by Brandon Hale
Scott shook his head. “Dammit, Cassius.”
“This is Elizabeth’s doing,” Isaac said. “She had the same setup downstairs.”
“No,” Lily said. “Oliver said Cassius had this place built. Elizabeth may have brought the humans here, but Cassius designed it. I should’ve killed that bastard on the roof.”
“Talk about it on the way home,” Grung said as he stepped inside. “After we’re all away from here.”
Carl and Isaac broke the humans free, twenty in all. Once they were free from their chains, the group started toward the main room of the castle.
They were about halfway to the front door when Lily heard a pop! from somewhere above them. In front of her, one of the humans fell to the ground. Blood poured from a bullet hole in the side of his head.
She quickly scanned the room and saw Oliver standing on a ledge above them. He was holding a rifle.
“Run!” Lily screamed.
“Up there!” Scott yelled, pointing toward Oliver. “Grung, let’s get him!”
From the ledge, Oliver threw a small object toward the ceiling. As soon as the object hit the ceiling, it exploded.
“He threw a damn grenade!” Grung yelled.
A giant chunk of the ceiling fell from the roof. Half of it landed on the yacht’s wreckage. The other half fell toward Lily and the others. There was no time to run. Lily knew the ceiling was about to crush them all.
And just like that, it’s over, she thought.
The roof stopped just inches above her head.
Two werewolves stood under the giant piece of concrete, holding it just above the others.
Scott and Grung.
“Go!” Lily screamed at the humans. “Climb through and run. If anybody falls, jump over them and keep running.”
The wreckage made it difficult for the humans to get past Scott and Grung. Most of them had to crawl to get by, but once they were in open space, they sprinted toward the door.
Lily could see the werewolves’ legs and arms trembling. They wouldn’t be able to hold the roof for long and the prisoners were moving painfully slow.
Another bullet whizzed by Lily’s head. “Stop him!” she yelled.
Lily, Carl, and Isaac began to fire in Oliver’s direction. The dust and debris made it difficult for them to land a shot.
Jesse darted toward the ledge.
Another bullet zipped by.
It took Lily a moment to realize Oliver wasn’t aiming at the humans. He was aiming at the werewolves.
“Come on!” Lily screamed. “You did what you could. Let’s go!”
Grung snarled. His meaning was clear. He wasn’t moving until every human was free from the wreckage.
A bullet slammed into his stomach. Another bullet hit Scott in the shoulder.
“Get out!” Lily screamed at the people crawling to safety. “Hurry!”
As the last human climbed from the wreckage and sprinted toward the door, Lily looked at Grung and Scott. “We’re all clear, now! Let’s go!”
Grung howled as a bullet slammed into his chest. For a brief second, his face looked human, then shifted back to its wolf form.
“NO!” Lily screamed.
***
Jesse leapt onto the balcony and charged Oliver. Oliver threw the rifle at Jesse then slipped through a small door behind him.
Jesse kicked the door open to see several passages. He had no way of knowing which way the vampire had gone. Confident that his friends were safe, he picked up the rifle then turned back and jumped down to the floor.
***
Grung was fighting to stay in his wolf form. He was losing the fight. As his face turned human again, he said, “Get out of here, Scott!”
Scott just roared.
“Lily,” Grung said as he became more and more human, “I can’t hold this up for long. Get your boyfriend out of here. I’m done. Bastard got me in the heart.”
“I can heal you!” Lily screamed. “Just get out of there.”
“Scott, it’s over!” Grung yelled. “This whole place is about to come down. I’m dead already… Get Lily out of here.”
“Grung, you can’t hold the roof,” Lily said. Tears burned her eyes. “You’re not even a wolf!”
From the front door, Carl yelled, “Come on, guys! We gotta go! This place is coming down!”
Still looking at Scott, Grung said, “She’ll stand there like a moron until she’s crushed. You know she will. One of us has to hold up this roof. Get her out of here!”
