

Day Soldiers

Brandon Hale

Published by Brandon Hale at Smashwords

Copyright © 2012 by Brandon Hale

All rights reserved.

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

To my support team. There is absolutely no way I could do this without you. You know who you are.

# Prologue

The Declaration Video

November 1, 2017.

Before yesterday, you didn't believe in us. To you, we were just myths from a time when people believed in silly superstitions. We were fictional characters in your books and movies. We were Halloween costumes and art inspirations for your depressed teenagers.

This arrangement was fine with us. As a matter of fact, it was better than fine. We've always known how dangerous you are. You destroy everything you touch, whether you love it, hate it, or are indifferent to it. You are, without a doubt, the most destructive force this planet has ever known.

You even destroy the things that are vital to your own survival. You pollute the air you breathe, the water you drink, and the land that feeds you. You hunt animals to extinction and you decimate the very forests that clean your air.

We've always known the day would come when we had to step from the shadows and stop you. We knew that day was inevitable, but we've tried to put it off. It was just more convenient for us when you didn't believe we existed.

As long as we were careful, we could do what we pleased to you and you didn't retaliate. I mean, what would your police say to a man who told them a vampire had been drinking his blood or a werewolf had mauled his wife? As long as we were unknown to you, we were safe from you.

But yesterday, everything changed. Thanks to your Dr. Jackson Bates, you now know we exist. You know we're here. We are now on your radar of destruction.

And because of this, we have decided the time has come to end your destructive domination of this world. Your day has ended. When the sun comes up tomorrow, the world will no longer belong to humanity.

This video has been sent to every news organization in the world, as well as millions of websites. We don't want you to hide behind the idea that you're our victims. You are not. You are victims of yourselves.

If you had left us alone, who knows what might have happened. Our hope was that you'd eventually recognize the destructive nature of your actions and take steps to improve yourselves.

None of that matters, though. We're no longer in the shadows. You dragged us into the light. You forced us to take action against you.

Tonight, that action begins. The world is no longer yours.

Tonight, we are taking it from you.

Consider this video our declaration of war.

Ten Years Later...
Part one:

Iveyton, Virginia

# Chapter 1

The Girl in the Woods

The three vampires watched from their high vantage point as the girl walked through their woods. She walked with purpose and without fear, which intrigued the creatures.

From a branch far above the girl, one of the vampires whispered, "She is neither lost nor afraid. I do not like this."

"She is searching for something," a second vampire answered.

"She is searching for us," the third creature added. "I suggest we let her find us."

"Soon," the first vampire whispered, "but not yet. This one has me curious."

On the ground, the girl turned on her flashlight, pointing the beam of light at the trees around her. "I know you're here!" she yelled. "You have an eighteen year old girl, alone in the woods. What the hell are you waiting for?"

"She makes a good point."

"Don't be a fool."

"This is no trap. We can have her dead and drained before she even realizes we're here. She must know this."

"He's right. The girl came here to die."

"Or to become one of us."

"Possible."

"Let's find out." Before the others could stop him, one of the vampires jumped from the branch, landing silently in front of the girl.

Still in the trees above, the first vampire closed his eyes.

"You're calling Caleb," the other said.

The first nodded.

"You want to turn the girl."

The monster smiled. "If Caleb allows it, yes. She is interesting." He leapt from the branch, followed by his companion.

***

Lily Baxter stood silently as the third vampire dropped from the trees, joining the other two as they walked around her, creating a small circle of vampires. Their steps made no sound on the leaves, giving Lily the uneasy impression they were actually floating.

"You shouldn't be here, child," one of the vampires said.

"These woods do not belong to the living," another one said as he floated by, disgustingly close to her face.

Maybe it was the same vampire that spoke first. Lily wasn't sure because they looked exactly the same. White, translucent skin was stretched over their skeletal faces, which were covered in a spider web of blue veins. They were completely hairless, which made their pointed, misshapen ears look larger than they probably were.

Lily fought to control her breathing as she spoke. "I don't want to be among the living," she whispered weakly.

One of the vampires laughed, showing a mouth full of sharp teeth. "Are you saying you want to die?"

"Maybe she wants to join us," another vampire added with a whispered chuckle.

"Is that it, child?" one of the creatures asked as he floated by her face.

Lily just shrugged.

"And what do we have here?"

The voice came from somewhere in the woods. It was deep and masculine, nothing like the serpentine voices of the vampires.

A powerful looking man stepped into the clearing. His muscular body was the closest thing Lily had ever seen to human perfection. It was hard not to notice, especially since the man was completely naked.

But he's not a man, Lily reminded herself.

The vampires seemed startled by the man's arrival. "Phillip," one of them whispered.

Phillip smiled warmly. "Disappointed to see me?"

"Quite the opposite," the vampire said. "We are deeply honored. We expected Caleb."

"Caleb is on assignment," Phillip said. "I was in the area and got your call. You want to turn this little girl?"

"I would consider it," the vampire said, "with your permission."

Phillip turned to Lily. "Why would you want to be one of these pitiful things? They're far from the romanticized beings in your literature."

Lily looked at the three vampires, then back at the large man. "You're right."

"Then why?" Phillip asked again. "They're repulsive little parasites. But werewolves, on the other hand, offer so much more. We're part of the natural world. We have beauty. We have eternity. We were worshipped as gods by many of your cultures. What makes a vampire more appealing to you?"

"They aren't more appealing," Lily said. "And it's not that they have something you don't. It's that you have something they don't."

"You're confusing me, child."

"You're alive and they are not," Lily said. She wiped the moisture from her eyes. "And I don't want to be."

Phillip laughed. "Ah," he said. "Broken heart. So what happened? Were you betrayed by a lover? Or perhaps you've tasted death and now find life unbearable. Did someone close to you die?"

"Nobody died," Lily said.

"Then it's a broken heart," Phillip said. He turned to one of the vampires. "I see now why you want to turn this one. Melancholy and vampires go together like peanut butter and jelly."

"I'm looking at a werewolf," Lily said as she dropped to her knees.

Phillip looked down at her. "What an odd thing to say." He turned again to one of the vampires. "Is the area secure? I hope you weren't foolish enough to call me to an area you haven't secured. I can smell humanity on you three. You're young little blood suckers. I'd hate to kill you before you got to really enjoy your new condition."

"It is secure, Phillip," the vampire answered. "The town is very secluded. There is no military presence this far from the war line. We were passing through these mountains, on our way to Jackson's Folly, when we stumbled across this little buffet. We watched them for a month before we decided to bleed the town dry. There most certainly is nothing here but townspeople."

"I don't mean the town," Phillip said. "I mean these woods, right now. Did you make sure she was alone?"

Before the vampire could answer, Lily said, "Do it now."

Phillip looked down her. The agitation on his face was unmistakable. "Do not give me orders, little girl."

Lily smiled. "I wasn't talking to you."

For a brief moment, Phillip looked confused. Just as understanding crept into his eyes, a tiny hole appeared in the center of his forehead.

The vampires watched in horror as Phillip touched the fresh bullet hole in his own head. He pulled his hand down and looked at the blood on his fingertips. He staggered back a few steps, then fell to the ground.

The vampires stood over his dead body, staring down at him in horrified silence.

The silence was broken when two of the vampires gave agonized screams as wooden stakes burst from their chests. They fell forward, landing on the werewolf's dead body.

Lily stood above them, still holding the bloody stakes she had driven through their backs. She looked down at Phillip. "Was he important? The way you're acting makes me think he was important."

Before the remaining vampire could answer, an arrow zipped from the woods and pierced his chest, then his heart. He fell against a tree and slid to the ground.

"Wow," Lily said as she looked at the four dead creatures. "That was way easier than I thought it would be."

"No kidding," a voice said from her front shirt pocket. It was a young man's voice.

Lily pulled her cell phone from her pocket and said, "Leo, why the hell are you not here?"

"It's a long walk," Leo Rosenberg said as he stepped from the shadows. He was a young man, nineteen years old, with short brown hair and a badly growing goatee. A pair of night-vision goggles hung around his neck. A rifle and crossbow hung from each of his shoulders.

"Holy shit," he said as he stepped beside Lily and looked down at the bodies. "That was intense."

Lily looked at him and chuckled humorlessly. "Oh, poor you," she said. "Having to hide in the woods while your best friend stood nose to nose with three vampires and a werewolf."

"It was your plan," Leo said. He looked back at Phillip and shook his head. "A werewolf," he whispered. "Damn. When you said you were looking at a werewolf, I was sure he'd figure it out and kill us both."

"Me too," Lily said as she nervously ran her fingers through her reddish brown hair. "But I didn't have a choice. I was afraid you couldn't hear what he was saying. I had to make sure you used the right weapon."

"I'm glad you thought of it. I couldn't hear anybody but you. That's why it took a few seconds for me to get the gun out and aimed."

"I don't understand these guys," Lily said, pointing toward one of the dead vampires.

"Yeah," Leo said. "I thought they were supposed to turn to dust or something."

"No, dumbass," Lily said. "They revert back to their original age. Only the really old ones turn to dust. Clearly, these guys were new to the undead ranks. What I don't understand is why they just stood there."

"Maybe you were right about the werewolf being someone important," Leo said. "Looked to me like they were in shock."

"Makes me nervous that an important werewolf is this far into Virginia," Lily said.

"Yeah," Leo said. "I'm just amazed he didn't smell me. I heard werewolves can smell people from a mile away. We were damn lucky."

"No," Lily said. "We were damn smart. We made sure you stayed downwind. I made sure to wear perfume and I made sure to make as much noise as possible. And even though we didn't expect a werewolf, you brought the gun. Don't give luck credit for our planning and hard work."

"Well, I know one thing," Leo said. "We're going to be legends."

"Don't be stupid," Lily said. "Day Soldiers kill vampires every single day."

"Well," Leo said, "that might be true, but it wasn't Day Soldiers who just saved Iveyton from three vampires and a werewolf."

Lily grinned. "Leo, my friend, you make a fine point. Now where's your knife? We've got some trophies to take back to town."

# Chapter 2

Iveyton Dawn

Darren Baxter woke early, as usual. Judging from the light filtering into his window, he guessed it was a little after six. He looked at his bedside clock.

6:14 am.

Trying his best to not wake Beth, he slipped from the bed and silently made his way downstairs to the kitchen. He checked to make sure coffee was brewing (thanks to the automatic timer), then picked up the remote on the kitchen table and turned on the TV built into the kitchen wall.

"Let's see who died today," he mumbled as he flipped it to his favorite news channel.

"If that's decaf," Beth said as she walked into the kitchen, "I'm kicking you in the face."

Darren smiled. "You're the one always telling me I need to drink less caffeine."

"Not at six-thirty in the morning," Beth said. She walked to the kitchen cabinet and pulled down two coffee cups.

"Don't worry," Darren said. "It's fully caffeinated. Did I wake you?"

"Nah," Beth said. "I was awake when you got up. Just not awake enough to move or speak. So anything new happen last night?" She was looking at the TV.

"Not that I can tell," Darren answered. "No Breaking News across the screen, which is always a good sign."

The coffee pot beeped, signaling that the coffee was ready. Beth poured them both a cup of coffee and sat down at the table across from her husband. "So," she said, "when are we going to continue our conversation from last night?"

"Not at six-thirty in the morning," Darren said.

"I'll let you watch your news," Beth said as she sipped her coffee.

"Thanks."

She took another sip. "You know why I was already up this morning, right?"

Darren let a barely audible sigh slip out.

"I couldn't sleep," she continued. "Was up and down all night."

"So when you said you'd let me watch the news," Darren said, "that was a lie."

"Totally," Beth said.

"Fine." Darren placed his coffee on the table and turned to face his wife. "By all means, continue."

"Don't pout," Beth said.

"Don't start an argument fifteen minutes after I crawl out of bed," Darren said.

"We're not arguing," Beth corrected. "We're discussing."

"We're discussing something that we don't agree on," Darren said. "That's arguing."

"I'll give my sister time to wake up, then I'll call her," Beth said.

"No, Beth. I'm not moving to Florida."

"Just give her a chance," Beth continued. "I only want you to hear her out. That's all. She's much better at explaining things."

"You explained it fine last night. It wasn't your explanation that I disagree with. It was your suggestion. I am not moving to Florida."

"Darren, it'll be years before the war makes it down to Florida," Beth said. Her eyes were begging.

"What's changed?" Darren asked. "Why are you suddenly so afraid to live here?"

"I'm amazed you have to ask that," Beth said. "In the past month, four people have gone missing. And two were found dead."

"Blake fell out of a window," Darren said. "He was a drunk. Accidents happen."

"What about Marla? She was found on her front porch."

"Marla was eighty-seven years old," Darren said. "Old people die."

"Don't be an ass," Beth said. "She was a wonderful woman."

"I agree," Darren said. "And she lived a long life."

"Darren, there are vampires living in those woods," Beth said. "The sheriff might not want to admit it, but it's true. You know it and I know it. Hell, even Lily knows it."

"We don't know it," Darren said, "but even if it were true, it wouldn't mean we have to move."

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Beth said. "Of course it means we have to move!"

"Vampires are a fact of life now," Darren said. "Moving to Florida won't stop them from existing. I promise you, if we do have a vampire problem, it's not the first time they've been here. And I guarantee Florida is not vampire free."

"There was a battle in Virginia Beach last week, Darren! Virginia Beach! That's our own state. And it wasn't just some random vampire attack. It was a full scale battle!"

"A battle," Darren said, "that we won. The Day Soldiers drove them out. Besides, Virginia Beach is on the other side of the damn state. I've never made that drive in less than eight hours."

"An eight hour drive," Beth said, "is too close. This war has reached our front door. I don't know why you refuse to admit it."

"Because," Darren said, "I've lived in this town for forty-seven years. It's my home. The only home I've ever known." He paused for a moment. "Besides the damn desert."

"Don't be stupid," Beth said. "Don't sacrifice your family for some misguided devotion to a bunch of buildings in the middle of the mountains."

"We're getting nowhere," Darren said. "We said all this last night."

"Darren, please. To my sister, the entire war is just something she reads about in the paper. It doesn't exist down there. Lily could have a life. A normal life."

"Lily is eighteen years old," Darren said. "I think she deserves to have a say in this. You keep talking about our family. Well, maybe this should be a family decision. I say we wait until she gets outta bed and have a family discussion about this."

"That's not fair," Beth said. "You know she'll side with you. Hell, she thinks the town should send a group into the woods to hunt those things down."

"The idea's got merit," Darren said.

"Don't look so smug," Beth said.

Darren smiled. "Can't help that the girl looks up to her daddy."

"Of course you can help it," Beth said. "Most parents buy their kids a fishing pole when they're twelve. You bought Lily her first crossbow."

"The day those things crawled outta the shadows, everything changed," Darren said. "Besides, I showed her how to fish too. It's an important survival skill."

"Well, I know your heart's in the right place," Beth said, "but I can't help but worry that it'll get her killed one day."

"That's a mean thing to say," Darren said.

"She's over-confident," Beth said. "She has no fear of the night."

"Good," Darren said with cold eyes. "Those things don't own the night. The world needs more people like Lily. If we just roll over and give in to our fear, they'll win this war. I don't know about you, but I don't think a cow has a very good life, and I sure as hell don't plan to become one. Not teaching her what I've taught her would've been a death sentence. Or worse."

Beth got up, walked to the coffee pot, and began to fill her cup. She looked out the kitchen window at the old road running into the woods. In the early morning light, she could see the road and the edge of the woods, but nothing beyond the initial tree line. The morning fog still lingered over the ground and between the trees.

"I used to love those woods in the morning," Beth said. "The road just disappears into the woods, swallowed up by the fog. I used to think it was beautiful."

"Seems to me," Darren said, "you'd think it's even more beautiful now. It's signaling the end of the night."

"No," Beth said. "Now, when I look at that road and those woods, I just wonder what kind of monster is hiding in there. I wonder if it's planning to hit our house next. Is it going to crawl up the side of the house and pull Lily from her bedroom? Am I going to wake up to find some horror movie monster standing over our bed?" She turned and looked at her husband. "I can't take it here, anymore, Darren. I'm sorry. I just can't." She looked back out the window.

Darren sighed. "Okay," he said.

"Don't say that if you don't mean it," Beth said, still looking out the window.

"I'm not agreeing to move to Florida," Darren said. "But we can talk about it. As a family."

Beth just shook her head in frustration.

"I'm serious, Beth," Darren said. "When Lily gets up, we'll talk about it. We won't argue and we won't let her be the tie-breaker. We'll seriously talk about it as a family. You tell her what you just told me. We'll put our heads together and we'll come up with a solution. I promise, babe. We'll come up with something."

"Holy God," Beth whispered, staring at something outside the window.

The fear in her voice caused a chill to dance its way down Darren's spine. "What is it?"

She didn't answer.

"Beth," Darren said, standing up. "What's out there?"

"Our daughter," Beth said. "Lily is out there. With that Rosenberg kid. And Darren... they're carrying heads."

Darren didn't bother to look out the window. He ran straight to the kitchen door and darted outside.

***

Lily and Leo walked down the center of the road, toward town. Leo carried the severed heads of two of the vampires. Lily carried the heads of the other vampire and the werewolf.

"All I'm saying," Leo said, "is that we're not equal. Purely from a scientific standpoint, we're not equal."

"And all I'm saying," Lily said, "is you're a damn sexist."

"I'm not," Leo said. "You said it yourself. Men and women are equal in every way."

"They are," Lily said.

"Except men are physically stronger."

"So what?" Lily said. "That has very little meaning in this day and age."

"Doesn't matter," Leo said. "I'm not talking about the value of being stronger. I'm saying if men and women are equal in every way but one, and in that one way men are better, then that means men are actually superior to women. It's irrelevant if you put no value in the one way we're better."

"Complete bullshit."

"How so?" Leo said. "Look at it this way. Let's say aliens came to earth looking for slaves. They would choose men, because men and women are equal in every way, but men are stronger. They'd choose the men because they would know that men are superior animals."

"If you ask me," Lily said, "your example means women are superior. We wouldn't get chosen by your slavers."

"No," Leo said. "That's dumb. You're saying women are superior because they're inferior."

"We can make babies."

"Not without us," Leo said with a smirk. "Just admit it. From a purely objective point of view, men are superior to women. And I'm not talking about individuals. I'm sure there are women stronger than most men. But overall, men are stronger. And since we're equal in every other way, that means we're superior."

"Sexist," Lily said. "I swear, the only reason I stay friends with you is because I find your shooting skills useful."

Leo laughed. "Now who's full of it," he said. "Look, I'm not talking about social equality. Of course we're equal socially. In today's world, there's nothing a man can do that a woman can't. I'm just saying –"

"Women are smarter," Lily said.

Leo laughed again. "There's absolutely no evidence of that."

"Really?" Lily said. "Has a woman ever gotten mad at you because you didn't read her mind and guess what she wanted?"

"That's not intelligence," Leo said. "It's the opposite, actually."

"Nope," Lily said. "It's because women are far more observant creatures. We're better at nonverbal communication. That's why we get angry when you can't figure out what we want unless we spell it out to you. We're constantly overestimating men's ability to pick up on the more subtle forms of communication. Body language and such. And I think the four severed heads we're carrying pretty much proves that intelligence is the better trait to have."

"Well," Leo said, "there's no reason to continue this debate. I'm using proven scientific information and you're just making stuff up."

"Your face is making stuff up," Lily said.

"That doesn't even make sense."

"Your face doesn't make sense."

Leo tried to suppress a smile, but couldn't. "I give up."

"Thank God," Lily said.

They walked silently for a few seconds, then Leo said, "You know, our pal Phillip might pose a problem."

Lily looked down at the head in her right hand. "What do you mean?"

"It just looks like a man's head," Leo said. "People might not believe he was a werewolf."

"I'm pretty sure they'll believe us," Lily said. "We are, after all, judged by the company we keep. This dude was bossing around three vampires."

"True," Leo conceded.

"See?" Lily said. "Intelligence."

"There's your house," Leo said. "I wonder if your folks are up yet. Looks like the kitchen light is on."

At that moment, the kitchen door flew open and Darren darted out, sprinting toward them.

"Yeah," Lily said. "I think they're up."

"I guess we're about to find out if we're heroes or in deep trouble," Leo said.

"Either way," Lily said, "nothing to do now but embrace it." She grinned and waved at her father. "Hi, Daddy!"

"Don't," Darren said through gasping breaths as he caught up to them, "give me that Daddy shit."

"Gross," Lily said.

"I don't know where to start, Lily," Darren said. "I really don't."

"Good job killing those vampires?" Leo offered.

Darren pointed at him. "Back off, Leonard. I won't hit my own daughter, so you're in very real danger of getting my emotional leakage here."

"Huh?"

"Shut up," Darren explained, "or I'll kick your ass."

"Oh," Leo said.

Darren turned back to Lily. "You two have broken so many laws the sheriff could throw you in prison for ten years."

"Daddy—"

"No!" Darren yelled. "Just being out after dark could land you thirty days in jail. But actively seeking out and engaging members of the Legion? Holy hell, girl."

"Well," Leo said, "this isn't the homecoming I expected."

"What the hell did you expect, Leonard?" Darren asked.

"Daddy!" Lily yelled. "Shut up for one second, forget that I'm your daughter, and think about what you're seeing here!" She held up both severed heads. "This is a vampire and a werewolf."

Darren stared at the heads. He then looked at the heads in Leo's hands. "How?"

"Careful planning," Lily said, "and a little bit of luck. But how isn't nearly as important as what. Sheriff Gifford was wrong. Vamps were living in these woods, Daddy. And we guessed right. It was three of them."

"And a werewolf," Darren said, awed.

"I don't think so," Lily said. "I think he was just in the area and they called him. It was luck that he was there and good preparation that Leo had loaded up some silver bullets."

"The important thing, Darren," Leo added, "is that Iveyton is safe again. We got em, sir."

"I don't know what to say," Darren said.

Lily grinned. "You're pissed off. I get that. But admit it. A little piece of you is pretty damn proud right now."

"The only thing I'll admit," Darren said, "is that your mother is going to lose her mind over this. She won't let this one go, kid. I'm going to be catching hell because of this for... well, forever."

Leo pointed toward town and said, "Good job with the screaming at each other, guys. Looks like half the town is coming out to see what's going on."

Several people – most of them still wearing nightgowns and pajamas – were standing on their porches.

"I guess it's show time," Lily said.

***

Most of the town gathered in front of the police station. Sheriff Billy Gifford stared down at the four heads on the street. "What have you kids done," he said.

"What you wouldn't do, Sheriff," Lily said. "We took care of a problem you wouldn't even admit exists."

Gifford shook his head. "You broke some important laws, Lily. Laws that exist for some important reasons. Civilians cannot be doing things like this, girl."

"If you'd been doing your job," Leo said, "we wouldn't have to." Several onlookers nodded in agreement.

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about, kid," Gifford said. "I was doing my job."

"By refusing to accept the facts?" Lily asked defiantly. "Billy, we had a vampire problem. Every person in town knew it, except you. Somebody had to take action."

"Of course I knew it!" Gifford said. "And I did take action. The regulations on this kind of thing are very clear. First, we make sure the town doesn't go into a damn panic. Then we contact the Day Offices to report it. Which I did, two days ago. An investigator is supposed to be here today."

"Two days?" Leo said. "They sure take their time getting here."

"They get hundreds of reports a day," Gifford said. "Considering the fact that we're at war, I'd say two days is pretty good."

"And enough time for these things to kill more of our people," Lily said. "You should've told us, Billy."

Gifford shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. I mean, how many people would have gotten killed if I'd admitted my suspicions? How many of you would've gone off half-cocked and gotten yourself eaten?"

"We fought back," Lily said, "and we're still here. How many lives would have been saved if we'd done this last week?"

"Yes," Gifford said, "you fought back. And now I have to arrest you both."

"You're not serious," Lily said.

"I don't know what else to do," Gifford said. "The damn investigator will be here this evening. When I tell him we don't need him now, he'll want to know why."

"This is absurd!"

To Lily's surprise, the words had come from her mother.

Beth stepped from the crowd. "William Gifford, you are not arresting these kids!"

"Ma'am, I don't see that I have a choice," Gifford said.

"Of course you have a choice," Beth said. "Those kids saved lives last night. You know it and I know it. Hell, for all we know, they might have saved our entire town! I'd say those things will think twice before they come to Iveyton again. Sure, they broke some laws. But these kids are not criminals. They're heroes!" A few people on the street actually cheered.

Shocked, Lily looked at her father. He just shrugged and mouthed, "Wow."

"I can't lie to them, Beth," Gifford said. "These are the men in charge of the war. If I lie to them, they won't return if we ever need their help again."

"Then don't lie to them," Lily said. "I think we should stick these heads on spikes and stand em at the edge of town. We should show any other wandering monsters that Iveyton is not a town that will take their shit."

"Language, honey," Beth said with a wink.

"Sorry, Mom," Lily said.

"And when the Day Soldiers come," Leo added, "explain it was an emergency. Which is the truth."

"It won't be Day Soldiers," Gifford said. "Just an investigator."

"Give him my name," Lily said. "I'm not ashamed of what I've done."

"No decent person," Beth said, "will punish her for saving our town. Lily wasn't half-cocked and she wasn't untrained. Neither was Leo. Matter of fact, Billy, I suggest you consider deputizing these two."

Darren placed a hand on his wife's shoulder. When she looked at him, he said, "Our town?"

Beth smiled. "When I saw her walking from those woods, something happened to me. I looked at the things in her hands and I felt... I felt proud, Darren. Right then, I realized I had two choices. I could run or I could stop being afraid. While you were out there yelling at her, I made my decision. I'm tired of being afraid of the night. You and Lily aren't runners, and I'm not going to change that, no matter how hard I try."

"That's all nice and touching," Gifford said, "but we still have to deal with the fact that these kids broke the law. Just being out after dark is supposed to land you in jail for—"

"Thirty days," Lily said. "We know. And if you arrest us for that, you'll have to arrest every damn teenager in the town. You know as well as I do that they're sneaking out all the time to screw each other. At least we were doing something productive."

Gifford sighed. "Go home, Lily. Get some sleep. I'll just lay it all out to the investigator. Technically, you're in my jurisdiction, so maybe he'll let me decide how to proceed."

Lily smiled. "Thanks, Billy. You're not nearly as stupid as my dad says."

"She's kidding," Darren said.

"Whatever," Gifford said. "You folks go home. You kids get some rest. I'm sure the investigator will have questions for you when he gets here. I'll figure out what to do with these damn heads." He touched one of the vampires with his boot. "Disgusting."

"We brought them to you to be impaled," Lily said.

"This ain't the damn Dark Ages," Gifford said. "Now go on home."

Lily began to walk toward her house when Gifford yelled, "Hey, kids!"

Lily and Leo stopped and turned around.

"I'm not going to say you did good. You didn't. What you did was stupid and reckless and you're lucky you're not dead."

"You made that opinion clear already," Leo said.

"But I will say this," Gifford added. "You probably saved some lives tonight. Maybe a lot of lives. Now go home, both of you."

***

Leo walked with Lily to her front door. "You know," he said, "I think that qualifies as a hero's welcome."

Lily smiled. "I think so, too. I couldn't believe it when my mom stepped up like that."

"That was awesome," Leo said. "You gonna be able to sleep at all?"

"Doubt it," Lily said, "but I probably should try." She looked at Leo for a few long seconds, then added, "You did good. Your shooting saved my life."

"Your planning saved this town," Leo retorted.

"So we make a good team," Lily said.

Leo smiled. "Sleep well, vampire killer."

"You too, werewolf killer," Lily said.

Lily watched Leo walk to his house down the street, then she turned around and went inside her own house. She went upstairs, used the bathroom, went into her bedroom, put on a T-shirt, and slipped off her pants.

She reached under her bed and pulled out the old cardboard box that held her photo albums and scrapbooks. She sat in the floor and dug through the box until she found the scrapbook she was looking for. It was a large black book, with the words "Protect the Day" on the cover. She had made the cover from an ad for the Day Soldiers. "Protect the Day" was their slogan.

Inside was the complete history of the Legion and the Day Soldiers.

Lily opened it to the first page. It was a ten year old article, clipped from a magazine called Fleeting Glimpse. Of course, Lily couldn't remember the article back when it first came out. She was eight at the time. Truth be told, most people didn't remember the article when it first came out, no matter how old they were, because most people didn't read Fleeting Glimpse magazine. It was a magazine devoted to "solving the mysteries of the universe." Bigfoot, Loch Ness, all that nonsense.

For the most part, it was a failing magazine in an age when the internet was replacing most magazines anyway. And its articles ranged from very unlikely to completely ridiculous. When it was first printed, the article in Lily's scrapbook seemed no different.

Lily stared at the article. She looked at the title at the top of the page: "Werewolves Are Real and We Have One."

Back then, a title like that was typical for Fleeting Glimpse. That same issue had an article about Bigfoot's mating habits and another article about a unicorn that had been spotted in the Amazon forests. Most people didn't take the magazine seriously, which was a good thing because most of its articles were completely full of crap.

Lily knew all of this because she had done a research paper on the magazine for her English class in the eleventh grade. Specifically, the paper was on the werewolf article more than the magazine itself.

This short article, published in a tabloid magazine ten years ago, changed the world forever. The world didn't know it until a few days later, but it all started with this one article.

Lily had read the article a thousand times in her life. She could probably recite it word-for-word if she tried. She wasn't sure why she read it so often. Maybe it was just carry-over from the paper she'd written in English class. Maybe she was a history buff and didn't know it. Or maybe she looked at the article in the same way some people watch a wedding video or a video of their birth. She was eight when the article was published, so it wasn't the day she was born. At least, not literally. But in some ways... a lot of ways... it was the day her life began.

It was the day her destiny was revealed to her.

Lily leaned back against her bed and read the article again.

***

### Werewolves are Real and We Have One

October 25, 2017

You think you know what's real in this world. And you think you know what isn't.

In six days – on Halloween – your world is about to change.

All of our faithful Fleeting Glimpse readers know who Dr. Jackson Bates is. For those of you who don't, he's our primary cryptozoologist. He's an adventurer and a brilliant scientist, and for the past four years, he has searched the globe looking for scientific evidence of things most of us consider fairy tales.

Until now, he's had mixed results. He has collected evidence that suggested the existence of many creatures thought to be myth. To date, nobody has been able to disprove his provocative photo of the skunk ape he encountered in southern Florida.

There is a big difference, though, between evidence and proof. While Dr. Bates has found plenty of evidence in his journeys, he's never found anything that he could confidently call proof.

Until now.

Dr. Bates was recently on assignment in a small town called Carvington. And he almost died there. You see, readers, it was in Carvington that Dr. Bates met something that even he thought only existed in myths and legends.

In Carvington he met, fought, and captured a werewolf.

It sounds silly, doesn't it? We don't blame you for being skeptical. It's easy to speculate on the existence of Bigfoot or Loch Ness or some lost dinosaur.

But a werewolf? An actual supernatural creature? A claim that extreme asks you, our readers, to put reason on a shelf. And that is not something we're willing to ask of you.

So instead, we're having a press conference. Appropriately, the next full moon is on Halloween. That night, at dusk, we're going to change the world forever.

And you are invited. This issue of Fleeting Glimpse is your ticket. The conference is going to be held at Yankee Stadium at 9:00pm, Eastern Time. We will be filming the event, so if you can't make it to New York, we're quite sure you'll see it on TV.

We've spared no expense because this, dear readers, is real.

Dr. Bates has already received phone calls and emails from what he believes to be other werewolves, warning him to abandon this plan.

He has chosen to ignore their warnings. As human beings, we have a right to know what is out there, so we can protect ourselves.

Over the centuries, how many unexplained disappearances were the result of these things? And if werewolves are real, what else is roaming the night?

These are very big questions, and after this Halloween, we'll be taking these questions far more seriously.

So join us.

October 31.

And witness the event that will change our lives.

Forever.

***

Lily closed the scrapbook and placed it back in her box. She got into bed and crawled underneath her blanket. She thought about the fateful Halloween that followed that article. The video that changed the world. They didn't know it at the time, but history would eventually call that event "Jackson's Folly."

The world changed alright, but not in the way the assholes at Fleeting Glimpse thought it would. They didn't just change the world.

They destroyed it.

And it's up to us to rebuild that world, Lily thought as she drifted toward sleep. But first, we have to take it back.

# Chapter 3

The Investigator

The investigator's car pulled in front of the Iveyton police station around five that evening. Sheriff Gifford watched from the steps of the station as the car's door opened and a woman stepped out. Gifford guessed she was around forty. She was tall and looked strong. Her blond hair was pulled into a tight pony tail.

She wore a uniform that Gifford recognized from television reports, but had never seen in person. She wore black from head to toe. Black boots, black pants, black jacket. The only color was a gray patch on the shoulders of the jacket. The patch was a gray circle with the silhouettes of a gun and a wooden stake inside the circle, crossing each other to make an X shape. Underneath the jacket she wore what appeared to be a black body suit.

Gifford knew this was the uniform of the Day Soldiers.

"Sheriff Gifford?" the woman asked.

"Yes ma'am," Gifford said. "I'm assuming you're the investigator?"

"Beverly Clifton," the woman said. "Most folks call me Bev, and I'm fine with you doing the same."

"Only if you'll call me Billy."

Bev smiled. "Good to meet you, Billy. I hear you've got yourself a vampire problem."

"We did," Gifford said. "If you'll follow me inside, I think we can wrap this one up pretty fast."

"Did?" Bev said. "As in, past tense?"

Gifford sighed. "I'm afraid so. Come on inside. I'll fill you in over a cup of coffee."

"Can't wait," Bev mumbled as she followed Gifford inside.

Gifford led her straight to his office. "Cream? Sugar?"

"I like my coffee like I like my clothes," Bev said.

Gifford chuckled as he poured two cups of coffee and handed one to her. "We had three vampires," he said as he hopped up and sat on the corner of his desk.

"You're sure it was just three?" Bev asked.

Gifford nodded. "Pretty sure. When I was reasonably sure it was vamps we were dealing with, I called your people. In the meantime, I studied the wounds and cross-referenced the times of the attacks. Everything I could figure indicated it was three of em. Turned out to be true."

