by Brandon Hale
“You did this,” Lily said. “All of it. This is your world, isn’t it.”
“This is Natasha’s world,” Cassius said. “I’m just a face in the crowd.”
“You’re the one,” Lily said. “If I survive this, we’re coming after you.”
“You’re just throwing threats all over the place,” Cassius said with a casual smile.
“I didn’t say I was coming after you,” Lily said. “I said we’re coming after you. All of us. Every resource the Day Soldiers has will be used to find and destroy you. Your days of obscurity are over, Cassius.”
“So now you’re the voice of the Day Soldiers,” Cassius said, “as well as the face.”
Lily smiled. Cassius had kept his cool, but she knew he was upset. Not because he believed her threats, but because every nearby vampire had heard the exchange. “This is a good day,” she said, trying her best to match his smugness.
“Okay,” Natasha said as she picked up a microphone from the floor of the stage. “Time to say goodbye to the past.”
“We should attack now,” Cooper said as he watched the video monitor. “They could kill Lily at any moment.”
“I know,” Abbie said. “But that woman is about to make a speech. It might give us just enough time to know what those werewolves are planning.”
About an hour earlier, the Day Soldier scouts had spotted a very large group of werewolves headed straight for the monument.
“You’re taking an awful risk here,” Cooper said.
“I know,” Abbie said. “I don’t like it any more than you, but I didn’t expect the werewolves to show up. It concerns me.”
“It concerns you enough to risk Lily’s life?”
“Yes,” Abbie said. “If the werewolves are still part of the Legion, we simply don’t have enough troops to beat them. We’ll have to abort.”
“And let Lily die?” Cooper said. “That’s harsh. We asked her to do this.”
“I know,” Abbie said. “We could have beaten a city of vampires, but we have no chance against a city of vampires and werewolves. It breaks my heart, but I won’t send these people to fight a battle they can’t win.”
“Wallace would have contacted us,” Cooper said. “He would’ve let us know.”
“Not possible here,” Suzanne, who was standing beside them, said. “We can’t send or receive transmissions from this place. That’s why we use scouts for everything.”
“This is bullshit,” Cooper said.
“Understand,” Suzanne explained, “this place is meant to be the most hidden facility in the world. The only reason we’re watching these images is because we’re wired into the systems above. It was built into the construction.”
Cooper looked at Abbie. “What are we gonna do?”
Staring at the video, Abbie said, “We’re going to watch. And we’re going to hope to God those werewolves aren’t here to enjoy the show.”
“If they’re here to join the vampires, I’m going after Lily,” Cooper said. “Even if I have to go by myself.” To Suzanne, he said, “Are there any exits I can use to slip up there?”
“A few,” Suzanne said, “but nothing that would get you close enough to save that girl.”
“This is bullshit,” Cooper said again. “We asked her to do this.”
Abbie just put a hand on his shoulder and continued to watch the video.
Natasha stood on the platform, looking at the thousands of vampires in the crowd. She knew there were actually millions here, but only a few thousand were visible from where she stood.
This was it. This was her moment to show them that she was the leader of the new world. This was the day she truly became the President of Topia.
She put the mic toward her mouth and spoke. “We have gathered here at the Lycaon Monument to usher in a new age.”
Lily audibly groaned at the words “Lycaon monument.” Cassius chuckled.
“Every continent,” Natasha went on, “is having problems with revolutionaries. As we speak, the battle for London rages on.”
Lily marked that information in her mind, for Abbie and Wallace. Knowing Day Soldiers had survived across the globe offered her great comfort.
“But here,” Natasha continued, “we’re about to end that pointless conflict. It’s time to move on. For the past year, we have been harassed by a team of rebels led by this girl. They have burned towns and killed every moving creature in those towns, including the humans!”
“Liar,” Lily whispered.
“Her death marks the end of the violent rule of humanity.” Natasha pulled a small dagger from her belt. “I wish it could have been another way. I wish we could have reasoned with them, but they’ve proven time and time again that they’re beyond reason. It’s time for a new era.”
The crowd cheered.
“It’s time,” Natasha said, “for Topia!”
The crowd roared.
Natasha watched with satisfaction as the vampires cheered. They loved her.
She owned them.
Of course, she knew her only obstacle was Cassius. Once she killed Cassius, the world was truly hers. Be patient, she thought. One thing at a time.
“Madam President!”
Natasha looked down and saw a vampire running toward her.
“Talbot is here,” the vampire said.
Natasha smiled.
Perfect.
Not only would the world see that she was the vampire who caught and killed Lily Baxter. They’d also see that the most powerful werewolf in the country answered to her.
Perfect.
From behind Natasha, Lily felt despair creep into her every pour as she watched four large bipedal wolves make their way through the crowd, finally stopping in front of the stage. Two of the werewolves were carrying humans.
Ellie and Carl.
The werewolf in front transformed into the almost-human form of Talbot. “Good evening, Madam President,” he said.
“Talbot,” Natasha said with a small nod.
“I bring you gifts,” Talbot said. He pointed at Lily. “Her team.” With a smirk, he added, “What’s left of them, anyway. The other two are no longer part of the human race.”
