Chapter Nine

The church they had picked was the second largest in the city. Made of pale sandstone, it stood out like a beacon in the night. The gothic features were weathered, but surprisingly undamaged by the fall of the city. To Angela, it looked huge, almost un-climbable. She knew it was, at least for Solitaire, who had scouted it, warning Angela of danger areas to stay away from. With Solitaire driving, they made good time reaching it. Stepping out into the night, Angela turned to Solitaire, offering her hand.

"Good hunting." The blonde offered, taking Angela's hand.

"Be safe." The older woman countered.

"Always." Solitaire said.

With a wicked smile, Solitaire let go of Angela's hand, backing the car away from the church. She had a job to do. She drove for almost two miles, only stopping when she came to the spot she had picked out. It was a small, raised stone pedestal with a stag standing tall on it. She left the car, taking the keys but leaving the door wide open. Boosting herself onto the stag's back, she pulled out the scrap of paper John had given her almost a week ago. She had slipped it into a plastic bag, to keep the paper dry in the rain. She was glad that she had now.

There was a short spell written on it and she took a deep breath, checking that the rifle she held was ready to fire. It was, and she read the spell quickly.

"Elements of dark, I call you near. Elements of dark, I drag you here. Demon blood hear my call, demon blood prepare to fall."

As soon as the last word left her mouth, the half-breeds started coming into the square. She raised the rifle, blasting those closest to her, killing them. The golden bullets cut through them easily. The bodies disintegrated, leaving only a pile of dust that the rain turned into a kind of mud. It gave her some protection, making the later ones slip and fall as they tried to get to her. It was easy to pick them off as they struggled to their feet.

Soon, she was surrounded by them, and fear began to gnaw at her gut. Fighting it back, she kept firing, dropping them. After what seemed like eternity, all of the half-breeds in the square were dead. She had been very lucky. Taking a cautious look around her, she swung down from the stag's back, patting it before stepping off the pedestal. The mud was slippery, and she was forced to keep a hand on the cold stone while she caught her balance.

She never noticed the sudden movement behind her until it was too late. A half-breed with a hole the size of her fist through his shoulder ran at her, a blade held tightly in his hand. Without stopping, he ran into her, blade first. She gasped in shock, pulling the handgun from it's home on her thigh and shot the half-breed in the head. He fell back, dying and disintegrating to mix with the rest of the dust on the floor.

"Shit, shit!" She swore, hands around the knife sticking out of her stomach. She was shaking, shock starting to set in. Reeling backwards, she half fell into the car's driver's seat. Slamming the door shut, she locked them. It didn't offer much protection but she hoped it would be enough for now. Panting, she pulled the large first aid kit from the back seat, crying out in pain as she moved.

Taking a handful of large dressings, she gripped the knife tightly in her right and, holding the dressings ready in her left. Closing her eyes, she pulled the knife straight out of her body, dropping it onto the passenger side floor. It hurt like hell and she couldn't help but curse. She slapped the dressings over the deep wound, feeling faint. Leaning back against the seat, she let herself drift for a while.

Angela was struggling, to say it kindly. The church wall was slick and icy under her quickly numbing fingers. She had a long scrape down one arm from where she had fallen, and it throbbed in the wet. Pulling herself into a small alcove in the stone wall, she rested for a minute, stealing a look out over the city. Most of it lay in darkness, hiding the horror of the fallen buildings, but here and there she could see small pockets of light. She wondered if they were human or half-breed strong holds.

Catching her breath, she continued the hard climb, encouraged that the roof wasn't that far away. The ropes that Solitaire had rigged for her were still holding strong, and for that she was grateful. She climbed steadly on, ignoring the few slips she had. The last ten feet where the hardest, and by the time she struggled over the roof, she felt utterly exhausted.

Feeling in her pocket, she pulled out the blessing that Solitaire had thoughtfully placed inside a clear plastic bag. Closing her eyes, she mustered all the faith in her, forcing it into the words that she read out. They rang clear and sombre into the rain soaked night.

"My brother and sisters in Jesus Christ, let us praise God our Father, who called us in baptism to be his people. Blessed are you, Lord our God, Father of all and creator of the universe: through the waters of our baptism, you have raised us to new life in Jesus. Let this water remind us of your love show to us when we were baptized. Help us, Father, to live in your service. Blessed are you, Father, for ever and ever. Amen."

The last amen slipped from her lips and she waited to see what would happen. She had been waiting for almost five minutes and nothing had happened when she heard the faint cries of pain coming from far below her. The spell Solitaire had said was still active, drawing the half-breeds to her. The came into the rain, skin burning like the water was acid. Thunder rolled and the sky seemed to darken, promising that the rain wouldn't dry up for a while yet.

Angela had never thought that hearing cries of pain would bring her happiness, but her heart was filled with the emotion. Wearily, she slid to the edge of the roof, abseiling down the side of the building. She unclipped her harness from the ropes, not bothering to take it off. There would be plenty of time for that later. She was concerned not to see Solitaire waiting for her, as per the plan. Backing up against the church, she tucked herself into a corner, waiting. Time passed slowly, and she started to shiver a little. The clothes she was wearing were soaked through.

A car engine drew nearer, and Angela was relieved to see Solitaire driving up to the church. She squealed to a stop, throwing open the door so Angela could get in. a couple of the car windows were broken and there were spent shells on the floor. Angela bent and picked on up, finding that it was still warm. The girl had changed her top, Angela noted absently. She gripped the steering wheel with white knuckled determination, not taking her eyes of the exit in front of her.

Solitaire saw her, "Little trouble." She supplied, flooring the accelerator almost before Angela had closed the door. They drove through the night, heading back to the apartment, glad to see the half-breeds dying on the streets as they flew past. Before the night was over, the city would be free of the half-breeds and the curse they had laid down on the city. It was a good thing, the first positive thing the humans had to cling to in weeks, maybe even months.

Filled with the warm glow of satisfaction, Angela never noticed as Solitaire grew steadily paler.