"I'm assuming you killed them?" Bev asked. "That's how you know it was three? Sheriff, I'm sure you're aware that is not standard operating procedure."

"Well," Gifford said, "they were killed."

"Shit," Bev said. "Locals decided to fight back?"

"Two of em did," Gifford said.

"Please tell me it was self-defense," Bev said.

"That depends on your definition of self-defense," Gifford said.

"You mistook my statement," Bev said, "for a question. I wasn't asking you if it was self-defense."

"Oh," Gifford said, relaxing significantly. This woman had no intention of arresting those kids. "It was self-defense."

"Okay," Bev said. "I'll have to talk to them, of course, to make sure it was just three. I don't expect any surprises though. This town is pretty far from the warfront. Most likely, they were just wanderers, passing through. Saw themselves an easy meal or two and decided to stay for bit."

"I think that's exactly what happened," Gifford said. He smiled. "I'm sure they didn't expect to die at the hands of a couple teenagers."

Bev raised an eyebrow. "Teenagers?"

"Yeah," Gifford said. "Lily's eighteen and Leo's nineteen or twenty, I think. Good kids. Tough as nails, though."

"Maybe future recruits," Bev mused.

Gifford laughed. "Don't say that to them. It'll go straight to their heads. Especially Lily. That kid idolizes you folks something fierce."

"I look forward to meeting her," Bev said. "Now, let's get started. I've got a seven hour drive ahead of me. Before anything else, I'll need to see the bodies."

"Well," Gifford said, "I think the bodies are still in the woods behind town. But I've got the heads in the shed behind the station."

"They took their heads," Bev said. "Those kids aren't playing."

"No ma'am," Gifford said. "They're not. They actually wanted me to display all four heads at the edge of the woods. You know, to warn any other wanderers that might come around."

"That would have been a very bad idea," Bev said. "Something like that doesn't scare off vampires. It motivates them."

"I figured as much," Gifford said. "That's why they're in the shed."

"Wait a minute," Bev said. "Did you just say they had four heads?"

"Oh, yeah," Gifford said. "According to the kids, they tricked the damn bloodsuckers into calling a werewolf. Killed him too. I told you, Bev. Tough as nails, those kids."

The investigator's eyes went cold. "They killed a werewolf? Are you serious?"

"Yeah," Gifford said. "They said the vamps summoned him there."

"Sheriff," Bev said, "I can accept that a couple teenagers killed some vampires. Most vampires in this part of the country are very young. Sometimes, they've not been turned for more than a few weeks. They treat rural areas as a kind of training area. They can learn how to be vampires away from the frontlines of the war."

"Okay," Gifford said.

"But not werewolves," Bev said. "I've never met a civilian that went head to head with a werewolf and survived. Hell, most trained soldiers don't survive an up-close confrontation. Those kids didn't kill a werewolf, sheriff. There's simply no way."

"Well, I can tell you that head wasn't human," Gifford said. "And it wasn't a vampire either. It looks human at a glance, but when you see his teeth, you can tell. He's got the teeth of an animal. A canine animal. It's subtle, but it's there. Do werewolves keep any wolf traits after they die?"

"Sometimes," Bev said. "Just depends on how much the wolf has integrated itself into their natural state. Sheriff, I need to see those heads."

***

The investigator didn't give the vampires much more than a glance. She immediately walked to the fourth head and picked it up.

"Well?" Gifford asked. "Is it a werewolf?"

"What time does it get dark around here?" Bev asked.

"Same as up north, I reckon," Gifford said. "I mean, you came from the Virginia Beach base, right?"

"Sheriff, please."

"Around seven or so," Gifford said.

"These surrounding woods," Bev said. "They don't make it get dark sooner?"

"Maybe by a few minutes," Gifford said. "But it won't get fully dark until around seven."

"What time is it now?" Bev asked.

Gifford looked at his watch. "Almost five-thirty. Ma'am, what's going on? Is that a werewolf or ain't it?"

"Billy," Bev said, "bring me those kids. I have to talk to them. Now."

***

"Sleep well?" Leo asked as he and Lily followed the sheriff into the station.

"So-so," Lily said. "You?"

"Best sleep I've had in years," Leo said with a grin. "I guess being a hero wiped me out."

They stepped into Gifford's office to find a blond woman sitting behind his desk. Lily felt a surge of excitement when she saw that the woman was wearing a Day Soldier's uniform.

"Sit," the woman said. "We don't have much time."

"Ma'am," Lily said as she sat in one of the chairs in front of the desk, "I know we broke some laws, but please hear us out. We did what we had to do. What anybody in our place—"

"You're not in trouble, Lily," the woman said. "At least, not from me. And please, call me Bev. When a teenager calls me ma'am, it just reminds me that I'm old."

"If we're not in trouble," Leo asked, "then why are we here?"

"I need to know how you killed that werewolf," Bev said. "Give me every detail, but do it quickly."

Lily told her everything that happened in the woods. She tried her best to stay factual and objective. She wanted to impress this woman more than she'd ever wanted to impress anybody in her entire life.

When Lily finished, Bev just nodded. "Okay," she said. "It was luck. That explains it, but it doesn't make things any easier for us now."

"All due respect, Bev," Lily said, "but it wasn't just luck. We knew there were three vamps out there. And just to be safe, Leo loaded his rifle with silver bullets. I was intentionally noisy to hide Leo's sound, and we made absolutely certain he was downwind. And the second I knew I was looking at a werewolf, I signaled Leo. We took some chances. I'll admit that. But this was more than luck."

"She has issues with luck," Leo said.

"I can see that," Bev said. "And I don't care. You kids were lucky. I don't know why Phillip was this far south, but the only reason you're alive is because he underestimated you and overestimated those vamps."

"Is there anything else, ma'am?" Lily asked. She wasn't pleased with the direction of this meeting.

"Are you sure the werewolf didn't say anything else?" Bev asked. "Anything at all, no matter how insignificant."

"That was it," Leo said. "The only thing he said was that he was 'in the area.' He never said why."

"Respectfully, Bev," Sheriff Gifford said, "I'd really appreciate it if you'd explain to me what the hell has you all worked up."

"Okay," Bev said. "You were right, Sheriff. These kids killed a werewolf."

"We already knew that," Leo said.

"But it wasn't just any werewolf," Bev said. "They killed one of the most powerful werewolves in the country. Maybe the world."

"What?" Lily asked, surprised by the fact that she didn't like what she was hearing.

"The Legion," Bev said, "is commanded by a council of eighteen creatures. We're not sure, but we think they're all werewolves. The severed head in your little shed belongs to one of those werewolves. Thanks to these two small town teenagers, the Legion is now led by a council of seventeen."

"No way," Leo said.

"And now," Bev continued, "I'm very afraid for your town. I would be ordering a full evacuation, but there's no time. It'll be dark in less than an hour. While you were getting those kids, I called the office and asked for some troops to be sent here immediately, but I seriously doubt they'll be here before dawn."

"You think the Legion's going to retaliate?" Gifford said. "Are you sure they even know it happened? We can go into the woods and fetch his body, then hide it."

"They know, Billy," Bev said. "And they will come. Tonight. More importantly, I have no idea what to do about it. I have some weapons in my car, but nothing significant. Nothing that can push back what we're going to be facing in a few hours." She looked at Lily. "I will take one thing back. After thinking about it, I don't think you kids got lucky at all."

Lily tried and failed to prevent tears from trickling down her face. "You're saying we've killed this town."

"I don't know what you've done," Bev said, "because I've never seen something like this happen before."

"What if we offer ourselves to them?" Leo asked.

Lily's heart sank. She had gone to sleep a hero. Now, a few hours later, she was a possible sacrifice to the darkness. "We did this, not the other people in town. Do you think they'd take us and leave the rest alone?"

"I have no idea," Bev admitted. "Maybe. It really depends on who comes."

"You know," Lily said, "they started this! They drew first blood."

"The vampires started it," Bev corrected. "As far as the werewolves are concerned, Phillip's act was an act of kindness. He was here to rescue you from the pitiful state of being human."

"Then we're left with two choices," Gifford said. "We hide or we fight."

"Or both," Lily said. "Billy, round up the town. Have most of the people go to the basement of any house that has one. But if anybody wants to stay and fight, I say we let em fight."

"Want my badge?" Gifford asked. "Since apparently you're the new sheriff."

"You got anything better?" Leo said.

"I don't," Gifford admitted.

"How many deputies do you have in this town?" Bev asked.

"Six," Gifford said. "Which, if I'm being honest, is five too many. Not a lot of crime in a town of nine hundred."

"Get the town together," Bev said. "I have ten pistols in my car, all loaded with silver. And I've got three small crossbows. I'll give them to anybody you say can handle a weapon."

"Do we have a chance here?" Leo asked.

Bev looked at him for a moment, then said, "Are you asking for a pep talk or the truth?"

"Pep talk."

"We have a chance," Bev said. "It's possible that my soldiers will arrive early. We might be able to keep them busy until then."

"Okay," Lily said, "if that's the pep talk, what's the truth?"

"Everything I said is true," Bev said. "We do have a chance. But the truth is, anybody who volunteers to fight back is probably going to die. The best we can hope for is that we hold them back long enough to save the people who hide. Is that worth dying for?"

"Yes," Lily said.

"Without question," Leo added.

"I told you," Gifford said. "Tough as nails, these two."

# Chapter 4

Iveyton Dusk

When dusk came to Iveyton, the town looked deserted. Every house was dark. Every store was closed, even the gas station. The streets were almost empty.

Almost.

Four people stood in the center of the street in front of the police station. Lily and Leo faced the road stretching out from the woods where they'd killed Phillip. Gifford and Bev stood at their backs, facing the opposite direction. Lily and Gifford held crossbows. Bev and Leo held guns.

"I've made a decision," Leo said.

"What's that?" Lily asked.

"I've decided that being a hero sucks ass."

"I'm withholding judgment," Lily said, "until tomorrow." She looked around the empty town. Over a hundred men and women had volunteered to fight, and were now hidden in several of the houses and buildings surrounding them. "Besides," she said, "this time, we're not the only heroes in town. I think we might just pull this off."

"I must admit," Bev said, "I'm impressed with your town."

Lily looked at the darkening sky. "Billy," she said, "you gave me your word on this. If they agree to take Leo and me, you let them."

"I'm not the one you should be worried about," Gifford said. "Your dad is in the furniture store right there. He'll die before he lets them take you."

"No," Lily said, "he won't. My dad was a soldier for twenty years. He understands sacrifice."

"My grandma doesn't," Leo said. "She doesn't deserve this. She already lost her kids to this war. Now she's going to lose her only grandson. We moved here after New York fell. She chose this town because she thought the war would never make it this far."

"You don't have to do this, Leo," Lily said. "There's no way they can know you were involved, no matter how connected they are. None of them saw you."

"She's right, kid," Gifford said. "For all they know, I was the one shooting that gun."

"No," Leo said. "I won't let you do that for me."

"I wouldn't be doing it for you," Gifford said. "I'd be doing it for your grandma. You're right. She has suffered too much already."

"Dammit," Leo said, "I was just thinking out loud, okay? Last minute, random thoughts. I helped start this, and I'm going to help finish it."

"Okay," Gifford said. "But if you change your mind, at any time—"

"Would you two shut up," Bev said. "They'll know the truth. These guys aren't bringing baby vampires like the three you met in the woods. They'll have vampires that will know if you're lying. When they get here, we have to tell them the truth. They'll accept your offer or they won't."

"Do you think they'll accept it?" Lily asked.

"I already told you," Bev said, "I have no idea. Just remember, if they don't accept it, signal the others immediately. A moment's hesitation will kill us all."

"If we survive this," Lily said, "will it count as my preliminary exam for joining the Day Soldiers?"

Bev laughed. "No," she said, "but if you survive this, the prelim will be a cakewalk. I promise."

"Lily," Leo said, "in case this is the end, there's something I gotta tell you."

Lily Groaned. "Leo, if you're about to start some romantic crap, I'll put an arrow in your head right now."

"I wasn't!" Leo said.

"We got a good thing going here," Lily said. "If you go and screw it up with a bunch of bull—"

"I wasn't!" Leo said. "God."

"Okay," Lily spoke in a voice that indicated she clearly didn't believe him. "Then what were you going to say?"

"Forget it," Leo said. "It was nothing."

"Oh, God," Lily groaned. "It was a bunch of romantic shit. I knew it!"

"It was not!"

"Then what were you going to say?"

"I don't even remember now," Leo said.

"Guys," Gifford said, "cut it out. We got bigger concerns right now. Like that thick damn blanket of fog rolling this way."

"It's them," Bev whispered. "Showtime."

Lily watched everything but the closest buildings fade to white, swallowed by the thickening fog. Within a few seconds, she could see her three companions, the road beneath their feet, and pretty much nothing else.

"Don't worry about the fog," Bev said quietly. "We weren't counting on clear visibility. Everything's fine."

Lily knew Bev was referring to the tiny microphone under her shirt. When the time came to signal the others, it would be through audio.

"Everything," a man's voice said from the fog, "is far from fine."

A vampire stepped from the mist. He looked exactly like the three from the night before. For reasons Lily couldn't explain, she found this comforting.

Another vampire stepped from the fog.

And another.

They kept coming. Dozens of them. They formed a tight circle around the humans. No matter where Lily looked, she saw the monstrous face of a vampire looking back at her.

"Who's in charge?" Bev asked.

"I am," a powerful voice answered from the darkness.

Behind the vampires, a great shadow rose in the fog. Through the mist, Lily could only see a basic shape, but it was enough for her to guess what it was.

When two of the vampires stepped aside, allowing the shadow to step forward, Lily's fears were confirmed.

The werewolf towered above the vampires. It was at least eight feet tall. It stood on two legs, allowing full use of its giant clawed hands. It was covered in thick, black fur. The head looked like some monstrous canine from hell. From the large ears sprouting above its head to the toothy snout currently sniffing the air in front of its face, there was nothing natural about this thing.

And nothing good.

The beast leaned forward and sniffed Lily's face. Then it moved to Leo.

Lily could see the terror in Leo's eyes as the thing smelled his neck. She found herself wishing she'd taken a gun instead of a crossbow. If she had the gun, she would have probably fired right then and there.

Okay, she thought, so maybe it's good you don't have the gun.

"Okay," Bev said. "You made your big scary entrance. Can we talk now?"

In an instant, the werewolf was gone, replaced by a naked man. He had short black hair and a cleanly shaven face. For a brief moment, Lily wondered how they kept certain haircuts when they were human.

"Dennis," Bev said. "I'm honored."

The man looked at Bev. "You know me, Day Soldier, but I don't know you. That's not really fair."

"Sorry," Bev said. "I haven't really established a reputation yet. But you certainly have. First Phillip, now you. What's so special about this place?"

"Was Phillip's death your doing, soldier?"

"I wish I could take credit for it," Bev said. "But no. Phillip died because of bad luck and his own stupidity."

"I see what you're doing there, soldier," Dennis said. "You know my name. So you must know that Phillip was my leader. You're trying to upset me. Throw me off my game."

"No," Bev said. "He really did die from bad luck and stupidity. I promise."

What happened next was so fast, Lily's eyes only registered bits and pieces. For a split second, she thought she saw the wolf-thing again, but as quickly as it appeared, it was gone and Dennis was again standing in front of her. The only thing different was the blood smeared across his face.

He pointed over Lily's shoulder. "Turn around and look. It's pretty cool."

Lily turned around just in time to see Bev drop to the pavement. Most of her throat was missing.

"Pretty neat, huh," Dennis said.

The three remaining humans stood in stunned silence.

Dennis looked at Leo and said, "I'm assuming that gun has silver bullets?"

Leo looked down at the gun, then back at Dennis. He nodded.

"You're welcome to try and shoot me," Dennis said. Leo didn't move. "No? Okay. That's probably a good idea." He looked at Gifford. "Officer, maybe you can explain to me what happened without being a smartass."

"I think I can, sir," Gifford said.

"Wait," Dennis said. "Let me show off my incredible detective skills. We came here to find four people standing in the middle of the street. Two children, an officer of the law, and a Day Soldier. The soldier said she wasn't behind Phillip's death, and I believe her. That tells me you three are somehow involved. Now, I think I can reasonably assume, officer, that this was not your brain child. If you had planned this, you wouldn't have recruited children to help you. And even if you had recruited children, you wouldn't have them with you now. You'd feel responsible for this, so you'd try to get them to safety before we got here. How am I doing so far?"

"Good," Gifford said, apparently taking Bev's advice about being honest.

Dennis looked at Leo, then Lily. "So that leaves you two. Here's what I think. Three baby vampires decided to eat up your town. You two decided to fight back. For some reason, one of the babies wanted to turn you. It's really not surprising. Baby vampires get so juiced up on their new condition, they can sometimes be a little too eager about sharing it. So this baby vampire wanted to get permission. Long story short, Phillip showed up, you improvised, and got very lucky. Probably because he underestimated the danger. Am I close?"

"Very," Lily said, still shaken by Bev's instant death.

"And the officer there," Dennis continued, "being a man who respects the law, called for a Day Soldier. Which brings us to the here and now. You're offering yourselves to me, to spare your town."

Lily took a deep breath. "We are, sir. We were just defending our town. We can only hope you understand that."

"I understand it fine," Dennis said. "You did what you had to do. And to tell the truth, I'm going to benefit from it. When I get back home, up north, I'm going to get one hell of a promotion."

"Then you accept our offer?" Leo said.

"I like you two," Dennis said. "You're both clearly terrified, but you're willing to sacrifice yourselves for the good of your people. But it's not a fair trade. You killed three vampires and a very powerful werewolf."

"Then take me, too," Gifford said. "You killed the soldier. With me and the kids, that's four. That would make it even."

Dennis laughed. "You," he said, pointing at Gifford, "are funny."

"I don't... I don't understand," Gifford stammered.

"Come on," Dennis said. "Do you seriously think the life of a human is equal to the life of a werewolf?"

With that question, Lily knew things were about to get bad. She looked at Bev's body, hoping the microphone was still picking up the conversation. Lily was sure she'd be calling for an attack very soon.

"I would estimate," Dennis said, "that one vampire is worth a hundred humans. But a werewolf... a werewolf is worth at least a thousand. So by my math, you owe me a minimum of thirteen-hundred lives. What's the population of this town?"

"I'm not sure," Gifford whispered.

"Now, officer," Dennis said, shaking his head. "Don't cause unnecessary pain to yourself and your friends."

"About nine hundred," Gifford said.

"Damn," Dennis said. "That does pose a problem. What to do, what to do."

"That's it!" Lily screamed. "If you take us, nobody else has to die. But if you come after our town, I promise you we'll take some of you with us. My offer is more than fair, because we didn't do a damn thing wrong."

Lily didn't even see Dennis move. Like before, he seemed to appear in front of her with his hand wrapped around her throat. His eyes glowed bright blue. It took Lily a second to realize that he was holding Leo's gun in his other hand. With one foot, he had Leo pinned to the ground.

"I think I have a solution," he said. He looked at one of the vampires and smiled. "Round em up."

"What are you going to do?" Lily said.

"Well," Dennis said, "the first thing I'm going to do is take care of Officer Sneaky back there, trying to get to the soldier's gun."

Lily looked behind him and saw Gifford standing over Bev's body.

"Shit," Gifford said.

Dennis released Lily and turned around, spinning his foot on Leo's chest. "Seriously, officer," he said, "how stupid are you? You're surrounded by vampires."

"I thought maybe they were focused on you," Gifford said.

Dennis looked at another vampire. "Turn him."

The vampire smiled. "Thanks, Dennis," it said. "You're the best." A second later, it had Gifford pinned to the pavement. Its face was buried in his throat.

"Billy," Lily whispered, "I'm so sorry."

"You should be!" Dennis screamed. "Both of you!" He reached down and lifted Leo back to his feet. "Do you children realize what you've done?"

"Yes," Lily said, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I'm not sure you do," Dennis said. "You've condemned these poor people. Your families, your friends, your acquaintances... the people you love, the people you like, the people you hate... all of them are about to pay the price for your ridiculous levels of arrogance."

"Please," Leo whispered. "I'm begging you."

"I do not want you to beg!" Dennis screamed. "I want you to suffer. You killed my father."

Lily's heart felt like it had fallen into her stomach. "We didn't know."

"Well," Dennis said, "he wasn't actually my father. He was more of a mentor. But saying, 'You killed my mentor,' just doesn't have the same impact, you know?"

"Dennis," one of the vampires said, "we have the town."

"What?" Lily said, stunned.

Dennis laughed. "You faced a couple baby vampires and you got unimaginably lucky with a very powerful werewolf. And you came away thinking you knew something about us." He turned to a vampire. "Lift the fog."

The mist surrounding them began to evaporate.

When Lily saw what was beyond the fog, any hope she might have had was lost. In that moment, she understood everything. She understood that she and Leo were nothing.

And she understood that the human race's days were numbered.

The streets were filled with people. Lily guessed it was the entire town. Most people were being held by vampires. A few were held by naked humans. Those, Lily knew, were the werewolves. More werewolves stood on the roofs of the buildings. Dozens of them. And they weren't in human form. They were giant, fur covered monsters.

"I can see the shock in your eyes," Dennis said. "I brought over two thousand with me. Phillip was that important." He turned around and yelled, "Tina!"

One of the monsters leapt from a roof and landed on the pavement beside Dennis. As soon as it landed, it became a naked human female. She was the most beautiful woman Lily had ever seen.

"Is this everybody?" Dennis asked.

"Yes," Tina said. "We've smelled every inch of this town. Most of them were hiding in various basements. The others were tucked away in the houses. They had weapons. I think they planned on fighting back. It was cute."

"How many are there?"

"I counted nine-hundred and twenty-six, total," Tina said. "Not including your friends here."

Lily looked at the faces in the crowd. Some of them were terrified. Some of them stood defiantly. Others looked at her with hate in their eyes that could only mean they blamed her and Leo for this, which, Lily knew, was a perfectly valid feeling to have.

"You're searching," Dennis said. "Are you looking for family?"

Lily didn't answer.

"I already found them," Tina said. She snapped her fingers. Darren and Beth were shoved forward. "They share her scent. Gotta be the folks."

"As for the boy," Tina said, "we only found one."

An old woman – Leo's grandmother – was pushed beside Lily's parents.

"Grandma," Leo whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"Stop apologizing!" the old woman said. "Don't let these things convince you that this is your fault. It's not. You did nothing wrong."

"She's right, kiddo," Darren said. "No matter what happens, please know that we're proud of you."

"Both," Beth added. "You did the right thing, you two. You fought back when nobody else would. Always know that."

"Oh, come on!" Dennis said. "You know they didn't! If they had just followed the laws about this sort of thing, none of this would have happened. A Day Soldier would have come to town, killed the baby vampires, and it would be over. But they didn't do that. They didn't respect the law. And the result of that disrespect is the horror you're all about to face."

"Day Soldiers are coming," Lily said. "If you don't leave soon, you could be responsible for the deaths of all of your people here."

"Oh, my." Dennis put his hands on the sides of his head in mock terror. "Then we'd better get on with it."

"Damn," Lily said.

"That kind of backfired, didn't it," Leo said.

Dennis turned to a vampire and said, "Is our officer of the law all fixed up?"

"Yes," one of the vampires answered. Lily was surprised to see that this particular vampire was wearing Gifford's uniform. Why had they taken Gifford's clothes?

Then it hit her.

"Oh, Billy," Lily said, her voice saturated in sadness.

"There will be no consequence," Dennis said. "Whatever you decide to do to him, I won't stop you and I won't retaliate. Kill him. Let him join us. It's up to you."

The thing that used to be Gifford walked up to Lily. "It's pretty awesome, actually," he said. He turned to Dennis. "Can I turn her?"

"You're not capable," Dennis answered. "Not yet. She would have to be drained completely, then her blood needs to be replaced with half of yours. But you'd have to get more blood inside of you first. You're too young. You wouldn't survive the donation."

"If I drain her," Gifford said, "I would have enough blood."

Dennis chuckled. "I love how eager baby vampires are. It doesn't work that way, William. Her blood doesn't just immediately go to your bloodstream. It feeds you. Your entire body. Your own blood builds over time."

"Damn," Gifford said. He looked at the other vampires. "Would one of you be willing to turn her? I think if we can just show her what it's like, she'll understand there's nothing to—"

Gifford's eyes bulged. He made a strangled gurgling sound as he looked down at the bloody arrowhead sticking out from his chest, then he fell to the road.

Lily stood behind him, crossbow in her hands. "I made my decision."

Dennis actually applauded. "This is going to be fun." He reached out and took the crossbow from Lily. "Don't worry, I'll give them back."

"What are you going to do?" Leo asked.

"I think you can guess," Dennis said. To Tina, he added, "Take them to one of the houses."

Tina smiled. "Yes, sir." She grabbed each of them by an arm.

"Wait," Dennis said. He looked at Lily. "I'm not completely without compassion. Say goodbye to your parents if you want." He looked at Leo. "And you can say goodbye to your grandmother."

Lily looked at Beth. "Mom."

"Don't apologize," Beth said. "I thought we made that clear. That monster is lying. No matter what he says, this was going to happen. You're not the cause of this, honey. You're the excuse."

"Listen to your mother, girl," Darren said.

"Daddy," Lily said, "I don't know what to do."

"What you're doing is just fine," Darren said.

"You know what he's planning," Lily said.

Darren nodded. "I think I got it figured out. Lily, if he does what I think he's going to do –"

"I'm going to have a vampire turn you," Dennis said. "I just want to make sure we're all on the same page here. I'm going to turn you into a vampire and make her kill you."

"When he turns us," Darren continued, "you have to do exactly what you did to Billy. You got that, girl?"

"I got it, Daddy."

"And don't back down, you hear me? I was going to let you sacrifice yourself to these sons of bitches. I expect no less from you."

"If he turns you," Lily said, "I'll kill you. I promise."

A loud crack caused everyone to look in Leo's direction, just in time to see his grandmother's lifeless body fall to the ground.

Leo was crying.

"She asked me to do it," he said. "She was afraid for her soul. She wanted to die a human."

"Holy shit, boy," Dennis said. "You broke the old woman's neck. That was amazing." He turned to Tina. "Get them inside before they spoil all the fun."

Lily screamed "I love you!" several times as Tina dragged them to a house. She kicked open a door, flicked on the light, and threw them onto the living room couch. "I'm sure I don't need to explain the futility of running."

"Whose house is this?" Lily whispered as she looked around the living room. "I've never been here."

"It's the Martin house," Leo said.

"That would explain it," Lily said. The Martins were a retired couple who mostly kept to themselves.

"Sure would," Leo said in a hollow voice.

Lily looked at him and saw an emptiness in his eyes that matched his voice. "Leo, you have to keep it together."

"I most certainly do not have to keep it together," Leo said.

"Leo," Lilly said, not bothering to whisper. "We can get out of this. It's not over."

Leo gave a single humorless chuckle.

"I'm serious," Lily said.

"It's over, Lily," Leo said. "We killed everyone we ever knew. Accept it."

"They're not dead yet, Leonard," Lily said. "And you're upsetting me."

"I'm sorry to be upsetting you," Leo said. His voice was still without emotion. "I just killed my grandma. I'm not myself right now."

"There's still hope," Lily said. "The Day Soldiers might come."

"Tina," Leo said, "is there hope?"

"Not really," Tina said, looking out the window, "no."

Lily looked at Leo and made a gun shape with her hand. Then she pointed around the house, hoping he understood that she was suggesting they look around the room for a gun. They didn't know the Martins, so it was entirely possible they had weapons.

Leo just shook his head.

"I searched this house thoroughly," Tina said. "There are no weapons here." She turned around and smiled at Lily. "I saw you in the reflection."

"Tina," Lily said desperately, "give us a chance. Just a chance. Phillip had every opportunity to kill us. So did those three vamps."

"I'm curious," Tina said. "What do you consider a chance? Are you asking that I hand you a gun full of silver?"

Lily leaned back. "I don't know," she said. "But this isn't right. It's... evil."

Tina laughed. "You want to know why humanity is going to lose this war?"

"No," Lily said. "I don't."

"Well, I'll tell you anyway. Humanity is going to lose the war because humanity is the only side that's fighting a war. Matter of fact, war itself is a very human act. You people think you're fighting some noble war against the darkness, but you're not. Well, to put a finer point on it, we're not."

Lily sat helplessly. She was beginning to understand Leo's despair.

"You're like an angry little kid," Tina continued, "trying desperately to punch us. But we're the taller kid, with longer arms, holding you away by the top of your head while you swing wildly at us. And we're laughing at you, Lily. That's the important part. You're fighting a war, but we're still playing. Sure, the game changed when you got lucky and dragged us in front of a camera, but it's still a game. If we wanted you exterminated, it'd take a week. Maybe a month, if you got really lucky."

"You need us," Lily said. "Especially vampires. They can't live without us."

This seemed to strike Tina as very funny. "The fiction you created about vampires is hilarious. You act like they matter. Child, vampires are soulless little ghouls. They don't feel emotions. They're intelligent, to a degree, just because they're using the same brain they had when they were alive, but they are far from self-aware. They know only thirst. They are only happy when drinking the blood of humans. They're more like ghosts than the twinkly little pansies in your movies. No vampire, in the history of the world, has ever lamented his condition."

"But they still need us," Lily said. "And you need them."

"We use them, sure," Tina said, "but that's for convenience. We most certainly do not need them. Saying we need vampires is like saying you need spiders because spiders eat other bugs. If you kill all the bugs a spider eats, you no longer need the spider. And that is eventually what'll happen with humanity. When we get bored with the game."

"I don't believe that," Lily said. "Or we'd have been killed a long damn time ago. You need us to keep you going. Not as food, but as new werewolves. You need us to keep your race going."

"You and your silly myths," Tina said. "We can turn you, but it's not because we need to. That is an honor very few humans get. Typically, we reproduce the old fashioned way."

"You underestimate us," Lily said. "You always have. You can pretend this isn't a war, but we both know you're completely full of crap."

Lily braced herself for an attack that never came.

Instead, Tina just said, "Honey, come here. Don't worry; I'm not going to hurt you. I just want you to look out this window."

Lily looked at Leo. "I hope our chat isn't disturbing your breakdown."

"No," Leo said, his eyes blank. "It's not."

"Come on, now," Tina said. "Before it's too late."

Lily got up and walked to the window.

"Now," Tina said. "Look outside and tell me humanity is stronger than we think."

Lily looked out the window.

Vampires stood all over the town. Hundreds of them. They were everywhere. Their faces looked to be smeared with motor oil, but Lily understood it wasn't oil. It was blood, made black by the darkness of night.

At the feet of the vampires lay the citizens of Iveyton, Virginia. Some were twitching slightly. Most just looked dead. Lily scanned the lake of bodies, looking for two in particular.

"If you're looking for mom and dad," Tina said, "you won't find them. They're not out there."

"Where are they?" Lily whispered.

"Now what kind of friend would I be to Dennis," Tina said, "if I stole his thunder. Besides, I didn't bring you here to torture you. That was just a bonus. I brought you over here to show you reality. Look outside. Every person in this town is dying. Every one. And don't forget, when we got here, at least a hundred of them were armed and ready to kill us. You know how many of us were killed? Zero. You know how many of us were injured? Zero. Scratched? Zero."

Lily watched the people in the town. Kids she went to school with. Parents. Teachers. Store owners. Ex-boyfriends. All of them were dying. Lily took a deep breath and reminded herself that there are fates worse than death.

"Your mom," Tina said, "is a sweet woman. It was nice of her to try and remove your guilt for this. But you know it's not true. We came here because Dennis was pissed off you killed Phillip. We don't give a damn about occupying this town. That falls back to you people thinking we're fighting a war when we're really not. No, dear, you did this. You and your broken little friend back there. You were arrogant little piss ants who got the attention of the wrong werewolf."

"I'm going to kill you," Lily whispered. "And Dennis."

"That's cute," Tina said. "Now get away from the window. We have more surprises and I don't want to spoil them."

***

They sat on the couch for what felt like several hours. Tina would say something every now and then, but Lily and Leo were both silent. After what she saw on the street, Lily had lost any desire to speak to Tina. She thought about her parents, planning for the inevitable moment when Dennis brought them inside. Lily decided she wouldn't talk to either of her parents after they were turned. No apologies, no "I love you." As soon as she had a weapon, she'd kill them. Quickly. There would be time afterward for apologies.

Lily fully believed what Dennis had said. He was going to turn her parents, then make her kill them. She was also pretty sure that her and Leo would be left alive because death would be a release from their pain and guilt.

When Dennis finally walked through the front door carrying two crossbows, Lily was prepared to do what had to be done.

"Okay," Dennis said pleasantly. "We're all set. My people are gone. The only ones left are the citizens of your pretty little town. Tina, you ready?"

"We're not staying to watch?" Tina asked.

"Nah," Dennis said. "I'm done. I already know the ending." He placed the crossbows on the coffee table in front of the couch. To Lily and Leo, he said, "Mom and Dad are ready."

"Where are they?" Lily asked.

"They're out there," Dennis said. "Somewhere. I'll tell you this much. They're locked in a room together, somewhere in town. Your dad's a vampire. Your mom isn't. Currently, both of them are tied to chairs, but I'm pretty sure it won't take your dad long to break free. If you can get to them in time, you can save your mother."

"I like it," Tina said. "It has a real serial killer movie vibe to it."

"Yeah," Dennis said. "Really, it's all about hope. Hope can be a good thing, but nothing is more crushing than a hope that doesn't come to fruition."

Lily picked up a crossbow and stood up. Leo didn't move.

"I'm serious," Dennis said. "I'm done. We're even. At this point, your mom's life is up to you. All you have to do is find her." He looked at Leo. "Here's the best part. My original plan was to turn her dad, and put her mom and your grandmother in danger. You would have had a chance to save her, but you prevented that, didn't you."

"He's messing with your head," Lily said as she walked toward the door.

"I know," Leo said, still not moving from the couch.

Lily opened the door, but she didn't go outside. "You lied."

"I did not!" Dennis said.

