We did, though, make it almost all the way to Kenema. It was the hot afternoon, so we were safe from vampires, if they even existed here.

We were not, apparently safe from some of the other locals. The figure that stepped out in front of the Land Rover, causing Thruor to hit the brakes hard, was definitely not human.

“Let me do the talking,” she murmured.
“You’re a long way from home, ladies,” he…no, she…said, stepping up to the driver’s side window. I’d been confused about the sex for a moment because of the figure’s small breasts, but the voice was obvious and now she was closer.

“Yes, we are.”

“Why are you here?”
Thruor studied her. “None of your business, obayifo.”

The woman snarled. “Get out. Go back to your lands of the frozen north and take the plague with you.”

“Which one? The one that kills or the one that saves?”

She snarled again.

“Don’t try and reason with her. The only thing she knows is hunger.”

I should have known.

African vampires don’t mind sunlight. Of course they don’t. Although she seemed to have more reason than the American variety.

Instead of running, though, she hopped over the hood and tried to open the door on my side. Obviously, I wasn’t armed. No way I was getting swords and guns through airport security, even with my talent for not standing out.

Or rather, I hadn’t wanted to risk it. Instead, I kicked the door into her face.

The obayifo went flying, landing in a heap by the side of the road. I pulled the door closed while Thruor gunned it.

“Should have killed her.”

“Like I said, minimal intervention. She’s right, we don’t belong here.”

At least I was sure if any more showed up, I could take them. Probably without doing any damage, which is always considerably harder than just killing your opponent. People don’t get that.

They think it’s hard to kill. Killing’s easy. Capturing alive, that’s what’s hard. Always gives you a disadvantage if the other person wants you dead.

But Thruor wasn’t slowing down now. She drove full speed into Kenema. With the likely consequence that we had to stop at the first gas station we came to.

I wasn’t even bothered by the vampire. Just kind of irritated that local trouble had found us so easily. I thought it meant there might be more.