Chapter 26

"C'mon," I told Jessica as I reached for her, "There's cover over there!"

Jessica didn't respond, instead stepping in front and tapping the bottom of her staff against the hard floor and speaking a foreign language.

A thin screen of a translucent violet liquid appeared in front of us roughly eight feet tall and six feet wide. It curved at the edges just enough to protect us as bullets rang out from a few vampires who carried weapons. Their bullets struck the liquid and dissolved on contact, sending ripples through the sheet.

"How long have you been able to do that?" I asked excitedly as I peaked out and struck one vampire in the chest with a spell, causing him to tumble and slam into a drone. I sent out waves of psychic energy, the pain hampering the vampires enough for me to take aim.

"Caleb," Jessica grunted from strain.

"Yeah?" I asked, leveling my next shot.

"Watch who you're hitting!" she yelled, her voice cracking from anger or worry.

I glanced around and noticed the shield wavering dangerously. "Crap. Sorry," I muttered before moving around her and continuing to send out psychic energy.

Jessica's voice came out a little steadier, "Darn right you are. Anyways, longer than you thought, less than I'd like." The shooting intensified as more vampire grabbed their weapons.

I thought of responding to her cryptic response, but two vampires distracted me as they moved with renewed blinding speed towards our right side. They closed a gap of two hundred and fifty feet to just two hundred in a heartbeat. I sensed their intentions and stepped back to aim above our defensive barrier, momentarily ceasing my psychic attack, "Lepsilë!"

In one fluid motion, the vampires ripped off their humanoid skins to reveal their true gargoyle-like forms. Their wings spread out and beat once as they cried, lifting them up and launching them above our barrier.

Right into my spell.

The ethereal tendril gave a horizontal swipe, slicing across the first vampire's stomach and spilling its gushy red contents before wrapping around the foot of the second vampire. I continued fueling the spell spinning like an Olympian hammer thrower to take the vampire's momentum and flung them around and then forward. The vampire sailed through the air, hitting a drone behind the first and smashing through its landing gear, causing it to crunch. It knocked the drone off balance as one wing slammed into the ground and the other tilted up into the air.

"I can't keep this shield up forever," Jessica grunted with tensed arms as bullets continued to hammer the barrier.

I looked back towards the large stack of crates, "Can you move the shield?" I asked.

"Yeah."

"Then we need to move with it over there," I pointed towards the stack.

Jessica pointed her staff at the wall. "Alright," she puffed, "Now."

I repositioned myself so I could restart my psychic barrage, and we began slowly side-stepping towards the crates. The gun fire became less intense as the vampires ran out of ammo and threw down their weapons to close the distance on us.

Behind them I heard another chorus of howls as more creatures geared up for a fight. I couldn't help but feel like we may have bit off more than we could chew. Next to me I sensed similar thoughts running through Jessica's mind.

Despite my doubts, I took aim and fired another spell. It struck a vampire in the chest and launched it back onto an already disabled drone. More vampires appeared to replace the fallen faster than I could take them down. Three vampires continued shooting at us while three others nimbly leapt onto drones, their human skins distending grotesquely as they prepared their change. Their weight caused metal to rock and shriek in protest.

The excessive ripples on the wall made it difficult to see. I began poking my head out only to feel the air of a bullet fly by, causing me to duck right back under cover. I could sense them closing in on us, tearing out of their false skins. I glanced back and noted only a few more steps to the crates.

"Three are closing in!" I called to Jessica.

"Alright," Jessica acknowledged through what sounded like gritted teeth, "Get ready to run for cover."

"What?"

"Now!" she shouted. Then Jessica pointed her staff at the watery wall in front of us and muttered an incantation. It expanded five feet out and froze solid, making a large ice cube. She then tapped the bottom edge with her staff, causing it to melt in a thin film of water, before raising her voice and thrusting her staff forward. The pillar of ice hurtled forward at a high speed, its bottom sliding against the smooth concrete. Jessica began sprinting towards the crates, "Run Caleb!'

I followed suit, only glancing back to watch as all three of the charging vampires leapt sideways to dodge the ice. The block continued into a drone with such force it broke off its front with a sound of screeching metal. The block didn't stop there though. It pummeled into the next drone, causing a crunch as it punched in the drone's side. Its wheels caught, lifting the drone on its side and snapping its left wing while the body rolled onto a nearby computer.

I made a mental note to try even harder not to get on Jessica's bad side and lengthened my strides. We dove over and behind the crates as a few vampires reloaded. I mentally prepared myself for the resumption of gunfire and reminded myself there would soon be a couple vampires rushing at us soon.

There was a time that I wished for more exciting Sunday nights, but I was thinking coffee and donuts at eight in the evening. You know, something other than staying home and reading another book. Something peculiar, but definitely not lethal. This was just ridiculous.

Or suicide.

I kept my back to the wood and tried to peek out but immediately pulled back from a spray of bullets. Splinters of wood flew into my face. I winced and gritted my teeth, feeling the vibrations from impacts through the wood. All of a sudden staying right where I was seemed like a wonderful idea. I looked over at Jessica and sensed her fear as her chest rose and fell with her panting breath.

