Claudia sat before her mobile. It was always comforting, if not in bringing good news in being familiar. It gave her something to do, and she had learned long ago that, if one appeared to have something to do, they were not expected to do otherwise, and were not looked to for tasks. It bothered her that Robot had not checked in. Warsaw was already occupied and the Russian column was split and moving west.

      Besides, Father Kit had not shown. Karl had gone for him in the jeep. He should be back any second, Claudia thought. The waiting was killing her, and the talkative Dracul. All the Vampyres and Wolfbreed she had met and they rarely mentioned the Dracul, except to complain about them when pressed. These two were so chatty: on and on about blood, and what Dracul had to be proud of, and what real monsters they were. She could just bite someone!

      There were excited noises from below. Merideth was saying Karl was back. Claudia shut down the computer for the moment and looked up. Jacob sighed. That meant Kit was with them.

      He came into the room, breathless. "Kit!" Claudia said excitedly, yet they had never been in the same location to recognize each other. It was Kit, and she would have known him without the others, so like someone John would have for a friend, at once elegant and saintly.

      "Forgive me, it was necessary I take over the evening Mass for Father Rej. I spoke as fast as I could. I have the parish bus with me."

      "Let's get going," Claudia said. "I should travel with the Father. The rest split up with Karl or Elzbieta."

      They followed her orders with ease. A computer was a better prop than a clipboard, though those old things really impressed her more. Claudia didn't dare look for a clock. She went directly to Kit after collecting her own bags. "I'm Claudia, nice to meet you finally, will you drive?"

      He laughed warmly. A nod was answer. The two Dracul insisted on being on the bus and so they took them and many of the others. Jacob had gone with Karl and Merideth and just a few with Elzbieta in the Hovercar, which John had suddenly acquired. Karl led their small caravan. The city really seemed deserted.

      There was distant firearms sounding every so often but otherwise it was dead. It made sense that people would be in their houses. Claudia dug into her bag where she sat behind Kit. She looked over the list she had been sent. "Remind me later, if I forget, there is a list you might want from me," Claudia said and then tucked this copy inside her dress.

      "Sure," he said, looked to the road and the jeep below them. "Has Dany been gone long?"

      "A few hours already. I stopped looking at the clock. They must have stopped by now."

      "I'm sorry I was late."

      "You had duties. Neglecting them would have been suspicious. I remember that lesson from my father. Always keep previous engagements, or else they might suspect why you cancelled."

      "Dany did tell me a little about your past."

      "If I believed in God, I would pray you did not turn me in. I am wanted by too many religious terrorists and legitimate churches by now that I can't afford to count them. You could make a good career for yourself in the Catholic Church by turning me in."

      The bus swerved slightly. "Child, I wouldn't."  Claudia wondered if they instructed priests on using such forms of address. "I gather Dany made that mistake once?"

      "Yes. Fortunately I can be forgiving."

      "It is a good quality," Kit said quickly. And then Nicolas butted into the conversation.

      "Sometimes, we Dracul wish for forgiveness. We are real monsters, however, our blood ran through the veins of the Impaler. A tribe of 'Breed is all but extint in its pure form because of the Dracul."

      "Friends of mine would love to learn of your choice recipes for making Dracul, Nicolas, why don't you go write them down for me while we still have a chance," Claudia said quickly. He fell for it easily, or didn't bother to argue. Milla followed him as usual.

      "Kit, do you think Danjel loves me?" Claudia asked.

      "Shouldn't you really ask him that question?"

      "I asked what you thought."

      "Not speaking of any specific confidences, I think that he does."

      "I wish I could control my emotions," Claudia sighed. She happened to gaze out the window, meaning to see nothing but the night and farms. There was a slow moving train running alongside the road on its tracks. It had few cars and kept a pace with the road's traffic. Claudia moved to the window. The few train cars were packed and even on the outside soldiers hung to the train from door handles and ladders.

      "What now?" she asked herself.

