embroidered on his chest with beams of light shooting in every direction from it. Aleister Crowley waved his hands and said, “I would like all of you to step away from your stations and go to either side of the building.”
He looked down with satisfaction as the researchers cleared from the floor, then turned around and said, “Bring our guest forward if you do not mind.”
Two stormtroopers carried a chair to the front of the platform. Louis Brevot struggled fiercely against the bonds holding to the chair and the gag in his mouth. Crowley swept the hair out of his face and turned back to the crowd of onlookers and said, “Can you hear me, Omega? I know you are with us.”
The magician surveyed the facility, waiting. Finally, he frowned and said, “I respect your resolve, my friend. Perhaps you require more substantial incentive?”
Obersturmbannfuhrer Kramer dragged a cursing, kicking, Amelie Brevot across the floor. Her shoes scraped the platform’s metal surface, and Kramer shook her violently until she stopped fighting. Kramer held up a strange-looking pistol and said, “I have your little friend, Omega. If you do not show yourself within five seconds, the whore dies.” Kramer rested the barrel of the pistol against the side of Amelie’s head and said, “Oh, well. Eins, zwie, drei —”
Shouts rang out at the sight of a naked man appearing in the center of the floor, running in full sprint.
“Vampirs!” Kramer shouted.
All of the lights inside the facility went out and a bright volley of muzzle flashes filled the balcony as the sonderkommandos fired at Price. They shouted at one another when they saw him through the large infrared lenses mounted to their rifles, but just as they shot at him, he vanished again. Bullets ricocheted off of the concrete floor, punching holes in the equipment and striking several of the researchers. Crowley bent over the platform and shouted, “He’s almost here!”
One of the sonderkommandos appeared to leap off of the catwalk and fall screaming to the floor below. Price took a running leap at the platform and landed only a few feet away from Crowley, looking up at him with a wicked, satisfied grin. “Nice try,” Price said.
Amelie Brevot pushed Obersturmbannfuhrer Kramer away from her and ripped the gun out of his hand. She turned to where Price was crouched and fired at him. A blue-tipped dart spiraled through the air at Price, but it passed through thin air. Price was gone.
Amelie turned to her left and fired again, into nothingness. The dart sailed toward a brick wall just as Price appeared in time to catch its barbed tip in the shoulder. He ripped the dart out and disappeared.
Amelie turned and fired repeatedly into the crowd of sonderkommandos gathered on the platform. They shouted in confusion and dove for cover to escape the gunshots.
Price appeared in front of them, staggering forward with a chest full of the darts. He reached for the gun in Amelie’s hand, but stumbled and fell to one knee. Amelie cocked her gun and stuck it against Price’s forehead.
“Do it,” Kramer said.
Amelie fired and Price collapsed to the ground in a heap, making Obersturmbannfuhrer Kramer let out a shout of excitement. He swept Amelie up in his arms and kissed her on the mouth. He put her down and bent over Price, patting him on the back as he said, “ Guten tag , Herr Omega. You are now the one at an end, ja ?”
***
Price struggled to open his eyes. His body was numb but he managed to lift his head. When he opened his mouth to speak, nothing but long streams of metallic-tasting spittle poured out.
Obersturmbannfuhrer Kramer stood in front of him, dangling a glass slide in front of Price. “I am glad to see you are awake. We were not sure about the dosage level and some suspected you
He looked down with satisfaction as the researchers cleared from the floor, then turned around and said, “Bring our guest forward if you do not mind.”
Two stormtroopers carried a chair to the front of the platform. Louis Brevot struggled fiercely against the bonds holding to the chair and the gag in his mouth. Crowley swept the hair out of his face and turned back to the crowd of onlookers and said, “Can you hear me, Omega? I know you are with us.”
The magician surveyed the facility, waiting. Finally, he frowned and said, “I respect your resolve, my friend. Perhaps you require more substantial incentive?”
Obersturmbannfuhrer Kramer dragged a cursing, kicking, Amelie Brevot across the floor. Her shoes scraped the platform’s metal surface, and Kramer shook her violently until she stopped fighting. Kramer held up a strange-looking pistol and said, “I have your little friend, Omega. If you do not show yourself within five seconds, the whore dies.” Kramer rested the barrel of the pistol against the side of Amelie’s head and said, “Oh, well. Eins, zwie, drei —”
Shouts rang out at the sight of a naked man appearing in the center of the floor, running in full sprint.
“Vampirs!” Kramer shouted.
All of the lights inside the facility went out and a bright volley of muzzle flashes filled the balcony as the sonderkommandos fired at Price. They shouted at one another when they saw him through the large infrared lenses mounted to their rifles, but just as they shot at him, he vanished again. Bullets ricocheted off of the concrete floor, punching holes in the equipment and striking several of the researchers. Crowley bent over the platform and shouted, “He’s almost here!”
One of the sonderkommandos appeared to leap off of the catwalk and fall screaming to the floor below. Price took a running leap at the platform and landed only a few feet away from Crowley, looking up at him with a wicked, satisfied grin. “Nice try,” Price said.
Amelie Brevot pushed Obersturmbannfuhrer Kramer away from her and ripped the gun out of his hand. She turned to where Price was crouched and fired at him. A blue-tipped dart spiraled through the air at Price, but it passed through thin air. Price was gone.
Amelie turned to her left and fired again, into nothingness. The dart sailed toward a brick wall just as Price appeared in time to catch its barbed tip in the shoulder. He ripped the dart out and disappeared.
Amelie turned and fired repeatedly into the crowd of sonderkommandos gathered on the platform. They shouted in confusion and dove for cover to escape the gunshots.
Price appeared in front of them, staggering forward with a chest full of the darts. He reached for the gun in Amelie’s hand, but stumbled and fell to one knee. Amelie cocked her gun and stuck it against Price’s forehead.
“Do it,” Kramer said.
Amelie fired and Price collapsed to the ground in a heap, making Obersturmbannfuhrer Kramer let out a shout of excitement. He swept Amelie up in his arms and kissed her on the mouth. He put her down and bent over Price, patting him on the back as he said, “ Guten tag , Herr Omega. You are now the one at an end, ja ?”
***
Price struggled to open his eyes. His body was numb but he managed to lift his head. When he opened his mouth to speak, nothing but long streams of metallic-tasting spittle poured out.
Obersturmbannfuhrer Kramer stood in front of him, dangling a glass slide in front of Price. “I am glad to see you are awake. We were not sure about the dosage level and some suspected you
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