I closed my eyes as I continued to lean against the wooden crate. I just wanted this to be over. I wanted to be back in my bed. My bed. The one in the crowded apartment that couldn't properly house a family of raccoons. I wanted so badly to be woken up by the gentle shake of Nikolai telling me to get ready for school.

Sheesh. I wished I could be in school out of anything else in the world. That's how bad of a situation this was, or maybe just a sign of my limited imagination.

Either way, I didn't want to be here. In fact, I shouldn't be here. It should be someone else's job to save the word, to fight the bad guys, not a seventeen-year old's, so why the heck am I here?

In that moment, I heard Avellino's voice in my head from our first conversation, "Because you, Mr. Decter, are a fighter."

Those words resonated through. I opened my eyes and set my jaw in determination, even as my heart continued to pound in my chest and vampires screeched in their delighted bloodlust, "Damn straight," I muttered.

"What?" Jessica asked, still breathing heavy from fear and exertion.

"Nothing." I pushed my fears as far aside as possible and peered my head around once more.

I only caught a glance before turning back from gunfire, but it was enough. I leaned out with my arm outstretched, "Éle!" I yelled. A bullet pelted my arm, and while the fabric held, it sent a surge of pain down my arm as it crushed flesh. I yelped but continued tracking my spell as it shot wide of the vampires. It struck a large silver container, puncturing metal as fuel poured out and began covering the floor. I pulled myself back behind the crate, "You may want to cover your ears," I warned Jessica.

"What did you do?" she asked impatiently.

A few vampires cackled as the gunfire ceased. More vampires joined the others who prepared to jump over and go for the kill.

"Just wait for it."

They didn't notice the jet fuel as it flowed into the sparking electrical equipment.

An explosion resounded throughout the hangar, Jessica and I both stumbled from the force of the shockwave and above one of the stacked crates shook and toppled towards us. "Look out!" I called to Jessica and we both leapt for safety.

We landed on our stomachs, the wind knocked out of us in a wheeze. The falling crate shattered on impact and its contents either scattered in random chunks or were crushed underneath. I glanced back towards the three gunmen now ablaze and screaming in agony. Pieces of flaming metal flew about the hangar. Five vampires who had been advancing towards us merely pushed themselves to their feet after falling prone. They howled in rage and prepared to leap, but remnants of the last drone punctured adjacent drones and fuel tanks causing a chain reaction of exploding shrapnel in all directions.

The drones closest to Jessica and I were no different. Hot flames shot out from the wreckage, catching the Red Court vampires and setting them alight. They howled in pain quickly drowned out by a second explosion that sent a toppled drone hurling towards us.

I lifted my head and noticed Jessica starting to rise, unaware of the airborne piece of metal. I didn't have much time to react. I rolled over on top of Jessica, covering her body with my own and pressed her to the ground. I closed my eyes tightly while the drone cleared us and crashed. I felt a small, intense bite and a burst of heat slammed into my side, sending me rolling across the floor. I eventually stopped, my face towards the ceiling, but the world kept spinning, and the only thing I could hear was a high-pitched ringing.

I laid there discombobulated, forgetting what I was doing and why I was doing it. In that moment, the world felt simple, like nothing mattered in the world and that I could just lie there.

I could just lie here.

A figure leaned over me, their face dark, blurry, and spinning. I sensed the fringes of the fear and concern that flowed from them. I thought I could hear them saying something, but I couldn't understand a word. It sounded distorted, like they were speaking through water, but the strangeness receded as all my senses returned to me at once. Pain in my left ribs, or rather my whole left side really, felt like I received a very bad sunburn. My right arm pounded while my head throbbed, and through everything I felt like I was being shaken. The sudden intensity caused me to choke on air as I struggled to remember how to breathe.

The shaking part made sense, because as my vision cleared I saw Jessica with her hands on my shoulders as she jerked me back and forth, her voice borderline hysterical, "-you better not die on me or I swear to god I'll kill you! Now wake up you pansy!" I watched her draw back her hand.

I tried raising my right hand to block or signal, but it didn't immediately respond, "Hey Jess wait-" I tried to wheeze.

Thwack! Jessica's hand hit me with the added strength of her emotions, and my head snapped to the side.

A brief flash of pain radiated from my cheek. This time I tried my left hand, "Ahh Jessica!" I coughed, "I'm alive! Jeeze what the hell?"

"Oh," Jessica responded, sounding relieved, "Sorr-" she corrected herself as annoyance laced her voice, "You know what? No! I'm not sorry you stupid debilitating toenail fungus from an Orangutan!"

I rested my head back on the ground and grunted, "You know, a real friend would help me up instead of calling me names."

"Shut up," Jessica spat, standing up herself. She almost begrudgingly offered me a hand and pulled me up. My vision clouded for a few seconds and I recoiled as my left side flared up in pain. Jessica reached over to help before hesitating, "Oh god Caleb," she breathed. I unconsciously started wrapping my right arm around my side before jerking back from the painful contact. I looked down to see the whole side of my suit burnt from the heat blast. Through one punctured hole the skin blistered a disgusting dark red. The heat appeared to have sealed a deeper cut shut.