Ellie and Carl were shoved toward the stage.
Natasha looked at them and said, “Get up here.”
Cassius and the other vampire released their hold on Lily as Carl and Ellie stepped onto the stage.
“Not worried about me now that you have backup?” Lily said to Cassius. When he didn’t answer, she looked to find that he was gone. He wasn’t on the stage and from what she could see, he wasn’t in the crowd.
Lily smiled. The sudden disappearance of Cassius caused hope to make a bit of a comeback in her heart. He was afraid of… something.
“Together again,” Ellie said as she stepped beside Lily.
“This had better be part of a seriously awesome plan,” Lily said. “You promised you wouldn’t go looking for them.”
“She lied,” Carl said.
“Are your people here with you?” Natasha asked Talbot.
“They are,” Talbot said. “They’re positioned all around the area.” He smiled, flashing deadly incisors. “And they’re ready for a fight. Lately, I’ve been having all the fun.”
Natasha nodded, obviously not caring that his statement didn’t make much sense. “Thank you, Talbot. You’ve been a good friend to us.”
“Yeah,” Talbot said, his smile suddenly vanishing. “That’s something I’m not proud of.”
Natasha looked at him for a moment, unsure of what to say. Finally, she looked at the crowd and spoke into the mic. “I think we’ve waited long enough. Let’s get this unfortunate business over with.”
“There’s one thing you should know, Madam President,” Talbot said. “It’s important.”
“Go ahead,” Natasha said.
“Those soldiers you have there,” Talbot said. “They’re all part of a squad called the B-Team.”
“Okay.”
&
nbsp; “Personally,” Talbot said, “I think it’s a stupid name for a team. I can only hope they made the name as a joke, but who knows. They’re all young, so I guess they get a free pass. You know how kids are.”
“Is there a point to this, Talbot?”
Talbot nodded. “Oh, definitely. I have recently discovered that – despite the stupid name – there’s an important fact about the B-Team. I think it’s something you should know.”
“So tell me,” Natasha said, clearly agitated.
Talbot’s eyes grew dark, but his smile returned.
“The B-Team always wins.”
Natasha looked genuinely confused. “What?”
The three werewolves behind Talbot shifted to their human forms.
Reagan.
Scott.
And Grung.
When Lily saw Grung, she actually felt dizzy. She had to lean against Ellie keep her balance.
Ellie grinned. “How’s that for a seriously awesome plan?”
Lily leaned toward Natasha and said, “Uh oh.”
Natasha jumped from the stage and disappeared into the crowd of vampires.
From inside the monument, Lily heard Travis cheer.
His eyes fierce and determined, Grung stepped forward and yelled, “Attack!”
From behind the crowd of vampires, werewolves sprang into the air like grasshoppers running from a lawnmower. They fell into the crowd with bared teeth and open claws.
They were ready to spill some blood.
Vampire blood.
The Battle for America had begun.
Chapter 26
The Battle for America
“Holy shit,” Abbie said as she watched the screen.
“You curse a lot for a nun,” Cooper said.
“And you stand around a lot,” Abbie said, “for a soldier.” She turned around to face the fifteen other soldiers in the room. They were the leaders of the fifteen divisions of Day Soldiers at the facility. “It’s time to put DC back to sleep,” she said, “so it can wake up to a new day.”
Five seconds later, the room was empty.
As Lily and her team ran inside the monument, Travis jumped to his feet and said, “That. Was. Awesome.”
“Ellie,” Lily said, “you and Carl guard the door so these two streakers can get ready to fight.”
“What about him?” Carl asked, indicating Travis.
“He’s not going to hurt us,” Lily said.
Scott stared at Travis as he pulled off his backpack and removed his clothing. “How the hell can you say that?”
“Gut feeling,” Lily said.
Grung tossed Lily a crossbow and quickly got dressed. “Please tell me he’s not on our side.”
“Oh, hell no,” Travis said. “I just think the world’s more fun with you in it.”
“After this is over,” Lily said, “you two better have one hell of a story to tell.”
“You have no idea,” Grung said.
“I’ll give you the short version,” Scott said as he snapped a bolt into his own crossbow. “Don’t piss off John Grung.”
Ellie laughed. “Why aren’t y’all staying wolfed out like your groupies out there?”
“Because we’re not werewolves,” Scott said.
“Then what the hell are you?” Lily asked.
Grung loaded his crossbow and said, “We’re Day Soldiers.”
“I love you guys,” Travis said.
Lily spun around and shot him in the heart.
Travis fell against the wall and slid to the floor. He looked up at her and said, “What the hell?”
“Here’s my advice, Travis,” Lily said. “Stay in here until this battle is over or leave DC. This isn’t your fight. Neither side wants your help. You hear me?”
“It’s hard to focus on what you’re saying,” Travis said, “because I have a damn stake in my heart. Again.”
Lily pointed at him. “I mean it. Don’t get involved. Right now, we have a weird mutual respect thing going on, but I haven’t forgotten about Greg. Stay here or I swear I’ll find a way to kill you.”
