The Mammoth Book Of Vampire Stories Written By Women

Janet felt her mind slipping away as the ghoulish entity ripped aside her shirt and jacket and gently touched ulcerated lips to her bare breast. As consciousness fled, Janet felt Hisako's feverish breath suck the vitality from her body.

When Janet regained consciousness, Hisako was sitting on the floor by the side of the door. She was still naked, but her skin was as clear and unblemished as it had been defiled and corrupt a few minutes earlier.

Janet knew with a terrible certainty what that meant. She calmed the panic the thought provoked in her mind and looked at Hisako. She was no longer afraid of the woman.

The beautiful killer grabbed the front of Janet's tattered shirt and hauled her to her feet so that she was standing facing the entrance. With the flat of her hand she pounded on the cell door. There was a flutter at the spy-hole, a rattle of the key in the lock and before Janet could shout a warning the door began to open.

Hisako gave Janet a sweet smile as she wrenched open the door. The policeman on guard didn't stand a chance. Hisako's dagger-like hand pierced the wall of his stomach and drove up into his heart. Janet lunged forward but the deranged woman brushed her, almost gently, aside. It was as if she didn't want to harm her. Just leave her to die the horrendous death that was her ultimate legacy.

Brasher was on his way to check out the condition of the prisoner for himself. He heard the scream as Hisako ripped open the PC's body. He was just in time to see Hisako smash through the door that led into the reception area of the station. He ran after her, but by the time he reached the outer office she had overpowered the officers who attempted to restrain her and left by the front door.

A couple of police constables walking towards the building stopped in surprise as the naked woman burst out of the front door. Brasher shouted to them to stop her. There was a ten-foot wall along the side of the road. Without decreasing her speed, Hisako leaped on to a parked car and without apparent effort cleared the obstacle.

Brasher ran to his car. As he began to pull away from the kerb, Janet leaped into the road and stopped him. She jumped into the front passenger seat.

"What happened?" he asked as he accelerated away in the direction taken by Hisako. "You all right?"

Janet ignored the question and pointed off to the right. "There she is."

Hisako had made it to the Embankment and was running along the parapet at a fantastic speed. Brasher tried to cut across the traffic to the opposite side of the road, but the after-theatre rush hour was heavy and he lost valuable seconds before he managed it. By this time Hisako had disappeared.

"Where the hell has she got to?" Brasher demanded.

Janet opened the car door. "She's making for Lambeth Bridge. It'll be quicker on foot."

Brasher nodded agreement and pulled out his radio.

"Control — Brasher here. Get someone to block off the south side of Lambeth Bridge. I'm in pursuit on foot with DS Cooper, north of the Embankment. We need back-up. Fast!"

Brasher stowed his radio away and set off at a jog behind Janet. As they turned on to the bridge they saw a police car pull across the road at the far end. Janet slowed to a walk and Brasher caught her up.

"Can you see her?" he panted as he bent over and sucked air into his heaving lungs.

Janet shook her head. "She must be on the bridge. She didn't have time to get completely across."

A police car pulled up beside them and the driver leaned out of the window.

"What you want me to do, Guv?" he asked.

Janet answered. "One of you stay here and divert the traffic. The other clear the bridge. Now!" she ordered.

The driver swung the car sideways, effectively blocking off that end of the bridge. Brasher and Janet took opposite sides of the road and walked slowly towards the patrol cars at the far end. Brasher was the first to spot the hunted woman. She was learning elegantly against one of the suspension struts of the antique viaduct, the suspicion of a smile on her lips.

"Okay, Miss," Brasher said reassuringly. "Just come down off there and let's talk. I'm sure we can sort something out."

Hisako swung around one of the stanchions and landed on the side wall with a peal of laughter, as if it were all a game.

"Of course we can, Inspector. You'll find me a nice warm isolation cell where I can become a clinical curiosity for every half-baked doctor with a theory and a fascination with Jekyll and Hyde. Thanks but no thanks, Inspector."

Hisako hunched down on her knees so that her head was almost at the same level as Brasher's. Her eyes appeared to have become enormous. The inspector had an overwhelming desire to let himself float down into their dark depths.

"Come on, Inspector. Come to me," Hisako whispered.

Brasher's reason told him to keep a safe distance between them, but his will was not strong enough. He took a faltering step towards the woman.