly made their way down the hall. I'm going to save her. I'm going to save her. As if she could still hear his thoughts from their link, Beth gave his hand a squeeze.

The hallway seemed to never end. They made slow progress, moving cautiously, as they didn't know if there was anyone else in the factory. They passed office after office, and every time Mick stopped to check the rooms, making sure they were empty. So far, so good. But Mick knew that their luck could change in an instant. Actually, thanks to the visions, he knew it would.

The hall ended at a set of double doors. Mick pushed one open and led Beth through. They were in a practically identical hall from the one they had just left. Mick began to feel as though he were a rat in a maze. The only difference between this corridor and the last one was there seemed to be fewer offices. As they moved forward, on impulse Mick glanced behind to see if there was a clock over the doors. There wasn't.

There were actually only four doors spanning the entire length of the hall. One office, one storage room, and two design workrooms. All normal, no vampires hidden in the corners. Each time Mick opened another door, Beth would raise the Smith & Wesson up to chest level and Mick would prepare for an assault from the shadows. But no such attack ever came.

Beth whispered, "Mick? Do you think we should have found something by now?"

Mick shook his head. "Not necessarily. This is a huge building, remember? I'd wait a little longer before worrying."

Beth nodded, her eyes wide with anticipation and nerves. Mick could hear her heart pounding away inside her chest. He reached out a pulled a stand of hair from her face, and gave her a smile. She smiled back, and Mick heard her heart settle a bit.

As they walked down the corridor Mick gradually became aware of a small humming noise. It sounded like machinery. It wasn't very loud, but nevertheless the hum was there in the background. As they moved further towards a set of double doors at the end of the hall, the hum grew slightly louder.

Mick paused, thinking. Beth asked, "What is it?"

He looked at her. "Can you hear that hum, Beth? Machinery is running up ahead. Through those doors by the sound of it. Do you hear it?"

Beth cocked her head, closed her eyes and listened for a bit. Her brow was furrowed from her intense focusing. Mick thought she looked adorable. His heart ached at the thought that he might lose her. A small, sad smile turned his mouth slightly upwards, as he watched her try to hear what he was listening to. He let her concentrate.

With a sigh, Beth opened her eyes. "Well, I'm not sure if what I'm hearing is the machinery. I can barely make out something that sounds like 'mmmmmmm'." She mimicked the noise.

"That's it. Impressive."

"Is the machinery why you stopped?" Beth voice was steady, but her white-knuckled grip on the gun gave away her nervousness.

"Yeah, I was considering our next move. Beth, running machinery was part of the vision."

"Oh." Beth swallowed. After a moment, she took a deep breath. "Well, we may…we may as well keep going. We've come this far…"

Mick's throat was too tight for him to speak, so he simply nodded, and took her hand again. Suddenly anxious to get out of the corridor, he led Beth quickly down the rest of its length, and through the double doors at the end. He sucked in a breath at the sight of the room beyond.

— Walking through a car display room…large glass windows on the far wall… Machinery running…A pedestal turning a dark green Porsche, showing off all angles…The windshield is cracked… Josef's gun, lying abandoned by a table—

It was the same display room he stood in now. Two walls of the room were made of giant floor-to-ceiling glass windows, which looked out onto the street. The room was full of brand new, high-end Porsches—all polished and shined up, just waiting to be sold. The small hum of machinery came from a pedestal that was slowly spinning in the center of the room. With a sense of dread, Mick watched as the dark green Porsche was steadily spun about. Mick blinked as he noticed that the car's windshield was intact. It wasn't yet cracked, un-damaged…for now. He felt himself starting to panic…With every step forward more and more of the future was coming to pass. He felt as though he was leading Beth to her death, and try as he might, he couldn't shake the feeling. Calm down…calm down. You can't save Beth if you're panicking. Gradually, his breathing steadied. He walked further into the room, Beth beside him.

Mick saw a few wooden tables scattered throughout the display area, but he couldn't tell which was the one from his vision. They all appeared exactly the same. The wood was dark and refined, expensive. He hadn't been able to make out such details before.

They were halfway through the room when both he and Beth suddenly stopped. Beth's face turned to him, and her hand tightened around his. From behind the far door leading out of the room, they both could hear screams of rage, and shouts. Roars. It sounded as though a fight was going on, as though some wild animal had been caged. Josef... Worry for his friend consuming him, Mick sprinted the remaining distance to the door, Beth right on his heels.

