Page 85 of Good Vampires Go to Heaven

“And what’s your plan for forcing them toward the exits, instead of taking a stand inside,” Zeb wanted to know.

“I thought you’d never ask,” Cnut said with a decided twinkle in his blue eyes. He went over to a pile of canvas bags stacked in a corner. Out of one of them he took what looked like a plastic pistol along with some tubing and a heavy plastic bladder.”

“A water pistol?” Regina asked with disbelief.

“I know what this is,” Zeb said, picking up the bladder, which must be filled with some liquid because it made a sloshing sound. “A CamelBak. Navy SEALs carry this on their back, with the tubing over the shoulder so that all they have to do is turn their heads to take a drink.”

Cnut was grinning like the cat who swallowed the canary and a few mice as well. “You know how Lucies hate holy water. Sprinkle a little on them and their skin starts to sizzle. Sprinkle a lot and their skin can actually catch on fire. What if we arm all the vangels inside with these water pistols and a gallon of holy water in reserve? The Lucies would run, not stand and fight. At least, that’s what I’m thinking.”

Zeb was examining one of the units, which he’d put together, and then grinned as he squirted it at Regina.

Regina swiped her face with a sleeve and said, “Grow up, cowboy.”

“I think this just might work,” Zeb said with a smile. “Not for any length of time, of course. The water would run out. But just to get the Lucies running toward the exits? I love it!”

Zeb and Cnut gave each other high fives.

“Where are you going to get all these gallons of holy water?” Regina asked. Someone had to be practical here.

“There’s a natural spring behind the chapel altar, and one of my vangels is a former priest. He’s blessing water as we speak.” Cnut was obviously pleased with himself.

“And what’s that big X that’s circled on the map?” Zeb asked.

“That’s my mark, and that’s the exit I think Hector will emerge from. It’s the widest, allowing for him to bring a troop of Lucies with him,” Cnut explained.

“So, you’re the one who gets to confront Hector?” Clearly, Zeb was not pleased. He hadn’t been given first shot at Yakov and now Hector was taken out of his crosshairs, too.

Hey, Regina wasn’t too happy, either.

“Damn right I am,” Cnut answered Zeb. “After being staked out here for two days, I get first dibs on Hector.”

Neither Regina nor Zeb disagreed with him, not out loud, anyhow.

Regina frowned as she studied the maps, though. “What’s to stop the Lucies, including Hector, from just teletransporting out of here once they recognize the threat?”

“Ah, I know the answer to that,” Zeb said, exchanging a glance with Cnut. Both men looked at the pistol. “Holy water, even a sprinkle on a Lucie’s skin, prevents the ability to teletransport, as well as burning them.”

She nodded. “One more thing. Sorry to be the doubting Thomas here, Cnut, but even if we vangels have been quiet as mice, both inside these catacombs, and on the outside, wouldn’t Hector have been long aware of our presence by now? Especially with you being here for two days already.”

“Probably, but not as quickly as you might think,” Cnut answered. “We have two levels of unexcavated catacombs separating us that act as a sound buffer. As for the outside, believe me, my vangels are well disguised as tourists and Catholics making a religious pilgrimage. You should see Armod. He’s leading a troop of Michael Jackson impersonators. Believe me, they’ve been thrilling the crowds with their antics.”

“I thought vangels were supposed to lay low and not attract attention,” Zeb said.

“In most cases, that rule holds true, but if you’d ever seen Armod moonwalk, you’d never in a million years suspect he was a vampire. Or an angel,” Cnut replied with a laugh.

“Or a Viking, for that matter,” Regina added, also with a laugh. “Remember last Halloween when he had all the children . . . Gunnar, Gunnora, Izzy, Mikey, and Mordr’s five kids . . . made up as zombies, and they entertained the whole castle with their rendition of ‘Thriller’?”

“How could I ever forget? Gunnar had guts dripping from his mouth.” Cnut pretended to shiver with distaste. “It was actually spaghetti and red sauce,” he explained to Zeb.

“You vangels are a little weird,” Zeb remarked. “Is that it, then? Can we get this show on the road?”

“ASAP.” Cnut pointed to the large canvas bags on the floor. “The holy water pistols and water bladders are in there, for you two and your vangels. Let’s synchronize our watches. Two hours from now, you should all be in place. Let’s say thirteen hundred hours?”

Cnut rolled up one of the maps and tucked it under his cloak. Regina took the other one; she would need it to explain positions to the other vangels.

“Go with God, then,” Cnut said.

All three of them bowed their heads for a moment.