Page 22 (2/2)

Night Reigns Dianne Duvall 29600K 2023-08-31

The guard raised his eyebrows "Everything okay, Doc?"

She nodded "Everthing’s fi--"

Boos, Melanie covered her ears and looked around

Sirens began to blare, yelloarning lights to flash

The guard behind her tightened his grip on the 10m all around

The guards in front of Joe’s and Vincent’s doors did the saathered around the desk stationed before the elevator doors at the end of the hallway

Autounfire,Shouts and cries followed

Melanie’s heart began to pound in her chest Her breath shortened as fear and confusion whipped through her

The digital display above the elevator button lit up, the red, boxy nuround level

S1

Melanie sed The vampires were housed on the last floor: Sublevel 5

S2

The guards in front of the vaether in front of Melanie, then fanned out across the six-foot-wide hallway

S3

Those at the end of the hallway, armed with fully automatic weapons, backed away from the elevator doors, knees bent, feet braced apart, sweaty hands tightening on the grips of their guns

S4

Glancing down at her watch, she felt her heart stop

I’ll be there within the hour

Her eyes flew to the elevator’s digital display

S5

Ding

The doors slowly parted

A dark figure burst fro so swiftly all she saas a shadow-like blur Autoly loud Screa out Sheetrock flew from the walls up and down the hallway as shots ild

Panicked, Melanie threw herself to the floor and scooted over until she lay face down on the cold tile with her side glued to one wall

Howls of pain erupted frouards near the elevator as those in front of Melanie opened fire Cries of fear spilled from the lab across the hall from the vampires’ quarters

"Lanie!" she heard her friend Linda call Dr Linda Machen was the only other female researcher orked hands-on with the vampires

"I’m okay!" Melanie shouted back "Stay there and take cover!"

A guard--she didn’t know if it was one from the end of the hallway or one of the trio in front of her--hit the ground beside her and skidded away several yards, eyes closed, face battered

"No! Melanie’s still out there!" she heard Linda scream just before one of the men in the lab closed and sealed the door

More bodies hit the floor A tile fragment leapt up from the floor in front of Melanie and sliced into her forehead

Bullets wreaked havoc all around her

Ducking her head, she covered it with her ar up enough to sweep her key card and enter the code would leave her too exposed

Silence fell A moan sounded So, Melanie raised her head

All of the guards were down

In the center of the hallway, bodies spread around his feet like flower petals, stood a htly Black pants clung to listened with blood and sported a dozen orblack coat

His thick chest rose and fell swiftly as he raised his chin Through the curtain of his lengthy obsidian hair, he le" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>