Page 48

Please.

Sonia’s heart shook, blue with eyes. She drew a breath—which came back out as a word:

Yes.

“Hey, Kopek!” Grillo yelled. “What—”

Sonia turned, and—

—figure it OUT, dick—

—rammed her head into the nearest fire alarm.

Double uh.

Glass sprayed. Essen came running, keys ready, as her knees hit the floor. Grillo knelt beside her. He turned her face up with one huge hand, almost gentle:

“Oh, Kopek, you crazy bitch.”

Well, THAT’s news.

The impact had broken her nose, again. It hurt, but no sweat; she’d felt worse. She opened her mouth to speak, coughed blood and snot instead. Everything inside her head turned suddenly liquid.

Clangaclangaclangaclanga—

Essen sniffed. “Fuck me,” he said. “Smoke.”

Inside his cell, the vampire was starting to char. He howled along with the alarm, tearing chunks from the walls. Padding flew. Sonia thrashed on the floor outside, keeping time.

Come on, come ON—

And the sun was a spilled lamp, everywhere at once.

Like napalm.

Grillo threw one leg over her knees, and held it there. Shouting to Essen: “I can’t hold her much longer here, man—”

“Yeah, yeah.” Essen fumbled with the keys, misread labels, swore. Supplies, furnace, front lobby, elevator—

—clangaclangaclangaclangaclang—

—Quiet Room.

The vampire’s hair finally caught fire. He tore at it with both hands, skipping a whole octave.

“Essen!”

“Got it,” Essen replied.

Truncheon out, he kicked the door open.

And Sonia and Grillo turned as one at the sound, to see—

(incoming)

—Essen blown back in one red blast, throat unravelling as he went. His head hit Sonia’s thigh, cracking the femur. Grillo, next in line, had time for a yelp; then two blood necklaces (jugular, carotid) broke at once across the wall behind him, dripping. Sonia gaped up, shading her eyes, from his suddenly slack palm. Her lips skinned back in a snarl of protest.

“The fuh—”