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The Y-Files

Case File #1Y8-1064: Blood Bond

Part IV

'Come crawling faster
obey your master
your life burns faster
obey your master, master.
Master of Puppets I'm pulling your streams
twisting your mind, smashing your dreams...'

That was a good song. Good? Scham mean great! He had been listening to Metallica for 15 years or so... he'd grown with them. A clear picture of the first time he had listened to their music came to my mind: High school. Oh, those beautiful days... Days when you didn't have to worry about anything but getting caught by your parents drinking beer...

And now, Scham was chasing undead creatures. Why had he chosen this career? Just one word: Justice. He wouldn't be able to change the entire world by himself, he knew that; but he would do the best to make it a better place to live.

Why hadn’t he become a priest as Scham had imagined before, in those days in which his  life was changing? It would have been safer, physically talking of course.

The fact was that he had made this decision by himself, and Scham was happy with what he was doing so far.

He looked for the tenth time at the building's door. Sara hadn't left it yet, but he was sure she was coming. If she didn't in five minutes, Scham would go in for her.

And those people back there, "I don't like the smell of this".

A picture of Jennifer Aniston came to his mind. Wow, Scham loved that goddess. That was one of the reasons he stayed awake last night watching reruns of Friends... Paperwork, that had been really awful

Scham looked at the door once again. "She won't be late," he said to himself, "Just one minute and you go in and find her".

And those guys - two - were still there. They were watching him, Scham was now sure of that. "Try to ignore them."  If they made a suspicious move, he would do something. Scham held his gun with his right hand.

The Rangers were playing tonight, and he wouldn't be able to be there; that was one of the worst things of being a law enforcement employee. "I'll have time later." Scham’s interior voice talking to him again "Maybe Sam would like to come with me, I wonder if she... Bad idea boy,” he thought, “don't you have imagination?"

He took a look at his watch. No sign of Sara. "OK, time to go..."

What? Those men weren't there anymore. "Well, that might have been just my imagination." Scham was stepping out of the car when a pair of hands suddenly were holding his throat. He tried to shout, but no voice was coming out from his mouth. He felt something in my arm  -- a needle? Scham wasn't sure, he couldn't see. He struggled, but the two men were so strong. He caught a deep breath and then only darkness...

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

The morning was starting to gather its own terrible momentum. Samantha would have climbed into the backseat, but Kiwi had climbed there herself and made a show of looking through some papers. Sam turned to Craig. "Do you mind driving? I'm still a little stiff, and I hate New York traffic."

"No problem," Craig instantly replied. He was trying to be polite, trying to be himself. He still didn't recognize the influence which had broad sided him since he had met Katherine Ives. Sam could see that he was fighting, though, to regain his own personality again. Gabriel and Daniel must have done some good last night with him.

Kiwi had managed to Samantha a little of what had happened with Willmore and Gabriel last night. Sam had looked like she wanted to hit him herself when she heard who'd given Kiwi the badly cut lip, but she didn't. Kiwi had never known Samantha to willingly hit anyone.

They drove most of the way in a tense silence. Willmore was trying to impress Kiwi (for the most part) and Samantha (to a lesser degree) with his renewed self. Kiwi probably hurt like hell, she figured, from the look of her face, and Sam guessed she hurt even worse inside.

Kiwi found herself occasionally watching the back of his neck. He glanced in the mirror, made eye-contact. Kiwi slipped her eyes away. The gun was chewing at her. She had no idea what kind of weapon Martinez had been killed by, but if it was a 9mm, there was a chance that they'd be driving Craig back to the station.

Sam was thinking through this case, and Mulder's comment before he left...that they could handle this. Yes, they could handle a lot of things, but a 'war' between rival vampire factions? Samantha was lost in playing dozens of images inside her head of what they  could do, should do, might do...how were they going to do this?

They parked outside the ME's office and went inside. Samantha didn't want to think about having to watch a post mortem this morning, but she figured better her than Kiwi who  wasn't managing food very well at the moment.  Samantha didn't think sitting through part of an autopsy would help.

"FBI," Willmore flashed his badge at the desk. "What time is the autopsy scheduled for John Martinez?"

"Martinez, Martinez..." the girl at the front desk started flipping through her records.

"Martinez...you mean Julie Martinez? We have a Julie Martinez at 11 this morning."

"No, J-O-H-N Martinez. Male. Gunshot victim," Craig clarified. "The body should have come through late last night from a homicide at the police lab."

"No way," the girl made a face. "From the police lab? How can anybody get shot there?" Pulling out a massive manila folder of papers, the girl painstakingly flipped through each one. She frowned as she stopped at one paper, then removed it and looked up.

"I've got a record that the body came in and out of here, but let me see what I can do about finding an autopsy report---"

"What do you mean the body came in and out?" Sam stepped up the desk, displaying her  own ID as well. "Where was the body taken?"

"Let me see if I can find out for you, Agents. I'll be right back."

They waited by the desk, and while they were waiting, an ambulance team wheeled in a gurney with a black body bag resting on top of it. The attendants were joking between themselves about a basketball game.

"Here you go, Agents," the girl behind the desk reappeared. She waved her hand at the two waiting men, but she handed a piece of paper to Craig. "The body came in here at 2am this morning. The autopsy was done at 3:30 am by Dr. Haskell. I swear, that man never sleeps!"

The three agents exchanged quick, sober glances.

"The body was then removed to Phipps and Berry Funeral Home immediately after that. Here's a copy of the report, though."

"Who authorized the removal of the body?" Kiwi leaned over the desk.

"I imagine the family of Mr. Martinez," the girl smiled apologetically. "The information should be in that report, Agents." Another pair of ambulance attendants could be seen entering with a covered body being wheeled towards the entrance. "If you'll excuse me, please."

They went back to the car where they could talk privately. "It says that the cause of death was a single gunshot wound --" Sam was reading out loud. "Weapon was a 9mm --" she  resisted the urge to look up at Craig. " -- The ME, Haskell, put the time of death as yesterday afternoon --" she looked up. "Nothing we didn't know here."

"Except that was an Olympic record time for a busy coroner's office to complete an autopsy," Kiwi commented.

"Should we go over the crime scene?" Samantha asked, still avoiding looking at Willmore.

"Might as well," he nodded and started the car. "Unless Kiwi thinks that the NYPD would have covered the scene by now."

"Oh, I'll bet they covered it," Kiwi muttered in the backseat. "Which is all the more reason for us to cover it again."

Just then Kiwi's phone rang. "Yes?" She listened without comment until finally she said, "You may be right, Elisheva. Keep me informed."

"What was that about?" Craig asked.

"Nothing much," Kiwi replied, but from her expression Sam knew she didn't mean that.

In the rear view mirror, Craig could see that, too.

Kiwi’s worst fears were confirmed. But Haskell had done the fastest autopsy on record. Kiwi thought about what Elisheva had just told her. So, Katherine Ives knew both Fenton and Montgomery. A start, Kiwi thought. She hoped for Fenton's sake that he was hiding well, Kiwi imagined Katherine Ives was looking for him in earnest now.

They continued through traffic until we reached the police lab. Flashing their identifications, they went inside the building and were directed straight to the crime scene.

 The lab was a mess, but there was a police forensics team going over the room carefully.

Samantha was looking over the evidence which the FBI had sent to the lab from this case. She was noting what appeared to be missing or damaged while Craig and Kiwi were checking the room itself.

Kiwi felt overwhelmed by guilt. She had put Martinez in this position. If she hadn't asked him to look into Elstree’s death, he would be at home with his family right now. A few of the police team looked strained. One of their own.

Sam heard a cell phone ringing across the room, and Kiwi's voice answering, "Malone."

There was a pause while Kiwi listened without comment, and then she replied, "There might be a problem with that."

Samantha groaned silently. Now what could have gone wrong?

Sara told Kiwi that Fenton was with her. The fact that he witnessed the shooting was a help, but Kiwi was certain now that the weapon was Craig's Sig Sauer.

“What problem? This is good news. I can take Fenton and Rachel back to the motel, they'll be safe there,” Sara’s voice was saying in Kiwi’s ear.

“Yeah, keep them safe. I meant the weapon, it was a 9mm. The...” Kiwi paused, she was in a room full of cops and both Craig and Samantha were watching her carefully. “The last time I checked, 'you know who' had a personal weapon, a .38. She told me it had been her

fathers, she liked to carry it as a good luck charm.”

“Oh.”   There was a long pause.  “We carry 9mm weapons. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?”

“A bullet is missing from his clip. I have to follow this through.”

“Wait, stall for a while, OK? I know that Fenton saw things. She must have somehow gotten his gun and used it. If Craig ends up downtown, he'll be right under her thumb again.”

Kiwi heard Sara talking to someone else, then she was back, “I'll go back to the motel with Scham and these two. I'll call you when we get there.”

“Sure, can you call Elisheva? let her know you've found him?”

Kiwi hung up. She needed to talk to Willmore and Jaythree away from these cops. She  turned to the nearest one. “Is there a rear door in this building?”

He nodded and pointed, “Out the door and to the right.”

As they were leaving, Kiwi noticed John Martinez's desk. There were a few personal effects. One of them was large photograph of him with his wife and two daughters. The oldest girl was in her communion dress. They looked happy. ‘I can't stand this any more,’ she thought and then wondered what was wrong with her. She was becoming an emotional basket case. Kiwi left the others behind and bolted for the door, smashing it open and taking deep ragged breaths of air. Her heart was in her mouth, she felt responsible for Martinez's death. For the family that was going to have to go on without him.

Samantha and Craig came out moments later, and they hovered. Kiwi stood shakily and tried to get focused on work again. She noticed a camera above the door. They should check those tapes, she thought. Kiwi had a feeling that Katherine Ives had entered the rear of the building with Haskell's help, then returned to the front to come in again with Craig. What a mess, Kiwi thought. The others looked at her strangely.

Kiwi tried to speak, but she couldn't. Her eyes were stinging, and she grabbed a ragged breath, sinking to her haunches. “I can't do this anymore guys, I don't think I can do it.”

Craig knelt beside Kiwiphile, placing his hand gently on her back. "What, Kiwi?" he spoke softly. "You can't do what?"

