The other he hurled toward some abandoned cars in an old rental car parking lot. That flare bounced off a vampire’s chest before hitting the asphalt. The vampire never flinched.
“Shit,” said Gus. He pointed at Mr. Quinlan. “Why didn’t he say anything?”
They have been here the entire time.
“Jesus,” said Gus. He went running toward the rental car company and opened up on the vampire there. The machine gun reports echoed long after he was done, and the vampire lay on the ground, not dead but down for good and full of bleeding white holes.
Nora said, “We should get out of here.”
“Won’t get far without gas,” said Eph. “Fet?”
Fet was pumping, the fuel flowing more freely now. Getting there.
Gus fired his Steyr across at the other flare, trying to scatter the vampires in the Wendy’s lot, but they didn’t scare. Eph drew his sword, seeing movement behind the cars in the parking lot on the other side. Figures running.
Gus yelled out, “Cars!”
Eph heard the engines approaching. No headlights, but vehicles coming out of the darkness, underneath the highway overpass, slowing to a stop.
“Fet, you want me to—?”
“Just keep them back!” Fet pumped and pumped, trying not to breathe the toxic fumes.
Nora reached inside both cars, turning on each set of headlights, illuminating the immediate area east and west.
To the east, opposite the highway, vampires crowded the edge of the light, their red eyes reflecting like glass baubles.
To the west, coming from the highway, two vans, figures emptying out of them. Local vampires called into duty.
“Fet?” said Eph.
“Here, switch tanks,” said Fet, pumping hard, not stopping. Eph pulled the tubing from the Jeep’s almost-full tank and quickly transferred it to the Explorer, gasoline spraying out onto the hardtop.
Footsteps now, and it took Eph a moment to locate them. Overhead, on top of the canopy roof, right above them. The vampires were encircling them and closing in.
&nbs
p; Gus opened up his gun on the trucks, winging a vampire or two but not doing any real damage.
“Move away from the tank!” yelled Fet. “I don’t want any sparks nearby!”
Mr. Quinlan returned from the roadside, near Eph at the vehicles. The Born felt it was his responsibility to protect him.
“Here they come!” said Nora.
The vampires began to swarm. A coordinated effort, first focusing on Gus. Four vampires, two running at him from either side. Gus fired on one pair, shredding them, then wheeled and put down the other two, but only just in time.
While he was occupied, a handful of dark figures seized the opportunity to break from the adjoining lots, running toward the Mobil.
Gus turned and sprayed them, hobbling a few, but had to turn back around as more advanced on him.
Mr. Quinlan darted forward with amazing agility, meeting three advancing fellow strigoi and forcefully driving his open hands into their throats, snapping their necks.
Bang! A small vampire, a child, dropped down onto the roof of the Jeep from the carport roof. Nora swiped at it, and the little vampire hissed and darted backward, the Jeep rocking gently. Eph rushed around past the headlights to the other side of the Jeep, looking to slay the nasty little thing. It wasn’t there.
“Not here!” said Eph.
“Not here either!” called Nora.