by Brandon Hale
Fifteen minutes later, Travis was a vampire. He stood in the center of the office, staring at the ceiling. “I bet I can reach that ceiling.”
“Oh, you definitely can,” Cassius said. He was sitting on the front edge of Natasha’s desk. Natasha still sat behind it.
With excited eyes, Travis turned to them and said, “You said I’d be weak at first. I feel incredibly powerful.”
“I said you’d be weak for a vampire,” Cassius said. “From a human perspective, you’re a god.”
“Bring me someone to bite,” Travis said. “I want to feed for the first time.”
“Sorry,” Natasha said. “You kind of ruined your chances of that when you killed your neighbors.”
“I’m not stupid,” Travis said. “There are plenty more kennels in DC.”
Cassius looked at him inquisitively. “Kennels?”
“That’s what the humans call your containment facilities,” Travis said.
Cassius laughed.
Natasha looked at Cassius. “We need a better name for them.”
“I rather like kennel,” Cassius said.
“I don’t care what you call them,” Travis said. “Just take me to one and let me feed.”
Cassius shook his head. “Doesn’t work that way. We have to treat the humans well.”
“Why?”
“We have to make them feel safe and secure,” Cassius said. “It’s the only way to truly win this war and defeat the Day Soldiers. If we can convince these humans that they have it better now, our Day Soldier friends will have no power. You can’t rescue someone who isn’t a prisoner.”
“It’s why we have to catch Baxter,” Natasha added. “We have to expose them as war mongers. We have to make it clear that the Day Soldiers are the monsters, not us. We’ve got to convince them that we took over because we had to… for the world as much as for us.”
“I’ll get you the kid,” Travis said, “but right now, I have to drink some human blood. Come on, guys, I just became a vampire. Not letting me feed is just plain mean.”
Cassius sighed and looked at Natasha. “He has a point. We gave him a great new toy and immediately refused to let him play with it.”
Natasha nodded in agreement. “And you know he won’t shut up until it happens.”
Cassius turned back to Travis. “Okay. Let’s go out to dinner.”
Travis grinned. “This is going to be f—OW!””
“This is going to be fowl?” Natasha asked. “I don’t get it.”
“Shut up,” Travis said. “I bit my damn lip.”
Cassius laughed. “I love this guy.”
Chapter 7
Back to Work
“I hope you’ve all enjoyed your vacation time,” Wallace said, “but it’s time to clock in.”
He stood at one end of the rec room, which was the largest room in the facility. Abbie stood beside him. The ping pong table, along with the rest of the recreational equipment, was leaning against the wall behind them.
The rest of the room was packed with Day Soldiers, all facing Wallace and Abbie. Lily’s team stood in the front of the group. Carl stood beside Ellie. Charlotte and three other scientists stood beside Carl.
“I understand that after a year of roaming, a week isn’t much of a vacation,” Wallace continued, “but we’ve done nothing in the past year to help win this war.”
“Thanks to Dr. Prince’s hospitality and Scott’s hard work,” Abbie said, “we have a chance to actually accomplish something for the first time since the battle of New York.”
“There are six Day Soldier facilities,” Wallace continued, “that might be undiscovered by the Legion.”
“What makes you think so?” Lily asked.
Wallace looked at Scott.
“I checked the computers here for a list of other facilities,” Scott said. “Then I cross-referenced them with the locations we already knew about. Most of the facilities were on all lists. They were on our individual lists and in the searchers database here. That tells me their locations were probably on the list stolen by the Legion.”
“I’m assuming,” Grung said, “that six places weren’t on both databases.”
“Right,” Scott said. “All six were in the searcher’s database. None of our lists had any information on them. Since it was a personal device the Legion stole, odds are good that these six facilities weren’t listed.”
“We’re putting everything into finding these places,” Wallace said. “Abbie is staying here to maintain a communications center. Five soldiers are staying with her. Along with Charlotte’s people, that should be plenty to hold the fort.”
