Pyrrhic Victory

excitement. "Absolutely fantastic. My son won't be able to keep his hands off you."

  Shasta didn't believe she really wanted to go through with the whole affair anymore. Clarrisa's rage, coming as it did so quickly after her seeming implorations, had thoroughly unnerved her, and her subsequent examination of her body hadn't restored her confidence. But considering her present condition, she felt she had gone too far to back out. Besides, she suddenly realized that the thought of what Clarrisa might do to her if she tried terrorized her.

  She shivered, despite the warmth of the room, and Clarrisa turned and walked briskly to a cabinet set into the interior wall. Opening it, she pulled out a floor-length red satin robe and took it back to Shasta, holding it out to her. She accepted it and quickly put it on, grateful for some slight protection at least.

  Clarrisa focused on her head. "Oh, let your hair down."

  Shasta reached up and pulled out the pins holding her tresses in place, handing them to Clarrisa. The soft, honey-gold mass dropped to the middle of her back and over her shoulders. Clarrisa actually yelped with joy and clasped the sides of her face. "Absolutely fantastic! My son loves blond hair."

  Despite her dread, Shasta couldn't help smiling herself. Clarrisa's enthusiasm was infectious. And it had the affect of making her feel more comfortable.

  Clarrisa took hold of Shasta's right wrist, gently but firmly. "All right, then, come on. Let's get this show on the road." And she began towing her out of the room.

  Taken by surprise, Shasta nearly lost her balance. When she regained it she then began resisting slightly, pulling back and dragging her feet. "Wait, what about my things?"

  Clarrisa didn't stop, but turned her head and gave her an irritated look. "Oh, for heaven's sake, leave them. You'll get them back when you're finished, so don't worry, I'll take good care of them. Now come on!" She quickened her pace and pulled all the harder.

  Shasta continued to resist at first, but had to quicken her pace into a trot to keep up. The two women made their way to the stair hall, then climbed the grand staircase to the second floor. The hardwood floors on the first story and the marble steps were chilly on the soles of her feet and the rapid staccato of Clarrisa's heels made her worry about getting her toes stepped on, but the carpeting at the second story landing felt comfortably warm, and it muffled the clack of the heels.

  Coming in March.

  From "Survival & Sacrifice"

  "Hey! Stop hoggin' the mirror, ya butthead!"

  Eile stood beside Sunny in front of the bathroom's small vanity. It really had been designed to be used by just one person, so both of them together made it somewhat crowded, and Sunny's huge mane of gamboge hair didn't help matters any, either. Then again, the rooms in the suites on the third story of Differel's ancestral manor were rather small to begin with, pretty much comfortable only for single persons. She and Sunny normally didn't mind, because they enjoyed the intimacy, but there were times when it became bothersome.

  Like when they were in a hurry and trying to put on makeup at the same time.

  They were visiting Differel and Henry for a few days, and the aristocrat had decided to throw an impromptu semi-formal dinner party. They had spent the whole afternoon shopping for new clothes in King's Lynn and nearly didn't make it back in time. They rushed through a shower together and threw on their new threads, with just barely enough time to make themselves presentable.

  "I just need a few more seconds!" Sunny replied. There were few times when she lost her temper, but interfering with her primping was one.

  "Like you need it." She elbowed Sunny over so she could brush on mascara.

  "I'm not some kinda supermodel, you know." Sunny leaned back in to paint on lip gloss.

  "More like a bimbo centerfold--watch it!" A lock of Sunny's hair flapped into her face.

  "I'll be done in two shakes of a lamb's tail; can't you wait?"

  "We're late enough as it is. Diff's gonna blow her top if we show up after the horse doovers are served."

  "That's hors d'oeuvres, you Philistine."

  She flashed Sunny a dirty look. "Put a sock in it."

  A loud kerfumple sounded from somewhere close by.

  "What was that?!" Sunny looked off in the direction of the sound.

  "How the hell should I know, ya ditz?" But it almost sounded like someone running into a door.

  "Come on, let's check it out." And Sunny skipped off into the bedroom as Eile jogged after her. She reflected how, even after so many adventures together, her partner still tended to go running off into the face of possible danger without thinking.

