Vampire Apocalypse: A World Torn Asunder

Vampire Apocalypse: A World Torn Asunder Page 32

The vampires attacked en masse and with such ferocity that the humans couldn't hope to stop them. Vampires poured through the gap, scaled over the top of the barrier, and ripped flesh with their claws and teeth. Men and women fell and blood splattered everywhere. The coppery smell of the blood only sent the creatures further into frenzy.

Father Reilly panted with the exertion. He swung a wooden spear and impaled yet another creature. Its scream sent a shiver down his spine, but he had no time to gloat. He had carved the spear to a sharp point at either end, which made it easier to use in close combat. He pulled the weapon from the dead creature and continued the arc backwards to impale a second creature attacking from behind.

There's too many, he thought as yet another appeared through the gap. He pulled the spear from the dead vampire, but this creature was too quick. It grabbed the weapon and pulled it easily from his grasp.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Father. Did you want it back?" the creature mocked and then spun the weapon faster than Reilly could hope to follow. The point drove straight through Reilly's chest. The creature's strength forced the spear out through his back and continued on through most of the weapon's six-foot length. The spear nearly touched the ground behind him and left about six inches sticking from his chest.

"Now you know what it feels like, priest. It hurts, doesn't it?" the creature spat.

Reilly felt the strength leave his legs and stumbled forward. The creature laughed and leaned in to rip the priest's throat out and gorge on his blood. Reilly's vision began to blur and the reek of the creature's breath filled his nostrils.

"Why don't you tell me?" Reilly said.

The priest grunted, grabbed the creature by its shoulders and, before it could react, pulled the vampire towards him and impaled it on the protruding spear. The vampire screamed in agony, and then both of them fell to the ground, locked in an eternal embrace.

Reiss sat on the barrier and sprayed holy water at any vampires that came within range. His leg was useless from his earlier fall, but the water gave him enough range to keep the creatures at bay for now. His supply, however, was dwindling rapidly.

Another creature lunged at him and he flicked the bottle toward it, spraying a fine mist in its direction. The creature screamed as the liquid burned a line across its face. Its left eye melted on contact. Pain seared into the vampire's skull and it thrashed blindly into the melee. Its frenzied flight caught another vampire by mistake and gauged deep furrows across the creature's face before the blinded vampire was brought down by its own kind in a brief but violent exchange.

"Hey, don't mind me," Reiss quipped. "Feel free to tear each other to pieces. I'll just sit here and watch."

The vampires growled their response, but kept their distance. Reiss smiled confidently, but he knew that the water wouldn't last much longer.

"Let me go!" Sandra Harrington screamed and fought against her father. They had made it back to the second barricade long before she had regained consciousness, allowing her father the opportunity to clean and dress her wound. The second barrier was merely a ragged line built with any materials they had left over from the main barricade. It wasn't really meant to stop the vampires, but it had given the men something to do while they waited for the assault to begin.

Sandra had woken with a start and immediately looked about her. She saw the relative calm around her and looked at her father questioningly. "What happened?" she asked. Her voice rose as realisation hit her. "Where is he?" she asked without waiting for a response to her previous question.

"He told us to come back here and wait for him. You were injured..." Dan Harrington stopped halfway through his explanation, knowing that it wouldn't do any good. "Look Sandra," he put his hands firmly on her shoulders and looked directly into her eyes, "we left them at least ten minutes ago and the gunfire stopped five minutes after that. We..."

"No!" she screamed. "Let me go!" She pulled away from her father and thumped her fists against his chest while the tears streamed down her face. "He promised we wouldn't separate this time, he promised...!"

Her father reached out and folded her in his arms, comforting her while she wept.

Rodgers stirred. His head felt like it had been slammed into a wall. Then he remembered that was exactly what had happened. He rolled over, opened his eyes, and suddenly came fully awake.

"Oh my God!" he muttered when he saw the carnage in front of him.

The creature swiped at Harris and tore the flesh of his right arm from elbow down to his wrist. The sudden pain made him drop the machete. The creature grinned evilly and took its time advancing on its helpless prey. Harris looked around frantically for something to protect himself with and made a grab for a piece of metal sticking out of the barrier. His hand had just closed on the bar when he felt it ripped from his grasp. He looked up and saw the Minotaur creature lift the entire barrier up and fling it with ease back down the corridor.

"He's mine," the monster growled.

Harris paled as the creature reached for him and he braced himself for the attack. Suddenly, from behind him, Harris heard an almighty roar and watched in disbelief while the creature's head and most of his upper torso disappeared in a spray of blood and bone. The attack was so sudden and so devastating that all fighting stopped and everyone watched the giant, headless creature sway and then collapse to the floor.

Humans and vampires continued to stare at the corpse in utter shock, unable to move until a loud yell drew their attention back down the corridor. Harris couldn't believe his eyes. A smile spread across his face when he recognised the figure.

"Warkowski!" he whispered, "you beautiful bastard."

Warkowski stood some twenty feet away; his body covered in bandages, holding the biggest damn machine gun Harris had ever seen. "Alright, unless you bastards want some of the same," he warned, "I suggest you all just cool it and move on back a bit."

Warkowski's voice carried easily. Harris could see the vampires look uncertainly at their leader.

Nero looked at the devastated remains of Pollock and then back at the huge weapon in Warkowski's arms.

"I said move back!" Warkowski shouted and let loose a short burst at the closest vampire. The bullets that slammed into the creature tore it clean in half. "There's plenty more left if you want some," he warned with the weapon pointed at Nero.

Nero nodded quickly at the rest of his pack and they hurriedly withdrew.

Harris and the remaining humans quickly gathered up those unable to walk and made their way over behind Warkowski. Harris" eyes scanned the many dead men and women around him and sighed deeply at the loss. Two men lifted Reiss in their arms and carried him forward. Just as he was about to leave, Harris noticed movement from a crumpled form over by the wall.

"I don't suppose there's any chance of a beer?" Rodgers smiled. Harris rushed over to help his friend.

"It's just as well you hit the wall with your head," Harris commented when he saw the trickle of blood still seeping from a wound on his forehead, "nothing major there to damage."

Rodgers" smile grew into a grin.

"What are you waiting for, Warkowski? Let them have it." Harris came up behind Warkowski and nodded toward the remaining vampires. The men faced the vampires over a gap of twenty feet, while the vampires looked warily at the massive machine gun in the big man's hands. Most of the other survivors had already started back to the other barrier.

"Ah, bit of a problem there, I'm afraid." Warkowski grinned.

"What do you mean?" Rodgers asked and hobbled up beside him.

"Well, I was trying to make a big impact, you understand," he continued and then nodded at the huge gun in his arms. "Only problem being there wasn't much in the way of ammunition and--"

"But you said there was plenty left." Harris fought to keep his voice low.

"Well, I, ah, exaggerated a bit." Warkowski shrugged.

"When you say a bit--"

"Well, a lot actually. I used my last rounds to kill that vampire over there."

The vampires were beginning to mutter among themselves and inch forward again.

"You're mad; you know that, don't you? Stark raving mad!" Harris exclaimed and eyed the vampires. "I think we've just been rumbled. On my mark I suggest we get the hell out of here."

The others nodded.

"Okay, RUN!"