Day Soldiers (Book 2): Purging Fires

by Brandon Hale

  “You want me to fall in behind you,” Lucy said.

  Wallace nodded.

  “No,” Lucy said.

  Reagan gave a small involuntary growl. “Why the hell not? We’re not asking you to get involved in the war.”

  “No,” Lucy said. “You’re asking me to challenge other werewolves. I stayed out of the war because I refuse to kill humans or werewolves. Jed will probably back down and give you his followers. At his core, he’s a coward. But Talbot won’t. If you challenge Talbot, it’ll get bloody. I’m not asking my people to do that.”

  “Then you’ve condemned the human race to eternal slavery and torture,” Reagan spat. She looked at Wallace. “Let’s go. We’ll try to get Jed’s people first. Maybe that’ll be enough.”

  “I don’t owe humanity anything,” Lucy said. “We’re happy here.”

  “You’re disgusting,” Reagan said. “We don’t know anything about these new vampires. How long do you think they’ll hold up their end of your bargain? Earlier tonight, I suggested we leave you alone out of respect. I see now that you don’t deserve respect. You’re not here because of some philosophical belief. You’re here because you’re a coward.”

  “If you don’t like how I run things,” Lucy said, “you’re free to challenge me.”

  “Calm down,” Wallace said. “We didn’t come here for a fight. You’re not our enemy. We’ll go find Jed. To be honest, I’m looking forward to facing the bastard who started it all.”

  “I’m sorry for my anger,” Reagan said. “I really am. I know you’ve never harmed a human and I know you aren’t part of the Legion. But sometimes, not choosing a side is choosing a side.”

  Lucy looked outside. “It’ll be daylight soon. Stay here for the day and get some rest. Let me think about this.”

  Reagan looked at Wallace and smiled.

  “And for the record,” Lucy added, “I know you’re doing a good cop, bad cop routine. I didn’t always live in the woods, you know.”

  Reagan laughed. “It’s classic for a reason.”

  A large brown werewolf leapt into the cave and quickly shifted to his human form. “Lucy,” he said with wild eyes, “I think you’d better come with me.”

  “What is it, Zeke?”

  “You need to see this for yourself,” Zeke said. “It’s bad, Lucy. Real bad.”

  Every person in Safehouse was dead. Their bloodless bodies were scattered all over the tiny town.

  Lucy looked at Reagan and said, “Please don’t say you told me so.”

  Reagan looked at the bodies with disgust. “Don’t worry,” she said. “This is not the time for gloating. I thought they might lose a life or two when the vampires finally attacked. I didn’t expect this.”

  Lucy turned to Zeke. “How did this happen? Were there no werewolves near town?”

  “The party ended shortly after you left,” Zeke said. “They all went to bed so the werewolves went back into the mountains. I think these people were taken by surprise.”

  “I’m sorry, Lucy,” Wallace said.

  “Zeke,” Lucy said, “search every inch of these woods. I want those vampires found and killed. Every last one. We should have killed them when they first came to town.”

  “The town vamps didn’t do this, Lucy,” Zeke said. “They’re dead too.”

  “What?”

  “All the vamps are in their day cages,” Zeke said. “They went to bed when the humans did. Every cage is locked and the vamps are still inside. Whoever killed these people also staked the town vamps.”

  Wallace looked at the bodies on the ground. He walked up to one of them and leaned forward. He sniffed the body, then said, “A vampire killed these people.”

  “The plane that flew overhead might’ve seen the lights,” Reagan offered. “Maybe it was a hunting party, searching for vampires that escaped their purge. If that’s the case, they probably decided to punish these people for taking them in.”

  “Why wouldn’t they take them prisoner?” Wallace said.

  Reagan shrugged. “Maybe they knew they couldn’t march them out of werewolf territory unnoticed. Or perhaps they were just hungry.”

  “I don’t give a damn why they did it,” Lucy said. “Zeke, go get some help. We’ve got a lot of bodies to bury.”