The concern was obviously too much for Kiwi in her present emotional state. She burst into tears, but rather than accept Craig's attempts to pull her against him, she shoved away

at him angrily. Standing again, she walked a few feet away, struggling desperately to regain her composure. "John Martinez is dead!" Her voice sounded as if there were more tears waiting in the wings. "He's dead because of me!"

"You?" Craig followed behind her, careful not to touch her this time. "You didn't even know Martinez. Did you?"

Samantha was standing and observing the two of them. She had very strong mixed feelings about Agent Willmore at the moment. He had been under the spell of some demon woman, but how far did that woman's power go? He was a Federal agent, for Pete's sake. Sam wanted to haul him in front of an OPC board and have him ripped apart for everything he had done or failed to do on this case. Most importantly, though, she wanted Kiwi herself to file the complaint because he had hit her.

Yet Sam knew that the Agent Willmore who had hit Kiwi was not the same Craig Willmore whom she knew. This was so confusing.

"I had Martinez doing some work for the Bureau," Kiwi was saying to Craig. "Stuff that I didn't want the NYPD to see."

"You mean, things that you didn't want *Katherine* to see?"

"I told you -- never mention that woman's name to me again."

Sam sighed heavily, and looking up at Agent Willmore's face which was growing flushed with anger as the conversation deteriorated, she found - to her own surprise - that she was reaching for my weapon to have ready if necessary.

"Agent Willmore," Sam used her most commanding tone. "Step away from Agent Malone."

Craig turned, startled by the reminder of another presence. "This does not concern you, Agent Jaythree." He took a deliberate step towards Kiwi at which Sam drew her weapon and leveled it at his midsection, using a standard two-handed grip.

"Agent Willmore, step away from Agent Malone."

She spoke rather coldly, and Sam felt guilty for the moment of pleasure when his expression turned from anger and frustration to confusion and disbelief.

"You don't think I'd hurt Kiwi...." His voice trailed off as he looked from my gun, still pointed at him, to Kiwi's own sad, but only slightly surprised face. "I really did do that?" His voice was choked.

"Agent Willmore, as of this moment --" Samantha shook her head. She couldn't just suspend him and throw him off the case. Well -- okay, she could, but they might need him before this evening was finished, and besides -- she didn't have the manpower to back her  up at the moment should Craig become violent again. "Agent Willmore, why don't you..."

Sam thought for a long moment of a way to separate the two.

"The security tapes," Kiwiphile rasped. She was breathing deeply, trying to regain her composure and self-control. "We need the tapes from all entrances to this building."

"Good thinking," Sam nodded. "Agent Willmore, get those tapes for the time periods in question and start reviewing them."

"Kiwi, I ---" Craig turned to look at Kiwi. He seemed to be fighting confusion and disbelief as he shook his head. Then he looked at Samantha, her weapon still drawn. "I'll get right on it," he turned and went back inside the building.

Sam turned to Kiwi, Samantha’s eyes large and green and solemn as she returned the gun to its concealed holster beneath her camel-colored blazer. "Kiwi, as your friend, I'm telling you that you're doing a good job on this investigation, but now is not the time to lose sight of the larger goal."

Sam cleared her throat, looked down at the ground, biting her lip slightly, and then she looked directly at Kiwi. "And as an SAC, I'm telling you that if your personal judgment is affecting your professional abilities, it's okay to step away."

Kiwi watched Craig re-enter the building, and was saddened to feel relief flood her. She had actually been afraid of him for a moment. Samantha was right, maybe she should step aside.

“I think I'll be OK in a minute. I probably need to eat something... I'm having a few- well lets just say that my body is throwing me a few curve balls right now.”

Samantha nodded in sympathy. “As long as you can tell me that you'll keep it together, you know that you can't just keep bursting into tears.”

Kiwi sighed heavily. “I know, I know. I just want to see this case out? OK? It's my last one for a while.” She looked at the ground.

“Last?”

“Yeah, I have to think of... my condition. This is a dangerous line of work, and I have someone else to consider now. Back in there, when I saw Martinez's family photo? It hit home, you know?”

“I understand Kiwi. Let’s go in and see what Craig has rustled up. He seems to be making an effort to return to normal.”

They were about to step into the building when Kiwi’s phone rang. She picked up and motioned for Samantha to wait. It was more bad news. She looked at Sam carefully.

“That was Sara, Scham is missing. He was waiting for her in the car and when she returned with Rachel and Matthew, he was gone.”

Samantha went a little pale, then sprang into action. “We better get over there--”

“Sam, Sara has called Elisheva, and they will start looking. Let’s finish up here and meet Sara in a half-hour. You know they can handle it.”

She smiled. “Seems that I was giving you the same advice only a few minutes ago.”

“Well, I had a good teacher.” I squeezed her arm gently. “We're almost done here. Besides, you know Scham. He probably went to buy bagels.”

Kiwi knew that was a crock, but it seemed to cheer Sam up a little.

They got to the security desk and found Craig looking through tapes. “Most of these are useless,' he said. 'Its possible there was tampering.”

Kiwi hoped not. Looking at the security guard, she asked if they had a back-up system.

“Well, yeah. But those tapes need to be gotten out of lock-up. Only the duty supervisor can open it.” He looked at her as if that were the end of the conversation.

“Then get hold of the duty supervisor.”

“He'll be asleep, he was working late last nigh--”

“I'm going to count to five, and if your hand isn't dialing his number by then, I'm going to put you under arrest for obstruction of a Federal Agent.”

He was dialing by the time Kiwi reached 'two'. The supervisor agreed to be there in forty-five minutes. Kiwi looked around. Forty-five minutes seemed like hours right now. Grabbing the receiver, she spoke firmly. “This room, what kind of lock does it have?”

“Same kind as all the other doors in the building, only there's two.”

“We don't have forty-five minutes, I'm going in without you. I'll take Herb here with me. OK?”

“Listen, there's a policy I have to follow, you can't just go in and--”

“Yes, I can,” Kiwi said, hanging up. She looked at Herb. “Let's go, shall we?”

She used her lock-pick on the door, and they found the tapes for the time frame they wanted. Kiwi was aware of Herb hovering. If there were anything involving Craig on these tapes, she didn't want him nosing around. “We'll take it from here, thanks.” She shut the door on his startled face.

They had two players to use. Samantha and Willmore came up trumps first. There, arriving in the rear parking lot on foot, was Ives. She went to the door and knocked. It opened, “That's Haskell,” Kiwi said.

“What's that in her hand?” asked Samantha.

They peered at it. “Looks like a handgun, its not her .38, you can still see that in her holster.” Kiwi pointed to where Ives’ jacket had fallen open, revealing the butt of her pistol.

They talked for a few moments, then disappeared into the doorway. Craig rifled through the tapes to find the interior cameras. They next saw her walking to the labs with Haskell,  then enter the room where Martinez had been found. The camera in there had been moved. With no sound, it made it impossible to know what was happening. It pointed into a corner. “Look over there,” Kiwi said. There was a figure crouching behind a large desk. “Is that Fenton?”

Samantha nodded, “Looks like it. At least we can confirm him as a witness.”

The last tape showed Ives returning to the front of the building. There was no sign of her car, then it pulled up just as she got to the front door. Craig got out of the drivers side. She put her arms around him, and Kiwi forced herself to look closely. “There, she's putting her hand inside your jacket. Near your holster.” She looked at Craig, he seemed uncomfortable.

“All I remember is arriving and going straight in there.” He rubbed at his temples.

Kiwi felt for him, but the thing was done. The rest of the tape simply showed them entering and then leaving again shortly afterwards.

“We should find Detective Ives. She's now a suspect in this murder. Not to mention the ME, Haskell.”

Samantha looked at her and sighed. “Kiwi, so is Craig. He's at the scene. He's hugging her. That makes him a potential accessory.”

Kiwi looked from one to the other, then fixed her eyes on Craig's. “I don't think you knew what was happening. Did you?”

He shook his head, he looked a little pale now as the full import of the situation sank in.

“Well, lets go meet the others. We'll bag up these tapes and put them on the back-burner for a couple of hours. Until we can get a statement from Fenton.”

This was dodge ball on a grand scale, but Kiwi was sure that Craig had no knowledge of his gun being removed and then returned to his holster. How they would prove that was another question. Samantha and Craig followed her out to the car. Time to find SA Scham, Kiwi thought., hoping that he really had been buying bagels.

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

Scham couldn't feel his legs or his arms... It was a strange sensation, as if he were inside a zero-gravity chamber or something. He felt kind of sleepy, dizzy. He tried to shout. Weird. Scham could hear the voice inside him, but outside there was no noise.

The darkness was such, that he didn't even know if his eyes were open or not.

Scham couldn't move, nor speak... he was desperate; and this lead him to the only thing he thought was left... He hadn't cried in a long time; he didn't even remember when was the last time he did. Scham began crying... but there were no tears.

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

Sara decided that they would all wait in the car for Sabalore to arrive, as there was less possibility of a confrontation out in the open, in broad daylight.

They hurried downstairs, and crossed the street to the car. The passenger door was open, the radio was blaring, and Scham was nowhere in sight.

"Scham!?" she yelled, turning 360 degrees, slowly. No sign of him. "Great," she said. Why was it that whenever Sara lost sight of an agent, they disappeared? As if she wasn't in enough trouble on this case already.

Last time I'd lost Willmore. This time Scham. I made a mental note to never partner up with a man again. They were always getting kidnapped.

"Get in the car," Sara said, "Lock the doors."

Montgomery and Fenton sat in the backseat, still as stone, not saying a word. Sara called Scham's cell phone, no answer. She hung up without leaving any voicemail. Then she called the rest of the group, Elisheva last, as Sara knew she'd be ticked at her. She was.

Sara hung up, ticked off at Elisheva because she was already angry with herself. She began planning her letter of resignation, which Sara would with delight hit Skinner with before *he* had the chance to lecture her, too.

Sara just couldn't take it anymore. She rested her forehead on the steering wheel, letting it bounce up and down a few times first.

"Um, are you okay?" came Fenton's voice from the backseat.

"Yes," Sara replied. "Just peachy."

Sabalore arrived in about fifteen minutes. Sara debated with herself for another five as to whether or not they should all pile into one car, or take both of them. Finally she told Sabalore to get in, that they would come back for the other car later. The last thing Sara  needed was to lose *another* agent.