“Grung, no!” Lily screamed.
Grung looked at Lily and smiled. “It’s been an honor serving with you, chief.” With a final roar, he forced himself to turn into a wolf again. The roof lifted another inch.
Scott released his hold on the roof and grabbed Lily. As Scott carried her to safety, Lily got one last glimpse of Grung.
He was human again as the roof crashed to the floor.
Chapter 28
The Highest Crime
Oliver strolled through the front door of the presidential office building. The guard didn’t stop him. Sixteen hours had passed since the battle at the castle. Night had again fallen on the capital city.
Oliver walked down the hallway until he came to his personal office. He stopped at his assistant’s desk. “Jen, where’s my nine o’clock?”
“She’s inside your office, sir,” Jen said.
“Good,” Oliver said. “If anybody calls, I’m not here. Got it?”
“Yes, sir,” Jen said nervously. “It’s just… I’ve been getting questions about Allhallows. Reports are coming in that something bad happened out there. What do you want me to tell them?”
“Tell them we’re investigating the incident,” Oliver said. “We’ll make an official statement before dawn.”
“You look like hell, sir,” Jen said.
“I feel worse,” Oliver said as he walked into his office and shut the door.
As soon as he stepped inside, a young human woman stood up and said, “Mr. President, it’s an honor to meet you. I can’t believe I won that contest.”
“Honor’s all mine,” Oliver said with a smile.
The woman took a good look at him and added, “Is this a bad time?”
“Not at all,” Oliver said. “Matter of fact, your timing couldn’t be better.”
Not bothering to play his usual games, Oliver grabbed the woman and sank his teeth into her throat. At first, she struggled, but within a few seconds, she had no fight left.
As Oliver drank her life away, he began to feel… better.
Yes, the previous night had gone badly.
Baxter was free. Elizabeth was nowhere to be found. Cassius was still out there. Somewhere.
But Oliver knew he’d come out on top. He was still the president, after all. A single press conference would fix most of his problems. He would, of course, talk about how this was all a plot by Lily Baxter to assassinate him. He would explain that she even had Topians working for her.
That thought made him smile. Isaac would pay for his betrayal. That idiot would be hated by the very people he swore to protect.
Oliver pulled away from the young woman. She looked at him with terror-filled eyes. Dying eyes. “It’s going to be okay,” he said. “Not for you, of course. For me. Last night was just a setback.”
The woman tried to speak, but couldn’t.
“I know, I know,” Oliver said. “You have no idea what I’m talking about. Just be glad I’m killing you now, because you don’t want to see the bloodbath that’s coming. By the time I’m done twisting reality, Topia will be drooling for war.”
“Let the girl go.”
Oliver dropped the young woman and turned around.
Isaac stood in the doorway. Three other Topians stood behind him. They all had guns pointed at Oliver.
“I know you can dodge a bullet,” Isaac said, “but I doubt you can dodge four of them.”
“What the hell are you doing?” Oliver said.
�
�Feeding on a live human is the highest crime a Topian can commit,” Isaac said. “As a Topian Protector, I find you guilty of that crime. Sir.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Oliver said. “This is clearly an assassination attempt!” He looked at the other Topians. “Arrest him.”
“Save it,” Isaac said. “They’ve seen enough to know the truth. Nobody is above the law. Especially that law.”
Oliver laughed. “What exactly are you going to do? Arrest me? I am the president of Topia! You honestly think you have power over me?”
“I have the authority to kill you,” Isaac said. “You gave me that authority.”
“We both know you won’t do that,” Oliver said. “So go ahead. Arrest me. A week from now, I’ll be back in this office and you’ll be facing a public execution. This is my world, son. You’re just living in it.”
“Fire,” Isaac said.
Oliver tried to run, but Isaac was proven right. Oliver wasn’t fast enough to dodge four shots. Two bullets pierced his heart.
A moment later, Oliver was dust.
