My first instinct was to drop the sports bag, unzip it, and pull out the sword. Bad idea with two armed and anxious policemen in front of me. My second thought was to sic said policemen on the vampire. Also a bad idea. Madeline would tear them apart. My third idea was to get her talking and stall for time. I took it. "How'd you find us?" It was a little awkward talking to someone with my gaze firmly fixed on their collarbones, but no way was I going to risk getting whammies by accidental eye contact. "Find you?" The vampire laughed. "I came here out of spite. I thought I'd kill one of your little friends, maybe take a hostage. Imagine my surprise when I smelled you out in the open." Even staring at her necklace, I noticed the red light leaking out of her eyes. The cops noticed, too. They stepped back, hands on their guns. "What the-" Henly didn't get to finish his sentence. Madeline delivered a slap that knocked his head clean off and bounced it off the far wall. "Do you mind?" she asked his body. "I'm trying to-" Officer Mittens didn't let her finish her sentence, either. In a blur of sound and motion, he emptied his gun into her torso. Madeline moved so fast I couldn't see where she hit him, but he flew past me and barely missed Lady before smashing into a wall. My ears were ringing from the gunfire, but Madeline spoke loudly enough I could hear her. "I said, I'm trying to have a conversation, here." She folded her arms and let out an annoyed huff. "Why are Americans always so rude?" "Back her off!" I shouted at the girls behind me. I fervently hoped they could hear me, and that they'd understand what I meant. We hadn't dared bring any of the guns into the hospital, and the sword was still in the bag. The only things we had to keep Madeline off us were holy symbols, and they would be useless if Madeline thought to use Henly's gun. Gina stepped past me, cross necklace in hand. Stephanie followed half a second later with her pentacle. Madeline growled, taking two big steps away from Henly's body. It would have to do. I dropped the sports bag and started fumbling with the zipper. I didn't think the sword would do much good, but it was better than nothing. Lady did nothing. The odd symbols wrapped around her white stone necklace might be magic, but they weren't holy. With cracked ribs and a broken collar bone, she couldn't do anything physical, and if she'd been able to shoot fireballs or lightning she'd have done it by now. I could sense her frustration as she stood there. Useless. Like me. "You can't have her," said Stephanie. "We won't let you past." She sounded calmer than I was. Determined. My legs shook and my mouth was dry. I gave up on trying to one hand the stupid zipper and pulled my other arm out of the sling. Mike's splint wasn't as good as a cast, and putting pressure on my wrist hurt, but I was finally able to get the bag open. "Silly witch girl," chided the vampire. "Of course you will. Do you really think that little necklace can protect you for long?" "Two hours is all we need," Gina pointed out. God damn it, was I really the only one shaking with fear? "Two minutes is all that you have." I glance up to see Madeline wrap a hand around her amulet. Shadows flickered. She spoke words in a language I'd never heard. The words echoed strangely, scratching at my brain as I finally freed the sword from the sports bag. The screams started as soon as she finished speaking. Distant, but not as distant as I would like. A ways down the hall, maybe? "My darlings are coming." Madeline sounded smug. "This is going to be fun." Adrenaline and fine motor control don't mix. I missed the hilt and sliced my hand open. The second grab got it, but I caught the stupid thing on the bag and had to shake it loose. "Like last time was fun?" Stephanie growled at her. "We beat you once and we'll do it again." "Is that so?" Madeline smiled at the girl. Stephanie froze. Too late, I realized her mistake. She'd looked the vampire in the eyes. "Come to me," Madeline purred. Stephanie's pentacle fell from her hand. She walked forward. "Steph, no!" Gina shouted. I dropped the sword and grabbed Stephanie by the hair and jerked her back before she could finish stepping into the monster's embrace. Gina got between them, brandishing her cross. "Back off, bitch!" Madeline moved back and to the side. She grabbed end table next to the waiting room chairs and darted forward, swinging it like a club. The little table smashed Gina's arm to the side with an audible crack. Gina cried out. Her cross went flying. Stephanie was fighting me, both hands wrenching on my broken wrist as I tried to pull her away. I kept wrenching her hair, hoping to snap her out of the vampire's control. I couldn't do a damned thing as the vampire grabbed Gina. Madeline pulled her close, one hand gripping her hair while the other seized her neck. A squeeze and a yank tore the woman's throat out. Blood sprayed. I stared into Gina's terrified eyes. Madeline held her up, grinning. I screamed. I would've thought a person would bleed out immediately from a wound like that, but it's not like in the movies. People don't just switch off like a light. Gina choked and gurgled and flailed her hands at her missing neck. Her last minutes of life would be horror and terrible pain, and Madeline was going to make us watch. A gunshot rang out. I jumped. A hole appeared in Gina's forehead, pink mist puffing out behind. I didn't turn to look, but I guessed Lady had taken the gun from Officer Mittens' body. She kept firing, aiming for the vampire's legs. Madeline danced around, using Gina's body as a shield. When the gun clicked empty, she grinned, and threw the bloodied corpse at us. The back of Gina's head slammed into my face. I couldn't hear the crunch, but I felt my nose crumple with the impact. I dropped, letting go of Stephanie. For a few precious seconds I just layed there, stunned. Then the pain hit. As soon as I could move I scrambled to my feet. Too late. Lady was lying under Gina's body. She tried, but she was too injured to roll the dead woman off her. Stephanie was cradled in the vampire's arms, face blank. Madeline smiled at me as she traced her hand up to Stephanie throat. No. My wrist was screaming, my face throbbed. Blood gushed from my broken nose. It didn't matter. Madeline would kill me if I attacked. There was no way in hell I could stop her. That didn't matter either. Stephanie was going to die. I snatched for the sword. As I grasped the hilt, a flash of movement behind the vampire caught my eye. It was Mike. His hospital gown was burnt and bloodied. A cross and a plastic bag were tied around the cast on one arm. He held a gun in the other. Chest heaving, he skidded to a stop, raising the pistol. Mike had managed to incapacitate a vampire with headshots before. I didn't think he could manage that feat again with just a pistol, but we both knew it was the only move he could make. Mike pulled the trigger as fast as he could. On the third shot, Madeline spun around, holding Stephanie out as a shield. Just I'd known she would. I was already in motion, sword swinging with every ounce of strength and hate I could muster. I still half expected her to dodge, but either the new holes in her head slowed her down or she hadn't registered that I was a threat. I felt a shock of resistance as the blade passed through her neck. Madeline dropped like a puppet with cut strings. Stephanie fell with her. I could see Mike shouting something as he ran to her, but I couldn't make out what it was. All I could hear was an annoying high pitched buzz. I kicked Madeline's head away from her body. Just in case. To my intense relief, Stephanie sat up. I'd been worried Mike might have shot her. My relief switched right back to terror when another man ran into the waiting room. He looked old, over 70, and an I.V. stand dragged behind him, still attached to the I.V. in his arm. His eyes were black as pitch, not a trace of white showing. Madeline was dead, but her darlings were just getting started.