"You said your people were gone." Hundreds of vampires were still standing in the street, and all of them were looking at her.

"My people are gone," Dennis said.

Lily looked at the roads. The people of Iveyton were no longer lying in the street. Because, she thought darkly, they're standing up again. She wasn't looking at the vampires who came with Dennis. She was looking at the people of Iveyton. The entire town was undead.

And they were waiting for her to step outside.

"Good luck finding the folks," Dennis said. "By the way, I put all the extra crossbow bolts on the steps in front of the police station. You'll probably want to get there first, since that crossbow only has a dozen bolts in the carrier on the side." He turned to Tina. "A bolt is the arrow that a crossbow uses."

"I know what a bolt is," Tina said.

"Just making sure," Dennis said. "A lot of people incorrectly call them arrows."

"I'm not stupid," Tina said.

"Okay, okay," Dennis said. "Just making sure." He looked at Lily. "You've got twelve shots to get you to the steps. Twenty-four if you can cure the zombie on the couch. Good luck!" Turning again to Tina, he said, "You ready? We've got a bit of a trip ahead. I have an important promotion waiting for me in Jackson's Folly."

"You're really going to leave and just assume she died?" Tina asked. "I mean, have you ever watched a spy movie?"

"I'm not assuming anything," Dennis said. "I personally think she has a solid chance of surviving this. But it doesn't matter either way. I'm a man of my word. I told her we're even. If she gets through this, good for her."

"We're not even," Lily said. "And I will find you again."

"Oh, I hope so!" Dennis said. "I'm a huge fan of revenge stories. I would love it if you just showed up one day, several years from now, all badass and ready to fight. I think you should start planning on your big line right now. Don't waste the moment with something lame, like, 'Remember me!' or 'I keep my promises.' Come up with something original. I want to be wowed."

"Now, don't be so judgmental," Tina said. "Some lines are classic for a reason. I think 'I keep my promises' is just fine."

"Alright," Dennis said. "She might not even survive the night. And if she does, she has years to think about it. You ready?"

"I guess," Tina said.

Dennis looked at Lily again. "Good luck, kid." He turned to Leo. "The vampires finished off your grandmother, by the way. Drained her dry. I didn't think she could look more like a prune than she already did, but I was wrong." He looked back at Lily and winked. "Just trying to get him motivated again. You kids have fun fighting the vampires."

And with a blur of motion, the werewolves were gone, leaving only Lily, her endangered mother, her mentally paralyzed best friend, and a town full of parched newborn vampires.

"They're hesitating," Leo said.

Lily looked around to see him standing beside her, crossbow in hand. "Welcome back."

"I wasn't broken," he said. "I was without hope. But your mom is out there."

"Somewhere," Lily said.

The vampires continued to stand in the street, watching them. Other than their clothes, they were mostly unrecognizable. They were monsters, which comforted Lily. One of them waved.

"Why aren't they coming in?" Leo said.

"I don't think they realize they can," Lily said. "Vampires won't enter a house unless invited by the owners. I read some report that said the transformation does something to their brains that makes them extremely OCD. Some vampires have been stopped by a spilled pack of toothpicks. Their minds won't let them do anything else until they've picked them all up."

"Are there toothpicks here?" Leo asked. "Where's the kitchen?"

"I don't think that'll help us," Lily said. "From what I've read, that only works in a few cases, with vampires that have completely lost it. But the house thing... they all seem to be affected by that."

"But the rightful owners of this house are probably vampires now," Leo said.

"Yeah," Lily said.

"My house is just down the street," Leo said. "If we go out a side window, I think we can get there without being seen. I'm technically the rightful owner now."

"That's true," Lily said, still looking at her undead neighbors in the street. "But that doesn't free these people from their condition."

"Lily, no."

"I don't recommend shooting the crossbow," Lily said. "They'll be too close."

"Lily, don't be an idiot."

"Instead, hang the crossbow over your back and hold a bolt in each hand. Remember, these are piercing weapons. Don't slash because it'll just break the bolt. Stab. Straight in, straight out and move on. And focus with every attack. The heart. Every time. Anywhere else is a miss, so don't go stabbing wildly. Every attack has to be a planned attack."

"Lily," Leo said, "there are hundreds of them."

"And it's our responsibility to stop them," Lily said. "Every damn one." With a crossbow bolt in each hand and the crossbow on her back, she sprinted toward the vampires in the street.

"You know what?" Leo yelled as he followed her, "sometimes being your friend really sucks!"

***

The vampires attacked clumsily, as if they didn't fully understand the power they possessed. This was good news for Lily and Leo. As soon as she stepped onto the street, they charged. Lily stabbed a bolt into the first one's heart then quickly kicked it off with her foot, pulling the bolt free and sticking it in the chest of another vampire behind her.

Leo's first two attacks were simultaneous. He pressed each of his bolts into the chests of two different vampires.

After the first four fell, the circle of monsters backed off a bit.

"They know they can take us," Leo said, "but they also know we'll take a few of them with us. I don't think any of them wants to be the sacrifice so the others can feed."

"Well," Lily said, "I don't plan on leaving that decision to them." She moved swiftly but with purpose and control. The vampires fell almost comically fast. She had already dropped three more when Leo screamed. The urge to turn and look was strong, but Lily understood that could be a death sentence. She had to stay focused. "Leo, talk to me!"

"One of them bit me!" came Leo's panicked reply. "Son of a bitch! I think it was Kenny Carson!"

"The dude who worked at the gas station?" Lily was surprised by her ability to yell at Leo and kill these things at the same time.

"Yeah," Leo yelled. "I hated that guy! Last year, he took Jolene to the prom, and now he's gone and bit me in the damn arm!"

"Did you kill him?"

"Yeah!"

Lily pulled her bolt from another vampire's chest. "I guess that means you win!"

"Am I going to become one of them?"

"No, dumbass!" Lily yelled as she kicked a vampire back. "They have to drain you completely! I've explained that to you a dozen times!"

Leo drove his bolt into a vampire's chest, but it didn't die. Realizing he missed the heart, he jammed his second bolt right beside the first. He pulled both makeshift stakes out and the vampire fell. "You call me dumbass too much! It hurts my feelings!"

"We can't keep this up!" Lily yelled. "They're getting bolder and my mom is somewhere in this town!"

"I... agree." Leo's words were separated by gasping breaths. He was getting tired. "I don't understand his plan. If he tied her up, how did he get these guys to focus on us and leave her alone?"

Lily laughed. "Leo, you're a genius!"

"That's better!"

"Come on!" Lily screamed. "I know where she is!"

***

They ran into the kitchen and slammed the door behind them.

"They're not even trying to come in," Leo said.

"That's because they're not invited." Lily walked to the kitchen cabinet and pulled down a roll of paper towels. "Here." She tossed them to Leo. "Wrap up that arm. It's the best I got."

Leo quickly wrapped the towels around his bloody arm, then pressed his hand against the kitchen window and extended his middle finger.

"Stop that," Lily said.

Leo let his hand drop. "Why?" he grumbled. "This house either belongs to you or your mom. Either way, they aren't getting an invite."

Lily walked through the kitchen to the stairs that lead up to the family bedrooms. "They aren't held out by some magic shield. It's a kind of brain damage from their transformation. It's in their heads. They psychologically can't come in without an invite. You piss them off enough, they might be able to overcome it."

"How do you know this stuff?"

Lily shook her head as she walked up the stairs. "How do you not know it? These guys have been a major part of the world since we were eight. This is stuff they start drilling into your head in the Night Creatures classes in the ninth damn grade."

Leo followed her. "I had Mr. Hill for Night Creatures. It's a well-known fact that Mr. Hill's voice lulls you into a state of semi-consciousness almost immediately."

They made it to the top of the stairs and walked down the hallway. The first room was Lily's. It was empty. She moved on to the end of the hall.

Her parents' door was closed.

"Mom?"

No answer.

"Could mean they're both still tied up," Leo offered.

"Maybe," Lily said as she crept toward the door. "Now is a good time for the crossbow."

Leo pulled around the crossbow and pointed it at the door. "You're covered."

Lily pushed the door open.

"No," she said, barely audible. "Oh, Mom."

Beth was still tied to the chair, but she was no longer alive. Her body was covered with dozens of bite marks. In places, her body was missing large chunks of flesh.

The monster that used to be her father stood by the window. "Hello, kiddo."

Leo aimed at Darren's chest. "Just give the word."

"No," Lily said. "Not yet." She wanted to just kill him without a word. That had been her plan, but something in his eyes made it very hard to follow through. She could feel him influencing her, and she was surprised at how hard it was to resist.

"I was about to turn her," Darren said. "Even though it might kill me, I was gonna risk it."

"Who invited you here," Lily said.

Darren pointed at Beth. "She did."

"It's no longer her house."

Darren shrugged. "If you want me to leave, just say so. I'll leave, obviously, because I'll have to. But I wish you'd hear me out. It'll be too late to change her if you wait too long. We don't have much time."

Lily pulled the crossbow from her back and pointed it at the vampire. She refused to even think of it as her father.

"Listen, kiddo," the vampire said. "It's not like you think. I might look like a monster, but I'm not. I'm still in here. Lily, we can be together. All three of us. All four of us, if you want to bring Leonard. We can be a family again. Forever."

Lily pulled the trigger of her crossbow.

The vampire crashed through the window and fell into the darkness beyond. The bolt had struck his heart. Lily was sure because she saw death in his eyes before he even hit the window.

She walked to the window and looked down at the ground, just for confirmation. The vampire was down there, dead.

"I wanted to apologize to my father," Lily said.

"Why didn't you?" Leo asked.

"Because," Lily replied, "my father wasn't in the room."

Leo put a hand on her shoulder. "Lily, I'm so sorry."

She reached up and placed her hand over his. "I know, Leo. I'm sorry, too. About everything."

"How many did you kill outside?"

Lily shrugged. "I'm not sure. Probably about twenty or so. If all vampires were as weak as these guys, the war would have ended in a day."

"Yeah," Leo said. "I got twelve myself."

"You counted?"

Leo smiled. "Of course I counted. So that puts the total in the mid-thirties. Which means there are still hundreds of them out there."

"I know."

"Do you think they'll eventually come inside?"

"No," Lily said. "From everything I've studied, it takes years for them to overcome their psychosis. As long as we don't goad them into coming, they'll probably stay outside."

"Then we can wait until morning," Leo offered. "Let them hole up, then just drag them into the sun."

Lily looked at them on the street. From there, they looked more like zombies than vampires. She wondered if both were actually the same thing, just separated through myth and fiction. "We could do that," she said.

Leo sighed. "But we're not going to, are we."

It wasn't a question.

# Chapter 5

The Day Soldiers

The soldiers arrived shortly after dawn. It was a single black vehicle, kind of a mix between a jeep and a tank. Lily and Leo sat on the steps of the police station, watching the vehicle as it came to an eventual stop. Lily recognized it as a standard transport for Day Soldiers, developed specifically for the war.

The doors on the back of the vehicle opened and several soldiers jumped onto the street. It was a mix of men and women. They carried very high-tech looking rifles and wore the same uniform Bev had been wearing a million years ago.

Or was it yesterday?

To Lily, yesterday was a million years ago.

From the front of the vehicle, an older man stepped out. His gray hair was cropped short. His face was either extremely wrinkled or extremely scarred. Lily wasn't sure which. Despite his apparent age, he looked very strong.

While the man – clearly the leader of this troop – was looking at the many dead vampires scattered throughout the town, one of the younger soldiers jogged up to him with an excited look on his face. "Commander, there are hundreds of them. All dead. Every one of em apparently staked. Staked, sir. By hand. What the hell?"

"How many human bodies?" the commander asked.

"None," the young man answered, "that we can find."

Still looking at the bodies, the commander said, "Burn em all."

"Yes, sir." The young man jogged toward the other soldiers. "Bonfire time!" he yelled.

"There are three human bodies," Lily said in an exhausted voice. "We put them in the station."

The soldier turned and looked at the blood-covered teenagers. "Looks like we missed the fun," he said.

"Looks like," Leo answered flatly.

Without looking up, Lily said, "Good morning, Commander. Welcome to Iveyton. Population: two."

"The name's Wallace," the man said. "Commander Geoff Wallace. So... would one of you kids mind explaining to me what the hell happened here?"

***

Lily and Leo sat at her kitchen table while Commander Wallace tried to figure out her father's coffee maker. They had come to Lily's house because the commander wanted to get away from the stink of burning vampires. After they told him everything that had happened the night before, his immediate reply was that he needed a cup of coffee.

"I don't get it," he said as he pressed a blue button on the coffee maker. "I keep pushing the On button, but nothing's happening. It's got the coffee and the water. Why won't it brew?"

"Daddy had some kind of timer on it," Lily said. "I don't know how it works."

"Forget it," Wallace groaned as he turned around. "I'm gonna be honest here. I've been with the Day Soldiers since it was created, and I've seen some crazy shit in this war. But I've never seen anything like what I saw out there this morning."

"I find that hard to believe," Lily said.

"I'm not talking about the bodies or the blood," Wallace explained. "That's commonplace nowadays. I've just never seen two people – of any age – take down almost a thousand bloodsuckers."

"We covered this," Leo said. "They were newborns. The oldest one wasn't more than a few hours old."

"I don't care how old they were," Wallace said. "Most soldiers go an entire tour of duty and don't kill half that many vamps. But besides the physical aspects, I can't believe you kids had the guts to do what you did."

"We didn't have a choice," Lily said.

"Oh, you had a choice," Wallace argued. "When Dennis left, you were free to go. You could've run. Most people would've run. But you didn't. You stayed. You stayed and cleaned this town."

"Is that what you people call it?" Lily said. "Cleaning a town? Because to me, nothing about what we did felt clean. We killed every person we've ever known. Every friend we've ever made. Family members who loved us and took care of us were rewarded for that love by having a wooden shaft driven through their hearts."

"The kids were the worst." Leo's every word sounded like it was a test of his endurance just to say it out loud. "I thought killing my grandma was the worst thing I'd ever experience. But that changed in a few short hours... the little kids..." He took several deep breaths. "When we staked them, their screams didn't sound evil or otherworldly. They just sounded like little kids. Dying little kids."

Wallace put a hand on Leo's shoulder. "It'll never get better, son. And it'll never go away. The screams of those children will stay with you until the day you die."

"Great," Leo said.

"Just being honest," Wallace said. "You two sacrificed yourselves to save the souls of the people you love."

"We were the ones who put their souls in danger in the first place," Lily said.

Wallace laughed. "Don't buy the bullshit Dennis was selling. Mind games are just part of their battle strategy. Vampires came to this town and fed on you people. You stopped them."

"Killing those vampires didn't bring Dennis into this," Leo said. "Phillip—"

"I'm gonna stop you right there," Wallace said. "Phillip was the werewolf who led the attack on New York, all those years ago. He's the reason the city fell to darkness. He was responsible for the deaths of millions of human beings. Millions. When you killed him, you saved more lives than you could ever count. And you made a significant impact on this war."

"By killing one werewolf?" Lily asked.

"Yes," Wallace said. "Phillip ruled most of the east coast. We've been trying to take him out since this war began. I have no doubt that he was in this area looking to build an attack force that could take Virginia Beach from the south. Personally, I find it hilarious that his death is the direct result of vampire stupidity."

Lily was still overwhelmed by grief, but she could feel the guilt lesson, just a bit. "You're saying they might think twice before moving this far into Virginia again."

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Wallace said. "I'm sure they already know what happened here. Phillip came south and wound up dead. Then Dennis came here, turned an entire town into the undead, and every damn one of them wound up staked. All without the help of the Day Soldiers. Kid, predators don't enjoy hunting prey that can hurt em back. That trait is exclusively human."

"Hell of a price to pay," Leo said.

"Yes," Wallace agreed. "It is. Your town died to keep those things out of this part of the country. They're heroes, every damn one."

"Except," Lily countered, "they didn't sacrifice themselves. We sacrificed them."

Wallace shook his head. "Answer one question. After they found out what you did, how did they react? Did the sheriff throw you in jail? Did your parents disown you?"

"No," Lily whispered. "They were proud."

"Even though they were probably terrified, they supported you."

Lily thought of her mother. "Yes," she said.

"They sacrificed their lives for a greater cause," Wallace went on. "And you two sacrificed a hell of a lot more than that. The price was high but it wasn't in vain. And the only question left is whether or not you want to continue making that sacrifice mean something."

Lily looked into the commander's eyes. "What are you saying?"

"From this day forward, every vampire and werewolf you kill will be the result of last night's sacrifice. Each time one of those things falls at your hand, that sacrifice will have more meaning."

Lily looked at Leo. She could see something new in his eyes. Something hopeful. The pain of her family's death would never go away. She accepted that. But even the smallest hope that their deaths might have meaning was enough to push back her despair. She was sure Leo was feeling the same thing.

The next thing Leo said confirmed it. She could hear it in his voice. "You're asking us to become Day Soldiers."

Wallace laughed. "Son, you already are Day Soldiers. I just want to make it official."

"I have a request," Lily said. "It's a big request, and I don't even know if it's within your power to make it happen."

"Go on," Wallace said.

"Dennis," Lily said through clenched teeth.

Wallace's eyes went cold. "Most people will tell you that revenge is not a reason to go to war. They say you end up becoming the very thing you're fighting against."

"What do you say, Commander?" Lily asked.

Wallace smiled. "Here's what I say. I'm not guaranteeing you a place in the Day Soldiers. I can only get you to the prelims. From there it's up to you. But if you get through it... and if you survive your training..."

"We'll get through it," Lily said.

"Okay," Wallace said, "when you get through it... and if he's still alive... I'll make damn sure you meet Dennis again."

Lily looked at Leo. He gave her a very slight nod. She turned back to Wallace.

"When do we leave? "
Part Two:

Moving On

# Chapter 6

Placement

In most ways, the room looked like any other waiting room. There was a couch on either side of the room, each adjacent to a small end table and lamp. Over one of the couches was a large sign that simply said "Protect the Day." Over the other couch was a poster that said, "Knowledge is no longer a luxury. It's a survival necessity." Under the words was a picture of a cabinet stocked with bottles of garlic. Lily immediately understood the purpose of the picture. The world quickly learned that when it came to vampires there was a huge divide between myth and reality. Garlic, which had absolutely no effect on vampires, was the perfect example.

One thing, however, separated this room from any waiting room Lily had ever seen. While tables sat on the entrance sides of the couches, cages sat on the other sides. Inside each cage was a vampire. The creatures sat silently in each cage, intently watching Lily and Leo as they entered the room.

"This is interesting," Leo said. "They use vampires as decorations in their waiting rooms. Kind of medieval if you ask me."

"Shush," Lily said. "Just because you don't see a reason doesn't mean the reason isn't there."

"Huh?"

"Just sit down."

Leo sat on one couch, Lily on the other. The commander's office door was to Lily's left and Leo's right. The door was directly between the caged vampires. Lily sat toward the center of her couch, while Leo sat on the end of his couch that was near the lamp, as far away from the vampire as he could get.

"Hello, child."

The whisper came from the vampire by Lily's couch. She ignored it.

The vampire chuckled. "Silent treatment, I see. That's good, actually. It means you'll hear me."

Lily sat quietly, looking ahead. He was baiting her into conversing. She was sure of it, and equally sure she wasn't going to allow it.

From Leo's couch, Lily could hear the other vampire whispering to him. Leo seemed to have found a good technique for resistance. He sat with his hands over his ears, humming what Lily could only describe as the worst tune in the history of the universe.

The vampire beside her whispered again. His voice was strange, almost musical. "Look at me."

To her own surprise, Lily looked at him. Externally, he looked exactly like the other vampires she had faced. Bald. White skin. Disgusting veins. Sharp teeth. The only difference was his eyes. There was intelligence in his eyes that had been missing from the others, even the ones in the woods. He had a confidence the others had certainly lacked.

This vampire was old. Lily was sure of it.

"Open the cage," the vampire said in that same hypnotic whisper.

"No." Lily again surprised herself. She was surprised that she answered him at all, but even more surprised by the lack of strength in her voice.

"Let me out, child."

Lily was almost overwhelmed by her desire to open the vampire's cage. She didn't just want to let him out. She needed to. "This is incredible," she whispered.

The vampire smiled.

"I feel like opening that cage would solve all the world's problems," Lily said.

"It would."

"Why don't you just break out?" she asked. "I'm sure you're strong enough."

"Under normal circumstances, yes," the vampire said. "But these monsters keep me weak. They use various methods of torture to ensure my lack of strength."

"How do you torture a vampire?"

"There are ways," the creature said. "You'll understand everything after you release me."

"Amazing," Lily said. "I've read about the vampire's ability to influence the mind. I've even watched interviews from people who went through it. But until just now, I never really understood it. It's very powerful."

The vampire's shoulder's slumped, just barely. "You have no intention of opening this cage, do you?"

"Oh, hell no," Lily said. "But I gotta admit, I'm amazed at how strong the urge is. I mean, I think I have a new respect for drug addicts. Even though I knew, intellectually, that letting you go would be a very bad idea... I still wanted to do it. I've never felt anything like it."

"Look," the vampire said, no longer whispering, "you resisted me. I can respect that. But stop rubbing it in, okay?"

Lily chuckled. "I wasn't rubbing it in. It really was an interesting experience."

The vampire leaned back against the bars of his cage, sulking.

"Stop pouting," Lily said.

"I'm not pouting," the vampire replied.

"Listen," Lily said, "you're in the waiting room to the office of a Day Soldier's commander. If I were weak-willed enough to be controlled by you, I doubt I would be here."

"That would be a good point," the vampire said, pointing across the room, "if he weren't here."

Lily looked over just in time to see Leo pick up a key from the table beside his couch.

"Leo, no!"

Leo immediately dropped the key and looked at Lily with an expression that said, What the hell just happened?

"Dammit, Stu," the vampire by Leo's couch yelled. "He was going to do it! Just because you suck at controlling them doesn't mean you have to screw me over. I would've taken you with me."

"Liar," Lily's vampire said. "You'd have fed in front of me, then gloated about it before leaving me here alone."

"Oh, crap," Leo mumbled, realizing what he was about to do.

"Yeah," Lily said. "I guess we know why they're in here now. It's a test."

"Well, it wasn't a fair test," Leo argued. "Mine is better at mind control than yours."

"Bullshit," Lily and her vampire said together.

Before Leo or his vampire could retort the office door opened. "Baxter," a voice said from inside the office.

Lily pointed at Leo. "Do not let either of them free while I'm in there!"

***

Commander Wallace sat behind his desk, looking at a monitor when Lily walked in. "Close the door behind you," he said without looking up.

Lily pushed the door shut. "Is Leo in trouble?"

"Nah," Wallace said with a chuckle. "Those vampires are more like placement tests than entrance exams. Based on his prelim, Leo's on his way to becoming a sniper. He'll rarely have close contact with vampires."

"He really is amazing with a rifle," Lily said. "And a crossbow."

"I believe it," Wallace said. "After we get him trained up a bit, I think he'll be a real asset." He turned from his monitor and looked at Lily. "It's good to see you again, kid."

"You, too, sir."

"Was the prelim tough?"

Lily smiled. "Easiest test I've ever taken. You guys really need to get deeper with your questions. That test covered stuff most kids learn by the tenth grade."

"You'd be amazed," Wallace said, "just how many kids graduate high school without knowing the first damn thing about vampires or werewolves. But the scariest part, by far, isn't what they don't know. It's what they think they know. Misinformation about your enemy can be a bigger enemy than your enemy."

"That was the most confusing sentence I've ever heard," Lily said.

Wallace laughed. "I'm a soldier, not a writer."

"How'd I do on the test?" Lily asked.

"Perfect score," Wallace said. "But before you get all cocky, a perfect score is relatively common for the prelim. Like you said, it's very basic stuff. The real learning starts on the first day of basics."

"So I'm in?"

"I think we both knew that a week ago in Iveyton," Wallace said.

"And Leo?"

"Kid," Wallace said, "I'm not permitted to tell one applicant whether or not another applicant was accepted."

Lily rolled her eyes. "You already said he'll make a fine sniper after some training. And he killed as many of those things as I did back in Iveyton."

"If you're so sure," Wallace said, "why'd you ask?"

Lily shrugged. "Confirmation, I guess."

Wallace leaned back in his chair. "There's a lesson for you. Don't ask others to confirm what you already know. It shows a lack of confidence."

"Commander," Lily said, "I have many shortcomings. Confidence is not one of them."

"I'll concede that one," Wallace said. "Kid, I'm assigning you to Beta. Covert ops."

This surprised Lily. "Beta, sir? I'm not exactly what you'd call a subtle person."

"I wasn't asking for your opinion or your permission, recruit."

"Sorry, sir," Lily said. "I was just surprised."

"You're not a subtle person," Wallace said, "I agree. But Beta is more than just sneaking through the woods undetected. After training, you'll understand why I'm putting you there. In the meantime, you just have to trust me."

"I trust you, sir," Lily said. "And I will make you proud."

Wallace nodded. "I have no doubt of that, kid."

Since they left Iveyton a week ago, Commander Wallace had taken a personal interest in Leo and Lily. He took them on a complete tour of the recruitment facility in Virginia Beach, he gave them complete access to the facility library (which was normally only allowed after a potential recruit passed the prelim), and he took them to dinner every night since their arrival.

"Sir," she said, "can I ask you a question?"

"Of course," Wallace said.

She considered her words carefully, not wanting to offend the man. "Would you consider yourself a fair representation of a Day Soldier?"

With a smile, Wallace said, "Not what you expected, am I."

"No, sir," Lily answered honestly. "You're not. And neither is anybody else here. I expected everyone to be much more..." She paused, searching for the right word.

"Militaristic," Wallace offered.

"Yes," Lily said after some thought. "That's it exactly."

"Are you disappointed?"

"No," Lily answered. "Just surprised."

Wallace leaned forward. "Make no mistake, kid. Training is going to beat you down so many times, getting up will be as common as taking a piss. Your trainers will accept nothing less than your absolute best, at all times. They'll force you to face your own limitations, and then they'll teach you how to overcome them. Becoming a Day Soldier is a very rough road. And being a Day Soldier will make that training look like a relaxing day at the beach."

"I understand," Lily said. "Not really sure what that has to do with my question, though."

"I'm getting there," Wallace said. "There's a reason training is so hard. It's because we're fighting monsters. We're not fighting other people. We're not fighting in the name of some religion and we're not fighting to bring democracy to some third world country. We're fighting to save humanity."

"I've said the same thing to Leo," Lily said, "when he'd comment on my obsession to become a Day Soldier."

"And that," Wallace went on, "is why it's absolutely vital that we maintain our own humanity. We have to stay compassionate. We can't let ourselves get so caught up in the act of war that we lose touch with the very thing we're fighting to defend."

"I think I understand," Lily said.

Wallace leaned back in his chair. He looked thoughtful, more like a philosopher than a soldier. "In other wars, we hardened ourselves because that's what it took to kill our enemies. It's what was required to kill another human being.

"Now, we're not fighting human beings. We're fighting evil. These monsters have proven to us that evil exists. It's more than a point of view. Sometimes, it's as real as the ground under our feet. And to kill these evil things, we have to embrace everything that's good in us. Everything that makes us human."

"I understand." Lily intentionally left out the "I think" this time.

"Never forget that, kid," Wallace said. "There will be days where compassion is the only thing that separates you from them."

"Where's my training, sir?" Lily asked. "And when?"

"You start at oh-six-hundred tomorrow," Wallace answered. "Covert Ops is at the facility in Norfolk, so you're not going very far."

"Leo?"

Wallace smiled. "I told you, kid. I can't give information about another person's –"

"Commander," Lily interrupted. "Of all the rules you've broken for us, this is the one you stick to?"

"We're done here, recruit," Wallace said as he looked back at his monitor. "On your way out, send him in. You can ask him about it after I've met with..." Wallace stopped talking and just stared at his monitor.

"What is it, sir?"

Without another word Wallace jumped up and ran to the waiting room door, cursing the entire time. Lily followed.

They entered the waiting room to see Leo standing in the center of the room. In one of the cages was an old-looking skeleton. A pencil was sticking out of its ribcage. The other cage was empty except for a large pile of dust in the bottom. Another pencil sat in the dust.

"They wouldn't shut up," Leo said with a worried look on his face. "Am I in trouble?"

Wallace just shook his head, then turned and walked back to his office.

"It's your turn," Lily said. "I'll be at the coffee shop when you're done."

"Thanks for sticking by me, buddy," Leo mumbled as he followed Wallace into the office.

***

Lily sat at the table on the side walk in front of the facility's coffee shop, sipping a cup of hot chocolate. She drank hot chocolate because coffee, in her not-so-humble opinion, was one of the most disgusting liquids on the planet.

She quietly watched the small busy street. The Day Soldiers facility was basically a mini-city, with everything from a coffee shop to a small movie theater. Most of the vehicles were military in nature, but the people walking along the sidewalk looked more like tourists than soldiers. Lily knew this was because she was in the section designated for rest and relaxation, but it still seemed odd to her.

This was the largest Day Soldiers base on the east coast. It was where anyone from Virginia to Florida went to take the prelim. Two major battles were fought very close to this base, and yet it looked like a standard stretch along the beach. She was sure the actual military portions of the base would better fit her expectations, but she'd likely never see it now that she'd been officially assigned to the Norfolk base.

To begin my training to become a Day Soldier.

Lily still found that thought hard to fathom. Her life had changed so fast it was dizzying. Two weeks ago, the idea of being a Day Soldier was a silly teenage fantasy. Today, she was a recruit. Her dream had come true. The fantasy had become reality.

And the price for that dream was the deaths of almost a thousand people.

No, Lily thought. Stop it.

In the past week, she had decided there was no room in her heart for guilt. Revenge, sure, but not guilt. Guilt was both unjustified and unhelpful. She didn't kill that town. And their deaths didn't make her a Day Soldier. She would have made their ranks without the tragedy of Iveyton. Those people didn't die for her or because of her.

They were murdered, plain and simple. And feeling guilty about a murder she didn't commit would only make her weaker. It would make it harder for her to avenge their deaths. She believed Wallace's promise that he would help her face Dennis again. When that day came, she knew that a moment's hesitation would mean the difference between living or dying. She would not let guilt create that hesitation.

"You looked pissed," Leo said.

Startled, Lily said, "How did I not see you coming?"

Leo shrugged. "You were thinking pretty hard about something."

"Yeah," Lily said. "I was."

"Iveyton?"

Lily nodded.

"No guilt," Leo chastised. "We promised."

"I was just telling myself that," Lily agreed. "So, how'd it go?"

Leo sat at the table and took a drink of Lily's hot chocolate. He leaned back in his chair and smiled. "You're looking at the newest sniper to join the Day Soldiers."

"Leo, that's fantastic," Lily said, not mentioning that Wallace had already let that information slip. "Where's your training?"

"Norfolk," Leo said.

Lily's heart soared. "We're not getting split up."

With a grin, Leo said, "When Wallace told me where I was going, he specifically said he didn't want to break up our team. Of course, we won't see much of each other during our specialized training. I'm assuming you're not a sniper."

"Of course not," Lily said. "You're the marksman."

"So where were you placed?"

"Beta team," Lily said. "Covert ops."

Leo's eyes widened. "Whoah."

"I know!" Lily said. "I can't believe it. I thought for sure I'd end up in Alpha. I mean, I knew you had specialized skills, but I figured I was destined for infantry."

"No way," Leo said. "Those guys just rush in, guns blazing. Beta makes a lot more sense. They need people who can survive tough situations, like getting thrown into a town of vampires with nothing but a cheap crossbow."

"Yeah," Lily said quietly.

"Damn," Leo said, realizing he'd just referred to his entire hometown as a town full of vampires. "That sounded cold, but it's true, Lily."

Lily forced a smile. "Yeah. I guess it is."

"You know," Leo said after a moment of thought, "Wallace runs the Norfolk facility. I think he wants to personally oversee our training. I think we left an impression on him back in Iveyton."

"I'm glad," Lily said. "I think we can learn a lot from him."

"No argument from me," Leo said as he took another drink of hot chocolate.

"You're buying me another drink," Lily said.

"Coffee?" Leo offered with a smile.

"If you want to wear it."

They both chuckled, then fell silent for a few seconds, soaking in the moment.

Leo broke the moment. "What do you think's gonna happen to us, Lil?"

Lily shrugged. "I know what I hope is going to happen. I hope we become kick-ass Day Soldiers and eventually put a silver bullet between the eyes of a werewolf named Dennis."

"And Tina," Leo added.

"And Tina," Lily agreed.

"Then what?" Leo asked. "Let's say we succeed in avenging Iveyton. Where do we go from there?"

"That's easy," Lily said. "After we resolve the Dennis situation, I know exactly what we do next."

Leo laughed. "So tell me, oh great one. What do we do next?"

Lily grinned. "We win the war, of course."

# Chapter 7

The Names on the Wall

The Norfolk Facility was huge, taking up a third of the city. Entire city blocks were converted to training grounds for various divisions. Lily sat in the transport with the other recruits as they rode through the city. Other than her and Leo, there were six other recruits in the vehicle. They sat on small benches running the length of the transport, four on each side.

Leo sat beside Lily, looking out the window behind them as they rode past the different divisions. "There's my new home," he said.

Lily turned around and looked at the buildings passing by. "How do you know?"

"The street sign we just drove past," Leo explained. "It said Dotter Street."

"And that's the sniper area?"

"Uh, yeah," Leo said indignantly. "It makes sense that the dotters would stay on Dotter Street."

"Oh," Lily said. "So a sniper's a dotter?" Of course, she already knew the answer but decided to let Leo be the know-it-all for a change.

"Yeah," "Leo said. With his index finger, he touched Lily's forehead, directly between her eyes. "We put a dot right there and make you fall down."

Lily swatted his finger away. "Look at you being all educated now."

"I might not know the exact minute the twentieth vampire was killed by the third Day Soldier division," Leo said, "but I know the things that matter."

"You didn't know whether or not a vampire can enter a house uninvited," Lily countered, "but you made sure to know the important stuff... like what nickname the snipers go by."

"Okay, smartass," Leo said, "what do Day Soldiers call the Covert Ops?"

