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Bursting free of the crowd, I stu at the fallen goalkeeper, paralyzed with shock My first instinct was to run to To kicked in Toht now I had to focus on RV and Morgan Jaot away

Tearing aze away from Tommy, I ducked down the tunnel, past the players, staff and stewards who had yet to recover their senses I saw more shot-up bodies but didn’t stop to check whether they were living or dead I had to be a vampire, not a human A killer, not a carer

I raced down the tunnel until it branched off in two directions Left or right? I stood, panting, scanning the corridors for clues Nothing to ht - blood

I picked up speed again A voice at the back of my mind whispered, "You have no weapons Hoill you defend yourself?" I ignored it

The corridor led to a dressing rooathered The players weren’t aware of what had happened on the pitch They were cheering and singing The corridor branched again here The path to the left led back towards the pitch, so I took another right turn, praying to the gods of the va sprint The corridor was narrow and low-ceilinged I was panting hard, not fro about Tommy, Mr Crepsley, Gavner Purl - friends I’d lost to the vaht the sorrow, or it would overwhelan James instead

RV was once an eco-warrior He’d tried to free the Wolf Man at the Cirque Du Freak I’d stopped him but not before the Wolf Man had bitten his hands off RV fled, survived, and blamed me for his misfortune Some years later, he was discovered by Steve Leopard Steve told the vampaneze to blood him, and the pair plotted my downfall RV had been in the Cavern of Retribution when Mr Crepsley was killed That was the last tian James was an ex-police officer A vampet, one of the humans the vampaneze had recruited Like the other vampets, he dressed in a brown shirt and black trousers, shaved his head, painted circles of blood around his eyes, and had a "V" tattooed above either ear Since he hadn’t been blooded, he was free to use uns Vampaneze, like vampires, swear an oath when they’re blooded not to use such weapons Ja the battle he was shot, and the left side of his face had been torn into fleshy strips by the bullet

A treacherous, deadly pair Again I found ht up with thenored that problem and concentrated on the chase

The end of the corridor A door swinging ajar Two police officers and a steward lying sluan Jae

I kicked the door wide open and ducked out I was at the rear of the stadiu estate The police out here had been attracted to the sides of the stadium - there was some kind of a disturbance at the front, no doubt timed to tie in with the assault

Ahead of an James enter the estate By the time the police turned their attention this way, the killers would be gone I started after them Stopped Hurried back inside the stadiuuns, but both had been carrying truncheons I took the clubs, one for each hand, then fled after my prey

It was dark on the estate, especially after the brightness of the stadium But I had the extra-sharp vision of a half-vaotiate ular intervals, seven or eight houses per stretch I paused briefly at each junction, looking left and right No sign of RV and Morgan Jaain

I wasn’t sure if they kneas following I assuht not have counted onthe first to break out of the stadiuht be on my side, but I warned myself not to count on it

I caht? I stood in the road, head twisting one way, then the other I couldn’t see anyone I’d lost them’ Should I take a direction at rando sound to ainst a wall Then someone hissed, "Quiet!"

I turned There was a tiny alley between two houses, the source of the noise The nearest street lights had been smashed The only illu about this - the screech and hiss had been far too convenient - but I couldn’t back off now I advanced

I stopped a couple of ed out into thethe truncheons I caht of the alley Nobody near the dark mouth The alley only ran back five or six ht I could see all the way to the rear wall Nobody was there I breathed out shakily Maybetricks Or else the sound had been a TV or radio What should I do noas back where I’d beenmoved in the alley, lon on the floor I stiffened and lowered hts And now I saw the either wall, practically invisible in the shadows

The figure to my left chuckled, then stood - RV I raised the truncheon in ht rose, and Morgan Ja it at ainst him, then realized hoorthless it would be if he fired