Day Soldiers (Book 4): Evolution

by Brandon Hale

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Copyright © 2013 by Brandon Hale

  Cover design by Brandon Hale

  Book design by Brandon Hale

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

  This book is dedicated to the fans of the Day Soldiers series. You are the reason this book exists. Thank you for your support.

  Chapter 1

  The Vampire Outbreak in Colorado

  He’s coming.

  “I know he’s coming,” Susan Martin said to the empty room. “I can hear him walking up the stairs.”

  Do it fast, Susan. Don’t give yourself time to back out. If it’s not done before the Day Soldiers get there, the plan is ruined.

  Susan nodded. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I got this.”

  Do you remember what to say to the soldiers when they get there?

  “Yes,” Susan said with a sigh. “You know, you’re very annoying for an inner voice.”

  Am not.

  “Who are you? Really. Most of my inner voices are female and they never ask me to do things like this.”

  That’s because I’m not really an inner voice. We covered this already.

  The bedroom door opened and Susan’s husband stepped inside. Dan Martin was a handsome man of forty years. He had a certain nerdy quality to him, but it only added to his good looks. In one hand, he held a wooden stake. In the other, he held a baseball-sized balloon. He offered the balloon to Susan.

  “Here,” he said. “It’s full of holy water. It won’t kill them but it’ll burn the hell out of em. Hopefully, it’ll make them run.”

  “You said they can’t come in the house,” Susan said, her voice trembling with pretend fear. “You said we were safe.”

  “I said they won’t come in the house,” Dan said. “That’s not the same thing as can’t. Some of them might overcome it. The grenade is just… insurance.”

  “I’d rather have the stake,” Susan said.

  Dan shook his head. “You’re not trained in combat. The stake would be useless to you.”

  “Dan,” Susan said, “you’re not exactly a warrior yourself.”

  “I’m a Day Soldier, Susan.”

  “You’re a computer technician.”

  “We get combat training.”

  “You had combat training like five years ago,” Susan said.

  “Just take the damn grenade!” Dan snapped. “I don’t have time to argue with you. You’re safer with the grenade.”

  “No,” Susan said. “I won’t feel safe unless I have something that can kill them.”

  Dan sighed and handed her the stake. “Whatever,” he said. “Long as you stay in this room, it’s unlikely you’ll have to fight one anyway.”

  “Did you reach your friends?”

  Dan nodded. “HQ is sending a team. Should be here within the hour. We’re lucky. A group of soldiers from Virginia were already nearby, investigating some vamp sightings in the mountains. Probably the bastards outside.”

  Susan walked to the window and looked at the chaos on the street below. Vampires were everywhere. Some were feeding on the unlucky humans who weren’t able to get to safety in time. Others were standing outside the windows of various houses.

  “I don’t understand what’s happening, Dan,” Susan whispered.

  Yes you do.

  “It’s just a group of survivors from the war,” Dan said.

  “The war’s been over for fifteen years,” Susan said. “Where did these things come from?”

  I sent them.

  “Sixteen years, actually,” Dan said. “My guess… they’ve been surviving in the mountains. These are the old guys, from before the Purge. They’re probably starving. I bet they don’t even know the war’s over.”

  What an idiot. They were living underground, hiding because of the Purge. I contacted them and sent them there. Told them the war was back on. I promised them a place in the new order. Poor dumb, bald bastards.

  “Hush,” Susan said.

  Dan stared at his wife for a few seconds then said, “Did you just tell me to hush?”

  Do it.

  “No,” Susan said to her husband. “I wasn’t talking to you.”

  Dan cocked an eyebrow. “Susan, have you been taking your medication?”

  Kill him now!

  Susan stood silently, staring at her husband. She tightened her grip on the stake.

  Dan spoke slowly and deliberately. “Honey, are you hearing voices again?”

  “No,” Susan said. She could tell by the look in Dan’s eyes that he knew she was lying.

  “Listen to me very carefully,” Dan said. “You’re having an episode, but it could be more. It’s like we’ve discussed. People with schizophrenia are very vulnerable to being telepathically controlled by vampires. If you hear a voice right now, it could be one of the creatures outside. Susan, you have to resist whatever it’s telling you.”

  He’s half right. I’m a vampire, but I’m not outside. I’m hundreds of miles away.

  “Dan,” Susan said, “I can’t take it anymore. He can make the voices stop. He can end the paranoia.”

  Dan’s voice hinted of panic. “No,” he said. “He’s lying to you. Stay strong. You can resist him. When the Day Soldiers get here, we’ll get you to safety. Where are your pills?”

  This is your only window. If you don’t do it now, you won’t have another opportunity. You’ll have to live with your condition for the rest of your miserable life.

  Susan wanted to resist. She wanted to tell the voice to go to hell. Somewhere deep inside, she knew her husband was right.

  But there was something powerful about the strange voice in her head. It was damn near irresistible.

