Day Soldiers (Book 4): Evolution

by Brandon Hale

  “Is there anything we can do?” Lily said.

  Ellie shook her head. “Mom said she appreciates your visit, but she would prefer to be alone. You guys can go on home.”

  “Ellie,” Lily said, “we’re not just here for moral support. I thought you understood that.”

  Ellie looked at her with a confused expression.

  “When someone becomes a vampire,” Scott explained, “it’s not uncommon for them to seek out family members.”

  “We’re here to protect your family,” Grung said. “It’s standard operating procedure when possible.”

  “Damn,” Ellie said. “Of course. My brain’s just mush right now.”

  “It’s understandable,” Scott said.

  “I think you should go back to the base,” Lily said to Ellie. “If Carl shows up—”

  “No,” Ellie said flatly. “If he shows up, I have to be here.”

  “Ellie,” Lily said, “seeing someone you love as a vampire is not something you want to experience. Their face gets burned into your memory and it stays there forever. Trust me on this. Right now, when you remember your dad, it’s a human face you see. Don’t replace that image with the monster now living in his body.”

  “I have to be here,” Ellie said again.

  “You don’t,” Grung said.

  A tear trickled down Ellie’s cheek. “Grung, I have to kill him. It has to be me.” She looked at Lily. “You of all people should understand that.”

  Lily answered with a silent nod.

  “Someone’s coming,” Scott said. He was looking toward the woods.

  Lily drew her pistol.

  “It’s not a vamp,” Grung said, sniffing the air.

  “It’s a human,” Scott said.

  “Cooper,” Grung added.

  Lily holstered her weapon and watched as Cooper stepped from the trees. He walked to the porch and stopped. His usual cocky smile was nowhere to be found.

  “Did you find anything?” Lily asked.

  He shook his head. “Nothing. I’m not surprised. They had a good head start.”

  “You got other troops with you?” Grung asked.

  “No,” Cooper said. “Carl knows our SOP. He’ll be watching for troops. If he spots them hiding in the woods, he’ll bail before he gets close enough for either of you to smell him.”

  “Good call,” Scott said.

  Cooper looked at Lily. “Can we talk?”

  “Sure,” Lily said.

  “Alone?”

  “Sure,” Lily said again as she stepped down from the porch. “Go for a walk?”

  As they walked toward the woods, Grung leaned toward Scott and said, “Jealous?”

  “Why the hell would I be jealous?” Scott said.

  Grung just smiled and shook his head.

  ***

  Cooper and Lily walked to the edge of the yard, next to the woods. The light from the porch gave them just enough illumination to see each other. Cooper sat on a large rock. Lily remained standing.

  “First things first,” Cooper said. He looked back toward the house. “Scott and Grung, with your werewolf hearing and your complete lack of respect for privacy, I’m sure you’re listening to everything I say.”

  Lily chuckled.

  “That’s okay, though,” Cooper went on. “What I’m about to say isn’t something I wanted to say in front of the kid, but I do want you guys to hear it.” He turned to Lily. “Now, before I move on, I need to apologize for the things I said.”

  “No, you don’t,” Lily said. “You warned me about keeping Travis alive for the past decade. If anybody deserves to be outraged, it’s you.”

  “It doesn’t matter who was right and who was wrong,” Cooper said. “I didn’t say those things to make a point. I said them to hurt you. And friends don’t do that to each other.”

  “Fair enough,” Lily said. “It’s done. Now, if you want to come back to the porch, we’ll come up with a plan for killing Travis.”

  “I’m not done,” Cooper said.

  “Oh.”

  Cooper took a deep breath then continued. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about Topia. For a decade and a half, we’ve been waiting on an attack, but it never happened.”

  “Cooper,” Lily said, “time is different to vampires.”

  “Let me finish, please,” Cooper said.

  Lily fell silent and gestured for him to go on.

  “I’m almost positive,” Cooper said, “that there is a plan. I’m almost positive that, eventually, they’re going to attack. They’re going to do something to New America.”

  “Almost positive,” Lily echoed.

  Cooper nodded. “I have doubts, Lily. Very serious doubts. And those doubts put this organization in danger.”

