Dancing with the Devil (Nikki & Michael 1)

The door was padlocked. But from inside came the smell of gasoline. Michael wrenched the door open. How fortunate, he thought, seeing a dozen or so cans.

Picking up two, he moved back to the warehouse. Jasper hadn't moved. He could see his red haze hunkered down in one corner.

Michael opened the can and splashed the gas across the building's wooden wall. Then he stepped back, reaching into his pocket for the matches he'd picked up earlier. The fire wouldn't kill Jasper, but it would make him sweat. Make him relive the horror of his childhood. Make him fear, as he'd made Nikki fear.

Lighting a match, Michael flicked it at the wall, then stepped back quickly as the wall exploded into flame.

Fear hit him, almost suffocating his senses. Only it wasn't Jasper's fear. It was Nikki's. He immediately opened the link and reached out, demanding to know what was wrong. Her mind was closed to him, refusing to acknowledge his call. He cursed softly. When he'd shared his psyche with her, he'd not only strengthened the link between them, but he'd also strengthened her ability to ignore him as well.

He glanced back at the fire. Hungry fingers of flame were beginning to spread along the roof. It wouldn't be long before the whole building was ablaze. Jasper hadn't yet moved. He would wait until the last possible moment. But Michael couldn't.

Nikki was in danger. He had to leave.

At least dawn wasn't far off. With a bit of luck, Jasper wouldn't have the courage to do any hunting tonight.

And that, in turn, would weaken him, make them a more even match. When Michael had shared his psyche with Nikki, he'd lost a lot of his strength. If Jasper fed, he would be hard to beat. Not that it mattered. If Michael had to die, then so be it.

As long as he took Jasper with him.

He turned and broke into a run, heading for the hospital and Nikki.

* * * *

The zombie charged her. Nikki leaped away, but not fast enough. The creature's fist clipped her jaw and sent her flying. She hit the concrete hard, her breath whooshing from her lungs. The zombie turned, its movements ponderous yet not slow. A sick grin marred the features that had once been pretty. Rolling over, Nikki scrambled to her feet. The zombie rushed again. She dodged sideways, barely avoiding the creature's fist, then glanced at the shadows at the chimney's base. Slowly, foot by foot, she was leading the creature away from Jake.

A shot rang out through the silence, then a string of curses and the sound of running footsteps. MacEwan and his men were trying to deal with the second of the creatures. The third still held guard near the door. The zombie rushed Nikki again. She ducked, but not fast enough. The creature's hand smashed into the back of her skull and sent her flying. Her knees skinned against the concrete, and she shook her head, fighting tears and the stars dancing before her eyes.

From behind her came the sound of a scraped footstep. Panic surged. She twisted away, but the zombie hit her hard, knocking her sideways, back onto the concrete. It laughed, an oddly vacant sound that chilled her soul. She blinked back tears of pain and tried to roll to one side. The zombie reached down and stopped her, then put its hands round her neck and hauled her upright. She might not be able to die, but right at this moment, it sure as hell felt as if she could. The creature's grip tightened. Gritting her teeth against the pain, gasping for breath and trying not to panic, she reached into her pocket.

The edge of darkness was closing in fast. She quickly loosened the top of the salt container, then took it out of her pocket and flung it into the zombie's face.

The creature roared and let go, tearing at its eyes as it staggered away. Nikki pushed upright. She could barely see through tears, and her throat felt raw, as if it were on fire. It hurt to breathe, let alone move. But she had to move, before the creature came back.

A warning pulsed through her mind. She scrubbed the tears away and turned. The zombie sniffed the breeze, using scent instead of vision.

It spun and charged. Nikki didn't move. The creature was too fast to outrun, too strong to fight by normal means. All she had left were her abilities. But she needed time to use them again, time to recover from the stress of lifting Jake. Time she didn't have.

She took a deep breath and prayed for a miracle.

Thrusting a tight beam of energy at the creature, she halted its charge. It screamed in fury, struggling against the invisible cords holding it immobile.

Sweat broke out across Nikki's brow, running into her eyes, stinging them. She didn't blink, didn't move, fearing either might cause her to lose her grip. Fire ripped through her mind, a red haze of agony she had no choice but to ignore as she battled to contain the creature. But simple containment was not the answer. The zombie had to die, or else it would come back again and again. The creature who controlled its mind wanted Jake dead. The zombie would follow the wishes of its master until it succeeded.

Or died.

She had no choice. Slowly but surely, she pushed the creature backwards, forcing it towards the edge of the building. The creature hit the ledge, and its arms flailed. It screamed, a sound so human, Nikki hesitated.

In that instant, the creature surged forward again—running straight for the shadows that held Jake. Nikki gasped and dropped to her knees. She couldn't do it again. She bit her lip and hugged her body tightly. She had to. This zombie had to die, or more people would. People like Jake, who'd done nothing to Jasper except be her friend.

She forced past the pain and grabbed the creature, thrusting it back to the edge. It struggled desperately, wrenching and twisting the invisible lines holding it captive. Pain rippled through every fiber, every cell. Nikki ignored it and tightened her hold, then thrust the creature past the edge. When it had cleared the concrete edge by several feet, she let go. The creature fell, screaming. She closed her eyes and rocked back and forth, desperately trying to catch her breath. She felt like she'd run a damn marathon—but it wasn't over yet. Two zombies still remained. Another gunshot shattered the night. Nikki licked her lips and climbed unsteadily to her feet. MacEwan appeared out of the shadows to her left, half carrying one of his men. A zombie followed them, dragging one leg more than usual.

She clenched her fist and threw a ball of power at the creature. It staggered under the impact and stopped, giving MacEwan the chance to escape immediate danger.

Then it turned. A roar of anger bit through the night. Giving the creature no chance to charge, she sent another whip of power towards it, knocking it sideways.

She reached again, but agony locked her mind tight. She fell to her knees, fighting tears, fighting the red tide threatening to engulf her. She'd done too much, pushed too hard. Now there was nothing left. Nothing but pain and approaching death.

I don't want to die.