"I'm a sneaker, baby," Lily said with a smile.

"How'd you know that, but not dotter?" Leo asked.

"Because," Lily said with a wry smile, "I learn the important stuff."

Leo tried to act offended but couldn't suppress a smile. "I'm not sure Phillip the dead werewolf would agree with you."

"Touché," Lily said as the vehicle came to a stop.

She looked out the window again and saw that they had pulled into a large parking lot full of other vehicles, each one identical to theirs.

The back door of the vehicle opened. A man wearing a Day Soldier's uniform stood behind the transport. "Come on out, kiddies."

They climbed out of the vehicle to see many other recruits standing around nervously. A giant fence surrounded three sides of the parking lot. The forth side was blocked by a building so large that it dwarfed the fences.

All of the other recruits gathered around the front door of the building. "How many other recruits would you say?" Lily asked Leo.

"I'd say at least a couple hundred," Leo said. "More importantly, how many names are on that wall?"

Lily looked at the front wall of the building. It was absolutely covered in names. They were small, etched into the concrete, and ran up the side of the building at least twenty feet. "Who are they?"

Leo shrugged. "I don't know. It looks like a memorial of some kind."

There were thousands of them. Name after name after name, running up the side of that wall. Lily looked around and saw that the other recruits were looking at the names too. Some of them seemed to know what the names meant, but most just looked confused.

Lily was about to ask someone when the front door of the building opened and Commander Wallace stepped out.

He waited patiently until the chatter from the crowd died down, then said, "Welcome to the Day Soldiers." The mic attached to his shirt magnified his voice across the large parking lot. "Most of you know me already, but for the few who don't, I'm Commander Wallace. I'm in charge of this facility."

He pointed toward the top of the building. "My office is up there. My door is never closed, physically or metaphorically. If you need to talk to me – for any reason – come see me. And if you think I'm being insincere, ask anyone who's worked with me before. I mean it, folks. You need me, I'm here."

There were some rumblings of general agreement in the crowd. Wallace waited patiently until the murmur died down, then continued. "I saw that many of you were discussing the names on this wall. Who out there knows who these people are?"

Several of the recruits raised their hands, making Lily instantly feel bad that she didn't know.

Wallace pointed to a younger man in the front. "You. What's your name, son?"

"Franklin, sir."

"That your first name or last name?" Wallace asked, causing several people in the crowd to laugh.

"Last, sir."

"Fair enough," Wallace continued. "Tell us, Franklin. Who are the people on this wall?"

"Victims, sir," Franklin answered. "They're the people who died in the battle of Norfolk."

Of course, Lily thought. It's a memorial.

Wallace turned and looked at the wall. He pointed toward one of the names. "Shauna Carter," he said. "She worked at a book store about half a block from here. She wasn't married, but she lived with her boyfriend of six years. They had one little girl together, named Teri. Shauna's mom constantly pushed her and Mick – her boyfriend – to get married, but they just didn't see the need. Shauna often explained to her mother that she didn't need a piece of paper to know she had a family.

"Shauna loved Christmas, and usually started shopping very early. In early November, two years ago, she decided to do some Christmas shopping. Mick was at work, so she packed up Teri and hit the stores. A few hours later, the car was packed with soon-to-be wrapped presents. She was on her way home when it happened."

Lily knew exactly what Wallace was talking about. The battle of Norfolk happened in early November, two years earlier. The battle was considered the first major human victory in the war against the dark.

"They poured into the streets from all directions," Wallace continued. "It was a tidal wave of the undead. Within seconds, they had completely surrounded her car. They smashed in her window and dragged her and her little girl onto the street. They turned Shauna into one of them, but they knew a seven year old girl would be of little use, so they simply drained Teri dry and left her dead body on the street as they moved on to the next block."

The recruits were silent. Wallace looked out over the crowd for a few seconds, then said, "We don't have any information about what happened to Mick. Maybe he escaped. Maybe Shauna went home and turned him. Maybe he died. It's unlikely we'll ever know."

He turned around and again looked at the giant memorial of names. "There are over seventy-five thousand names on this wall. Norfolk lost over one-third of its population in the attack."

He turned back to face the recruits. "And yet," he said, "the city survived. The people of Norfolk decided they wouldn't let their city fall to the dead. They fought back. Most citizens had weaponry appropriate for fighting vampires and werewolves, and they didn't hesitate to use these weapons. At that time, there was a small Day Soldiers base in the city, and the troops quickly joined the fight.

"Their casualties were great, but the people of Norfolk managed to hold their ground until more Day Soldiers arrived. Two days later, the battle was over... and the Legion had been driven back. I think history will show this battle as a turning point in the war. It was the first major victory for humanity, and it was this battle that showed the world that we can defeat these things."

He again pointed to the wall. "These people didn't just die to protect Norfolk. They died showing the world that the human spirit is more powerful than the dark abilities of the Legion. They showed the world that we can – and will – win this war. And you folks are going to help us do it."

An explosion of applause and cheers erupted from the crowd of recruits. Wallace simply smiled, let the applause end naturally, then continued.

"Your first assignment as Day Soldiers," he said, "is an easy one. You report to your specialized training facilities in two days. I want each of you to pick a name on this wall. Any name. Once you have a name, you will spend the next two days learning everything you can about the person you've chosen. You'll have full access to our computers on the base and you're free to do any personal legwork you can do.

"After you've started your training, your commanding officer may or may not ask you about the person you've chosen. If, while giving your answer, it becomes obvious that you did not take this assignment seriously, you will go home."

Leo leaned over to Lily. "I really don't think this is necessary for us. We've seen the personal side of this war up close."

"I'm sure," Wallace continued, "some of you think you don't need this assignment. You think you've already learned whatever lessons this assignment is designed to teach."

Leo gave Lily a surprised look. Lily just smiled and shrugged. Obviously, Wallace knew many of the recruits would have Leo's reaction.

"Let me assure you," Wallace said to the crowd, "that you are wrong. This assignment isn't less important to you. It's more important. Many of you are fighting this war for your own personal reasons. Vengeance, justice, whatever. You have to learn, from the very beginning, that your pain isn't the exception here. It's the norm. And you have to learn that you are fighting for things that go far beyond your own little revenge mission."

"Smacked you right down," Lily said to Leo.

"Shut it," Leo said.

From the front of the building, Wallace said, "That's about it for now. Welcome to the Day Soldiers. Enjoy the next two days. And good luck." As the crowd again applauded, he turned and re-entered the building.

***

Michael Meade.

If the search engine results were accurate, he was seventy-two years old when he died. He had lived in a local rest home for the last two years of his life. His wife had died in a car crash fifteen years earlier. Michael's only surviving relative was his son, Michael Meade, Jr.

Lily stared at the computer screen, trying to imagine the last day of Michael's life. According to the reports, the retirement home was invaded by an estimated four to six werewolves. All the bodies had been mutilated beyond recognition, so Michael's death had been assumed. Lily's heart ached at the thought of those people's deaths. They'd worked their entire lives, surviving all the hardships life threw at them. And for what? To die by the claws and teeth of mythological monsters. The thought was horrifying to Lily.

"Done." Leo sat at the computer beside her, a look of complete satisfaction on his face. "I heard some of the recruits talking about meeting at the bar down the street. We should go."

"You're not done," Lily said.

Leo looked at his monitor. "I can tell you anything you want to know about Francis. Her job, her family, her death."

Lily just shook her head. "You go on to the bar, then. Have fun."

Leo looked at her with judging eyes. "Lily, everything doesn't have to be the most important event in human history. They wanted us to understand that we're fighting for a world bigger than Iveyton. I get that. Job done."

"Okay," Lily said. "Go meet some of the other recruits. We're not going to be seeing much of each other for the next six weeks. Go make some new friends."

Leo sighed. "I'll stay here."

"No, Leo," Lily said. "I'm serious. Go."

"Breakfast tomorrow?" Leo offered. "At the cafeteria downstairs."

"Sure," Lily said. "I'll be there at nine."

"How about ten?"

Lily laughed. "Planning on a wild night, huh."

Leo smiled. "You never know."

"Ten, then," Lily said. "Go. Have fun getting to know your future brothers-in-arms."

Leo gave her a friendly punch on the shoulder and was gone.

Lily turned back to her monitor and keyed in the words "Michael Meade, Junior." She of course got several hits. It wasn't exactly an uncommon name. After about a half-hour of searching, she found the correct Michael.

"Holy crap," she whispered, instinctively leaning closer to the monitor. "You're a Day Soldier."

***

Captain Michael Meade sat on his favorite bench, watching the evening joggers run through the park. He was a small man, probably in his mid-forties, Lily guessed. Like most officers, his hair was cropped short and his face clean shaven. The first thing Lily had noticed about him, though, was his eyes. There was a gentleness in his eyes that, for some reason, surprised Lily.

"Thank you for seeing me, sir," Lily said as she sat beside the captain.

"Pleasure's mine," Captain Meade said with a smile. "You're actually the first recruit to pick my father's name from the wall. Or maybe you're just the first one to give enough of a damn about the assignment to ask me about him."

Lily smiled, thinking of Leo. "I trust Commander Wallace. If he says this is worth taking seriously, I'm going to take it seriously."

Captain Meade nodded. "Wallace is a good man. It took me a while to accept that, considering his heritage, but now there's nobody on this base I trust more."

"His heritage?" Lily asked.

"Did you come to ask me about Wallace or my father?"

"Right," Lily said. "Your father. I really don't have any planned questions. The information from the database told me the boring stuff. I know he was an Army cook. I know his wife died before the war ever started."

"Yeah," Captain Meade said. "I guess she got lucky."

"I'm sorry," Lily said, realizing she'd just referred to the death of this man's mother as boring stuff. "I just meant there wasn't any information that told me who he was. I mean, inside."

The captain smiled. "I knew what you meant. No apology necessary. So... who was my father?" He leaned back. "That's a tough one. He provided for his family and he asked for nothing in return. He worked a lot, but rarely complained. He was a simple man who just took care of his family."

"How did he wind up in a rest home?"

"Damn," Captain Meade said. "You don't pull any punches."

"I wasn't judging you," Lily explained. "I just thought it might help me understand him."

"Actually," Mead said, "you're right. My father was in the rest home because he demanded it. I was in the Navy. I had a good job at the naval base here in Norfolk and my father lived with me. When the Day Soldiers set up a small base here, I was offered a job within the organization."

"So you took the job?"

"Not at first," Mead answered. "I knew working for the Day Soldiers would require me to be gone for very long periods of time. Being a Day Soldier requires a level of commitment that's far beyond what was asked of me in the Navy. So I told them no."

"What changed your mind?" Lily asked.

"My dad," Meade answered. "He found out I had turned them down. Although I didn't say it, he knew it was because I felt my primary responsibility was to him. His health wasn't so good and we both knew he couldn't live alone."

"I see," Lily said. "So he told you to join."

Meade laughed. "He didn't just tell me to join. He looked me in the eyes and said, 'I've always been proud to call you my son... until today. If you're going to turn your back on the human race, that's your choice. But I'll be damned before I let you use me as an excuse to do it.' The next day we signed him up at the retirement home."

"Wow," was the only thing Lily could think to say.

"Yeah," Meade agreed. "On paper, my father was just some old man who was murdered in a rest home. But in reality, he was a soldier, just like us. He went to that rest home so I could be a Day Soldier. He sacrificed himself so I could be here. And he didn't do it for me. He did it for humanity. Every soldier I train makes his sacrifice more meaningful."

"I know exactly how you feel," Lily said. "I'm sorry he had to die the way he did."

"I'm not," Meade said without hesitation. "Going to live in that rest home was his contribution to the war. It was his sacrifice. The day he went there, he became a Day Soldier. And he died on the battlefield, as a soldier should. My father died an honorable death, and I'm certain he knew that at the end."

Thinking of her own father's death, Lily said, "Thank you, Captain. Talking to you has helped me in more ways than you know."

"Wallace is a smart man, recruit," Meade said. "He doesn't give this assignment lightly."

"Yeah," Lily said. "I don't think my commanding officer will be disappointed if he asks me any questions about your dad."

"Just out of curiosity," Meade said, "what team are you going to?"

"Covert Ops," Lily said with a smile. "I'm a sneaker, sir."

Meade smiled. "Well, first of all, your CO is a she, not a he. Sister Abbie is going to like you."

"Sister Abbie?"

"Sister Abigail Reid. She was a nun in Ireland before the Legion took it," Mead explained. "Her escape from Ireland as the city fell was..." He paused for a moment. "Well, that's not my story to tell. I think you'll like Abbie."

"So my commanding officer is a nun?"

Meade nodded. "Yeah. And trust me, getting her as a trainer was the best thing that ever happened to the sneakers."

***

Lily stepped into the tavern, feeling good about the assignment. She had decided it wasn't safe to leave Leo alone in a bar, considering all he'd been through recently, mixed with the fact that he'd never been drunk before.

The place was crowded, so it took Lily a few seconds to spot him. He was sitting at the bar, talking to a very handsome young man. She walked up to the bar and slapped Leo on the shoulder.

"How's it going, soldier!" Lily yelled just loud enough for him to hear her over the music.

Leo turned around and laughed. "Lily-bug!" He turned back to the handsome soldier and said, "That's my little pet name for her."

"That's the first time he's ever called me that," Lily added quickly.

The soldier just gave Lily an exhausted look and said, "Leonard here is a real talker."

"It's not that he's a talker, really," Lily said, trying her very best to sound witty. "It's that he's not a drinker."

The soldier laughed. "I think you're right. I'm Scott, by the way."

"Nice to meet you, Scott," Lily said with a smile she'd thought was lost.

"So can I call you Lily-bug?" Scott asked.

"No," Lily said.

"Only I can call her that!" Leo slurred.

"Nobody can call me that," Lily said, "him included."

"So where you headed?" Scott asked.

"Home, after I get Drunky Drunkerson out of here," Lily answered.

"I'm not drunk!" Leo yelled. "I was just explaining to Scottie that vamps can't go into houses because they're crazy."

"Yeah," Scott said. "It was all very interesting when I learned it in high school."

Lily laughed.

Leo didn't. He staggered back a few steps and pointed a finger at Scott. "Are you making fun of me, friend?"

"Leo!" Lily said. "What's gotten in to you?"

"About two beers," Scott said.

Despite her attempts to prevent it, Lily laughed again.

"Listen friend," Scott said to Leo, "you've had a little too much to drink. I can see now that I wasn't being respectful to you by flirting with your friend here, so let's just have another drink and make a toast to the new journey we're all about to take."

"You were flirting with me?" Lily asked.

Scott smiled. "You weren't? Because if you weren't, I really need to recalibrate my flirt radar."

"No need," Lily said, "for recalibration."

Without another word, Leo punched Scott in the face.

Scott's head jerked back a bit, but he seemed unhurt overall. "What the hell, man?"

"Don't think," Leo said, "that just because I'm a dotter I can't hold my own without a gun." He raised both fists. "I'll dot you in the frickin eye."

"Leo!" Lily said, horrified at Leo's behavior.

Scott looked around the bar, then turned back to Leo. "Nobody noticed your little outburst here, so let's just forget this happened and go home. I don't know about you, but I didn't come this far just to get sent home over a damn bar fight."

Leo looked at Scott, then Lily, then back at Scott. "You two have a good night." He spun around and walked out of the tavern.

"I'm sorry," Lily said. "I don't know what's come over him."

"Really?" Scott said. "Because if you don't, you're not nearly as perceptive as I thought."

"It was good meeting you, Scott," Lily said. "I better go get him."

***

Leo was sitting on the sidewalk, leaning against the wall of the closed coffee shop across the street. Lily crossed the street and sat beside her friend.

"You okay, hero?"

"Not really," Leo said, "no."

"What happened in there?"

"I don't know, Lil," he answered. "I guess it just occurred to me that I really am alone."

"You'll never be alone," Lily said. "I promise."

Leo smiled. "Thanks. And please don't think that was some jealousy thing."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Really."

"Okay," Leo conceded. "Maybe a little. We're about to be separated for the first time since second grade, so I don't guess there's any point in pretending I don't love you."

"I love you, too," Lily said. "You know that."

"I know," Leo said. "And when I say it wasn't a jealousy thing, I just mean it wasn't what you think. I wasn't jealous because you guys were talking. I'm perfectly happy being your best friend. It was... I don't know."

"What is it Leo?"

"Scott is going to be a sneaker," Leo said. "He told me before you came in. I was sitting there, enjoying my buzz, and you two started talking. And it just hit me. That was the beginning of your new life. You were beginning a new life, and you seemed to love it."

"That's a good thing, Leo," Lily said.

Leo nodded. "I know. It's a very good thing. In my mind, I could see you and Scott becoming good friends. Which is also good thing, considering you'll be counting on each other in Legion territory. But then I saw myself and it wasn't nearly as glamorous."

"Don't be stupid," Lily said. "You'll be fine. You're just drunk."

"I am drunk," Leo admitted, "but I'm not being stupid. Every person we've ever known is dead. Hell, before everybody died, you were pretty much the only friend I had. Afterward, you're literally the only person in the world who knows I exist. And when I saw that look on your face when you were talking to Scott, everything just became... I don't know... real. I realized you were leaving me and I didn't like it."

"That's dumb," Lily said.

"Stop saying that!"

"Well, it is. Leo, we're training on the same damn base. You're about to gain friends, not lose them."

"I guess," Leo said. He smiled. "I'm feeling a little embarrassed now."

"The only thing you have to be embarrassed about," Lily said, "is the fact that you can't handle your alcohol."

Leo laughed and nodded toward the tavern. "Company's coming."

Scott strolled across the street and stopped in front of them. He looked at Leo. "I shouldn't have made the beer comment. I was just flaunting my peacock feathers. It was disrespectful to you and I'm sorry."

Leo climbed to his feet and said, "We both know I was the ass in there. But instead of us arguing over who's sorrier, how about we just blame alcohol and move on."

Scott smiled. "Sounds like a plan." He rubbed his cheek. "You pack a punch, there, amigo. I'm sure I'll have a black eye tomorrow. I'll have to come up with a good lie to explain it to the other recruits."

"You're actually the first person I've ever hit."

Scott laughed. "Sure didn't feel like it. The only way I was able to keep standing was because I knew Lily-bug was watching."

"Enough with the Lily-bug crap," Lily said. "And count yourself lucky that's all Leo did. I personally saw him kill about five hundred vampires in one night."

"Impressive," Scott said.

"He doesn't believe you," Leo said with a smile.

"Of course not," Lily said.

Leo turned around and looked at the coffee shop. "Every day," he said.

"Huh?"

"Let's meet here every day during training."

Lily took his hand and looked at the coffee shop. "Every day," she said.

"Every day," Scott said.

They both turned and looked at him.

Lily pointed at him and said, "This conversation doesn't concern you, handsome."

Scott just smiled and said, "Snobs."

# Chapter 8

Sister Abigail

The alley was empty except for four people. Lily and Scott stood beside each other on one side of the secluded alleyway. Across the alley stood a small girl who looked to be no older than thirteen. Beside the girl stood a very large and muscular black man.

Scott leaned over to Lily and said, "Fancy meeting you here."

"Shut it," Lily said, looking around the alley.

"How's your friend?" Scott asked.

"Fine," Lily said. "He slept most of the day yesterday. Today, we said our goodbyes and good-lucks, and went to training."

"Good," Scott said. "I felt bad for the kid."

"Stop condescending to him," Lily snapped. "What are you, twenty-three? Twenty-four?"

"Sorry," Scott said. "Didn't mean anything by it. He seemed like a nice but troubled guy. He's in love with you, ya know."

"Would you shut up and focus on our training," Lily said.

"What training?" Scott said. "It's our first day. Which reminds me... does anybody else feel like a random alley is a weird ass place to begin training?"

"Introductions?" the little girl offered.

"Sure," said the man beside her. "The first thing I'd like to know... how old are you, kid?"

The girl looked up at him. "I'm twenty-two, asshole."

"Okay," he said. "Sorry."

She smiled. "It's okay. I'm just an extra-small order of awesome."

Lily laughed. "I bet you are."

"My name's Ellie," the girl said, "but people often call me Rat. And before you say that's mean, I'm cool with it. I'm small, mean, and can get into a lot of places other people can't. I'm okay with Rat."

The man beside her smiled. "Fair enough. I'm John Grung. Most folks just call me Grung."

Scott walked across the alley and shook both their hands. "Scott Vellin."

"Guess that leaves you," Grung said to Lily.

"Lily Baxter," she answered. "I don't have any cool nicknames."

"It should be Slayer," Scott said.

Lily glared at him. "Shut up."

Smiling, Scott said, "I looked you and your buddy up on the database yesterday." He turned to the others. "Lily and her friend were stuck in a town full of vampires. By dawn, they'd personally killed them all. Around a thousand."

"Damn," Grung said.

Lily could feel her face growing more flushed. This wasn't how she wanted to start her training. "It wasn't like that," she said. "It was mostly luck."

"That doesn't make it less impressive," Ellie said. "It kind of makes it more impressive."

"So back to the original question," Scott said, apparently picking up on the fact that Lily didn't appreciate his decision to share her past. "Why are we in an alley?"

Grung looked up toward the tops of the buildings. "I bet our trainer is somewhere up there, watching us."

"Let's find out!" Ellie said. She grabbed a downspout on the side of the building and began to climb up. "I'll be right back!"

Watching her climb, Scott shook his head. "You know, I can only think of one word to describe what she's doing right now."

"Yeah," Grung said. "She's scurrying."

"She shouldn't be doing that," Lily said. "Our orders were to stay in this alley and wait for our trainer."

"Technically," Grung said, "as long as she doesn't climb onto the actual roof, she's not disobeying that order."

"Fair point," Lily conceded.

A strange creaking sound came from another point in the alley. They all looked in the direction of the sound and saw that a door to one of the buildings was now open.

"What the hell," Scott whispered as he slowly walked toward the door.

"Probably should tell Ellie to get down here," Lily said.

"I would," Grung said, "but she's gone."

Lily looked up. Ellie was nowhere to be seen. "Dammit," she mumbled.

"I think our training has started," Grung said.

"Yeah," Lily said. "We'd better stick to—"

Scott was gone and the door he was standing by was closed.

"So," Grung said. "She's picking us off one at a time, just to demonstrate what a sneaker is."

"Looks like it," Lily said with a mischievous grin. "I gotta admit. This is fun already."

Grung returned the smile. "I agree."

"I say we stand against that wall, shoulder to shoulder," Lily offered. "And we hold hands."

"I'm touched," Grung said.

"Shut your face," Lily said. "If the plan is to separate us and pick us off, we just stay together and wait as long as it takes."

"You're kind of a little tyrant, aren't you."

"Get against the wall, big guy."

They leaned against a wall and just watched the alley.

After a few minutes, Lily whispered, "So what kind of name is Grung? It sounds Russian or something."

"Not sure, to be honest," Grung said. "I've never really cared enough to look into it. I'm not really a study-the-past kind of guy."

"That's a shame," Lily said. "You can learn a lot from—"

The alley filled with smoke.

"It's the Batman!" Grung yelled.

Despite knowing she needed to stay quiet, Lily laughed.

A dark figure sprinted through the smoke in front of them.

"What the hell was that?" Lily said.

Grung fell to the ground, unconscious.

Lily looked in all directions, but could only see smoke. She knew the trainer – a nun from Ireland – was somewhere in that smoke. She also knew this was a fantastic opportunity to make a strong first impression. All she had to do was figure out a way to avoid being—"

Lily felt a tiny sting in the side of her neck and everything went black.

***

The alley was wet and cold on Lily's face. She slowly sat up and looked around the alley. The other three recruits were standing around her.

"Good morning," Scott said.

"Stop screaming," Lily said.

Scott laughed. "Yeah, we all have the same damn headache."

"So," Lily said as she got to her feet, "we're back in the alley."

"Yeah," Ellie said. "I'd say we definitely failed our first test."

"It wasn't a test," someone said with an Irish accent.

They all looked over to see a woman step from the door that had opened earlier. To Lily, she looked to be in her late thirties. She had black hair pulled back into a tight ponytail and wore the standard black Day Soldier's uniform. "It was more a demonstration than a test."

"Sister Abigail?" Lily said.

The woman smiled. "Either my reputation precedes me, or someone did a little research before starting her training."

Slightly embarrassed by the compliment, Lily added, "It was purely accidental, ma'am."

The woman shook her head and said. "Girl, if you're going to be on my team, you're gonna have to get over this deflection thing you have with compliments. You killed hundreds of vampires, but when your teammates mention it you just say it was luck. I credit you for doing your homework and you say it was accidental. You need to learn that false modesty is every bit as bad as false confidence."

"I thought humility was a virtue." The retort was instinctual, and Lily immediately regretted it.

"It is," the woman answered. "But false modesty isn't humility. It's lying."

Lily just nodded, accepting the criticism.

"And I'm Abbie," the woman said. "You don't have to be formal with me. I think respect comes from one's actions, not from one's rank, whether military or religious."

"So," Scott said, "was your attack on us a lesson in humility?"

"Not at all," Abbie said. "It was a lesson in reality. The four of you will often go into Legion territory. It's what the sneakers do. While there, if a single vampire discovers your presence, you'll see a repeat of today. Only you won't be tranquilized. You'll be dead."

The recruits were silent.

"But if I'm being completely honest," Abbie continued, "I just like showing off for the new recruits."

"Speaking of," Grung said, "where are the others?"

"There are no others," Abbie answered. "You are sneakers. Every new team is small. Has to be. My teams have a scout, a combat specialist, an intelligence specialist, and a leader."

Lily looked at the group. Ellie was clearly the scout, but the others weren't so obvious. She suspected Scott was the leader. He just seemed to fit the part. That left her and Grung. One of them was an information expert and the other was combat expert.

Lily didn't consider herself an expert on the Legion. She had no training beyond high school. That left combat specialist, which made her very nervous. Sure, her dad had taught her how to use most weapons, but she was no combat expert. Maybe Wallace had assumed the incident in Iveyton meant she was either an expert on the Legion or she was an expert on combat. Either way, he was mistaken. For the first time since arriving at the base, Lily felt unqualified to be there.

"You're trying to determine your role."

It took a moment for Lily to realize that Abbie was talking to her. She looked at the group and saw them all staring at her. "Yes, ma'am, I am," she said honestly.

Abbie smiled. "Happens every single time." She pointed at Ellie. "What's your role?"

"I think that's obvious," Ellie said.

"Humor us," Abbie said.

"I'm a scout," Ellie answered.

Abbie turned to Grung.

"Combat," he said. "I've been trained in most types of hand-to-hand, as well as most weapons, ranged and melee. I might not have the kills that Lily has under her belt, but I promise you this, I know the fastest and cleanest ways to take down a vamp and a wolf."

Shit, Lily thought. They think I'm a specialist on the Legion! She felt the beginnings of panic. She knew every person there was just as knowledgeable on the Legion as she was.

"Intelligence," Scott said. "I've worked in the research division of the Day Soldiers for three years. Just got transferred to Covert Ops."

Lily stared at him for a moment, then looked at Abbie.

"Every time," Abbie said with a smile. "Why are leaders the last ones to admit they can lead?"

"I'm no leader," Lily said.

"Really?" Abbie asked. "You planned your attack on the vampires in the woods. And when you saw it was a werewolf, what did you do? You signaled to your sniper to adjust his tactic. And when the vampires took over your town, who led the fight? And when you could have waited until morning, who chose to continue the fight?"

"Okay," Lily said, "It's just creepy to hear you talk about my life like that."

"I do my homework as well," Abbie said.

"Well," Lily said, "I can tell you, the events of that night were nothing like how you make it sound."

"I believe that," Abbie said. "But what I just gave you were facts, not opinions. You did those things, Lily. How you felt is really unrelated."

"I'm eighteen years old," Lily said.

"So what?" Scott said. "I trust Commander Wallace. And from what I've heard about Sister Abbie, I trust her. If they tell me you're the best person to lead our team into enemy territory, I'm prepared to accept that."

"Same here," Grung added.

"I already owe Commander Wallace my life," Ellie said. "So I'm not going to start doubting his judgment now."

Lily stared at them, dumbfounded. Back home in Iveyton, she'd imagined herself leading Day Soldiers into battle. She imagined it often. But she certainly didn't expect it on her first day. "Shouldn't this be something people earn?"

Abbie shook her head. "We learned a very long time ago that leadership in battle is not something that can be taught. Especially when it comes to the Legion. I've seen entire squads lost because a squad leader fell victim to a vampire's gaze. We already know that won't happen with you."

When Lily didn't reply, Abbie looked at Scott and said, "Mr. Vellin, when you had your placement interview with Wallace, how did you deal with the vampire in the waiting room?"

Scott laughed. "As soon as I saw him, I pulled cotton from the couch cushion and stuffed it in my ears. I knew I couldn't take chances."

Abbie turned to Ellie. "And you?"

Ellie looked at the road. "I let him out. Wallace had to come into the room and drive him back into the cage."

"I let him out too," Grung said. "But I instantly realized what I'd done and I killed him, if that makes a difference."

Abbie laughed softly. "It does." She turned to Lily. "What about you, Lily?"

"I felt the pull, but I just ignored it," Lily said.

"Wow," Scott said. "I work in intelligence, Lily. I don't think you grasp how rare that is."

"And," Abbie said, "she's not telling the complete truth. She didn't just ignore the vampire. She taunted him. She let him think he was influencing her, but in reality she was just evaluating his power. In short, she was having fun with the experience. Am I lying, Lily?"

"No," Lily said. "I'm just processing all of this."

"Separate ego from reality, kid," Scott said. "You know if you can do this or not."

Lily looked at him. "You can follow orders from someone you call 'kid'?"

"I can take orders from a kid who keeps a cool head in vampire territory," Scott answered. "And that's something you've proven."

"Of course," Abbie said, "the choice is yours. Confidence is perhaps the single most important trait of a squad leader. If you don't believe in yourself, nobody else can be expected to believe in you. If you don't want this position, I'm quite sure we can find something you're more comfortable with."

"No," Lily said. "If my team is ready to be led by me, I'm ready to lead them."

"Did you catch that?" Scott said. "She already called us her team. She's going to be a tyrant in the field."

Grung laughed. "I got a taste of that during Abbie's attack."

"So," Ellie said as she looked around the alley, "is this where we're spending most of our training?"

"Dear child," Abbie said, "this is where you're going to spend all of your training. This entire block belongs to the sneakers. It's your home."

"Where will we be sleeping?" Lily asked.

"Anywhere you want," Abbie said. "This is Sneaker City. You will eat here, sleep here, and train here. Sneaker City is designed to replicate your living conditions when in a Legion occupied city." She made a large sweeping gesture toward the city around them. "Everything you need is here."

"Cool," Ellie said. "We have a whole block."

"I'm not sure you understand," Abbie said. "I said it replicates your living conditions in an enemy city. When you're in enemy territory, you can't just sleep in beds. You can't just go to a restaurant and order a cheeseburger. You are Sneakers, after all."

"Where do we sleep?" Scott asked.

"Here," Abbie said. "Or any other alley you want. Or maybe just some shadowy rooftop. Frankly, I don't care."

"As long as it's not somewhere comfortable," Lily said with a smirk.

"Precisely," Abbie said with a wink. "I can't tell you exactly what will happen during your missions into Legion territory. Every trip is unpredictable and different. But I am pretty sure that – no matter what happens – you won't often be sleeping in a bed. As sneakers, you have to learn how to survive in an urban environment, without being seen. You have to learn how to live in the shadows. So that's what you'll be doing here for the next eight weeks."

"So," Grung said, "we can't leave Sneaker City at all for eight weeks?"

"Correct," Abbie answered. "Unless there is an extreme emergency, this city block is your world."

"Wow," Scott said.

"You're training to go to war against the most powerful evil this world has ever known," Abbie said. "Surely you didn't expect this training to be easy."

Oh, Leo, I'm sorry, Lily thought, suddenly remembering her promise to meet him at the coffee shop every day.

"Every day," Abbie continued, "we will meet in this alley for your official training. This will begin tomorrow at dawn. We start with power objects."

"What's a power object?" Ellie asked.

"Crosses," Scott explained. "Things like that."

Ellie nodded. "Oh."

"One last thing," Abbie said. "Sneaker City is filled with alarms. Every alarm represents a vampire or a werewolf. They are positioned to replicate places you might be seen if you were in enemy territory. If, during your time here, you set off more than ten alarms, you will be permanently discharged from the Day Soldiers and sent home."

"Harsh," Grung said.

Abbie looked at him. "Honey, if you set off more than ten alarms, you don't belong in this organization. I actually want the limit to be three, but Wallace disagrees. Consider yourself lucky his opinion holds more weight than mine."

"I have a question," Lily said. "Is there any way for me to get a message to someone in another division?"

"If you were trapped in an enemy city," Abbie said, "would you be able to get a message to this person?"

"Probably not," Lily said, dejected.

"Then you have your answer," Abbie said. "Be in this alley at dawn. Until then, get yourselves acquainted with each other and your new home." She turned around and began to walk toward the door from which she'd come earlier.

"What do we do," Lily asked, "if we need you for something?"

"You get over it," Abbie said as she stepped inside the building and closed the door behind her.

"Wow," Grung said. "This is going to be an interesting eight weeks."

"No shit," Lily said.

"I wouldn't worry about Leo," Scott said.

Lily looked at him.

"I was there when you made the coffee shop plans, remember?"

"Oh, yeah," Lily said.

"I'm pretty sure," Scott said, "that the dotters are locked up in their own block, just like us. He'll understand."

"Yeah," Lily said. "I just worry about him."

"You don't give him enough credit," Scott said. "He's not some timid little kid. He took down just as many vampires as you."

"I know," Lily said defensively. "I still worry about him. And I'm sure he worries about me."

"Boyfriend?" Grung asked.

"No," Lily answered quickly.

"Yes," Scott said.

"No," Lily said, throwing Scott and agitated look. "We grew up together. He's my best friend. We've been through a lot together."

"So," Ellie said, "does anybody else have to pee?"

Grung laughed. "I'll say it again. This is going to be an interesting eight weeks."

Nobody disagreed.