  “We’ll help, of course,” Reagan said.

  “Thanks, honey,” Lucy said. She looked at Wallace and added, “I know he’s further away, but I think we should go to Jed first. We’ll need his people if we’re going to face Talbot.”

  “So you’re joining us?” Reagan asked.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” Lucy said. “You’re thinking that it’s a shame it took this to convince me. You’re thinking about the hundreds of times you saw this exact same thing in the past ten years and you’re a little disgusted that I ignored it for so long.”

  “I wasn’t thinking that at all,” Reagan said. “I was actually thinking we’re lucky you stayed out of the war. If you hadn’t, you and your werewolves would’ve been killed in the assault last year. Because you stayed out, humanity has a chance again.”

  Several howls floated down from the surrounding mountains. “What are they doing?” Wallace said. “It sounds like thousands of them.”

  “They’re spreading the word,” Lucy said. “They’re making sure every werewolf in the east knows the people of Safehouse are dead. They’re letting them know the treaty is broken. By this time tomorrow, I’ll have enough werewolves to scare Jed into backing down. After that, we’ll have enough to challenge Talbot. By the time we’re done, you’ll be the alpha wolf in America, Geoff. I promise you that.”

  “That wasn’t my plan,” Wallace said. “I’m not asking anybody to join the war. I just want a guarantee that they won’t stand with the vampires this time. This is the first time since the war began that they’ve been separated. I want it to stay that way.”

  “We might want to consider changing that plan,” Reagan said. “An army of werewolves would win this war. At the very least, we could reclaim America.”

  “I’m sure many of them won’t join, no matter what happens with Talbot,” Wallace said. “We’re talking about centuries of built up resentment toward humanity here.”

  “Let’s worry about that tomorrow,” Lucy said. “Today, we have some graves to dig.”

  Chapter 11

  Vlad’s Castle

  “Welcome to my home—”

  “Shut up and let me in, Vlad,” Cassius said.

  “Okay, okay,” Vlad said. “No need to be a douche about it.”

  Vlad was dressed entirely in black. He had long white hair and a thick white mustache that stretched to the bottom of his chin. He spoke with a thick Romanian accent.

  “I have some questions for you,” Cassius said as he stepped inside the great castle door.

  “We can go to my library,” Vlad said.

  They walked down a long passageway, lit only by the lantern Vlad carried. Living humans were shackled to the walls of the passage.

  “You know,” Cassius said, “keeping them chained to the walls like this is illegal now. We’re supposed to be treating them with compassion.”

  “I am treating them with compassion,” Vlad said. “They’re lucky I didn’t impale them in the courtyard.”

  “Cute,” Cassius said.

  They turned a few corners and entered the library. Vlad waved his hand and a fire immediately came to life in the fireplace.

  “Impressive,” Cassius said as he sat in a chair beside the fire.

  Vlad leaned against the mantle and said, “What brings you here, Cassius?”

  Cassius pointed at the fire. “Actually, that brings me here.”

  “Fire brings you here?”

  “How did you start that fire?” Cassius asked.

  Vlad laughed. “The fire started because I wished it.”

  “Vlad,” Cassius said, “there are many legends about the things you can do. Until recently, I thought they just came from human
imagination, but now I’m not so sure.”

  Vlad’s smile vanished. “Most legends about me come from the lies of an Irishman.”

  “Some of his book was true,” Cassius said. “This castle, for example. I’m here to find out what else is real and what’s myth.”

  “I think I understand,” Vlad said. “You’ve seen a vampire do things you can’t explain.”

  “Yes,” Cassius said with a nod. “He turned into a mist. This fog didn’t close itself around him. He became the fog. I’ve seen some incredible things, but I’ve never seen a vampire do that.”

  “He chose it,” Vlad said.

  “Yes,” Cassius said. “He came to us and asked us to turn him. But that doesn’t explain it. I begged Arcas to turn me, but I can’t do that.”

  “No,” Vlad said. “You chose to be turned by another vampire. That’s different. He chose to become a vampire. He would have turned with or without your help.”