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

Elisheva and Sabalore hadn't found Fenton, but they had found a connection between Fenton, Elstree and Katherine Ives. Now Elisheva was just shooting from the hip. She had come up with a working theory about Ives, but she had no idea if it were accurate or not, just a hunch. Somehow Katherine Ives must have had prior contact with the two young men, and she singled them out as her prizes. The posting of the note on the bulletin board at Elstree's place of employment was certain to attract their attention and lure them into her snare.

The rest of the search turned up nothing. Nothing to give them a clue where Fenton might be. Elisheva bagged and tagged the picture and slipped it into her pocket.

As Sabalore and she walked back to the car, Sabalore broke into Elisheva’s train of thought. "Toews, I don't want to sound stupid, but what is our next move?"

Looking at her, Elisheva took a deep breath and slowly released it. It was still early, hours before the impending showdown. Then it struck her. Where the heck was this 'showdown' suppose to take place? Opening her mouth to speak, Elisheva was immediately interrupted by the ringing of her phone.

"Toews here."

"Toews, its Zeuty. I just found Fenton."

"What? How..."

Sara cut Elisheva off. "Scham and I came back to Rachel Montgomery's place to follow up with that end of the investigation. He was hiding out with her. He is terrified of what is going to happen tonight. He keeps referring to Katherine Ives. She is obviously a major player in what is happening."

Ellie heard Sara change her phone from ear to the other before she continued. "Toews, he was a witness to the killing of Martinez and he can implicate Ives in that."

Elisheva was relieved to hear that piece of information. Relieved that one of their own had not been a part of Martinez's murder, but mostly relieved for Kiwi. Ellie could sense there was something more going on between Willmore and Kiwi than met the eye. Personally, the fact that he had done the wild thing with another woman would have been enough for Elisheva to give the man the boot. And she knew Kiwi wouldn't tolerate it unless that was a darn good reason.

"That is extremely good news." Elisheva was about to suggest that Sara take them both into protective custody, when she informed Ellie that she had already made plans to do so.

"Scham and I will take these two back to the motel and keep an eye on them," she said.

Elisheva looked across the hood of the car at Sabalore who was watching her intently.

"Zeuty, I'm going to send Sabalore over to Montgomery's place. Wait until she arrives; it shouldn't take more than ten or fifteen minutes for her to get there. I have a strong feeling that Ives is going to be desperately searching for this kid, Fenton." Ellie proceeded to explain her hunch about how Ives was probably using Fenton and Elstree. "You're going to need all the hands you can get to ward her and her friends off if they come looking for him. Sab is an expert in vampire defense. She could prove to be very useful."

"Well, your theory puts an interesting twist on things, doesn't it?" Sara stopped for a moment, as if pondering the idea. "I'll be waiting for Sab, but tell her to step on it."

She hung up and tossed the car keys to Sabalore. "You're needed at Rachel Montgomery's place. Sara is waiting."

Sabalore looked at her a little puzzled. She must have felt as if Elisheva were blowing her off, which was not the case. She could prove very useful to Zeuty and Scham tonight. Plus where Elisheva was going next, she didn't want to take Sabalore along. Ellie didn't want to put Sabalore in harm’s way unnecessarily.

"What about you?" she asked.

"I'll catch a cab. I want to go do a little checking up on our beloved Det. Ives." Elisheva was purposely being vague.

Sabalore obediently jumped behind the wheel and sped off.

Ellie flagged down a taxi after almost ten minutes of walking aimlessly through Fenton's somewhat questionable neighborhood. As she climbed into the back seat, she had the strangest feeling she was being watched. Elisheva began to rationalize. Why wouldn't people be watching me? A well dressed professional woman roaming around a neighborhood where she definitely didn't belong. She pushed the feeling aside.

"Where to, lady?" the taxi driver asked.

"Take me to the Bledisoe Building, please." Elisheva rattled off the address and he pulled away from the curb.

Elisheva didn't know exactly where this impending showdown was going to take place, but she did know where at least one of these clans was based, Adrian’s clan. And where Adrian was, she knew Katherine Ives would be at some point, especially today of all days...her shot at immortality.

Realizing that is was going to be a little difficult to do surveillance without a car, Elisheva  had the taxi driver drop her off at the end of the block instead of at the entrance to the Bledisoe Building. The late afternoon shadows were beginning to fall across the ground, and the wind was starting to pick up, cold and damp. Although the day had started out with bright sunshine and clear blue skies, it appeared it would not end that way. Clouds were quickly forming over the top of the New York City skyline, threatening to unleash one heck of storm. The irony of the timing did not escape her.

Elisheva tightened the belt to her trench coat, and backed herself up into the entrance of a bank where the taxi had dropped her. She had a perfect direct view of the Bledisoe from this vantage point.

The minutes slowly ticked by, and with each passing one the wind got colder.

Her cell phone rang and with slightly frozen fingers she pulled it out and answered. “Toews here.”

“Toews, Zeuty again. There’s been a new development.” Her voice filled with concern and aggravation at the same time. “Scham is missing.”

“Excuse me!?”

“Scham was waiting for me down stairs...”

“Why the hell didn’t he go upstairs with you in the first place?” Elisheva did not even try to hide her irritation. She really liked Agent Zeuty, but sometimes her actions weren’t  exactly by the book.

“Don’t you think that is a little insignificant at this point!” Sara spat back. Elisheva could tell by Sara’s voice that Ellie’s AR personality rubbed her the wrong way at times too.

“Okay, Zeuty. I’m at the Bled....” Elisheva started, when a nondescript car slowed and parallel parked next the curb across the street from the Bledisoe. She watched as two men, whom she did not recognize, exited the car and then removed a third man from the backseat. They supported his semi-limp body between theirs as they half dragged half walked the third man across the street. Damned if it wasn’t Scham!

“Toews, damn it, are you there?!”

“Yea, I’m here,” Elisheva’s voice exhibiting that fact Sara had only half her attention.

“Damn it Elisheva, what is it!”

“I think I just found Scham.  Zeuty, send me back-up. I’m at the Bledisoe Building.” Elisheva hung up and turned off her phone before replacing it into her pocket.

As discreetly as possible Elisheva crossed the street and headed for the ‘back entrance’, hoping their previous place of entry had not been blocked up since their last visit. To her  somewhat pleasant surprise, it was still open. Elisheva let herself down, but before dropping to the floor below, she took one last look around and wondered if this would be the last glimpse of sunlight she would see for quite sometime. She pushed the thought aside and dropped the remaining few feet, and landed less than gracefully to the basement floor.

In the dankness of the basement, it seemed even colder than it had been outside. It was dimly lit and smelled of must and mold. There was something else in the air, but it wasn’t an odor, it was a feeling. A distinct feeling of tension...no, it would be better described as anticipation, almost excitement. Elisheva knew that the vampires would still be in their ‘sleep mode’, but apparently sleeping did not limit their ability to emit their feelings, their sense of power to draw people to them. It was incredibly strong. She hoped the little blessing Gabriel had given her the night before was in full effect because she knew she was going to need it. They all were before the night was over.

Elisheva cautiously started weaving her way back to where they had been the day before. With each step the emotional sensations became stronger, making it more difficult to focus. Scham...she had to get to Scham and get him out of here before he became the first victim of the evening.

Pulling her gun from its holster, Elisheva cursed herself for not bringing the trusty stake Sabalore had given her the day before. Damn, and she was fresh out of holy water too. She made yet another mental note to tell Skinner that both of those items should be standard issue on any case involving vampires.

Skinner. Damn Skinner. Did he have ANY idea what he had sent her, or should she say them, into? Why should he care, it was part of the job. Funny, Elisheva didn’t remember anything in the job description that mentioned saving the world from doom by stopping the power struggle between rival clans of vampires. She shook her head to clear away the rambling thoughts running through it and pressed forward.

She approached the room where they had found Kiwi the day before. She pressed her back up against the wall and readied my gun. Taking a deep breath and quickly releasing it, Elisheva focused her energy. She burst into the room, swinging her gun from center to right , center and then left in rapid succession. It was empty. Walking forward, she  strained her eyes to see into the shadowed crevasses of the room. There was nothing.

She returned to the hall and continued the search for Scham.

As she took a  step into the hall, the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Elisheva  hadn’t thought that the emotional excitement coming from the basement could have become any more intense, but it had. She put one foot in front of the other, finding it more and more difficult to focus on Scham.

Then something strange happened. Elisheva realized she was no longer in control of her  thoughts or her body. She was being led by an invisible force. It was like a magnet drawing her body to its unknown location. And then a voice. A voice from inside her own mind.

“Elisheva,” the voice was captivating and sensual. “Welcome to my home.”

She continued her journey to heaven knows where, completely unable to stop herself. The voice continued, “I had not expected any additional guest this evening, but you are more than welcome to join us for this glorious event.”

Her footsteps came to a stop. Looking around, Elisheva found herself in the very room Kiwi had describe she had been held in before Meuller had taken her. With great effort Ellie looked up and saw scores of ‘them’ handing from the ceiling. Unlike the night before, Elisheva knew she would not be waking up from a bad dream this time.

There was the muffled sound of footsteps coming towards her from the darkness.

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

Samantha’s  heart had nearly stopped for a moment when Kiwi had told her that Scham was missing. Sam had been telling herself ever since she had met Scham that she was interested in him purely as one agent was eager to meet and learn about another interesting fellow agent.

Now it hit her with a tremendous jolt that she also wanted to learn about her fellow agent, Scham, as an interesting man as well.

It took every ounce of Samantha’s  considerable self-control not to call Sara and tell her just how to proceed in order to find Scham, but her thoughts were racing. A street smart agent like Scham would not have been easily distracted by something ordinary. That just left the extraordinary, and in this case, we had passed the boundaries of bizarre a long time ago.

As an SAC, though, Samantha had an example to set. Fixing a determined smile on her  face, Sam continued about her duties as well, if not better, than she ever did. They  reviewed the tapes for the security cameras. She would get ASAC Marston to settle with the NYPD if they got upset about a breach of protocol. The duty supervisor himself had said he was coming. They just didn't have the time to wait for him. The agents bagged the tapes and debated for a moment -- leave them there or take them? The officer informed them that they couldn't remove the property, so they reluctantly left the back-up tapes, locked once more inside their original storage space.

