They did not linger for long. Clara found herself once more upon Evelyn’s shoulder as they ran to the opposing staircase. The crew from behind broke through the stairwell door as they were about to clear the hallway.

Clara shot off half her magazine to distract them, but somehow managed to drop another two men… At this range I should have missed every shot…

Through the ventilation shafts there came blood curdling screams along with sustained gunfire. It did not take much for Clara to realise that several intruded on the confined Marc… they unleashed the bloodthirsty creature…

Clara’s heart sank, but the level of activity around them was far too coordinated to be a mob. Teams were converging on them from multiple vectors, many of them running in lockstep.

Evelyn looked up from her victim who left the world with a smile on his face. In a single feeding she  regained her youthful appearance and was utterly refreshed… Ready to take on an army…

“Quoi?” Evelyn asked. (What?)

“Nothing…” the others said in unison.

“I haven’t fed in weeks,” Evelyn said with a grin.

“Remarkable restraint,” Clara said.

Julia blew through that door and found herself staring at three armed men. They may have worn torn and dirty clothing, but they had the bearing of soldiers… those combat boots are a dead giveaway…

“I need one alive,” Evelyn said.

The werewolf did not hesitate. While their kind were not as formidable in human form they did have tweaked reflexes. Her shotgun roared to life three times, leaving two bloodied and dying from being struck by buckshot to the chest…

The third was bleeding from the leg, but did not have time to make a sound. Clara found herself transferred to the werewolf, just as a room door blew out.

“What the?” They said in unison but pushed on.

When one appeared from the stairwell a flight down, Clara took aim and fired. While aiming for the shoulder, the shot pierced the right eye and splattered brain matter all over the stairwell… I hope this gives anyone following us a reason to pause…

“Horsefeathers!” Clara yelled. “I didn’t mean to kill—him.”

“Fuck,” Julia said at the same time. “My fucking ears!”

Neither heard the other, but they saw signs of return fire. The bullets scarred the white paint over the concrete, but a couple tore out chunks as they impacted… that’s not regular ammunition!

“Putain!” Evelyn said. “I hate it when I’m right… Take this door.”

Clara felt helpless, bouncing up and down as Evelyn took her steps. She was facing aft, giving her a great view of those bare legs and ass… lucky that I’m not prone to motion sickness…

There was activity all around them, several heartbeats converging on their former home, while others fanned throughout the hotel. What they lacked was coordination, which was a good sign… a mob is more unpredictable, and a lot less likely to strategize…

They made it up seven flights before the sound of boots registered from below. Evelyn and Julia hastened their pace, but their pursuers were determined.

“It figures that the elevators are down,” Clara whispered.

Evelyn had a private elevator that led directly to the roof. Of course, having reliable power would have taken the challenge out of this journey… As if recovering from death wasn’t enough…

Julia was armed with a shotgun, wearing the same red backpack that Clara gave her when freed from prison. It showed signs of fraying and the red had faded from exposure to the elements… At least she got some use out of it…

Evelyn was harder to see, and that was by design. The vampire was holding Clara over her left shoulder while making her way up the stairs. It was humiliating in a way to be lifted so easily by someone who more appropriately belonged on the runway during the Paris fashion week.