“Are you sure you want to do this?” Michelle asked once again before they entered the building.
“I have to. It’s all there is left to do. The only place I have left to look for Lauren.”
As a response, Michelle opened the door for her. The girls ascended the stairs silently, yet both looked at each other as they approached the desired floor. Alex felt it and she was sure Michelle did too; a thickness in the air, a rattling of their collective equilibriums. And the smell…god what was that? The further they went, the more a feeling of foreboding came over them.
They headed down the final few feet before the apartment when Michelle suddenly stopped Alex in her tracks, pointing to a spot on the floor in front of them.
“Was that there the last time you were here?” She pointed to two small holes and drops and smears of blood surrounding them and on the wall to their right.
Alex placed both hands over her mouth and shook her head, not knowing what to think or say. The blood’s surface shone in the ceiling light. This had only occurred recently.
Michelle pulled out her handgun and switched the safety off. “Stay here.”
“No way,” Alex replied, suddenly whispering. She had no idea if what was behind the door was listening right now. “You’re here because of me. I’m not letting you go in there alone.” Alex tried to sound brave, but the fear was evident.
“Stay behind me then.” Michelle cocked the gun and with a swift kick, the door burst open. It was pitch black inside save for the flickering static of the TV screen. Michelle pointed her gun left and right.
“Put your back to mine,” she whispered. “We need to find a light switch. Whatever you see, remember: don’t run.”
They walked forward step for step, Alex not questioning anything Michelle said. Michelle passed the hallway, letting her weapon lead her forward.
“We’re not alone are we?” Alex asked.
“Keep a lookout,” Michelle commanded.
“Why? What are you going to do— Oh my god!”
Silence was the answer. Michelle had headed for the only source of light in the room, and Alex finally realised why that was so. A body was lying face down in front of the TV.
Michelle held up her free hand, pointing at the body’s head with her gun. In the flickering darkness Alex couldn’t tell if it was breathing. With her foot she rolled the body to its side.
Michelle gasped.
Alex screamed.
Ryan was dead; his throat had been torn out, as well as everything in his chest cavity. For such an extensive wound there was minimal blood. The air was thick with the stench of Ryan’s internal organs—the foul stench that Alex could barely stomach. She gazed over Ryan’s corpse as the static of the TV gave his waxy skin an eerie hue. Looking further down to see a clump of muscle and bone protruding outward, Alex had a brief image of something exploding out from within. She could see what had happened, just not how. It would take someone of impossible strength to cave in his chest, snap his ribs, shred his lungs and rip his heart from his body. His face was frozen in a look of intense horror.
Alex felt bile rising in her throat and turned and ran for the door.
“Alex! Don’t run!”
But it was too late. A shape leapt from the shadows and bowled into Alex, tumbling them both out into the hallway. Alex glimpsed Michelle raising her gun when she suddenly had an arm wrapped around her throat, dragging her back, away from Alex. Michelle snapped her gun up and fired backwards repeatedly without looking.
Alex screamed for help but all it did was make the creature on top of her laugh wickedly.
“I love it when you bitches struggle!” it squealed. It turned his head and saw the continuing fight with the other creature and Michelle and smiled. He turned back to Alex who tried desperately to move, to rise, all to no avail.
“You thought to bring two on two? A fair fight? That’s how you intended to slay us? Pathetic,” he said. She looked back at him as he raised his right hand, the fingernails extending, his eyes glued to Alex’s spine. “You should know that I never fight fair.”
Alex scrunched her eyes and screamed, anticipating the deadly swing of his hand when she felt she could move again. Alex turned her head back and froze. Her attacker was off her, slammed heavily against the wall beside the door, feet dangling. His arms were pinned there, being held.
Just then the man who held him, snarled and roared directly in her attacker’s face, nostrils flared in fury. Along with a set of…canines.
“I don’t fight fair either,” Dante seethed.
Chapter Fifteen
Not So Pleased To Meet You
Dante stood over Alex, holding the thrashing vampire at bay. Still he heard the jumps in her pulse and the shortness of breath. Clearly, she was terrified.
“Where is the one you made?” Dante roared.
In answer, Vickrant snapped at Dante with his fangs. Dante smiled as he grabbed Vickrant by the throat and raised him slowly upwards, as far as he could reach.
“Tell me…” Dante began, “and I’ll make your mate’s death quick.”
“Fuck you, traitor.”
With no more than a flick of his arm, Dante vaulted Vickrant into the opposite wall. The force was like an explosion. Powdered cement, blood and chunks of brick burst out from the impact. Vickrant crumbled to the floor in a heap, leaving a messy outline of his body still in the