As they climbed into the car, Kiwi took the back seat again while Samantha sat in the front with Craig. "What do you think happened to Scham?" he asked. His eyes were fixed on traffic, but his manner was intense despite the serious situation he now faced. This was the Craig Willmore Sam knew.

"He could have seen suspicious activity and decided to investigate," Kiwi offered from the back seat.

"Or he could have been taken prisoner by one of these rival vampire gangs," Sam stated the worst case scenario with as little emotion as possible. "They know we're onto them by now. They must suspect that with Daniel and Gabriel on *our* side -- at least I think they're on our side, that we know something big is going down tonight."

She turned back towards Kiwi. "Are we sure that Daniel and Gabriel are on our side?"

Kiwi nodded. "I'm positive. Just don't ask me how."

"Fine," Samantha nodded. "Then we have to suspect that they could be holding Scham as leverage or as a negotiating tool."

"Agreed," Craig was sounding more and more like himself. "But where would they take him?"

"They know we're aware of their presence in the Bledisoe building," Sam nodded. "So there must be someplace else. But where?"

Her heart felt heavy. The three of them looked outside the car windows at the buildings which filled New York City. Lots and lots of buildings.

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

They came to a stop. Elisheva could tell that whomever it was, was standing within inches of her body.

There was the sound of a match striking against the surface of a box and as its faint light illuminate a small radius around its small flame, she saw the face of a man. He was pale, very pale with deep red lips and penetrating eye. He was tall and handsome, and her own primitive desires involuntarily responded to his presence.

She watched as he moved the lit match to a candle he held in his opposite hand. She  continued to watch as the wick ignited, the flame of the match willing it to burn. How odd, she thought, it was such a sexual sight to behold.

“Elisheva,” his voice coming to her again, “I am Adrian, also known by the name of Methusala from days gone by.” His voice was low and soft, yet erotic and powerful. “And I believe you have already met my companion.” He moved the candle to his right., its light illuminating the face of Katherine Ives. She smiled.

She had changed. She looked different somehow, but Elisheva couldn’t put her finger on the difference. Had Adrian ‘embraced’ her?

“Yes, she is mine,” Adrian said, having read Elisheva’s thoughts. Her eyes locked with his, and she was unable to look away. He handed the candle to Ives and stepped forward, closing the gap between himself and Elisheva. She could feel Adrian’s breath against her  face, but it was not warm. It was like a gentle cool breeze caressing her cheek. She drew a heavy sigh, her body’s response to the building sexual tension.

She struggled within to find her self-control. It had been years since she had felt such intense desires, and Elisheva wondered if the fact she suppressed her feelings for a certain A.D. for so long quantified the height of her attraction to Adrian. She wondered if everything was going to end here, for not only herself, but Gabriel and Daniel and the others.

Again his voice came to her. "This place is just the beginning of the end for yourself and the others. There is another place, more appropriate and sacred for such a battle as will take place tonight. A place where all forces shall meet and succumb to my power."

Adrian’s hand came to her face, and he softly drew his cold fingertips along the contours of Elisheva’s cheeks. She fought herself not lean into his touch. She tried to redirect her  thoughts, to anything to distract her from Adrian's magnetism. Again Elisheva thought of the man who had sent her here, to NYC, to this 'situation'. Her mind momentarily flooding with anger, quickly fading into regret...regret that she had never made her true feelings for him known.

”So you desire another man...what a shame he will never have the chance to ‘know’ you. I shall be the fortunate one, my dear.” His fingers continued to trace down Elisheva’s cheek, her jaw line, eventually resting at the curve of her collar bone. She could feel her pulse racing, and she saw the delight in Adrian’s eyes as he watched the blood pulsate through the veins beneath the thin veil of her skin. Elisheva wanted to scream, wanted to break free from the invisible bonds that held her in his presence. “No!” was the only word she could manage.

From somewhere within the room, she heard a sluggish and weak voice. “Toews, is that you?” It was Scham, he was here.

“Scham,” she whispered.

Adrian’s mouth closed on Elisheva‘s, a long sensual kiss was shared between them. This could not be happening! She forgot about Scham... and the others... and the impending doom. She felt the world begin to spin, and she began to slip into darkness. Her last conscious thought was not a thought at all, but an image and a feeling. An image of the man Elisheva truly desired and sadness of knowing she would never be his.

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

Kiwi hated having to leave those tapes behind, if the first set had been tampered with, the second would be prime targets. And right now they were their best proof that Ives was directly involved in the killing of Martinez.

She sat in the rear of the car, watching Sam and Willmore spring into action. Willmore seemed more himself, but he still avoided Kiwi’s eyes. She was feeling better, more focused.

As they looked at the darkening skyline, wondering where to start searching, Kiwi’s   phone rang. “Kiwi.”

“It’s Sara, I just got off the 'phone to Elisheva. She was staking out the Bledisoe, and she saw two men taking Scham into it.”

“We're on our way, I'll call her and tell her to meet us out front of that crack-house.” Kiwi  was relaying the information to the others as she listened to Sara.

“Well, you're not going to like this, but I think she went in alone.”

“What?” That was so unlike Elisheva, following protocol was second nature to her.

“Where are you?”

“At the motel, with Sabalore and the Addams Family.”

“Is Daniel there?”

“Yeah, he’s just waking up.”

“Leave Sabalore to look after Fenton and Montgomery. Tell her to be prepared for visitors, someone is going to want those kids silenced. I want you and Daniel to meet us at the Bledisoe. We have to move fast.”

They were almost there when the sunlight changed from gold to orange and then finally dusk. Willmore sped into a parking position that broke several city codes, and they  stepped out. Kiwi eyed the building nervously, it didn't feel good being back here. Not one little bit.

“What now?” Craig asked.

“She may have tried the basement window, we should check down there. But I want to wait for Daniel to get here. He knows the building. I only saw...I only saw the room I was kept in.”

Craig surveyed it, his face a mixture of expressions. “This place, it looks familiar somehow...”

“You were here, yesterday.”

Samantha looked at him with some sympathy. “Gabriel said it would be a couple of days before you recalled everything, don't push it. But if you can remember the lay-out of the rooms, it would help. Scham could be anywhere in there.”

He stared hard at the building, his brow furrowed. “I think I do, I remember going through the main doors and then down to the basement. There was a noise and Kath- Detective Ives and I--” He stopped suddenly. Kiwi knew what he was thinking of, and wanted to snap him out of it.

“No time for feeling sorry about missing me, Agent Willmore, just tell us what we can use.”

He nodded, keeping his eyes leveled on the Bledisoe. “There's the basement, but there’s a sub level, underneath it. It basically leads into the old subway tunnels, I only glimpsed the entry, but it looked like it spread out for miles under the city. You can get to it from the basement I think, but there's another way. I have to think where it was.”

Kiwi looked over his shoulder and saw Sara arriving. She had Daniel with her. “Daniel, what can you tell us about the catacombs under this building?”

“I can lead you through them. But they are not where you would wish to be, you would be at a distinct disadvantage.”

“Nothing new then,” Kiwi said. “We should try to find Elisheva, she could be anywhere. As for Scham, he could be in the same place, or somewhere else.”

There was a voice behind them that Kiwi recognized. “I will assist, I can release Elisheva, who is at this very moment in the pit where you were found.” Gabriel. He looked immaculate, as usual. He almost glided towards Kiwi. She found herself drawn to his eyes again, those unfathomable eyes. He placed an alabaster hand on her cheek and leaned close to her ear. “I know that the child is within you,” he whispered, “You should not venture down into the catacombs, it is not safe, and there are many that would relish feeding on you. It is considered a delicacy amongst the more primitive of our kind. You would be a prize.”

Reluctantly, Kiwi pulled away. He was so cold, but she felt filled with heat by him. With some satisfaction, she noticed Craig giving them a worried look.

“We have to do something, now.,“ said Samantha.

Kiwi looked at the group, Gabriel moved off with a small, dignified bow, heading towards the basement window. “Leave Agent Elisheva to me, you must find your companion, he is even now being carried deep under the city. I will join you shortly.”

Sara dumped her pack on the ground and started handing out stakes and crossbows.

“Sabalore gave me all she had, she was pretty upset about staying behind, don't be surprised if she follows us.”

“Well, as long as she keeps our witnesses safe, she's welcome to follow.” Kiwi had a feeling they would need all the back up they could get.

Without another word, they followed Daniel into the eerily quiet Bledisoe, and they lead through the labyrinthine corridors to the entrance of the catacombs. He turned at the doorway. “Stay together, in pairs at least. If you become lost, stay where you are until Gabriel or I can find you. And do not underestimate the ferocity of an attack, you must kill on sight. You will not get a second chance.”

Kiwi closed her eyes for a moment, silently mouthing a prayer to whatever Saint was listening, then stepped through the low iron door.  They came to a crossroads in the tunnels. 

"I'll take this way," Sara said, starting down one.

"I shall accompany you," Daniel said. She noticed the others give each other a look, before nodding.

Sara tried to be as confident as she could, walking with her head held high, gripping a crossbow so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

“Do not be afraid," Daniel said. "I will make sure no harm comes to you."

"I'm not afraid," she said. "It's just that I don't want to think about the various kinds of bugs crawling around down here." It was the truth. "That, and I know I can't make sure no harm will come to you."

Daniel sighed, placing a hand on her shoulder as they walked.

"So, what will happen, to you? After..." 

"It is best not to think about that," he said.

"I want to know. I want to know what to expect."

After a long while, he replied. "I am very old. It will take some time, maybe thirty minutes... I will weaken quickly. I will grow old... in the end, I will turn to dust."

Sara said nothing, and kept walking.  Up ahead, she saw movement. She stopped, peering into the darkness. Something was running at them. Sara took aim, and hit a vampire, straight through the heart, then casually stepped over the rapidly decaying body as she  came to it. Daniel looked at her with a half-impressed, half-worried expression on his face. "You really aren't afraid..." he said.

