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WE TORE ahead of the in with - humans can’t match vampires or Little People for speed - but then Mr Crepsley’s right ankle swelled up and his pace dropped steadily

"No - good," he gasped, as we stopped at a corner and rested "Cannot - continue You o - on withoutyou with us"

"I cannot - keep up," he snarled, teeth gritted against the pain

"Then we’ll stand and fight," I told hiether That’s an order"

The vampire forced a weak sht be a Prince, but you are still my assistant I can slap sense into you if I have to"

"That’s why I have to keep you withhead"

Mr Crepsley sighed and bent to rub the purple flesh around his ankle

"Here!" Harkat said, and we looked up The Little Person had pulled down the ladder of an overhead fire escape "They’ll find it hard to follow if - we take to the roofs We o up"

Mr Crepsley nodded "Harkat is correct"

"Will the lotion protect you from the sun?" I asked

"From the worst of it," he said "I will be red by sunset, but it should prevent severe burning"

"Then let’s go!"

I was first up the ladder, Mr Crepsley next, Harkat last The s up, and those to the fore alrabbed him He had to kick hard at their hands to break free, then hurried up after us

"Let"Out of my way! I can take them!" But there were too ht and he couldn’t raise his rifle to aiet the ladder, we scrambled up the stairs Mr Crepsleyto lean on for support He winced as we ht, but didn’t slon

I paused at the top of the fire escape and waited for Mr Crepsley As I stood there, feeling more confident than I had a couple of minutes earlier, a helicopter dropped froaphone, "Stop where you are or we’ll shoot!"

Cursing, I called down to Mr Crepsley, "Quick! We have to go now or?"

I got no further Above, a marksman opened fire The air around ly off the bars of the fire escape Screa wildly, I threw myself down the stairs and collided with Mr Crepsley and Harkat If Mr Crepsley hadn’t been holding on so tightly to the rail to ease the pressure on his injured ankle, we one over the side!

We hurried down a couple of flights, where the htened - ht have to leave - to refuel," Harkat said hopefully

"Sure," I snorted, "in an hour or two!"

"How are the hu?" Mr Crepsley asked

I stuck my head over the side and looked down "The first few have made it to the top of the ladder They’ll be on us in a ood position to defend ourselves here," the varoups We should be able to push theood will that do? A few more minutes and the police and soldiers will arrive It won’t take the opposite and pick us off with their rifles"

"Da a few beads of green sweat from his round, bald head "That leaves ?" He pointed to thebehind us, leading into the building

"Another trap," I co, enter in armed teams, flush us out - and we’re finished"

"True," Mr Crepsley agreed thoughtfully, "but what if they have to fight to get in? And what if we are not there when they arrive?"

We stared at Mr Crepsley questioningly "Followinside "I have a plan!"

Turning our backs on the advancing hu helicopter above, Harkat and I dived through theand into the hall, where Mr Crepsley was on his feet and cal for a bus on a slow Sundaybeside him

"Ready forwhat ?" I replied, exasperated

"Ready to set the cat a to the nearest door, he paused a moment, then slammed on it with the flat of his pal! Everybody out!"

He stepped away, faced us, and started counting "One Two Three Fo?"

The door burst open and a wohtdress and no shoes raced out into the hallway, screeching and waving her hands above her head

"Quick!" Mr Crepsley shouted, taking her arround floor! We have to get out! We will die if we stay! The vampires are here!"

"Aiiieeee!" she screa speed for the stairs

"See?" Mr Crepsley beaet busy," Mr Crepsley said, hopping to the next door, pounding upon it, roaring, "Va dead!"

Harkat and I ran ahead of hi his knocks and cries, and within seconds the hallas ja about directionlessly, knocking one another over, al down the stairs to safety

As we reached the end of the corridor, I glanced over the railing of the stairway and saw those rushing down the stairs colliding within an atteet out, and those chasing us couldn’t get in

Wicked!

"Hurry," Harkat said, slappingin by the - fire escape"

Looking back, I saw the first of our pursuers poking his head through theI turned left and raced up the next corridor with Harkat and Mr Crepsley, raising a false alaring the hallway behind us

While the uard clashed with the panicked residents, we turned down another corridor, fled to a fire escape on the opposite side of the building, crawled out, and leapt across to the neighbouring block of aparthavoc

Making our way to the rear of the building, we juain set the huot to the end of this one, we paused and gazed on the alley below and the sky overhead There was no sign of the s behind us We could hear police sirens closing in

"Now is the time to lose ourselves," Mr Crepsley said "The chaos behind us will last a handful of ood use of that ti buildings