by Brandon Hale
“Did it work? Is your mind clear?”
“Not even a little bit,” Lily said.
Ellie started to speak, then hesitated.
“What’s on your mind?” Lily said.
“Leo was probably evil,” Ellie said.
Lily sighed. “Ellie, that’s not really—”
“Hear me out,” Ellie said. “I’ve been thinking about this. I don’t think my dad’s evil, but Leo probably was.”
“And how’d you come to that conclusion?”
“Because we know Dad didn’t feed on anybody,” Ellie said. “Travis made Dad. It was really just luck that he didn’t kill anybody. But Leo was made by your enemies. He was turned intentionally, during a war. They wanted him to hurt you. Which means they wanted him strong. Which means they probably made him feed. Which means—”
“He was probably evil,” Lily said. “I came to a similar conclusion before we left. Really, though, that’s not the problem. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t bother me, but our troubles are far bigger than one person’s soul.”
“Topians,” Ellie guessed.
Lily nodded. “Our enemy is no longer a world of monsters. It’s now a world of people. How do you fight that? I know how to fight a war. I have no idea how you’re supposed to fight evolution.”
“Maybe you don’t,” Ellie said.
“I won’t accept that,” Lily said. “I don’t care if Topia is a world of saints, I won’t let them drive humanity to extinction. I won’t let them turn us into vessels. Some of us still value freedom.”
“I’m not saying you should accept anything,” Ellie said. “I’m just saying you should change your tactics.”
“I’m listening.”
“Okay,” Ellie said. “You think Cassius is behind this whole ‘we’re not monsters’ campaign, right?”
“Yeah,” Lily said. “I’m sure of it. He’s trying to cause us to lose the support of our people. Then, maybe decades from now, when the Day Soldiers are no more, he’s going to take New America.”
“Right,” Ellie said. “So what if we beat him at his own game? If he’s trying to beat us with an ad campaign, what will he do if we prove his ad campaign is total bullshit?”
“How do you propose we do that?” Lily asked. “Especially if he’s telling the truth.”
“What he’s saying is probably true of your average Topian,” Ellie said, “but do you really think the leaders are half-vampires?”
“Not likely,” Lily conceded. “Okay, you have my attention.”
Ellie grinned. “I think we should send a group of Day Soldiers on a very public diplomatic mission. We can ask for a public conference with the Topian leaders. And here’s the best part… the people on our diplomatic team…”
“Channelers,” Lily said with a smile. “Ellie, you’re a genius!”
“They won’t even be able to shake our people’s hands,” Ellie said. “How’s that for proving they aren’t good?”
“You just made my week,” Lily said.
“It’s a damn shame we can’t send em to meet that new president,” Ellie said. “That would be a hoot.”
Lily cocked an eyebrow. “A hoot?”
“Totally,” Ellie said. “But unless Scott goes, I seriously doubt there’s any chance their president would show up at a diplomatic function. And Scott’s not a channeler.”
Lily stopped in the middle of the street and laughed.
“What’s so funny?” Ellie asked.
“It just hit me,” Lily said. “I know who should ask for a public meeting with their president. If he says no to this person, it would look very bad.”
“Who?” Ellie asked.
“Who do you think?” Lily said, still grinning.
Ellie’s eyes widened. “You? Are you talking about yourself?”
“I think,” Lily said, “it’s time for Lily Baxter to let the world know she’s alive.”
Chapter 12
Lily Baxter Lives
Scott Vellin stepped from his ready room and walked up to the podium. At first, he didn’t say anything. He just looked at the reporters and the microphones and the cameras. He didn’t just have the room’s attention. He had New America’s attention.
And, he thought, I’m sure I have the attention of several leaders in Topia.
“We’ve come a long way,” he finally said into the mic. “Sixteen years ago, this country was a war-torn, post-apocalyptic wasteland. Today, we’re almost where we were before the war started. We have an infrastructure. We have a new constitution. Our cities are mostly rebuilt. Our people are thriving. Turns out, nothing brings people together like rebuilding the world after a war with vampires.”
Some of the people in the crowd chuckled. Scott gave them time to become quiet again, then continued.
“By now, most of you have seen the video from Topia. It appears our former enemies have offered an olive branch. I hope this offer is genuine.”
“Are you going to allow people to go?” one of the reporters asked.
“Of course we are,” Scott said. “We fought a very long war to preserve humanity’s freedom. We’re not going to take that freedom away now that the war is over.”
“Are you worried it might be a trap?” another reporter asked.
“Guys,” Scott said, “I kind of had a speech prepared. I have some big announcements today and I had the speech all memorized. Your questions are screwing up my concentration.”
There were a few more laughs from the crowd.
“That said, the answer to your question is yes,” Scott went on. “We’re very worried this is some kind of trap. I’ve spent the last two weeks with the highest ranking Day Soldiers. After some intense discussions, we’ve come up with what I think is an appropriate response.”
He waited quietly for a few seconds, then added, “Okay, I give you a perfect opening to ask a question and you’re all silent. You guys are jerks.”
After a few more laughs, another reporter said, “What’s your response, Mr. President?”