Sara stopped, hearing another noise ahead. "Now I am," she said. At least half a dozen more were coming toward them. She dropped her flashlight, not having time to pocket it, and raised the crossbow. Daniel did the same, and they began shooting. This time, they  missed a few shots. The vampires came at them with incredible speed, almost as if they were flying. One of them knocked Sara down, and her crossbow flew across the tunnel. She reached for a stake, and plunged it into his heart just before she became breakfast. Daniel, meanwhile, had easily taken care of the rest.

Sara got up, dusting herself off. We were now in complete darkness, and her crossbow had broken when it fell. "Piece of crap!" She yelled at it, smashing it even more against a wall as she threw it.

Sara leaned against a wall, taking several deep breaths, trying to regain her composure.

"Come on," Daniel said, "We have to keep moving." He started ahead, and she followed the sound of his footsteps. She could not see a thing.

Suddenly, he grabbed her by the waist and pinned her to the side of the tunnel with his body, thrusting his pelvis toward hers. Sara opened her mouth to tell him that this was hardly the time, when his hand covered it. His other hand clasped the back of her neck, and then his hair brushed her face, and Sara felt his breath at her throat. He smelled wrong, somehow... then she heard Daniel call her name from some distance away. She  realized then that she was about to be bitten by a vampire that was not Daniel.

Sara tried to scream, to struggle, but she was unable to move, she was not strong enough. Daniel's calls became more frantic. She heard the vampire that was holding her chuckle softly, as if it were a game. He pulled back, slightly, and grabbed her wrist, bringing it to his mouth. She felt a terrible stab of pain as he bit into it. The more Sara tried to pull away, the tighter he held on. She began to feel dizzy, when suddenly it was as if the vampire was lifted away. She heard a terrible crunching sound, like breaking bones, then silence.

She had slid down to the ground, clutching her wrist, feeling the blood welling out between her fingers. Someone touched her, and Sara screamed.

"Sara, it's me." Daniel. She breathed a sigh of relief and tried to stand up. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah... he got my right wrist... luckily I'm left-handed.." Daniel helped her wrap the belt from her trench coat around the wound and held her hand above her head for several minutes. By then Sara felt alright enough to continue.

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

Kiwi watched Sara and Daniel disappear into the gloom and turned in the other two directions. Which way? Craig pointed straight ahead, and she shrugged. It was as good as any. Kiwi hefted the crossbow. Craig insisted on leading, so she followed him with Samantha at her side, the three of us forming a loose triangle. The bow felt unfamiliar and awkward. Kiwi was worried that she might fire it accidentally and hit either Sam or Craig, so she kept the tip pointed down and away.

It was so quiet, the silence heavy like a thick blanket. And the light from their flashlights  seemed dismal. There was a sudden movement ahead, and Craig lifted his cross bow and fired into whoever, whatever it was that was coming. The creature screamed once and fell heavily. Within seconds, they were surrounded. Kiwi gave up on the crossbow, it was too difficult to reload. She just started hefting stakes into whatever she could reach. They moved with startling speed, too fast for the eye to follow. Kiwi felt the stitches in her arm give way again, but pushed through the pain. If she was hurting, then she was alive.

There was a cry to her left, and Kiwi saw Samantha pinned beneath a body, struggling to keep from being bitten. She threw herself bodily against it, and it turned, the eyes glittering slightly. Of course, Kiwi thought, she must seem a more delicious meal right now. The shift in its weight gave Sam the opportunity to lift her arm, and it died still leering at Kiwi in the shadows.

She looked ahead to Willmore. He was extracting himself from underneath a body that was rapidly decaying. Kiwi gathered up any stakes that they could re-use. Apparently vampires outnumbered rats in New York, they would need all the weapons they could muster.

“Is everyone OK?” Kiwi asked. They both nodded. “Lets go then.” She pulled the crossbow over her shoulder and ignored the nagging ache in her arm.

Willmore looked at her. “They seem more interested in you than us.,“ he said. “There were twice as many around you. Why would that be? Do they know you're in charge?”

Kiwi knew that this was not the right time to share her news with him, so she simply nodded. “Probably, maybe it's an instinct, as though I'm a rival clan leader.”

She noticed Samantha’s expression shift. The gears were working. “I think you should stay in the center, give us a chance to help.”

She had barely finished the sentence when the second wave came. Again, they moved fast, some of them crawling along the ceiling and dropping down from above like grotesque bugs. Kiwi felt a pair of hands dig into her arms. Her legs left the floor, and she scrambled wildly with the stake she was holding.

Kiwi called out, desperate to get free. “Craig!”

She saw that he and Samantha had dispatched most of the others. Kiwi was being dragged along the roof of the tunnel. Craig looked up, trying to aim with the bow. But she was in front, he couldn't get a clear shot. Without warning, the remaining vampires surrounding them left and joined Kiwi’s captor. There was a rush of air, and she saw Craig running full speed behind them, his flashlight’s glow receding as she was pulled at an insane speed away from them.

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

As the darkness engulfed Elisheva and the images faded from before her mind’s eye, she was filled with despair. She wanted immortality, but in the form of children and grandchildren. She did not want to live from generation to generation, watching the years come and go in the cold and darkness that Adrian offered.

As if from nowhere, a new voice came to her. “Elisheva.” The voice was kind and familiar. It was Gabriel. The resonating of his voice sent ripples of light through the darkness leading back to the life that only moments ago she was about to leave. “You must fight this darkness. You must will yourself out of it, I can not remove it from you.”

Elisheva struggled to put her thoughts into a coherent string. “But if Adrian has already...” the thought was so vile, she could not complete it.

“Adrian is with you, but he has not completed his heathenistic ritual. You must fight. Fight now, or you will forever lose the things that you desire most.” His words cut through the fog filling her mind and began to strengthen her. Light now filling the darkness as if a fire had been started with a single lighting of a match, igniting the kindling, growing and spreading until it became a roaring fire.

Opening her eyes, Elisheva was instantly aware of Adrian’s presence over her. She fought the desire she had to touch him. By the candlelight, she could see the outline of his face, his eyes staring into hers. They were in a different room, something like a bedroom. Probably his private chamber specifically dedicated to this ritual.

His hand was slowly moving up Elisheva’s blouse, lazily unbuttoning each button, one by one. Carefully pulling the sides of her blouse apart, he revealed the lace of her bra and traced his finger along the edge of it. His finger came to rest over her left breast, feeling the wild beating of her heart.

He broke their gaze and let his eyes fall to the place where his hand touched her. He dipped his head and touched his cold lips against the exposed flesh covering Elisheva’s  heart.

Gabriel’s earnest voice came to her again. “Now, Elisheva, it must be now!”

Adrian’s head snapped back, and his eyes began to search the room. He must have sensed Gabriel’s presence.

Adrian’s face became contorted and almost unrecognizable at he filled with anger. “NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!” He screamed with a voice that sounded as if it originated in hell. “It is not yet the appointed time Gabriel!”

With new found strength, Elisheva shoved Adrian off of her and rolled from the bed. Now what, the room was pitch black outside the little circle of light the candle offered.

“Run, Elisheva. You will know the way to go.” An image came to her, as if a map had been imprinted on the back of her eyelids. And as if someone had placed night vision goggles over her eyes, the room became illuminated with the soft glow of a greenish gray light. “Join the others, they will need you.”

Adrian stood on the bed and lunged towards her. He was stopped in mid flight, and Elisheva watched as an unseen force threw him against the wall. By the time she turned to make her exit, she saw Gabriel standing near her. For what would be the final time, their  eyes met, and he took Elisheva’s hand in his. “They need you,” his voice was firm and reassuring, “and HE needs you also.” She nodded her head once to assure him she  understood.

“What about Scham?”

“He is not here. Katherine has taken him from this place. Your friends will find him.”

“Thank you, Gabriel,” were her parting words. Choosing not to look back as she heard the sounds of an unholy war of darkness begin to rage in the room behind her.

Elisheva worked her way through the maze of halls and stairways until she came to what appeared to be an abandoned subway system. In the distance she could see the others already engaged in their own battles. She could see Samantha, Willmore and Kiwi surrounded by numerous vampires. Elisheva watched as Kiwi was helplessly carried away.

She stood there momentarily, not knowing what action to take. She heard Gabriel's words echo in mind. "They need you..." She began to run, no weapon in hand to defend herself, but determined to get to her partners. She had the one gift that Gabriel had left her...she could see in this darkness like none of the other could. Elisheva hoped to use it to their  advantage.

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

Scham still didn't know where he was. He thought he'd heard Elisheva's voice; more in his   mind than in reality. But he saw nothing. Nothing, that's the word. Scham realized that if he were to stay like this forever, also his mind would have nothing; he would be lost in nowhere. The complete and entire Nothing Anaximandrus had written about so many centuries ago.

"I have to leave this place, I must leave this place," he said to himself. But how? He  thought there was only one way, using the most powerful force in the world, the power that made life possible: love. He started thinking in every thing he loved or had once loved... so many things; and people who had been very close to him in the last days were there, specially one.

Scham struggled, there was this force which didn't want him to get out of this place. But he was stronger, he knew he could fight it back.

His eyes opened... Darkness. The same complete darkness. There was only one difference: he was now sure that his eyes were open. He could move his hands now and touched his  face. But there was something that didn't let his body move freely. "What the--?" He realized he was lying inside some kind of box. Only thinking about it scared him the most:

What was worse? Leaving in the Nothing for the rest of his life... or being buried alive?...

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

Samantha was no slouch when it came to speed sprints, but Craig far outdistanced her in his desperate attempt to reach Kiwi. Sam had an awful suspicion why these creatures wanted Kiwi so badly. Whether it was Sam’s own intuition or a suggestion planted by one of our more benevolent vampires, she didn't know, but she was horribly sure she was correct in her guess.

Sam *did* know that the situation was deteriorating rapidly. Sabs was back at the motel. Samantha had neglected to call the local ASAC Marston to tell him that they might require backup. Damn. She didn't fool herself that she was telepathic, but Sam sent a quick mental prayer upwards...please let Sabalore call Marston. Request backup. Sabs knew the location of the Bledisoe. At least it was a starting point for all these tunnels.

Hostages: Kiwi - Scham - probably Elisheva

Good guys not being held hostage: Me - Willmore (I hoped) - Sara - Daniel - Gabriel

Bad guys: Everybody else, and most of them seemed to fly like the wind and read minds

Old memories of other tactically poor situations rose swiftly to mind. Okay. Think, Sam, think. What to do here?