# Chapter 9

Sneaker City

Ellie sat on the ledge outside the apartment window. The others were on the street below her, watching intently. After several minutes of studying the room carefully, she climbed back down to the street.

"It's definitely a kitchen," she reported. "There's a refrigerator."

"Did you see any alarms?" Scott asked.

"I doubt they're in visible locations," Lily said.

"Actually," Ellie said, "I saw what I think was an alarm. It looked similar to a security camera. It was in the corner, and kept rotating its view to different places in the room."

"If its sensors are directional," Grung offered, "maybe Ellie can sneak around it."

"Maybe," Ellie said. "I'm willing to try. We have to have food."

It took Lily a moment to realize everyone was looking at her.

"Your call, Chief," Scott said.

"Do it," Lily said, surprised by her lack of hesitation to make a decision.

***

As soon as Lily gave the order, Ellie went back to the wall and climbed up the fire escape. She climbed back onto the ledge outside the kitchen window and began counting as the alarm swept across the room. It took the camera thirty-two seconds to make a full sweep.

Plenty of time.

She waited until the device was pointing in the opposite direction, then darted to the fridge.

Please have food, please have food.

She grabbed the door handle and pulled it open.

***

"I hope she pulls this off," Grung said. "I'm actually pretty hungry."

"Me, too," Scott said. "I wish we could help somehow. It's not fair that she's the only one risking an alarm."

"Good point," Lily said. "If she doesn't succeed, we'll stay on the ground and continue our search. We all need to share the risk here."

"Sorry," Scott said. "That sounded like I was questioning your decision. I wasn't."

"Scott," Lily said, "please question every decision I ever make. Ever. All of us will be risking our lives out there. Every person on this team has a voice, whether they like it or not."

Grung chuckled. "You sound like Wallace."

"Agreed," Scott said. "You sure you're not a—"

The alarm's scream blasted across the alley.

"Dammit!" Grung said.

Ellie climbed out the window and began to scurry down the fire escape.

"Is she..." Scott said as she climbed toward the ground, "shirtless?"

Ellie jumped from the bottom ladder, landing softly on the ground. Her shirt was now a make-shift sack that she held in her hand. Her upper body was completely bare except for her bra.

"I need a backpack," She said.

The alarm continued for a few more seconds, then turned off.

"What happened?" Lily asked.

"I made it to the fridge, but everything in it was spoiled," She explained. She looked at Scott and said, "Stop staring, perv."

Scott's face flushed slightly.

"Damn," Lily said. "We should have thought of that."

"Yeah," Ellie agreed. "We didn't expect them to be bastards about food."

"Makes sense," Grung said. "If this were an occupied city, they wouldn't have much use for refrigerated food. Whether it's blood or meat, they prefer their food fresh."

"Nice," Ellie said. "Now for the good news." She opened her shirt-sack and showed them its contents. "Canned foods," She said with a grin. "Beans, peaches, green beans, and more. In all, I think I snagged ten cans."

"Hell yeah," Scott said. "Score one for the scout."

"I saw the cabinets as I was sneaking out," Ellie explained as she slipped her shirt back on. "When I saw them, I hesitated, which is why the alarm got me."

"I'm sorry that happened," Lily said.

"It was worth it," Ellie said. "Now we know those devices are indeed the alarms. Once it started screaming, I thought, screw it, and checked the cabinets." She grinned again. "Besides... I've still got nine lives left."

***

After a couple hours of searching, they found a restroom in the back of a gas station that didn't have an alarm. The hallway leading to it had an alarm, but it was easy enough to sneak past. They took some bottled water from the gas station, took turns in the restroom, then decided to make their way back to the original alley for dinner.

"Something just occurred to me," Grung said as they entered the alley. "How are we going to open these cans?"

Ellie immediately pulled a can opener from her pocket and tossed it to him. "Give me a little credit," she said. "I sacrificed one of my ten lives to get this food. You think I'd have left that kitchen without a can opener?"

Grung laughed. "You're the best scout ever."

"You don't know the half of it," Ellie said as she pulled four small spoons from another pocket. She handed each member a spoon.

"You really do need a backpack," Lily said.

"This is what I'm saying," Ellie said as she sat down on the street and picked up a can of food. "Any bean lovers?"

"I'll take it," Scott said.

Ellie tossed him the can and picked up another. "French Cut Green Beans."

"I like green beans," Grung said.

Ellie tossed him the can then picked up two more. "Well, fearless leader, would you prefer home-style baked beans or beans and franks?"

Lily laughed. "Either one is fine."

"I'm in the mood for baked beans," Ellie said as she tossed Lily the beans and franks.

They sat in a small circle on the side of the street and began to eat their dinner. "So," Scott said between bites, "is this the get-to-know-each-other portion of the evening?"

"Sounds good to me," Lily said. "Scott, you brought it up. You start."

"Hey," Scott said, "we're off duty. You're not the boss of me."

"Spill it," Ellie said. "And I don't mean the beans."

Scott laughed. "Not much to tell. My family was pretty well off. I went to private schools and was always top of my class. My family had some connections, so my parents got me into a nice, safe college in southern Florida. They had it all worked out so I would be as far away from the war as possible."

"Looks like the plan was a huge success," Grung said.

Scott chuckled. "We lived in Georgia. I agreed to everything, the college, the easy life. For my high school graduation, they bought me a nice car. I was accepted at the college and we had this big going-away party. We said our goodbyes, and I got in my shiny car and began the drive to my shiny college."

"I love shiny things," Ellie said.

"Me too," Scott said. "But those particular shiny things were too expensive. The price was my soul. Instead of going south, I went north. I drove to the nearest Day Soldiers recruiting center and signed up. The placement tests immediately got me in the information division. And the rest, as they say...."

"How'd your parents take it," Lily said.

"They didn't talk to me for over a year," Scott answered. "Eventually they got over it. I mean, really, the only reason they did what they did was to keep me safe. I appreciate that. Once they realized they weren't keeping me from this war, they were actually proud of me. Scared for me, but proud of me."

Lily could tell Scott's entire story was memorized. He'd obviously told that to many people since joining the Day Soldiers. How many times will I have to tell my own story? she asked herself. She immediately knew the answer. Too many.

"My story's not that interesting," Grung said. "My mom was a police officer. As soon as I was old enough, I went to the academy to become a cop. During training, I discovered that I was a natural when it came to weaponry and defense tactics. After I graduated the academy, I put in for a position to train other police officers on weapons and combat.

"It was around then that the Legion attacked Virginia Beach. When that happened, this thing became real for me. I'm from Roanoke, which is pretty damn close. I decided to join, had full support from my folks, and... well... here I am."

"I was there," Ellie said quietly.

"Where?" Scott asked.

"Virginia Beach," Ellie answered. "When the attack happened. I was on vacation with some friends from college. When the attack started, it was chaos. We were on a pier and heard the screams. It was just after dark, so there were still quite a few people on the beach. They were all massacred."

"Vamps?" Grung asked.

"No," Ellie said. "Werewolves. Looked like dozens of them. I think the vamps took to the stores and hotels and the werewolves took the beach. I don't know for sure, but that's what it looked like to us. It was me and two friends. One of my friends just flipped the hell out. She jumped from the pier. I guess she thought she could land in the water and swim away. Didn't happen, though. She went under and never came up. I guess she hit the pier or something. I don't know. It was a long drop."

"Damn," Lily said.

Ellie nodded. "Yeah. Damn."

"What did you and the other friend do?" Grung asked.

"We climbed under the pier," Ellie said. "We just hung underneath it, with the ocean below us. Eventually, the werewolves made it to the pier and slaughtered everybody who was still on it."

"But they didn't see you?" Lily asked.

"Eventually they did," Ellie said. "Theresa and I weren't the only ones hanging there. Other people did the same thing, and some of them screamed when the killing started above us. The werewolves started ripping up the boards from the pier and pulling people through. I don't have the words to explain how terrifying it is to see those other people just getting yanked up through the pier."

"I think I'd have just dropped," Grung said. "Took my chances with the ocean."

"People were dropping left and right," Ellie said. "I was about to join them when I heard the first gunshots."

"Day Soldiers," Lily said.

"Yeah," Ellie said. "It was the best damn sound I'd ever heard. The wolves on the pier immediately gave up on us and ran back to the beach, toward the attacking soldiers. Within a few minutes, some soldiers ran onto the pier and started pulling us up. Wallace was one of those men.

"After that, Theresa went back to her family in South Carolina and I joined the Day Soldiers. And here I am."

"I guess that leaves you, fearless leader," Scott said.

"You all know my story," Lily said.

"That's crap and you know it," Grung said.

Lily laughed. "Okay," she said. "This is the first time I've ever really talked about this stuff, so don't judge me if I get emotional."

She told them everything. At first, it was difficult, but as she went on, it became easier. By the time she finished, she felt strangely lighter. Apparently, she hadn't realized what a weight those events had been on her. She found herself hoping Leo could have the opportunity to do the same.

When she finished, everyone just sat quietly for a few seconds. Lily didn't know why, but she suddenly felt embarrassed.

"I have one question," Grung said.

"Sure," Lily said, relieved for the break in silence.

"Why didn't you wait until morning to finish them off?" he asked. "It would have been much easier."

"I've asked myself that same question," Lily said. "It wasn't a macho thing, I promise you that. If I had to guess, I'd say it was because I wanted to fight the evil that had taken my town. It wasn't enough to just get rid of it. I had to fight it. I had to look this evil in the eyes and fight it and win. Killing them while they slept would have been a mercy to that evil and I wasn't in a merciful mood. I know that sounds stupid, but I can't really think of a better way to explain it."

"It doesn't sound stupid at all," Ellie said. "As a matter of fact, I'd say that's the one thing we all have in common."

"And not just us," Scott said. "I think you just described the heart of the Day Soldiers."

"Okay," Lily said, "I think we should try to figure out a way to sleep. I'll take the first watch."

"The first watch?" Scott asked. "You really think that's necessary?"

"Makes sense," Grung said. "Abbie wants this place to replicate living in enemy territory. I bet she'll be checking to see if we thought of it."

"Alright," Lily said. "Big day tomorrow. Each person can take two hours. Who wants to be the person I get up for the second watch?"

"I'll do it," Scott said.

"I'll take third," Grung said, "since clearly Ellie isn't volunteering."

They all looked in Ellie's direction. She was curled up next to a building, sleeping soundly.

"How is that even possible?" Scott said.

"She earned the rest," Grung said. "She sacrificed an alarm to give us food."

"Okay," Lily said. "I'll be at the end of the alley. Sleep well guys."

"Yeah," Scott said looking at the street. "I'm sure we'll sleep like babies here."

"Good," Lily said. "It'll match your attitude."

As she walked to the end of the alley, Lily enjoyed the fact that Grung was laughing at her comment.

***

Lily sat at the edge of the alley, looking out at the empty street. She had been on watch for an hour. This is stupid, she thought. We're in a training facility.

"I'm glad you took the first watch."

Lily jumped and spun around to see Sister Abigail sitting beside her. "How the hell did you do that?"

Abbie pointed to the window above her.

"I was sitting right here," Lily said. "How did I not hear you?"

"I train sneakers, dear," Abbie said.

"Oh, yeah," Lily said. "Fair point."

"I was impressed by your group's decision to keep watch at night," Abbie said. "It tells me you're taking this seriously."

"Thank you," Lily said. "We're taking it very seriously."

"I was a little disappointed," Abbie added, "that Ellie already set off an alarm. There are many days left."

"Yeah," Lily agreed. "I shouldn't have sent her in there alone. We can find better places for food. I think our growling stomachs interfered with our logical thinking."

Abbie smiled. "Probably."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to randomly show up for visits like this a lot?"

"Not often," Abbie said, still smiling, "but sometimes. Tonight I came because I want to tell you what your final test will be in order to graduate this training."

"You're telling me this on the first day?"

"I am," Abbie answered. "I want you to be able to work on this for the next eight weeks. All you have to do is answer one question."

"What if I can answer it now?" Lily asked. "Can I skip the training?"

"Do you really want to?" Abbie asked.

Lily smiled. "No, ma'am. That was a joke. What was your question?"

"It's a simple question," Abbie said. "Why does humanity deserve to win this war?"

"That's it?" Lily asked. "Because frankly, I can answer that now."

"Please do."

Lily thought for a moment. "Because we are stronger. They have powers we don't have, but the human heart will always be stronger than any power they have."

"That doesn't answer my question," Abbie said. "I didn't ask why humanity is going to win this war. I asked why humanity deserves to win this war. There is a difference."

"I'm not sure I understand," Lily said honestly.

"In a few thousand years," Abbie explained, "humanity has managed to destroy most of the rain forests. We've hunted thousands of animals to extinction. It's possible we're actually destroying our own atmosphere. Our scientists developed the ability to split an atom, and what did we do with it? We used the technology to kill millions of other human beings. We've polluted our air, our land, and our water."

"The Legion is evil," Lily said softly.

"The Legion," Abbie countered, "has done none of these things. As a matter of fact, the Legion has done nothing but try to kill the most destructive force this world has ever known."

Lily was silent.

"Before I'll let you lead one of my teams into Legion territory," Abbie continued, "I need you to explain to me why – despite everything I just said – humanity deserves to win this war."

Without another word, Sister Abbie climbed back into the window behind her.

Lily continued to sit at the edge of the alley, surprised that she didn't have an answer to the question.

# Chapter 10

Good and Evil

Lily woke to the sound of the others' voices.

"Where did it come from?" she heard Grung say.

"Don't be stupid," Ellie's voice answered. "Abbie brought it."

Is that what I sound like when I talk to Leo? Lily thought. Because she sounds like an asshole.

"I know that," Grung said. "I just mean, I can't get over how she can get something like that in this alley without us seeing it."

Lily finally opened her eyes and got to her feet. She looked at the center of the alley and was stunned by what she saw.

"Mornin', Chief," Scott said. "We have company."

A vampire sat in the center of the street. It was on its knees, looking at the ground. Its hands were bound with heavy chains that tethered it to a nearby dumpster. It wasn't making any attempt to attack or escape its bonds.

"I just can't figure out," Grung was saying, "how she managed to chain this thing here without waking us."

"Well, she is the trainer of the sneakers," Lily said. "If anybody can do it, she can."

"You stole my line." They all turned to see Sister Abbie walking toward them from the street. "I see you've met our guest."

"Power objects," Scott said. "We're going to be using them on this poor bastard."

Something about that troubled Lily. Torturing other creatures – even these monstrosities – just didn't feel right to her.

Abbie pulled a rosary from around her neck and reached it to Ellie. "Take it," she said.

Ellie took the necklace, holding the crucifix in her palm.

"Touch him," Abbie said.

"With the cross?" Ellie asked nervously.

"Of course," Abbie said.

Ellie walked slowly toward the chained vampire.

"Wait," Lily said. "This feels wrong."

"Ellie, stop," Abbie said. "Don't continue until Lily gives the order."

"Really?" Ellie asked.

"Yes," Abbie said. "Chain of command is different for the Day Soldiers. Your squad commander outranks everyone else. Always. If you're in the field and I give an order, but Lily gives a different order, I fully expect you to follow Lily, not me. There are reasons for this that I will not get into today. For now, she said to stop, so stop."

Ellie stopped.

Abbie turned to Lily and asked, "Why did you stop her? The answer to this question is very important."

Lily could feel her own face flush. "Something feels wrong here," she finally said. "I feel like we're torturing this creature."

"So?" Abbie said with cold eyes.

"It used to be a human being," Lily said. "If we capture them and torture them, I think we run the risk of becoming them."

"How very profound," Abbie said. "Of course, you are right. This thing used to be a human. I'm curious, though. How does torturing it make us become them?" She pulled a cross from a pouch on her belt and placed it on the side of the vampire's face. The creature let loose a tormented wail. "Please explain. We're all curious."

"I..." Lily's mind was racing, but she couldn't focus on anything but the screaming vampire in that street.

The creature tried to pull away from the cross, but Abbie grabbed the back of its bald head and held it in place. The vampire wasn't just screaming at this point. It was sobbing. "Don't back down," Abbie said to Lily. "Right now, I'm being horribly cruel to this creature. You don't like it. Why don't you like it?"

"It's in pain," Lily said.

"This thing," Abbie said, speaking above the vampire's screams, "killed every person you've ever known. You and Leo are orphans because of this creature, and yet you feel bad because it's in pain now? That's very interesting."

"It's not that I feel bad for it," Lily tried to explain. "It's that... I don't know."

Abbie pulled the cross from the vampire's face. The creature now just sat in the street, whimpering as it covered the new cross-shaped burn on its face.

"Lily," Abbie said, "I appreciate your compassion. I love it actually. But do not confuse this thing for a human. Do not confuse it for anything good or even alive. The soul that used to live in its body has long since gone to a better place. A vampire's soul is nothing more than a human soul with all the love drained from it. A vampire is incapable of love. It is incapable of compassion."

She pointed at the whimpering creature and continued. "A body can't survive without love. This vampire's body is dead. Its heart does not beat. And the only way it can keep its dead body animated is by drinking the life force of something that can love."

"I understand," Lily said.

"Do you really?" Abbie said. "Or are you placating me so I'll shut up. Lily, hold on to your compassion. You're right in your belief that our compassion is part of what makes us human. But save your compassion for things that need it. If I let our friend loose, do you think he would thank you for your compassion?"

"No," Lily said.

"What do you think he would do, child?"

Lily sighed. "He would attack me."

"Would he do it because he hates you?" Abbie asked.

This took Lily by surprise. "I... I don't know. I don't think so."

"No," Abbie said. "He would not do it because he hates you. He is incapable of hate, just like he is incapable of love. He only knows hunger. He feels nothing. He is nothing. And if you feel an ounce of compassion for this creature, you will die. I promise you that."

Lily nodded.

"Child," Abbie said, her voice a bit softer, "I'm not trying to humiliate you in front of your team. I just want to make it very clear that your compassion isn't for this vampire. Your compassion is for the person this vampire used to be. And that person is dead."

"What about werewolves," Grung asked.

"Werewolves," Abbie said, "are different altogether. And they are a discussion for another day." She turned back to Lily. "How we continue this training is up to you, Lily. If you want, I will simply explain everything to the team. I won't hurt this vampire if you're not ready for that. I would prefer demonstration over lecture, but I'll let the choice be yours."

Lily took a deep breath and let the humiliation she felt fall away. This was not a moment to feel ashamed. This moment was a test, and the test wasn't coming from Sister Abbie. "No more demonstrations," Lily said.

"I'm sorry?" Abbie said. "Did you just forbid demonstrations?"

"I did," Lily said. "I believe everything you just said. I know these things are not humans. I know they are creatures that don't feel. I know they suffer from an absence of love. And I know I feel compassion for them. I understand it's a misguided compassion, and I accept that."

"If you accept that it's misguided," Abbie said, "then why do you embrace it?"

"Because it isn't about this vampire," Lily said. "It's about my team. You selected me to lead a team of Day Soldiers and I've accepted that responsibility. And I can tell you my team will kill vampires without hesitation. Werewolves, too. But the horror we all felt while this creature was screaming...I do not want my team to just learn to ignore that feeling. I want them to embrace it. I want them to feel horrible every time they kill another thing, whether it has a soul or not. Because it's not about the things we kill. It's about us."

"I see," Abbie said.

"And I know I'm just a kid," Lily said. "I know my opinion on this might change as I develop some wisdom. But that's how I feel right now, and if torturing this vampire is a requirement, then I'm not the right person to lead your team."

Abbie pulled a stake from her belt and threw it in the direction of the vampire. The small wooden shaft pierced the vampire's chest and heart. The creature screamed once, then fell to the ground, dead.

Abbie turned to the others and said, "Power objects are not inherently powerful. The power isn't within the object itself. The power is within you."

Lily was flooded with relief as she listened to Abbie continue the lesson.

"Crosses are most common because this power was first used against vampires in the medieval England, a time and place that was dominated by Christianity. Back then, people believed it was the power of the cross that harmed the vampire, but we know now that isn't true. It's the power in us that hurts them."

"So to a Jewish man," Grung said, "would the cross still work?"

"If that Jewish man believed it would work," Abbie answered, "it would work. What is your religion, Grung?"

"I'm a Baptist," Grung said. "Or at least I was as a kid. I'm not really much of anything anymore."

Abbie looked at the others. "Do we have any atheists on the team?"

Scott raised his hand. "More agnostic, really."

"Ah," Abbie said. "Agnostic. Afraid to pick a team, huh."

Scott laughed, a bit uncomfortably. "That's a fair assessment."

"You will have the greatest challenge," Abbie said.

"Why?" Lily asked. "I mean, why is it harder for an agnostic?"

"Because," Abbie explained, "he has to learn to believe in himself. As strange as it sounds, humans find it much more difficult to believe in themselves than in a higher power. If someone thinks the power is coming from God, they can usually channel it into that cross. If they think it's coming from inside themselves, they often end up holding a powerless trinket."

"I can see that being difficult," Ellie said quietly.

"What about you?" Abbie asked.

"Never been to church," Ellie said, "but I do believe in God."

"So," Grung said, "you're a nun, but you don't believe it's the power of God that gives these objects power?"

"I do believe it's the power of God," Abbie said. "But I believe that power is within you, if you choose to access it."

"Choose?" Lily asked.

"Yes," Abbie said, "but let's back up for a moment and talk about good and evil. For centuries, most people believed that good and evil were simply points of view. What is good to some is evil to others."

"I think that's still true," Scott said.

"Of course it's true," Abbie agreed. "For most things, evil is a point of view. But there are some things that go beyond opinion or perspective. There are some things that are empirically good or evil. Vampires have proven this. Power objects have proven this."

"What about humanity?" Lily asked. Why does humanity deserve to win this war? The question was strong in her mind.

"Most things on this earth," Abbie explained, "are neither good nor evil. Not inherently anyway. They are born with the capacity for both. They can choose good or they can choose evil. Most, however, just choose selfishness, which can be just as harmful as evil."

"So if vampires are evil," Grung said, "are there any creatures that are inherently good?"

"I believe so," Abbie said. "But we haven't found them. Keep in mind, vampires have been around for thousands of years, yet it was only a decade ago that we were given proof of their existence. There's an entire division of the Day Soldiers devoted to finding this good creature, if it exists."

"The searchers," Scott said.

Abbie nodded. "I saw that you had applied for that division as well."

"Yeah," Scott answered. "I was offered a spot on the team, actually. But I turned it down for the sneakers."

"Why?" Lily asked.

Scott looked mildly uncomfortable. "Because those people are zealots. They believe – with all their hearts and souls – that this mythical good creature exists. I was afraid I'd be more a hindrance than a help because I don't have that level of faith."

"You're misinformed about the searchers," Abbie said. "They welcome skeptics. They need them."

Scott shrugged. "I get that. But I just felt my place was here."

"Fair enough," Abbie said, then turned back to the others. "Let me be clear about the goodness that resides within you. It doesn't matter if you believe that power comes from God or yourself. I believe it comes from God, but you most certainly do not have to agree. As long as you believe it's there, within you. Its origin is just philosophical meandering."

"How do you access it?" Ellie said. "I'll be honest, when you gave me that cross, I was terrified."

"Here's the part," Grung said, "where she gets all Gandhi on us and tells us we have to embrace love or some crap like that."

Abbie laughed. "Embracing love indeed works," she said. "Evil is the absence of love. But that isn't the only way you can access this power."

"So these evil things," Scott asked, "are fueled by hate."

"Absolutely not," Abbie said. "These evil things can't hate any more than they can love. There is a great difference between hate and an absence of love. I mean, let's face it. Love and hate are basically the same emotion. As a matter of fact, you can access the goodness within you by giving in to your hate."

"What?" Lily said. "That doesn't even make sense."

"If your hate is directed toward an evil thing," Abbie said, "that hate is a good thing. It's a warrior for good. Humanity's problem is we tend to focus our hate on things that are not evil. Like other humans."

"How many evil things exist in this world?" Grung asked.

"I suspect many," Abbie answered. "But so far, we've only verified one."

"Vampires," Scott said.

"Vampires," Abbie agreed. She looked at Lily. "You seem troubled, child."

"I just can't accept that giving in to hate is ever a good thing," Lily said. "When I was back in Iveyton, I told Commander Wallace I wanted to join the Day Soldiers for revenge. He surprised me by saying revenge was as good a reason as any other."

"When facing evil," Abbie said, "I agree with him. The problem comes when you can't recognize the difference between evil... and just someone who disagrees with you."

"I don't buy it," Lily said. "Even if embracing hate brings power into these objects, I don't buy it. I was wrong to join for revenge, and I can't believe embracing hate is a good thing."

"Okay," Grung said, "I knew the Gandhi stuff was coming. I was just wrong about who would bring it."

Abbie laughed again. "Lily, you can let these thoughts go. Perhaps you're right. Perhaps not. It really doesn't matter. One day you'll be in the field and a vampire will be on the verge of tearing your throat out. And one of your teammates will drive that vampire back. And I promise you, what that team member is feeling at the time will be the furthest thing from your mind."

"Fair enough," Lily said.

"I had a very specific training prepared for today," Abbie said, "but Lily changed those plans. I suppose we'll have to make the best of it."

Lily took a deep breath, pushing back the agitation.

"Come," Abbie said as she walked to the body of the vampire. "Here is your proof that a vampire is – by its nature – an evil thing." She placed her cross on the dead creature's face.

The vampire's skin bubbled and burned where the cross touched it. "Evil," Abbie explained, "is ingrained in its very skin. This creature doesn't act evil. This creature is evil."

Lily felt suddenly angry. "Wait," she said. "We can test power objects on a dead vampire?"

"Yes," Abbie answered.

"Then why," Lily asked, "were we torturing this thing earlier?"

"Because," Abbie said, "summoning the good within you is easy when you're standing over a dead body. But when an evil creature is looking you in the eyes... talking to you... trying to control you... Well, let's just say it becomes a little harder to find your happy place."

Lily nodded, her lips tight. She understood Abbie's point. Mostly, she even agreed with it. So why, she thought, did seeing that thing tortured bother me so much?

"When you're in the field," Abbie said, "and these things are coming at you, everything you learn here will disappear from your mind. You'll try to access your inner power, but one sentence will be a constant distraction. One thought will drown out all others."

"What thought?" Scott asked.

Abbie looked at him with cold eyes. "I'm going to die."

"Do you have a way to prepare for that moment?" Grung asked.

Abbie looked at Lily. "I did. Now, I suppose you'll just have to have faith that you can overcome that fear."

Emotionally exhausted, Lily's only thought was, She hates me.

"Oh well," Abbie said, turning to Ellie. "No point in dwelling on a decision that is already made. Let's focus on the basics." She handed the cross to Ellie.

Ellie walked hesitantly up to the vampire's body.

"Just think about the goodness that lives within you," Abbie said. "If you need to think about your dead friends in Virginia Beach, think of them. If you need to believe the power is channeling straight from God, then embrace that belief. If bunnies and rainbows do it for you, then think of bunnies and rainbows."

Ellie placed the cross on the vampire's shoulder. The creature's skin began to burn.

"Very good," Abbie said. With a smirk, she added, "No pun intended."

Ellie laughed as she pulled the cross away from the vampire.

"Give it to Grung," Abbie said.

As Ellie handed the cross to Grung, he asked, "What did you think about?"

"You don't want to know," Ellie answered.

Grung stood over the creature's body and took a deep breath. He placed the cross on its chest and sighed with relief when smoke began to float up from the creature's burning skin.

"It's really quite easy," Abbie said. "All you have to do is believe."

Scott was next. He took the cross and placed it on the vampire's head.

Nothing happened.

"Ah," Abbie said with a smile, "gotta love those agnostics."

"I don't understand," Scott said. "If it's just about believing, it should have worked. I just saw it happen. Twice. I have absolutely no doubt that it works."

"It's not about believing whether or not it will work," Abbie said. "It's not even about believing in God. It's about accepting that evil exists. It's not just some idea invented by rationalizing humans. It's real. And after you accept that, you have to believe that good is just as real. And finally, you have to accept that good exists within you. It's there, just waiting to be used."

"That's some lofty shit," Scott said.

Abbie laughed. "It is. And it's not really something I can teach. You have to come to it on your own. And don't discount the possibility that you will never develop the ability to use power objects. I know a few Day Soldiers who have never learned this ability."

"I'll learn it," Scott vowed with a determined voice.

"I believe you," Abbie said with a smile. "As soon as you realize it has nothing to do with your religious beliefs, you'll get it."

Scott handed the cross to Lily. "Show us how it's done, Chief."

Lily took the cross and walked toward the dead vampire.

"For the others," Abbie said, "it's all about focusing their energy. For you, I think it's the opposite."

"What does that even mean," Lily mumbled as she lowered the cross toward the creature's forehead.

Nothing happened.

Scott smiled. "I feel better."

"I don't," Lily said.

Abby stepped beside her and looked down at the vampire. "Your focus is on me. I have shaken your faith. You're trying to prove that you can do this without hate."

"I can," Lily said.

"I believe you," Abbie said. "But in your attempt to prove this to me, you are pushing away everything that gives you power. Leo, Iveyton, your parents. You're pushing those thoughts away when you should be embracing them."

"I'm afraid," Lily whispered.

"Of what?"

Lily took a deep breath, surprised to find that she wanted to cry. "Of what I'll become if I let myself go back there."

"You killed your father," Abbie said.

Lily looked at her. "I didn't."

"You drove a stake right through his heart," Abbie countered.

"That wasn't my father," Lily said.

"Then why," Abbie asked, "did you have to be the one to do it? Why didn't you let Leo stake him? Was it because you hated the thing he had become?"

"No."

"Then why did you have to be the one to do it?"

"Because I loved him."

"That," Abbie said, "doesn't make sense. If the creature you staked wasn't your father, then there was no reason for you to stake it. Unless you hated it for taking your father's body."

"I didn't hate it," Lily insisted. "I know you think I'm being stubborn here, but I'm telling you the truth. I didn't hate that thing. I pitied it. I pitied this soulless monster that had stolen my father's face."

"Why did you pity it?" Abbie asked. "Did you not see it as an evil thing?"

"It was evil," Lily said quietly. "And it wasn't."

"How can something be evil and not be evil at the same time?"

"It was just an open window," Lily said, lost in the memory of that moment. "The creature before me wasn't evil any more than a gun is evil. The creature was a portal through which evil was able to step into our world. And I wasn't going to let the memory of my father be dishonored that way. I wasn't going to let his body be a doorway to evil."

"Touch the vampire again," Abbie said.

Lily moved the cross toward the dead vampire.

Its skin began to burn before the cross touched it.

"What the hell?" Grung said from behind them.

Lily pulled the cross away, confused. She looked at Abbie. "I didn't touch it."

Abbie put a hand on her shoulder and smiled. "No," she said, "you didn't."

Lily looked at the others. Grung and Ellie just stared back, shocked at what they'd just witnessed. Scott was simply smiling. He almost looked smug.

Abbie reached down and picked up a small rock. "Use this," she said.

"I think you overestimate me," Lily said.

"The object is only as meaningful as you allow it to be," Abbie said. "Try. Do exactly what you just did."

Lily took the rock and looked back down at the vampire. "I don't know what I did before," she said.

"You didn't think," Abbie said. "You didn't try to burn it to spite me. You just let go of yourself."

Lily took the rock and placed it on the creature's head. Nothing happened.

"Stop thinking," Abbie ordered. "You said this thing is a doorway to evil. I think that's the best description I've ever heard, Lily. These things are not evil. But they are an open door to it. Become a doorway for good. You can do this."

"I'm sorry," Lily said. "I don't know why it's not working."

"We have eight weeks," Abbie said. She turned to the others. "Get some breakfast. We'll meet in the alley across the street in exactly thirty minutes. We're going to stop using this alley."

"Why?" Grung asked.

Abbie pointed at the dead vampire. "When he starts to rot, it's going to stink. Badly."

"You're not taking him with you," Lily said.

"Of course not," Abbie said. "I have no use for a dead vampire. When you're in the field, you'll have to deal with this same thing. You want the body gone, you dispose of it."

Ellie raised her hand. "Excuse me."

Abbie chuckled. "Yes, child?"

"I have a question I'd like to ask before breakfast," Ellie said. "I don't have anything to write with, and I'm afraid I'll forget."

"Sure," Abbie said. "What's your question?"

"Why don't crosses work on werewolves?" Ellie asked. "I mean, if what you say is true about these objects channeling good to fight evil, shouldn't crosses work on werewolves too?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Abbie said.

Ellie looked slightly embarrassed. "Apparently not."

"Power objects don't work on werewolves," Abbie explained, "because werewolves are not evil."

***

Breakfast consisted of more canned food from Ellie's kitchen raid the night before. They decided to eat in the alley across the street because Scott had become convinced he could already smell the dead vampire. Although they asked her to join them, Abbie stayed in the original alley.

"I don't understand," Ellie said as she ate a spoonful of peas. "If werewolves aren't evil, why are we at war with them?"

"You're seriously asking that?" Grung said. "Do you think every German in the Second World War was evil? Do you think every Confederate soldier in the Civil War was evil? Wars almost never involve killing evil things."

"I think that's why we're covering vampires first," Scott said. "Killing a vampire isn't... murky."

"I think you're both wrong," Ellie said. "I saw what werewolves can do. They're every bit as evil as vampires."

"No," Scott said flatly. "The werewolves who killed your friends were evil, but werewolves – as a species – are not inherently evil. They're like humans. They have a choice. There are evil werewolves, of course, and there are good werewolves. I would think you, of all people, would know that."

"Why would I know that?" Ellie asked. "I saw werewolves slaughter an entire beach of human beings."

"And you were saved by a werewolf," Scott said. He looked genuinely confused.

"I'm confused," Lily said. "I don't remember her saying a werewolf saved her. Is this from your research department computer or something?"

Scott looked around at the other three. "No. You people seriously don't know what I'm talking about."

"I know I don't," Lily admitted.

"Wallace," Scott said. "I thought that was common knowledge."

"Wait," Grung said. "Are you seriously suggesting Wallace is a werewolf?"

Scott shrugged. "I'm not suggesting it. I'm telling you outright. Wallace is a werewolf. How do you people not know this?"