The president was dead.
Chapter 29
The Day Soldiers Consulate
Two Weeks Later.
Isaac stood in front of the presidential office building. Carl stood beside him. Twenty-five Topian Protectors stood facing them.
“Two weeks ago,” Isaac said, “we betrayed the Day Soldiers. They offered us friendship and we repaid their kindness by trying to frame and murder them. Of course, you already know that. The events of that night are all public now.”
The Topians stood silently. They understood Isaac was coming to a point.
“Starting today,” Isaac said, “we’re going to earn their trust. John Grung sacrificed his life so that others could live. And he didn’t care what kinds of creatures they were. He saved humans, Topians, and another werewolf. Grung is the perfect example of what every Topian should strive to be.”
He pointed to a section in the yard in front of the building. “A monument will be built here to honor Grung. In the meantime, we will honor him by guarding this building day and night. This structure will become the safest place in the capital city.”
One of the Topians – a female – raised her hand.
“Yes?”
“Why are we guarding this office?” the Topian asked. “The president is dead and we haven’t elected a replacement.”
“This building,” Isaac said, “is no longer the president’s office. As of today, this is the Day Soldiers Consulate. This is where all diplomats from New America will stay. And it’s your job to keep them safe.”
Isaac pointed at Carl. “This man is now your commanding officer. He fought in the war for almost twenty years, so he has experience. His history with the Day Soldiers makes him perfect for this assignment. I’m honored he agreed to join the Protectorate. If you have any objections to his appointment as your leader, speak now or forever shut up.”
Nobody objected.
“Look,” Isaac went on, “I’m not going to lie to you. Oliver took us to a very bad place. He betrayed every principle we swore to protect. But he’s gone and it’s up to us to make things right.
“Tomorrow night, a plane is arriving with the first human visitors to Topia. These people aren’t diplomats and they aren’t soldiers. They’re civilians. They’re just people. Evan Travis is still out there and it’s up to the Topian Protectorate to make sure these humans stay safe. And it’s up to you to make sure this building stays secure. Can you handle that?”
Several Topians nodded. Others gave an audible, “Yes, sir.”
“I’m not going to do the whole ‘I can’t hear you’ thing,” Isaac said. “Just do your jobs and everything will be fine. Two weeks ago, we almost destroyed any chance of peace between us and New America. Thanks to the Day Soldiers, that chance survived. Don’t screw it up.”
Without another word, Isaac turned and entered the Day Soldiers Consulate.
“Okay,” Carl said to the crowd. “I think we should all introduce ourselves.” He pointed at a young Topian in the front. “You start.”
“Oh, geeze,” the Topian said.
***
Lily sat behind the desk in her new office. The same office that used to belong to Oliver. Scott and Jesse stood behind her.
Cassius sat in a chair on the other side of the desk. “Nice office,” he said.
“I should kill you,” Lily said. “We saw your dungeons in that castle, Cassius.”
Cassius smiled. “What did you expect? I’m a vampire.”
“And I kill vampires,” Lily said.
“You won’t kill me,” Cassius said.
“You underestimate my hate for you,” Lily said.
“I’m fully aware of your hate,” Cassius said, “but we need each other, you and me. That’s why I helped you and it’s why you won’t kill me.”
“I hope you have more,” Lily said, “because right now, I’m seriously considering killing you.”
Cassius leaned forward. “Fine. You want more, here it is. I want to enslave humanity. I don’t give a shit about Topia and I don’t give a shit about humanity. I want a world where humans are cattle. That’s my perfect world.”
“Oh,” Lily said. “I see. Well, that makes it all clear. Of course I want to keep you alive.”
Cassius laughed. “You want to keep me alive because I’m patient. My plan will take decades. The war was just phase one. I had to make the world war-weary. I had to make them desperate for peace. That desperation is why so many humans embraced this new world.”
From behind Lily, Scott said, “So Topia is a lie. Not really seeing the upside, Cas.”
