He saw movement, and it took a moment to recognise Donegan, crawling for the cargo door at the rear of the cabin. He pushed it open, looked back to shout to the others, and a hand reached down and grabbed him. Before Vex could even sit up, Donegan was pulled from sight.

Sounds from the roof of the plane. A struggle. A cry. Someone beside him cursing. Saracen, hunting around for something. A gun. He found it, pointed it at the ceiling, waited a moment and then fired once, twice. A crash from above. Someone fell past the window next to Vex. Springheeled Jack.

The sniper was still firing. Saracen moved to the door and fired back, but the bullets were getting dangerously close. Vex got up, stepped over Wilhelm who was still screeching, and knelt by Aurora.

“I need to get up to that control tower.”

She grunted, held out an arm. He pulled her to her feet and they moved to the cargo door. He jumped out first, made sure the area was clear, and helped her down. They moved up along the body of the plane, waited until the sniper had to reload, and then stepped out. Aurora waved her hand and the wind caught Vex, swept him into the air. It was an odd feeling, and not one he relished, but Aurora’s aim was perfect, and Vex tumbled for the broken window.

The vampire Dusk saw Vex coming, abandoned the reload and flipped the rifle, swinging it like a bat as Vex dropped into the tower. The rifle stock caught him across the side and the breath rushed out of him as he sprawled to the floor. Dusk hit him again, and again. Not the most effective of entries, he had to admit, but at least he was in.

Vex rolled sideways and came up in a crouch, doing his best to ignore the pain in his side and the pain in his leg and his burning lungs. Dusk was fast, even for a vampire, and he was a graceful and skilled fighter.

Dusk came swinging and Vex crashed into him. The rifle fell and Vex’s fist jolted against the vampire’s cheekbone. It was a satisfying connection, made Dusk drop back, and still Vex came forward, bullying Dusk backwards all the way to the corner. Dusk tried to slip out, the sneaky little vampire that he was, but Vex’s left hand snaked round his head, pulling him into a clinch, while his right went to work on the face and body. In an open space, Dusk would have had the advantage, using his agility to spin and whirl and run rings round Vex. But here, trapped in the corner, this was just another street fight. And if there was one thing Vex knew, it was street fights.