By William S. Frisbee

Bill checked his Glock 19, a nine millimeter semiautomatic pistol for the umpteenth time. Not that he expected it would do any good as he glanced nervously at the hotel door. It did make him feel better though. He was tall and thin but his muscles were wires and his eyes although blood shot from lack of sleep were alert and nervous. Bill lay back, his pistol in one hand and a wooden stake in the other. The sun would be setting shortly, and THEY would be coming out. He had fled all the way from New York ending up here in Miami, but he knew THEY would find him. His grip tightened on his pistol. He used to be a non commissioned officer in the Marines, a gun in his hand made him feel better, even though he was deathly scared. It wouldn't hurt THEM, but it would slow them down perhaps like it did when they killed Jake. The curtains were pulled tight, his car was parked four blocks away at another hotel, it was his second car in the past week.

Glancing again at the window he pulled out his wallet. Eighteen dollars and a credit card with a one thousand dollar limit. But if he used the credit card They might be able to find him more easily. He had just spent the last three months running. Perhaps They didn't know where he was now, perhaps They didn't care. He knew it would be impossible for They to have followed him, but now he wasn't so sure. Three and a half months ago he hadn't even believed They existed, although if someone had asked him if he believed in vampires he would have said yes but he really didn't BELIEVE. Now he was scared to death, on the run from the armies of darkness and The Law.

Getting up to check the door again and look out the window Bill wondered if it had really been just three months since this nightmare had begun. Nobody was outside that he could see and the sky was a blood red. The sun was setting, They would be waking up now. Bill opened up his gym back and took out several quarrels and a small crossbow. He knew he would have to sleep. He had been driving all day and he had spent all last night hiding in the trunk of his car, his pistol and crossbow ready. He didn't get much sleep that way, but he was still alive. The Professor, Jake and Kevin weren't. Bill rubbed his eyes and turned on the television. Watching TV he could almost believe none of this was real. Ever since that gaming convention where he had met Professor O'Henry his life had changed. He couldn't remember the game to well, now it was meaningless, but it had been about vampires. The Professor had been recruiting and Bill, Kevin and Jake had been perfect for his plans. Now they were all dead, and the last of the hunters was now the hunted, and the prey had only eighteen dollars and . . . sixty seven cents.

He wondered if he could get a job here in Miami somewhere. New York was quite a distance for vampires who could only travel at night. Bill relaxed. He would be safe here. But he would have to be careful. As he was sitting down a small gleaming cross fell out of his pocket. Bill picked it up and looked at it for a couple seconds before tossing it into the trash can. God hadn't done Jake any good and the holy water pistols had been next to useless. Garlic just made everyone stink and belladonna hadn't been any good either. Out of four fearless vampire hunters only one was still alive. The others were dead. He had seen Jake fall, his throat ripped out by a vampires claws, Kevin had his neck snapped and O'Henry? He was dead for sure. When he been going over to O'Henry's house the night after Jake was killed he arrived just in time to see Kevin come out the front door and land on the pavement, he had been making gurgling noises and his neck was bent at an unnatural angle. He had glanced up in time to see blood spray across the window and hear O'Henry scream followed by someone's laugh. Bill had been running ever since. The day after he had called home to find that the police had visited his house inquiring about him.

Bill lay back ignoring the television and watched the ceiling. Ever since getting out of the Marine Corps he had been drifting, working as a Security Guard and hoping to get on with some police force but nobody was hiring, so he was stuck with a minimum wage job as a rent a cop. No excitement, no danger, no fun. He looked at the pistol in his hand. He could finish it now. . .

No, he had been a United States Marine Corps Infantry Squad Leader, he wouldn't just give up, someone would have to kill him, and it wouldn't be easy he vowed. He closed his eyes for a minute, he should be safe here for a little while at least.

Someone tried the door knob and Bill was instantly alert aiming his pistol at the door, his finger a fraction of an inch from sending a bullet at the offender. He knew how fast vampires moved. Whoever it was discovered the door was locked and stopped as Bill slid off the bed aiming the pistol with one hand and bringing up the small crossbow pistol with the other. This was it. THEY had found him. Bill didn't know how, but they had.

The door was suddenly kicked open and a slim figure dressed in black beaten leathers stepped in, holding up his hand to keep the door from slamming back in his face. A pistol dangled casually from his left hand.

"The running is over Jarhead, time to die," the newcomer said, an evil grin on his face. His goatee and slicked back hair made him look like a pale version of Satan, without the horns. The vampire didn't seem to notice the gun and crossbow in Bill's hands.

"Drop dead," Bill said.

"Already am, Jar-" he said just before two bullets tore into his chest pushing him back toward the door. Unlike the movies bullets didn't throw the vampire out the door, but a surprised look came over his face before the crossbow bolt thudded into his chest. The punk vampire collapsed as another one stepped in, dropping the crossbow in front of him on the bed, Bill began trying to reload it one handed. It was small and it could be done one handed but the next vampire that came in was a woman and she was beautiful in biker leathers, she also carried a gun in her hand that looked far too big for her. Behind her he could see two more pushing their way in.

"Wouldn't shoot a lady would you, honey," she said a smug smile on her face.

For more information please contact me at warcat@usmc.net