They burst through the door into another long hallway. As they ran down the hall towards the source of the noises, Mick again glanced behind. This time dreadful chills raced down his spine. There hanging above the door, was the black-rimmed clock—A large, white door, the door to the display room, a black-rimmed clock hanging above it. Its ticks echo in his ears…11:11pm— It was the same door, the same clock. The time was 10:30pm. Only forty-one minutes left…

Mick and Beth ran down the hall, turning a corner. Beth skidded on a slick part of the floor, but used the opposite wall to catch herself before she fell. Mick was overwhelmed with a sense of dejá-vu —He runs down a hallway, and around a corner, feet skidding on a slick part of the floor, causing him to nearly fall. Instead he crashes into the opposite wall, and uses it as a springboard for more speed— He shook the feeling from his mind, and concentrated on the here and now. He shot a quick glance at Beth, a breathless question on his lips, "Okay?"

She gave an equally rushed answer. "Yeah, fine." They continued to race towards the source of the screams and snarls, turning another corner in the hall.

Beth's heartbeat echoed loudly in his ears. As they ran, Mick looked over at her. Time seemed to slow. All noise faded away except for the sound of Beth's beating heart, and his harsh breaths. Beth's eyes were hard and determined. This wasn't the soft, feminine Beth that he had held in his arms after making love, but the fiery, independent Beth, full of stubbornness and spunk. This was the Beth that wouldn't take 'No' for an answer, no matter how much trouble she landed herself in.

As Mick looked at her, as he listened to her heart, to her very life force, in that moment, the beauty of her soul shone through her. He remembered his vow. He would sacrifice anything to save her, even himself. He loved her with everything that he was, his entire soul ached for her. He. Loved. Her. He found he had no tears left to cry. His emotions for her went beyond tears. But it was all right, because even if he died tonight, Beth was going to live. He would accept no other outcome.

They reached the end of the hall. The slower perception of time Mick had been experiencing vanished. Sound abruptly hurtled back down around him, a wave of shrieks and crashes. He suddenly realized just how close they were to the noises' source. The fight was taking place in the room just behind the double doors in front of them.

For the first time since stepping inside the factory, Mick was sensing something else, or, more properly, someone else. A presence. A powerful presence. Without a doubt, Mick knew that one of the two vampires, either Damien or Calista was just beyond those doors. And…there, in the air, was a heartbreakingly familiar scent. Josef…Josef was in the room too.

Beth tried to open the door. It wouldn't open. She pushed at the door frantically. "Mick, it's locked!"

"Stand back." As soon as Beth was clear, Mick broke the doors open with a powerful kick. At the same time, a scream, louder than the others, and full of pain came from the room, along with a crash and a flash of fire. And then, as though someone had flipped a switch, a heavy curtain of silence dropped. Mick strained his ears, the scream of pain had sounded like Josef…

Mick felt waves of power rolling over him. He started to choke for air. Beth held his arm, "Mick? Mick?"

But Mick couldn't speak. The power was overwhelming. Whoever it was, Damien or Calista, they weren't bothering to check their strength. Vampires had the ability to disguise the true extent of their might. In polite society, it was encouraged for older vampires to mask their power somewhat, so younger vampires, such as Mick, could breath. But this vampire was making no such effort to do so. Mick got the distinct feeling he or she was taking great pleasure in trying to scare him. It was working.

He heard a sharp click-snapping noise, a lighter opening and shutting. It must have been the source of the fire burst he had seen. Whoever was responsible for the flash of flame must have ignited some sort of gasoline, or aerosol spray, or something. He prayed that Josef wasn't dead. He still had hope that he could save both his love, and his friend.

He managed to step further into the room, Beth by his side. As a human, she couldn't sense the overwhelming force of personality present. The only effect the vampire's strength had on her was to raise the hair on her neck and give her goosebumps. Her eyes were very wide, and she peered into the shadows.

They had entered a large assembly room. It was the second room from Mick's vision. Assembly lines ran throughout it, stretching far back into the room until they were nothing but blurs. Mick could tell he and Beth had entered an immense space, larger than even the old warehouse. Car parts were lying on the lines, waiting to be pieced together. Robotic arms lined the assembly lines. Some had drills and others had power saws attached to their ends. Currently, everything was shut down. Mick saw a row of master switches on the wall to his right.

Beth was trying to find the source of the 'click-snap' of the lighter. The sound was chilling, spreading an ominous feeling in the dark room. Mick knew whoever was doing it, was watching him and Beth at this very moment. Beth held onto him, supporting him as he staggered further into the room. "Mick, what's wrong?"

Taking a deep breath, Mick managed to gasp out, "A…vamp. Old…"

Just like that, the click-snapping noise ceased. Mick looked up, glancing widely around. He tensed. His eyes fell on a rectangular window, high up, near the ceiling—He looks at the window near the top of the wall… A shadow darts across the floor—

Slowly, Mick turned his eyes to the patch of moonlight the window formed on the floor. He was just in time to see a shadow flit across it, and then vanish. He felt sick with fear.