I felt a bit queasy at the sight, and I wobbled unsteadily. The suit wasn't meant to handle intense heat, and a piece a metal must've burnt through on contact. Even so I felt thankful for it. Otherwise I would've been just as vulnerable as the vampires.

Speaking of the vampires, I surveyed my surroundings. The smoldering wreckages of drones littered the area. Black smoke rose amongst the flames. Several corpses scattered amongst metal, their bodies inhuman and unidentifiable. Broken crates burned. The chain reaction continued in multiple directions, destroying all nearby drones and then some.

Jessica gave a whistle, "Wow. Some distraction huh? We should probably get going."

I looked behind us where one drone laid smashed and in flames in front of the doors to the lift. Heat warped the nearby controls. I let out a groan. No going back now.

I nearly jumped when Garrison's voice rang in my ear, "Chalser, Decter, status report."

Jessica answered first, "We made a distraction sir, but the way back is blocked." She looked back at me slightly hunched over, and concern crept back into her voice, "And Caleb is hurt."

"How bad?"

"Just need to catch my breath," I told him even as I winced.

"He's lying," Jessica said flatly.

"I can tell," Garrison responded grimly. "Can he move?"

Jessica evaluated me, her eyes rolling over my body while I gave a small nod, "Yes," she answered.

"Is there blood?"

"Some, but the outside skin of the cut appears to have been sealed shut."

"Good. Then there isn't going to be a blood trail. However, they will still be able to track you by smell. Find some cover and lay low. Take a closer look at Decter's wounds there. Most vampires will be approaching your current position. I will contact you after checking in with Numera and Ridger."

"Yes sir," Jessica signed off. She glanced around before turning back to me, "Alright, let's go." She gently wrapped her arm around my torso. I started to protest, but she wouldn't have any of it. I let her take some of the weight off my hurt side as we trudged towards the main control room, keeping to the side of the hangar as we went.

We passed piles of wreckage. The intensity of the heat caused us to give the heaps a wide berth. I tried my best to keep my psychosenses alert for vampires as we moved, but the pain made it difficult to focus. Eventually we spotted one drone knocked over and a wing snapped off, but no fire. We shuffled towards it and Jessica helped ease me to the ground before kneeling beside me. She set down her staff and took off her gloves. "Your cut looks like it was cauterized," Jessica informed me as she poked it tentatively.

"Yow!" I yelped, "Take it easy would yah-"

"Shh," Jessica cut me off calmly, not seeming to care, "The vampires will hear you. Now unzip your suit so I can dress your wound." She then took out a small pack attached to the back of her suit and opened it to reveal a small first aid kit.

"How come you get all the good stuff?" I complained as I did what she said. I took off my goggles and blinked a few times to partially adjust to the dim light before removing my mouth covering. I then unzipped the front of my suit and carefully shrugged my arms out of it. Some of the fabric melted to my skin, but fortunately my undershirt limited the contact. Wincing, I gently peeled off the fabric of the suit and shirt away from skin. Flakes of burnt skin came off with the fabric surrounding the wound, revealing bright red skin underneath. Not my most pleasant experience.

Jessica took out a bandage role and some sort of ointment while I wiggled out of my undershirt, "Because I had the foresight to grab it," she answered, "There was a bunch of them with all the other equipment. Why, what did you grab?"

She applied the ointment to my blistered skin. I drew in a quick breath before releasing it, "Glow sticks."

Jessica paused a moment before continuing, "Why would you grab those? We can already see in the dark."

I cocked my head to the side, "Well, maybe I thought there was a chance the vampires would kill all the lights. Then we'd need some light for the goggles to magnify," I then hedged, "Or maybe because they were green. I like green." I shrugged with my unburnt shoulder, "Who knows?"

Jessica peered at me through her goggles trying to read me, "You're an idiot Caleb." She then began wrapping a bandage around my torso.

"And here you are with me. What does that say about you?" I asked.

Jessica shook her head, "That I keep bad company. Now shut up Caleb."

"But-" Jessica poked her thumb lightly into the wound, "Ow!"

"Shh," she cut me off just as dismissively as before, "vampires."

I thought about making a snide remark but thought better of it. It would've been beneath my dignity to continue this conversation. Plus I didn't want her to poke me again.

It was just as well. As Jessica finished wrapping the bandage, Garrison's voice began to speak to us through the earpieces, "Chalser, Decter, are you both patched up?"

This time I responded first, "Yes sir, we're both ready to go." I slipped on my shirt before my suit and goggles. Although her mask still covered her face, judging by the emotions I sensed from Jessica, I imagined she wore either a worried frown or an annoyed scowl. Probably a mixture of both.

"Chalser, is he patched up?" Garrison asked.

"About as good as I can, given what I got," Jessica answered, a slight edge in her voice.

"Very well. Ridger and Numera need your assistance. I need you to make your way towards the control room."

"The way we came is blocked," Jessica reminded politely, "Is there another way?"

"Yes," Garrison answered, "If you both make your way towards the main observation window, there should be enough magic between the two of you to get yourselves up to Numera and Ridger's position."