  “Nonsense,” Lily said. “I’m constantly doubting myself. Constantly. If I let my doubts control me, I never would have entered these woods when I was eighteen.”

  “That’s fine for you,” Cooper said. “You’re a leader. I’m not. I’m a soldier. I can’t afford doubt. On the front lines, doubt gets men killed.”

  “What are you saying, Cooper?” Lily asked.

  “I have to know the truth,” Cooper said. “Before I can be a soldier, I have to know the truth.”

  “When does a soldier ever know the truth?” Lily said. “Sometimes, we have to trust what our instincts are telling us.”

  “During the war,” Cooper argued, “we knew the truth. We knew those bald bastards were trying to kill us. Now… it’s different.”

  “Do you have a plan for finding this hidden truth?” Lily asked. She was a bit surprised by the sarcasm in her voice. “Because if you do, I’d love to hear it.”

  “As a matter of fact,” Cooper said, “I do.”

  ***

  “What’s he saying?” Ellie asked. “Come on, guys. I know you can hear him.”

  “Shhh,” Grung said.

  Ellie smacked him on the shoulder. “Don’t shush me!”

  “What do you think?” Scott asked Grung.

  “I think he’s nuts,” Grung said. “And I think Lily’s nuts if she lets him go.”

  “Go?” Ellie asked. “Go where? Come on, guys. I need the distraction.”

  “Cooper’s quitting,” Scott said. “After two decades with the Day Soldiers, he’s quitting.”

  “Why?” Ellie asked.

  “I think,” Grung said, “he’s lost the taste for war.”

  “I feel for the guy,” Scott said. “He’s probably lost more friends than all of us combined. Leading ground troops is a hard life.”

  “I still think he’s nuts,” Grung said.

  Scott suddenly sniffed the air, then leapt from the porch and ran toward the woods.

  “What the hell?” Ellie said.

  “Vamps,” Grung said as he darted toward the trees.

  ***

  “I think you’re making a mistake,” Lily said. “You’ll never find him.”

  “You’re probably right,” Cooper agreed, “but are you going to try to stop me?”

  Lily shook her head. “No. It’s not my place to choose your path.”

  Cooper nodded toward the house. “Company’s coming.”

  Lily turned around just in time to see Grung and Scott arrive at the edge of the yard. Ellie was about halfway there.

  “Vampire,” Scott said.

  Lily and Cooper drew their guns and watched the woods.

  “Gotta say,” Grung said, “I’m pleased you guys like my gun design.”

  “It just makes sense,” Scott said. “We had a similar weapon during the war, but for some reason troops were issued crossbows more often.”

  “That’s because of the ammo,” Cooper said. “If you’re stuck in the field and run out of ammo, makeshift crossbow bolts are a helluva lot easier to create than wooden bullets.”

  “Well,” Grung said, “if you’re just gonna piss all over my design—”

  “Guys,” Lily said. “Vampire?”

  “O
h yeah,” Scott said. “I just smelled one. Couldn’t really tell who it is. Grung?”

  “Same here. Just one, but not sure who it is.”

  “That means,” Scott said, “there’s a good chance it’s Carl. We’ve never smelled his vamp scent before.”

  “Okay,” Lily said as Ellie joined the group, “if it’s Travis, stake him fast. I’ll kill him as soon as he’s down. If it’s Carl, we want a capture, not a kill.”

  “Why?” Grung asked.

  “Ellie gets the kill,” Lily said.

  “You sure about that, chief?” Scott asked.

  Lily looked at Ellie. “Are you sure about this?”

  “I’m sure,” Ellie said. “I want to be the one to give him peace.”

  “Ellie gets the kill,” Lily said again.

  “I’m really hoping there is no kill.”

  The voice came from somewhere in the woods.

  It was Carl’s voice.

  “Come on out, Carl,” Scott said. “You were a Day Soldier. You know how this is gonna play out.”

  “Things have changed,” Carl’s disembodied voice said. “And I’m not talking about my new condition.”

  “You’re a vampire, Carl,” Lily said. “That’s the only change that matters.”