“The rest of you,” Abbie said, “will be split into six large teams and sent to find and explore each facility. The prisoners from Iveyton have volunteered to join those teams, and we’ve given them permission to do so.”
“Those are big teams,” Scott said. “Why aren’t we leaving more here? I mean, wouldn’t it be easier for small teams to move through werewolf territory undetected?”
“The teams won’t be as large as you’re thinking,” Wallace said. “I’m taking twenty-four with me on my own mission.”
“What mission?” Lily asked.
“You just worry about putting your team together, Baxter,” Wallace said. “My mission is classified for now.”
“Yes, sir,” Lily said. “Thanks for smacking me down in front of my team, sir.”
Wallace laughed. “Any time, soldier. Glad to help.”
“That’s all for now,” Abbie said to the group. “Team leaders, start thinking about who you want on your team. We’ll speak to you individually to let you know where you’re going.”
As the group began to disperse, Lily’s team stayed in the rec room. Carl stayed with them.
“I hope you’ll consider me for your team,” Carl said to Lily.
Lily looked at Ellie, who gave her a very subtle nod. She then looked at Grung, who subtly mouthed the word, no.
Finally, she looked at Scott for some kind of guidance, but he was watching Abbie and Wallace leave the room. “I’ll be right back,” he said as he followed the two leaders.
Lily suddenly found herself more concerned with the troubled expression on Scott’s face than with picking her additional team members. “Let’s see how many members I get,” she said to Carl. “I wouldn’t be surprised to find out they have something different in mind for my team.”
“What was up with Scott?” Ellie asked.
Lily looked at her. “You noticed it too?”
“Hard to miss,” Grung said. “He wasn’t happy about something.”
“How many soldiers did Wallace say he was taking with him?” Lily asked.
“Twenty-four,” Carl said. “Why?”
Lily watched as Scott left the room. “I think I know what was on his mind.”
Scott caught up to Wallace and Abbie in the hallway going to the research center. “You’re taking twenty-four soldiers with you,” he said as he jogged up to them.
“Thanks for the recap,” Wallace said. “I had already forgotten what I said two minutes ago.”
“There are exactly twenty-four other werewolves on this base,” Scott said. When Wallace didn’t respond, he added, “You’re taking all the werewolves with you on your mission.”
“Do you need something, Scott?” Abbie asked.
Scott was still looking at Wallace. “Which one are you going after?”
“Scott,” Wallace said, “why does this have you so upset?”
“I gave you three names, sir,” Scott said. “The three werewolves most likely to be ruling North America. That’s your mission, isn’t it, sir? You’re going to hunt one of them down.”
“No,” Wallace said. “I’m going after all three. One at a time, of course. Now can you answer my question? Why are you so bothered by this?”
“There are twenty-four werewolves on this base,” Scott said, “other than you and me. Why aren’t you taking me, sir? I need to be on
your team.”
With a smile, Abbie said, “We didn’t include you for a very important reason, Scott.”
“I’m listening.”
“You’re not just a werewolf,” Wallace explained. “You’re a poser. The only poser we have.”
“You’re trying to protect me because I’m a poser?” Scott said. Most werewolves found it impossible to completely hide their condition, even in human form. When human, they usually showed subtle traits that a trained eye could recognize. A few, however, could transform with such perfection that it was genuinely impossible to detect that they were werewolves. The Day Soldiers called them posers.
“We’re not trying to protect you, son,” Wallace said. “It’s kinda the opposite.”
“I don’t understand,” Scott said.
“Let’s just say,” Abbie said, “being part of a strike force isn’t the best way to utilize your abilities.”
“Okay,” Scott said, “now I’m a little nervous.”
“You should be, dear,” Abbie said.
“Go get Baxter,” Wallace said, “and meet us in Charlotte’s office. We’ll explain everything there.”
“Yes, sir.”
Lily, Scott, Grung, and Ellie stood in Charlotte’s office. Wallace sat behind the desk with Abbie standing behind him. The sight reminded Lily of the days back at the Norfolk base.
