by Brandon Hale
“I respect your opinion, Mr. President,” Isaac said, “but I’m not leaving without Baxter and Grung. I have my orders. Like I said, I give you my word I’ll testify on her behalf.”
“Funny you should say that,” Scott said. “Because I’m not leaving without Lily and Grung. Looks like we’re having a bit of a showdown here.”
The other Topians in the street drew their guns and pointed them at Scott.
“Do you really want this?” Isaac asked. “You can’t dodge every bullet.”
Scott smiled. “Have you ever fought a werewolf? You might be surprised by what we can do.”
“I haven’t fought a werewolf,” Isaac admitted, “and I don’t want to start tonight. But I take my orders seriously, sir.”
“Seriously enough to die for them?” Scott asked. “Even if you know they’re wrong?”
“I trust our justice system,” Isaac said. “Baxter and Grung will be proven innocent, and when that happens, relations between us be stronger. If you take her now, that can’t happen.”
“Enough,” Scott said. “I’m not risking their lives because you trust your justice system. We’re leaving.”
“If you take her,” Isaac said, “I will order my people to fire.”
“Then I guess you’re about to see more of your people die,” Scott said.
“Enough!” Lily yelled. “Damn, Scott. Chill.” She looked at Isaac. “I’ll go with you.”
“Lily, no,” Scott said.
“Scott, you came here because you wanted peace,” Lily said. “I’m not going to let that crash and burn because of me.” She again looked at Isaac. “I trust you, Isaac. I hope I’m not making a mistake.”
“Thank you,” Isaac said.
“Well,” Scott said, “if you’re doing this, we’re going with you.”
“You are not under arrest,” Isaac said.
“I know,” Scott said, “but Travis is still out there and you’ve totally proven you’re not equipped to handle him.”
Isaac looked at the bodies on the street. He nodded. “You have a point.”
***
To everyone’s surprise, they made it to the president’s office without incident. As they walked up the steps to the front door, Isaac said, “Maybe once he saw you weren’t going to go back, he gave up.”
“You don’t know Travis,” Lily said. “I think it’s a horrible mistake to bring us to the president’s office. You’re putting everyone here in danger.”
“Which begs the question,” Scott added, “Why are we here? Don’t you have prisons or jail cells?”
“I was told to bring you here,” Isaac said. “I think it’s a good sign.”
“How?” Ellie asked.
“There is one person in the city,” Isaac said, “who has the power to pardon you without a trial.”
“Oliver,” Scott said.
“The president, yes,” Isaac said. “The fact that he asked for Baxter and Grung to be delivered here tells me two things. First, he doesn’t see them as a major threat. And secondly, he wants to talk to them personally. I think by this time tomorrow, this entire incident will be over and we’ll all be friends again.”
“By this time tomorrow,” Lily said, “Travis will have killed dozens more. Maybe hundreds. And every life he takes is a life we could save if you people would let us hunt him down.”
“I hope you’re wrong,” Isaac said.
Three Topians stepped from the front door of the office. The one in front – a female with short black hair – said, “We’ll take it from here.”
She walked up to Lily and handed her two gloves and a ski mask.
“What’s this?” Lily asked.
“Put them on,” the Topian said.
“Looks like someone wants to make sure you don’t have physical contact,” Scott said.
“Yeah,” Lily said as she slipped on the gloves then the mask. The gloves had what looked like small belt loops on the wrists. The mask had similar loops on the neck.
The Topian slipped two bands around Lily’s wrists and another around her neck. She made sure to pass the bands through the attached loops. The bands had small locking mechanisms on their sides. The Topian activated the mechanisms. “This is to make sure you can’t take them off.”
“Lovely,” Lily said.
The Topian looked at the two behind her and motioned toward Grung and Lily. “Take them inside.”
“We’re coming too,” Ellie said.
“I’m afraid not,” the Topian said. “You’re free to go to your plane. It will be at least another day before the president is able to question them.”
“Are you serious?” Scott asked. “Travis is out there. You people have no idea what you’re dealing with. Keeping her prisoner is guaranteeing more deaths. He won’t stop.”
“We understand,” the Topian said. “Thank you for cooperating. We’ll take it from here.”
“You’re setting a trap,” Ellie said. “You want him to attack this office. This isn’t about Lily at all, is it.”
“Thank you again,” the Topian said.
“We’re not leaving her here,” Scott said.
“It’s okay, Scott,” Lily said. “I think we’ll be alright. Get to the plane. The first civilian plane is scheduled to come here in two days. You have to contact them and postpone that visit. We can’t let our people come here until this whole mess is resolved.”
“Shit,” Scott said. “You’re right.”
“You can’t do any good out here,” Lily said. “Even if they are stupidly setting a trap, Grung and I are in no danger from Travis.”
“You sure?”
“I’m sure,” Lily said. “We’ll be fine.”
Scott sighed. “We’ll be back first thing tomorrow.”
“I’ll escort you to your plane,” Isaac said, “then I have to get some rest. I have an important meeting tomorrow.”
“I have a message for your president,” Scott said.
