We waited.

Several minutes had passed since Gina had called the police. I was starting to have deep reservations about the plan. We didn’t know what the vampire would do when the police arrived. She might bide her time to avoid drawing attention, or she might just kill them. Or possess them and send them after us. Even if she waited, there was still a good chance she could pick us off before we made it to a church. If we did make it to the church, she could still burn it down around us. And if the police didn’t get here on time, all bets were off.

I flexed my hand, missing the sword’s comforting weight. It was sitting in Mike’s sports bag, along with the shotgun and a first aid kit. I felt naked without it. Mike stood silently, grim faced, one hand resting on the gun under his jacket. The others stood or crouched near the door.

I heard a car pull up. The reassuring red and blue lights flashed in the window next to the door. Justin moved the curtains aside. “It’s the cops.”

Mike grunted. “Everyone get ready.” He hefted the sports bag.

We listened to the footsteps coming up to our porch. They stopped in front of the door. There was a knock. Justin looked out the window. He froze. "Wait, that's not-"

Thunder rang out. A puff of pink liquid sprayed from the back of Justin's head. Two more shots were fired through the window. One of them hit him in the chest. I froze, staring in shock as he fell to the ground.

With a loud crack, the door flew off its hinges. It slammed into Troll, knocking him down. A man stood in the doorway, a gun in his hand. A Missoula PD uniform hung loosely on him, two sizes too big. He smiled, waggling a finger at us.

“Calling the police?” He tsked. His accent was less pronounced than Madeline's but still very french. “Terrible plan. You end up with dead police and vampires with guns.” He looked down at his oversized uniform. “It would have been nice if they’d sent someone more in my size, though. This would be much easier if I could’ve talked my way inside.”

Mike went for his pistol.

The vampire moved so fast I couldn’t tell who he was shooting at. Two shots rang out before Mike’s glock cleared the holster. Two more before he fired. Red mist puffed out the back of the vampire’s head.

The man stopped shooting. His face took on a annoyed expression as blood ran down it. Mike fired again and again, emptying his clip into the vampire’s skull.

The creature fell to his knees. The gun tumbled from his hand. Mike pulled the shotgun out of the sports bag. His face twisted with pain as he pumped a round into the chamber. He shouted something.

I couldn’t hear what he was yelling. My ears were ringing from the gunfire. The shotgun boomed once, twice. The vampire collapsed. The front of his head was a mess of shattered bone and brain matter.

I looked down. Troll had a hole in his chest and another in his shoulder. Mike was still screaming. Dimly, I realized he was yelling for the sword. I pulled it out of the sports bag.

Mike stood just inside the doorway. He was pointing the shotgun at the female vampire. What was her name? I couldn’t remember. I nearly tripped over the pistol the vampire had used as Mike kicked it into the house.

The shotgun boomed. The vampire dodged. Mike fired again. She appeared in the doorway as he pumped another round. The gun went off again as she ripped it out of his hands. I swung the sword at her. She skipped backwards.

“Nice gun,” she said, pointing it at Mike. She pulled the trigger. The gun clicked.

She looked down at the weapon, annoyed. “This thing only holds five shots?” she asked.

“You can put one more in if you jack a round in the chamber first,” Mike said. “But we didn’t do that.”

She shrugged. “Oh well.” She threw the gun like a spear. It struck Mike in the stomach. He doubled over and fell down.

She smiled at me. “I told you this would be fun.” Her eyes sparkled. A warm, comfortable feeling began to spread through me. I’m looking at her eyes, I realized. Oh, crap. I tried to look away, but I couldn’t move. My body tingled. It was…nice. Peaceful. I panicked, struggling against the feeling. Her eyes were so blue.

Her smile widened. Everything else fell away, until that smile was all I could see. I heard Stephanie yelling something, but I couldn’t tell what she was saying. It was far away, unimportant, like the small voice screaming in the back of my head. I felt so good. This was better than any drug. I wanted it to never stop.

Madeline spoke. My God, she was beautiful. “May I come in?” Her voice was so pure. Of course I would let her in. I would do anything for her. I opened my mouth to speak.

Pain. Unbelievable pain. I doubled over as it shot through my body, chasing away the warmth and comfort. I cried out, scrabbling at the source. It was Stephanie. Her tiny fist was crushing my testicles like a vise.

She let go. Her mascara had run, two black lines on her tear streaked face. I crumpled to the floor, in agony. She pointed her other fist at Madeline. A necklace with a pentacle dangled from it.

“Back off,” she snarled. “You’re not hurting anyone else tonight.”