“We’re missing all the fun outside,” Scott said.
“Not for long,” Lily said as she cocked her crossbow.
Outside, the battle was brutal. This wasn’t a fight between unarmed animals. The werewolves carried stakes and the vampires had guns.
As Lily and her team stepped onto the battlefield, they quickly realized this wasn’t going to be a one-sided slaughter. The werewolves were killing the vampires three to one, but since there were three times as many vampires in the fight, it evened out.
Without warning, Grung shoved Lily. A bullet whizzed by her head and embedded itself into the concrete wall of the monument. Had Grung not pushed her, the bullet would have passed through her skull.
“Thanks,” she said.
“I think we need to shoulder the crossbows and get up close and personal,” Grung said as he handed her a stake.
Lily nodded her agreement. As long as they were separated from the battle, they would be easy targets. “Okay, Day Soldiers,” she said. “Let’s kill some vampires!”
Without another word, the B-Team joined the battle.
Lily led the team by grabbing every vampire she saw. She held them just long enough to let her hands burn their skin, causing them to scream wildly, then she moved on to the next one.
Behind her, the team finished each one with a stake in the heart.
Within a few minutes, the team had fought their way to the center of the reflecting pool between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. They fought with perfect unity. If a vampire came at Grung, Lily staked it. If a vampire attacked Ellie, Scott stopped it. They were more than a team. They were more than a unit.
They were a single organism.
Soon, the werewolves noticed the wholesale vampire slaughter in the center of the pool and began to drive other vampires toward them.
“How many,” Lily said as she pulled a stake from a vampire’s back, “werewolves do you guys have?”
“Lots,” Grung said as he drove two stakes into two different vampires.
“The battle’s not just here,” Scott said. “This is happening all over DC. We’re taking the capital, baby!”
A vampire attacked from behind, sinking its teeth into Lily’s shoulder. It immediately let go and fell back, smoke pouring from its mouth. Lily looked at Scott and smiled. “I love it when you call me baby, baby.”
Scott laughed as he took down another vamp.
“You two,” Ellie said as she killed her own vampire, “should just admit you have a thing for each other.”
Scott put his foot on a dead vampire’s chest and pulled out his stake. “You’re one to talk. I remember when that poser attacked us during training. You screamed, ‘Let go of my Grung!’” He dodged another attack and countered with one of his own. “Even back then, we all knew you had a thing for him.”
Lily laughed as she staked a vampire being held by one of the other werewolves. “Stop it, guys,” she said. “You’ll make Carl feel like a fifth wheel.”
Carl – who was holding his own against the undead – said, “Bullshit! I’m having a great time here. I’m the storyteller. I’m the guy who gets to tell the world about the B-Team!” He killed two vampires at the same time by driving a stake so far through one that it hit the vampire behind it. “This might just be the best day of my life!”
“I gotta admit,” Grung said, “he’s got a point. As days go, this one kicks ass.”
“So where’s Abbie?” Lily asked.
“No idea,” Scott said.
“You aren’t acting on her orders?”
Grung kicked a vampire off of his stake. “Haven’t talked to her in a while. Talbot destroyed our radios when he captured us.”
“Then why the hell did she tell me to get captured?” Lily said. “What is she planning?”
Day Soldiers poured from seven different strategically placed motels throughout DC. These
motels housed the entrances to the underground facility.
Abbie and Cooper stepped from one of the motels. “Get your team to the human containment facilities,” Abbie said. “We need those people armed and free.”
“Where are you going?” Cooper asked.
“I’m taking my people to the battle in front of the monument,” Abbie said. “I learned a new trick recently and I plan to try it out on that pool.”
“Good luck,” Cooper said.
“You too,” Abbie said.
Cooper spun around to face his troops. “We’re gonna have to mow through a lot of bloodsuckers to get to those facilities. Several of you have been underground for a year. Are you ready to get a little bloody?”
“Yes, sir!” the soldiers replied.
“Are you ready to kill some vampires?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Let em know we’re coming!” Cooper yelled. “Let em know death is on its way!”
The soldiers held their crossbows in the air and screamed wildly.
Cooper turned to Abbie and winked.
Abbie just smiled, shook her head, and said, “Infantry.”
“Have fun sneaking around, Sister,” Cooper said. He turned back and yelled, “Let’s move!”
The giant group of soldiers marched down the deserted street, chanting, “Go back to sleep!” over and over.
Abbie turned to her own troops and said, “I don’t give rousing speeches. If the fate of humanity isn’t enough to motivate you, get the hell off my team.”
A few soldiers laughed uncomfortably, but most remained silent.
“Okay,” Abbie said. “Let’s win DC.”
Travis stepped outside. He held a crossbow in one hand and a pistol in the other. The first thing he saw was a werewolf and vampire fighting just outside the door.
“Don’t just stand there!” the vampire yelled. “Shoot him!”
Travis pointed the crossbow at the vampire and shot it in the heart.
As the vampire fell dead, the werewolf looked at Travis with confused eyes. He shot the werewolf in the head and said, “Don’t look at me like that. It makes me uncomfortable.”