  “I’m not a vampire,” Carl said. “I’m something else. At least I think so, but you’re the only person who can prove it.”

  “I don’t care,” Lily said. “By coming here, you sealed your fate. You know Grung and Scott can chase you down. Let’s skip all the chasing. Just come out.”

  “I’ll show myself on one condition,” Carl said. “Don’t shoot me. At least, not at first.”

  “Not at first?” Scott asked.

  “I want Lily to touch me,” Carl said. “After that, the choice is yours. You can hear me out or you can kill me.”

  “Why should we believe you?” Lily asked.

  “Because after you touch me,” Carl said, “We’ll all know whether or not I deserve to live.”

  “It’s a trap,” Grung said. “Travis is out there somewhere. As soon as you get close enough to Carl, they’ll drag you into the woods. They’re probably covered from head to toe to protect themselves from your touch.”

  “Travis is not with me,” Carl said as he stepped from the trees. “You know that. You would’ve smelled him. And as you can see, I’m not covered. I want Lily to touch my face. Skin to skin.”

  Lily heard a barely audible gasp come from Ellie.

  Except for the white skin, Carl looked the same. He just looked like… Carl.

  “If you came here to die,” Lily said, “let your daughter do it.”

  “I didn’t come here to die,” Carl said. “I came here to learn.”

  Ellie stepped forward. “Learn what?” Her voice was weak, clearly shaken.

  Carl looked at his daughter. “I’m sorry, kid,” he said. “You don’t deserve to suffer like this. I can’t imagine what you’re feeling right now.”

  “Learn what?” Lily said.

  “Touch my face, Lily,” Carl said. “Please. After that, I’ll explain everything.”

  “If I touch your face,” Lily said, “you’ll die.”

  Carl smiled, but his eyes showed only sadness. “If your touch kills me, it’ll mean I deserve to die.”

  “There’s no ‘if’ about it, Carl,” Lily said. “It will kill you.”

  “Then do it,” Carl said. “Lily, I’m begging you. This is the only way.”

  Lily looked at Ellie. “It’s your call, Ellie.”

  Ellie stared at her father for a few seconds, then said, “Do it. I’ll get my closure either way.”

  Carl dropped to his knees. He looked at Ellie and said, “If this is the end, please know that I love you. Take care of your mom and your sister.”

  Tears streamed down Ellie’s cheeks. She started to speak, then fell silent.

  “Stop pretending you’re still Carl,” Lily said. “You’re confusing her.”

  “Then end it,” Carl said.

  Without looking at the others, Lily holstered her weapon and walked up to Carl. She placed her palms on the sides of his face.

  Nothing happened.

  “What the hell?” Cooper said. “Why isn’t he dead?”

  Lily pulled her hands back and stared. Carl was completely unharmed.

  “Let’s be sure about this,” Carl said as he climbed to his feet. “Cooper, you’re not a GC, but you are a channeler. Go ahead and burn me, buddy.”

  Cooper placed his hand on Carl’s forehead.

  Nothing happened.

  “What does this mean?” Ellie asked.

  “It means Travis taught him how to resist us,” Lily said. “Or maybe it means we’re out of practice. We haven’t faced a vamp in a while.”

  “I think you know that’s not true,” Carl said. “If you were to touch Travis, I’m quite sure it would kill him.”

  “Bring him out,” Lily said. “Let’s test it.”

  “Travis isn’t here,” Carl said. “I think he left the country. Or at least he’s about to. He was very excited about this discovery.”

  “What discovery?” Scott asked.

  “I can explain everything,” Carl said, “but not here. I don’t want Wendy to see us out here. I don’t think she could handle it.”

  “Mom is stronger than you think,” Ellie said.

  “I’m sure she is,” Carl said, “but do you want to put her through the same pain you’re feeling right now? The conflict?”

  Before Ellie could answer, Lily said, “There’s no conflict. You’ve learned a new trick. Whoopity doo. Grung, kill him.”

  “Now, hold on,” Scott said. “This is new, Lily. We need to think this through.”

  “Fine,” Lily said as she drew her gun again. “If you guys won’t do it, I will.”