"Alright, we're on our way," Jessica signed off. She took her hand off her earpiece and hesitated before addressing me, "I didn't make a mistake telling him you're fine, did I?"

I donned my gear and struggled to my feet, "Nope." I took a step out from under the drone and my body exploded in pain.

"Are you sure?"

"Jessica," I said impatiently through gritted teeth, "we don't have time to argue. We have to get to David and Erica and stop Degrada. Now."

Jessica was not happy with my response, but only paused a moment before responding, "Fine, but we stick together."

I nodded and together we began trekking towards the control room window. I almost immediately regretted my decision to continue. My body reminded me of my injuries with every step, sending a throb of pain in time with the rhythm of my movements. I started feeling nauseous and struggled to keep pace with Jessica as fatigue quickly set in.

We passed more wreckage, the intense heat keeping us a fair distance away. I extended my senses to help us navigate between vampires. Groaning metal and crackling fires provided enough sound to mask our movements.

Eventually we passed the last drone affected by the explosions. Jessica slowed down to a walking pace and crouched behind a toppled crate. I followed suit, grateful for the brief relief. "There's only four vampires between us and the control room," Jessica whispered. "We can take them, then make our way up to the others. If we're lucky we may even be able to-"

A loud voice booming over the entire hangar through multiple speakers interrupted her, "That's quite enough," came a calm, smooth voice.

Jessica and I froze. Those speakers respond to the mic that's in-

"Caleb!" Jessica whispered hurriedly as I looked up above to the long panel of thick glass to see a figure staring down as us…

…from the control room.

I couldn't make out all his features, but the man stood tall and poised with long dark hair and one hand behind his back while he leaned over the control board and held the small mic in the other. I reached out my senses and registered several minds in the control room. Two of which I recognized as David and Sergeant Briggs. At least Erica hadn't been captured. Yet. Five of the minds felt like Red Court vampires. I saw three working diligently at the control board, working with a blind obedience and eagerness to finally finish their commander's mission. The fourth's emotions came through much more passionate and uncontrolled. They felt a sadistic glee with the pain they caused, and they looked down contemplating how to best disembowel their captives. A sinking feeling swept over me with its familiarity.

Samantha Stone was in the building.

The final vampire fell to a different extreme. It too held a strong desire to succeed, but it also held the calm confidence of a chess player who saw fifteen moves ahead. Its inevitable success would only be delayed by the intrusion of outsiders.

Even from this distance I recognized enough of the man to match him with the photo.

"I commend your efforts thus far, whoever you are," Degrada spoke lightly, "but you have been an unwanted variable in my carefully laid plans long enough, and I cannot let you continue this high level of interference."

I ignored him and put a hand to my ear, "Garrison," I whispered, "David's been captured."

"I'm aware of the situation," Garrison responded, "Numera hid and contacted me. She is setting up a jammer as we speak. I will coordinate a strike with the three of you so that we can save both Ridger and Briggs and take the three keys."

Degrada's booming voice interrupted the conversation, "I know there are only two of you out there, and yet you've succeeded in making a mess of this operation. You may still even hold the preposterous notion that you can subvert my efforts entirely, but you would be wrong."

"What do you need us to do?" I asked Garrison in a hurried whisper.

"I need you to buy time while Numera makes preparations and then be ready to strike."

Degrada's voice continued to droll on, "I have captured your man, and he is as good as dead unless you adhere to my demands."

Uh-oh.

"Come out from hiding," Degrada ordered. "You have five seconds." He then paused before saying, "Five,"

"Crap, crap, and triple crap," I muttered.

"Four,"

"What do we do?" Jessica asked concerned.

I looked at her, worry and fear began ebbing its way into my mind. I knelt down and took out my glow sticks and made a series of hurried wraps of duct tape around it, forming a small bundle.

"Three,"

"What do you think you're doing?" Jessica hissed.

"Two,"

"Do you trust me?" I asked as I worked.

Jessica was quiet for a moment as she considered.

"One."

She finally sighed and nodded, both hands wrapped tightly around her staff.

I let out my own sigh, "Good. Then keep us covered."

We spun out from behind cover. I ignored the feeling of nausea as I lifted the makeshift bundle above my head and screamed, "Wait!"

In my peripheral vision I noticed Jessica level her staff at the vampires directly in front of us who stopped to stare.

"Wait!" I screamed again. I know vampires were supposed to have good hearing, but I wasn't going to take any chances.

The four vampires in front glared and hissed at us.

I looked up at Degrada defiantly, "If you touch him, we'll blow your equipment to smithereens."

Degrada showed a look of confusion, "Unfortunate. I expected more comradery between your fellow soldiers."

I opened my mouth, but Jessica interjected, "Caleb, you know he can't hear us, right?"

I blinked and realized that without hearing us, Degrada probably saw us just daring him to kill David. "Shoot, you're right." I resisted the urge to slap my palm to my forehead. Instead I held up my right hand despite the discomfort of the bruised muscle and made the universal sign for 'one moment' as Jessica gave a tired sigh. I then moved my hand to my ear, making sure to keep the bundle held high with my other, "Hey Garrison, can you pass David a message for me?"