      "Russian," Milla announced, having heard the question all the same. "They must be taking over the trains from the East."

      Claudia reached over Kit and shoved at the horn. The bus's horn honked unremarkabley and Merideth looked about from the jeep. "If we don't outrun the train somehow, they will be caught by surprise at the station," Claudia said.

      "The train's being chased," Nicolas called.

      Claudia could see them soon enough herself: Polish Army on horseback. Now that she watched, it was evident shots were being fired between train cars and horses. Perhaps the larger part of this train had been stopped by the Poles and the Russians were fleeing on this front section. "Speed up, Kit," Claudia said.

      They seemed to race the train, but it only raced the horses. Truly, it was a strange thing, the train running mid night and full of soldiers across the northern plains of Poland with calvary chasing them, whooping and shouting in Polish. It was like a scene from some old American or Italian movie. It had gotten so that Claudia could see from the rear windows of the bus horsemen leaping onto the train to fight hand-to-hand.

      They were approaching the station. Claudia worried that the train would plow right through and there would be no others behind it. Karl had pulled into a good lead and was at the station already. The hovercar had passed by the Bus and was close behind the jeep. If only they could get there and have the train stop.

      Claudia stood just inside the door of the bus looking toward the station. It was small, and the tracks remained visible from this vantage. There was a figure on the tracks. "Lord, please don't let that be John!" Claudia groaned. She was sure it was him. Who else would stand in the way of a train so that others could board it?

      As the bus slowed, Caudia leapt from it, hit the ground running, and made for the low platform along the tracks. The train was whistling loudly; men were shouting. Even as the train slowed and came to the station there was fighting. Bodies were falling to the tracks, and in the driver's compartment there were flashes of light.

      Claudia found Karina on the platform, seeming as anxious as Claudia felt. John was running alongside the train engine car now. Claudia covered her mouth as she saw the train and its men pass close; Rudolph was fighting for the train's controls with a Russian soldier and neither were really driving. "Did he switch the track?" Claudia demanded.

      "Yes, they switched the track already, but the train has to slow, or it will derail when it hits the stop," Karina explained quickly.

      Claudia's thoughts just scrolled. There was nothing more to be done but watch. As the train squealed past, Claudia was aware of others gathering behind her. Claudia began to run along the platform, following the train. Soldiers of both armies jumped to the tracks only to continue their fighting. The train switched over to the maintenance track with a clicking sound. John and Rudolph and other soldiers were still aboard.

      "What are they doing?" someone called and Claudia turned from the train. Everyone was now looking out onto the tracks before the station. It appeared Milla and Nicolas were hacking a Human corpse to pieces

      "They'll give us all away!" Claudia groaned.

           †               †               †

      Slow, for a train, was still too fast to want to ram the stop at the end of the maintenance line. Danjel ducked under one of Rudy's blows that the Russian had dodged, and dove for the control board. Someone was thrown into his back, and Danjel winched with the pain. "Rudy, stop this before we all die!" He yelled.

      Danjel heard a jaw crack under a fist, a grunt from Rudy, then a scream as the other man fell backward to the gravel below. As all this was heard, Danjel forced himself to focus on the emergency brake and punched it. Everything screeched to a halt with a sick metal-on-metal sound, and then a sudden lurch as the engine hit the end of the line. Danjel fell to the floor, the back of his head bumped against some part of the wall behind.

      When he regained sense, Rudy was collapsed over his legs, cursing and favoring his bleeding arm. "You couldn't have done that sooner?" Danjel asked.

      "My right's not so good with a bullet in my arm," Rudy groaned. Claudia reached them first, vaulting up into the cramped compartment all full of concern. It had to be that. It looked like she couldn't make up her mind on beating him or kissing him, and Danjel knew just enough of females to recognize that as expression of her concern for him.

      Karina was standing below, just outside. "Hello, Rudy," she said, "are you in much pain?"