She caught up with Willmore who had stopped at a point where the main 'tunnel' branched into several directions. One appeared to be a main shaft, while the others might have been service conduits. Maybe. "Which way?" She panted as she stopped beside him.

"I don't know," Craig's voice was agonized. "I lost her."

Footsteps. Running behind them, towards them. Sam dropped to one knee and pulled out her gun, pointing into the darkness. If it were Katherine Ives, she'd shoot her personally.

"Sam!" A familiar voice shouted. "Willmore! Don't shoot! It's me!"

Samantha didn't drop her weapon, instead she held her finger immobile on the trigger. "Elisheva!" she called to the still unseen figure. "Come out here where we can see you!"

She heard Willmore moving to her right and his flashlight was aimed at the figure rapidly approaching in the darkness. As Elisheva’s figure came within the range of Sam’s vision, Samantha noted that Elisheva was moving confidently in these tunnels without her flashlight. Sam kept her gun pointed in Elisheva’s direction.

As she came closer, Sam heard Craig's sharp intake of breath. "Ellie," Samantha called. "Stop right there."

"Why?" Elisheva halted instantly. "What's wrong?" Then as if suddenly conscious of the fact that her blouse was open, Elisheva called "Don't shoot me!" Her hands hastily worked to close the buttons.

Okay, so far, so good. That sounded like the Elisheva she knew. But they had been fooled by Craig. What if Elisheva was under the spell of one of these creatures as well?

"Tell us where you were," Craig called from beside Samantha. His own memories must be coming back to him more strongly as his voice regained its confidence and lost its previous arrogance. "Tell us who was there, and why you can see in the darkness when the rest of us need a flashlight."

They were wasting precious moments needed to rescue the others, but what would they  do if Elisheva were one of *them* now, too?

Elisheva had the good sense to stand still and realize that Craig and Samantha didn't know where in this hell she had been or what had happened to her. "I was captured by this Adrian," she began. Elisheva  couldn’t blame Samantha and Willmore for not trusting her when she approached them, but it was a strange feeling when her fellow agents turned a gun on her.

From the corner of her eye, Samantha caught Willmore's movement. The flashlight was now in one hand, his gun in the other.

"Then what?" Sam called.

"Adrian was going-- was going to-- He tried to-- "

This sounded like Ellie, but Craig brusquely interrupted her. "Just tell us what happened."

The wild thought ran through Sam’s mind that he was remembering his own moments of what he *did* do with *that* woman.

As Elisheva tried to explain, she could tell from Willmore’s body language that he felt something haunting familiar about her experience. She knew it wasn’t the time, but a part of me wanted to tell him I could empathize with what he had been going through the past few days, but Kiwi was gone and Elisheva knew that we had to find her.

"Gabriel came and rescued me. He somehow implanted a vision in my head of what this place looks like. And I can see it, I mean really see it...it's like walking with night vision goggles, only I --" Ellie's voice faltered for a moment as she struggled to explain. "It's as if I can see it inside my head as well as with my eyes."

Sam lowered her weapon and waved for Elisheva to join them. Craig followed her lead, but he turned to Sam, his voice low. "You believe her?"

"Yes," she simply replied. They didn't have time for Sam to explain her line of reasoning. "Ellie, we lost track of Kiwi, and we haven't seen Scham. Any ideas about which way to go?"

Elisheva closed her eyes and studied the map inside her mind. Her attention was drawn to a large room, possibly the a substation, she noted the direction and opened her eyes. “This way!” She took off in a sprint. “Stay close!” Willmore flashed his flashlight in my direction as Sam and he fell in behind her.

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

Kiwi was on her own, her arms and legs held tightly. She had long ago dropped the stake, and now even the sound of Craig and Samantha was beyond hearing. She felt sick at the speed they were traveling. She couldn't see a thing, but the air was rushing past her face, and every now and then they would lurch sickeningly to one side or the other as they  turned.

They slowed as they came around the seventh turning, and Kiwi blinked a little as her eyes adjusted to the candle light.

It was a cavernous room. Old fashioned architecture and concrete moldings surrounded it, and spread up the walls into darkness. It must be hundreds of feet high, Kiwi thought.

There was no one here. The four that had carried her stood around, circling her slowly, their eyes hungry, but they exerted no force on her, and they appeared to be keeping their distance. Kiwi remembered Adrian, and the fact that he thought she was Gabriel’s lover, that Kiwi was carrying his child. Perhaps that was the plan then, to lure Gabriel here?

She heard a sighing sound, and then her mind became filled with a pair of green eyes. The shield that Gabriel had placed on Kiwi crumpled and was swept aside. Katherine Ives, she  thought.

<Yes> she answered in Kiwi’s mind.  She struggled to remain focused, and looked for her.

<Don't worry, I won't forget you. I am on my way>

Oh, great, Kiwi thought.

<You have done nothing but hound me since you met me.>

<I am looking forward to watching you die>

Kiwi answered her this time. 'I'd like to see you try.'

<I wont need to try. Just like I didn't need to try to take your man. That was so easy, but then how could he resist? There was me, and there was you. Not much choice really. He was good, too, did you know what we did? Shall I show you?>

Kiwi was going to go mad, she had to get Katherine Ives out of her head. Kiwi imagined her and Craig together, then saw it, as though she were there. Kiwi began to scream, to turn in her own tight circle like a caged cat, yelling for Ives to get out of her mind. From far away, a great distance, Kiwi became aware of Gabriel. He smiled, and there was a little peace at last.

Kiwi shook her head, standing once more, but then her spirits flagged a little. There, holding on to the young girl Rebecca, was Katherine Ives. And Kiwi saw at once that she had been embraced. She smiled at me. Beautiful, Kiwi thought. She looked down at me and her eyes widened slightly, in surprise and pleasure.

“Oh Agent Malone, how interesting. I must tell Adrian about the paternity of that child...”

That's it then, Kiwi moaned inwardly, her one card played. There was no reason for Kiwi  to be kept alive down here. She flexed her muscles, thinking that she would take as many of them down as she could.

But Kiwi was surprised when Katherine shoved Rebecca into the arms of one of her servants, and moved towards her. This is odd, Kiwi thought, as she leaned forwards. She  was looking forward to Katherine holding her, the room began a languid spin, and Kiwi  lifted her neck.

Kiwi stood breathless as Katherine approached, fascinated by the way she moved. So graceful, leonine and strong. Kiwi thought of Craig, and her. If Katherine had exerted even a fifth of the attraction and pull that she had brought to bear on her, then Kiwi had had no right to be angry at him. This was an unstoppable force, something wild and elemental had its grip on her. Kiwi unbuttoned her blouse, her fingers moving so slowly that it was almost like not moving at all.

Instinct reared for a brief moment. Some part of Kiwi hammered at the doors of her  consciousness, calling out that there was a reason to run, to turn and run as fast as she  could. She tried to think of something, anything, that might pull her eyes away from Katherine‘s. Kiwi saw Rebecca and attempted to call a warning to her. After Ives was finished with her, the girl would be next. All that escaped Kiwi’s lips was a whisper.

Then Katherine was against Kiwi, her arms encircling her, her hand against Kiwi’s neck. Kiwi didn't resist as Katherine kissed her. She closed her eyes and raised her hands to Katherine’s face.

Katherine took Kiwi’s hands, and lay her down on the cold stone floor. Kiwi arched her neck, but instead Katherine took Kiwi’s hand and sank herself into Kiwi’s wrist. There was a moment of pain, then Kiwi filled with longing. It was a paradox, she tilted her head to the side and watched through half-close lids as the room filled with figures. Were they dancing? she thought. The whole world was moving in slow motion.

The beating of Kiwi’s heart was like a drum, she seemed to be thinking at twice the speed of the world. Blood roared in her ears, and she was filled with peace as she felt it flow from her wrist into Katherine. Kiwi saw Samantha, Elisheva, they were moving so beautifully. She smiled at them. Sara, she was kneeling by Daniel, who was lying, like Kiwi on the floor. It seemed that much time and no time was passing. Kiwi looked into Daniel’s eyes, he was mouthing something to her. 'Fight', she could not be sure. Kiwi smiled at him, at Sara who was kneeling beside him and then being moved aside by Gabriel.

Gabriel, Kiwi  wanted to cry out. It is so perfect! Why hadn’t he given her this? But no words would come. Gabriel helped Daniel gently, like a child, and kissed his wrist. There, Kiwi  thought, there, there, there.

A music was welling up inside her, a haunting sound that swam into her head and made her want to move deeper inside it. She saw Craig, he seemed far off. Kiwi waved, but her  arm was like lead. She spoke to him as best she could, a small whisper managing to force its way to the surface. 'It's all right Craig, I forgive you.' He seemed to fly back from her in a smooth arc across the room.

This was the only thing that mattered, lying there and feeling her life flow away as though on a silk ribbon. No more tears, no more hurting, no more anger. Kiwi let her eyes relax, a smile on her face, her body limp against the stone. All imperfect things were saved, and made whole again. Slowly Kiwi watched as the light faded around her to a point. And then nothing.

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

Sabalore watched as Sara jumped back into the car and sped off.  She turned to Fenton and Montgomery, and hurried them into her own motel room.  Once they entered, she locked the door and bolted the chain.  Sabalore headed to the back, and made sure that door was also locked, then checked the windows.

 
<God, I hope these vampires aren't to keen on jumping right through windows without breaking them first> she thought to herself, shuddering at the memory.

No now had said a word since Sara left, and Sabalore turned around to see Fenton stretched out on the bed currently unoccupied by papers, laptop and books. His eyes were closed, and it looked like he was trying to rest.

 
Montgomery was seated in the large cushioned chair in the corner of the room, staring at the wall. Sabalore sat down at the desk, pulling out her gun before she sat, and laying it in front of her for easier access while she was seated. Sabalore hoped that the access level wouldn't matter.

The room was silent, save for Fenton's soft snores, evidence that he was asleep.
Sabalore turned around, and pulled out the case file to go over once more. She didn't know what good it would do, but she found herself staring at a white page with blurred words. She blinked a few times and tried to focus on the pages, but she couldn't.