"Yeah, what's the message?"

"Tell him to tell Degrada that if he kills David or the Sergeant then we'll fry his drones and all the electrical equipment in a quarter mile radius."

There was a slight delay, "I hope you know what you're doing Decter."

"Me too Garrison. Me too," I muttered.

"You can't be serious!" Jessica hissed, "You're literally holding a bunch of glow sticks!"

"You know that," I admitted, "I know that." I then inclined my head towards them, "But they don't know that."

We waited a few seconds. My heart pounded in my chest as I fought off my fatigue. We watched as Degrada swiveled his head back for a moment before turning back to us. A smile played on his lips, "Interesting," he contemplated, "We seem to be at an impasse." I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, "Very well." He then addressed his troops, "Finish the preparations and ignore any threats they make. I want several soldiers to close in on their position. Surround them, but don't engage…yet."

The vampires resumed their work.

"Oh come on!" I whined under my breath.

"Caleb," Jessica began annoyed.

"We're buying Erica time," I snapped, annoyed as well. I couldn't help but experience a building panic and frustration as the four vampires in front of us working on their preparations, "Erica almost ready yet Garrison?"

"Almost," came Garrison's curt reply.

Degrada turned and nodded towards one of the vampires seated at the control board. A rumbling followed, and Jessica and I watched as the ceiling overhead started to part and reveal a clear starry sky. At the same time the ground shook underneath and the hangar slowly began to rise.

"Uh, how close is the airstrike?" I asked into my earpiece.

"Five minutes out," Garrison reported. "Which means you have less than five minutes to get clear of the blast."

Degrada ignored Jessica and me and spoke to his troops, "Four minutes until the launch. Be sure to clear the area before the drones take off."

"You have got to be kidding me," I muttered.

"Garrison," Jessica whispered hurriedly through what sounded like gritted teeth, "if we keep standing here, Degrada will launch the drones before the airstrike arrives, and we'll be standing right underneath it."

"Remain calm Chalser," Garrison ordered, "How many vampires between you and the others?"

"Nine," I answered, "Five in the control room, with one being Degrada, and four on the hangar floor." I grimaced as I heard howls coming from behind us, "Although that's likely to change soon."

"Just a few more seconds is all we need," Garrison noted.

"Good cause that's all you're going to get," I muttered.

Degrada's amplified voice smothered over our conversation, "You know I must say that I am intrigued by your small little band," He commented. "For how few of you there are, you seemed to have caused quite a remarkable amount of property damage."

As if to prove a point, a minor explosion boomed from somewhere far behind us.

Degrada continued, "I'm interested in who you are and who you work for. Very few organizations involve spellcasters and pure mortals working so closely together, and none I've encountered sport such garb." He then nodded almost sympathetically, "But I digress. I understand why you are here trying to save your own kind but understand I must do the same." He became more resolved, "You humans are no more than a food source to us, possibly a source of reproduction as well yes, but primarily a food source."

Source of reproduction? Yuck.

He took a breath, "Just as you value the lives of your fellow humans over any number of livestock, so do I value a single vampire over numerous human lives. I take no real pleasure in this, but you must know-"

I blinked not sure of what I was hearing, "My, my god," I stammered in disbelief, "is…is he seriously monologuing right now?"

"Yes. Yes he is," Jessica responded, obviously not as entertained nor perplexed as I was in that moment.

"But, like…why?" I asked as I began to break out into small fits of giggles. Something about receiving a monologue from a vampire in a secret military base while standing directly under a drop zone for an airstrike even as I screamed that the bundle of glowsticks I held over my head was in fact an EMP struck a sort of ludicrous chord, and I think I was reaching my limit. In fact, I probably reached and blew past it several hours ago.

Either that or I lost way more blood than I originally thought.

I began to laugh harder.

"Just count your lucky stars it's keeping him distracted," Jessica muttered. She then noticed my behavior, "Caleb, get your shit together!" she snapped.

"S-sorry," I snickered, my arms visibly shaking with my glowstick bundle over my head. God it hurts to laugh. "I-I just can't right now." I started to double over from fatigue.

"Chalser, Decter," came Garrison's voice, "Agent Numera is close to completing her objective. The moment she begins to jam the device and sets off some flashbangs, you will need to move quickly to get to Ridger and Sergeant Briggs."

His words cut through my delirium as tears came to my eyes, "W-wait no!" I slapped a hand to my ear, "Garrison wait! Tell Erica to wait!"

"What is the problem Decter?"

"We need to coordinate with Erica," I told him. I closed my eyes trying to think of how to put what I meant into words, "Just give me a countdown when she's about to activate the jammer."

"Alright Decter, but I'll still need you and Chalser to make your way up to assist the others."

"Yes, yes I understand, thanks," I said hurriedly.

"Why the countdown?" Jessica asked.

"To make our bluff more convincing," I answered. I then noticed a certain lack of something, "When did the vampire stop monologuing?"

"While you were still giggling like a child," Jessica replied perturbed.

