Bloodliner

Chapter 7

Chapter 7As Mavis hunkered down beside the altar, she heard the stained glass skylight shattering overhead...then, machine gun ammo pinging off metal and marble and stuttering into wood. She could almost picture the damage as it happened, the bullets denting the crosses and candlesticks, chipping the altar, splintering the pulpit.

Then, she heard something she could not quite identify. As if the bullets had hit something softer.

And wetter.

The next thing she heard was not so hard to identify: a man's voice.

Screaming in pain.

Before Mavis could look up to see who it was, she heard a loud splattering noise. Something wet and cold splashed down over her, almost knocking her down.

Mavis wiped the wet substance from her eyes and opened them.

This time, she was the one screaming.

Her hands were covered with what looked like blood. There was blood on the floor all around her, and all over her body.

Blood dripped from her hair and elbows, ran down her sides and legs. It poured over her face, refilling her eyes...flowing into her mouth.

As soon as it passed between her lips, she spat it out furiously.

Oh my God!

Mavis grabbed hold of the altar and scrambled to her feet. She pulled the red cloth cover from the altar and used it to wipe as much of the blood from her face as she could.

She screamed again and kept on wiping.

"What was that?" she shouted. "What was that?"

"Vampire," said Stanza. "On the stained glass skylight."

"You're insane!" said Mavis.

"More on the way," said Stanza. "Take cover."

No sooner had Stanza said the words than a dark-haired man dropped headfirst through the open skylight. As Mavis watched, he plunged straight down and landed on his hands on the altar.

When his wide, wild eyes met hers, she froze in place.

Why can't I run? What's going on here?

Stanza's machine gun chattered as the man leaped off the altar. In the space of a heartbeat, he did a smooth backflip that landed him neatly behind Mavis.

Then, his arm curled around her throat.

The machine gun stopped firing.

"Drop the gun and open the door, beautiful." The man hissed loudly and poked a sharp-taloned finger at Stanza. "Let in the rest of the rescue team."

"That what you're calling it now?" Stanza's voice was cool and even.

"Rescuing these precious children." The man laughed and kissed Mavis on the cheek. "We got here in the nick of time, didn't we, sweetheart?"

Just then, someone pounded on the door outside. Stanza didn't flinch, but Jonah looked nervous.

"You can go your merry way, Bloodliner," the man said to Stanza. "We're only interested in your two clients here. I promise. Cross my heart and hope to...wait, I'm already dead, aren't I?"

"Lazy moron." Grinning, Stanza let the gun fall free at her hip and swung up an arm, pointing it right at him. "Left your sunglasses in the coffin, didn't you?"

Mavis caught a glimpse of a round lens poking out of the red leather sleeve of Stanza's jacket. Then, everything melted in a flare of white light.

The vampire howled and let go of Mavis. Her paralysis suddenly let go, too, and she stumbled forward blindly.

Just as Mavis tripped and started to fall, someone caught her. She felt a strong arm loop around her shoulders and heard Jonah's voice in her ear.

"Come on," he said. "Hurry."

Mavis let him guide her...not that she had much choice. All she could see were the swarms of throbbing spots left in her eyes by Stanza's flare.

Somewhere behind her, Mavis heard machine gun fire and the screams of the vampire. Then, she heard what sounded like something hard and heavy smashing into something else.

Followed by an incoherent shout from Stanza.

Jonah looked back as he kept hurrying Mavis forward. "This sucks!"

The spots in Mavis' eyes dimmed enough that she could see again. Jonah was steering her down the hallway past the church offices and meeting rooms.

"Where's the back door?" said Jonah.

"Hang a right at the end of the hall." Mavis could still hear the sounds of smashing and gunfire in the church proper. She wondered what was happening back there...and yet, like Jonah, she didn't feel the need to turn around and try to help Stanza.

I'm in so far over my head, I can't even help myself.

But she saved your life. So much for "do unto others."

"Where's your car?" said Jonah.

"Just outside the door." Mavis' vision continued to clear. She could see the end of the hall coming up fast.

"Got your keys?" said Jonah.

"There's an extra set in the rear driver's side wheel well," said Mavis.

"I guess we're on our own now." Jonah pulled her around the corner at the end of the hall, heading for the back door.

And immediately lurched to a halt.

Not quite on our own.

A brown-haired man in a tuxedo stood between them and the back door. His leering grin revealed rows of jagged fangs like the teeth of a shark.

As the man reached for Mavis, she screamed.