  “I’m not sure I understand,” Cassius said. “I’ve been around a very long time and I’ve never seen a man just become a vampire.”

  “They are very rare,” Vlad said. “He is a first vampire.”

  “No,” Cassius said. “I turned him. He’s not a first. He’s very young.”

  “You misunderstand me, Cassius,” Vlad said. “I am not saying he is an old vampire. I’m saying he is a first vampire. This man is the father of a new bloodline.”

  Cassius was quiet for a moment, then said, “He burned himself with a cross when he was still human.”

  “That does not surprise me,” Vlad said. He sat in the chair across from Cassius and leaned forward. “Some men are dark, my friend. Very dark. They may seek power, but that isn’t what motivates them. More than anything, they want to cause pain. They want to see the horror in the eyes of other human beings. It feeds them more than blood.”

  “This man definitely fits that description,” Cassius admitted.

  “This man,” Vlad said, “has called the darkness, which – by itself – isn’t really unusual. Humans often make promises to the dark. What makes this man special is the fact that the darkness answered his call.”

  “Have you seen this happen before?” Cassius asked.

  Vlad smiled darkly. “Once.”

  Cassius sighed. “I should have killed him when he was a human. Killing him now won’t be easy.”

  Vlad shook his head. “You cannot kill him.”

  “Look,” Cassius said, “I respect tradition as much as the next guy, but this vampire could ruin everything. I’m going to kill him.”

  “No,” Vlad said. “I am not referring to tradition. He is the father of a bloodline. He literally cannot be killed. If you drive a stake into his heart, he’ll simply pull it out. You are powerless against this vampire, my friend.”

  “I don’t accept that,” Cassius said. “He can be stopped.”

  “He cannot be killed,” Vlad said, “but he can be stopped. However, he cannot be stopped by you.”

  “Explain,” Cassius said. “I’m getting tired of the cryptic answers.”

  “This man,” Vlad explained, “has embraced the darkness in ways you can’t imagine. He is the embodiment of evil. He can only be stopped by an embodiment of good. And even then, he cannot be killed. He can only be stopped.”

  “You mean like a priest or something?”

  “Not necessarily,” Vlad said. “Recognition from an organized religion means nothing. A hundred and thirty years ago, I was driven from England because an old Dutch doctor understood me. He was not a priest, but he knew enough to stop me.”

  Cassius thought about the day Arcas died. “I think I know someone like that,” he said. “Ironically, she’s the person this vampire was sent to capture.”

  “Will he honor your order to capture her?” Vlad asked.

  “I honestly don’t know,” Cassius said. “I think so, but this vampire is unpredictable.”

  “Who is this woman?”

  “It’s the girl who killed Arcas,” Cassius said. “I sent this vampire to capture her so I can publicly execute her.”

  “Unless she knows what she’s up against,” Vlad said, “she is in danger. She must be armed with the knowledge of the old ways.”

  “She killed Arcas,” Cassius pointed out.

  “Despite his claims,” Vlad said, “Arcas was not the father of a bloodline. I’ve always suspected he was a liar. When the girl killed him, I knew I was right. Based on his knowledge, I think he was made by a first vampire, but he was not one himself.”

  “So,” Cassius said, “I have to enlist the help of the person I most want to kill. How can she stop this vampire?”

  “The old techniques should be enough,” Vlad said. “A stake won’t kill him, but it can pin him to a coffin. Silver is best, as it lasts longer than wood. When she has pinned him to his final resting place, she must cut off his head and stuff his mouth with garlic.”

  “This is ridiculous,” Cassius said.

  “He must then be placed in a tomb,” Vlad continued. “The branch of a wild rose must be placed outside the tomb. When it decays, replace it. The tomb must be maintained this way forever.”

  “Absolutely absurd,” Cassius said.

  “It is effective, I assure you,” Vlad said. “These techniques imprisoned me for over seventy years.” He sighed. “I really hate the Dutch.”