As the vampires neared completion, I watched as Degrada spun on the vampires, a frustrated look on his face. I closed my eyes and began to concentrate on Degrada's new sense of urgency and annoyance. It stemmed from a sudden realization as if having missed an important piece to the puzzle and now struggled to place it. I tried to dig further, but the harshness of his mind magnified the intensity of an already uncomfortable headache, causing me to pull back in pain.

Jessica noticed me clasp my right hand to my head, "Caleb?"

I tried to pull my hand to wave her off but couldn't, instead trying to process what I glimpsed. Degrada knew we were doing something more than just standing here. He suspected there was another reason we continued to stall, and a reason we continued to stand in plain view.

In order to be a distraction.

"They know Numera is in there," I said, opening my eyes.

"What?"

I put my hand to my ear, grunting through the pain as I continued holding the bundle above my head, "Garrison, Degrada suspects Numera is in there with them," I said abruptly.

"I'm well aware of the situation Decter," Garrison notified me, frustration evident in his voice, "We're going to have to move now."

I looked at the window still twenty feet above us and groaned. My body did not respond well to the prospect of moving quickly right now.

"Alright Decter, ready? Here's the countdown," Then with only the slightest pause between numbers, "Three, two, one."

With the final count I extended the glowsticks as high above my head as I could manage, mimed pressing a button, and bent the containers.

I felt a shudder from the whole facility as the lights above winked out momentarily, the glow sticks becoming the only source of light, before turning back on. The ground underneath lurched as the hangar floor continued to rise after pausing for only a brief second.

I sensed Degrada's shock and anger quickly replaced with cool determination even as his voice boomed from the speakers, "The lights and lift still work. The humans do not have an EMP, merely some sort of jamming device affecting our console's connection to the drones. All units move in. I want that device destroyed and these imbeciles eliminated."

A flurry of movement cut off his voice and drew Jessica's and my attention. I sensed a jolt of surprise from the vampires inside the control room before a flash of light exploded inside the room. I quickly looked away to not become blinded or dazed by the distant flash grenade. Meanwhile the four vampires between us and the control room eyed us hungrily.

"This is your chance!" Garrison messaged. "Get to the others! The airstrike will arrive soon!"

Jessica had kept pointing her staff and merely shouted something I didn't understand. The air in front of her shimmered as magic coalesced into a wide cone of energy that blasted forward, coating the ground in frost and encasing a drone in ice. Three vampires easily jumped out of the way, but the spell glanced fourth and it howled in rage as the right side of its body froze solid.

I concentrated and gathered energy for my own spell. As I drew in a breath for the final incantation, half my side exploded in pain from the stress, "Augh!" I spluttered, the spell fizzling.

The palm of my glove winked out as the spell failed. I couldn't help but hunch over from pain. My head pounded while my wounded side burned and my right arm ached.

The vampires stripped themselves of their humanlike skins and pounced at us with inhuman speed in their monstrous forms. I attacked their minds, but my own pain greatly limited my efforts, and they were only marginally impaired.

Jessica saw my distress and leapt in front of me, calling forth another blast of icy wind, striking two of the advancing vampires and sending their frost coated bodies hurling back. Before I could react, she snatched the bundle from my grip and tucked it under her left arm.

I didn't have time to protest as she drew the attention of the last two vampires. The first of the remaining two leapt, knocking her down. She let out an involuntary scream as the vampire pinned her to the ground. The bundle clattered beside her as she used her staff to physically separate the vampire from her throat.

The second vampire sprinted and leapt at me, spreading its large wings wide.

I refocused my fear and will into a spell as I briefly overcame the pain coursing through my body. I lifted my left hand in an underhanded swipe, "Lepsilë!" I grunted.

The ghost-like tendril appeared for less than a second, lashing out across the base of the vampire's wing before dissipating. It cut deep, causing a spray of blood to squirt out. With its flight unbalanced, the vampire veered and tumbled away as it landed with a high-pitched screech.

With that vampire momentarily taken care of, I ran, or more like stumbled, towards Jessica and her assailant vampire. My vision had darkened from the use of the spell, and I couldn't do more than throw my body at the blurred form. I slammed the beast off Jessica, causing us both to roll along the concrete. I grunted and struggled to my feet.

With supernatural reflexes the vampire sprang to its feet. It dashed in close and I felt a strong, clawed hand around my throat as it lifted me up above the vampire's full height. The vampire howled in triumph. Thankfully the suit protected my neck from simply snapping, at least for the moment. However, the force of the vampire's grip cut off my flow of oxygen.

"Urk!" I gurgled while trying to use both hands to resist their hold to no avail.

My lungs burned even as I involuntarily sensed the vampire's thoughts. The rage of seeing his dead brethren and the outrage he held towards any human who thought themselves more than food. In fact, a quick death would be unsatisfying for this thorn in his commander's side. He wanted to see the life drain from its eyes.

It reached towards me, and I shook my head in protest, but it did nothing to deter it from grabbing my goggles. I felt it lift them off and toss them to the side. My eyes adjusted to the light as I locked eyes with the bulbous red orbs of the Red Court vampire. It turned his head slightly as it watched my life ebbing away.