Tick tock

Tick tock.

The clock sitting in front of Sabalore on the desk was steadily ticking on.

 
Tick tock.  

Over and over again, never stopping. She watched the second hand slowly tick around, at the same pace the whole time, never slowing.

 
Sabalore absent mindedly wondered for a moment if there really was such a thing as time. She chuckled inwardly as she realized she hadn't thought of that theory since grade eleven.

 
The silence in the room was unnerving. she turned to see what state the others were in. Fenton was still asleep, and Montgomery seemed to have drifted off herself. Sabalore  yawned and stretched her arms out. She stood up, grabbed her gun, and walked across the room to make a coffee. She couldn't be falling asleep now.

She sorted through the small packets next to the pot, but found nothing to her liking. She pulled open the mini bar, pulling out the milk she'd bought and thrown in earlier for her  morning cappuccino's.

 
Sabalore searched through her bag for a second, eventually finding the instant cappuccino  mix. Chocolate Mocha Almond. Yum. She spent the next five minutes attempting to make a cappuccino, and trying to figure out how to work the coffee pot she'd requested to be in the room.

 
She finally figured it out, and got the coffee made. Sabalore poured herself a cup and heard a voice behind pipe up for the first time since they'd arrived.

 
"What are you doing?"

Sabalore turned around to see Montgomery looking at her from Rachel’s chair.

 
"I made some coffee, do you want one?" Sabalore asked.

 
"Sure," she said. Sabalore poured her a cup, and passed it to her on my way back to the desk.

Rachel sipped her coffee thoughtfully, then turned to Sabalore. "How much longer until they find us?"

Sabalore didn't have to ask who *they* were. "I really don't know," she told her honestly.

 
"I hope you're prepared for when they do," Rachel said. Her voice seemed oddly calm as she told Sabalore this.

 
"I have my orders to shoot anyone who tries forced entry," Sabalore said.

 
Rachel laughed bitterly, her mood seeming to change. "Do you really think that will stop one of THEM?" Sabalore knew by that 'them' she meant the vampires.

 
Sabalore opened her mouth to speak, but Rachel cut her off. "I don't think you know what you're dealing with."

"I think I do," Sabalore replied softly. Bitter memories of the last time she'd had to 'deal' with vampires came flooding back to her, memories she'd tried to push away of her  colleagues, her friends being heartlessly killed by them.

<Have them no mercy> Sabalore thought bitterly.

Her cell phone suddenly rang, causing Sabalore to jump about a foot in the air.  She  grabbed it. "Sabalore." There was nothing. "Hello?" Still nothing. Sabalore carefully grabbed her gun, and clicked the safety off. Perhaps they thought a phantom phone call would divert her attention.

 
"Who is this?" Sabalore asked. There was still dead air. She gave, up, and hung up, her gun not leaving her hand.

Montgomery was watching Sabalore curiously, Fenton, amazingly, still asleep. Sabalore  shrugged and put the phone back on the table.  She settled back against the chair, blowing a stray strand of hair out of her eyes. She wondered if anyone had called for back up.  They would most certainly need it from the details she'd heard. Even if they had already called, there was no harm in calling again.

Sabalore picked up her phone, and clicked it on, dialing the local field office, and punching in ASAC Marston's extension.

 
"Marston"

"ASAC Marston, this is Special Agent Sabalore Smith." Even in the seriousness of this situation, Sabalore unconsciously twirled a strand of hair around her finger and smiled slightly. Old habits died hard.

 
"Did SAC Samantha or ASAC Kiwiphile call for you for backup?"

"No, no one called," was the reply.

 
"I know they're going to need it," Sabalore said.

 
"Where are they?"

 
Sabalore quickly gave the address and directions to Bledisoe.

"I'll gather a team and head over," Marston replied.

 
"Okay, great. Thanks." Sabalore was about to hang up, and a thought came to her.

 
"Oh, ASAC Marston?" she asked quickly, hoping the phone had not yet been hung up.

"Yes, Agent Smith?"

"Bring crossbows as well as your gun. They tend to work better on vampires."

 
She didn't hear his reply, because Fenton had woken up. Screaming, to be precise. Sabalore quickly disconnected the phone, and turned around. He had stopped screaming, but was looking around wildly. Montgomery was at his side.

 
"It was just a dream, Matt," Rachel told him. "It was only a dream." Sabalore didn't want to ask what his dream was about, she had a pretty good idea all on my own...

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

Elisheva, Craig and Samantha ran down the main tunnel along the narrow catwalk that lined the tracks. Elisheva stopped suddenly and jumped down onto the tracks themselves to retrieve a wooden stake. Kiwi must have dropped it as she passed through. It was a good omen that they had chosen the correct path. Elisheva jumped back up on the catwalk with the others, and they continued their journey into the unknown.

They were all exhausted by the time the tunnel finally opened into the main chamber. The ceiling was extremely high and obviously extended above ground level. There were stained class windows lining the top of the ceiling allowing for the dim street lamp light to filter to the floor below, casting strange and eerie images at the agents’ feet.

A tidal wave of vampires suddenly came in their direction. Samantha and Craig were firing their crossbows in every direction. Armed with nothing but Kiwi’s stake, Elisheva began plunging it into every ‘thing’ that came in her direction. Each touch was cold and evil and reminded her of Adrian. Her attacks became more violent as Elisheva filled with rage over the thought of Adrian's attempt at ‘embracing’ her. With each plunge of the stake an almost savage scream escaped her, and she had a morbid sense of satisfaction as the stake penetrated their flesh and they disintegrated before her eyes.

Slowly the three worked their way further into the opening, and the onslaught of creatures ceased. In the distance Elisheva saw Kiwi with someone standing next to her. It appeared to be a woman. Katherine Ives, no doubt. There were others standing around them as if sentinels guarding their queen, one holding a small child.

Through the dim light Craig had caught site of the same scene. His countenance changed, taking an air of total determination of saving the woman he loved. He made a mad dash in Kiwi’s direction, only to be picked up and thrown across the room by one of the sentinels. He landed in a disheveled pile at our feet, groaning as he made an attempt to get up.

“Where the hell are Sara and Daniel?” Samantha hissed.

Elisheva looked at her, not having a answer to offer.

Craig pushed himself up and regained his feet. "Haven't been tossed across a room like that in a long time," he muttered to no one in particular.

Katherine didn't seem distracted by appearance of the three FBI agents, although several of her ---what were they? Samantha wondered wildly. Friends? Cohorts in evil? Servants? Demons? Vampire wannabes? -- seemed interested.  Sam looked at one of the creatures coming closer to her. Forget the wannabe part. That -- that *thing* had fangs.

"I'll bet Mulder and Scully never have this much fun," Samantha managed as she found herself being backed against Elisheva and Craig.

Sam couldn't see Kiwi clearly from this angle, but she knew Kiwi was still here. Katherine Ives was still here. Oh, there were lots of people and -- creatures -- still here. Samantha  heard herself swallowing and  saw one of the more attractive male vampires eyeing her  neck with appreciation.

Don't look at him, Sam told herself. Don't look into his eyes. Anyone's eyes. That was hard to do. She felt an hypnotic pull coming from a dozen directions. They were surrounded, cut off from Kiwi. Still no clue where Scham might be. Who knew were Sara and Daniel were?

And Gabriel? Where was he?

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

Sara stumbled blindly along the corridors, with Daniel holding onto her arm so that they did not get separated again.

Suddenly, it seemed as if there was a dim light ahead. There was movement. Then Gabriel was standing in front of them.  "Come," Gabriel said, "It is time."

They followed him through the winding tunnels. There was noise ahead... screaming, shouting... and Sara and Daniel and Gabriel entered into complete confusion.

Ives had Kiwi, Adrian was there... Ellie, Sam, Scham... Willmore. And many, many vampires. They were completely outnumbered. Sara felt a sudden sense of hopelessness surge through her body.

Something came at Sara, knocking her to the ground. Another vampire, on top of her. A knee pressing into her stomach. She used her last remaining stake, piercing its heart.  Glancing to her right, Sara saw Daniel lying on the ground, three vampires on top of him, stealing his blood.

Sara gathered what was left of her strength and stood. She pulled the silver knife from her  boot, and slit three throats, one by one. A cut by silver would not heal.

She kneeled next to Daniel. He was pale, almost translucent. His eyes found hers. "I have lost... too much blood. There is nothing you can do for me now."

She stared at him, holding his hand. She dropped it to remove the belt from her wrists, clawing at her wounds with her fingernails. "Drink!" Sara told him, placing her bleeding wrist to his mouth. She watched, wide-eyed, as her blood trickled into his mouth, then out of it. He moved her hand away.

"There is nothing to be done," he said. Sara felt panic rising in her. She wasn't ready to lose him yet. She wanted more time, she needed just another night...

Sara slapped him. "Drink, god dammit!" she screamed.

He reached up, taking her hands in his. "Sara, you know that as soon as Adrian dies, I will die. You are in danger here, leave me."

Something pulled at Sara’s hair, lifting Sara to her feet. It was another one of them, six feet tall, long snarled black hair. She plunged the knife into its heart and struggled to pull it back out. She dropped to my knees, picked Daniel's hand back up. "I won't leave you," she said. Sara bent over him, kissing his face. "I won't leave you."

All around her, everything was a blur of dim colors, a cacophony of noise. Sara felt as though she were displaced from time and space, isolated from everything in a protective bubble.

The rasping, eager chorus of demonic cries and howling voices was intensifying and pressing closer against the other agents. Samantha felt Elisheva and Craig as they all stood in a triangular wedge, backs together against the enemy.

"Anybody have some of that holy water left?" Elisheva's voice was nearly steady despite their opposition.

Sam clutched the stake in her hand. It was the only one she had left. They were outnumbered, outgunned, and out of options.

Suddenly Craig spoke in a voice meant solely for Ellie and Samantha. "Well, ladies, since plan A doesn't seem to be working, I vote we move to plan B."

"Which is?" Ellie asked, reasonably enough. Sam hadn’t known about a plan B, either.

"In football terms, it's called a 'Hail, Mary," Craig's voice was tense, his arm wedged against my shoulder taut. He meant a suicidal attempt, Samantha realized. But what other choice did they have?