“You saw the upside two weeks ago,” Cassius said. “You saw what will happen if other vampires gain control of this world. My plan gives you a chance to stop me. With me, you have time. If you kill me, another vampire will take over. Elizabeth is still out there, and she’s not the only one. There are others. None of them have my patience. If you kill me, war will absolutely come again.”
“That explains why you think we need you,” Lily said. “It doesn’t explain why you need us.”
“It’s not obvious?” Cassius said. “You stopped Oliver. I couldn’t have done that without you. Besides, I trust you. I know where you stand. I know you want peace. I don’t want to take the chance that your replacement will see things differently.”
“So we need you because you’re not as bad as the other vampires out there,” Lily said, “and you need us because we’re not as bad as the other humans out there.”
“It’s always better to deal with the devil you know,” Cassius said with a smile. “Besides, maybe we’ll find some kind of middle ground. I gotta admit, these Topians are growing on me.”
“Jesse,” Lily said, “can you escort our guest to the front door. We’re done here.”
“Sure thing,” Jesse said.
Cassius’s grin widened. “I knew you wouldn’t kill me. We’ve got this whole arch enemy thing happening. At the end of the day, you respect me, Baxter.”
“Get out of here before I change my mind,” Lily said.
As Jesse and Cassius left the office, Lily slumped in her chair. “I can’t do this, Scott. I’m not a politician.”
“You did great,” Scott said. He looked at the closed door. “I hate to say it, but he’s right. He’ll fight like hell to keep Topia alive.”
“Yeah,” Lily said. “So he can turn us into cattle.”
“His reason is something we’ll have to deal with in the future,” Scott said. “Right now, he’s fighting for the same thing we are. We can’t ignore that.”
“I guess,” Lily said. She looked at Scott. “Under normal circumstances, I think I could handle this political bullshit. But now… it’s hard, Scott.”
“Grung?” Scott asked.
Lily nodded. “I need time to grieve. Time to say goodbye. Since the battle at that damn castle, we’ve played politics nonstop.”
“We ha
d to make sure the people knew you were innocent,” Scott said. “They had to know the truth about you… and about Grung.”
“I just want to go home,” Lily said. “I want to go to Iveyton and visit Grung’s grave. I want to sleep in my own bed. I want to cry for a week straight.”
Scott put a hand on Lily’s shoulder. “Soon, kiddo.”
“We should have escorted Grung’s body back to America,” Lily said.
“Ellie and Cooper called as soon as they landed,” Scott said. “He made it home just fine.”
“We should’ve been there for his burial,” Lily said. “We were his family, Scott.”
“We said our goodbyes at the funeral,” Scott said. “Ellie and Cooper were with him for the burial. Grung would’ve wanted us to finish what we started here.”
“I guess,” Lily said.
“Well, I know,” Scott said.
“Speaking of Ellie,” Lily said, “I wonder how her homecoming went.”
“She hasn’t called since she went to see her mom,” Scott said. “I’m curious about that myself.”
“It’s gonna be very strange,” Lily said. “Do you think they’ll move here to live with Carl?”
“Maybe,” Scott said. “We’re really in new territory here.”
Lily sighed. “I worry about Ellie. She’s seen a lot of pain in the past few weeks.”
“She’s tough,” Scott said.
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Lily said. “I’m afraid this will harden her. I’m worried it’ll make her hateful like me.”
Scott chuckled softly. “You’re many things, Lily Baxter, but hateful isn’t one of them.”
“You’re wrong,” Lily said. “I hate them all. I want to go out there right now and burn this whole city to the ground. They took Grung away from me. They took everything away from me.”
“The Topians didn’t take those things away, Lily,” Scott said.
“I know,” Lily said. “Cassius did when he led the war against us. And I just let him walk out the door.”
“Cassius will get what’s coming to him,” Scott said. “With or without us, his plan will fall apart.”