Madeline laughed. I was tempted to glance at her face, but I kept my gaze firmly fixed on Stephanie and her pentacle. On Stephanie. The agony had subsided to a dull, throbbing ache. My busted arm was hurting as well. I'd banged it on something on the way down.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that, sweetie,” the vampire warned. “We’re just getting started. I haven’t even set your house on fire.”

“And you won’t,” I said. I stood up, pain be damned. Justin was dead. Troll might be dead. A terrible rage grew within me, making my voice cold. “We won’t give you the chance.”

“Oh?” I locked my gaze on her necklace, seeing her quirked eyebrow with my peripheral vision. “And how are you going to stop me?”

I ignored her. “Stephanie, can you back her off with your necklace?”

“Damn right I can.” She stalked forward, pentacle held out. Madeline backed away as Stephanie cleared the doorway. She stopped just outside, standing over the male vamp’s prone body.

“Good,” I said. “Stay right there.” I grabbed the fake cop by the leg. “You’re invited.” I told him. He didn’t respond. The front half of his head was still missing.

“What are you doing?” Madeline asked.

“Guns don’t kill vampires,” I explained. “But fire will. I don’t think you’ll set the house on fire when you know it’ll kill your boyfriend.” I pulled hard on his leg, but was having trouble dragging him with one hand. Stephanie reached down to assist me. “Guard the door.” I ordered. “I got this.”

Another hand reached past me. It was Gina. Her face was white with fear, but she helped me drag the vampire most of the way inside.

“Aren’t we forgetting something?” Madeline asked. I looked up in time to see her pointing a tazer at Stephanie. “I should play with policemen more often. They have such wonderful toys.” She pulled the trigger. Stephanie dropped, twitching.

I picked up the sword. “I think you’re forgetting something, too.”

I could hear the smirk in her voice. “Oh? You plan to stop me with your magic sword?”

“No. I plan to cut you’re boytoy’s head off.” I raised the sword in what I hoped was a threatening manner. “Back off or he dies.”

She opened her mouth to speak. I stepped out of the doorway.

Mike opened up with the policeman’s gun. The first shot missed completely. The second took a chunk out of the top of her head. A third shattered her jaw. She dodged out of Mike’s line of sight in a blur of motion. I dropped the sword and took a chance, grabbing the taser wires stuck in Stephanie. I jerked them out of her. She was gasping for breath, curled in the fetal position, but she dutifully held up the pentacle when I put it in her hand.

The vampire glared at us, miffed. Then she let out a sniff and stalked away. I backtracked into the house, dragging Stephanie. I stumbled over the downed vamp and landed on my butt in front of Mike. He was swearing under his breath as he reloaded one of the pistols. Probably his own.

“Kevin!” Mike barked. He tucked the pistol away and started shoving shells into his shotgun. “She gone?”

I edged closer to the doorway, trying to see more without getting into grabbing range. I didn’t see anything. ”Um, maybe?”

“I hate maybes.” Mike pumped the shotgun, then set it down. “Keep watch in case she comes back. Steph, you too. Gina,” he pulled the first aid kit out of his sports bag. “I’m gonna need your help with Troll.”

“Don’t mind me,” Troll wheezed. I hadn’t realized he was still conscious. “I’m just gonna lay here and bleed to death.”

Mike handed Gina a swath of gauze. “Put that on the hole in his chest and press down hard. We gotta slow the bleeding.”

“What about his shoulder?” she asked.

“It’s not bleeding as much. Here, Troll.” He pressed more gauze into Trolls hand. “Press down on your shoulder.”

“Screw you,” he said. He grunted as he pressed. “I don’t see anyone pushing on the hole in your chest.”

“Hole?” I turned to look. Mike was wearing a black tee. It took a second to see a section of it was darker than the rest. There was a small hole in the fabric on the upper left side of his chest.

Mike grunted. “One problem at a time. Can anyone else handle a gun?”

“I can,” Gina said. “But I’m a little busy.”

“She’s coming back,” Stephanie warned. I turned back to the door.

“Steph.” She turned to look at me. “I think you should take over for Gina.”

Madeline sashayed up the sidewalk. She was humming. She had a bottle in her hand.

“That woman is way too chipper.” Mike grumbled. “Didn’t we just shoot her a bunch?”

“She looks mostly healed.” I told him.

“That bitch.” Mike looked down at the male vampire, then judiciously shot him in the head. Twice. He reloaded.

She pulled out a zippo, still humming. She struck a flame.

