That was exactly what I was thinking. If they pass they can’t retreat. Five seconds or so later Jared informed me, Evan’s squad will be taking on the first half.
Just as covert as the last lot, these Pagoris noiselessly made their way along the forest floor. One came dangerously close to where I was hid and then halted. The amount of energy I had absorbed was begging to be released, and I was expecting that I would need to do exactly that to defend myself. But then the tall, stocky Pagori continued onwards. Relief coursed through me. If we could get rid of this group without drawing attention we would have gotten rid of fifty eight in total and that was bound to make Bennington feel confident and secure and get him moving.
I hadn’t wanted to use David so early; he was only young and I knew this was his first ever battle. Not that I thought he wasn’t up to the challenge; I just wanted him to have a chance to get a grip on his nerves. However, it was imperative that we completely assassinated this lot discreetly and so I needed David’s gift.
Jared, tell Harvey to telekinetically bring David down here after Max has done his thing: we’re going to need him. Then he can take him back up.
Roger that, baby.
The very second the last Pagori intruder had passed, Max did his thing. Then Chico, Salem, David and Denny were there as quick as anything. Chico and Salem put their targets into a coma while Denny wrapped his in ooze. David, as Reuben had amplified his gift, put an end to the life of his own targets. It was done and dusted in the space of three seconds. Thankfully there was no chance of us running out of trees and so were we able to successfully hide the fifteen vampires.
Evan’s attack was just as successful, Jared informed me. After a pause there was a: Goddammit.
What is it?
On the plus side, Bennington and his little army are on their way over.
The downside?
Some of them are using the trees.
Crap. How big’s his army? Please say no more than one-hundred!
There are forty vampires surrounding him but there’s an additional eighty encircling them. Time to unite the squads, baby. No more letting people pass. None of them are to get near The Hollow. On my signal, we attack.
I might have griped about him talking to me like he was my superior if I wasn’t so tremendously focused on the approach of the vampires. One hundred and twenty?! That meant that he’d brought, in total, one-hundred and sixty eight: a number that exceeded Antonio’s legion. Worse still, he had his allies lurking somewhere.
Suddenly an arrow of fear shot through me. Not for myself, but for Jared and the squad. I’d come to care about each and every one of them. I loved how protective Chico was of them all. I loved how Butch could look so calm even as he was plotting someone’s death. I loved how Damien could make any damn thing funny just by his mannerisms. I adored Denny’s innocent face and smile. I enjoyed watching Salem constantly bounce around like a boxer in the ring as if he actually believed he was there. I loved that proud expression Stuart wore every single time he’d travelled around as molecules. I could listen to Reuben’s distorted French accent all day long and never get bored of it. I liked the way, even when he was being a wanker, Max could always make me laugh. I even liked Harvey’s cockiness. I loved David’s vulnerability that lay beneath his maturity. And as for Jared…well I loved that sexist twat just because.#p#分页标题#e#
As Bennington’s vamps got close, I peered up at Max who was watching me from his place on the understory layer, waiting for my signal to act. One thing I’d always been especially clear on was that they should never give the enemy the chance to make the first move; not when you were dealing with vampires as you never knew just what gift they had. Finally, when the first row of vamps – some Pagoris, some Kejas – was directly in front of me, I nodded to Max.
Quicker than lightening Max paralysed the senses of the twenty he was able to encompass. While Harvey, David, Denny and Jared attacked them, Damien was astral projecting to the far right, distracting a chunk of the other vamps. While they were distracted, Chico, myself and Salem dealt with them. Then there was a battle-cry from one of Bennington’s vamps and then everything went bloody mental.
Vampires were zooming around thanks to Harvey’s telekinesis or my air blasts. Others were being hit with deadly electric discharges complements of Jared. Some were wrapped in ooze or itching like crazy after having met Denny. Many others were in comas thanks to Salem and Chico. Then there were those wondering aimlessly due to Max. Others were dying by psionic boom courtesy of David who, as I predicted, was an immediate target of Bennington’s army but being protected by Butch’s shield. Then there were others twirling constantly as Damien and Stuart constantly distracted them. And of course there were vampires who were being hit by energy balls, energy beams, energy bolts or an energy whip. Plenty found themselves alight, but only for as long as it took for someone else to kill them – then I put the flames out as I didn’t want the rainforest catching fire.