Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

I flung myself around a corner and tumbled to the floor, but with all the glass walls I had nowhere to hide. Rounds punched the glass, splattering weblike cracks. The dog plodded forward, unperturbed by my attempt to escape.

Being shot at by a robotic dog was new.

"Wait!"

It fired another blast of rounds. I scrabbled to my feet and ran. Heat clipped my side, almost tugging me from my stride. If I could get behind the dog it would be easy to snap in half, but I'd need to avoid its guns.

A door up ahead opened, and Zee stepped out. Surprise made his eyes big as he saw me running at him.

"Get back!" I plowed into him, shoving him back inside the room he'd just left. Victor—still inside—slammed the door.

"Murder dog!" I panted, clutching at Zee's top.

Zee's arm came around. "The fuck?"

"Protect Adam." Victor flung open the door and plunged into a hail of bullets.

Zee shoved me to arm's length. He tugged my shirt up and found where the round had grazed me. "You're bleeding. Oh, baby. Fuck that dog. And this stupid-ass tech tower."

"It's just a scratch." I pulled my shirt back down. I'd heal quickly enough. "We need to get out of here."

The robot dog flew past the open door followed by a blur of vampire and crashing sounds.

"Let's go while Daddy Vampire's keeping it busy." Zee grabbed my hand and pulled me into the corridor behind him. "He'll catch up."

We bolted away from the painful, metal-scraping-metal sounds, skidded around the corner, and shot toward the room with the portal. Once back through it, we'd be safe. I glanced behind us but didn't see Victor, or the dog. Just flickering red lights.

"When we reach it, just push through the portal, Adam," Zee said soberly. "Hold your breath. It doesn't last long, and—" Zee flung open the storage room door. We plunged in.

And skidded to a stop.

The portal had gone.

"Fuck. This is the right room?" he asked.

"Yeah." No portal. No way out. "Oh dear."

A ringing alarm sounded. Flashing lights and sirens were probably a bad sign.

A blur rushed into the room behind us, then solidified into Victor. He blinked at the space where the portal had been. "Ah. Yes. I feared this might happen."

"Then fucking unhappen it," Zee snarled.

"I've instigated a domino effect within the building's systems that will cut off its vital services one by one. Whatever power source had been keeping the portal open has shut down. This building is in its death throes, but like any dying creature it will lash out. Our situation has become a great deal more precarious than it was moments ago. "

"Ya think?" Zee's tail whipped his fury. "You are the worst vampire sidekick ever."

Victor snarled. "Translocate out, demon, if you're afraid. I'll protect Adam."

"Oh, that's a good idea. Also, fuck you. I'm not leaving Adam, and I'm not afraid of whatever fancy experiments you got going on here. They can eat my ass."

"Ass-eating will not save you."

"Stop!" I snapped. "Both of you. Nobody is leaving anyone. We're getting out together. Victor, what's the quickest way?"

"The fire-escape stairs, but there are several hurdles between us and there."

"I can break a window and shove Fuck-Hard out. Problem solved." Zee shrugged. "It's not my fault he doesn't have wings." Zee raked his glare over Victor. "Loser."

"As I'm sure you're aware, demon, I'd prefer not to plummet forty floors, and your solution does not solve Adam's escape."

Zee rolled his eyes. "It's just a fucking dog. We're badasses. He's General Vex and I'm Lycian, Scourge of Demios. Why are we hiding in a closet again?"

" That was one dog," Victor explained. "There are four more on this floor, plus the gas—which is probably already permeating several rooms—and the steel barriers to get through before we reach the stairwell."

Oh great. Barriers, gas, and murder dogs. It seemed a bit excessive. I never thought I'd wish for the portal to come back , but here we were. "Alright, well, we don't have a choice, do we? We have to go for the stairs, so instead of standing here arguing, we should go do that."

Finally, they both fell quiet and nodded their agreement.

"I'll go first," Victor offered. "And draw the dogs out. Follow the fire-exit signs. They illuminate even when the power's out. Zodiac, you'll be vulnerable to the gas?—"

"Why me?"

"Adam's true nature makes him resilient, and I am able to hold my breath for a substantial length of time."

Zee's interest piqued. "How long exactly? For science."

Oh-kay, he wasn't asking for science. "Zee, I know it's hard for you, but can you stop thinking about dicks until we're safe?"

Zee recoiled, as though offended, but his smile said otherwise. "Who, me?"

"How do you have sex on your mind during a crisis?" Victor asked.

"Baby." Zee's eyebrows jumped. "I'm always on."