  No. Not “damn near.” It was irresistible.

  “Susan,” Dan said, “give me the stake.”

  Go ahead, Susan. Give him the stake.

  Susan moved fast. Too fast for her husband to react. She drove the stake into his chest.

  The stake was military-issue. Its metal core allowed it to break through Dan’s ribcage with very little effort.

  Dan fell to the ground.

  As Susan watched her husband die, she saw no fear in his eyes. She saw no hate.

  She saw only sadness.

  She reached down to pull the stake from his chest.

  No.

  “Why not?”

  The Day Soldiers have to think you’re hysterical. I think it would be best if they find him with the stake in his heart. Go downstairs. It’ll look like you staked him and ran away in a panic.

  “I don’t feel sad,” Susan said. “I only feel excited at the idea of being cured. I should fe
el sad.”

  You’ve been tormented for most of your life. I think you’ve lost the ability to feel compassion. Torture will do that to a person.

  “Who are you?” Susan asked again.

  I’m a vampire. I’m trapped in a tomb in southwest Virginia. I’ve been searching for you for sixteen years.

  “Why me?”

  Because you’re special. I needed someone who was connected to the Day Soldiers. I also needed someone who was… receptive to telepathic communication.

  “You mean you needed someone who was crazy.”

  Pretty much, yeah.

  “What’s your name?”

  You can call me “Master.” I’ve always wanted a crazy human who’ll call me that. It’d also be cool if you ate bugs.

  “This isn’t a game,” Susan said. “Tell me your name or I’m not going through with this.”

  Everything’s a game.

  “Well, this particular game will be over if you don’t give me your name.”

  Fine. It’s not like a big secret or anything. It’s just that I’m kind of famous and I didn’t want to deal with you being all star-struck and shit.

  “I think I can handle it,” Susan said. “So tell me. What’s your name?”

  The voice didn’t answer.

  “I’m serious,” Susan said. “Without a name, this ends now.”

  I was pausing for dramatic effect!

  “I don’t care about drama. What’s your name?”

  Travis.

  “Doesn’t ring a bell.”

  Liar.

  Susan walked downstairs and looked out the living room window. The vampires were still in the street, but none of them seemed to have noticed her house yet. “Are you going to call off your pets so we can get out of here alive?”

  No way. This has to look absolutely real. I’ve told them to kill anybody they see. That includes you, so you probably should get another stake. But not the one in your husband’s heart.

  “You’re kind of a jerk,” Susan said.

  You have no idea.

  Before Susan could reply, a bright light burst onto the street in front of her house.

  ***

  It took Susan a moment to realize the light was coming from a vehicle. A heavily armored van. The van slid to a stop in the center of the street. The vampires immediately circled it.

  A door on the side of the van flew open and several Day Soldiers stepped onto the road. Each soldier carried a crossbow. Without hesitation, they opened fire.

  Susan almost felt sorry for the vampires as they fell. The slaughter was bloody but mercifully fast. Within a few seconds, most of the vampires were dead. The creatures that weren’t killed darted back to the shadows.

  One of the Day Soldiers – a male – started to go after the fleeing vamps but was stopped by a woman who was obviously his commanding officer. She looked young but battle-hardened. Her dark brown hair was parted down the middle and hung to her shoulders. She wore the standard black Day Soldiers uniform, with one small addition: she had an eye patch on her left eye.

  The young woman looked around the town for a few seconds, then pointed directly at Susan’s house.

  Showtime.

  “I’m ready,” Susan said.

  Let’s put that to the test.

  “What do you—”

  The living room door flew open and two vampires ran inside.

  Susan backed against the far wall, screaming, “You’re not invited!”

  I… pushed them.

  The creatures slowly crept toward her.

  “Travis, call them off!”

  No. If they kill you, I’ll know you weren’t worth the effort in the first place. Now’s probably a good time to yell for help.

  Susan decided the advice was sound. “Help! Somebody please help!”

  The vampires were hideous. They looked nothing like the Topians Susan had seen on the news. These creatures were hairless monstrosities straight out of a nightmare.

  And amazingly, the creatures looked absolutely terrified.

  “Where is your back door?” one of the vampires hissed.

  “I’m sorry?” Susan asked.

  “Your back door!” the other vampire screamed. “Where is it?”

  Susan pointed toward the hallway directly behind her. “Back there.”

  “Get out of our—”

  The vampire’s eyes widened as a slim shaft of wood burst from its chest. Beside it, the exact same thing happened to its companion. Both vampires fell to the floor, dead.

  Two Day Soldiers stood behind the now dead vampires. Susan immediately recognized one as the young lady from the street. The girl with the eye patch.

  An older man stood beside the girl. He looked to be around forty. He reminded Susan of her now-dead husband. His hair was short and graying on the temples. He wore small, round glasses.

