out the General’s vamps with mortar rounds. Peter would lead our group, while my brother had the twins, the crazy vamp, and the middle-aged vamp. In an icy voice my brother told the third group that should they fail to halt firing before the other two groups were beyond a broad lane lined with crimson trees he would rip a testicle at random from the group for each man or vampire injured by their inability to follow simple orders. I followed Peter as he set off at a trot towards the holding pen as my brother led his group towards the building where the General’s vamps sheltered. As we left I could hear the pop of a mortar tube being put into place, followed quickly by the click and hiss of the shot, then the mortar whistled overhead and crashed into a street short of the green building with a loud explosion of red flame and black smoke. My brother’s group peeled away to the right towards the impact and my group headed off towards the pens of humans. We rushed forward as fast as we could rifles held ready. Another mortar landed near the green building and then vamps popped out of both camps. Peter fired off a quick round of shots and led us alongside the buildings but still running quickly. Gunfire from the south echoed off the buildings that now surrounded us and when it quieted the air was filled with shrill yelling. As if they’d suddenly remembered, the barrage of mortars towards the green building ended and suddenly a projectile was whistling over my head. I watched its arc fall onto the street ahead spraying a deadly rain of concrete all around. A couple of the General’s vamps had emerged from the guardhouse and were crouched beside two husks of automobiles. Bullets rattled off the walls around us and I fell to the ground. One of our vamps took two more steps forward and then fell to the ground gurgling as a bullet took him to the throat. Another mortar fell, closer to the house where they were staying, and the General’s vamps took off on side streets. Peter cursed, then waved us up and we ran forward hunched over near the sides of the buildings our packs rattling. A series of mortars fell, and another vampire ran out of the house in a frenzy screaming like a banshee. I fired but missed and he was soon lost in smoke. A final mortar fell, and the house collapsed in a mass of splintered wood and flames. Black smoke rolled down the streets. Peter paused at ever intersection and poked his head out ever so slightly before we crossed. In the absence of the mortar fire an ominous silence fell over everything. Our enemy was blanketed, hidden by the smoke that we had provided for them. I hoped that they headed straight for the hills. Then my brother would be forced to curtail his foolish mission before it came to its tragic end. I watched the rooftops but saw nothing there. The road was cratered and covered in dust and chunks of concrete. I could feel the heat from the flames that billowed into the sky from the pile of wood that had been the house. A faint whimpering came from the pen where I could smell the humans. Peter sent half of our group down one side street in pursuit of the General’s vamps while we turned north after the others. We moved cautiously making little more noise than a mouse. The smoke burned my throat but despite it my dry eyes refused to water. Suddenly a vamp leapt out from an alley and hurled himself into Peter. His eyes were blood red and the bottom half of his face was dripping with blood. He let out a wild shriek and tackled Peter to the pavement before he could fire. He slammed Peter’s head into the ground while the rest of us stood frozen. Peter grunted then got a hand under the vampire and tried to toss him aside. The vampire’s hand caught Peter’s neck though and jerked his head around with Peter’s own force as he slid off at an angle. He landed with a howl skidding across the road. “Shoot the bastard,” Peter yelled, and we fired but the vampire was already off and running. His leg jerked suddenly, and a patch of dark blood appeared on his calf, but it scarcely slowed him as he disappeared amongst the buildings. “Dumb asses,” Peter said and then ran off after him. We followed as quickly as we could. Gunfire echoed in front of us and we turned the corner to find Peter at the edge of a building clutching his side and grimacing.
Bullets ricocheted around us but didn’t come near us. “Bastard led me right into a trap,” he said. His hand was covered in sticky black blood. “There’s a couple of them around there waiting. Go around back.” He illustrated with a circling movement with his hand. “Not you,” he said as I turned to follow. “I need you to stay with me.” It was only a shot to the side, unlikely to kill a vamp, but he looked paler than I would have expected.
“Check,” he said and pointed to the corner. I lay down on the ground and slowly inched my head forward. I couldn’t see anything. I shuffled forward a bit more and as I did bullets skittered across the pavement near my face. I pushed myself backwards. “Good, we need to keep them thinking we’re over here.” He pointed his rifle around the corner and fired in a sweep. Their gunshots broke off and then started up again. I took my turn firing. The exchange of fire went on for a couple of minutes. The sun climbed into the sky and my muscles stiffened under the strain, but my body refused to sweat. Though the slight warmth of exertion