  Nothing looked amiss in the bedroom, other than their street cloths and underwear scattered across the bed and floor where they dropped them in their haste to change. Nor did they see anything wrong in the drawing room. Eile had just about convinced herself that the sound was nothing important, when Sunny opened the door to their suite and jumped away from the threshold with a squeal.

  A Caerleon Order guard lay just outside, face down in a pool of his own blood.

  Sunny knelt to feel the pulse on his neck as Eile sprinted forward. She scanned the hallway; to the right lay the corridor that gave access to the gymnasium, game room and chapel, while to the left the passage led to the solar. Both were empty.

  "He's dead."

  "No shit, Sherlock." Eile didn't look down. "Gimme his rifle."

  Sunny passed up the L85A2 assault gun. "He must've hit the door when he was killed."

  Eile released the magazine and examined it; it was loaded, and it looked to be a full thirty rounds, but she couldn't be sure. "Does he have any more ammo?" She fitted it back in place and cocked the weapon.

  Sunny opened a snap pouch on his belt and pulled out two STANAG magazines. She held them up as she removed his L106A1 service pistol.

  "Huh. We're gonna be handicapped hauling these clips around with us."

  Sunny retrieved two 15-round pistol magazines and his combat knife. The British Armed Forces didn't have a standard-issue knife, but Differel made sure all her troops had a Gerber Mark II.

  "I've got an idea." Sunny slipped the knife into one of her designer boots and stood up. "Keep watch." She slipped past Eile back into the room.

  Eile went out into the hall, thumbing the selective fire switch to three-round bursts as she stepped over the body. All the combat training they had gotren from Lt. Gen. Morgan Leia Ross for the special missions she used to send them on was still pretty fresh in her mind, and they had been getting supplemental training from Differel's Master-at-Arms, Sergeant Major Giles Holt. She glanced back into the room. Sunny had one of their handbags and had dumped the contents into a chair. She placed her magazines inside and slipped it over her head and one shoulder.

  She stepped out into the hall. "We've gotta get to Henry." She released her pistol's magazine and checked it over, then slammed it back into place and cocked the gun.

  Eile handed her the STANAGs and Sunny put them in the bag. "Yeah. You take point."

  "Right. Let's go kick hiney, partner!" Gripping the pistol with both hands and raising it to her face, she checked up and down the passage and then headed for the solar. Eile raised the rifle to her shoulder and fell in behind her, keeping watch in back of them as she followed.

  Sunny paused at the corner of the room and hopped forward, aiming the pistol left to cover the alcove for the service elevator.

  "Clear!" She raised the gun and continued on. At the end of the passage stood a door that led into the solar, but it stood open. Sunny flattened herself against the right wall and Eile hugged the left. She didn't see anything in her line of sight, but she couldn't see much of the room in any event. They stopped a couple of feet from the threshold; Sunny lowered the pistol to her waist as Eile pointed the barrel of the rifle at the ceiling. They looked at each other and nodded.

  Sunny jumped into the room and crouched as she raised and pointed the pistol to the left at the double doors that led to the family activity rooms. A second later, Eile step
ped inside and aimed right towards the stairs that came up from the second story.

  "Clear!" she said.

  "Clear!" Sunny echoed.

  "Go!"

  Sunny sprinted for the closed door at the opposite end of the room while Eile covered her. When she reached it and turned to face her, Eile started towards her.

  The double doors crashed open; in the threshold stood a bipedal monstrosity, like a cross between a man, a lizard, and a rat. It balanced on its toes as a long, sinuous tail lashed around behind it. Screaming, it rushed at them. Sunny fired three times in quick succession; two of the 9mm Parabellum slugs slammed into its chest while the third ripped through its throat. It fell forward even as three more creatures charged up the stairs. Eile spun around and squeezed off three shots; two trios of 5.56mm NATO ammunition squarely hit their marks and threw a pair of the creatures back, but the third ducked and the rounds only grazed it. Sunny turned and fired thrice more; two of the bullets went through the neck while the third lodged in the skull. Eile sidestepped as it fell past her and collapsed in front of its companion.

  Eile gave Sunny a thumbs-up, and she returned a big goofy grin. She then sobered and gestured that she would open the door. Eile nodded and raised the rifle, sighting on the entry. Sunny flattened herself against the wall beside the knob, turned it and opened it a crack, then grasped the door and threw it open. In the hallway stood another creature. As it leapt, Eile fired and it collapsed backward.

  "Go!"