“I’m glad you asked,” Scott said. “We’re sending a delegation of Day Soldiers to Topia. This will be a truly diplomatic mission. We hope their leaders will agree to meet us to discuss this new era of peace their president keeps talking about.”
“Have you already selected the members of this delegation?” a reporter asked.
“We have,” Scott said. “First and foremost, I’m going.”
There was a general murmur of surprise from the crowd.
“This entire mission is to establish trust,” Scott said. “I can’t think of a better way to show them I’m sincere. I’ll also be taking my old teammate from the war, John Grung.”
Again, the crowd showed their general surprise.
“Mr. President,” one of the reporters asked, “are you sure they’ll allow this? I mean, you and John Grung are both werewolves.”
“John and I are werewolves, yes,” Scott said, “but we’ve chosen to stand with humanity. If the Topians don’t accept us, I don’t see how they ask us to accept them.”
Scott stood silently, building up his nerve for the final part of his speech. The reporters apparently picked up on his discomfort and remained silent.
“There will be a few more people going on this mission,” Scott finally said, “but you don’t know them. Well, you don’t know most of them. One member of the team is a name you know very well.”
This is it, Scott thought nervously. Lily, I hope you know what you’re doing.
“Some of you are not going to like what I’m about to say,” he said. “Matter of fact, some of you are going to feel betrayed. Before you light the torches and pick up the pitch-forks, try to remember why you elected me to lead our new world. Try to remember why you re-elected me three times. At the end of the day, it’s because you trust me. You trust me to do whatever it takes to make sure New America is protected.”
Scott nervously cleared his throat. The room was silent and tense. He was about to say
something big and they knew it.
“Let’s be real here,” he went on. “We might be living in an era of peace, but we’re still surrounded by an entire world of vampires. For the past sixteen years, the Day Soldiers have remained vigilant. We’re always ready for an attack we hope never comes. Our greatest fear was that the vampires would wait until they thought we were truly vulnerable, then attack.
“That’s why we decided to hide our greatest weapon. If the vampires knew this weapon existed, they would plan around it. We needed the element of surprise, at least until we knew their real intentions. Sometimes, secrets are an important part of war.”
“What weapon?” a reporter asked.
“Lily Baxter,” Scott said.
The door to Scott’s ready room opened.
Lily Baxter stepped out and faced the crowd.
“Okay,” Scott said. “Now I’ll take your questions.”
Chapter 13
Welcome to Topia
Lily gazed out the plane’s window, watching the vast ocean pass by underneath. In the past week, her entire life had changed.
The world now knew Lily Baxter was alive.
Cooper was gone. He said his goodbyes and left the Day Soldiers to go on what Lily believed was the most stupid mission he’d ever taken.
Carl was gone. After two days of interviews, he had asked to leave. The team decided to let him go. Carl said his goodbyes and – like Cooper’s – Lily felt sure it was a forever goodbye.
Lily was certain she’d never see Carl or Cooper again.
“The pilot says we’ll be landing at the Topian airport in about two hours,” Scott said as he sat on the small couch beside Lily. Grung and Ellie sat on the couch on the other side of the plane’s interior.
“I gotta say,” Lily said as she turned from the window and looked around the plane, “you sure fly in style. This is one fancy ride.”
Scott smiled. “Hey, I’m the president of humanity. That’s a lot of pressure. I think I deserve the occasional luxury.”
From across the aisle, Grung looked at Lily and said, “How you handling things, boss? You took a beating at that press conference.”
“I’m fine,” Lily said. “Honestly, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it’d be. Most of their questions were legit and they seemed pretty accepting of my answers.”
“When we get back from this mission,” Scott said, “you know you’ll have to go on a PR tour, right?”
“No,” Lily said.
“Yes,” Scott argued. “You’ve become a legend, Lily, and your death made the legend a million times bigger. Kids pretend they’re Lily Baxter when they fight imaginary vampires in the street. Adults use you to teach their kids about heroism. You’re not going to be able to just fade into obscurity.”
“That’s all extremely icky,” Lily said. “Seriously.”
“It’s the price you pay for saving humanity,” Ellie said.
“I haven’t saved humanity,” Lily said. With a smirk, she added, “At least not yet.”
“You know,” Grung said, “I just realized something. The B-Team is going on a mission together. How long has it been since we’ve actually been on a mission?”
“Been a while,” Scott said.
“Am I a member of the B-Team?” Ellie asked.
“Of course you are, kid,” Grung said. “That was decided the day we started calling you Ellie.”
“Do you ever feel weird about that?” Ellie asked. “I mean, she was one of the originals. You guys became Day Soldiers with her. Do you ever feel weird about using her name when you talk to me?”
“We’ve talked about this,” Scott said. “I can’t speak for the others, but I don’t feel weird at all. Every time I call you Ellie, I feel like I’m telling the other Ellie, ‘I love you and I miss you.’ Your name keeps her close to me.”
“Same here,” Lily said.
“It doesn’t weird me out,” Grung said, “but sometimes it’s a little painful. It’s a reminder that she’s gone. I still miss her like hell. But mostly, it’s like Scott said. And if you ever try to change your name, I’ll kick your ass.”
