The triphammer pulse of Esperanza’s heartbeat was louder than Ishmark’s pounding on the door, so loud she was sure the others could hear it just as well. Frantic eyes flickered from the door to the streets, watching for foes and praying for safety. Every second stretched beyond reason, and for several painful heartbeats, she was certain they were all doomed, and that the door would never open, much less in time for them to escape within.<br/><br/>But the door did open, and finally Esperanza felt as if she could breathe once again.  There was one last glance behind her as the others filed into the building, and just enough time to change her mind about joining them.<br/><br/>“Xavier?” she murmured, the scene before a waking nightmare or hallucination, surely. Not reality, not where her loyal bodyguard succumbed to the clutches of a vicious vampire. But…<br/><br/>“Xavier!” she screamed, recognizing the horror befalling him as real. She tried to run to him, some foolish errand to save him, but hands dug into her arms and pulled her back. She tugged, nearly freeing one arm form Ishmark, determined to save Xavier or at least try, but Katya grabbed her as well, and both pulled her into the building. “Xavier!” she cried against, struggling madly against the others, even as she lost sight of him.<br/><br/>“Let go! We have to save him! We can’t leave him out there! Don’t close the door.”  She clawed at the door heaving breaths turning into gasp and shudders and finally sobs. “We can’t leave him out there. We have to save him. We have to….” Finally, defeated, she slumped to the ground beside the door, and cried into her arm.