I climbed down the ladder. The rungs were cold and my fingers tingled from the contact. As I neared the bottom, I stretched out my left leg to step off the ladder?
?then snatched it back quickly when a gun fired and a bullet tore a chunk out of the wall close to the side of my shin!
Heart pounding, I clung to the ladder, ears ringing from the echoes of the bullet, wondering how the police got down here so quickly, and how they knew which way we'd take.
Then someone chuckled in the darkness and said, "Greetings, vampire. We've been expecting you."
My eyes narrowed. That was no policeman - it was a vampet! Despite the danger, I squatted low on the ladder and peered up the tunnel. There was a large man standing in the shadows, too far away for me to identify.
"Who are you?" I snapped.
"One who follows the Lord of the Vampaneze," he answered.
"What are you doing here?"
"Blocking your passage," he chuckled.
"How did you know we'd come this way?"
"We didn't But we guessed you'd escape and make for the tunnels. Our Lord doesn't want you down here yet - the day is long, and it amuses him to think of you and your vampire friend struggling through it - so we've blocked off all entrances to the underworld. When night falls, we'll retreat, but until then these tunnels are off limits."
With that, he fired at me again. It was a warning shot, like the first, but I didn't stick around to test his aim any further. Climbing the ladder, I shot out of the manhole as though propelled, and cursed loudly as I kicked a large empty tin across the alley.
"Police?" Mr Crepsley asked sullenly.
"No - vampets. They've blocked off all entrances to the tunnels until nightfall. They want us to suffer."
"They can't have coveredevery - entrance, can they?" Harkat asked.
"Enough of them," Mr Crepsley responded. "The tunnels this close to the surface are carefully linked. By choosing the right spot, one man can block the paths of six or seven entrances. If we had time, we might find a way past, but we do not. We must abandon the tunnels."
"Where do we go instead?" I asked.
"We run," the vampire said simply. "Or hobble, as the case may be. We try to avoid the police, find somewhere to hole up, and wait for night."
"That won't be easy," I noted.
Mr Crepsley shrugged. "If you had held tight for sunset to make your break, it would have been easier. You did not, so we must make the best of things. Come," he said, turning his back on the manhole. "Let us make tracks."
I paused to spit bitterly down the hole, then took off after Mr Crepsley and Harkat, putting the disappointment of the blocked-off tunnels behind, focusing on the flight ahead.
Less than three minutes later, the police were hot on our trail.
We heard them spilling out of the station, shouting at each other, piling into cars, honking horns, turning blaring sirens on full. We'd been moving steadily but hadn't drifted far away from the station - we'd been avoiding main streets, sticking to back alleys, which had an annoying habit of doubling back on themselves. We'd have taken to the rooftops, except that would have meant exposing Mr Crepsley more fully to the rays of the sun.
"This is useless," the vampire said as we drew up beside a building overlooking a busy shopping street. "We are making no progress. We must ascend."
"But the sun ?" I said.
"Forget it," he snapped. "If I burn, I burn. It will not kill me immediately - but the police will if they catch up!"
Nodding, I looked for a way up to the roofs. Then a thought struck. I gazed at the teeming street, then studied my clothes. I was dishevelled and dirty, but didn't look a whole lot worse than any average teenager going through a grunge or heavy metal phase.
"Have we money?" I asked, rubbing the worst of the dirt from my face and slicking back my hair with a handful of spit. Then I tucked the chains of the cuffs in under my shirt ends and trouser legs, masking them from view.
"The time he picks to go shopping!" Harkat groaned.
"I know what I'm doing," I grinned. "Have we money or not?"
"I had some notes, but the police took them," Mr Crepsley said. "I am - how do the humans put it ?skinned ?"
"Skint," I laughed. "No matter. I'll do without."
"Wait!" Harkat said as I started forward. "Where are you going? We can't split up - now. We must stay together."
"I won't be long," I said. "And I won't take any stupid chances. Wait here for me. If I'm not back in five minutes, leave without me and I'll catch up with you later, in the tunnels."
"Where are you?" Mr Crepsley began, but I didn't have time for a debate, so I slid out of the alley before he finished and walked swiftly along the street, looking for a minimarket.
I kept one eye peeled for police or soldiers, but there were none about. After a few seconds, I spotted a shop across the street, waited for the light to turn green, then strolled across and entered. A middle-aged woman and a young man with long hair were serving behind the counter. The shop was quite busy - there were six or seven customers - which was good. It meant I wouldn't stick out. A TV on the left of the doorway was tuned to a news channel, but the sound was down low. There was a security camera above the TV, scanning and recording, but that didn't bother me - with all the crimes I'd been charged with, I wasn't going to sweat about being booked for petty theft!
I walked slowly up and down the aisles, looking for sun-wear items. It wasn't the right time of year for sunglasses and sun hats, but I was sure they'd have a few knick-knacks lying around somewhere.
Next to a row of baby-care products, I found them - several bottles of suntan lotion, standing forlornly on a battered old shelf. The choice wasn't great, but they'd do. I quickly read the labels, looking for the strongest sun block I could find. Factor ten - twelve - fifteen. I chose the bottle with the highest number (it was for fair-skinned babies, but I wouldn't tell Mr Crepsley that!), then stood uncertainly with it in my hand, wondering what to do next.
I wasn't an experienced shoplifter. I'd stolen a few sweets with friends when I was very young, and once swiped a load of golf balls with a cousin of mine, but I'd never enjoyed it and hadn't taken it any further. I was sure my face would give me away if I just pocketed the bottle and tried walking straight out of the shop.