“I’m listening,” Isaac said.
“When I call home,” Scott went on, “I’m telling them everything. Our people will know every detail. If Lily doesn’t get a fair and public trial, I will personally consider that an act of war.”
“I’ll tell him,” Isaac said, “but I don’t think the threat is necessary. I’m sure there won’t be a trial because the president will release Miss Baxter once he’s talked to her. I’ll speak on her behalf. You are not our enemies. I’ll do everything I can to make sure the president understands that.”
“I hope you’re right,” Scott said, “because if you’re wrong, bad things will happen. Very bad things. That’s not a threat, my friend. It’s an honest warning, from one warrior to another.”
Isaac simply nodded.
Chapter 17
The Promotion
The initiation area was apparently a large field with an enclosed facility in the center. It was about a mile outside the city.
“What is this place?” Isaac asked as he walked up to the group of Topians standing just outside the walls of the enclosure.
In total, about twenty Topians, male and female, stood in the field. Oliver stood in front of the group. “This is where you evolve,” he said to Isaac. “Stand with the others, my friend.”
Isaac took his place with the others.
Oliver paced back and forth in front of the group. “Thirty humans are currently behind those walls,” he said. “You’ll be interacting with them very soon.”
Isaac was confused. What did humans have to do with his promotion?
“You were chosen because you’re the best Topia has to offer,” Oliver continued. “We’ve built a good world here. Humans and Topians live together in peace. The humans are happy and the Topians are happy. But it’s a fragile world that needs protection. That’s where you come in.
“As we saw last night, there are threats. Great threats. And sadly, we saw last night that Topians are not equipped to handle those threats.”
“I think we han
dled it okay,” Isaac said. “Baxter and Grung are both in custody.”
Oliver laughed. “Is that what you think? How many Topians died last night? Is Travis captured?”
“Too many Topians died last night,” Isaac said. “And no, sir. We didn’t capture Travis.”
“You got lucky and captured Baxter. Frankly, that’s the only reason I’m not kicking your ass for disobeying my orders last night. I told you to stay home.”
“I’m sorry, sir,” Isaac said. “I didn’t realize it was an order. I thought it was more of a suggestion.”
“Everything I tell you to do is an order,” Oliver said.
Isaac nodded. He quickly decided the day of his promotion wasn’t the best day to argue with the president of Topia. “Understood.”
“Last night,” Oliver said, “was proof that in order to defend Topia, we have to cross lines. We have to do things we wouldn’t normally do.”
“What things?”
Isaac was relieved the question came from another Topian. He wanted an answer, but he didn’t want to be the Topian who asked the question.
“All things,” Oliver said. “That’s the point. We cannot have boundaries. When you were invited here, you were asked what you’d sacrifice for Topia. That question wasn’t asked lightly.”
“Permission to speak freely,” Isaac said.
“Always,” Oliver said.
“I’m not sure how I feel about having no boundaries, sir.”
“I understand,” Oliver said, “but there’s a hard fact we all have to face. A perfect world cannot sustain itself. A peaceful world cannot sustain itself. Why? Because there are threats out there who are anything but peaceful. The only way Topia can exist is if we protect it. And the only way we can truly protect it is by doing things no Topian would ever do.”
Isaac suddenly thought of Lily. He thought of his promise to protect her. For the first time, he wondered if he’d done the right thing by capturing her.
“That’s why we asked you what you would sacrifice for Topia,” Oliver continued. “We know you’d give up your life for it, but do you love Topia enough to sacrifice your soul for it.”
“What if that’s too much?” another Topian asked.
“Then you should leave,” Oliver said. “There will be no repercussions for leaving. You can have a long and satisfying career as a Protector. But if you’re not willing to sacrifice everything for the world we’ve built, you don’t belong on this team. So now’s your chance. If you aren’t ready for this, go back to the city.”
When nobody moved, Oliver smiled. “I have another question for you. What is the highest crime in Topia?”
“Feeding directly from a human,” Isaac said. Several others gave the same answer.
“Can anybody tell me why that’s the highest crime?” Oliver asked. “Logically, you’d think murdering another Topian would be worse, but it’s not. Within our system of laws, feeding from a human is the worst crime a Topian can commit. It’s so bad, in fact, it’s the only crime that doesn’t require a trial. If you catch a Topian feeding directly from a human, you have the authority to kill that Topian on the spot. Why?”
“Because our entire society is based on maintaining trust with the humans,” a female Topian said. “If that trust crumbles, our entire world crumbles.”
“While that’s true,” Oliver said, “it’s not the most important reason.”
“It changes the Topian,” Isaac said.
Oliver looked at him. “How so?”
“It makes the Topian a slave to the blood,” Isaac said. “A slave to the kill. It turns the Topian into a vampire.”
Oliver nodded. “When it comes to Topians, we have a secret. We try to pretend we’re just natural animals. We compare ourselves to other predators in nature. Truth is, that’s a lie.”
He paused for a second to let his words sink in, then continued. “Vampires are more than natural. We don’t just need blood to live. Vampires exist to kill humans.”