  Sunny leapt into the corridor, planted a foot on its chest, and shot it once in the head.

  "Clear!"

  Eile ran through the entry and slammed the door closed behind her. They charged down the passage to the opening into the Grand Hall. Across the way sat a door that led into the second level of the library. They slowed as they reached the exit, but they didn't stop. Sunny approached on the right and Eile on the left as before, and again Sunny crouched aiming left as Eile stood over her aiming right.

  "Clear!" she said.

  "Clear!" Sunny squeaked.

  They dashed across the Hall and flattened themselves against the library wall on either side of the door, their weapons pointed up. The wall curved away in both directions, towards the master suite on Sunny's side, and Differel's suite and Henry's bedroom on hers.

  Eile glanced at Sunny, who nodded. They both took a step to ease along the wall towards Henry, when a figure emerged from the north stairwell behind Sunny. They turned and leveled their weapons, ready to fire, but deflected them when they saw it was Holt. He had an L7A2 general purpose machine gun, with a belt feeding into it from a pack on his back.

  "Geezus, Giles!" Eile hissed as he lowered his weapon.

  "Are we glad to see you!" Sunny squealed.

  He jogged up to them.

  "Where's Differel?" Eile asked.

  "Securing the shelter; she ordered me to fetch Master Henry."

  "Then let's get him!" Sunny quipped.

  Holt nodded. "I'll take point." He moved ahead and they followed him around the wall. The hall at that end terminated in an alcove that gave access to Differel's rooms, the children's bedroom, and the nurse's room, as well as another entrance into the library.

  "I'll wait out here," Holt said, "while you two--"

  The doors the nurse's room and the library crashed open as dozens of the creatures streamed through, screaming a multitonal chorus.

  Holt opened up on them, spraying 7.62mm bullets across the alcove.

  "They must be coming up the secret stairwell!" Sunny screeched.

  "Go in through the boudoir!" Holt shouted.

  "Come on!" Sunny pulled on Eile's arm. They ran for the glass door behind them that led out into the west loggia, went a few feet, and then opened the glass door into Differel's study. Two doors sat in the opposite corner, one exiting into the hall, the other giving access to Henry's bedroom. They dashed for the latter, throwing themselves against the wall beside it. Eile turned the knob; finding it unlocked, she pushed the door open but stayed out of the threshold.

  A shot rang out and hit the wall on the opposite side of the study.

  "Henry, it's us!" she shouted.

  "Aunt Eile!" Henry cried. "Aunt Sunny! They're breaking in!"

  They turned into the doorway. Henry stood on the near side of his bed, holding the L117A2 compact pistol Differel had given him.

  Sunny waved her arms at him. "Come on!"

  He ran over to her just as shrieking monsters smashed open the doors to the nurse's room and bathroom.

  "Move!" Eile switched to full automatic as Sunny grabbed Henry's hand. They ran for the glass door as Eile fired off short bursts and retreated after them. She hesitated in the loggia, firing into the boudoir, until Sunny and Henry disappeared back into the hall, then she ran after them.

  Holt still held off the creatures in the alcove. "Go! I'll cover you!"

  "We've got incoming!" Eile fired into the loggia as the creatures shattered the glass door.

  "Understood!" He started to retreat, and Eile moved beside him. They skipped backwards as the creatures converged from multiple directions. He kept up a withering field of fire as she shot at targets of opportunity, but then her rifle quit.

  "Shit! Outta ammo!"

  "It's too open here!" Holt said. "Head for the stairwell; we can contain them there!"

  Eile dropped back to where Sunny and Henry waited by the spiral stone staircase, expelling her magazine.

  "Gimme!"

  Sunny pulled a STANAG out of the bag and passed it to her.

  "Henry," she said as she shoved the magazine into place, "you stick with Sunny no matter what! Hear me?"

  He nodded as he and Sunny clasped their free hands.

  Eile cocked the rifle and started down the stone steps. Behind her she heard Sunny: "We're leaving, Gurney-Man!"

  "I'll be right behind you!" he replied. Eile just concentrated on the way ahead. The stairs turned counterclockwise, so the defenders would have a clearer field of fire, and Differel had room to use a sword if she wanted.

  Eile descended as fast as she dared, not wanting to outpace the others, or run headlong into a pack of monsters. Behind her she could hear Holt firing sporadically to keep the monsters from overrunning them.

