marshal would already be dead.
She turned and put her back to them, making a battle triangle with theirs. “How are we doing?”
she asked as she surveyed the grounds, taking in the few mutilated bodies that were once villagers.
“Six gunmen down. Five of us left, not including you and Hades.”
“Hades is still in back, hoping more don’t come out of the trees.”
“How many are there, do you reckon?”
Kat glanced around the square and to the surrounding buildings that made great places to hide.
“I’ve taken out at least six, Hades two, maybe; I see another four or five on the ground.” She grabbed the handle of her whip and uncoiled the leather, dragging it over her palm. “Another ten, maybe, give or take two or three.”
The marshal glanced over his shoulder at her. “By god, I hope you’re wrong.”
“Me, too.” Kat flicked out her whip, preparing for the next onslaught.
But the next assault didn’t come.
They stood in the square, the three of them, backs to backs, waiting for another rush of Dwellers to come screaming out of the dark. But it didn’t happen. They stood there watching and waiting for what felt like a half hour. Kat shook with nervous energy. What was going on?
“Did they leave, do you think?” the other lawman asked.
“No.” Kat said, peering into the black shadows surrounding them. “They won’t stop until they’re all dead or we are.”
As they waited, Kat could hear the pounding of the others’ hearts and smell their fear like a cloying perfume in the air. Afraid it might arouse her, she tried not to inhale, but she couldn’t hold her breath for long. The aroma of both men’s sweat and panic sent illicit shivers over her body.
Biting down on her tongue, Kat tried to focus on watching for any sign of an attack in the proximate area. She could feel pressure behind her top eyeteeth where her fangs threatened to pop out from the flesh on the roof of her mouth. Every moment proved to be harder and harder to resist the delicious smells emanating from her two companions and from the bloodied bodies nearby. Soon, she knew, the aromas would get the better of her, her fangs would descend, and she would need to satisfy her hunger any way she could, or she would go mad.
She wished Hades were near. He would keep her from going off the deep end. He would keep her sane.
Just as she thought of him, she heard his voice loud and clear as he came running around the side of the building. “They’re going for the church!”
The sound of shattering glass and an ear-piercing feminine scream confirmed his dread-filled statement.
Kat moved like lightning toward the wooden building. As she raced up the front steps, Hades was there trying to knock down the door.
“It’s still barricaded from inside.” He kicked the door again. The wood splintered but showed no sign of giving way.
Kat ran around the side. Two of the stained-glass windows about eight feet up were shattered.
Pieces of the colored glass crunched beneath her boots. Without waiting for help, she scrambled up the wall, finding hand-and footholds in the logs of the building. Once at the broken window, she glanced down. Hades was making his way up the wall to the other opening.
Cradled on the window ledge, Kat waited for him. They would go in together, just like old times, guns blasting, knives flinging. She smiled, remembering the last time they had made a stand together. It hadn’t been pretty, but they had managed to cut down the bad guys and make their escape.
“Having a good time?” he asked as he tried to stuff his wide, powerful frame into the window’s small opening.
“I was just thinking about the last time we had this much fun together.”
Hades grinned, his dimples winking. It made Kat’s heart trip. “Yeah, good times.”
“Yeah,” she agreed, thinking not of the actual battle but of the afterward, when they were alone in her run-down room in the dilapidated warehouse. She had let her guard
She turned and put her back to them, making a battle triangle with theirs. “How are we doing?”
she asked as she surveyed the grounds, taking in the few mutilated bodies that were once villagers.
“Six gunmen down. Five of us left, not including you and Hades.”
“Hades is still in back, hoping more don’t come out of the trees.”
“How many are there, do you reckon?”
Kat glanced around the square and to the surrounding buildings that made great places to hide.
“I’ve taken out at least six, Hades two, maybe; I see another four or five on the ground.” She grabbed the handle of her whip and uncoiled the leather, dragging it over her palm. “Another ten, maybe, give or take two or three.”
The marshal glanced over his shoulder at her. “By god, I hope you’re wrong.”
“Me, too.” Kat flicked out her whip, preparing for the next onslaught.
But the next assault didn’t come.
They stood in the square, the three of them, backs to backs, waiting for another rush of Dwellers to come screaming out of the dark. But it didn’t happen. They stood there watching and waiting for what felt like a half hour. Kat shook with nervous energy. What was going on?
“Did they leave, do you think?” the other lawman asked.
“No.” Kat said, peering into the black shadows surrounding them. “They won’t stop until they’re all dead or we are.”
As they waited, Kat could hear the pounding of the others’ hearts and smell their fear like a cloying perfume in the air. Afraid it might arouse her, she tried not to inhale, but she couldn’t hold her breath for long. The aroma of both men’s sweat and panic sent illicit shivers over her body.
Biting down on her tongue, Kat tried to focus on watching for any sign of an attack in the proximate area. She could feel pressure behind her top eyeteeth where her fangs threatened to pop out from the flesh on the roof of her mouth. Every moment proved to be harder and harder to resist the delicious smells emanating from her two companions and from the bloodied bodies nearby. Soon, she knew, the aromas would get the better of her, her fangs would descend, and she would need to satisfy her hunger any way she could, or she would go mad.
She wished Hades were near. He would keep her from going off the deep end. He would keep her sane.
Just as she thought of him, she heard his voice loud and clear as he came running around the side of the building. “They’re going for the church!”
The sound of shattering glass and an ear-piercing feminine scream confirmed his dread-filled statement.
Kat moved like lightning toward the wooden building. As she raced up the front steps, Hades was there trying to knock down the door.
“It’s still barricaded from inside.” He kicked the door again. The wood splintered but showed no sign of giving way.
Kat ran around the side. Two of the stained-glass windows about eight feet up were shattered.
Pieces of the colored glass crunched beneath her boots. Without waiting for help, she scrambled up the wall, finding hand-and footholds in the logs of the building. Once at the broken window, she glanced down. Hades was making his way up the wall to the other opening.
Cradled on the window ledge, Kat waited for him. They would go in together, just like old times, guns blasting, knives flinging. She smiled, remembering the last time they had made a stand together. It hadn’t been pretty, but they had managed to cut down the bad guys and make their escape.
“Having a good time?” he asked as he tried to stuff his wide, powerful frame into the window’s small opening.
“I was just thinking about the last time we had this much fun together.”
Hades grinned, his dimples winking. It made Kat’s heart trip. “Yeah, good times.”
“Yeah,” she agreed, thinking not of the actual battle but of the afterward, when they were alone in her run-down room in the dilapidated warehouse. She had let her guard
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