i climbed out, locked the car, then closed my eyes and imagined the seagull shape. for a heartbeat, pain flared, but unlike when i tried reaching for the wolf, it was a distant, insubstantial thing that didn't hold the strength to prevent the change.

power surged, sweeping around me, through me, changing and molding my body, forcing the limbs of a human down into those of a gull. and the mere act of changing when i actually wanted to felt so good that part of me raged again against those who had contained my wolf. then the anger was swept away, because i was leaping skyward.

i followed the long dusty road north, seeing nothing, hearing nothing, except the roar of the surf far below me. this part of australia was a wild and empty place.

eventually, a warm light began to flicker through the darkness. i swooped toward it, and the light became a campfire burning brightly near the shoreline. meaning no one was likely to notice a curious seagull.

there were three men sitting near the fire. their laughter rode across the night, filled with anticipation. one of those men was denny, but the other two i didn't recognize.

i dipped a wing and swung around to the left. there was another man standing behind a rusting hulk of machinery, and a fifth on the opposite side of the camp, squatting next to a huge metal tank. inside the tank lay evin. he was trussed up tight and wasn't moving. despite my fears about his involvement in whatever was happening to me, i found myself hoping he was okay. that he was merely tied and sleeping rather than unconscious.

or, worse still, dead.

i swooped upward again and swung back to the campfire. five men. even for me, those were pretty tough odds. if i was to have any hope in this fight, i'd need to even the numbers out a little.

i swung around again and headed for the man near the machinery, landing on one of the metal struts then waddling toward him. i was downwind of him, so any sound was being carried away rather than toward him, and he didn't pay me any attention. his gaze continually swept the night and his posture was alert, tense, but he had a beer in one hand, and the smell of alcohol was sharp enough that i was aware of it even in bird form.

which meant, i hoped, that his reflexes would be crap.

i took to the air again and flew across to the next rusting hulk, where i landed and quickly changed back to human form. my flimsy shirt had all but shredded, and a good bit of breast was on show.

with any luck it would be enough to distract the men, because the firelight would eliminate any possibility of shadowing.

although - ideally - i'd like to take this guard out without being seen.

i turned around and padded down to the end of the rusting tank. with my back pressed against the still-warm metal, i peered around the corner. the guard hadn't moved.

i wrapped the shadows around me and dashed across the short distance between us. as i neared him, he spun around, his nostrils flaring as he scanned the night. he could obviously scent me, but he couldn't see me. i gave him no time to react, simply hit him hard and fast - chopping him across the throat then kneeing him in the balls - and he went down like a ton of bricks. i let him slump to the ground, trusting the sand to dampen the sound of his fall, but i caught his beer can before it could clatter against the metal.

after looking around to ensure that no one had seen anything, i grabbed his arms and dragged him into a sitting position, propping him against one of the machine's struts. i put his beer beside him then stepped back. if the others glanced this way, they might think he was just sitting down. which was good. but i needed to ensure he couldn't actually get back up.

i bit my bottom lip and scanned the rusting hulk, seeing nothing useful in the way of rope or wire. so i spun and walked back to the tank. again, there wasn't anything i could use, but several yards away from the tank sat the semirotten wooden remains of an old shed of some kind, and inside, the snaking remains of the building's wiring. i ripped several yards free then retraced my steps back to the guard.

i tore off his shirt, used that to gag him, then trussed him up.

one down, four to go.

i shifted shape and took to the sky again, flying back to the guard on the other side of the encampment. he was still squatting next to the tank, but he was within view of the campfire, so if i took him out his fellows were likely to notice he was missing.

i circled around for several minutes, wondering what the hell i was going to do - whether i should just take him out and bring the odds down to a more manageable level, or whether i should continue to pick them off one by one. after all, they were all drinking, and they'd surely have to wander off for a pee sooner or later.

i swooped around for yet another pass and spotted their cars. they were parked halfway between the whaling station and the dusty road, off the track leading to the station but not hidden.

i flew toward them. there was no guard here, but the one watching evin would have been able to see them if he stood up.

it was a mistake - and one that just might work in my favor.

i landed behind a blue pickup and shifted shape, keeping as low as i could as i regained human form. if i could incapacitate two of the cars, distract the guard, then get evin out in the third vehicle, i might not have to fight the other men at all.

it was a lot of "ifs" but i really had nothing to lose by trying - nothing except all the bruises i'd get if i did have to fight them.

i checked which of the cars had keys in the ignition, and discovered both the blue pickup and the white toyota did. the pickup had a bigger engine, but the toyota looked newer and was a four-wheel drive. in the end, i decided on speed over versatility and reached through the open window, grabbing the keys and slipping them into my pocket. the other set of keys i tossed as far away as i could.

then i reached down and withdrew a knife from one of my socks and crept across to the toyota. one of the trucks had an air compressor on board, so merely letting out the air wasn't going to work. the tires were thick and new, and it quickly became evident that no matter how strong i was, a little steak knife just didn't have the strength to do little more than scratch the rubber. it might damage an ordinary car tire, but not to these.

i crept over to the next truck. luck was with me this time - the back tire was almost bald. i picked out what looked to be the thinnest spot and punched the knife into the middle. after twisting it around to ensure a largish hole, i pulled the knife out. air began to hiss, sounding overly loud in the hushed darkness. i crept around to the other side of the car and peered around. the guard hadn't moved. in fact, he wasn't even looking in this direction.

i took out the second rear tire, then wrapped the shadows around me and rose. i still needed to immobilize the other car. if the steak knife wasn't strong enough, maybe there was something in the back of the pickups. after all, men the world over seemed to carry all sorts of tools in their cars.

it turned out these men were no different - there was an unlocked tool kit in the back of the pickup, and inside i found a solid-looking screwdriver. it mightn't have a point, but when you were a dhampire, you didn't need one.

i paused and smiled at the thought. one more piece of the puzzle that was me.

whatever had been done to my mind, it obviously wasn't holding. i wondered if that were deliberate, or whether it was just luck.

although fate didn't often throw luck my way.

i shoved the screwdriver into both the back tires, listened for the hiss of escaping air, then placed the screwdriver back into its box.

and noticed the flashlight sitting nearby.

perfect. just perfect.

i grabbed it and retreated, running into the darkness and looping right back around the encampment until i reached the hills on the far side.

once there, i turned on the flashlight and climbed to the top of the hill, pointing the light straight at the campfire, so that the waiting men couldn't fail to see it.

