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       Megan walked around to Blondie's rear and linked an arm around her neck. "Shut the fuck up." Megan twisted Blondie's head savagely to the left and then quickly to the right, inwardly cringing at the sound of pulverised bone as the neck snapped.

       The Slavis held back, wary of the robed figures and the pain their presence invoked, yet inching ever forward as they lashed out with clawed hands.

       "They grow stronger," Father Jacob sighed, moving towards Megan and holding the child out to her. "Take the first born," he ordered.

       "Not until you tell me what those things are."

       "Do as I ask." Father Jacob forced the child into Megan's arms. "For all our sakes."

Megan cradled the child as Father Jacob ran between the other robed

figures and took his place at the front, between his followers and the Slavis.

       "You know what must be done," shouted Father Jacob. "Protect the child until then." He raised his arms and looked up at the Slavis, taking over the chant as the others began to retreat.

       The robed figures raised their hoods once more and formed a circle around Megan and the child and began to guide her towards the stairs, leading her to Harrison who was fumbling through the bunch of keys.

       "Got it!" Harrison turned the key and pulled the door open.

       Chappell lunged at him with a scalpel. Harrison leaned backwards, the tip of the blade scoring a hot line across his check. He didn't give Chappell a second chance and grabbed his wrist twisting it back and to the left. Chappell let out a gargled yell, dropping the scalpel as Harrison's fist powered into his face.

       Harrison let Chappell fall unceremoniously to the floor, pushing Kaci inside and then standing to one side as the robed figures entered one at a time. Two remained with Megan as she stood on the landing, transfixed by the scene below.

       Father Jacob kneeled on the ground as the Slavis crowded around him. He was still repeating the chant over and over, yet it had lost its power.

       "You'll never have the child," Father Jacob screamed at the Slavis.

       This time the creature's didn't hold back. They fell upon Father Jacob with claws and teeth, attacking with a venom of unnatural proportions.

       Father Jacob tried to ignore the lightning agony that seared every exposed wound on his body as the Slavis transported him through the darkness. He knew he was being taken downwards, passed along from one Slavis to another, a meat parcel that each one took pleasure in hurting, abusing and humiliating.

       Father Jacob allowed them to do their worst, closing his eyes and praying to a God he could not lose faith in... to lose faith was for the Slavis to win. So he allowed his words to roll around silently in his head, asking for strength as rough hands spanked his now naked torso, begging for courage as clawed fingers pushed roughly into sacred orifices.

       
Faith... I shall not lose thee.

       The Slavis heard his thoughts and their laughter echoed down the stone lining of the spiral staircase. They taunted him in unison, a demon choir of hatred and sin.

"Do you truly think that your God is here, in this place?" they sang. "You are forsaken by the one willing to kill his only son."

       "No, no, no," mumbled Father Jacob, shaking his head weakly.

       "He no longer watches over you," they laughed. "He has sent his flock to be slaughtered and you shall be the first."

       Tears stained with blood ran from Father Jacob's eyes as a wave of hopelessness washed over him yet still he refused to let the Slavis crush him. He turned his thoughts to something else, something stronger than faith, something he knew the Slavis couldn't taint with their ridicule.

       Father Jacob pictured her in his mind and smiled in defiance. His faith in God may have failed him but his love for Ellen would never falter.

       The tears continued to run down Father Jacob's face, but they were no longer tears of fear and pain. He regressed to a time far away from this horror, allowed himself the comfort of a memory the Slavis couldn't defile.

       Father Jacob saw himself huddled up next to Ellen, both of them young and agile. Both of them madly in love with the other. As they embraced each other, lips meeting in a passion he had never forgotten Father Jacob laughed with joy.

       The Slavis laid him down on the floor of the chamber and stepped away from him, confused by the elation on his face. One of the creature's pushed its way forward and when it spoke they all echoed its words.

       "What is this?"

Father Jacob opened his eyes and stared up at them, his smile becoming a wide grin that showed off his blood stained teeth.

       "You can't hurt me," Father Jacob began to chuckle harder. "You can't hurt me."

       "We disagree." The creature dropped down, sinking both hands into Father Jacob's abdomen.

       The priest's laugh turned into a moist splutter as his throat filled with blood, the hot liquid spewing between his lips and raining back down on his already beaten and bruised face.

       The Slavis tore the wound open, ripping flesh and breaking bone to expose Jacob's innards.

       "We shall feast on them all," They sang, falling upon the corpse and taking their fill.

       "Help me secure this bastard," Harrison asked, rolling Chappell over onto his front.

       Chappell moaned, a distant sound from somewhere deep inside his chest . Harrison replied to the unconscious complaint by grabbing the doctor's hair, pulling his head back and then smashing his face into the hard floor.

       The hooded figures moved away from Chappell and Harrison, wanting nothing to do with the violent actions taking place. Megan stood beyond them, numb with fear at what she'd witnessed outside and shocked at seeing Chappell sprawled out on the floor.

       Hearing his voice over the radio had been one thing but this was different. This was a man she'd loved, someone she'd known intimately. This was a man she would have sworn was dead. His very presence sent her mind into turmoil and she had to turn away, focusing upon the baby in her arms.

       "Kaci," Harrison snapped as he manhandled Chappell's arms behind his back. "This bastard isn't gonna stay down for long."

       Kaci responded to Harrison's voice and begun searching the various cupboards that lined the walls. She worked on autopilot, unable to quite comprehend everything she'd been forced to witness since that morning.

       Harrison placed his knee in the centre of Chappell's back and pushed his weight down hard, pinning the Doctor in place. Only then did Harrison turn his attention to the hooded figures, watching them as they stared at Megan from within the shadows of the hoods. They were still chanting, although the volume had dropped to nothing more than a sighed whisper.

       Megan looked up from the baby and saw them looking at her, unseen eyes boring into her with an intensity that made her skin crawl.

       "What?" Megan croaked.

       No one replied, the hushed mantra almost soothing in its consistency.

       Megan stepped forward, staring back at the figure nearest her and reached out, pulling back the hood to reveal the face of a young, blond haired man.

       "Who are you?" Megan asked but he made no attempt to supply her with an answer. "I'll ask you again." Megan's grip on the baby tightened and the little one released the smallest of whimpers. "Who the fuck are you?"

"His name is Ash," replied a female voice. "And it is not his place to