I struggled to hold on to consciousness, just as I struggled to draw my combat knife. Even as my lungs burned, I used the rest of my energy to send a psychic stab at its mind. In this close proximity, it took the vampire by surprise. It couldn't react as I drove the knife into its chest with every ounce of my remaining strength.

The arm went limp, and I landed unsteadily, gasping for air. The vampire continued to stand, its jaw going slack. I planted my foot on its chest and shoved hard, causing him to flop onto the ground as the serrated blade withdrew from its heart. The action took more effort than expected, and I stumbled back a few steps, still trying to regain my breath, "Yeah…" I managed, chest heaving, "…bitch…." Not my best comeback, but I gave myself a pass on that one.

I noticed the blood-stained knife in my hand, the red liquid dripping from the blade. A shiver ran down my spine as the last of the vampire's psychic presence disappeared. The close proximity to the body brought a sickening aroma to a degree in which I thought I tasted the metallic blood. It made the kill all the more personal. My tired eyes wandered down to the eyes of the deceased vampire. They caught me in their lifeless gaze, and I stared for a moment, pondering a question I didn't have an answer to.

A shrieking howl snapped me back to the present. Without my goggles I made out very little, but I could see one humanoid silhouette taking on two vampires at once, a third reflected light off its frozen body. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed continuing flashes from the control room as more flash grenades went off in a separate battle ensuing between Erica, David, and the vampires in the control room.

I reduced my own psychic sensitivity to the combat raging around me as I picked up my goggles and slipped them on before sheathing my knife. My body protested the movement, but I persisted. I moved in a hampered jog back towards Jessica who continued throwing up shields of ice in an attempt to create some distance between her and the enemies encircling her on opposing sides. She held the glowing bundle tucked underneath her left arm, taunting them through the translucent surface created by her spells.

The vampires hammered the walls, slowly breaking them down. I swore out of concern. Jessica boxed herself in, and I could sense her tiring from the output of magic required to keep recasting her spells. She wouldn't be able to hold them back much longer.

I took several breaths as I raised my arm and concentrated. I removed any doubt that would disrupt my ability to cast my spell. I focused on my intent, to protect my friend. I worked to turn my physical pain into emotion I could use to fuel it. The anger, fear, and pain coalesced into the palm of my shaking hand, clouding the gem I focused it into. I steadied my aim before yelling, "Éle!"

I caught the vampire off guard, and the spell struck it at the base of one of its wings, completely severing it from its body. A wave of exhaustion forced me to drop to a knee as my head pounded. The first vampire crashed to the ground. The second, spurred by rage prepared to swoop down at me.

I heard a scream of defiance from Jessica and the walls surrounding her shattered, sending shards of ice outward. The daggers of ice shredded the vampires. I covered my eyes and felt a wave of cold wash over my body. I lifted my head to see Jessica standing with her arms outstretched, chest heaving, and her staff glowing brightly as a small amount of mist wrapped around her body.

She picked up the glowsticks from where they dropped onto the ground and staggered towards me. I recovered enough to go and slip my uninjured arm around her. We supported each other's weight and moved towards the control room window as Jessica recovered from the initial strain of her spell.

The window above shattered as the sound of a shotgun blast rang through the air. We heard howls from humans and vampires alike. "You know," I grunted tiredly, "I can't help but notice how much safer it seems down here."

"Yes, sitting directly underneath an incoming missile seems much safer," Jessica huffed sarcastically.

As we neared the wall, another shot rang out and a body fell next to us. The thudding of the corpse startled us both as we looked at the crumpled dead vampire sprawled unnaturally beside us. I glanced at Jessica, "Look at that," she said weakly, "we're winning."

"Yeah," I began, drawing out the word. I regarded the window now about ten feet above us, "I don't think I can pull us both up there." I didn't mention just the thought of attempting the spell sent a small spasm through my stomach.

"Weak sauce," Jessica commented.

"Says the person not hit by a freaking drone."

"Super mild granny weak sauce," Jessica continued, "That's what you are." She gently pushed herself away from me and set her jaw as she gathered power. She shouted and struck the bottom of her staff against the floor, and a jagged pillar about five feet tall rose from the floor, "Now follow me my little lethargic lackey," she called as she began climbing.

I groaned, which hurt my side. Being hurt sucks. Yep. Definitely recommend against getting hurt.

More howling behind me caused me to glimpse back. I almost wish I hadn't. There must have been fifty vampires, all in their red fleshy forms, running, jumping, and flying towards us, "Uh Garrison," I messaged.

"Yes Decter?"

"I think the rest of Degrada's merry band of vampires is here."

"Well that won't be a problem soon. The airstrike will be hitting in sixty-five seconds."

"Well heck," I muttered.

"Hurry up lackey!" Jessica called as she hopped up and worked to pull herself up onto the control board. She rolled out of my view, and I heard her spellcasting join the chorus of sounds that emanated from that room.

I placed my hands on the ice and counted to three before using my legs to lift me up and onto it. As you might expect, it hurt. A lot. But before my body could register, I grabbed the next ledge, encouraged somewhat by the small army heading toward me, and heaved myself through the broken.

