AN: Last chapter!
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CHAPTER 8
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We're waiting outside the edges of Afina's camp. Theraus and his delegates are inside the main tent with Afina herself.
It's quiet.
The air is tense, everyone, human and vampire, knows what's coming.
A bloodied and shredded vampire appears at the edge of the camp. "Theraus is dead! Afina has killed him." He yells, falling to the ground.
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The onslaught begins.
Vampires burst from the camp, Afina standing regally at the boundary between the flowing tides.
The vampires beside me are eager to avenge Theraus and burst forth to attack. The humans among them follow, fear and anger mixed.
I realise despite being at the front before I'm now in the tail of the group, Gerard and Will beside me. We race forward with the last of our side, the humans and slower vampires.
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The fighting is violent and bloody and I find myself genuinely afraid.
I see Gerard among his men, fighting like a man half his age. We'd managed to better his Aardvark to reliably slow an opponent and now he uses it to help the humans, and occasional vampire, out of their depth.
Many vampires and humans fall. To subdue Afina's army sounded easy in just words.
Gerard ducks a blow from an attacking foe but the machine takes a hit.
I flee between vampires to save my friend but I know when I arrive I'm too late.
"Take it." He tells me with his last breaths. "Make our dreams come true."
He falls silent.
I lift the Aardvark, firing at the vampire approaching me with claws and fangs bared.
There's a wire loose and I have to dodge and weave before I can reattach it. The second I do I point it at the vampire ahead. A frown crosses her face as she realises she can't move.
Another vampire, one I recognise from our side, joins me to fight through the crowd. With the Aardvark, Afina's numbers quickly fall and in moments we have a large number of prisoners.
As the fighting slows the mass of casualties becomes apparent and I hand the Aardvark to my vampire partner.
I rush to the nearest injured and take to my calling. Many are untreatable but I save a few.
That's when I notice Tesla is missing. I look around and spot him in the distance.
He's like a wasp, dancing around his prey, never where they strike.
I admire his tactics but choke on my breath as he's sliced by a claw. Another vampire joins the fight and I fear I've lost another friend but then two more from our side joins him and I breathe out.
"Helen." I recognise the voice and freeze. Why did I give away the Aardvark? I finger my gun that lies on my lap.
"You don't want to do that." Afina tells me in her calm and eternally uninterested voice.
I begin to stand when I hear a shot. I turn and see Will holding a gun directly at Afina.
The other vampires hear too and turn on her.
There's a mad rush towards Afina and instinctively I back away, getting to my feet.
Will rushes around the mass and grabs my shoulders.
I try to take one last look at Afina but they've already gone.
"It's over." Will says.
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"I'd like to remind you, you have kidnapped a citizen of the USA." The voice says over the speakers. "Understandable though the reasons were, there will be consequences."
"We are prepared to take them."
Tesla is leading the inevitable brush with SCIU and US government. I stand to one side, hidden from the camera, and watch with admiration.
While we were at Afina's camp, the technical, non-fighting section of Gerard's crew had scoured the files Will and I had retrieved from Lennison's computer.
"We have proof of his intentions and the summary of what his actions have wrought should be in your inbox by now."
I see the man on the screen glance away for a moment and I smile.
His eyes scan the email quickly. "We will convene in person in two days." The man on the screen says. "Be sure to keep the prisoner in reasonable conditions and I shall make a point to argue for leniency on account of emergency and international security. I will contact you when a time and place have been agreed." The screen goes blank.
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"Mal will see to Gerard's estate." Will tells me as we stand by the rails. "It's basically what his job was before so it seems right.
I nod. Think about those we lost.
After a moment Will walks away. I stay in silence, still thinking.
Much time passes and I leave for my suite to pack.
On my way, I pass the new leaders. Hira and Tesla are discussing the work that needs to be done before vampires can freely walk among the humans.
I leave them to it. It will be a long time before the world settles and it becomes safe for humans and abnormals alike. No point interfering where I'm not needed, I have a sanctuary to run.
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AN: There we go, the end. Hope it was good. Please review or fav.