If we got out of this building alive, it would be a miracle.

"Ready?" I clutched the door handle.

"Born ready," Zee echoed.

Victor tensed. "I am prepared." As soon as I opened the door, he blurred out. A few moments later, the clash of metal and crash of glass sounded, out of sight down another corridor, and then gunfire. I glanced at Zee. "Should we go with him?"

"Pfft. They're his murder mutts. Let's go."

Dim red lighting flickered and buzzed. A red arrow at the end of the hall clearly pointed the way toward the fire exit. Zee vanished his wings to keep himself smaller and more agile. We hurried along, trying to stay quiet.

The arrows led us left then right, down a maze of strobe-lit corridors.

We rounded a corner and in front of a grated steel barrier, stood one of the robot dogs.

We both froze.

The dog stared. Although, without any actual eyes, just a black snout, it was difficult to know if it was even activated .

"Do the pets get weird around you thing," Zee whispered. "Make it sad."

"I don't think it works on machines," I whispered back.

"Alright." He wet his lips. "I'll distract it. You get behind it and get your murder on."

"Okay."

Zee straightened, rolled his shoulders, and popped his wings out. "Hey Fido. I knew another Fido once. You do not look alike, although I reckon you're probably nicer than he was. Do ya like pies too?"

The dog's head tilted. Somewhere in its electronic brain it was definitely assessing how much of a threat Zee was. We weren't armed, which was probably why it hadn't opened fire. Yet. But if it was anything like the other one we'd encountered, it soon would.

Zee wandered closer. The dog shuffled on metallic feet, keeping him firmly in its sights.

"You like walkies? Yeah, me too. Fresh air, stretch your wings—legs." Zee flared his left wing, and the dog looked toward it, turning away from me.

I shuffled to the right, hoping to circle around and then maybe jump on its back before the gun poked out.

Zee jiggled his wing. "Yeah, that's right, look at all my pretty."

I tried another step, but the dog's head swiveled back toward me. I must have triggered its sensors. Maybe. Where was Victor? We could have done with his vampire speed?—

Its gun popped out of the hatch on its back.

"Uh-oh."

"Fuck no. You look at me, not Adam." Zee flapped both wings. "Over here, Fido!" He poofed a stride to his left, raining sparks, making himself big and intimidating. The dog spun toward him. The gun whirred.

"Now!" Zee yelled .

I lunged, vaulted onto its metal back, and clung on. I hadn't really thought this through, which became immediately apparent when the dog began bucking, trying to toss me off. I hugged it tight, stuck like a limpet on a ship. Or maybe a flea on an actual dog?

"Hold on, Kitten!"

"I am!"

The dog bounded in a circle. The corridor turned into a spiraling whirl. I hugged it tighter, already dizzy. Around and around it bounced.

"Do the squish!"

Right. The squish.

"Ride it!" Zee encouraged unhelpfully.

"I am!"

"Own that puppy."

I hugged tighter, clamping the armored body in my arms and squeezing, while it bounced and bucked, each leap jarring through me.

"Do it doggy style!"

"You are not helping," I growled through clenched teeth. My chin hit the gun, the impact knocking through me, but finally its outer armor crumpled like a tin can. The bouncing dog missed its stride and toppled, with me on it. Then under it. I still clung on, crushing it harder and harder against my chest. Metal twanged. Bolts pinged. Its legs kicked at the air, then slowed and twitched until the doggo stopped moving.

"Is it dead?" I asked.

"I don't know. It looks the same, just wrinkled."

Carefully, I eased my grip, shoved its unresponsive body away, and clambered back to my feet. Yeah, it was definitely dead. Sparks sizzled from its joints and some hydraulic fluid dribbled out.

"Poor pupper." Zee pouted.

"You told me to do the squish! "

"Yeah, but I still feel bad. This place sucks. It's ruining my birthday vibe. I need mac and cheese. Then sex. Or sex first. With you. And Fancy Fangs—but don't tell him. I'm still half-high on whatever Tom put in my drinks. I should really find out what drugs he has."

I snorted a laugh and turned toward the barrier. "So, how do we?—"

"Allow me." Victor appeared, looking scruffy and distractingly sexy, then pressed his hand to the pad beside the grate and the barrier lifted, retreating back into the ceiling.

Zee sniffed. "Why do I smell almonds?"

"It's the gas. Translocate ahead until you reach the next barred door. I'll race ahead and open it for you. Adam, the pathway should be clear. Follow quickly behind and keep your breathing calm."

"Got it." I agreed.

