“No, damn it. Belay that. This is Nate Shackleford. I’ll hold that side. We fail here and Russians will be stuck in the open. Don’t you dare move!” I’d never heard Nate so fired up before. He was a Shackleford after all. “Haights on me. Hold this fucking line until everyone is in!”

Every second counted. I had to get the Nachtmar’s attention away from the others, but if he knew what I was planning, he’d take me out before I was in position. I had to wait. My chest hurt. I could barely breathe, but I kept taking the steps three at a time. Abomination banged back on its sling against my back as I used my hands to pull myself up the railing. I listened to the radio chatter for several awful minutes. The world’s Hunters were taking a beating.

“We’ve got some of those acid-tank bastards coming through the hole.” Nate was shouting into his microphone. “Gregorius, I need more ammo for that fifty-cal.”

“Hang on, Shackleford. Omaha Stakes on the way to back you up. Shit! They’re coming through th—” Static.

The Hunters were losing.

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

There was movement above me on the stairwell. Footsteps. It was quicker to draw my pistol than reach for my shotgun. I put the STI in my left hand so I could keep using my right to hurl-drag myself up the rail. A flashlight bounced above. It was the Hunters Julie had sent. Someone bellowed a challenge. “Pitt, is that you?”

“Yeah. It’s me.” It was time to get the monster’s attention. I switched to Earl’s command channel, but somebody else was talking.

“Earl. This is Lindemann. I believe I just saw my father killing demons. This is troubling, since he died fighting vampires when I was young. Am I losing my mind? Over.”

“This is Pitt. Negative. The Hunters’ ghosts are on our side. They’ll stall the monsters as long as possible. It’s a long story. Over.”

Earl came on next. “Z, I thought you were dead. Milo said you got blown up by that meteor.”

“Nearly.” My ankle made an audible popping noise as I reached the fourteenth floor. “I’ve got a plan.” It was hard to talk and run stairs at the same time. “Mordechai showed me how to kill the Nachtmar.”

“We’re in a world of his creation. He can certainly hear you,” warned Lindemann.