It was precisely 4am when they reached the abandoned warehouse. They heard a muffled cry.

"Mrs. Ediths-

Daven cupped her mouth at once.

"Don't be hasty."

She nodded reluctantly and he let go. They entered the warehouse. All was dark.

"Lilith!"

Daven yelled.

"Show yourself!"

"Of course,"

sneered a familiar voice. In seconds, lights were switched on, revealing Lilith in a tight leather suit-and a gang on top of the balcony above. Daven wasn't so worried. As Lilith was still alive, he was pretty much invincible.

"Where's Mrs. Ediths?"

Lilith snapped her fingers-and a gagged and bound woman was dragged before them.

"Edwina!"

cried Danielle. Daven clenched his fists. Edwina was innocent-and they dragged her into this...

"I shouldn't have spared your life, Lilith,"

He hissed his face an angry mime's. Meanwhile, Danielle reined in her grief and observed her surroundings. She had to survive this-or Edwina would die...

"I don't know how you survived having your brains blown out, Daven but it ends tonight. And how's your old flame, eh? Have you been f---ing her-?

It was a big mistake to speak like that before Daven. In a flash, he sped upstairs towards her. Three thugs tried to shoot him but he broke one's nose, snapped the neck of the other and grabbed the third one's two Magnums.

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

All 3 fell to the floor like gassed flies. Daven hadn't even broken into a sweat. The time: 1minute. The thugs were shocked. So was Lilith. Grabbing a Glock from a neighboring thug, she was about to shoot Edgar when a leg kicked it away-and a fist backhanded her all at once. She looked up to see- Danielle. And she was holding a katana.

"What the f---?"

"Its careless to leave beautiful blades like these around."

Retrieving the Glock, she tried to get a head shot at Danielle. But she dodged with balletic, fluid movement. Hours in the dance hall had paid off. After 10 shots, a "click" sound was heard. Danielle then charged at Lilith, who tried to fight back but couldn't due to her tight suit-and stopped to free Edwina. However, that gave Lilith time to get another katana-from a dead thug (courtesy of Daven). Pushing Edwina away, the two ladies fought fiercely. Danielle just had a refresher course in kendo while Lilith had quite a bit of experience as it was. But what Danielle lacked in technique she made up for it with stealth-and speed. Yet, both were equally good so the victor was uncertain.

Daven was having fun, so to speak. The bullets tore at him but he couldn't die. He broke necks; punched faces and (ample) guts-and let the bullets fly. The rest of the thugs (10) were horrified. This man must be some sort of vampire, to slay 40 men-and not die...

"By God, this shall end!"

snarled Lilith, her dirty blond hair in a mess and her blue eyes flashing.

"I doubt God's listening to you,"

laughed Danielle.. Danielle parried and dodged Lilith's every move. It seemed she had the upper hand. Or not. For Lilith pushed her aside pulled out a gun from her duster jacket and aimed it at Edwina. Danielle lost her concentration.

"Look out!"

With that, Lilith turned the gun away-and pulled the trigger on Pearl, smiling evilly.

"No-

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

Danielle fell to the ground, Pearl beside her, choking on blood. Daven slashed the neck of the 6th thug before rushing to Danielle's side. Edwina was checking for a pulse.

*No! You can't die now! Not when I need you! *

He thought, crazed with grief. Lilith threw her head back and laughed cruelly, savoring the pain. The last 5 thugs aimed their guns at the trio. He looked up and glared at Lilith hatefully.

* Go on! Do it! Pull the trigger! *

With Danielle lost to him, what else was there to live for anyway? Lilith sneered and was about to give the order when a black streak flew at her and dug out her eyes. It was Edgar. Lilith screamed and tried to bat it away but in vain. The five thugs, Daven and Edwina just watched, with morbid fascination, as she grabbed a rope and fell-and hanged herself in the process. She swung like a gory pendulum. The thugs ran down the stairs and towards the exit.

*Cowards..."

Daven thought. He turned to Edwina and said,

"Run, sister. And don't stop till you reach safety. A church preferably."

"What about-

"Go. May Peace be with you."

He ordered. Before she turned to leave, she said,

"And also with you."

He stared at her, stunned. No one had ever blessed him before. But he got back to business. He heard the sound of thunder outside. Shooting down a few barrels of kerosene, he lit a match and whispered what Eric Draven whispered years ago:

"Is that gasoline I smell?"

With that, he smiled wryly at the terrified thugs as he dropped the match and carried Danielle and Pearl out of the warehouse. Moments later, the warehouse exploded. Rain fell in sheets. And Daven and Edgar came walking out-Danielle and Pearl in his arms-, as if they were dark angels walking out of Hell.

*****************************

Daven found another old church not far from where the warehouse was. He placed Danielle on a pew. Stripping off his trenchcoat, he wrapped it round her, like a mother tucking a child in for the night. Pearl was jerking irregularly. Danielle was silent.

"Wake up, Danielle...please.."

he begged tears in his eyes. Her pulse was very weak. He lit some candles- she loved them. He loved the way the light fell upon her body, illuminating her lovely form. Now...she looked as is she had just fallen asleep. She stirred. He ran to her side-and held her hand.

"Danielle? Say something..."

She opened her mouth-and closed it. Her hand fell to her side. He began to weep, his chest heaving. He had lost her.