Werewolves were tough, but…“That’s a gargoyle.”

“So? Fifth one I’ve seen today. One of the guys on my team hated gargoyles. Why couldn’t Benny be terrified of My Little Ponies? No. Has to be gargoyles.”

“You’re unarmed!”

She smirked at me. “The only thing that bothers me about these things is that I can’t eat them. Even the soft monsters turn to sand after you kill them. I’m starving. I’d murder a nun for a cupcake right now…From Earl’s description, you must be Z, the mystical accountant. Here.” She reached into the backpack, pulled something out, and tossed it to me. I caught it with one hand. It was a set of military dog tags. “I snagged them off our target in Dugway before he blinked us all into la-la land.”

The gargoyle would be through the floor in a matter of seconds. “Good seeing you again, Deputy,” Lacoco said as he dragged me down the hall.

“You too. I’ll be in touch.” Behind us, Heather took a moment to use the radio. “This is Heather Kerkonen. Come in, Earl Harbinger.”

“Is this some sort of trick?”

I keyed my radio. “Negative, Earl. This is Z. I think she’s legit.”

“Heather? You’re…alive? Is it really you?”

“Yeah, Earl. It’s me.” Her voice was choked with emotion. I’d never seen a werewolf start to tear up before. “I didn’t think I’d ever hear you again.”

“Where are you? I’ll come get you.”

I almost felt sorry for any demons that would get in Earl’s way.

“In a minute. I need to break some gargoyles first.” She placed the radio on top of the backpack, took one last look at us with her now-gleaming golden eyes, and wiped her cheek. “You’d better not screw this up.”

“I won’t.” And then Lacoco was helping me away as a massive stone gargoyle clambered into the hall to face off against the rapidly transforming werewolf. We moved away as fast as we could, which wasn’t saying much. I was wobbly and Lacoco was blowing bloody snot bubbles through his broken nose with each labored breath. Ed got the door. Back in the fire stairwell, the wall was shattered from where the gargoyles had burst in. Behind us Heather howled and there was a terrible noise as the gargoyle attacked.

Clinging mist was billowing through the hole. The alien damp tried to suck our will to live, but anger drove me on. Under the sound of the wind was the hopeful noise of our helicopter, our ticket home. We were almost there. The door to the roof was open. Julie was waiting for us, standing like a dark blot in front of the angry static of the storm, hair whipping loose behind her. “Owen! How bad are you hurt?”

“It’s not my blood. Mostly.”