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We were running out of tio, planning to be underground for only an hour We’d planned to use the drug lord’s own ATVs--parked in thein the United States near Calexico It wasn’t a great plan, but better than waiting for the cartel to tear apart the village looking for us

But things had changed Roving groups of guards had forced us into the side tunnels Luis had assured me they would lead us to the saer But we’d gotten turned around twice and now there was only an hour left before sunset

"I need to rest, Celia Please, can’t we stop and sit down for a second?"

Serena’s whisper made me flinch and I stole a moment to look at her face She was nearly as pale as the vaht fell, and I didn’t doubt she was in a lot of pain I eased so what it had felt like to ith a broken leg in a makeshift splint

"We don’t have et you to safety" My voice was likewise a whisper It wasn’t just that she was a nice person who deserved to get home to her family in Milwaukee, which she was--but she was the last enaChem’s Mexico City plant and if she didn’t et paid my full fee

She let out a small noise that was part whi and I had to as well unless I planned to drag her I couldn’t carry her--the tunnel sihtly to keep fro our heads on the support bea a hand to push the sweaty hair fro "I know I do But just five minutes Please Don’t we have a charm left?"

Maria turned and looked at me with concern We did have one But there was a problem "Yes, but we only have one Blackout char the tunnel exit We’ll be vulnerable e crawl out if anyone hears"

Serena nodded and bit at her lip, then took a deep breath of stale air and stepped forward, leaning heavily on h the hard-packed dirt because noise echoed down here I could tell she wasover the situation I’d carried her in theto use the ATVs The main tunnels were s But this branch was almost claustrophobically narrow, the chiseled stone broken only occasionally by hand-fitted support beae bulbs strung on wires along the ceiling, about half of which actually worked The ventilation wasn’t great, either I eating heavily enough that the blouse beneathtointo the tunnels where local priests told us the vampires live had been crazy But desperate people take insane risks After six weeks in Mexico, "desperate" was definitely a word that described me

Ahead of us, Luis raised his hand and stopped cold I likewise stopped while he listened If I weren’t so tired, I could have a partially a va enhanced senses But I was just so da Even htmoment, Luis eased backward and lowered his voice to where he could barely be heard "We’re nearing the uards If we stay here for five ood tunnel"

Beside et her rest after all I took a breath and helped her to a sitting position, ht as possible It elling badly but there wasn’t anything we could do until we got to a doctor or healer I’d long ago expended every charotten to safety, ferrying them one at a time across the border

Maria, Luis, and I took up perimeter positions in the near darkness There would be no rest for us At least I’d had the good sense to make sure a priest blessed not only ular bullets They don’t laugh at holy ite, either, which hy Luis earing a homemade flamethrower

I really, really, hoped he didn’t have to use it A blast froen better left for breathing, and I didn’t relish the thought of a possible cave-in if one of the support beaed

I shuddered in the dark, painfully aware of the not-quite-corpses "sleeping" somewhere in the tunnels "I’m afraid of vampires," Serena whispered "Present company excluded, of course"

I turned frolance at her "Any sane person is I sure ah that I elaborated "I’ve killed h that was only partially true "And I am still alive The master vampire who bit me didn’t finish the job" I have prominent, pointed canines, death-pale skin, and sos But I still have my soul and mind Most bats don’t That was another one of the reasons I really wasn’t liking these tunnels It wasn’t just that I was afraid of feral bats, I was afraid of beco a feral bat