Victor vanished and Zee poofed away, leaving me to calmly jog along behind. The sweetness in the air tasted nice, but after a few breaths its effects began to drag my steps down. Maybe I could stop , a little voice in my head suggested. Take a breather? Catch up with them later? That seemed like a great idea. Just a little break? I was real tired.

No.

Nope.

The gas was trying to slow me down.

I fell into a jog again.

What kind of building tried to drug people trying to escape a hypothetical fire?

Oh yeah, a vampire-made one.

Wait... I sniffed. Beneath the smell of gas, it almost smelled like?—

I took a right turn and skidded to a stop in front of a raging wall of flame.

Not a hypothetical fire then .

Uhm... Glancing around revealed no red arrow, just a layer of thick smoke gradually sinking lower and lower. It was fine, I just had to backtrack.

Hidden sprinklers burst on, but the mist did nothing to douse the raging inferno that was fast consuming the corridor, and coming right for me.

Okay. This was... slightly alarming. Victor had said he was going to destroy the building, but I'd sort of hoped he'd do it without us still in it.

I backed away, retracing my steps. I must have missed a fire-exit sign somewhere. There hadn't been all that many wrong turns to take. I'd just mosey on back and take the next right. There was time. Right? The gas wouldn't be flammable. That would have been ludicrous.

I quickened my pace, turned right, and hurried away from the flames.

Victor and Zee had to be around here somewhere.

Blistering heat warmed my back. Glass smashed in my wake.

Finally, ahead, I spotted Victor trying to wrestle a floppy Zee through a stairwell fire door, which was proving tricky as he still had his wings out.

"Adam." Victor propped Zee against the wall. "Zodiac is only partially conscious, but not enough to understand he needs to make himself smaller or translocate into the stairwell just through that doorway."

"Uhm, Victor. So... there's a small fire, and I was wondering if the gas was maybe flammable? Probably not, right, because that would be insane."

He puffed his disheveled hair from his face. "It's highly flammable. In fact, my plan is unfolding perfectly. The gas will ignite, destroying this floor and the subsequent floors below, reducing Reynard Technologies to rubble."

"Oh. Okay. But later, right? After we're out? "

He nodded at Zee slumped against the wall, mumbling about frogs . " We were never supposed to be here. I was going to trigger the virus remotely. So please, persuade Zodiac to go through the door, Adam. Our survival increasingly depends upon it."

"Zee." I grasped his face in both hands and patted his cheeks. "Zee, hey?"

Purple eyes rolled. "Frog legs are tasty."

"Uh-huh, yup. Zee, we need to go through that door. See it?" I turned his head, making him see.

"There's a door?"

"Yes. Can you make your wings go away so we can go through?"

"I like it here." He slid down the wall, wings flopped around him. "So sleepy. Sleep with me, Adam." He flung an arm around my neck and dragged me against his chest. "Adam sounds like dragon. Ha."

I peeled his arm off and frowned up at Victor. "Help me carry him. Let's try to shove him through."

"I've tried. It's like trying to get an angry feline into an ill-sized carrier."

"You had a cat?"

"I'm very old. There are few creatures I've not had as pets."

That wasn't sexual right? He meant pets as in animals, not people pets... probably. "Wait, I have an idea. Zee?" I patted his face again. His beautiful eyes fluttered open. "Hey there."

"Hey, Kitten. Ish morning?"

"Nope. But we're going to play a game. You like games. You see that door right there? If you go through the door, Victor will say testicles ."

Zee shifted his gaze up, and a glance over my shoulder revealed Victor frowning at us both. "Is true? You say it?"

Victor rolled his eyes. "Yes. Fine. "

"Great. Let's go." I heaved Zee up by an arm. He gave himself an all-over shiver, and vanished his wings. All he had to do was face the door, duck, and we were?—

A roar erupted from deep within the building. The air shook, the floor trembled, my ribs rattled. I tried to turn, to see what was coming for us, but the blast slammed into my back, launching me forward.

For a heartbeat, I was weightless, bathed in heat, as light as a feather, then I slammed into Zee, and a wall, and maybe a stair rail. It all happened so fast, and then was over. Steaming debris rained in the stairwell, where we'd landed.

Zee coughed to my left. Victor emerged from under a pile of rubble to my right. We'd made it to the stairs, but where the fire door had been moments ago was now a gaping hole into a fiery hellscape that had once been Reynard Technologies but was now superheated ash, melted glass, and glowing metal.

At least we were in the stairwell.

"Testicles," Victor growled.