"We're not all intelligence specialists," Lily said.

"I gotta admit," Grung said, "I'm finding this hard to believe."

"Why?" Scott said. "What do you think werewolves did before the war? They were just people. Teachers, lawyers, politicians, and, yeah, they were soldiers. When the war started, not all werewolves agreed with it. Several of them defected. You mentioned World War II. You think every German supported the Nazi party? This was no different."

"So Wallace just came out and revealed himself?" Ellie asked.

Scott nodded. "There were a total of seventy-four werewolves in the military who came out together. Wallace was one of them. And it's a damn good thing they did. We'd have been screwed without them."

"I've heard of the seventy-four," Lily said. "I didn't know he was one of them."

"He led them," Scott said. "There's no way we would have survived a month without them. Before the war, we had no way of detecting a werewolf. The seventy-four allowed themselves to be studied. They trained soldiers on how to detect a werewolf in human form. Thanks to the seventy-four, humans were able to sniff out the werewolves that were living among us."

"The purge," Lily said. "I definitely remember reading about the purge."

"Yeah," Scott said. He turned to Ellie. "So you can take my word for this. Werewolves are not evil. They just have a different perspective on what this world needs. And thank God not all werewolves shared that perspective. If they had, humanity would be food right now."

"Okay, Mr. Know-it-all," Grung said, "I have another question for you."

"Sure," Scott said. "I'm pretty sure I can answer it."

"Wow," Lily said. "Might want to work on your modesty there, soldier."

Scott laughed. "I have plenty of flaws. Hell, you saw my epic failure with the power objects. So when I'm good at something, I'm going to embrace it. And when it comes to the history of the Day Soldiers and the Legion and the war, I know my stuff."

"I'm glad you brought up power objects," Grung said, "because that's what my question's about." He pointed at Lily.

Lily sighed. She knew this was coming. "You're talking about my decision that prevented us from getting proper training."

"Oh, hell no," Grung said. "I loved that. It took guts to stand up like that. I'm talking about what happened when you took the cross. You burned it without even touching it. And Abbie seemed... I don't know... excited. And then she handed you a damn rock."

Lily felt relief rush through her. At least one member of her team appreciated her stupid little protest. "I must admit," she said, "I felt a little guilty that she spent so much time on me."

"I think," Scott said, "Lily proved something today that Abbie and Wallace have suspected from the day they met her."

"Which is?" Grung asked.

"That Lily is like Abbie," Scott said. "She's a channeler. She's got the touch."

"The touch of crazy or the touch of bitch?" Lily asked.

Scott groaned. "Let me guess. You guys don't know Sister Abbie's history either."

"That's why we have you," Ellie said. "It's our responsibility to stay ignorant, just so you have a place on this team."

"Nice," Scott said. "Well, before the war, Abbie lived in a convent in Ireland. She was a teacher in a local school. Nothing special. During the first major assault on humanity, her town was attacked by vampires. And not just a few. Apparently, there were a lot of vampires in Ireland. They swarmed the town and overtook it in a matter of minutes."

"How did Abby survive?" Lily asked.

Scott laughed. "You'll like this, Chief. She didn't just survive. She killed them all."

Lily's heart soared. "What?"

"Yeah," Scott said. "With a table leg. She kicked a table over and ripped the leg off to use as a stake. Then she just went out onto the streets and started slaughtering them. When everything was said and done, she had killed hundreds of them and led the few human survivors to safety. She didn't have a scratch on her."

"How?" Grung said.

"They were infants," Lily offered. "Like in Iveyton."

"Would you stop with the infant crap?" Scott said. "You didn't survive Iveyton because they were infants. You survived because you have the touch. Just like Abbie."

"Explain," Lily said.

"We all have the ability to harness the good within ourselves," Scott said. "That's how power objects work. But a few people - like, less than one percent - don't have to harness it. They just have to release it."

"I don't understand," Lily said.

"No vampire can touch Abbie," Scott explained. "She doesn't need a cross or a rock. Her body is a power object. She can burn them with her hand. Her goodness or positive energy or whatever the hell you want to call it... it just pours from her body. And I'm pretty sure that after Wallace saw what you did in Iveyton, he suspected you had the touch too. I'm also pretty sure that today you proved they were right."

Lily didn't like that at all. For the past ten years, she'd dreamed of being a Day Soldier, but this wasn't what she wanted. She wanted to be part of something bigger than herself. This was different.

Scott apparently noticed the worry on her face. "Don't overthink this, Chief. You have a very rare ability, but you're not alone. I have a photographic memory. I see words, and I never forget anything. Ever. Ellie can climb vertical objects like some kind of weird animal. And Grung, from what I've read, could take Chuck Norris in a fight."

Grung laughed. "Nobody can take Chuck Norris in a fight."

"My point," Scott continued, "is that we all have talents and skills that make us special. If you're going to lead this team, you have to learn how to embrace yours."

***

After breakfast, they waited on Abbie to come to the new alley to continue training. Ten minutes passed. Then twenty. Then thirty.

"Maybe we misunderstood," Grung suggested.

"No," Scott said. "She specifically said we'd be starting in this alley. She's up to something."

"I can go scout the other side," Ellie offered. "See if she's still there."

"We'll all go," Lily said. "If she is up to something, I don't think we should split the group."

The others nodded in agreement. The group crossed the street to the original alley.

The vampire was gone.

"Okay," Lily said as she walked toward the spot where the vampire had been, "who stole our vampire?"

The alarms again blared throughout the streets.

"We're together!" Grung yelled. "How did we set off an alarm?"

Ellie pointed to side of the building, just above the door Abbie always came from. An alarm was attached to the wall.

After a few seconds, the alarm went silent. Abbie's door opened and she stepped out. "That's two for Ellie and one for the rest of you. You have to be more careful or you won't make it a week."

"So you add alarms?" Scott said, agitated. "That's not exactly fair."

"If you kill a vampire and leave his body in the street," Abbie said, "it will get noticed. And that street will be watched."

"Well, damn," Grung said.

"This is going to be a frustrating eight weeks," Ellie said.

"Assuming," Lily added, "we make it that long."
Part Three:

The Cadets

# Chapter 11

Infiltration

Day 27.

Leo sat at the table, drinking his coffee.

"She's not coming, man," the young man beside him said. His name was Enrico and he was another sniper for the Day Soldiers.

"I know," Leo said. "Really, at this point, I come for the coffee."

"Liar," Enrico said. "Why do you do this every day?"

"I told you," Leo said. "I just like the coffee here."

Enrico laughed. "Whatever, brother. Let's go. The graduation party will be over by the time we get there."

"You go on. I think I'll chill here for a while."

"Seriously," Enrico said with a groan, "she's not coming. Her training isn't even half over. Sneakers train for eight weeks, and they are not allowed to leave during that time. You know this."

Leo sighed. "I know. I just really hate that she's not here for my graduation."

"It's not her fault our training is just four weeks," Enrico said. "Besides, you'll be able to attend her graduation. That's something, right?"

"Yeah," Leo said.

"Come on," Enrico urged. "Chin up, my brother. After tomorrow, you are officially a dotter. Let's celebrate."

"You're right," Leo said, standing up. "Let's go."

This time, Enrico sighed. "You really don't want to, do you."

"No," Leo said quietly. "I don't."

"Then sit your ass down," Enrico said. "I'll be right back. I'm going to get me a cup of this coffee that has you so devoted to this place."

"You don't have to stay, man," Leo said.

"Don't be stupid," Enrico countered. "You are my friend. If you stay, I stay. Think of it this way. You're saving me from a hangover."

Leo laughed. "You're welcome," he said. "And thank you."

Enrico put his hand on Leo's shoulder. "This woman," he said. "She is very important to you."

"She's my best friend," Leo said.

"Then we will sit and miss her together," Enrico said.

"You're a good friend, too," Leo said.

"Dotters stick together," Enrico said. "Now I will return momentarily and we will begin missing Lily."

Leo was actually very pleased with his training. Life was much better than he thought it would be. He wasn't alone. He had made friends. Some, like Enrico, felt more like family than friends. He had done very well in the training and was about to become an official Day Soldier sniper.

All in all, life was good.

But he still missed his friend.

In the distance, an alarm started blaring. Leo knew it was coming from Sneaker City.

"What is with all the alarms there?" Enrico said as he sat back down with a coffee in his hand.

"I guess they really have to learn how to move around without getting spotted," Leo said.

"Have either of you been drinking?"

Leo turned around to see his commanding officer, the man who had been his trainer for the past four weeks.

"Just coffee, sir," Leo said, surprised that his commander was there.

"Okay," the man said. "Both of you come with me. Now."

***

Ellie stood in the hallway, watching the alarm slowly scan the living room. When it was pointing in the opposite direction, she sprinted to the spot directly under it and pressed herself against the wall. She carefully reached up and yanked the cables from the back of the alarm.

"Okay," she said. "That's all of them."

"You sure?" Grung said as he stepped into the room. "This can't be a repeat of last night. I only have three alarms left and then I'm out of here."

"Sissy," Ellie said. "I'm down to two and you don't see me crying."

Scott stepped from another room. "The bedrooms are clear. There was one alarm in the master bedroom, but I got it."

Lily stepped from another room. "This kitchen," she said, "is clean."

"Sweet," Ellie said. "We have ourselves an apartment."

"She'll figure it out and change it tomorrow," Scott said.

"That's probably true," Lily said. "That's also tomorrow. For tonight, enjoy yourself. There's plenty of food in the cabinets and two beds. We've done well."

"We have running water!" Grung yelled from the kitchen. "And hot water!" He ran back into the apartment's living room and headed down the hall. "I'm taking a shower!"

"Did anybody even see him go into the kitchen?" Lily asked.

"Not I," Ellie said.

"I get it next," Scott said.

"Not a big believer in chivalry, I see," Lily said.

"I haven't had a shower in a week," Scott said. "'I'm sure my stink is great. Me getting clean as soon as possible is chivalrous."

Lily laughed. "Your logic is stupid. None of us have had showers."

"Exactly," Scott said. "So as a gentleman, I'm going to suffer through your stink longer than you have to suffer through mine."

"You're such a hero," Ellie said.

"I am," Scott said. "I really...am..." He stopped talking and walked to the living room's front window.

"What is it?" Lily said.

"I saw something on the street," Scott said as he looked out the window. "It ran right by the window."

"Great," Lily said. "She can't let us have one comfortable night in an apartment."

"It wasn't Abbie," Scott said.

"Then who was it?" Ellie asked.

"I don't know," Scott said. "But it looked kind of... big."

"The street lights probably just cast a shadow that made her look bigger," Lily said.

"I'm telling you," Scott argued, "it wasn't Abbie. It moved like..." He hesitated.

"Like what?" Lily asked.

"Like a werewolf," he whispered.

"Great," Ellie groaned. "She's brought in a werewolf."

"Yeah," Scott mumbled. "I guess so. I mean, we're due to start our werewolf training any day now."

"I guess any day just became tonight," Lily said.

"So you think they've brought in an actual werewolf?" Ellie asked.

"I guess so," Lily said. "One of the seventy-four, I suppose."

"You know," Scott said, "it's not fair that she doesn't let us keep weapons on us. I mean, it's not really replicating reality if we have to give our weapons back to her after every training."

"I guess Sneaker City's meant to teach us how to survive without anything," Lily offered.

"I guess," Scott said.

Lily looked from Scott to Ellie. "You're not going to like what I'm about to say."

"Double watches," Ellie said.

Lily nodded. "The price we pay for staying in an apartment on the ground level, with a front door and a back. Scott, since you called the next shower, I'll take the front door and Ellie, you take the back. Radio silence unless something happens. Everybody, make sure you're turned on."

They weren't allowed to carry weapons, but Abbie did give them each a small radio. Lily opened a pouch on her belt and pulled out a small ear piece. She clipped it to her ear. Scott and Ellie did the same. "Sound check," Lily said quietly.

"Loud and clear," Scott said. Lily heard his reply in the room and her ear piece.

"Loud and clear," Ellie said.

Lily and Scott gave her a nod that indicated they heard her.

"Okay," Lily said as she dragged a chair to the window beside the front door. "Scott, for now you go with Ellie to the back door in the kitchen. Since we're on the first watch, it's up to you to prepare dinner and let Grung know what the hell is going on."

Scott gave her a two-fingered salute and walked toward the kitchen. Ellie followed him.

Lily sat in her chair and watched the street outside. The past four weeks had been challenging, but the training was starting to pay off. She no longer hesitated when it came time to make decisions, and they followed her orders without question. The mornings were filled with specific training and the evenings were filled with just surviving in Sneaker City. So far, all training had involved vampires, from appropriate weapons training to their strengths and weaknesses.

Abbie never brought another living vampire with her, but she did occasionally bring a dead one, just to work on power objects. The entire team was now proficient with crosses, even Scott. Lily had tried to use unusual items, like rocks, but she was unsuccessful every time. Almost four weeks into the training, she was pretty damn sure they were wrong about her having "the touch," which was just fine as far as she was concerned. She felt good as the squad's leader and didn't care if she had some rare gift in regards to touching a vampire. She didn't plan to touch them anyway, if she could help it.

Her earpiece beeped.

"Guys," Lily said quietly, "Abbie is beeping me. I'm switching lines for a minute. Hopefully, it's to explain Scott's werewolf. Stay together until I'm back. If something happens, one of you come tell me in person. Lily, out."

She pressed a button on her belt and quietly said, "Baxter here."

"We have a problem." It was Abbie's voice, and – for the first time since she'd met Abbie – her voice sounded worried.

"Does it have to do with the werewolf in the neighborhood?" Lily guessed.

"You saw a werewolf?" The concern in Abbie's voice was very unnerving to Lily.

"Yes, ma'am," she said. "Scott was the only person who saw it, but he's confident it was a werewolf."

"Damn."

"Abbie, what's wrong?"

Abbie was silent for a few seconds, then said, "Earlier today, a soldier was caught downloading confidential files. He attacked the soldier who saw him do this and ran off. We've been searching the complex all day and still haven't seen him. We suspect he's a poser."

"A poser?" Lily asked.

"Not important," Abbie said. "The only area that hasn't been searched yet is Sneaker City. We had assumed the alarms would inform us if he entered there, but if Scott saw a werewolf, it must be him."

"Are you in the city?" Lily asked.

"No," Abbie said. "I'm in the main building with Commander Wallace. Lily, you and your team are in very real danger. You have no weapons. Stay with your team. Find somewhere dark and quiet and stay there. Wallace is sending troops in now. They'll be bringing you weapons. They'll need your help to find this person. We don't know how far he was able to hack into our system, but we can't let him get off this base."

"Yes, ma'am," Lily said.

"This isn't part of the training, child," Abbie said. "I want to be absolutely clear on that."

"I'll let you know if we see anything," Lily said as she walked toward the kitchen. "Do you have a signal on my location?"

"Yes," Abbie said. "They're on their way now. Should be there within a few minutes."

"Okay," Lily said as she walked into the kitchen. She looked at Scott. "Go get Grung. Now."

Scott darted toward the bathroom.

"Let me know if you need anything else," Lily said to Abbie. "I'll be informing the team. Baxter, out."

"I feel better," Grung said as he and Scott entered the kitchen.

"Scott," Lily said, "what's a poser?"

Scott's eyes widened. "We've been infiltrated."

"A poser, Scott. What is it?"

"Just a werewolf," Scott said, "with the ability to perfectly replicate a human."

"I thought all werewolves could do that," Ellie said.

"No," Scott explained. "Most werewolves are never fully human or fully wolf. They almost always show traits. It can be very subtle, but someone with proper training can usually spot a werewolf in human form. That's why we were successful with the purge. It's also why werewolves don't often infiltrate our ranks."

"But a poser," Lily said, "can get past all security?"

Scott nodded. "They're very rare, and usually very old and very powerful. If that was a poser outside, we're in trouble, Chief."

"Then we're in trouble," Lily said. "But help's on the way. Should be here in a matter of minutes. And this guy's on the run, so I doubt he'll attack. We just need to hunker down and wait. When the reinforcements get here, they're giving us weapons and we're participating in the hunt for this bastard."

"Cool," Grung said.

Lily grinned. "Yeah. Pretty cool."

"Shouldn't we be quiet?" Ellie said.

"If that was a poser outside," Scott said, looking out the window, "he knows we're here. I think we're pretty safe, though. Like Lily said, he's on the run."

"Unless," Grung said, "he thinks killing us will slow down the search for him."

"Um," Ellie said, "how well can werewolves hear?"

Scott turned back to the others and said, "Very well. Matter of fact, I'm sure if there's a poser outside, he can hear everything we're saying."

They all looked at Grung.

"Crap," Grung said. "I just gave him advice, didn't I."

Two fur-covered claws burst through the window behind Scott, grabbed his shoulders and pulled him onto the street.

While Lily and Ellie shared a moment of shock at the sudden attack, Grung didn't hesitate. He immediately sprinted out the kitchen door.

Grung's movement jarred Lily and Ellie into action. As they ran for the door, Lily pressed the button on her belt that opened a channel to Abbie and screamed, "I hope that backup is almost here!"

If Abbie replied, Lily didn't hear it. She made it to the back road just in time to see the werewolf fling Scott into a building. He slammed into the wall and fell to the ground, motionless.

The werewolf looked at Lily. Like the others, it stood on two legs, but it looked bigger than any of the other werewolves Lily had seen. This thing was at least ten feet tall. Its fur was black with streaks of gray.

Lily was blank, but it wasn't terror or panic that caused it. It was the fact that she knew she was out of options. This werewolf was about to kill them all.

Starting with her.

The werewolf's snout curled up into what looked like a warped smile.

Grung's boot stopped the smile. He had managed to dash into the alley, climb onto a dumpster, leap toward the werewolf, and kick it square in the face.

The monster staggered back a step. Grung landed lightly on the ground and immediately kicked it again, this time in the crotch.

"Get Scott and get inside!" he yelled.

Lily quickly turned to Ellie and said, "Get Scott inside!" She then sprinted toward Grung and the werewolf. Before Ellie could protest, Lily added, "That's an order!"

As she ran toward Grung, Lily was in awe. He was actually fighting toe-to-toe with a werewolf. Flipping, ducking, rolling, jumping, he managed to dodge all of its attacks.

"Lily, get inside!" he yelled. "I can't keep this up for more than a few seconds!"

In that moment, Lily understood. Grung wasn't trying to fight this thing. He was keeping it busy long enough for the others to get to safety.

He was sacrificing his life to save the lives of his teammates.

No, you're not, Lily thought as she scanned the street for anything that could be used as a weapon.

There was nothing.

Well, shit, she thought as she sprinted toward the monster.

At the same time, Scott and Ellie came running from the apartment. "You picked the wrong area to hide in, furry!" Scott yelled. Apparently, his flight across the street had left him bruised but not broken.

Knowing she wouldn't be able to reach the thing's head, Lily took a running slide toward the werewolf. Her foot slammed into the side of the werewolf's knee.

The wolf staggered half a step, then turned and roared in her direction.

With a powerful leap, Scott smashed it in the side of the head with the table-leg he was carrying.

Ellie slid between the wolf's legs, climbed up its back and wrapped her arms around its throat. "Leave my Grung alone!"

With almost no effort, the werewolf reached back, grabbed Ellie, and threw her to the ground. In the same moment, it kicked Lily in the face and swiped a claw across Scott's chest.

With the other three Day Soldiers now sprawled on the pavement, Grung looked at the beast and smiled. "Now I have my second wind."

The monster's attack was inhumanly fast. It swept in, closed its jaws around Grung's wrist, and flicked its powerful head. Grung flew across the street and slammed into another wall.

The wolf turned back to Lily, its snout covered in blood.

It held Grung's severed hand in its teeth.

"No," Lily whispered.

Scott sprinted across the street, removing his belt as he ran. He slid in beside Grung and immediately looped his belt around his wrist, pulling the belt tight to stop the blood from gushing out of the wound.

"Abbie," Lily screamed into her mic, "where's my damn backup!"

Her voice went silent when the werewolf wrapped its claw around her throat and lifted her into the air.

Ellie grabbed Scott's table-leg from the ground and swung toward the wolf. It blocked the attack effortlessly, then grabbed her neck with its other claw and lifted her into the air.

Lily's efforts to breath were futile, and she could see the same was true of Ellie.

It was over.

Fighting despair and unconsciousness, Lily was overwhelmed with the magnitude of her failure. Her and Ellie were about to die. She looked at Ellie and tried to say, "I'm sorry," but no sound came out.

Blood exploded from the werewolf's right eye.

It dropped Ellie and Lily then fell straight back, slamming onto the pavement. Within a few seconds, it was a man.

A dead man.

Blood poured from the hole that used to be his right eye.

Rubbing her neck, Lily just stared at the dead man, shocked and confused.

"That's two you owe me, kiddo."

The voice came from Lily's earpiece, and it was a voice she knew well.

Lily turned around and looked up. A figure stood on the roof of a nearby building. He was holding a rifle.

"Leo!"

Lily wanted to climb the wall of that building and hug him for an hour straight. She wanted to tell him how badly she missed him and how often she missed him. She wanted to thank him for – yet again – saving her life.

She wanted to do all of those things.

Instead, she fainted.

# Chapter 12

Healing

"I can't believe I fainted."

Lily sat beside the table, watching the other soldiers walking up and down the street. She took a sip of her hot chocolate and sat it on the table. "Sorry I'm late for our meeting."

Leo chuckled. "You have a good excuse," he said. "So how's the training?"

"Horrible," Lily said. "And the worst part is, we're only half-way through. We literally live on the streets. And Sister Abbie is incredible, but she seems to delight in making me look bad in front of my team. And she and Scott are convinced I have some magical power called the touch."

Leo nodded. "We learned about that. You totally have it."

"Whatever," Lily said. "I think I've pretty much proven they were wrong on that one."

"So you're a squad leader, huh," Leo said. "I gotta admit, I'm not surprised. You've been bossing me around for over a decade."

"I was a squad leader," Lily said with a sigh. "I'm pretty sure after yesterday's disaster, I'll be reassigned. Or discharged altogether."

"Don't be stupid," Leo said. "Your team survived a no-weapons fight with a werewolf. And not just any werewolf. A poser."

"Barely," Lily said. "And we wouldn't have if you'd arrived five minutes later." She looked down the street in the direction of the facility hospital. "And Grung paid a heavy price for our survival."

"That guy is a hero," Leo said. "And the Day Soldiers takes care of its heroes. There are plenty of things he can do with one hand."

"Except," Lily said, "the one thing he trained his entire life to do. Which reminds me, I really should get back to the hospital."

"How long are they letting you guys stay out here in the real world?"

"We're going back tomorrow," Lily said. "Considering everything that happened, Abbie decided to give us two days of rest. I'm assuming she also needed that time to see if she can find a replacement for Grung."

"What time?" Leo asked.

"Evening," Lily answered. "No promises, but I can try to meet you here for lunch before we go back in. Say, noon?"

"I'll be here," Leo said. "If you're not, I'll understand."

Lily looked at him for a few seconds, then said, "I really needed this, Leo. I wasn't going to come. I felt like I should stay by Grung's side, but the team insisted. They know how important you are to me."

"Ditto kiddo," Leo said.

Lily cocked an eyebrow. "You seem different."

Leo laughed. "Good way or bad?"

"Good," she answered. "It's like you've found your confidence. I always knew you were great. It's nice to see you recognize it too."

Leo looked mildly embarrassed. "It's hard to find that elusive place between confident and cocky, but I think I found it."

"I'm envious," Lily said. "I came here thinking I was the greatest thing since sliced bread. Four weeks later, and I'm not sure I belong here at all."

"It'll come back," Leo said. "It's just growing pains, Lil. That's all."

"I hope so," Lily said.

Leo leaned forward. "And for the record, sliced bread has nothing on you."

Lily laughed. "I really need to get back."

"One last thing," Leo said. "Why did you faint? You're not exactly the fainting type."

"Leo," Lily said, "we've faced a lot of crazy shit. Werewolves. A whole town of vampires. But you know what's weird? Last night in that alley was the first time I've ever thought I was going to die. I knew I was about to die. And when you swooped in and saved me, I guess I just... I don't know. I was just overwhelmed."

Leo shook his head. "I still can't believe he got through security."

"Yeah," Lily agreed. "Abbie said he's been a Day Soldier for three years. Worked his way up the ranks and eventually got transferred here. She thinks the scariest part isn't that he infiltrated the Day Soldiers. It's that he tried to steal complete schematics of the entire facility. She thinks it means they're planning a full scale assault."

"Scary stuff," Leo said.

"Yeah," Lily said as she stood up. "Now, seriously, I gotta go. But not until I've had a hug." She pulled Leo to his feet and wrapped her arms around him. "I owe you my life," she whispered.

"You owe me nothing," he said. "Now go. Be with your team. If you can make it back tomorrow, I'll be here. If not, I'll be at your graduation."

Lily kissed him on the cheek. "I love you, buddy."

"Back at ya," he said.

***

Leo watched Lily jog away. He sat back down at the table and continued to sip his coffee.

After a few minutes, Enrico came up to the table and sat in the chair Lily had been using. "So that was her, no?"

"That was her," Leo said.

"She is very pretty."

"Yeah," Leo said. "She is."

"Are you ever going to tell her you love her?"

"She knows," Leo said.

Enrico smiled. "You know what I mean. She is more than a friend to you."

"I'm perfectly content with our relationship," Leo said.

This made Enrico laugh. "That is bull, my friend."

"No, it's not," Leo said. "A year ago, I really wanted more. But now, I realize that what we have is far more special than some silly romance."

Enrico cocked an eyebrow and looked at his friend suspiciously. "Do you really believe that?"

"What I really believe," Leo said, "is that you should shut the hell up."

"Okay, my friend," Enrico said with another laugh. "Okay."

***

Lily could hear Grung's voice as she walked toward his hospital room.

"I'm telling you," he was saying, "it'll work."

"No." It was Abigail's voice. She sounded exhausted.

Lily rounded the corner and entered the room. Grung was sitting up on the bed. Ellie and Scott stood on one side of him, Abbie on the other.

"Abbie," Grung said, a hint of desperation in his voice, "don't do this to me. I'm right handed. That bastard took my left hand. And this design will work." He was holding a piece of paper in his hand.

"No," Abbie said again.

"What you got there?" Lily asked.

"A weapon design," Grung explained. "It just snaps over my arm. It's a wooden stake, but it's spring loaded. One press of a button, the stake flips over and a silver blade comes out. I could do major damage with it."

"I'm sorry, Grung," Abbie said. "Truly. But your time with the sneakers is over. Your heroism saved the Legion from getting some important information, and more importantly, you saved the lives of your friends. Your sacrifice won't be forgotten here. The Day Soldiers will reward your service—"

"That's crap." The pain in Grung's voice was overwhelming. "Getting a desk job is not a reward. Abbie, I can be a valuable member of the team. I know I can."

"This isn't a negotiation," Abbie said. "We didn't accept you into the Day Soldiers because we thought it would bring you personal fulfillment. We accepted you because we needed your skills to help save the world from darkness."

"And I'm telling you," Grung argued, "I can do it better than anybody else you select for this team."

Abbie turned to Lily. "I do hope you'll back me on this."

Lily looked at Grung, then at the others. "Ellie? Scott?"

Scott stared at Grung for a long moment, then said, "I believe him."

Ellie nodded. "If he says he can do this, I believe him."

"Grung," Abbie said, "are you seriously willing to risk the lives of these three people just so you can feel better about yourself?"

"See," Grung countered, "that's where you're wrong, Abbie. All due respect, I'm not doing this to make myself feel better. I'm doing this because I know I can do it. I'm doing this because I believe, with all my heart, that my team still needs me. If I thought for one second I'd drag them down, I wouldn't be asking this. If I'd lost an entire arm or a leg, there would be no question. But I lost my left hand, Abbie. That can be turned into an advantage. I'm a fighter, not a hacker. A permanent weapon attached to my arm will contribute to my ability to fight."

Abbie again turned to Lily. "Your thoughts?"

She's putting this on me, Lily thought. She looked at Grung, then at Scott and Ellie. Finally, she turned to Abbie and said, "I think he can do it."

Abbie took the piece of paper from Grung's hand and started toward the door. "I'll take this to our engineers."

Stunned, Lily said, "Wait. You're doing it based on my opinion?"

Abbie stopped and turned around. "This is your team, not mine. I'm just here to give you survival skills. If you really think this crippled young man is what your team needs, I'll make it happen... even if I think you just sentenced your team to death. And make no mistake, child, this is on your shoulders, not Grung's. If your team is killed because Grung can't do his part, I hope you'll remember in that horrible moment that their deaths are because of your decision, not his disability."

She turned back around and left the room.

"That was harsh," Scott said.

"Yeah," Lily said, "and frankly, I'm a little fed up with it."

She ran into the hallway and saw Abbie walking toward the elevator. "Wait," she said.

Abbie stopped and turned around.

"What is your problem?" Lily said.

"I think keeping him on your team is a mistake," Abbie said. "I will not lie about that."

"Then why the hell don't you overrule me?" Lily asked. "I'm a kid. I've never done this before. You have the experience. Why do you punish me for giving my opinion?"

"You are a leader," Abbie said. "I am not. I'm a trainer. I defer to your judgment when it comes to leading a team because natural leadership isn't something we teach here. It's something we trust."

"Then why do you take such pleasure in making me feel stupid?" Lily asked. "How am I supposed to earn my team's respect if you challenge every decision I make?"

"Child," Abbie said, "how are you going to earn their respect if I don't?"

"Well," Lily said, a little flustered, "I think it's absurd to let an eighteen year old kid make these kinds of decisions."

"I agree," Abbie said. "But you're not an eighteen year old kid. We don't recruit people lightly, Lily. You know that. Before we ever met you, you'd already made insane decisions that ended up being the right decisions. We're not going to bring you into the Day Soldiers because of your instincts, then completely ignore them."

"I think that's stupid," Lily said.

"No you don't," Abbie said. "You think it's terrifying. Lily, at this point, the only thing holding you back is your lack of trust in yourself. And that's not something I can give you. You have to learn to trust your decisions even when nobody else does, including me."

Lily sighed. "I can ask for opinions, though, right?"

"Of course," Abbie said. "You absolutely should."

"Do you really think it's a bad idea to keep Grung on the team?"

Abbie smiled. "I think it's idiotic, dear."

"Great," Lily groaned.

"I also thought it was idiotic that you and Leo went into those woods to find the vampires who were terrorizing your town. And I most certainly thought it was idiotic that you decided to fight a thousand vampires head on when you could have waited until morning and killed them with ease."

"Well," Lily admitted, "that was a little idiotic."

"But you survived it, didn't you," Abbie countered. "You and Leo both. You know what else I thought was idiotic? Refusing to practice power objects on a living vampire."

"Yeah," Lily said. "I still regret that one."

"After the day you refused to allow it," Abbie said, "I decided to omit it from my trainings. All of them."

"What?" Lily was overwhelmed.

Abbie nodded. "I had convinced myself that because these things were evil, it was okay for me to perform evil acts upon them. I had embraced evil and you were the first person to ever point that out to me."

"I don't know what to say," Lily whispered.

"You have a natural wisdom, Lily. I learned very quickly to listen to that wisdom. You should too."

"Even if my wisdom tends to put people in very dangerous situations?" Lily said. "I mean, back in Iveyton, I never considered Leo's safety. Not once."

"Of course you did," Abbie said. "You just had complete faith that he'd be safe."

"Yeah," Lily said sardonically. "I assumed he would be completely safe in a town of a thousand vampires. That's not what I'd call natural wisdom."

Abbie placed a hand on Lily's shoulder. "Leo is now a Day Soldier, and from what I hear, a damn good one. So I'd say your assumption was proven right. Besides, your wisdom isn't going to put your team in danger. I'll be doing that."

Lily chuckled. "I guess so."

Abbie looked at her for a moment, then added, "Lily, do you even know what your team will be doing in this war?"

"We're sneakers," Lily answered. "We infiltrate enemy territory. In and out, unseen and unheard."

"That's how, not what," Abbie said. "Do you know what your missions will be?"

"I'm sure the missions will vary," Lily said.

"Not as much as you might think," Abbie explained. "Sneakers are assassins, Lily."

"What?"

"You will have a few missions that involve rescue or gathering information," Abbie said, "but mostly, you'll be going in to kill important vampires and werewolves. The leaders. The most powerful and well-guarded creatures in the Legion. I'm surprised you didn't know that."

"I guess I knew it," Lily said. "It's just a little jarring to hear it said so bluntly."

"I'm nothing if not direct," Abbie said. "You are assassins, just like every other team of sneakers. I want to make that absolutely clear."

"It's clear," Lily said.

"Okay," Abbie went on. "That said, I'm going to ask you one more time. Are you absolutely sure you want Grung on your team?"

"Yes," Lily said. "I'm absolutely sure."

"Then he'll be on your team," Abbie said. "I still think it's an idiotic decision, but I have complete faith in your instincts on this."

"It's not instinct," Lily said. "It's faith. I have faith in Grung, and my team. I'm assuming faith is something you're familiar with."

Abbie smiled. "Lily, I don't think I'll call you 'child' again. It's obviously an inaccurate description. You are no child."

"Thank you," Lily said. "Although I think you're being a little too kind."

"Something's bothering you."

Lily looked down. "I fainted, Abbie. Nobody's treating that like a big deal, but it is. I fainted. I'm not talking about my ego here. If we were in enemy territory, it could've gotten my entire team killed."

"You weren't in enemy territory," Abbie said. "The werewolf was defeated and you knew everyone was safe. I think when you heard Leo's voice you were overwhelmed with relief. That's a feeling you'll never have in enemy territory. I'm not concerned with this, and you shouldn't be either."

"Okay," Lily said quietly.

"Do you know about my history?" Abbie asked.

"Scott told us about it," Lily said. "You killed an entire town of vampires. Like I did."

"I did," Abbie said. "And after I got my people to safety, I passed out. I woke up two days later in a hospital. Do you know how many times I've passed out since then?"

"None, I hope."

"None," Abbie confirmed. "Before that night, I didn't even think vampires existed. It upset my entire world. Reality changed that day. It's a lot to process."