"well, well, look at that." denny's harsh voice carried easily over the sand. he rose from the log on which he'd been sitting, and, even from where i was standing, i could see the triumphant twist of his lips. "our quarry has arrived, boys."

they laughed - a harsh, drunken sound. they were stupid to drink so much, but i guess they didn't know what they were dealing with.

"where's evin?" i asked. i didn't actually want him moved, but even in their alcohol-fueled state, they might think it odd if i didn't at least inquire about him.

"he's safe," denny assured me. "come down and see for yourself."

"i think i prefer to remain where i am for now."

"come down, or we'll slice your brother's pretty face open."

i contemplated them for a moment, seeing their jubilation, smelling their anticipation, then said, "you know what? the drive out here has given me a lot of time to think."

"now, that ain't a good thing, little lady - "

"yeah, it is," i said. "i was stupid to come out here without help, so i might just go back and get some."

"you do that, and he's fish food."

"but i have the note threatening just that. hurt him, and you'll be prime suspects."

and with that, i turned and ran in the opposite direction. for several seconds, there was no reaction, and i inwardly cursed. damn it, they needed to come after me. it was our only chance of getting out of there without a fight.

then i heard cursing, and denny shouting orders, and i smiled. they'd taken the bait. and they were too drunk to realize one of their number was missing.

my feet flew across the sand, moving so fast i was barely leaving tracks. i raced up the next hill, then plunged down. but at the halfway point, i stopped and shoved the base of the flashlight into the sand, so that the bright beam cut skyward. then i shifted shape, flying as hard and as fast as i could back to where evin was.

denny and his two friends had split up, denny taking the direct route while the others approached from either angle. they were nowhere near as fast as i'd been, but then i suspected that had more to do with the alcohol in their systems than the fact i was half vampire.

they'd barely reached the first hill. it would take them another five minutes, at least, to discover the abandoned flashlight.

it wasn't much time, but it would have to do.

i flew across the campfire and straight at the man guarding evin. he looked up as i approached, and i saw the awareness flash across his face. he wasn't as drunk as the others, and he'd recognized that i was a shifter. whether he knew it was me or not didn't matter. as he opened his mouth to shout for the others, i shifted shape and plunged down on top of him.

he had enough sense to dive out of the way, so that my feet hit his back rather than his face, driving him earthward but not knocking him out like i'd hoped. i landed then twisted, lashing out with a heel. he blocked the blow with his arm, the force of it reverberating up my leg, then followed it up with a jab to my face. i dipped a little so that the blow passed over my right shoulder, then punched upward, aiming for his jaw. but again, he saw it coming and swayed backward so that the blow hit air rather than flesh and left me momentarily unbalanced. his fist hit my upper stomach, the force of it pushing me backward as air exploded from my lungs.

he laughed, then raised his voice, half looking away as he said, "hey, she's over here!"

it was a stupid thing to do.

i kicked his knee as hard as i could. the impact made his leg bow unnaturally and bone shattered, the sound like a gunshot in the darkness. as he howled and started to go down, i clenched my fist and delivered an uppercut to his chin. he dropped to the ground and didn't move.

for a minute, neither did i. breathing hurt. i took shallower breaths but it didn't seem to help. nor did i have the time to worry about it.

denny and his friends had been warned, and their shouts filled the night. i needed to grab evin and make my escape.

i turned and ran for the front of the rusty tank. evin was still lying where i'd seen him. his hands were tied behind his back, and the rope holding him was thick and strong. the metallic smell of blood rode the air, even though he didn't look like he'd been beaten. one look at the ropes binding him explained why - his wrists were raw and bloody. he'd obviously been trying to work himself free.

i dropped down beside him and touched his face. he jumped and his eyes flew open.

"jesus, what the hell are you doing here?"

"rescuing your butt," i said. "are you injured?"

"they've wrapped silver wire around my neck. it's burning."

which explained why he hadn't shifted shape to escape the ropes. still, if his injured wrists and silver burns were the worst of his injuries, then he was damn lucky.

i grabbed the other knife from my boot and sawed the ropes off his bloody wrists, but it took forever, and all the time my awareness of the men was growing. i couldn't risk slicing the ropes off his feet. i should have done them first.

"i haven't got time to undo your feet. we need to get out of here." i stood up, grabbed his raw and bleeding hands, and hauled him upright. "can you hop?"

"i'd fucking attempt to fly if it was the difference between getting the hell out and staying here." his voice was grim, determined.

"then let's get the hell out of here."

he leapfrogged forward. i kept one hand on his arm to steady him, but the going seemed painfully slow. my awareness of the other men continued to sharpen; they were closing in on us far too fast. if we didn't get to the third truck soon, they'd be on us.

"we're moving too slow," i said.

"i'm jumping as fast as i fucking can," he practically spat.

"it's still not fast enough. stop."

he did. i twisted, grabbed his wrist, shoved his arm around my neck, then bent, dragging him over my shoulders and holding his thigh to keep him steady.