  “How did you get free?” Cassius asked.

  “Gypsy slaves,” Vlad said. “I highly recommend them to any vampire.”

  Cassius chuckled. “Maybe I won’t need the girl after all. I can do those things.”

  “No,” Vlad said. “You cannot imbue the items with the necessary power to hold this vampire.”

  “Thank you, Vlad,” Cassius said, standing up. “I won’t keep you any longer.”

  “I welcome the company,” Vlad said.

  “You could come with me,” Cassius said. “I could use your help.”

  Vlad waved his hand dismissively. “I am happy here, my friend. I think I have finally lost the taste for war.”

  “I’ll tell you what,” Cassius said. “After this is over and we have complete control, I’ll give you the Netherlands to do with as you please. Just my way of saying thanks for the information.”

  Vlad laughed. “I’ll hold you to that.”

  “Any parting advice?” Cassius said as he walked toward the library’s door.

  “Only this,” Vlad said. “Do not underestimate this vampire. If he is the father of a bloodline, he is a very serious threat to everything you’ve built.”

  Cassius left the castle without another word.

  Chapter 12

  Flight of the Vampires

  The plane flew over the state of Tennessee. Travis looked out the window, watching the ground below. Enrico sat in the seat behind him. There were five humans in the plane with them. Four of them sat silently in the other seats. The fifth human was sprawled on the floor, completely drained of blood.

  “I still don’t know why you killed those people in Kentucky,” Enrico said.

  “You have a problem with killing humans?” Travis asked.

  “Of course not,” Enrico said. “I just don’t understand why you did it. It was a violation of the treaty. Natasha won’t be happy.”

  “I’m not worried about Natasha,” Travis said. “I saw the fires and thought they were Day Soldiers in hiding.”

  “But when you found out they weren’t Day Soldiers, you still killed them all,” Enrico said.

  Travis grinned. “Yeah,” he said. “I love buffets.”

  “Sometimes you scare me, my friend,” Enrico said. “I like it, I think.”

  “I want a cool lookin forehead,” Travis said.

  “And sometimes,” Enrico said, “you just confuse me.”

  “Like in the old vampire movies,” Travis said. “Not the really old ones, but the ones that came out in the eighties. The vampires in those movies had these really cool looking foreheads.”

  “Ah
,” Enrico said. “I know these movies, but I’ve never seen a vampire who looks like that.”

  “I wonder if I could get my forehead surgically altered to look like that,” Travis said. “I bet a plastic surgeon could do it. After we capture the Baxter girl, I think I’m going to ask Natasha to find me a plastic surgeon. I really want one of those foreheads.”

  “Can vampires have surgery like that?” Enrico asked.

  Travis was silent for a moment, apparently considering the question. “I’m not sure. If not, I’m gonna be pissed. Hell, if I have to, I’ll find a Halloween mask and glue it to my forehead. I bet there are still some old Halloween stores out west that have latex masks like that.”

  Enrico started to say something, hesitated, then just leaned back in his seat.

  “What’s on your mind, Enrico?” Travis said. “You’ve done that almost-ask-a-question thing a dozen times in the last hour.”

  “I am just confused by our plan,” Enrico said. “We have been flying over these states for days. Don’t you think it would be easier to find these soldiers from the ground? There are many places they can hide down there.”

  “If you’re going to be a predator,” Travis said, “you have to know your prey. We’re not just searching for random Day Soldiers.”

  “And you think Lily Baxter will be easier to find from the sky?”

  “I do,” Travis answered.

  “Why do you think this?” Enrico asked.

  Travis grinned. “Because Lily Baxter likes to blow stuff up.”

  “You know,” Enrico said, “I cannot think of an argument against that. It’s brilliant in its simplicity.”

  Travis pointed to one of the humans, a young man. “Come here,” he said.

  The man walked across the aisle and stood beside Travis, who took the man’s arm and bit into his wrist. The man was silent, but the pain was evident in his eyes.

  “May I?” Enrico asked.