"My reality didn't change," Lily said. "I already knew vampires and werewolves were real."

"You did," Abbie agreed, "but your reality changed in another way."

"I'm listening."

"Lily, you learned you're vulnerable. You learned you can die."

"I already knew that."

"Your mind knew it," Abbie countered. "Your heart clearly didn't. Now that it does, I'm quite sure you'll never faint again."

"How do you know?"

"Faith," Abbie said.

Lily laughed.

"And since I'm no longer referring to you as a child," Abbie continued, "I will not tolerate your 'I'm just a kid' defense, either."

Lily nodded. "Fair enough."

Abbie pressed the button on the elevator again. "Just so you know," she said, "I turned the sound off of the alarms when the werewolf infiltrated Sneaker City. But they were still active."

"I saw three in the alley where we had the fight," Lily said.

"Yes," Abbie confirmed. "Your team set them off thirty-seven times." The elevator door slid open and she stepped inside.

Lily grinned. "Are you saying we're expelled?"

"Your team," Abbie said, "is the first team to ever make it to week four."

"Wait," Lily said. "You lied about expelling us?"

Abbie just smiled as the door slid shut.

"But you're a nun!"

***

Lily was able to have lunch with Leo the next day. He listened quietly as she gave him more details about her life as a sneaker, finishing up with the events of the previous night.

"So Grung's still on the team," she said. "By the time we finish training, they expect to have his weapon complete."

"That's awesome," Leo said. "Really."

Lily looked at him thoughtfully. "Leo, what's wrong? You've been way too quiet."

"I go on my first mission next week," Leo said. "I got the briefing this morning."

"Holy cow," Lily whispered.

Leo grinned. "Holy cow? You sneakers are hard core."

Lily flashed a middle finger at him. "How's that for hard core?"

"Better," he said with a laugh.

"So what's the mission?" Lily asked. "Are you allowed to tell me?"

"It's really nothing," Leo answered. "Enrico and I are accompanying an infantry squad to the base in Ohio. We'll be stationed there for a few weeks."

"Ohio?" Lily echoed. "Scary stuff. Indiana and Pennsylvania are Legion occupied states. You're going to be surrounded by those bastards."

"The base is in northwest Ohio. We'll be about ten miles from the battle lines on the Indiana border and the Michigan border." He leaned back in his chair. "It is scary stuff, Lil. I mean, this whole thing just seems more real now, you know?"

"Yeah," Lily said. "I feel good about things after my heart-to-heart with Abbie, but it's still scary." She looked at Leo for several silent seconds, then added, "You even look stronger."

"That's your imagination," Leo argued. "I was in good shape before training began. It didn't change me much physically."

"I'm not talking about your body," Lily said. "I mean your eyes. Your eyes are stronger."

Leo's face flushed a bit. "You're stupid."

"Will you be back in time for my graduation?" Lily asked.

"Hopefully," Leo said. "Officially, I come back here a few days before your graduation."

"What will you be doing out there?"

Leo shrugged. "Mostly we'll be following infantry and covering them from a distance. Should be fun."

"Yeah," Lily said. "Fun."

"Lil, what's wrong?"

"I don't know," Lily answered honestly. "For the first time since Iveyton, I find myself wishing I hadn't dragged you into the Day Soldiers."

Leo leaned across the table and took both of her hands into his. "Lily, you didn't drag me anywhere. I came because I wanted to. I'm good with a rifle. Damn good. They need me here, and I'm honored to be a part of this. And I owe that largely to you."

Lily's smile was gentle, almost weak. For reasons she couldn't explain, she found herself fighting tears. "You follow me everywhere," she whispered. "You always have."

"And I always will," Leo said. "No matter where you go, kiddo, I'll be there. I will follow you into the dark."

"I know you will," Lily whispered. "I know you will."

# Chapter 13

Jackson's Folly

Dusk.

The city was called Jackson's Folly. Before it fell to the Legion a decade ago, the humans called it New York, but now it was Jackson's Folly and it was the capital of Legion territory in America.

Dennis and Tina strolled down the street toward the building that held the council's offices.

"I hate the city," Tina grumbled. "You should have turned down the spot on the council. This place is filthy."

"Oh, don't be a baby," Dennis said. "We almost never get summoned. You can handle coming here a few days out of the year. Besides, if this meeting goes like Daciana promised, you might never have to come to a city again."

"I suppose," Tina said, "but I refuse to like it. Werewolves don't belong in cities. We're just not built for it." She looked around the empty street. "Shouldn't the humans be coming outside by now? It's getting dark."

"They will," Dennis answered. "As soon as the dinner bell—"

The sound of a clock tower's bell echoed throughout the city.

"—rings," Dennis finished.

Humans began to step out of their homes and stores, quietly standing along the sides of the street.

"I almost feel sorry for them," Tina said.

"Liar."

"Hey, I said almost."

The humans were broken and silent. They lined the road in every direction, waiting for hell to begin.

Dennis walked up to one of them, an older man, and peered into the man's eyes. The man tried to look away, but Dennis grabbed his chin and jerked his face forward.

"What are you doing?" Tina asked.

"What do you see when you look at this human?" Dennis asked.

Tina shrugged. "Despair?"

Dennis laughed. "That's it, exactly. Despair. It's really quite fascinating. This man has survived here for ten years now. And every single night for those ten years, he has had to come and stand on this street and hope against hope that he isn't chosen. What does that do to a person?"

"You could ask him," Tina offered.

"So tell me," Dennis said to the man. "What are you feeling right now?"

"Nothing," the man said.

"Are you married?" Dennis asked.

"Widowed."

"How long ago?"

"Last year." The man's voice was hopeless.

"So she made it nine years," Dennis said. "Wow."

"We were brought here," the man said. "Last year. My wife killed herself one week in."

"Do you want to die?"

"No," the man answered.

"Interesting," Dennis said. "Why not?"

The man was silent.

"Answer me," Dennis said.

"I want to be here when the Day Soldiers take this city back," the man said.

Dennis laughed. "Is that hope I smell?"

"No," the man said.

"I think it is," Dennis countered.

"No," the man repeated. "You're confusing hope with faith. I know the Day Soldiers will take this city back."

Dennis turned to Tina. "I like this guy. But his future makes me sad."

"What future is that?" Tina asked.

"One day," Dennis said, "he's going to lose his faith. He's going to realize that humanity is lost. And when that day comes, it'll crush him. It'll be worse than death."

"Brings a tear to my eye," Tina said.

"Ah," Dennis said, looking around. "The kids are up."

Dozens of vampires began to fill the streets. They walked up to the humans, looking them over. Inspecting them.

Nobody tried to run. They knew running would draw attention, and attention was the one thing none of them wanted. So they stood silent and hoped to be overlooked.

"Get on with it already," Tina said.

"Don't be a fuddy-duddy," Dennis said. "They're savoring the moment."

"Well, if you're done playing," Tina said, "we have a meeting to go to."

Nearby, a woman began to scream as a vampire dragged her onto the street then buried his face into her chest. As soon as the smell of blood hit the air, the frenzy began.

Dennis turned back to the human beside him. "You see this every day," he said over the screams, "and yet you still think humanity will win this war."

"I know it," the man said defiantly.

Dennis pointed at him and smiled. "I like you. You deserve to be on the winning team."

The defiance in the man's eyes was replaced by absolute horror. "No," he whispered.

Dennis turned to one of the feeding vampires and yelled, "You! Come here!"

An instant later, the vampire was standing beside him.

"Turn this one," Dennis said calmly.

The vampire grinned as he sank his teeth into the man's throat.

Dennis looked at Tina. "You're right. We belong in the field, not in a damn fishing pond. Let's get this meeting over with."

"Thank God," Tina said.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Dennis asked. "If this meeting doesn't go like we're planning, it could get... ugly."

"Can you do it without me?"

"Probably not," Dennis said with a smile.

"Then let's get this over with," Tina said. "But I'm holding you to your promise that we won't be coming here often."

Dennis laughed. "Trust me," he said, "I don't like it here any more than you."

***

The council met in the dining hall of what used to be a very expensive hotel. Several tables lined the center of the hall. The council members sat at those tables. Seventeen members of the council were werewolves, including Dennis.

The eighteenth member was a vampire, but he was unlike most other vampire Dennis had seen. He didn't look monstrous like the others. He had brown curly hair that lay softly on his shoulders. His skin was pale and flawless and his eyes glowed bright blue. His name was Arcas and – as far as Dennis knew – he was the first vampire.

He was speaking to the council as Dennis and Tina entered the hall.

"They are all my children," Arcas said. "Every time one of them dies, I feel it. You wolves are far too careless with the lives of my kind."

A woman with a very thick Romanian accent responded. "I understand your frustration, but we don't kill your kind. It is forbidden. Every time you feel the death of a vampire, it's because of a human, not a werewolf."

She was Daciana, and she was very old, despite her youthful appearance. Dennis sat in the empty seat beside her. Tina stood behind him.

"You might not drive the stake," Arcas said, "but you certainly don't care to position them to die." He pointed at Dennis. "This one created an entire town of vampires, just to let them die at human hands. That was a very unpleasant night."

"I assure you," Dennis said, "I did not think those children would kill them."

"Enough."

The man who spoke looked old but powerful. His face and head were covered in white hair. His features were mix of human and wolf. After centuries of transformations, he had apparently lost the ability to completely become one or the other. His name was Lycaon, and although he never made the claim himself, most werewolves believed him to be the first of their kind. "I appreciate your pain, old friend, and we will remind our kind to have more respect for the lives of your children. If that's good enough for you, may we move on to the reason for this meeting?"

Arcas simply nodded.

Lycaon looked at Daciana and said, "The floor is yours, my dear."

Daciana looked around the room sullenly and said, "Garrit is dead."

"Are you sure?" one of the werewolves – a female – asked.

Daciana nodded. "He was caught and killed during his mission in the Norfolk facility."

"This is a sad day," Lycaon said. "Garrit was a very old friend."

"Garrit was next in line for this council," a man sitting directly across from Dennis said. "We are losing too many important people. We need a mandate that keeps council members and their heirs away from the battlefield."

Dennis heard a very slight sigh come from Tina. "No," he said. "That would be foolish. We're needed out there far more than here."

"Garrit was my heir," Daciana said. "I feel his loss more than any of you. But I agree with Dennis. We belong in the field. Keeping us here would be a huge mistake."

Arcas laughed. "You seriously called a meeting to discuss the death of one werewolf? I've felt the deaths of thirty vampires since this meeting began. Your disrespect for my kind is intolerable."

Daciana sighed. "Calm down, Arcas. That's not the only reason I called this meeting. In his last transmission, Garrit informed me that the Day Soldiers think they have another channeler in the Norfolk facility."

"Besides Abigail?" Lycaon asked.

"Yes," Daciana answered. "Right after Garrit sent the transmission, he tried to kill her. Apparently, he died in the attempt."

"This is not good news," Arcas said.

"I think," Daciana continued, "this warrants a full scale assault on the Norfolk facility."

"A bold suggestion," Lycaon said. "A full scale assault on a training facility would come with a heavy price. We'd likely lose the battle and we'd definitely lose many lives."

"The battle would be secondary," Daciana explained. "Our primary targets would be the channelers. I think our losses would be far greater if we don't attack. The last time they had a channeler leading an invasion, we lost all of Ohio before we killed him. Considering the damage these humans can do, I think we have to act on this information, Lycaon. We know the exact location of two channelers. We can't ignore this opportunity."

"There are a lot of people on that base," Dennis said. "Do we even know who this channeler is?"

"Funny you should ask," Daciana said. "You've met her."

Dennis suddenly felt very uncomfortable. "I've met her?"

"It's your girl," Daciana explained. "The one who killed Phillip."

"Of course," Arcas said. "That explains how she killed so many of my children that first night."

"I had no way of knowing," Dennis said. "I would have killed her instantly if I had known."

"You should have killed her instantly anyway," Arcas spat. "We wouldn't be having this meeting if you would have just killed her instead of playing your stupid little games."

Dennis growled.

Arcas laughed. "Are you seriously growling at me, dog? Attack me. Please."

"Arcas, stop it," Lycaon said. "What's done is done. At this point, we really don't have a choice. We have to attack."

"I have a question." It was Tina who spoke.

Lycaon sighed. "Dennis, we allow heirs to attend these meetings to prepare them for the day they replace us, but they are not allowed to participate. This isn't a public forum."

"I apologize for her lack of tact," Dennis said, "but if Tina has something to say, I suggest we hear it out."

Lycaon gave a single nod.

Tina looked at Arcas. "Have you ever turned a channeler?"

There was a collective groan throughout the group.

"That's not an option," Arcas said.

"Why?" Dennis asked. "If she could be turned, she would be a powerful ally."

"Dammit, Dennis," Daciana said, "you watch too many movies. This girl is not Luke—"

"It kills the vampire," Arcas cut in. "Burns them up from the inside out."

"Every time?" Dennis asked.

"There is only one way to turn a channeler," Arcas explained. "They must be willing. They must want the change. And this is not something they can be forced into. They have to embrace the darkness."

Dennis considered this for a moment, then asked, "If she were turned, would she be like you or would she be like one of those monstrosities outside?"

"Manners," Lycaon chastised.

"That depends," Arcas answered. "If I turned her, she'd be like me. Those monstrosities are the way they are because they are hundreds of generations away from me."

Dennis nodded quietly.

"Why are we discussing this?" a man from across the table asked. He was a werewolf Dennis had seen at previous meetings, but didn't know his name. "It can't be done. We need to go in and we need to kill her."

"No," Dennis said. "I can get her to want it."

Daciana laughed. "Your confidence is inspiring."

"I know this girl," Dennis said. "She's like us. I could see it in her eyes. And even if I'm wrong, attacking that base is a mistake. It would be an unnecessary loss of werewolf and vampire lives."

"Unnecessary?" Lycaon said. "I think you underestimate the damage a channeler can cause."

"No," Dennis said. "It's unnecessary because if we hang tight, she'll come to us. More specifically, she'll come to me. All we have to do is leak my location to the Day Soldiers."

Daciana seemed to consider this. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," Dennis said. "I killed her entire home town. She will come for me. All we have to do is let her."

Lycaon was silent for a few seconds, then said, "If she doesn't, the consequences of us not taking her now will be on your shoulders."

"She will," Dennis assured him.

"Okay," Lycaon said. "I'm good with trusting Dennis on this. Does anyone oppose?"

"I do," the werewolf from across the table said. He pointed at Dennis. "This one is just as unpredictable as Phillip was. I don't think we should let this chance go based on his gut instinct."

"Phillip was an idiot," Dennis growled. "Don't assume I'm anything like him just because I was his heir."

"You both play with your food," the werewolf said. "And you don't take this war any more seriously than he did."

Dennis looked at Daciana. He didn't speak, but with his eyes he asked her a very important question.

Is now a good time to do this?

Daciana gave a very subtle nod.

Dennis smiled and turned back to the werewolf across the table. "What's your name?"

"Why do you care?" the werewolf spat. "I lost family to the Ohio invasion. It's ridiculous that anyone here is even considering your absurd suggestion."

"I think," Dennis countered, "it's ridiculous that we have a council this large. I mean, most of you people just sit around like dumbasses. You don't contribute. I say it's time we took some of the bureaucracy out of this council."

The werewolf across the table sprang to his feet. "Was that a threat?"

Dennis stared at the man with cold eyes. "As a matter of fact, it was. Tina?"

Behind him, Tina drew a gun and pointed it at the werewolf.

"Enough!" Lycaon screamed. "Mickey, sit down! And Dennis, how dare you bring a human weapon to this council!"

"Mickey?" Dennis said. "Your name is Mickey? I'm being threatened by a Mickey?"

"I hope all of you see this!" Mickey said, pointing at Tina. "His heir is holding a human weapon. He has no honor!"

"Not just my heir," Dennis said as he pulled out his own gun.

Every person in the room sprang to their feet.

Arcas looked around the room, smiling. "Werewolves are so amusing," he said, then added quietly, "Cassius, I think you'd better come in here."

Another vampire burst into the room, gun in hand. He was like Arcas in that he looked human. He had short brown hair, handsome features, but in his eyes was a lean and hungry look. He pointed the gun at Dennis.

Dennis recognized the vampire immediately. "Hello, Cassius. I knew you wouldn't be far from your master."

The vampire Cassius looked at Arcas. "What the hell is going on in here?"

Arcas sighed. "Werewolf politics."

"Put those weapons away," Lycaon ordered. "Now!"

"No," Dennis said.

Across the table, Mickey smiled darkly. "We all know you won't use that weapon. This council would immediately order your death. As a matter of fact, I propose a death sentence based on the fact that you brought a weapon to this meeting."

Dennis looked around the room. "None of you have guns? Seriously?"

"It is forbidden," Lycaon answered. "You know this, Dennis."

"Yeah," Dennis said, "but I thought it was one of those laws nobody follows. Seriously, I can't believe you people don't carry protection."

Mickey snarled in disgust. "We carry honor instead."

Dennis grinned. "I see. Then I guess that means I'm the most powerful werewolf in this room."

"Hardly," Mickey sneered. "We all know you won't pull that trigger."

Dennis pulled the trigger.

Mickey staggered back a few steps then fell to the ground, dead.

Before the others even realized what had happened, Dennis pointed his gun at another werewolf and fired.

Tina quickly joined in and shot two more werewolves.

Beside Dennis, Daciana drew her own gun and began to fire at the other council members.

Cassius turned his gun from Dennis and pointed it in the direction of another council member and fired.

Lycaon watched in horror as Arcas pulled out his own weapon and joined the bloodbath.

The council members tried to escape, but the attack came too swiftly. Within seconds, Dennis, Tina, Daciana, Arcas, and Cassius stood over the bodies of fourteen dead werewolves. The only other living creature in the room was Lycaon. He stood at the end of the table, staring at the bodies.

"What have you done?" he whispered.

Daciana jumped onto the table, walked to the end, and pointed her gun down at Lycaon. "You were a good leader when our kind lived in in the shadow of the human world. But we have outgrown you. The world has outgrown you. This silly council is proof. We've been fighting this war like humans. We've been playing by their rules for too long. It's time to change the game."

Lycaon's eyes showed no fear or anger. Only sadness. "Daciana, there are things you haven't considered." He looked at Arcas, then at Cassius. "Important things."

Daciana squeezed the trigger.

She climbed down from the table, shoved Lycaon's dead body to the floor, and sat in his chair. "Two vampires, two werewolves. That's a fair council, I think."

"Three werewolves," Dennis corrected. "Tina is part of this." He looked at Arcas. "If that means you have to bring in a third vampire, I'm cool with it."

Arcas laughed. "Not necessary. I'm perfectly content with Tina being a part of this. She's earned it."

"Shall we sit?" Cassius asked.

Dennis had known Cassius for years, and had always respected him. Cassius was a warrior and a thinker. He was a very powerful vampire, probably more powerful than Arcas, his maker. The fact that Cassius had never tried to kill Arcas was what impressed Dennis the most. Dennis knew Cassius held no real affection for Arcas. Cassius simply understood that standing beside his master gave him all the power and none of the responsibility.

Dennis was certain Cassius would one day rule the entire world. It was just a matter of time. In the meantime, developing a relationship of mutual respect seemed to be a good course of action. "For a minute there," he said to the vampire, "I thought you were going to shoot me."

Cassius smiled. "I just thought it would be the easiest excuse to have my weapon drawn without arousing suspicion. I'd never shoot you, Denny. You're my bestest pal."

Tina laughed. "Denny?"

"Okay," Arcas said. "Our plan succeeded, with much more ease than I'd anticipated, I might add. So where do we go from here?"

"First and foremost," Cassius said, "let's define our goals here." He looked at the werewolves. "When everything's said and done, what do you want?"

Dennis leaned forward. "Our needs haven't changed. We just want the forests. Let us go live in nature. You can have the cities and leave nature to us. Give us the forests and keep your kind away. Forever."

"You sound like Lycaon," Daciana said.

"Hardly," Dennis countered. "Lycaon thought the ultimate end to the war would be a treaty with humanity. He really just wanted to thin their numbers then scare them into leaving us the hell alone." He looked at Cassius and Arcas. "You'll notice there's nothing in that plan for your kind. He knew humanity would never negotiate with you, which fit in with his plans perfectly."

Arcas nodded. "We were very aware of his plans to betray us. I'm pretty damn sure a day would have come when Lycaon saw that vampires were the 'true evil' and stood beside humanity to wipe us out. Nothing brings people together like a common enemy."

"Which is why," Cassius added, "we like your plan much better. Humans are the common enemy. They've been blissfully unaware of their status for too long. I think it's time they learned their place."

Dennis cocked an eyebrow. "As servants?"

"As cattle," Cassius answered.

"So it's settled," Arcas said. "When this war is over, we'll take the cities and your kind can have the forests. I'll make it our most sacred law. Nature belongs to the werewolves and any vampire caught in your lands will have no protection from me. And if any werewolves wander into a city..."

"Whatever happens to them will be their own fault," Dennis said.

"You're confident all of your kind will agree to this?"

Dennis nodded. "Most will."

"Most?" Cassius asked. "What about the dissenters?"

With a shrug, Dennis said, "A little herd thinning is good for any species."

"Good enough for me," Arcas said. "Moving on—"

"I have one other request," Daciana said. "The only reason I participated in this little takeover."

Arcas looked at her. "I'm listening."

A look of disgust filled Daciana's eyes. "Wallace."

"What about him?" Dennis asked.

"I want to kill him," she answered. "I want to put a gun to his head and pull the trigger. But only after I've made him suffer in various inventive ways."

Cassius smiled. "You really don't like Wallace."

Daciana didn't return the smile. "He is the reason this war didn't end in a week. Every dead werewolf since then is his fault. He betrayed us all. Humanity was completely unprepared for us, but he changed that."

"Whatever," Arcas said. "You want Wallace, you can have him. No vampire will touch him. Can we move on to the important things now? Like how we're going to end this joke of a war."

"That's the easy part," Dennis said. He turned to Daciana. "And make no mistake, sweetheart. Lycaon is just as responsible for those deaths as Wallace. This council has willfully continued a war that could have ended years ago."

"How is ending it the easy part?" Cassius asked.

Dennis pointed toward the door. "How many humans do you have outside?"

"Not sure, really," Arcas said. "Thousands. Maybe tens of thousands. It's a big city."

"Turn them," Dennis said. "Turn them all. And do the same all over the world. You would have an unstoppable army."

Cassius grinned. "I like it."

"Vampires are like living things in one way," Arcas said. "They have to feed. We need those people."

"No," Dennis argued. "You need people, but not those people. There's a whole world out there of humans. And nothing motivates a predator like hunger. I say turn them all, and then starve them for a month or so. Then just unleash them on the world."

"Yeah," Cassius said. "I definitely like this plan."

For the first time since the slaughter, Tina spoke up. "It's a good plan, Arcas. We could win this thing in a matter of days."

"You don't know that," Arcas countered. "If the humans somehow manage to defend themselves from the assault, bad things would happen. Starving vampires – especially young ones – can be very dangerous. I wouldn't be able to control them for long. Eventually, they'd start attacking your kind."

"The humans won't be able to defend themselves," Cassius said. "A full assault with every vampire and werewolf we have would end this war. They're right."

"Every time a vampire dies," Arcas said, "I can feel it. I feel their deaths. It's not a pleasant sensation. Cassius feels it, too. Thousands of vampires will die in this assault, and you're asking us to endure that."

"I can take it," Cassius said. "So can you. And don't pretend like you care about them. We both know that's not true."

"Of course I don't care about them," Arcas admitted with a smile. "I was just saying it's very unpleasant when they die." He turned back to Dennis. "If we do this, you can guarantee your kind will participate in the attack?"

Daciana answered for Dennis. "They'll participate. I killed Lycaon. My kind will respect the transfer of power. Most werewolves will be glad it happened."

Cassius raised a hand. "Question." He pointed at the dead bodies in the room. "Would drinking their blood be disrespectful?"

Arcas closed his eyes and shook his head. "Cassius."

"What?" Cassius said. "They killed most of them. I don't see the big deal. It just seems like such a waste to let it spill out on the floor like that."

"Have fun," Dennis said. "Obviously, we're not very sentimental here."

As Cassius began to drink the blood from the dead werewolves, Arcas turned to the others and said, "Back on topic, there's only one thing about your plan that makes me hesitate."

"I'm listening," Dennis said.

"The channeler," Arcas explained. "Normally, I'm not concerned with channelers. We've killed our share over the years. But this one's different. She's being trained by Abbie. That could prove to be a significant problem."

Dennis replied without hesitation. "I stand by my earlier suggestion."

"You still think we can turn her."

"I do."

"Why?" Arcas asked. "What makes you so sure?"

Dennis glanced at Tina, then turned back to the vampire. "We met her, Arcas. We saw the kind of person she is. This girl is powerful, and she knows it. More importantly, she likes it. She likes the power. She didn't wait for the Day Soldiers to clean up that town. She had to do it herself. She wants the glory. I know I can tap into that."

"It can't be some blackmail thing," Arcas warned. "You can't have some situation where she has to volunteer for it in order to save her friends. Her desire has to be real. She has to legitimately want it."

"I can do it," Dennis reassured him. "Right now, she thinks all vampires are like the little monstrosities outside. If we can show her there's something else... if we can show her you, she'll want it. All she needs is to be convinced she's on the losing team. After that, she'll want to join. This girl doesn't like to lose."

Arcas leaned back in his chair. "I suppose we should start this new council with the right relationship. I'm going to trust you on this Dennis." He turned to Cassius. "Hey, glutton, you up for turning every human in this city?"

Cassius popped up, his face covered in blood. He grinned. "You bet I am!"

# Chapter 14

Graduation

Four Weeks Later.

Leo fell against the tree, barely able to breathe. He had been running for hours and was exhausted, but he knew he didn't have time to rest. He pulled a small recorder from his pocket and turned it on.

"This is Leo Rosenberg, lead sniper for the Celina, Ohio infantry division. Our squad was spotted on the outskirts of New Castle, Indiana. They must have smelled us despite our scent inhibitors. The entire squad is captured. For some reason, they wanted us alive. New Castle was full of—" a noise to his left caused him to look up.

A werewolf stepped from behind a tree. Then another. And another.

"Shit!" Leo quickly pulled a bullet-shaped object from the recorder and placed it into the barrel of his pistol. He fired it into the sky just before the werewolves closed in on him.

***

Abbie was tied to a chair in a basement. Three werewolves were in the room with her. One of the werewolves was in human form; the other two were giant two-legged wolves. The human werewolf sat in a chair beside Abbie. He looked at a vent in the ceiling.

"I bet they'll come for you through that," he said.

"Nonsense," Abbie said. "That vent is too small."

"Then how do you expect them to come?"

Abbie smiled. "Even if I knew, why on earth do you think I'd tell you?"

The man shrugged. "I think it'll be through the vent. I think you're just trying to throw me off. I mean, there are no windows in this place. The only other option would be the door, and that would be pretty stup—"

There was a knock at the door.

All three werewolves looked at each other, confused.

"Well," the leader said, "see who it is."

Abbie was smiling. "I think we know who it is."

One of the other werewolves shifted to a human and pulled the door open just enough to see outside. He immediately closed the door and turned around to the others. "I think it's them. Two females, two males, all dressed in Day Soldier fatigues and heavily armed."

"Does one of them have a sword for an arm?" The leader asked.

The werewolf cracked open the door, looked again, then shut it back. "Yeah."

The leader looked at Abbie. "The front door? Seriously?"

There was another knock.

The door-wolf looked at the leader, confused.

The leader shrugged. "See what they want, I suppose."

The werewolf cracked open the door a third time.

"Hi," Lily said from the stairs leading to the basement door. "As you can see, we've found you. I have an offer for you."

"What offer?"

"Let Abbie go, and we'll walk away," Lily said.

The werewolf turned to his leader.

"No," the leader said with a groan. "What's wrong with you?"

The werewolf turned back to Lily. "No."

He started to close the door, but Lily stopped it. "I really don't think you've thought this through. It's to your benefit to let her go."

"And why is that?"

"Because," Lily said, "it's the only alternative to us killing you."

"That's cute," the werewolf said. "Go away."

"So that's your final answer?" Lily asked. "You're definitely not going to let her go?"

Despite everything, the werewolf chuckled. "That's our final answer, kid. If you want the nun, you have to take her."

Lily immediately dropped to the ground, revealing that Ellie had moved directly behind her. She was pointing a gun at the werewolf. A gun which she immediately fired.

The werewolf flew back several feet and landed on the floor. It wasn't moving.

Lily sprang to her feet and dived into the room. The non-human werewolf immediately sprang toward her, but it didn't have a chance. Lily, Scott, and Ellie opened fire. Within a second, it was covered with bullet holes and stank of singed fur.

All three soldiers spun around and pointed their guns at the leader, but they didn't fire.

He had taken a wolf form and now had his large claw wrapped around Abbie's throat.

"Abbie," Lily said with cold eyes, "live or die? I'll leave it up to you. They haven't killed you yet, which means they obviously have plans for you. If we let him go, you could be facing something worse than death."

"If you can manage it, dear," Abbie said, "I'd prefer to live and stay here."

"Fair enough," Lily said. "Grung?"

As soon as she said the name, the werewolf realized the fourth person from the hallway was not in the room.

Grung burst through the ceiling vent and fell onto the creature, stabbing the blade on his arm deep into the monster's furry shoulder.

The werewolf howled in pain and flung him across the room. It staggered back a few steps, covering the fresh wound with its claw.

As soon as it was clear, the team opened fire.

The beast was on the ground in less than a second.

Abbie looked down at the creature, which was now changing back to a human, and said, "Well how about that. They used the vent and front door. Guess I was wrong about the room up there."

"I guess so," The werewolf – now a man again – said as he stood up and looked around the room.

"Commander Wallace," Lily said to the man with a smile, "you're naked."

Wallace laughed. "An unfortunate side-effect of the werewolf condition." The blade wound on his shoulder and the fresh bullet wounds were quickly healing themselves.

The other two werewolves – both now men – got to their feet. "I hate helping out with training," one of the men said. "We have to feel the pain twice. Once when the cadets shoot us, and again when the doctors remove the bullets. Can't we do this crap without live ammo?"

"Don't be a baby," Wallace said as he picked up a pair of jeans from the floor and began to put them on. He looked at Lily. "I gotta say, I was surprised by your bravado."

"Bravado," Lily said, "is what this team does best. But in this case, it was a very calculated move, sir."

"Calculated?" Wallace said. "You burst into the room and opened fire like it was a video game. In a real situation, Abbie would likely be dead."

"I disagree," Lily said. "Our orders for this exercise were to treat it like it was real. The only difference was the fact that our ammo and Grung's sword arm weren't silver. By treating this as if it were real, we were pretty damn sure you didn't intend to kill Abbie."

"What made you come to that conclusion?"

Scott stepped forward. "Easy, sir. Werewolves don't take individual prisoners. They will sometimes raid towns and take dozens of people back to Legion cities to provide food for vampires, but they won't do it with an individual. The work isn't worth the effort. If they've taken a single person prisoner, it means they really want her alive."

"Or," Wallace countered, "it means I can't kill Abbie because it's a training exercise."

"Our orders were clear," Lily said. "We were to treat this as absolutely real. And werewolves don't take single individuals prisoner. Period. So we worked on the assumption that you'd only kill her as a last resort."

"Fair enough," Wallace said as he untied Abbie. "Still doesn't explain why you blasted in here like super heroes. What if there were other werewolves in the room? You could have been slaughtered by a dozen or more werewolves."

"Nope." This time, it was Ellie who spoke. "I watched you for almost two days, sir. We were sure you three were the only werewolves in the building."

"Ellie took complete measurements of the vent shaft," Lily explained, "and we found another one in the building next door that was the same size. Grung went through three trial runs. Everything you witnessed here looked like some spontaneous gun show, but it wasn't. Even my question to Abbie was just to keep your mind off the vent."

Wallace smiled and shook his head. "Gotta admit, I'm impressed."

"So we passed?" Grung asked.

"Yes, dear," Abbie said. "There's really nothing more you can learn in Sneaker City. With previous training groups, part of the final exam involved releasing vampires in the area, but that all changed when Lily refused to allow me to use them here."

"I know," Lily groaned. "I'm an awful person." Since Abbie admitted she changed the entire training program based on Lily's objection, the little digs just didn't have the power they once had.

"Wait," Scott said. "Am I hearing you correctly? Our training is over?"

"Report to me in a week for your first assignment," Wallace answered.

"Just like that," Grung said. "We're done?"

"We can have a ceremony if you want one," Abbie added. "Although I detest that kind of thing."

Wallace looked at the group. "You've grown into a fine team. I think you kids will do some amazing things."

"Thank you, sir," Lily said.

"For now," Wallace continued, "I recommend you get out of Sneaker City and find a shower. Then go eat a steak or something."

"Oh, God," Scott said. "A steak. I think I'll skip the shower and go straight for the steak."

Wallace leaned forward and sniffed. "I know I have a werewolf's sense of smell, but I really recommend you take a shower first."

Scott laughed as he walked toward the door.

Lily started to follow but stopped when Abbie placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll need you to report to me tomorrow with your answer."

"Answer?"

"I asked you a question eight weeks ago," Abbie explained. "You still haven't told me why humanity deserves to win this war. I expect an answer tomorrow."

Shit. Lily had completely forgotten. She looked at Grung. A sword was attached to his left arm where his hand used to be. Right now, the sword was for training. Once they went into the field, it would be silver. Beneath the sword, a wooden stake lay flat against his forearm. The stake and the sword were connected to a swivel at the end of his arm. With a quick flick, he could switch from sword to stake.

She suddenly had an answer.

"Grung," she said. "Come here."

Grung walked her way. "Yes, boss?"

Lily pointed toward his sword-arm. "Why did you do this?"

Grung smiled and lifted his arm. "Because it makes me a Day Soldier killing machine."

"That's not what I mean," Lily said. "Abbie wanted you to take a support role in this war. You refused to accept that. Why?"