  When they reached the second story she paused long enough to quickly scan the corridor to make sure it was clear. There were no creatures, and she continued on. As she approached the ground floor, she heard footsteps coming up the stairs towards them. She signaled for Sunny to stop and went a few steps further onto the landing, sighting just to the right of the central column.

  Differel sprinted into view. She stopped immediately, crouched, and raised her pistol, but she and Eile both relaxed when they recognized each other.

  "Geezus, Differel."

  The aristocrat joined her. "Where's Henry?"

  "Right here, Mother!" He and Sunny came around the bend from above.

  "Holt's behind us," Eile reported, "along with about a gazmillion screamin' monsters."

  Differel nodded. "I can hear them. We'll get out through the great hall." She started to step out of the stairwell.

  Eile grabbed her by the elbow. "What about the shelter?"

  Differel shook loose. "It's been overrun." And she went out into the family passage. Eile exchanged glances with Sunny, and she could see her partner didn't like the sound of that either.

  Eile followed the blue-blood into the passage, as Sunny shouted back, "We're getting off here, Gurney-Man!" As she passed it, she glanced at the security gate that closed off the entrance to the administrative wing. It looked to be intact, and more importantly there were no monsters behind it trying to break through.

  She found Differel looking through the glass door that led out into the north portico. As she passed a window, she saw the garden beyond was flooded with monsters. A band of house guards had set up three machine gun nests supported by riflemen just inside the pillars, and they fired into the horde as it swarmed up the porch, pati
o, and terrace.

  "This isn't a raid," Differel muttered as Eile felt butterflies dive-bomb her gut, "it's an incursion."

  "Where's Dracula?" She expected to see him down there in the thick of it, shooting creatures and ripping them apart.

  Differel didn't respond at first, and when she did her voice sounded uncharacteristic in its softness. "Vlad has been destroyed."

  Her words seemed so simple and spoken in such a subdued tone that she might have missed them. Instead, they sent a jolt through her body. "How?!"

  "They must have come in through the secret tunnel from the motte-and-bailey. There were too many of them, we couldn't hold the shelter. Vlad confronted them so I could get away. The last I saw of him he was overwhelmed and being torn to pieces." She spared Eile a momentary glance of despair. "He never had a chance."

  "Holy Jesus God!" She turned to look at Sunny. Her face had twisted into a look of anguish and beside her Henry sniffled and rubbed at his eyes.

  Differel recovered her composure. "We have no time for this! We need to get to Command and Control." She brushed past them and approached Holt.

  "We can't get through this way!" he said as he fired off short bursts. The monsters were flowing out of the stairwell and bunching up at the end of the passage, trapped against the gate.

  "Then we'll go through the great hall and the gallery. That's more direct anyways. Cover us."

  "Go. I'll stay here and hold them as long as I can."

  She put a hand on his shoulder, a distraught look on her face. Having lost Dracula, Eile figured she wasn't eager to loose another close friend. "That isn't necessary! We can all get out of this if we stick together."

  "There's no other choice. We can't waste any time. We must wipe them out before they break free of the estate and scatter across the countryside."

  "Giles..." Her voice broke.

  "I'll buy you the time you need. It has to be done. Remember: we hold the line, and this line will not be crossed. Now, move it, you little wildcat!"

  For a moment, Eile thought she would grip his coat and pull him backward with her, but instead she balled the hand into a fist and pounded his shoulder twice. Then she turned and came back up the passage without a word. But Eile saw tears trickling down her cheek.

  Coming in March.

  From "Youthful Indiscretion"

  As soon as the block fully reassembled itself, the tolling stopped. Apprehension crept over Henry; he knew something was about to happen, he just didn't know what. Then the room began to grow dark. He looked around at the lights. They didn't appear to grow dim; in fact, they seemed as bright as ever. Rather, the areas over which they cast their luminance shrank as the borders became more distinct and sharp. Beyond them, the room fell into shadow like it would at twilight when the sun had set but the sky was still bright.

  In that moment They appeared in his room. It wasn't like how Vlad emerged from shadow, or the affect of Dr. Mabuse's transporter machine. Quite literally one moment the room was empty, and next five beings stood in its center. The thing he noted first was the stench. Though not overpowering, it was enough to turn his stomach, and yet overlaid was the