I struggled to find a good handhold and began sliding back. I yelped in a panic, but a hand grabbed my arm and pulled me through. I found myself in the control room with David, Jessica, and Briggs. I looked up to see Erica poking her head out from a vent, probably where she had been dropping her flash grenades. Two dead vampires laid on the floor, but Samantha Stone and Degrada were nowhere to be seen.

What I did see was a small opened container marked with a biohazard sticker revealing three severed hands. Eww.

David's large form helped me to my feet, "I think it's safe to say mission accomplished," I wheezed.

"Agreed," David responded, "It's time to move." He nodded at me, "What's that?" he asked.

I looked down at the bundle of glowsticks in my hand, "Nothing important." To be completely honest I forgot I had been carrying it. I turned back to the broken window where all the vampires were advancing. I then hucked the bundle as hard and far as I could, "To heck with it!" I yelled as it soared.

In truth it didn't really soar, it more or less plopped onto the ground, but it sort of bounced when it hit one of the drones. I blamed my arm. Have I mentioned I'm hurt?

What it did do was divert the first few vampires who turned and rushed in the direction of the bundle. The rest completely disregarded it as they advanced, lost in their hunger and fury.

On the far end of the hangar the first row of drones exploded in a flash of light, and an echoing boom resounded, shaking my whole body from the impact. My heart leapt into my throat. The air strike had arrived. Almost immediately after the first a second explosion followed, destroying the second row. The series of missiles continued in a wave of destruction that headed straight towards us.

I felt David grab my shoulder, "Decter, we need to leave." He started to pull me.

Jessica and Erica were already heading out the door, "C'mon!" Jessica yelled back.

Briggs followed closely behind, "You guys have a way out right?" The whole facility shook around us. I spotted something and resisted David briefly to snatch it and then ran with David without looking back.

David pulled me along, wrapping an arm around me as we moved through the halls. The shaking intensified as the ceiling above shook. Panels fell with electrical wires, sparking as the lights went out. I sensed the vampires behind us all experience a flash of white-hot pain before winking out of existence. The sensation threatened to overwhelm me, and I stumbled as my own vision darkened.

"Oh no you don't," David huffed, dragging me up.

My feet caught the ground, and I pushed my feet to move. I couldn't see where I was going and relied on David to guide me through the base. My foot struck something hard and I stumbled. Again, David helped me recover as my vision returned. The walls began caving in around us as metal and earth crumbled and sealed the path behind us.

We continued forward, jumping over obstacles and dead bodies. A large piece of falling rubble clipped David, and he let out a shout of surprise and pain as it broke our grip and knocked him onto the uneven ground. A second piece fell across his ankle, pinning him as more threatened to fall on top of him. I spun back to help and squatted in an attempt to lift it. I let out a scream as I strained, my body flaring up in pain. I felt David shift underneath as he pulled himself free. I leaned down to help him and felt his heavy weight as he got his legs underneath him.

I noticed a change in David's stride as we continued down the collapsing hallway. He could hardly put any weight on one leg. We adjusted ourselves so the injured leg was between us. Unfortunately, I couldn't bear the full weight of his body as he done with me before, and we had to settle for a hampered shuffle.

I swore if I survived this I would start lifting weights.

We made it to the opening hallway, and I saw the staircase leading outside. My lungs burned and my stomach cramped, but the sight of the finish line spurred me forward as we stepped over dead vampires and soldiers, bumping into the walls as we went.

"The second pass will come soon," Garrison informed us. "You need to be out of there when it comes."

"Yeah sure," I grunted, not bothering to open the line of communication, "we'll get right on that."

We each placed an arm on a side of the concrete corridor to support our climb up. As we neared the top, I heard the idling engine of the van and saw the rear doors swing open to reveal a crouching Jessica and Sergeant Briggs, "Let's go!" Jessica beckoned.

David and I stumbled out way up the steps, and Jessica and the sergeant helped David into the van. I followed behind and they each grabbed one of my arms and hoisted me into the vehicle. I found myself a seat, buckling myself in while Jessica yelled for Erica to take off.

Tires screeched, and I smelled burning rubber as the van sped off. I looked out through the unshut back doors. They swung wildly, giving me multiple glances of the dropping missiles. Each one sent out a deafening shockwave that sent vibrations throughout my body. I watched smoke and flames rise from the wreckage of the base. When I strained, I could barely sense the minds of vampires retreating into the night.

After we drove past the checkpoint Garrison's voice buzzed in our ears, "Agents are you clear of the base?"

Jessica answered for us after grabbing and slamming the rear doors, "Yes sir, we're clear."

"Good," Garrison's voice sounded relieved. "And good work agents. Were you able to retrieve the keys?"

Jessica looked from David, to me, and then up to Erica. "Don't look at me," Erica protested as she drove, "I didn't grab them."

I shifted in my seat and drew the three small drives from my pocket. "Yes we did," I answered Garrison weakly.

"Fantastic. Drop off Ms. Briggs and head back to base."

"So," I began, "does that mean mission accomplished?"

There was a brief pause, "Yes Decter. Mission Accomplished."

"Cool." I then slumped over and passed out.

I hope this doesn't become a habit.