Before they could launch any last, frantic effort to rescue Kiwi or themselves, a horrible scream could be heard. For a moment, no other sound could be heard except that unholy noise. Time seemed to shift into unbearably slow motion as the scream continued. It echoed throughout the chamber, it resonated within Sam’s skull.

The final battle had begun.

Against her will, Samantha felt her eyes drawn upwards. She saw a man...but not a man...a powerful force with which to be reckoned. Sam didn't need a program to tell her that one of the principle characters had just arrived on stage. Adrian.

She heard another scream, just as deafening and terrifying, and just because Sam had heard a similar explosion of noise a few seconds ago, it did nothing to lessen her own  mortal terror in the face of these immortal sounds. Looking in the direction of the latest cry, she saw that the creatures and vampires immediately around them had broken off their pursuit of the three humans in order to watch what was happening as well.

Sam looked across the vast room and saw Sara! Daniel was lying on the ground beside her. Had they been there the whole time? How long had they all been there? Time had stopped -- at least time as Sam was used to experiencing it.

And then -- rising to oppose Adrian was Gabriel! Gabriel. He looked nothing like an angel, but he was beautiful still. Samantha felt mesmerized as she watched the two men, hovering in the air, doing a macabre dance of death.

Face to face at last with his ancient nemesis, Gabriel raised his arms and flew several hundred feet into the air. There would be no second chances. no escapes as there had been in Athens two thousand years before.

This ended now.

“Methusula,” he whispered, his soft voice reaching out and forcing the room around them, below them, to still.

He was drunk with the sense of the moment. A quote flew to his mind, and he screamed it like a battle cry.  “Let loose the dogs of war!”

There were screams, he noted that Daniel was still lying still. He had let him drink deeply of him, but now was not the time to be distracted by such things. Now was the time to prevail.

Adrian flew towards him, taking advantage of the moment’s distraction and forcing him back and hard against the wall. Their arms locked in a Titian embrace. He found himself face to face with the scar he had wrought so many centuries ago.

Sam couldn't move, she couldn't breathe. She could only watch. Adrian grasped Gabriel and flung him across the ceiling towards what looked like the outer limits of eternity. Gabriel recovered and pursued his own vicious attack against Adrian. Fire and thunder seemed to fly from their touch, and the air sizzled with heat and cold and sensations which had no names in the human realm.

Like angels of the Apocalypse, they surrendered themselves to the fight. Gabriel found himself able to lift his arms higher, to grip Adrian by the neck and push him backwards. He stared into his eyes, pitting his will against the bleak heart of the monster that had almost been his end.

<Do wish to die?> Gabriel sent the thought to his captive.

*We all wished for death once, Gabriel. Now I wish only to rid myself of you*

<That cannot be so. I will give you death>

He snapped his hands, hard, the force of the move catching Adrian unawares and snapping his neck.

*This is not enough to kill me, fool* cried Adrian silently as he plunged to the ground.

Gabriel looked down. There was his prey, lying like a rag-doll on the floor, his head at an alarming angle. A few moments, and he would rise again.

He watched with satisfaction as he flew towards him. Already someone was raising a stake, he would drive it in himself.

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

Samantha could have watched them forever -- the violence, the power, the hatred. Sam felt that as a spectator she was a part of this horrific battle, and yet she felt a hand against her  arm...shaking her...waking her...

"Sam!" It was Craig's voice and Craig's face in front of her. She heard him -- as if he were coming from another place in time. "Force yourself to stop watching them! This is our only chance to save Kiwi and the others!"

His eyes locked with Samantha‘s, and she could feel his hands painfully gripping her arms. She moved, a sudden jerking motion, but it broke the spell of whatever had held her. Sara. Daniel. Scham. Kiwi. Sam looked around the room.

Elisheva  stood staring as Adrian and Gabriel went to battle, a morbid ballet of immortal beings. Time did not exist, only the timeless battle of good and evil.

Craig was now shaking Elisheva as well, and as Samantha moved towards Kiwi, she saw that her actions had attracted three or four of the older looking vampires. Well, bring it on, she  thought grimly. These might be the best odds of the evening, and it was definitely their last chance.

Samantha sensed, rather than saw, Elisheva 'awakening' behind her as well. Sam couldn't stop to plan strategy with her fellow agents, though, as all hell had broken loose above them and a few drops had fallen to earth and landed right in front of the agents’ faces.

Craig’s hand gripped Elisheva’s  arm tightly as he shook her, forcing her to divert her  attention from scene above. “We’ve got to make a move now.”

Elisheva nodded her head in agreement. Kiwi needed her, needed them. She looked around the room and saw Zeuty with Daniel who was lying on the floor. Where had they come from? Scham had joined them, but where had he come from? Perhaps Gabriel had freed him before the commencement of the battle?

Her gaze eventually fell upon Kiwi. She was lying on the stone floor, Katherine kneeling at her side. Katherine held Kiwi’s arm in her hands and was kissing it...no biting it ! Elisheva’s heart ached. She knew what Kiwi was feeling, the temptation to give in and give up to them.

“No, Kiwi, don’t give in to the feelings!!!” Elisheva screamed. She charged full speed in Kiwi’s direction, ignoring the fact that a number of ‘things’ were headed in her direction. She threw her full weight into the creature headed towards her, knocking it off balance long enough to get past. Stumbling momentarily, Elisheva regained her footing and headed straight for Katherine Ives.

Us or them, Samantha kept saying it under her breath, over and over. Us or them. She heard Elisheva's cry behind her, but then Sam heard Willmore yelling, "Excellent hit!" So she knew Elisheva was okay.

A beautiful, older woman with sharply pointed teeth came directly towards Samantha. Don't look in her eyes, Sam, she told herself as she pulled out a stake and went for the woman’s heart. Us or them...us or them...us or them. Sam repeated this to herself as she stabbed the woman - the creature - in the heart. Sam’s aim must have been good or else the woman’s reflexes were slow. Direct hit.

Without breaking stride, Elisheva grabbed Katherine around the shoulders and pulled her over and away from Kiwi. They tumbled several feet, rolling one over the other. Elisheva struggled to gain control from the top, throwing fists in an attempt to subdue the other woman until Elisheva could locate the stake she had lost while tackling Katherine.

It was lying on the floor just out of her grasp. Elisheva threw one last punch and Katherine lay beneath her, motionless. Scrambling to her feet, Elisheva lunged for the stake, only to be greeted by another creature. It picked her up by the shoulders and flung Elisheva to the floor several feet away. Her head slammed into the floor, momentarily leaving her  unconscious.

Elisheva awoke to find it crouched over her, pulling her head back by the hair to expose the curve of Elisheva’s neck, leaning in for the kill. In a flash she pulled her leg up and kicked the creature in the chest causing it to fall backwards. Pulling herself to her knees, Elisheva raised the stake high over head and drove it deep within the creature’s heart.

Turning to find Katherine, Elisheva found she was gone.

Elisheva’s head was pounding, and she ran her hand through her hair as if it would make the torturous thudding stop. She felt wetness, and as Elisheva looked at her hand when she pulled it away, she found it covered in her own blood. The pain was almost more than she could bear. Again, Gabriel’s voice came to her, “They need you...HE needs you.”

Someone had to stop this mayhem, and Elisheva was going to do her damnedest to see it done!

Sam managed one brief look in Sara's direction. Daniel was motionless on the floor. Samantha couldn't tell what had happened to him. Sara had something shiny in her hands, and she was also making short work of the vampires around her.

Except for the very oldest ones, all eyes still seemed focused on the two men who were locked in violent struggle over their heads. What looked like lightening hit the floor only a few feet from where Sam stood. She glanced upwards to see Adrian with the apparent upper hand in the struggle.

No, Samantha resumed her mantra, us or them, us or them, us or them. Right now, that included Gabriel. Us or them. If you thought something hard enough, sometimes you could will it into existence. Us or them, Gabriel. Us or them.

Sam could see Kiwi now. She was on the ground, curled into a fetal position, lying very, very still. Katherine Ives was no longer there. Samantha looked wildly around for her. She  saw Elisheva still fighting, but apparently still winning. Sam saw Sara in roughly the same position at the other end of this enormous room.

And then Samantha saw her. Katherine Ives. She stood before Craig, her arms outstretched towards him, her back towards Samantha. Craig stood motionless before her, his eyes transfixed by the seductive woman - or was she a creature, too now? He stood stock still, and then he took one, hesitant and slow step towards Katherine.

Vile thoughts and words about *that* woman ran through Sam’s mind, but all she did was open her mouth and shout one word. "WILLMORE!"

He turned towards Samantha. His gaze faltered, then wavered as he turned towards Katherine who had begun a slow and sensual walk towards him, her arms open and inviting.

Sam spun about and ran to Kiwi. She knelt by her side, her face pale. Sam felt for a pulse in Kiwi’s neck, expecting to find puncture marks. She didn't find any holes, but she couldn’t find a pulse, either. Sam pressed more firmly against the carotid artery. There had to be a pulse. Please.

It was there. At least Sam told herself it was there...faint...thready...weak...slowly ebbing away like the blood all around her.

Blood -- where was all the blood coming from? Samantha immediately found a source, two large round marks in Kiwi's wrist. She clamped her hand against the spot, applying pressure, never mind that she didn't have on latex gloves. The blood was flowing so freely, that woman -- THAT woman -- must have been having a feast off of poor Kiwi.

Samantha looked up helplessly. She couldn't see any of the others immediately, and then she saw Craig., standing in front of Katherine. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, her mouth was pressed against his own.

He stood there, not resisting and not complying. His own hands held outwards slightly as if in hesitation and indecision.

"CRAIG!" Samantha shouted with all her might, and she thought he hadn't heard her. Then the embrace was broken, and Craig looked towards Sam. He saw her kneeling, and then he saw Kiwi, lying in blood on the ground.

His eyes locked on Kiwi's still form. His mouth trembled slightly, and then his jaw clenched, and then he reached for Katherine.

It was too late, Samantha thought in despair. He's gone over to them.

With one swift movement, Craig swept the beautiful and stunning Katherine into his embrace, holding her with his left arm.

In his right hand he had a stake.

With a movement so fast Sam wasn't sure she had actually seen it, he plunged the wooden stake into Katherine, driving it home to its mark.

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