“Thanks,” Ellie said. She smiled, but everyone in the room recognized the smile as hollow.
“You hanging in there okay?” Lily asked. “I’m still not convinced you should be here. I feel like we’re taking you away from your family when they need you the most.”
“I have to be here, Lily,” Ellie said. “I have to. And don’t worry about Mom. She asked me to take the mission.”
“I’m still not clear on that one,” Grung said. “After everything that happened, why would she want you to go to the heart of the vampires’ world?”
“Because we have to know, Grung,” Ellie said. “When I told her about Dad’s fate, we talked about the ramifications all night. Ultimately, we figure he’s headed to Topia. Really, it’s the only place he has a chance to find any kind of happiness.”
“So you’re coming here to see if this place is real,” Scott said. “You want to know if it’s like the president says.”
“We don’t just want to know,” Ellie said. “We have to know. If Mom and I are going to move on from this, we have to know Dad’s okay.”
“What about your sister?” Lily asked.
“Still haven’t told her,” Ellie said, “but it’s not as bad as it sounds. She has no idea anything’s wrong. When you guys sent Dad on that mission to Brazil, he was gone for two months. And since it was a covert op, he didn’t call once. She’s used to Dad being gone. We have plenty of time to figure out how to tell her.”
“Guys,” the pilot said over the intercom, “I think you should come up here and look at this.”
Scott pressed a button on the arm of the couch. “Is it bad? We’ve had some bad experiences in planes.”
“No,” the pilot said. “It’s… well, it’s kind of beautiful.”
***
Lily and the B-Team stood behind the pilot and copilot. Everyone in the cockpit was awed by the sight beyond the front window.
“Holy shit,” Grung said.
“It’ll be dark within the hour,” the pilot said. “I just wanted you to see the city before nightfall.”
“Did we slip through some kind of time warp?” Ellie asked. “Because that’s a city of the future if I ever saw one.”
“It’s not the future, kid,” the pilot said. “It’s the capital of Topia, formerly known as London.”
“Ellie’s right,” Lily said. “That looks like something straight out of a science fiction movie.”
The city’s many buildings stretched into the darkening sky. An intricate lattice of walkways connected the skyscrapers. They ran between the buildings on every level, from the first level to the top. It looked as though someone could walk across the entire city without ever having to go to the ground.
A few cars zipped around on the lowest visible level, but the number was surprisingly low. Most of the city’s inhabitants walked from building to building on the walkways. Of course, a “walking” Topian moved as fast as a human at full sprint.
No wonder they don’t use cars, Lily thought. They don’t need them.
“How is this possible?” Grung asked. “It’s been less than two decades. How the hell did they build this so fast?”
“How did they build it at all?” Ellie added.
“Look at what the Day Soldiers accomplished during the first decade of the war,” Scott said. “We built an entire infrastructure, complete with dozens of secret underground bases, giant training facilities, and a handful of headquarters around the world. It’s amazing what you can accomplish if you don’t have a bureaucracy holding you back.”
“This isn’t good for us,” Lily said. “Keeping people in New America isn’t gonna be easy after they see this.”
“Well, let’s hold off judgment until we see where the humans live,” Scott said.
“Time to say hello,” the pilot said. He pressed a button on the control panel and said, “T
opia, this is New America One. We’re approaching the city now and request directions to a landing zone.”
After a few seconds, a voice replied. “Let me talk to Lily.”
Lily instantly recognized the voice. She looked at Scott. “What the hell is he doing there?”
“I have no idea,” Scott said.
“Who is it?” Ellie asked.
“Something’s wrong here, guys,” Grung said. “Very wrong.”
“Maybe he hacked the transmission,” Scott offered.
The pilot looked at Lily. “Why is the control tower asking to talk to you?”
“Put me through,” Lily said.
The pilot nodded, pressed a button, then said, “You’re on.”
“Travis,” Lily said, “what the hell are you—”
“Turn back,” Travis said. “Right now.”
“Get off the line and let us talk to the people at the tower,” Lily said.
“Can’t,” Travis said. “They’re all dead.”
“Oh no,” Scott said.
“Travis,” Lily said, “why are they dead?”
She already knew the answer.
“Because I staked em,” Travis said. “It was the only way I could talk to you before you landed.”
“That’s Travis?” Ellie asked. “The Travis?”
“Turn back, Lily,” Travis said. “If you land here, you’ll never leave. They’ll kill you.”
Grung looked at Lily. “Does he know something we don’t?”
“No,” Travis said. “I’m just not stupid. Do you seriously think they’re gonna let you leave? It’s their one and only chance to kill Lily Baxter!”
Lily put a hand on the pilot’s shoulder. “Contact the Topian authorities. Tell them to get to that control tower, then ask them how we can get there. They won’t be able to kill Travis, but I can.”
“On it,” the pilot said. He pressed a few buttons and began to quietly talk into the mic on his headset.
Travis’s voice continued from the cabin’s main speakers. “Lily, don’t be an idiot!”
