Fet said, “Who goes barefoot in a subway tunnel?”

Setrakian held up a wool-gloved hand. The tubelike tunnel acoustics brought them distant groans.

Nora said, “Jesus Christ…”

Setrakian whispered, “Your lamps, please. Turn them on.”

Eph and Nora did, their powerful UVC rays illuminating the dark underground, exposing a mad swirl of colors. Innumerable stains splashed wildly against the floor, the walls, the iron stanchions…everywhere.

Fet recoiled in disgust. “This is all…?”

“It is excrement,” said Setrakian. “The creatures will shit while they eat.”

Fet looked around in amazement. “I guess a vampire doesn’t have much need for good hygiene.”

Setrakian was backing away. He had a different grip on his walking stick now, the top half pulled several inches out of the bottom half, baring the bright, sharp blade. “We must leave here. Right now.”

Fet was listening to the noises in the tunnels. “No argument from me.”

Eph’s foot kicked something, and he jumped back, expecting rats. He shone his UVC lamp down and discovered a low mound of objects in the corner.

They were mobile phones. One hundred or more, piled up as though they had been thrown into the corner.

“Huh,” said Fet. “Somebody dumped a load of mobile phones down here.”

Eph reached for some on the top of the pile. The first two he tried were dead. The third had just one blinking bar of battery life. An X icon along the top of the screen indicated that there was no reception.

“That’s why the police can’t find all the missing people by their cell phones,” said Nora. “They’re all underground.”

“Judging by the looks of this,” said Eph, tossing the phones back onto the pile, “most of them are here.”

Eph and Nora stared at the phones, quickening their steps.

“Quickly,” said Setrakian, “before we are detected.” He led the retreat out of the tunnel. “We must prepare.”

Lair

LAIR

Worth Street, Chinatown

Worth Street, Chinatown

It was early on the fourth night as Ephraim cruised past his building on the way to Setrakian’s to properly arm themselves. He saw no police posted outside his place, so he pulled over. He was taking a chance, but it had been days since he’d changed his clothes, and all he needed was five minutes. He pointed out his third-floor window to them, and said he would lower the blinds once he was inside if there was no trouble.

He made it into the building lobby with no problem, then climbed the stairs. He found his apartment door open a crack, and paused to listen. An open door didn’t seem very coplike.

He pushed inside, calling, “Kelly?” No answer. “Zack?” They were the only ones who had keys.