Chapter 7

Sunday, October 26th, 1986

Hill Valley

4:13 A. M.

3-D sat on a house near the outskirts of town, in the pose of "Thinking Man." If all had gone right, today was the day; or, rather, tonight was the night. Biff wanted Hill Valley for himself before the year was out, and this was his big chance to grab it.

He untangled himself from his sitting position and lay stomach-down on the roof. He could see life glowing at the windows, where the family slept. To think that, just a month ago, I would have let them be killed so I could have some power. Looks like you don't have to be a vampire to be soulless, he thought bitterly.

However, he was determined to atone for his sins. He had listened to all of the Time Trippers strategy meetings, and as many as he could of Biff's. He had a damned good idea of what was going to go down, and he was going to make sure the Time Trippers won.

But had he done enough? Renting the studio for Doc on his birthday had been a major boost for the Trippers, but it had been the only major action he'd taken. Granted, he was working in secret, frightened that if he revealed himself, he'd be staked and burned, no questions asked. Still, he felt somewhat -- inadequate, for having merely dropped hints for most of the time, helping them as though nothing he could do would ever redeem him. It was as if he had been too far steeped in evil to return to goodness.

Well, if that's the case, I'm not going to worry about it, he decided, straightening his glasses. At least Hill Valley won't become Hell Valley. I'll have done something good for once. Probably not enough, but by the end of today, I'll probably be dead anyway.

His internal clock told him the sun was coming up soon. He leapt off the roof and flew off to seek a haven for the day. It was vitally important that he be well rested for tonight.

Sunday, October 26th

8:25 A. M.

"Hey Doc?"

Immediately after saying that, Marty was stricken with an intense sense of deja-vu. Last year, on this very same date, he'd taken the first steps into a major adventure. Now here he was, doing practically the same thing all over again. Good thing I've got some experience this time around! he thought.

Luckily, this time around, the place wasn't deserted. Mystie was sleeping on the cot by the door, and he could hear Doc tinkering with something. Marty gently eased around his sleeping friend, making sure not to disturb her. "Doc?" he repeated, softer.

Doc was in the lab, making some final improvements on a scary-looking gun. He glanced up as Marty came near. "Hey Marty. How are you?"

"Tense as hell." Marty gave Doc a worried once-over. The scientist looked more tired than Marty had ever seen him. "How about you, Doc?"

"Exhausted," Doc admitted. "I wish we hadn't been given such a small time-frame to work in. Especially since Josie interfered with a lot of our planning meetings by fawning over me."

Marty sighed. "I feel the same way. I can't wait until all this is over."

"Same here, Marty." Doc set down the gun. "I hate designing weapons. I know that this is self-defense, but I feel guilty. I'm going to have to kill so many people. . ."

"Doc, you gotta do what you gotta do. I'm not feeling so hot about it myself, but we can't let everyone else in Hill Valley die."

Doc nodded. "It's for a good cause. Unlike my Libyan project."

Marty shivered. "Let's not talk about that. So what's this?"

"It's a stake-gun. It's able to fire up to three stakes at a time at approaching vampires. I've made three -- one for Louis, one for Mystie , and one for myself. The rest of the group will be armed with more conventional weapons. Like normal firearms."

"Uh -- Doc?" Marty looked at his feet, suddenly feeling embarrassed. "I -- I don't know if I can handle holding a gun."

Doc looked at him strangely. "What? Why? You've tangled with soulless vampires before. I've seen you use the simplest things as deadly weapons."

"It's -- it's not the same. I really don't like guns."

"But, Marty, I don't understand --"

Then it hit him. Very softly, he said, "The Libyans, right?"

"And Buford with William." Marty closed his eyes tightly against the memories. "When they -- shot you -- Doc, don't make me use a gun. Too many bad memories."

Doc put a comforting arm around him. "I understand, Marty, but I can't leave you unarmed in good conscience. I don't want you to get hurt in this. After Mystie, you're the most important person to me."

"Just think of something else -- a knife, anything. Just no guns."

"I'll do my best." Doc ran his fingers over the stake gun. "I need a rest. Desperately." He turned to look at the DeLorean. "I think I'll go into the past. Want to come?"

"Nah, I'd better stay here. I don't want to leave Jennifer alone, even in daylight. How far back are you heading?"

"Way back, probably before Hill Valley was founded. Sleep beneath the stars. I should be back in about an hour." He grabbed a pen and paper and wrote a quick note for Mysteria. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah, later Doc." Marty watched as Doc headed for the DeLorean. "And be safe," he added quietly.

Sunday, October 26th

12:05 P. M.

"Yo, Marty, Jennifer! Over here!"

Marty spotted his buddy Rick sitting in the back of the Burger King, waving a fistful of fries. "We'll be there in a sec!" he called back. He and Jennifer grabbed their orders and made their way to the back. Rick's girlfriend Leslie was in the back booth as well, and J. J. and Spydo were sitting at the table next to them. "Hey guys, what's up?" Marty greeted them.

"You tell us. You two know Doc the best. How's he going to keep us alive?" J. J. asked, his eyes wide with fright.

Jennifer blinked, a little startled at the abruptness of the question. "What?"

"Come on, you have to be in on his plans," Leslie said, dipping a chicken finger into some sauce. "Dr. Brown's your best friend."

"What's the plan?" J. J. asked again.