“I said to get Baxter,” Wallace said, “not your entire team.”
Scott pointed at Lily. “She brought em, sir.”
Lily shrugged. “He didn’t say they were forbidden.”
“Whatever,” Wallace said. “Just keep this meeting confidential. I want the other teams to think you’re on a facility hunt. I don’t want anybody to know about this one. Got it?”
“Got it, sir,” Lily said. Grung and Ellie nodded their agreement.
“Since we put out the transmitter last week,” Wallace explained, “we’ve been monitoring nonstop. Our hope was that we’d pick up another facility trying to communicate. What we got was much more significant.”
“More significant than other survivors?” Scott asked. “I’m surprised to hear you say that.”
“We somehow picked up a transmission from vampires,” Wallace said.
“That’s happened before,” Lily said. “It’s how we found out they were moving back to Iveyton.”
“Yeah,” Wallace said. “This one was similar. It was a transmission to a city in Arizona, and it was about a transfer of humans from one facility to another.”
“So we’re going to intercept them,” Scott said. “Another rescue.”
“No,” Abbie said. “You’re going to join them.”
Lily’s eyes widened in surprise. “We’re going to let ourselves get captured?”
“All due respect,” Ellie said, “I don’t like this plan at all. Lily is the most wanted Day Soldier in the country.”
“I agree with Ellie,” Scott said. “I don’t know what your plan is here, but—”
“When I said you’re going to join them,” Abbie said, “I meant you, Scott. Only you. The rest of the team is just going to escort you to Arizona.”
“Okay,” Lily said, “now I don’t like this.”
“None of us do, Baxter,” Wallace said, “but we’re in a desperate time here. And this is an opportunity that’s hard to pass up.”
“I don’t see what’s so special about a transfer to Arizona,” Lily said.
“It’s a transfer out of Arizona,” Wallace said. “Apparently, they’re sending some humans to London. We think it’s some kind of respect offering to the vampires in Europe. We want you on that plane, Scott.”
“No,” Lily said. “Are you nuts?”
“We have to find Day Soldiers in Europe,” Wallace said. “We have to know who’s out there and we have to establish communication with them. Scott is the most qualified person to do this.”
“I’m with Lily,” Grung said. “This is nuts.”
“From everything we’ve seen,” Abbie said, “the vampires are treating the prisoners well. We think it’s some kind of plan to lull them into submission. Most transfers are happening on a volunteer basis. All Scott has to do is get in their containment facility and volunteer to go to England. We think they’ll allow it.”
“And Scott is perfect for it,” Wallace said. “He’s a poser. They’ll have no idea he’s a werewolf. If something goes wrong, he can escape unhurt. If it works out as planned, he’s also the only person we have who can successfully escape once in London.”
“And,” Abbie added, “since he’s an information specialist, he is the best person to get a transmission to us. He doesn’t have to carry any codes or passwords. He already knows everything he needs.”
“It makes sense to me,” Scott said. “Although, I don’t understand why you want them to escort me. Arizona is a very long trip. I would make much better time alone.”
“And how will you get in?” Abbie asked. “You’ll need help infiltrating the camp. Most likely, you’ll need a distraction of some kind. You won’t know for sure until you get there, which is why you’ll need a team with you.”
“I hate this plan,” Ellie said. “I hate it.”
“Trust me,” Wallace said, “we hate it too, kid. But we have to stop thinking of our own survival and start thinking about the survival of the human race. Finding more Day Soldiers is vital.”
Lily’s heart ached. She fully understood the implications of this mission. Most likely, she’d never see Scott again. The thought was heartbreaking to her, and she could tell by the looks in their eyes that Grung and Ellie felt the same. She tried desperately to come up with a reason to oppose the mission. She couldn’t think of one.
“Is it just us,” she finally asked, “or do I get more people for this?”
