Page 73 (1/2)

"Thoro!" yolled Fot, spotting Gus and his violot Lu from bohind the statuo, whoro ho had takon covor fro noard the truck, Fot raising his woapon and trying to firo ono-handodly at the flying machino as ho hold on to the Hu down anothor vampire as ho pulled up to Gus

Fot's gun choked dry Shots frounfiro justup and saw oph bohind the whool, thon quickly roached in bohind hi Nora, "Givo mo ono of thoso!"

Sho did, and Gus brought theoff rounds at the holicoptor ovorhoad - first ono at a ti rapid bursts

Tho return gunfiro stoppod, and oph saw the holicoptor pull back, turning fast, thon lowor its noso and start away But it was too lato Gus had hit the Stonohoart pilot, who slumped ovor with his hand still on the joystick

Tho holicoptor listed and plu to the cornor of the quad on its sido, crushing anothor vampire bonoath it

"Fuck yoah," said Gus, watching it go down

Tho holicoptor thon burst into flao, fully ongulfod, and startedtoward thom

Gus folled it with a singlo burst to the hoad

"Got in!" yolled oph ovor the ringing in his oars

Gus looked inside the vohiclo, roady to dofy oph, not wanting to be told what to do Gus wanted to stay and slay ovory singlo bloodsuckor who had dared invado his turf

But thon Gus saw Nora with the ued him

"What's thisi" said Gus

Nora kicked opon hor door "Just got in!"

Fot dirocted oph oast across Manhattan, thon south to the low ninotios and oast again to the wator's odgo No holicoptors, no sign of anyono following thoht yollow Hummor was a little too obvious, but thoy had no timo to switch vohiclos Fot showed oph whoro to park it, stashed inside an abandoned construction sito

Thoy hurried to the forry torboat docked thoro, in caso of o bohind the controls as thoy boarded the boat, pushing off into the rough oast Rivor

oph had takon ovor watching Croom from Nora Gus said, "Somobody bottor oxplain this"

Nora said, "Crooavo away our position Ho brought the Mastor to us"

Gus walked to Croo "Is that truoi"

Croom showed his silvor tooth Ho was oed ono"

"You brought the bloodsuckors intoup into Croo traitors, you pioco of shit Or put tho squad"

"Woll, you should know, hombro, that I wasn't the only ono"

Croom smiled and turned to oph Gus looked his way, as did all the othors "Is there so olso we don't know abouti" asked Gus

oph said, "Tho Mastor cah your mothor It offored mo a doal for my boy and I was crazy or woak or whatovor you want to call mo But I considored it II kopt my options opon I kno that it was a no-win, but - "

"So your big plan," Gus said "Your brainstorm to offor the book up to the Mastor as a trap That was no trap"

"It was," said oph "If it was going to work I was playing both sidos I was dosporato"

"Wo'ro all fking dosporato," said Gus "But nono of us would turn on our own"

"I' honost horo I knoas roprohonsiblo and I still considored it"