“Wait a minute,” I said, too loudly. My ears were still ringing from the gunfire. “Won’t your boyfriend die if you burn our house down with him in it?”

“I’ll get him out after I’ve killed you all.” She shrugged. “Or I won’t. I’d probably tire of him in another decade, anyway.” She touched flame to the rag sticking out of her bottle. “Besides, I made you a promise.”

“To hell with your promise.” Mike stepped past me, cross and pistol in his left hand. He reached back with his right. I hesitated (is he an idiot?), but I handed him the sword. He stepped out onto the lawn. “You said you’d burn us if we don’t come out.” He pointed the sword at her. “Well I’m right here. Come get some.”

“Oh,” She grinned, eyes glowing. “Oh, my. You are fun. I think I’ll actually miss you when the night is over. But first thing’s first.” She hefted the bottle.

A shotgun boomed next to me. I jumped. Gina pumped it again and kept firing until it ran out. I heard the lighter (but still deafening) pops as Mike opened up with the pistol.

Madeline stared at us in shocked disgust. The bullets had riddled her abdomen, an arm, and her legs. Her Molotov cocktail had shattered, and a small portion of her dress was on fire. Mike charged with the sword.

The smell of gasoline reminded me of the bucket. There was still gas in it from making our mop torches. It gave me an idea. I grabbed the gas can and dumped as much gasoline in the bucket as I could quickly pour. I watched Gina run out after mike, and hoped they could keep Madeline occupied for about ten more seconds.

Mike got to her first. She dodged the swing of his sword and reached for him, but stopped short at the cross in his hand. He swung again, and she skittered around towards his back. She pulled back again as he swung his cross to face her. I guess all the bullet holes were slowing her down. She dodged another mad swing and got some distance, patting at her burning dress.

Gina finished reloading the shotgun. She opened fire again. Madeline took the first batch of buchshot in the legs, nearly falling. She cursed and jumped around, avoiding the next four shots. Gina stepped back into the apartment and reached for the box of shells.

Mike went back to swinging the sword as soon as Gina ran dry. Madeline dodged for a few more seconds, patting at her dress. She'd have the fire out in a moment. I was out of time.

Madeline let out a frustrated growl. Instead of dodging Mike's next swing, she stepped in and caught his wrist. I was already running at her with the bucket. She squeezed and Mike howled, dropping the sword. She held on to his broken arm as she used her other hand to pat out the fire.

Please let this work. I tried for a distraction, both to buy a few seconds and because I needed her to turn. I yelled. “Hey, bitch!” To my surprise, it worked. Madeline turned just in time for me to drench the front and side of her with gasoline.

She stared at me in shock. I stared at her in fear. In the movies, when you throw gas on someone who’s on fire, they get more on fire in a hurry. She was not more on fire. This was not good.

She said, “Are you serious?” I realized she was about to go from shocked to livid. I also realized I was standing three feet away from a vampire, and I didn’t have a cross. Not that it would have helped. I’m pretty sure the whole faith thing doesn’t work for atheists.

“I…uh…”

She'd let go of Mike. He scrabbled for the dropped sword with his remaining hand and tried to take her head off. She caught his arm midswing, still staring at me. “Are you fucking serious?” she asked a second time.

The gas caught with a whoosh, wreathing the vampire in flames. Oh thank god. She screamed, letting go of Mike’s arm. He immediately tried for decapitation, but missed and lopped off her forearm. He swung lower and almost got a leg, but she stumbled back with that inhuman quickness, still screaming. Then she turned and streaked off into the night, trailing blood and fire. We quickly lost sight of her, but we could still hear for another 10 seconds.

“God dammit!” Mike tossed the sword in disgust. “We almost had her. I was this close! You’re dead, bitch! Do you hear me?” He screamed, “You’re dead. I’m gonna fucking kill you!” Mike continued to scream profanities into the open air.

“Mike!” I yelled to get his attention. He choked off his blue streak and looked at me. “Not helping.”

“I know.” He cursed a little more, then took a breath. “Are you good?” I nodded. “Then take Lady and the girls and get the hell out of here.” He headed back towards the house. “I’ll take care of Troll til the ambulance shows up.”

I picked up the sword and ran for the car.

“Wait, dumbass!” Mike hollered. “You gotta get the guns!”

“We’re on it.” Gina and Stephanie grabbed the firearms and ran out after me.

“Kevin!” I jumped at the second yell. I turned to look at Mike. He was pressing down on Troll’s chest with both hands. His face was grim. “Don’t stop driving til sunrise.”