“You get two more,” Wallace said. “I recommend choosing a sniper and a pilot.”
“A pilot?” Lily asked, slightly confused.
“A few of the soldiers on this base are trained pilots,” Wallace said. “Arizona is a long way. I think it would be a good idea to have a pilot on the team, just in case you happen across something that flies.”
“I think I know just the guy to ask,” Lily said. She almost smiled. This was exactly the kind of mission that normally excited her. It involved a long trip through dangerous territory. She had complete autonomy. It was important to the greater war effort.
She looked at Scott and realized none of that mattered. She was about to lose another friend. In that moment, she decided this was the worst mission she’d ever been given.
“Of course I’ll go with you,” Greg said. He stood in front of the rec room’s pinball machine, smacking the buttons on the sides with no apparent strategy. He was several years older than Lily. His brown hair was eternally messy and he sported the thickest mustache Lily had ever seen on a man.
“I wasn’t sure,” Lily said. “The last time you went with my team, we left you for dead at a Legion infested airport.”
“Nonsense,” Greg said. “You took all the vamps and werewolves with you. Once I realized you guys weren’t coming back, I checked the radio and was told to head to New York for a pick-up. It all worked out.”
“It’s not gonna be easy,” Lily said. “I doubt we’ll find a plane just waiting to be stolen. Most likely, we’ll be gone for months. That can be rough on an old man.”
“Hey,” Greg said, “I’m just thirty. Besides, if we see a plane, I’ll have us in the sky. That’s a promise.”
“Why are all pilots cocky?”
Greg laughed. “I can hotwire any small plane in thirty seconds. I have a realistic view of my own skillset. That’s accuracy, not cockiness.”
“Fair enough,” Lily said. “I recommend you get a full belly, a long shower, and a good night’s sleep. We’re leaving at oh-six-hundred tomorrow.”
“Roger that,” Greg said. “Now scoot. You’re distracting me. I have to leave my legacy here.”
Lily cocked an eyebrow. “Your le
gacy is the high score on a pinball game?”
“Don’t be so judgmental,” Greg said. “Not all of us get to kill the Legion’s most powerful vampire and its most powerful werewolf in the same day. Some of us have to settle for… lesser legacies.”
“I’ll leave you to your quest,” Lily laughed. “Looks like Grung’s teaching Scott a thing or two about ping pong. I’ll go bother them. See ya tomorrow.”
She walked across the room to the ping pong table. Grung and Scott were playing against each other. Ellie was watching the game. When Lily got to the table, Ellie said, “Is he going?”
“Surprisingly,” Lily said, “yeah. He’s totally up for it.”
“Why surprisingly?” Grung said as he smacked the ball with a paddle. “He probably knows he has the best chance of survival with us. None of those other teams are as good as the B-Team.”
“Dammit!” Scott said as he missed the ball and watched it bounce across the floor.
“You’re a werewolf, Scott,” Lily said. “How is he beating you?”
“Distracted, I guess,” Scott said.
“He’s letting you win,” Ellie said.
“That was a great shot!” Grung snapped. “Don’t be jealous.”
“Grung,” Ellie said, “he has the ability to move so fast our eyes can’t register his movement. He could play ping pong against himself if he wanted to. He’s building you up just so he can knock you down.”
Grung looked at Scott, who just smiled and shrugged. “I’m done,” Grung said as he placed the paddle on the table.
“Don’t listen to her,” Scott teased. “You were doing great.”
Lily looked at Ellie. “Where’s Carl?”
“He’s showering,” Ellie said. “Are you taking him with us?”
“I think so,” Lily said. “If he wants to go. I’m not ordering anybody to do this.”
“He’ll want to go,” Ellie said.
“Why Carl?” Grung asked.
“He’s a good sniper, Grung,” Lily said. “And to be honest, I want my people to have bonds with each other. His friendship with Ellie will be an asset to the team.”
“Do you have a problem with that?” Ellie asked Grung. Her tone suggested she was primed for an argument.
