The rain ceased. The wind died. The clouds turned an even brighter green. It was eerily still and the energy could be felt in the humid sky. Many Hunters glanced hopefully upward. Unfortunately there was no sunlight. The ancient evil approached.
'They're here,' I said, my voice echoing in the now silent valley.
Four figures appeared over the hill, walking purposefully down the road. They had to know that we were there, but they did not care. They were Masters.
Two clicks came over the radio-the signal to get ready. Harbinger would wait for them to close into the most efficient kill box before unleashing our fury.
The four vampires continued to approach. They looked like regular people, out for a nice bit of exercise. Three males and a female. They were dressed in normal attire, nothing fancy, nothing archaic, just regular everyday clothing. Most likely taken off of some of their recent victims. They were graceful and beautiful even from here, but they could not hide what they were from me. I could almost taste the evil.
I wasn't the only one. 'Man… I would give my left nut for some sunshine right about now,' Trip whispered.
'It isn't like you're using it for anything anyway,' Holly retorted.
'Will you shut up?'
'The Cursed One isn't going to let it happen.' I glanced up at the unnaturally moving clouds. This was his storm. 'The sun won't shine until he's finished.'
'We get in that cave, I'm going to put a grenade where the sun don't shine on him,' Lee promised.
Banter was good. It kept the mind off of the palpable terror that was at two hundred yards and closing. I raised the RPG, sat it on my shoulder, pushed off the button safety, and checked that the hammer was back. I had not shot one of these before, but the sighting arrangement was very straightforward. I centered the vampires in the aperture marked 200.
The radio crackled: One click, two clicks, three clicks.
Fire.
The Hunters opened up. Hundreds of bullets struck first, followed almost instantly by rockets and grenades, and only a few seconds later by the massive explosions generated by our 81mm mortar team's nine-pound shells. Weapons ignited all across the valley. I squeezed the trigger of the RPG. It was a simple tube that directed a rocket-propelled chunk of high explosive. The concussion was amazing. If this hadn't been so deadly serious it might possibly have been the coolest thing I had ever gotten to shoot. I found that I was smiling as the area around the vampires disappeared into a cloud of smoke and dust, with gouts of flames leaping into the air and chunks of dirt and asphalt raining down for hundreds of feet.
It was beautiful.
The ancient ones had underestimated their human foes. They were unprepared for the power of our modern weapons. Pound after pound of high explosive ignited in their midst. Multiple belt-fed MK19 launchers dropped a stream of grenades onto their heads. Walls of shrapnel tore them asunder and their bones and flesh were charred by phosphorus, thermite, napalm and towering pillars of flame.
'Yee haw!' Trip shouted, watching the clouds of smoke rise, and the almost slow-motion falling of debris. It had been a spectacular display of firepower.
Harbinger came over the radio. 'They ain't done until you cut off their heads. Watch out. VanZant, keep that mortar on them. Pile it on!'
I tossed the empty tube down. Behind us the mortars continued to thump. I could not see anything moving besides the smoke. 'Trip, Holly, grab some more rockets. Go.'
'Movement. Vamp on the right,' the radio said. Gunfire and rockets flew from the treeline on that side. A burning figure emerged into view, only to disappear again as the dirt around it exploded upwards into a volcano of flame. The shells continued to pepper the area, each one flattening a massive space. There wasn't going to be anything bigger than a microbe that was going to survive the punishment we were putting into that area.
'How much damage can these things take?' Lee asked.
'Beats me,' I replied. I saw something emerge from the front. 'Vamp in the center. On the road.' Lee let loose with a burst of. 308, stitching a path of impacts and tracers up the road and into the jerking creature. The flaming vampire ran toward us at impossible speeds, seemingly twisting between the bullets, then disappearing as an RPG landed in its path. The smoking body landed a moment later, crashing down to the pavement, and instantly popped back up out of the crater. They healed too fast.
The vampire was engulfed in a thunderous explosion as something roared from the center. The blast from the Spig recoilless rifle shook us all. It made me glad that I had taken the time to help Julie haul it up from her basement. The smoke cleared long enough to see that the vampire was gone. Holly jumped back into the ditch with arms full of rockets. She thumped me in the shoulder and pointed upwards.
I tracked in on the movement. The torn remains of the vampire were just reaching the apex of their arc, and began descending rapidly toward the earth. The biggest piece of the creature splattered onto the road not fifty feet from our position. The supernatural was no match for the laws of physics and some well-directed artillery.
'Yes!' I shouted. They were killable.
I choked off my triumphant shout when I realized that it was still moving. The head, one claw, and the torso was trying to pull itself toward us, twitching and splurting fluids from its burned flesh. If it regenerated enough to regain its faculties, it would be able to shape-shift and live to fight another day.
'No way, man!' Lee shouted as he directed a stream of tracers into the body. The heavier rounds from the National Guard Browning. 50 began to pepper the carcass as well, kicking up gouts of dirt and vampires bits.
'Edward. Go! All teams hold fire along the front,' Harbinger ordered. He was still standing by the National Guard, and he personally made sure that they ceased fire.
A dark shape exploded from the trees, leaping in huge bounds across the burning grass and rain-swollen ditches, claws tearing up plumes of mud and vegetation. Edward hugged low to the mane of the mighty warg as it moved with predatory speed toward the downed Master. Edward drew a sword from his back as he leaned low, hanging barely above the ground as they approached their target. The orc's arm flew upward, like a scythe ready to harvest wheat. It swung down, pushed not just by the power of the orc, but by the speed of the seven-hundred- pound beast driving him forward.
Edward's masterful aim was true. The ancient blade sang through the air. It met little resistance from the charred and ashen flesh, and it crashed against the hardened vertebra with a clang that every Hunter could hear. Did he make it through?
The warg passed by, screeching to a mud-soaked halt, before spinning around, red tongue rolling like a giant dog, tearing at the earth and charging back at the vampire. Edward sheathed his sword, hung low, and dragged his fingers through the grass. He swung up, returning to the back of his stead, a trophy held triumphantly above his head.
It was a blackened skull.
Lightning crossed the sky from every direction. Thunder crashed. A gust of wind tore through us, pushing to the north. The skies protested as the ancient vampire's spirit was finally forced from this world. The Hunters began to cheer. The warg bounced back into the trees, Edward still holding the vampire's severed head extended for all to see. The mortars began to fire and drop more explosives into the valley. Only I could hear the mental screams from the other Masters.
Fools. I warned you of the humans' modern weapons. Flee. Protect our Lord.
The burning. It will not stop burning.
No time… to heal… too much damage… so weak… need blood.
They have destroyed Gurgo. Sythak is dying. I shall avenge them.
See, I told you so. Assholes.
My lord, use the artifact. Place me into their midst so that I may tear the life from their hearts. Their weapons require distance to work against us.
IT SHALL BE DONE.
'Oh, shit!' I exclaimed, turning from the battlefield, looking over my shoulder back the way that we had come. I keyed the radio. 'Earl, vampires are going to gate in close, too close for bombs.'
'Where?'
I concentrated, but the moment was past. The voices were gone. I narrowed my eyes on a point to the side
