A shot cracked out.

But it didn't come from Joey's gun.

Terri howled with pain as the bullet took her in mid-leap and her momentum

carried her into Joey. They both fell to the floor, and Joey scrambled away

from

her as she dragged herself across the floor, trying to crawl away.

Michael Blood stood motionless in a combat crouch on the stone steps that led

into the chamber, his pistol in his hands. He had fired at the werewolf as

she

leapt, but only now did the scene that confronted him fully register, and he

stood as if rooted to the spot, staring with slack-jawed shock at the macabre

tableau before him.

"Ian..."he said.

"Michael!" Royce screamed in agony

"Father!" Galvanized into action, Michael shifted his aim and fired. His shot

struck the creature that had been the blond girl in the head, and it fell

back,

lifeless, but in that same moment Joey came up with his gun and fired twice.

The first bullet missed him, but the second one struck Blood in the upper

chest

and sent him flying backward, to land hard on the steps. Then Joey turned

quickly and leveled his gun at Modred.

With a scream of rage Royce charged as Joey fired.

They came out of the passageway into the dungeons at a point where three

corridors intersected. They stood uncertainly in the open area lit by torches

on

the walls, but there was nothing to tell them which way to go. And then they

heard the sharp cracking of gunfire off to their left.

"Shots!" said Kira. And then she grunted with pain and doubled over,

clutching

at her side.

"Unnnh!" Wyrdrune staggered, also grabbing his side. "Come on," he said,

grimacing with pain. "Modred's been shot! Run!"

"Carfax!"

Bellowing with rage, Royce slammed into Joey, his fingers going for his

throat,

but Joey brought the gun up sharply and smashed it into the side of Royce's

head. Royce went down with a grunt, and Joey kicked him savagely, then turned

to

aim the gun at Modred once again, but another shot cracked out and he felt

the

bullet whistle past his ear. Jacqueline stood on the stairs holding her

semiautomatic in both hands and firing rapidly. Joey scrambled across the