Smiling Jacob said, “Now everyone up on the roof, go, go, go!” he shoved those that were still with him up onto the roof and quickly put them into position. Keva’s distraction gave him all the time he needed.

When everyone was in position he gave the order, “Fire!”

His werewolves opened fire with a gout of precision and focused fire. The six vampires that had been on the roof were dead within moments.

When the shooting stopped Jacob wanted to smile but he couldn’t. He could hear gunfire ring out all over the city. The smoke was getting worse and the whole city was starting to look more like London than anything else. He motioned for Keva to rejoin the rest of them on the rooftop.

He turned the group around and ran back the way they had come. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop he was starting to get a little tired. It had been a while since he had fought any battles like this. It made him remember why he had been so grateful to leave the Royal Armed Forces in the first place. His pack bond was strong though and the fatigue was slight. But he knew that if he was feeling it, the younger Shape shifters, and especially those without a pack yet, would be feeling it much worse than he was and there was still so much left to do. He knew that this day was far from finished.

* * * * *

Billy moved forward toward the sound of fighting. He wanted to swing around and catch whoever it was is some kind of flanking maneuver, if at all possible. The smoke was making things difficult. The gun fire was still off in the distance when he heard more gunfire from behind him.

Sending his troops diving for cover, he listened carefully to the gun shots. They were behind him, almost directly, as far as he could tell, where Efraim had been when he gave the signal for him to move out.

Billy sent his forces back to the left of where Efraim’s last location had been. He listened closely to the gun fire. He kept himself in a low crouch and moved along with his troops. Hearing was the only one of his senses that was working to its keenest capacity and he strained himself to hear the rhythm of the bullets.

He moved along quickly, staying low. The group of six that he led followed closely. The rhythm of bullets was constant in quick burst here and there. The sound was moving. If he had to make a guess it was the sounds of a search party using suppressive fire to keep whatever they were looking for down, make them think twice about running.

Suddenly there was a massive exchange. Billy heard one full auto fire in response to half a dozen other weapons that answered. Billy couldn’t wait anymore. Without thinking he launched himself out of cover and threw himself across the street toward the gun fire.

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The smoke thinned as he approached and he saw a lone vampire take several bullets in the chest. He collapsed to the ground with his head bouncing off the obsidian roof with a sickening thud.

He had a chance to look around and he saw five other vampires dead as well. They had been taken completely by surprise it looked like. Their faces were frozen in surprise or pain. He heard a rough but weak cough. He sprinted to where the sound had come from.

Billy came up on the source of the cough. Efraim, his eyes barely open, blood seeping from a dozen bullet holes at least. His pack Enforcer was sitting with his back to a low wall on the roof, fighting for each breath.

“Ryan!” Billy called over his shoulder frantically. “Ryan! Where are you?! Get your ass over here now, Efraim’s down!” He knelt down by his friend not wanting to see what was in front of him. “Goddamn it, Ryan! Where the hell are you?”

Efraim reached a claw up weakly and gripped Billy’s arm. “I’ve…too much…blood lost.” Every word was an effort for him.

“Don’t talk, you stubborn nomad,” Billy said trying to sound convincing. “Ryan’ll be here soon. He’ll patch you up, you’ll see…just, just don’t….don’t talk.” Billy’s eyes were watering again, but it wasn’t from the smoke.

“Look at me,” Efraim said calmly and clearly.

Billy blinked away his tears and looked at his friend.

Efraim swallowed hard and blinked hard. “Billy, if…we die…we…lose everything.” He coughed weakly, causing blood to spatter onto Billy’s fur. Efraim swallowed and said in a whisper, “If the city is lost, we…we can…rebuild. This isn’t Jerusalem…we…can fight...long as….we…live…we can fight…the city…”

“Will you shut up, Efraim? Stop talking like that. We haven’t lost anything and you took out six all by yourself. We’re going to be ok,” Billy pleaded.

Efraim pulled his friend closer, “Don’t, throw, lives, away, for, an, empty, shell.” There was anger in his voice now. “You, have, to, make, sure…our, people…get out, of…here.” He let go of the Scout. “We can fight…elsewhere.”

Billy hunched down next to his friend. “What do you mean fight elsewhere? This is our home? We can’t just…Efraim? …Efraim?!” he grabbed the Enforcer’s shoulder and shook him violently. “EFRAIM!!!!!”

Efraim had slumped down, his chin rested on his assault rifle. As Billy watched the werewolf melted back into his human form.

Billy still gripped the man’s shoulder. He let his head fall forward as he mourned the death of his friend.

* * * * *

“Aiman!” Acharya called to his Enforcer.

“Yes, Acharya?” He replied dryly.

“Can you see anything out there? Do you think they might have gotten bored yet?” Acharya asked.

They were standing on either side of a doorway on the third level of a building on the western side of the city. He could feel his pack was ok, all except for Malikah who was still injured.

After he had followed Helios and that insane plan to just blast their way out of a building he had heard gun fire and a strange whine and scream from some weapon that he didn’t even know they had here in the City Under the Mountain. He had grabbed who he could but Malikah was not with that group and he didn’t have time to go to her. The best he could do was draw the vamps away from her so he could go back for her when he could.

Since then, he and Aiman had been cornered and now both packs were taking cover in the various buildings. The vampires had them surrounded, as best as he could tell, and they were effectively pinned down.

He peeked out from around a corner. A bullet caught the door frame inches from his ears and he jerked back inside.