You can tell them if you want to, Marty, Doc's voice poked in. Just try not to mention anything about our vampirism.

Can do, Doc. "Well, Doc did make a sort of barrier for the town. Fire traps."

"Fire traps?" Spydo repeated, puzzled.

"If someone steps on it, it shoots a five-foot flame into the air," Marty elaborated. The band members gawked at each other. "Don't worry, Doc told the mayor. Hill Valley's borders are closed for the moment. Nobody human is gonna get incinerated."

"I hope not." Rick gave a slight shudder. "So we're going to burn them to death?"

"Rick, these things aren't human anymore. They're monsters. They torture people to death." Marty felt a shiver go through his own body at the thought. "They deserve their fate."

"Have you seen them in action?" J. J. asked, reaching into his fries.

"Remember when I ended up in the hospital, and they thought I was going to die? A soulless vampire tried to kill me." J. J.'s hand froze halfway into the pile. "Another managed to suck my blood. It hurt like hell."

Everyone shuddered. "Shit, man, how did you make it out alive?"

"Doc. He's saved my life more times than I can count now." Marty looked down at his burger. "He found me and staked the bastard just in time. Turns out it was the same vampire that Biff set on him. Mystie saved him."

"What happened with him? I mean, he looked dead enough to be buried." Spydo frowned. "Is he -- one of them?"

"Of course not! Why would he be helping us if he was?"

"Yeah, but how did he live through an attack like that?"

"Shock," Jennifer said quickly. "Being attacked by a vampire doesn't leave you in the best state of mind. I bet it was like suspended animation."

Leslie shook her head. "Wow. You guys have gone through a lot of shit to protect us." Looking a bit awkward, she added, "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Jennifer giggled.

"What do we do if any get past the fire and into our houses?" J. J. asked, white as a ghost. "I mean, can you really kill them all at the edges?"

"Probably not," Marty said, deciding to leave out the detail that their enemy was capable of flight. J. J. would probably have a heart attack on the spot. "Either find something pointy and aim for the heart or menace them with a torch of some kind."

"We've fought them off with frying pans, table lamps, and chair and table legs -- improvise," Jennifer added. "Do whatever it takes to survive."

Leslie chewed her lips. "I doubt I'd have the presence of mind to do anything like that. You guys are real heroes."

Marty and Jennifer blushed. "Well, thanks Leslie. We're just trying to keep this asshole Biff from ruining the world. We thought we'd scared him off before, but. . . ." Marty shrugged.

Rick smiled a bit nervously at him. "Don't worry Marty. We'll help ya out. It's our town too." The rest of the band nodded their agreement.

"Thanks guys. It really means a lot to us."

Sunday, October 26th, 1986

Grass Valley

7:49 P. M.

As the sky began to darken, Biff was awakened by something poking him. He opened his eyes to see an early riser jabbing him with a stick. "Blood night," the vampire informed him, a huge grin on his face. "Let's go kill."

"Yeah, keep your socks on," Biff mumbled, yanking the stick out of his hand and breaking it. "And poke me again and you'll be sorry."

The soulless vampire scowled at him. "Why wait? Attack now! More blood! We want blood!"

"Will you hold on?! You'll get your frigging blood in a minute!" Biff kicked Match and Skinhead awake. "Ugh, Biff, why do we have to get up so early?" Match whined.

Biff grinned evilly. "We're hungry. Go with this freak and make sure the rest of them are ready to head out."

"That'll take hours," Skinhead complained. "I wanna eat now."

"Make some other guys look too! Jesus, am I the only smart one around here?"

Match and Skinhead wisely chose not to answer that and started rounding up some of their compatriots to help them. "So, we're just gonna blow in and take the joint?" Match asked as he suffocated one awake.

Biff shook his head. "You, me, Skinhead, and a couple of others will go in and catch some vagrants in the square. The rest of them will blow in and take the joint."

Skinhead frowned. "Spoilsport. I was looking forward to charging into somebody's house and scaring the shit out of them."

"Relax, I didn't say we wouldn't be doin' that," Biff smirked at him. "I just wanna make sure that we're ready to meet anybody who might be waiting."

"The Time Trippers, you mean?"

Biff nodded, his smirk turning into a scowl of rage. "Yeah. Let's get one thing straight -- those guys and George and Lorraine McFly are mine. I want to kill both Brown and George with my bare hands. And Lorraine --" A perverse smile curled Biff's lips. "Well, she'll be a bit luckier."

"Can I call dibs on Dave McFly?" Skinhead asked, making puppy dog eyes. "He just passed my cousin for a promotion."

"Sure. Grab whoever you want, just make sure those guys get to me alive. Now make like trees and get out of here."

The group flew off. Within the hour, all had returned, reporting that the troops were awake and eager to go. "Great," Biff grinned as Match made his final report. "You guys --" he pointed to Match, Skinhead, and a few random vampires "-- you're coming with me." He spread his wings and flew over the throbbing mass of undead life he had gathered. "Listen up, buttheads! This is our moment of glory! Head south as fast as you can, and don't look back! Tonight, Hill Valley's gonna run red with blood!"

The soulless vampires let out a loud, bone-chilling cheer. Biff motioned for his posse to join him in the air. Together, they lead the group to the edges of Hill Valley. Moments before they hit the borders, Biff boomed out his final order.

"ATTACK!"