“Heather doesn’t know how to throw a shield,” Dax reminded him.
“That’s okay. She can do it.”
“Why not just ask Cass?” Dax shouted over the sound of gunfire closing in around them.
“I’m trying,” Cass answered both of them in their heads. “But it’s hard when I don’t know where she is, and I’m not with you. I’m pretty far away, too. I’ll keep working at it.”
Brandon glanced around. Now, several battles were taking place on the interior of the Colosseum grounds instead of just outside the limestone walls. “Dax, you should go. Take Heather and head toward Lex.”
“Yeah, I’m gonna leave you sitting here. Don’t be stupid.”
“It’s not like they can kill me.”
“True, but they can sure have fun trying to shove that bone back into your leg. Besides, if they happen to cart you off, I’m pretty sure your girlfriend will kill me. And I think she can do that. I’m not going anywhere without you.”
Behind him, Brandon heard a scream and turned to see a Vampire sinking its teeth into a Hunter’s throat. Dax opened fire, hitting it several times, making it drop back a few steps and release the Hunter, but there was blood everywhere. “We need a Healer!” Brandon shouted to Lex.
“I only have two, and they’re both busy patching up Hunters,” he said as he battled a Vampire himself.
He couldn’t blame Lex for thinking he meant for himself, so he further explained, “One of you Hunters just lost her jugular,” he replied. “If you don’t get a Healer in here, she’s not gonna make it.”
Dax had already moved in on the Vampire, and Heather was headed toward the wounded Hunter, probably thinking she could at least put some pressure on the wound. He could see by her expression that she was still trying to do what Brandon had said, and as Dax took out the Vampire with his blade, Heather dropped to her knees, taking off her jacket and wrapping it around the injured woman.
Her back was to him, but he could see she was rocking back and forth, and he knew she was giving it all she had. Around him, Vampires seemed to pour through every crack in the Colosseum walls. Most of them had Hunters or Guardians right behind, but nothing they were doing seemed to work. Brandon readied his weapon, hoping he’d at least be able to slow them down before they tried to drag him away. He hadn’t come this far just to be taken by Holland’s minions.
A large Vampire with a shaved head and bulging muscles was moving in his direction, and even from thirty feet away, Brandon could see a ghoulish grin on the bastard’s face. He had his eyes on a prize. Brandon didn’t know for sure what Holland had promised them if they were able to capture him, but he could only imagine it was a treasure. He opened fire, striking the Vampire several times in the chest, but other than a few plumes of smoke, he didn’t seem affected.
“Heather! Come on now, you can do it!” he shouted, not even sure if she could hear him over the din of battle. The Vampire knocked Brandon’s Glock out of his hand and grabbed him around his waist, swinging him up into the air and depositing him on his shoulder. The pain in his leg was so intense, Brandon couldn’t help but scream in agony. He was certain the Vampire was chuckling to himself as he headed for the nearest exit.
“Heather!” He couldn’t turn his head to see her, but through Dax’s IAC, he could glimpse her face as his friend took off running after the brute who was carrying him off like he was Donkey Kong claiming Princess Peach. Heather was concentrating so hard, her face was scrunched up, and her lips were moving rapidly, repeating the same thing over and over. He imagined it had something to do with a shield.
Another Vampire fell into line with them, whooping and hollering, leading the charge as a few black-clad figures ran in their direction. Brandon’s arms were pinned, but he had another knife just inside of his jacket pocket. He did his best to work his fingertips inside of the leather fabric, but he couldn’t quite reach the handle.
Dax could see what he was aiming at. Out of nowhere, a silver blade landed right between the giant’s shoulder blades. The monster didn’t even flinch as Brandon looked up and nodded at Dax before he worked his arm free and grabbed the hilt, pulling it out and plunging it back in over and over again.
At first, the Vampire seemed to think it was funny, laughing and swinging Brandon back and forth like the blade was tickling him. But then, his countenance shifted, and as Brandon stabbed him for the fourth or fifth time, he screamed out in pain. The Guardian dragged the blade down as far as he could reach and then pulled it straight up as the bloodsucker went rigid, and his knees buckled.
Brandon’s broken leg slammed into the ground again, and the Vampire rolled on top of him. His scream was choked off by the vomit that propelled itself out of his mouth as he could no longer deal with the pain. Dax was over them now, and he sank a titanium bullet into the monster’s head, immediately exploding it into a million pieces of ash.
The other Vampire who had been laughing alongside them threw himself at Dax, but he turned and fired just once, also ending the monster. Through tear-filled eyes, Brandon surveyed the battlefield. All around him, he saw Vampires turning to ash and dust with ease, and he realized the shield was up.
“Are you doing this, Cass?” he asked, hoping she had somehow missed the vomiting and the tears.
“No,” she said back immediately. “It must be Heather.”
The Hybrid was still kneeling in the same spot, even though it was obvious a Healer was taking care of the wounded Hunter now. Her eyes were still closed, and her mouth was still moving. He wondered if she even knew she’d been successful.