  “Lily, wait,” Ellie said. Her voice was unsure.

  “Don’t let this thing fool you,” Lily said. “This is just a new tactic. It’s a new game Travis is playing. We have to show him we’re not taking it this time.” She pointed the gun at Carl’s head.

  Before she could pull the trigger, Grung snatched the gun from her hand. “What the hell is wrong with you? Why are you acting like a total nutjob?”

  “This is new information,” Scott said. “It’s significant, Lily. Surely you understand that.”

  “I understand why you’re upset,” Carl said. “You know what this means.”

  “Shut up,” Lily said.

  “It means I’m not evil,” Carl said. “Not inherently, anyway.”

  “Shut up!” Lily screamed. She turned to Scott. “I’m telling you, Scott, this is another one of Travis’s games. I thought we promised to stop being his puppets.”

  “This is different,” Scott said.

  Lily laughed humorlessly. “That’s what we always think.”

  “Lily,” Ellie said, “if there’s even a chance he’s still my dad, we have to explore it. We have to.”

  “This is a mistake,” Lily said. “If you guys need me, I’ll be at the base, packing.”

  “Packing for what?” Grung asked.

  “You do your tests,” Lily said, “and I’ll do mine. I have to know that I’m not losing my abilities. I need to test myself, and there’s only one place I can think of that has plenty of test subjects.”

  “You’re going to the nest in Colorado,” Carl said.

  “Shut up, bloodsucker,” Lily said. To the others, she added, “I’ll see you guys at the base. Grung, I’ll be heading into werewolf territory. Can you come up with some nonlethal weaponry for me?”

  “Yeah, boss,” Grung said.

  “Thanks. I’ll talk to you later.” Without another word, she walked to one of the vehicles parked in the driveway.

  As she drove away, Cooper said, “Well, I guess we’re all cramming into the second car.”

  “What just happened?” Ellie asked. “Vamps might not be inherently evil. Isn’t that a good thing?”

 
; “Not for her,” Cooper said.

  “Why not?”

  “She has her reasons,” Scott said. He turned to Carl. “As of right now, you’re our prisoner. You’re not a Day Soldier and you’re damn sure not our guest. I hope that’s clear.”

  “It’s clear,” Carl said.

  “Ellie,” Scott said, “are you coming with us or are you staying with your mom?”

  “I’m coming with you,” Ellie said. “Give me five minutes to let her know.”

  “You got five minutes,” Scott said. “Go.”

  As Ellie ran toward the house, Grung looked at Scott and asked, “What’s the rush?”

  Scott pointed a thumb at Carl. “Because if this guy is lying, I want him dead ASAP. The longer this goes on, the harder it’s gonna be for Ellie to move on.”

  “I agree,” Carl said.

  “What about Lily?” Cooper asked.

  Scott shrugged. “What about her?”

  “Are you going to let her go to Colorado?”

  “I think it’ll be good for her to get back in the field,” Scott said. “Besides, it’s not like we could stop her if we wanted to.”

  “True enough,” Cooper said.

  Chapter 8

  Half-Vampires

  “Half-vampires,” Scott said. “Really? I mean, that sounds so… I dunno… hokey.”

  “Well, I don’t mean it literally,” Carl said. “I’m not some half-man, half-monster thing. I’m just saying my transformation isn’t complete.”

  Scott, Cooper, Grung, and Ellie stood in the hallway outside of Carl’s cell, which was located deep within the Iveyton Day Soldiers facility.

  “How long until it’s complete?” Ellie asked.

  Carl smiled. “That’s the beauty of it. It’s totally up to me. If I want, I can stay this way forever.”

  “First things first,” Grung said. “Where’s Travis?”

  “I told you,” Carl said. “When he figured things out, he left. He said he’s going to Topia. He wanted me to go with him, but I had to come here first. I had to know.”

  “It’s the kill, isn’t it,” Scott said. “That’s what finishes the process.”

  Carl nodded. “That’s what Travis thinks. The sun killed every other vampire he made, but it didn’t kill me. At first, he thought that meant I was like him, but then it hit him. There was one difference between me and those other vamps.”