"Show…yourself…" he managed to force out. "Where's Josef?"

Finally, a response. A laugh. "Josef isn't doing too well at the moment. You know, he doesn't seem to like fire…" A fit of giggles followed the statement. It was a woman's voice. So, Calista is here.

"Show yourself, Calista…or are you too scared?"

And suddenly, there she was, disturbingly close. Mick stared. He was finally face to face with Calista. She appeared exactly as he had seen her in the past. Long black hair, pulled back into a tight braid. Tight fitting clothes, and those broken, haunted eyes.

She snapped at him, "How do you know my name?" Mick thought he heard an edge of fear in her voice. Interesting…

"I know more about you than you think." Maybe if he could frighten her badly enough, he could find a way to get Josef out of here…

Calista tossed her head back and laughed. Mick realized that she couldn't be intimidated, and slowly started to position himself in front of Beth. Calista noticed, and brought her intense gaze forward, mouth opening wide to expose her fangs. Mick could sense Beth trembling behind him. Calista spoke in a condescending tone, "Do you really think you can protect her from me, little vampire?"

Mick bristled at the insult. But before he could retort he caught sight of something that made his heart freeze. Gliding through the shadows, was Josef. He was creeping up on Beth, ever so quietly, stalking her. He was already halfway to where she stood. Mick could see his friend's eyes. They were pale blue. Josef was still feral.

He understood that Calista was trying to distract him, keep him focused on her, while Josef hunted down Beth. He looked back at Calista, and she saw in his face that he had seen through her plan. Her eyes narrowed. She shrieked.

Flash: —"Run, Beth!" —

Mick screamed, "Run, Beth!" He knew the shit was about to hit the fan. Beth turned and fled the room. Mick heard her racing back down the hallway. Josef leapt out of the shadows, howling with fury. Mick saw his face…shock raced through the private investigator. Again, Mick experienced the sensation of time slowing down as he stared at his closest friend…

Josef's handsome features were horribly burnt. The skin was peeling and charred black, and red with blood flowing freely down the side. Combined with the wild, bloodshot eyes and blood-soaked clothing, Josef looked every inch a demon straight from hell. Even though Mick could see the burns were already healing, the sight of his friend in such a fallen condition filled him with grief. He couldn't tear his eyes away, momentarily distracted.

Calista took full advantage of that distraction. Mick had been trying to think of how to prevent Josef from following Beth, when all thoughts were dashed from his mind as he felt a force smash into him, sending him flying backwards to slam, hard, into the far wall. He staggered to his feet in time to see Josef disappear through the doors, onto Beth's trail. No! No!

Mick's eyes went icy blue, and he bared his fangs at Calista, snarling. He would have to take care of the threat she posed, before he could save Beth. He took a step forward.

Calista laughed at him, reading his intentions. "Do you honestly think you can defeat me, little vampire? Do you know how old I am?" She arched an eyebrow. "No? Allow me to enlighten you. I am 897 years old." Her pale blue eyes glittered with insanity as she bore down on him. "Now," she reached out, and blindingly fast, grabbed him by his neck, lifting him into the air. "You tell me how you think you'll fare against me, little vampire." She squeezed until Mick's vision started to go grey, and then she flung him across the room again, laughing.

Mick lay coughing against the floor, desperate for air. His lungs heaved. Despair coursed through him. Josef was already after Beth, and he stood a snowball's chance in Hades against Calista. I have to try. I must. I will do this. For Beth. He placed his hands against the floor. Stand up. Beth is depending on you. You promised to save her. His oath empowering him, he managed to push himself to his feet. His hands were open, ready at his side. He looked Calista dead in the eye, and squared his shoulders.

Calista ran her tongue out seductively across her bottom lip. She rolled her fingers, cracking all of her knuckles. Her voice was soft, a dangerous whisper. "As you wish, little vampire. As you wish."

With all the force of her centuries behind her, Calista moved. She whirled across the room, a deadly hurricane of wrath descending down upon Mick.

Mick thought one last time, I'm going to save Beth, and stepped forward to meet the onslaught…

Finis!

So the climax begins...dun dun dun! lol. : D Again i say to you 'prepare yourselves' RFVR's. The cliffhangers are not going to stop! Because (i confess) I am a very cruel, cruel author, who loves to torture readers almost as much as her characters. Mwahahahahaha!

I will not be updating this story again until after Christmas, so Happy Holidays to everyone! I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas, or whatever winter holiday you celebrate!

hugs! : P