Ashley slowed her walk as she approached the south side of the warehouse. "Hey, Hector. How do I know when -"
Shouts came from the sentry nearest her and were followed by a spotlight. Hector ducked down behind a piece of rusting equipment, and Ashley stepped into the light, shielding her eyes.
She sensed the movement of three vamps headed her direction, and heard even more running towards the door nearest her.
"Hey, guys," she said cheerfully as the vamps neared. "Just dropping by to check in on things."
The door behind them slammed open as more vamps flooded the area. Ashley gauged their distance and reached for one of her knives. How long was she supposed to wait before attacking?
The moment one of them came too close, she decided to act. Ashley lowered her center of balance and charged the oncoming vamps. She fought with deft speed unhindered by Charles and his Taser and chain. Battling vamps felt easy after his brutal lessons, and she tore through her opponents, vaguely aware of Hector killing the ones she downed.
In only ten minutes, she'd taken out all seven of those who came to confront them and paused at the door, breathless and energized. Ashley peered into the darkness, unable to see the way the predators could.
Hector was talking into a walkie-talkie. She debated disobeying Charles completely to search the warehouse but feared being grounded from future missions if she did. After some internal warring, she returned to Hector.
He dropped the walkie-talkie into his cargo pocket and strode past her. "C'mon." He disappeared into the depths of the warehouse.
Ashley followed without a word. It was easier to follow Hector as he navigated in the darkness than find her own way, and she walked close enough to bump him when he slowed, senses trained on the darkness. The open bay made up half the warehouse and was empty as far as she could tell. Movement and light came from the doors on the north side of the building.
"Hey, Hector. Why is there a ward and nothing here?"
"That's what we have to find out."
She trailed him. He changed directions before reaching the tall door leading to the other half of the segmented warehouse and went instead to a stairwell tucked along one side.
Underground. The trick she'd learned from watching Jonny hide her from the Others. Eager to discover what the vamps were hiding - and praying it was Brandon - Ashley crowded Hector, who gave her an annoyed look more than once as they descended beneath the concrete flooring.
The bunker beneath the warehouse was tiny compared to the open floor of the bay. The sound of quick footfalls made them duck into a nearby room. Ashley counted ten vamps race past them towards the stairs before the hallway was quiet.