Hodge cocked his pistol as he peeked around the corner of the building he, Symco, Casey and her team were hiding behind. Not that a pistol alone would do them any good against this threat. Things had gone south, fast. They had just received word over the com system that team Epsilon had been compromised. They weren’t exactly sure what was happening, it seemed that the bloodfire ghouls were able to infect other people somehow. All they knew was that no one was safe. They stood slightly north of ground zero getting ready to make sweeps outward into the city to try and neutralize the threat, but they knew they were grossly under equipped to deal with the situation. If it hadn’t been for Casey and her team they wouldn’t stand a chance.

The streets were empty, which was eerie and concerning to say the least. Where was everybody? Had they already been turned? And if so, where were the ghouls now? It felt like they were walking into a trap, which was only slightly better than the feeling that they were doing nothing by just waiting around. Hodge motioned with his hands that the coast was clear and the rest of the team ran past him, Symco lumbering along towards the rear. She was far from stealthy in her oversized body, but she was a good agent and knew how to cover her teammates. She had her weapon drawn and trained at the ground, where it would stay until she saw something worth shooting at.

Suddenly streams of ghouls started pouring out of the buildings around them, some even coming out of second story windows, running frantically towards them with their jaws open, emanating some kind of unholy howl as they ran. Symco and Hodge began opening fire as Casey’s team went to work steaking, decapitating, and incinerating the corpses. It was total mayhem. Flaming ghouls who had yet to be decapitated or steaked were running around crashing into things. Blades and steaks were flying everywhere, but there was only so much they could do. Eventually they began running low on supplies and ammunition and they knew they couldn’t hold their ground for very much longer.

Symco gave up on her gun and began throwing ghouls left and right away from the team. One charged towards her and leapt in the air, jaw open and claws out. Without thinking she grabbed him by the arms and ripped him in two, spraying blood and sinew everywhere. She nearly vomited when she realized what she had done.

“I didn’t know I could do that!” Shouted Hodge. “I can’t wait to have my body back!”

“We need to get to higher ground!” Symco yelled, “Follow me!” She began sweeping the ghouls out of the way with large swoops of her oversized arms. With kicks and throws she cleared a path through the sea of ghouls towards a building with a visible stairwell and an old fire escape along the outside. Casey’s team continued to decapitate and ignite anything that got close, but Elliot was running out of fuel for his flamethrower. Suddenly, as he was blasting an inferno at a group of ghouls, one snuck up behind him and bit him close to the jugular. Casey screamed as she stabbed the ghoul through the brain, but the damage was done. Two of his team mates grabbed him by the arms and legs and made a run for the building that Symco had now secured a path to.

They broke down the door to the stairwell as Symco began climbing the fire escape to get to the roof. As they rushed up the stairs the sea of ghouls tried to pile in behind them but dammed themselves up in the entrance way just by their sheer numbers, as if a hundred of the Three Stooges tried to get through the door all at the same time. Eventually though some started breaking through. The team got up to the roof level and closed the door behind them, barring the door with a steel pipe they found. Symco was already there trying her best to tear the fire escape off of the side of the building so the ghouls couldn’t use it as a method to get up to them. She was strong in Hodge’s body, but neither of them were sure it had the strength to do it. Finally after long moments of grunting and heaving, while swatting the occasional climbing ghoul away, she was able to dislodge it from the wall and watched as the top half of it collapsed like a Jacob’s-Ladder toy into itself. Finally there was some peace for them amidst the chaos.

Just as the peace started to set in they began hearing a slow clap as a man dressed all in leather stepped out from behind a shed located at the back of the roof. He was tall, probably 6’1” at least wearing a white t-shirt under a long leather trench coat and leather pants. He had long blonde hair that flowed unhindered down his back and his skin was as white as milk. There was no doubt in Symco’s mind that he was a vampire.

“Well done!” he said, still clapping, “I really didn’t expect you to make it this far! Although your friend could use some attention.” He pointed at Elliot.

“Who are you?” Hodge asked, weapons drawn and trained on the mysterious figure.

“I’m one of the puppeteers, my darling.” he said, “we’re on all the rooftops, controlling our little gaggles of ghouls.” He pointed and they could see shadowy figures standing on at least 4 other rooftops.

“I told you that’s what they were called!” Casey said to Hodge, drawing her sword.

“Shut up,” he said, “Bloodfire is so much cooler!”

“Actually, both terms are acceptable vernacular.” said the vampire

“Shut up!” Casey and Hodge said in unison, their weapons trained on him.

“Give me one good reason why we shouldn’t off you right here.” said Casey. The vampire slowly lifted up his shirt and revealed a bloodfire soulbrand on his chest.

“You kill me, I go ghoul.” he said, “and it looks like you’re out of steaks and flame.”

“What do you mean you go ghoul if we kill you?” asked Symco, “You have the brand, how come you aren’t a ghoul already?”

“You guys really haven’t figured it out?” he asked laughing, “the soulbrand takes effect on death.”

“Aren’t vampires already dead?” asked Hodge.

“Humans have a very limited understanding of death.” He said. “There’s death, and then there’s DEATH, you gotta KILL me to make me go ghoul.”

“How do we stop this?” asked Hodge. The vampire laughed.

“Why should I tell you, you have no lev-” he was interrupted by Hodge shooting him in the knee cap. “Ow! What the h-” Hodge squeezed off three more shots into his legs and shoulder

“Hodge!” Shouted Symco.

“What?” said Hodge, “Non-lethal shots. Just cause we can’t kill him doesn’t mean we have to make life bearable for him. Now, how do we stop this?”

“Or what? You’re just going to keep shooting me in the knee ca-” he was interrupted by Hodge shooting him in the kneecap again, “Ow! Fine!” he said “You already know you need to steak, decapitate, and incinerate them, but there’s another way.”

“What do you mean?” asked Symco.

“A spell.” he said, “it destabilizes the soul brand.”

“What is it?” asked Hodge.

“Sanguine flammas revocatas.” he said grunting through some pain.

“How can we be sure this works?” asked Hodge.

“Only one way to find out!” Said Casey as she flicked her blade in the vampire’s direction and cut off his head. They waited as the body convulsed and pulsated while the blood quickly drained from the corpse. Once it stopped it was quiet. Slowly, though, it started to twitch. It’s fingers hardened and sharpened and turned into the trademark bone claws the ghouls had. It raised up to its feet.

“Here goes nothing.” said Casey as she extended her arm towards the headless ghoul. “Sanguine flammas revocatas!” the ghoul started to shake and steam was rising off of its now bubbling skin. Suddenly the corpse burst into one large flame as blood sprayed everywhere, covering Casey and Hodge in a hot sticky mess.

“Well,” said Hodge, “it works.”