      "So, you're one of his followers too?" Rudy asked.

      "I can help with that wound," Karina said. She didn't move from her spot. There were other voices now. Whispers and then loud sharp calls.

      "Sobi! Miss, are there any of ours over there?"

      "Sobieski's here," Karina called to the soldiers, "he'll want a medic if you have any."

      There was no immediate reply. Danjel and Claudia helped Rudy climb down from the engine. All of his people were well. Efrit had lined the hospital group along the platform, and between the tracks Karl stood watch with Merideth and Elzbieta. And then two other figures slunk up from the car park and onto the platform: Nicolas and with him Milla, on two whole legs, with well-matched arms folded across her chest. They joined the rank of the Darkling.

      Danjel gathered Claudia and Karina under his arms and joined Karl. Together they climbed to the platform. "Everyone well?" Danjel asked Jacob to be sure.

      "All present and no worse off than before. There is a team here to take the train on from here," Mrs Katyan said, "We have spoken to them. As soon as they get the train on the track and checked out we can go to Germany."

      Danjel nodded.

      A Polish officer approached them. Like the others he wore the current olive and black field uniform, only he had a different hat and a few more decorations. "I take it this is some form of resistance cell?"

      "Yes, and it is all his idea," Claudia said and pointed out Father Kit.

      "A real priest?"

      Kit moved toward the officer. "Father Kryzstof of Saint Mother Teresa in Poznan, formerly Saint Casimir the Peacemaker. These people here are political refugees and I must see them get to Germany. The train company has agreed to continue service from here."

      The officer nodded. "Well, I certainly have no orders about refugees either way, so be about your business. My orders regard only keeping resources from the Russian troops. I thought it would be a fitting courtesy to warn you several of their number did escape. If we don't catch up to them, they will be warning their superiors of Darkling presence and the existence of resistance cells apart from our military. You better be able to take care of yourselves, we have enough to do."

      "God be with you," Kit said and waved his hand over the officer.

      "Sure he isn't playing both sides, Father?"

      Kit looked as if he wanted to say something but he only watched as the soldiers formed rank and moved east. Danjel turned to watch as Rudolph walked along with the other soldiers.

      "I suppose it is time we parted ways," Jacob said.

      Claudia rummaged about in her bag and felt up her chest, brought forth, finally, several slips of paper. She handed one to Kit and the other to Jacob. "This list came to me at great risk to myself, all on it and those who sent it. Do not let it be found by the wrong people. It is a list of stops run by the Metro Noir where any Darkling may seek shelter. Use the information as best you can."

      Jacob pulled a tiny box on a cord from under his clothes. He folded the paper as many times over as he could then placed it inside the box. Kit casually dropped his in a pocket. 

      "What will you do now?" Efrit asked.

      Danjel thought for a moment. "We need to return to Poznan right now, but it is very likely we will be able to save more people by leaving. I know Claudia and I will, and if anyone else follows, that is fine by me."

      "Good luck," Nicolas said. He gave Claudia a scrap of paper. "Should you ever want to become Dracul, we would welcome you."

      Milla stretched her arms above her head, they were well matched and equally pale. "Recipe always starts with beautiful," she purred.

      All the hospital group said thanks and then moved inside the station to wait. There were just seven of them standing outside. Kit would stay in Poznan, Danjel was sure of that. The others seemed free to leave and would follow. "We'll go back into the city. Say goodbyes to anyone you must, tie up loose ends with employers and such. Everyone needs to bring what gear they can for themselves. I intend for any followers to share amongst the group, but it is only fair to bring all you can. I will bring my horses and at least one car. Meet back at the Church when you can. I know Claudia is hoping some friends from Warsaw will find us there in time."

      "I could use some help collecting gear," Karina said.

      "I will help, if you help me," Elzbieta offered.

      "Good," Karina said. "I will have time for last minute shopping."

      "Be careful," Claudia said, "Russian troops could arrive at any time and in any number."