  “We’re looking for Daniel Martin,” the older man said. “He’s a Day Soldier. Our information said he lives in this house.”

  Don’t blow this, Susan. If you blow this, I’ll kill you. I swear, I’ll kill you.

  “He’s upstairs,” Susan said. Tears began to rim her eyes. “He’s dead. I… I staked him.” Her voice trembled with every word. “He tried to kill me. I begged him to just leave. I begged him, but he didn’t care.”

  The girl with the eye patch shook her head. “I’m so sorry. Did you know him?”

  “I’m his wife.”

  “Damn,” the girl said.

  The man took a step forward. “I know this is hard, but we have to leave. Now. More vampires might be coming.”

  “I don’t understand what’s going on,” Susan said. “This is New America. The war’s over. Why is this happening?”

  “Most likely,” the older man said, “it’s just a group of survivors from the war. I saw the same thing happen a few years ago in Alabama. These creatures are hiding all over the country. In caves, in mountains. Sometimes, the hunger is too much and they just attack the nearest town. In Alabama, we had to—”

  “Dad,” the girl interrupted, “can we save the history lesson for later? We need to get these people to safety.”

  “Right,” the man said. He looked at Susan and said, “My name’s Carl, by the way. This is my daughter, Ellie. We’re gonna get you out of here.”

  “I’m Susan. Thank you for coming.”

  “There’s a Day Soldiers recruiting station about five miles outside of town,” the girl – Ellie – said. “You should be safe there.”

  Can’t let that happen, Susan. They have to take you to Virginia. It’s time for the big lie.

  “I just don’t understand why he was so obsessed with Lily Baxter,” Susan said, trying her best to sound confused. “She’s been dead for years.”

  Beautiful.

  The older man – Carl – stopped midstride and turned around. “What did you say?”

  “One of the vampires,” Susan lied, “wasn’t like the others. He looked more… human. Like the Topians on TV. He held us prisoner upstairs and kept demanding information about Lily Baxter. He was convinced she’s alive and hiding somewhere.”

  “What did your husband tell him?” Ellie asked.

  “Nothing,” Susan said. “What could he tell him? Lily Baxter is dead. But this vampire didn’t believe him. He kept saying he knows she’s alive.”

  Virginia. You forgot to mention Virginia.

  “For some reason,” Susan added hastily, “he was convinced she’s hiding somewhere in Virginia.”

  Carl and Ellie exchanged worried looks.

  “I think that’s why he turned Dan into a vampire,” Susan went on. “So he would tell them everything. Once he realized Dan didn’t know anything, he left. That’s when Dan attacked me.”

  Carl put a hand on Susan’s shoulder. “I’m very sorry you had to endure that, Susan,” he said, “but I think it’ll be best if you come back with us to Virginia.”

  I love you, Susan. You’re the best!

  “Why?” Su
san asked.

  “There are people there,” Ellie said, “who need to hear what you just told us. They’ll have more questions.”

  “We have another vehicle at the edge of town,” Carl said. “We always keep an extra vehicle just outside the hot zone, in case things go bad. Our troops can finish up here. I think we need to get you out of here as soon as possible.”

  “This is all happening so fast,” Susan said.

  “I know,” Ellie replied. “It’s a lot to take in. But we have to find out why they’re looking for Lily.”

  “They obviously have bad information,” Susan said.

  “Yeah,” Carl said. “But that just raises more questions. Why do they care? Where did they get this information? Why did they attack a town in Colorado if they think she’s in Virginia? And why did they come for your husband? According to our information, he didn’t even join the Day Soldiers until a few years ago. None of it makes sense.”

  I’ve always liked Carl. He’s a thinker. It’ll be nice to talk to him again. I can’t wait to tell him this is all just a bunch of bullshit I made up.

  “Okay,” Susan said, trying her best to ignore the voice in her head. She desperately wanted to tell him to shut up so she could concentrate, but she knew that would raise suspicions. About her sanity, if nothing else. “There’s nothing for me here.”

  Carl turned to Ellie. “Is your second-in-command capable of finishing up here?”

  “Totally,” Ellie said. “She’s every bit the soldier I am, but I don’t see why I have to leave—”

  “Get her on the communicator,” Carl interrupted. “Her orders are to stay here until the town is clean. Completely clean. Tell her we want one prisoner. No more, no less. Every other vamp dies. Got it?”

  “Dad,” Ellie said, “I really think—”

  “I don’t give a damn what you think,” Carl said. “At least not when it comes to this. We’re leaving. Now.” He looked at Susan. “You ready?”

  Susan gave him a single, silent nod.

  “Okay,” Carl said. “Let’s move.”

  Ellie looked out the front door and said, “I’m sure there are quite a few vamps hiding out there. The soldiers have spread out to various parts of town by now. Want me to call them back for escort?”

  Susan was impressed the girl hadn’t argued more about staying. Once the decision was made, she apparently accepted it and moved on.