Isaac was disturbed by Oliver’s use of the word “we”.
“When you drink so much blood from a human that the human dies,” Oliver went on, “something happens to you. Something changes. There’s no going back. You can no longer satisfy your thirst by asking for their permission. You’re no longer a Topian. You’re a vampire. A killer.”
“You’re saying it makes the Topian evil,” Isaac said.
“That depends,” Oliver said.
“On what?”
“On whether or not you’re a human or a vampire,” Oliver answered. “The fact is, vampires are powerful. Far more powerful than humans.”
Isaac was quickly losing any desire to stay quiet. He knew where this conversation was going and he didn’t like it. “You want us to become vampires.”
“We chose to have peace with the humans,” Oliver said. “We could have conquered them, but we didn’t. We chose peace. That alone proves we are not evil. But we must face reality. Topia cannot exist without us. In order to protect Topia, we have to become the very thing every Topian hates. And they can never know. They have to believe their world is working. If they know the truth, everything crashes.”
“You’re saying we have to betray the principles of Topia in order to defend those same principles,” Isaac said.
“Yes,” Oliver said flatly. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
Then Topia is a lie, Isaac thought. “I understand, sir,” he said.
Oliver looked over the group. “I’ll ask you one last time. How much do you love Topia? Do you love Topia more than you love your own soul? If not, leave now. I trust you all to keep this secret. If you leave, you will see no trouble.”
Liar! Isaac thought. Everything I ever believed is a lie.
None of the Topians left, including Isaac.
Oliver pointed at the walls behind him. “There are thirty humans inside that enclosure. When these doors open… feed. Leave no humans alive. It will be difficult at first. Just remember, they are dying so that Topia can live. And when you’re done, everything will be clear. You’ll have no more inner conflict. You will know peace.”
Oliver opened the door. Several humans stood behind the wall.
“Mr. President,” one of the humans, an older man, said, “we don’t want to seem distrustful, but we’re starting to wonder why you brought us here. We’ve not even found a restroom.”
“Don’t speak to them,” Oliver said to the Topians. “Just… feed. Do it quickly and mercifully. We’re not here to torture these people. Remember, you can’t kill them first. You must drink until they are dead. Simply killing them won’t turn you and drinking some blood won’t turn you. It has to be both. You have to drink their lives.”
Isaac was horrified by the enthusiasm of the Topians. He expected them to be hesitant.
They weren’t.
This was clearly something they all wanted. They were finally allowed to be the creatures they were meant to be.
The most terrifying part was Isaac’s realization that he felt it too. As he watched the other Topians attack the terrified humans, he didn’t want to stop them. He wanted to join them.
“So join them.”
Isaac turned around to see Oliver standing behind him. “How did you…”
“I can’t read your mind, if that’s what you think,” Oliver said with a smile. “Of course, most vampires can communicate telepathically, but it has to be projected. We can’t just invade another vampire’s mind. Well, most of us can’t.”
“I don’t believe you,” Isaac said.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Oliver said, “because I’ve been there, my friend. You don’t have to fight this. Feeding on them isn’t an evil act. You’re making the ultimate sacrifice for Topia. As are those humans. Do your duty, Isaac. The world needs you.”
Isaac knew he would be killed if he refused. He was also certain that he’d unwittingly sentenced Lily Baxter to death.
“Of course,” Oliver said, “you have a choice
. You can still walk away from this if you’re not strong enough.”
“No,” Isaac said. “I can’t.”
He ran toward the chaos before him.
***
The chaos proved to be Isaac’s way out. Humans and Topians were running in all directions. Screams of pain and terror filled the square. The bodies of the dead were scattered on the ground. Everything was covered in blood.
Isaac quickly ran to the body of a human woman and picked it up. He wiped his hand across the wound in her throat, then he wiped his blood-covered hand across his mouth, smearing the blood all over his chin.
He looked around until he spotted Oliver. He held the body and waited.
When Oliver finally glanced his way, he dropped the body and wiped the blood from his mouth.
Oliver smiled.
Isaac wanted to help the humans, but he knew it was impossible. Instead, he pretended to join the Topians.
No, he thought. They aren’t Topians anymore. They’re vampires.
He continued his charade. He pretended to feed on dead humans while the slaughter continued around him. Again, he thought of Lily Baxter and John Grung.
I’m sorry, he thought. I’m so sorry.
The slaughter only lasted a few minutes, but to Isaac, it was an eternity. When it was finally over, he stood with the other Topians (vampires!) as Oliver looked at the carnage.
“Now,” Oliver said, “how do you feel?”
“Satisfied,” one vampire said.
“Powerful,” another answered.
Isaac sensed that Oliver was waiting to hear him speak. He thought for a moment, then said, “I feel complete.”
Oliver smiled. “Good enough. Now… let’s go protect our world.”
Chapter 18
The Good Vampire
Cooper sat on the beach, crouched in front of his small campfire. Behind him, the ocean’s water looked black, reflecting only stars. Ahead of him, the forest looked just as black. His campfire gave him a small bubble of light in an otherwise pitch black land.