"Because," Grung explained, "I knew I could do more. If I'd been injured enough to be a hindrance to this team, I'd have taken another job. But I knew you still needed me, and if I turned my back on that, I'd be turning my back on the human race."

Lily turned to Abbie. She pointed at Grung and said, "That. You asked why humanity deserves to win this war. Well, Grung – and every person like him – is why. He's fighting for something bigger than himself, and he's not doing it for glory or recognition. He's doing it because it's his responsibility. Until you can show me a vampire who would do that, for that reason, I'm going to point to Grung as the reason we deserve to win this war."

Scott stepped forward and said, "That's bull."

Lily turned to him. "You have a better answer?"

"The Legion has zealots," Scott said. "Zealotry doesn't make us special." He looked at Abbie. "You want to know why we deserve to win this war? Well, that's a trick question. The truth is, we don't deserve to win it. But who cares if we have some lofty justification for fighting these monsters. We're not fighting them to protect the earth. We're fighting them to protect ourselves. I don't know about you, but I can't think of a better reason."

"I agree with Scott," Ellie said. "We don't deserve to win this war. When it comes to mass destruction, we're the best. Everything we've ever created has been born from the ashes of something we destroyed. But I promise you, the Legion is no better. They've already proven that. New York is a city in ruins now."

"Then why are we fighting?" Abbie asked.

"Because," Ellie answered, "we have the capacity to make things right. We don't deserve to win this war, but we damn sure have a responsibility to win it."

"You're all wrong," Grung said. "Truth is, we won't know if we deserve to win this war until we win it. Before the Olympics, athletes don't sit around talking about how they deserve the gold medal. They get out there and they win. And if they don't win, they don't deserve it." He smiled. "We won't win this war because we deserve it. We'll deserve it because we'll win."

Lily looked at Abbie and shrugged. "What they said."

Abbie was quiet for a moment, then said, "Report to Commander Wallace in a week for your first assignment. Congratulations. You're Day Soldiers." Lily smiled.
Part Four:

The Day Soldiers

# Chapter 15

The Proving Grounds

"We need a name," Scott said.

"We have a name," Lily countered. "We're sneakers."

The team sat in Wallace's office, waiting on him to arrive with their first mission.

"No," Scott said. "I think we need a name for our specific team."

"Baxter's Bandits," Grung offered.

"That's dumb," Ellie said.

"You're dumb," Grung countered.

"How about the B-Team," Scott said. "It could be a reference to Lily's last name and to the fact that we're part of the Beta team."

"Whatever," Lily said. "We're about to get our first mission. Maybe the name of our team isn't the most important thing to be thinking—"

"B-Team go!" Grung screamed.

Lily jumped. "Dammit, Grung!"

"Sorry," Grung said. "Just testing it out. I like it."

Ellie pulled out a stake and stabbed forward, killing an imaginary vampire. "You just got stung... by the B-Team!"

Scott laughed. "Pretty good. Okay, it's settled. We're the B-Team."

Lily shook her head and succumbed to a chuckle. All in all, she was pleased with her team. They were good people. The past week had been a good one. They'd eaten well, slept in comfortable beds, and got some much needed relaxation. The only thing missing was Leo, who was still on assignment in Ohio.

"Okay, B-Team," Wallace said as he and Abbie entered the office, "are you ready for your first assignment?"

"Wow," Scott said. "The name caught on fast."

"Werewolf hearing," Ellie whispered.

"We're ready, sir," Lily said.

Wallace sat at his desk. Abbie stood behind him. "Cool team names aside," he said, "your first mission is a serious one. It's recon, but very important recon."

"For the past month," Abbie explained, "Legion attacks have decreased significantly all across the world. They seem to have holed up in their safe cities, which is cause for concern."

"So you're concerned," Lily said, "because they're not attacking us?"

"Yes," Wallace said. "This is the first time in a decade that they've just left us alone. It's a change in tactics, which worries us. Something has changed, and while that could mean something good, we're betting it means something bad is coming. Probably something big."

"A few days ago," Abbie added, "we received a transmission from a soldier in the field in Indiana. It was an emergency transmission, and it was very brief, but it was enough to confirm our fears."

"The transmission," Wallace said, "suggested something is happening in the cities. We're sending sneakers in across the globe to find out exactly what is happening. That's your mission."

"If they haven't attacked us for a month, why now?" Scott asked. "Why wait so long?"

"We've sent in small scale teams to find out," Wallace said. "Several. So far, we've not found anything substantive. After we got the transmission from the soldier, headquarters decided to send in as many sneakers as possible. You folks will be going to Pennsylvania. Specifically, Gettysburg. The only thing we want is information. Get in, take as many pictures as you can, and get the hell out. Do not engage the enemy in any way. Don't let them know you were ever there."

Lily looked at her team, then back at Wallace. "When do we leave?"

"The transport goes out at dawn," Wallace said. "The closest we can get without being detected is about thirty miles outside the city limits. From there, you'll have to go on foot."

"Understood."

Abbie walked around to the front of the desk. "It's very important that you get in and out undetected. No matter what you see there, do not engage."

"Yes, ma'am," Lily said. "Got it."

"Okay," Wallace said. "Go have a good dinner and get some rest. Your first mission is a simple one, but it won't be easy. You have a rough hike ahead of you."

"We can handle it, sir," Scott said. He pointed to Abbie. "She made sure of that."

"Good luck," Wallace said. "B-Team go."

Scott cackled. "I love this guy."

***

Two days, a long drive, and an even longer walk later, the team was finally approaching Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. When they saw a sign that said Gettysburg was 3 miles away, Scott said, "I think it might be time for us to get off the main road. We'll be coming up on the wall soon."

The Legion had erected large walls that completely surrounded many of their occupied cities. Gettysburg was among them.

"Remember," Lily said as they walked into a patch of woods near the road, "our goal is to avoid actually entering the city. If Ellie can't get some good shots from the top of the wall, she'll find the safest entry point and drop a rope."

Grung looked at his watch. "It'll be dawn in about three hours. Maybe we should wait for daylight."

"No," Lily said. "Whatever they're doing in there might not be happening after daylight."

"I think our timing is good," Scott added. "They'll still be out and about, but hopefully, they'll be winding down."

Lily could feel her own heart pounding inside her chest. This was real. They were about to infiltrate an actual Legion city. "Review the plan," she said.

Scott let out a quiet sigh.

"Don't bitch about this," Lily said. "This isn't a training exercise. Review the plan. Ellie, you start."

"I'll see if there's a place I can scale the wall without a grappling hook. If I can, that's where I'll ascend."

"I'll be directly below her," Grung said, "ready for anything that might come from the ground."

"I'll be with you," Scott said to Lily. "Far enough to see if anything is on top of the wall, but close enough to get to the wall if needed."

"Absolute radio silence," Lily said. "Scott, do you think we're close enough to take our scent inhibitors?"

"I think so," Scott said.

"Okay," Lily said. "Everyone, pop your pill."

"I don't know how these things manage to hide your smell," Grung said as he swallowed the pill and took a small drink of water.

"Abbie covered that in training," Ellie said. "I guess you were too busy sharpening your arm."

Grung rolled his eyes. "That brings up another question. Blade?" He lifted his arm, showing the silver sword, then pressed a button which caused the sword to flip down to the side of his arm as a shaft of wood sprang up to replace it. "Or Stake?"

"You're just showing off," Ellie said.

"I think I'll go with the sword," Grung said as the blade flipped back up.

"Get down!"

The whisper came from Scott, and everyone immediately dropped to the ground. Lily crawled to him with a question in her eyes.

Scott silently pointed toward the road, which was barely visible through the trees.

Lily's heart stopped. In the moonlight, she could just make out the shape of a very large creature walking down the road toward Gettysburg.

A werewolf.

Nobody moved as they watched the creature slowly stroll toward the city. Every few seconds it would stop and sniff the air. Lily wished she could remember just how long it took the scent inhibitors to take effect. As the werewolf continued down the road, she let herself release a silent sigh of relief. Apparently, the pills worked very fast.

The werewolf passed and the road was empty again. Grung started to quietly climb to his feet, but Lily reached out and grabbed his arm. She pointed toward the ground and Grung quietly dropped again. Lily mouthed, Scout, hoping Grung understood her concern.

After several minutes, her fears were confirmed. Through the trees, they saw more movement on the road. Another werewolf was in the lead, followed by a large group of what appeared to be humans. It was difficult to be sure, but Lily thought she saw a rope connecting them.

Apparently, Scott saw the same thing. He leaned so close that his lips touched her ear, and whispered, "Prisoners."

Lily gave a silent nod.

The group of prisoners continued until they were gone from sight. After a few more minutes, a final werewolf – the rear guard – followed them.

Lily kept the team on the ground for at least another fifteen minutes before finally daring to move. The team made a small huddle and conversed in barely audible whispers.

"They're taking them to Gettysburg," Scott whispered. "Vamp food."

"Shit," Lily whispered. She looked at her team. They all wanted to do something. She did, too. "We have our orders."

Everybody nodded in reluctant agreement.

"We'll take our pictures," Lily continued, "and get them back to HQ. Then we'll request they send in the infantry on a rescue mission."

"Every town and city in Legion territory keeps a supply of humans to feed the vampires," Scott said. "The infantry can't rescue them all." When he saw everyone's faces, he added hastily, "I just don't want you to invest too much in this. We're going to see this on pretty much every mission we have. We have to learn to deal with it."

"And every time we see it," Lily whispered, "we'll put in a rescue request, with specific directions to the prisoners. Now if Scott's done being a Debbie Downer, we can get moving."

They quietly moved on, going through the woods to make a circle just wide enough to avoid the main entrance to town. None of them had ever been so deep into enemy territory. Every noise caused them to draw their weapons. Every shadow made them freeze for minutes at a time. The walk was long and stressful to the point of near-torture.

Lily wondered if every mission would be this way or if it would get easier over time. Emotionally, she hoped it would get easier, but intellectually she knew their fear kept them alert and would very likely save their lives many times.

They eventually came to the end of the woods and were standing at the edge of a large field. On the other side of the field was the city, which was – as Scott had warned – surrounded by a twenty-five foot high wall. They could see the silhouettes of people walking along the top of the wall.

"Getting across this field unseen will be a problem," Grung said.

"More like impossible," Scott said.

Lily looked at her watch. "Five-twenty. Those guards look to be vampires. We might have to wait until dawn."

"Look who just got home," Ellie said, nodding toward the front of the city.

The group from the road had just arrived. When the city gate opened, light from the city streamed out, making the travelers easier to see.

"Definitely prisoners," Scott said.

All the werewolves were now in human form. From what Lily could see, it appeared to be four captors and about twenty prisoners. There were men, women, and even a few children.

"I don't know if I can just leave those people to die," Grung said.

"Then join the infantry," Lily said, surprised by the harsh tone in her own voice. "The only thing we can do right now is our job, so let's focus on that."

"Speaking of," Ellie said, "we just caught a break. The walls are empty."

"Well, look at that," Scott said. "They must be going down to see the new arrivals."

"Alright then," Lily said. "Let's move. Now."

"I thought you and Scott were keeping a distance," Grung said.

"Too far," Lily said. "We're all going. Ellie, you lead. Just take us to a place you think you can climb. Move out."

They sprinted fast and low across the field, making it to the wall in a few minutes. Ellie looked up and down the wall. "It's pretty smooth. I think we'll have to use the hooks."

"Damn," Lily whispered. "That'll be noisy."

From the other side of the wall, music began playing. Loud music. Rock and Roll.

"What the hell," Grung said.

Scott shrugged. "A party, apparently. Or a concert."

Ellie pulled a rope from her belt. "At least we don't have to worry so much about the noise."

She spun the rope a few times to build momentum, then tossed it toward the top of the wall. Everyone flinched when it hit the top, hoping the noise inside the city had successfully drowned out the faint clang. Ellie slowly pulled the rope until the hook latched itself onto something. She gave it a few tugs, then looked at Lily.

"I'll climb up first, then make sure it's secure enough to hold everybody else." She looked at Grung's arm. "If I fall, I'd prefer someone with two hands try and catch me."

"You're hilarious," Grung said.

Ellie scrambled up the rope with remarkable speed. She peeked over the edge of the top, saw that nobody was there, and climbed up. Staying on her hands and knees, she crawled to the other side of the wall and looked down into Gettysburg. After looking at the scene for a few seconds, she went back to the rope and confirmed it was securely attached to the edge of the wall, then leaned over, looked down at the others, and began to motion for them to join her.

"What's she doing?" Scott asked, looking up. "She should be taking pictures."

"She wants us to come up," Grung said.

They both looked at Lily.

"Okay," she said. "Let's climb."

The three of them scaled the wall and crawled onto the small top section.

"I've taken pictures," Ellie whispered, "but you guys need to see this. They're... being nice to the prisoners."

Lily crawled to the other edge and looked down at the city.

Dozens of vampires and four men that Lily assumed were werewolves were congregated around a church. Above the church's door was a huge banner that said, "Welcome, warriors!"

The vampires and werewolves seemed to be celebrating. Some were dancing to the music while others were simply greeting the terrified prisoners in front of the church.

None of the vampires were feeding.

"I know what's going on," Scott whispered as he looked at the scene below. "This is bad, Lily. Really bad."

Lily looked at him. "That was a pretty fast conclusion," she said. "We've not seen anything yet."

"I've seen enough," Scott said. "We have to get back to human territory."

"Just looks like a party," Grung said.

"It's more than that," Scott said. "Look around. Do you see any humans other than the prisoners? Any at all?"

"No," Lily said. "Does that mean something?"

"It means everything," Scott whispered. "This city is crawling with the undead, yet there isn't a single human here. Normally, you have more humans than vampires in every city. They let them do what they please during the day, and feed on them at night. There should be humans down there."

"Maybe they're inside the houses," Ellie said.

Scott shook his head. "Not with a celebration like this. Do you ever party without drinks? And look at those vampires. They look like skeletons. They're starving."

"What are you saying?" Lily asked.

"I'm saying," Scott explained, "they've turned every human in this city. They're all vampires now, which means they have no food here. Instead, they have thousands of new vampires."

"I don't get it," Ellie said.

Scott looked at them with fear in his eyes. "They're preparing for an invasion. If they're doing this all across Legion territory, it means they've decided – win or lose – it's time to end the war. I think things are about to get very ugly."

"Yeah," Lily said. "We need to go."

The music stopped and everyone on the ground turned to the church. The team watched silently as the church door opened and a vampire stepped out onto the front steps. He looked like any other vampire. Bald head, white skin, monstrous face. The only difference was his clothes.

"He's a preacher," Scott whispered.

Ellie glanced at him, then back to scene below. "Preacher?" she asked in whisper.

"Vampires," Scott explained, "always turn religious leaders. They never just kill a minister. They always turn them into a vampire, just as an extra screw you."

"Nice," Lily whispered.

"Yeah," Scott said. "It gets better. The transformation apparently has some strange side-effects on those guys. They can't seem to let go of their faith, but because all goodness has been drained from them, they end up developing some very strange belief systems."

On the ground, the preacher was circling the prisoners. He would stop and occasionally smell the neck of a prisoner, but he didn't feed.

"A weird little vampire religion cropped up," Scott continued. "They still follow the bible, but they think it now describes the rise of vampires."

"Nice," Grung said.

"It's not that far-fetched," Scott whispered. "Think about it. Jesus went around offering people eternal life, and he eventually rose from the grave himself. There's even the bit about him asking his followers to drink his blood. These guys take all that literally, and they think the rapture is about the rise of vampires and the destruction of humanity."

"Vampire zealots," Lily whispered. "Wonderful."

"They wouldn't be the first people to twist religion to fit their own screwed up world views," Scott said as the preacher walked back to the steps in front of the church, then turned to face the prisoners.

The preacher looked out over the crowd, smiled, and said, "You folks are very lucky. You have been chosen to serve God in the coming rapture!" The vampires in the crowd roared. To the prisoners, he continued, "You will be transmogrified to higher beings. You will help rid the world of God's greatest disappointment! You will stop them from destroying the beautiful world that God created for them. Revelations described the day that the Lord would send his angels to take the chosen few to heaven. Well, look around. You are surrounded by those angels!"

"He's going to turn them," Ellie whispered.

"Of course he is," Scott said.

"What's the population in Gettysburg?" Lily asked.

"About eight thousand," Scott answered. He looked at her suspiciously. "Why?"

"How many werewolves would you say live here?"

"Impossible to know," Scott said. "Could be ten, could be a thousand. Lily, what are you thinking?"

Lily shushed him as the preacher started talking again.

"I suggest you enjoy the sunrise," he said. "It will be your last. Tomorrow, the beautiful dark shall embrace you." He turned around and entered the church.

"Who talks like that?" Grung said.

"Apparently vampire preachers do," Ellie answered.

Below, the crowd was dispersing. The vampires entered various houses while the four werewolves took the prisoners to a building that appeared to be an old sheriff's office.

"Why didn't they turn them now?" Ellie asked.

Scott pointed toward the sky. "Sun'll be up shortly." He turned to Lily. "Which is our cue to get the hell off this wall. We have what we came for."

"Right," Lily said. "The only question is which side of the wall we should climb down."

Scott stared at her for a moment, then said, "Oh, hell no."

"He's going to turn them, Scott," Lily said. "Then, they'll be weapons used against us. I think it's our duty to rescue them."

"That's a load of crap and you know it," Scott said.

"Yeah," Lily conceded. "It is. I know we're not a rescue team. I know our mission to get back with this information is vital. But the thought of leaving these people to that maniac is... bothersome."

"That's an understatement," Ellie said.

Scott took a deep breath. "I almost hate to point this out, but you're in charge out here. In the field, you outrank Wallace. Whatever you decide, we'll do."

"No," Lily said. "I won't do that. Something like this has to be unanimous. If one person has any doubts, we go back."

"Let me get this straight," Scott said. "You want to go into a city with around eight thousand creatures of darkness, rescue twenty or so humans, take those humans – civilians, I might add – through thirty miles of enemy territory to rendezvous with a transport that probably doesn't even have the room to carry them to safety."

"Pretty much," Lily said.

"Okay," Scott said. "I'm in."

"Count me in," Grung said.

"B-Team go," Ellie whispered with a mischievous grin.

Lily pulled the rope up from the outside and dropped it on the inside. She turned to the group, "Ninjas or pirates?"

"I say ninjas at first," Scott said, "at least until we determine how many werewolves are down there. If werewolf population turns out to be low, we change to pirates."

"Sounds good to me," Grung said.

"Of course he wants pirates," Ellie added. "I mean, look at his arm."

"Did you pick on kids in wheelchairs in high school?" Grung asked.

Lily looked down at the city. It was mostly empty now as the pre-dawn light began to filter into the air. "Okay," she said, "let's do this."

***

In that moment, Lily found herself again. After eight weeks of insecurity and self-doubt about her ability to lead, Lily finally understood. During training, she wasn't home. Her home was here, in the field.

Ultimately, her training was meaningless. Sure, she learned a few new tidbits about vampires and werewolves, and she learned how to use a few more complex weapons. She came out of training with a team, which was great, but it did little to help her personally.

During training, every decision was agony. But here, just now, she had made a decision that anybody else would call absurd. There was no good outcome. Even if they managed to get these people to safety, she would likely face hell back at the base for disobeying the most important order of her very first mission. Really, it was downright stupid to go into this town.

And yet, in her mind, it was the only choice.

In the field, Lily didn't make decisions with her mind. She didn't even make them with her heart. In the field, she didn't make decisions at all. She followed a path that always came to her clearly and obviously. In the field, instinct took over, and so far her instinct had never been wrong.

Not once.

During training, her instinct was a whisper, its voice often drowned out by reason and logic. In the field, her instinct was the only voice she heard. And right now, it told her these people needed to be rescued. If her team hadn't volunteered to go with her, she would have gone alone.

Because, at the end of the day, her instinct trumped everything.

***

After making it to the bottom of the wall, they darted from building to building until they were crouched behind the church. The sheriff's building was on the other side.

Lily turned to Ellie. Before she was able to say anything, Ellie said, "I'm on it," and was gone.

Five and a half minutes later, she was back. "Four werewolves," she informed them. "All of them are in the front office, playing what looks to be Go Fish."

"Are they in wolf form?" Grung asked.

Ellie looked at him for a few seconds, then said, "No, Grung. They're in human form."

"Would've been funny if they were big hulking werewolves playing Go Fish," Grung said.

Ellie stared at him for another few seconds, then turned to Lily. "The humans are in the jail cells in the back, but it looks like the key to the cells are hanging on the wall, Barney Fife style."

"If we use silencers," Scott said, "we might be able to get in and out unnoticed. Might."

"Doesn't matter," Ellie said. "As soon as they realize the prisoners are gone, they'll come looking for them. Our only real hope is that these guys are the only werewolves in town. If that's the case, we'll at least have the entire day to get back."

"If the prisoners move at a decent pace," Grung added, "we could be back to the rendezvous well before dark."

"We'd have to act now," Scott said. "It's a risk. There could be other werewolves in town. It's a big town."

"You'd think they'd have better security here," Ellie said.

"Why?" Scott said. "This isn't some secret base. It's just a town, pretty deep in their territory. These walls aren't to keep out attackers. They're to keep in the humans."

"Maybe we should check for guards at the front gate," Grung said.

"Already checked," Ellie said. "The front gate's wide open and I didn't see any guards."

"I guess with the humans all turned," Scott said, "they're not too worried about attempted escapes."

"Makes sense," Grung said.

"Okay," Lily said. "The clock's ticking. Pirates or ninjas?"

"Four werewolves," Scott said, "all in the same room. I say pirates."

"Definitely pirates," Grung said, adding quickly, "shut up, Ellie."

"My nature prefers ninjas, obviously," Ellie said, "but I don't want to be the killjoy in the group. So I'll go with the majority and say pirates."

Lily grinned. "Pirates it is."

***

The four werewolves sat in the floor, each holding several cards in their hands.

"Do you have a four?" one of the werewolves said.

"Go fish," another replied.

The first werewolf stared for a moment, then said, "I know you have a four."

"I don't have a damn four, Hal. Go fish."

"I challenge," Hal said. "I am certain you have a four."

"You can't challenge in Go Fish. That's scrabble, idiot."

"You have a four, Tim!" Hal yelled.

Tim squinted. "What makes you so sure? Have you been looking at my cards?"

"Calm down, ladies," the third werewolf said. "It's Go Fish. The fate of the universe isn't at stake here."

"You shut up, Gary!" Tim said. "He accused me of cheating."

"I wouldn't mind a good steak," the fourth werewolf said. "Rare, of course."

Hal and Tim were still staring at each other. "I'm not playing anymore," Hal said, "until he gives me the four that I know is in his—"

The front door flew open and all the werewolves looked up to see Lily – on one knee – with Scott standing behind her. They each held two pistols.

Four rapid shots later, all four werewolves were dead as their cards floated softly to the ground.

"Really," Grung said as they all stepped into the room, "we're pretty terrible sneakers, if you take it in the literal sense."

"Get the prisoners," Lily said as she inspected the werewolves to make sure they were dead.

Grung and Ellie jogged down the hallway leading to the cells.

Lily walked to the window and looked at the nearby church.

"Lily, you're rescuing all these people. That's enough," Scott said softly.

Grung and Ellie returned to the room, followed by the prisoners. Most of them looked terrified, but hopeful.

"You should fill your canteens with water before you go," Lily said, still looking out the window. "It's a hard walk so you'll need to keep everyone hydrated. If there are any containers here that can easily be carried, take them."

"What are you looking at?" Grung asked.

"Go," Lily said. "Get your water and get these people on the road. Move as fast as you can."

"Why are you talking like you're not coming?" Ellie asked. She turned to Scott. "Why is she talking like she's not coming?"

Scott just shook his head with an exasperated look on his face.

"Don't worry," Lily said. "I'll catch up. But you really can't wait for me. We have to get these people to the rendezvous before dark, which shouldn't be a problem as long as you keep moving."

"What the hell are you planning?" Grung asked.

Lily turned around and looked at him. "I'm going to kill that damn preacher."

"I'll go with you," Scott said.

"No," Lily said. "You guys have already risked too much. I think I can kill one vampire in his sleep."

"Lily, there could be werewolves in there. You don't know how many—"

"No, Scott. Get these people out of here. That's an order."

"You're infuriating," Scott said.

Lily smiled. "It's cute that you care. Now get the hell out of here. I'll be with you before you know it."

***

Lily quietly cracked open the front door to the church and slipped inside. She silently shut the door behind her and stood still, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness. The windows were all covered with large, black curtains. The only light in the entire church was from the few candles that were still burning. Apparently, the preacher liked to go to bed in candle light.

A dark, rectangular shape sat at the front of the church. Lily felt confident it was the preacher's coffin. As she slowly walked toward the front, some movement to her right caught her eye. Beside her, a vampire was asleep in one of the pews. Lily's heart stopped.

It wasn't the preacher.

He apparently shared the church with other vampires. This could be a problem, Lily thought. She looked around the church to see more vampires in the other pews. Dozens of them.

Preacher, I sure hope you do me the courtesy of dying quietly.

She got to the front and saw that the rectangular object was indeed a coffin. The lid was open, most likely because the preacher had no reason to fear intruders. Lily leaned forward and looked inside.

The preacher was inside, motionless.

Please be easy, please be easy.

Lily reached down and pulled a wooden dagger from a sheath in her boot. She lifted it above the preacher and took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.

"You don't want to do that," The preacher said as he opened his eyes. "You know you don't, child."

Before Lily could strike, the preacher was standing behind the up-raised lid to his coffin.

"Well, crap," Lily groaned.

"You're wearing a Day Soldiers uniform," the preacher said. "Surely you were taught that vampires are very light sleepers."

"I was," Lily said. "I just underestimated how light. All of the vampires I've killed were awake."

"I doubt," the preacher said, "you've ever killed a vampire, child."

"You're pretty wrong on that one, preacher," Lily said.

"That's good to know," the preacher said. "It means your transformation will be your penance."

"No thanks," Lily said. "I think I'm just going to kill you and leave. I do appreciate the offer, though."

"I think," the preacher said, "my congregation might hinder your exodus."

Lily turned around to see that the other vampires were now standing in front of their pews. She quickly counted them and said, "Fourteen." She turned back to the preacher, but stood at an angle that allowed her to see him and his congregation. She smiled. "They're not going to hinder anything. And why the hell do you talk like that?"

One of the vampires sprinted toward her.

Lily dropped to one knee and flung her stake at the attacking creature. The stake pierced its heart, killing it instantly.

"Fancy," the preacher said. "But now you're unarmed."

Lily quickly pulled another stake from her other boot. "I'll hold onto this one."

"Your optimism is quite charming," the preacher said. He looked past her to the other vampires. "Take her. Now."

They all began to walk toward her. Lily's mind raced. She'd killed hundreds of vampires in a single night, but most of them had come at her cautiously and only a few at a time. These vampires clearly had no concern for their own well-being, and they knew if they attacked together, she couldn't take them all.

This is a problem.

"When you get her, hold her," the preacher said. "Remember, feeding is forbidden. Simply hold her. I will turn her."

"You know," Lily said as she backed toward a wall, "I normally feel sorry for vampires. You're the first one I've ever hated."

"I'm honored," the preacher said.

The vampires attacked.

Lily managed to stake one of them and kick another in the face, but the rest quickly overpowered her. They dragged her to the center aisle and forced her to her knees. The preacher leapt over his coffin and began to stroll toward her. "You're very lucky," he said. "You have been chosen to serve God in his war against the plague that is humanity. You will be transmogrified into—"

"I've already heard this speech!"

The vampire holding Lily's left arm loosened its grip slightly, either because it was distracted by the preacher's approach or because it was simply readjusting its grip. Lily didn't care why. She jerked her arm as hard and fast as she could.

Her hand slipped free from the vampire's grip, leaving the creature holding her black glove in its hands. Without thinking, Lily slammed the back of her hand into the vampire's face.

The vampire fell to the ground, howling in pain. The other vampires instantly released her and jumped back several steps.

What the hell? she thought.

The vampire on the floor continued screaming as smoke rose from its face.

Lily looked at her hand and saw bits of the vampire's skin.

"She's a channeler!" one of the vampires screamed.

Lily quickly took off her other glove and turned to the preacher. She reached down and picked up her stake. "What happened to your smile?"

The preacher was walking backwards, a look of absolute terror on his face.

Lily wasn't sure how she'd burned the vampire, but she was reasonably sure she wouldn't be able to do it again. She knew her one chance at survival was through good, old fashioned bluffing.

"You know," she said as she walked toward the preacher, "I'm really sick of people calling me child."

She dove forward, driving the stake deep into the preacher's chest. He tried to scream but was a pile of ashes before any sound came out. Lily turned back to the other vampires.

"Ashes," she said. "He was really old."

The vampires all kept a safe distance from her.

"I came for the preacher, not you," Lily said. "Let me pass and I'll let you live."

The vampires stepped to the sides of the church, leaving her a clear path to the front door. Lily got to the door and reached for the handle.

Then stopped.

"I changed my mind," she said as she turned around.

***

"She should have caught up by now," Grung said.

"Yeah," Scott agreed. "I should have stayed. What the hell was I thinking?"

"She gave you a direct order," Ellie said.

Scott pointed a thumb at the group of people walking behind them. "We kinda gave up on following orders when we picked up these guys."

"Something we appreciate very much," a man said from the crowd.

They had been walking for over two hours. Overall, the former captives did well, even the children. They walked at a solid pace and had covered quite a bit of ground in those two hours. So far, there had been no attacks from any werewolves.

"I'm going back," Scott said.

"Bad idea," Grung said. "She could be on her way through the woods. If you missed her, we'd have to go back for you and we'd still be in enemy territory after dark."

"Dammit," Scott whispered to himself as he looked back toward the town. "I should've stayed."

"Probably," Ellie said.

Scott turned and glared at her.

"What? I was just agreeing with you."

"Well," Grung said with a grin as he pointed back toward the city, "it all worked out. Here she comes."

Lily came jogging in from the distance. As soon as she joined the group, she leaned over with her hands on her knees, and took in great gulps of air.

"You're late," Scott said.

"We..." she said through gasps, "didn't... designate... a time."

"I smell something burning," Ellie said. "Does anybody else smell that?"

"Yeah," Grung said. "Smells like a campfire or something."

Lily stood up and took another deep breath. "Whew-boy... That's a hard jog."

Scott put a hand on her shoulder. "Lily, what's burning?"

"We probably should get moving," Lily said as she started walking.

Scott looked back toward the city and saw several trails of smoke rising into the air. He jogged up to Lily. "Did you burn down Gettysburg?"

"You guys made great time," Lily said. "I was very surprised by how far you'd come."

"Lily," Scott said, "did you burn down Gettysburg?"

"I'm gonna go meet some of our new friends," she said as she walked toward the group of prisoners.

Scott looked at Grung and Ellie. "She burned down Gettysburg."

***

The two Day Soldiers stood by their vehicle, parked in the middle of nowhere in southern Pennsylvania. One of them leaned against a tree and pulled out a cigarette.

"Don't light that," the other soldier said. "We're in enemy territory. Are you stupid?"

"It's daylight," the first soldier said.

"So? Do you know how far a werewolf can smell a cigarette?"

"Do you?"

"Well, no," the soldier said. "But I'm sure it's very far."

The first soldier put the cigarette back in its pack, then looked back at the vehicle parked on the road. It was a small Day Soldiers transport vehicle, made from a modified Jeep Cherokee. It was designed to carry a maximum of ten passengers, including the driver. "I'm getting back in the Jeep," he said. "I hate this waiting crap."

"They'll be here soon," his partner said. "Their estimated arrival was three o'clock. It's almost five."

"They're not coming," the first soldier said. "Those estimates always have a built in buffer. They got caught. Or killed."

"Well, Mr. Optimism, they have until seven. Then we can leave."

"I think that's crap, too. We're in enemy territory and we have a six hour drive ahead of us. We should be able to leave earlier than seven."

"Regulations, my friend."

"Sometimes, regulations are stupid."

"You just want a cigarette," the second soldier said as he looked down the road. He leaned forward just a bit. "And you might get one very soon," he said as he pulled out his binoculars.

"What is it?"

The soldier looked through the binoculars for several seconds, then said, "It's them. And they're not alone."

"Who's with them?"

"People."

"How many?"

The soldier pulled down the binoculars and looked at his friend. "It's going to be a very uncomfortable ride home."

***

The team walked with purpose and confidence... and twenty-three former prisoners of the Legion. They knew there would be a fallout because they had completely disregarded their orders. They knew the punishment could range from an official warning to outright dismissal from the Day Soldiers.

They really didn't give a damn.

There were twenty-three people alive because they decided to disobey those orders. They would get the information back to the base. Whatever consequence awaited them was worth it.

As soon as they were within speaking distance, Lily smiled and said, "Hi, guys. Sorry we're late. We better get moving. We didn't run into any werewolves on the way back, but I suspect they're looking for us by now."

The soldiers apparently didn't know how to respond. Eventually, one of them said, "Who are these people?"

"These people," Scott said, "are proof that we're the most badass team in Day Soldier history."

Lily gave Scott a sideways glance and said, "Wow."

Scott grinned. "Screw it. If we're going to lose our jobs over this, I say we leave a legend."

Lily looked back at the soldiers and said, "We're the B-Team and we just burned Gettysburg to the ground."

The soldiers just stared.

# Chapter 16

Revelations

Wallace leaned back in his chair and stared at nothing in particular. Abbie stood behind him with a look of deep worry on her face.

Lily, Scott, Grung, and Ellie stood on the other side of the desk, waiting patiently for either Wallace or Abbie to speak.

It was Wallace who finally broke the silence. "We were really hoping you'd bring different information. A full scale invasion is bad."

"Yes, sir," Scott said. "It is. But I can't think of another reason they'd have turned every human there. They were intentionally starving themselves. I think they're building an invasion force full of very hungry vampires."

Wallace closed his eyes and nodded in agreement.

"Of course," Scott added, "like I said in the report, the city was being run by a preacher. It could have just been some weird religious thing. You'll know for sure when you get more reports from the other sneakers."

"Don't alter reality because you're afraid of it," Abbie said. "You know it's an invasion. Besides, you're the fourth team to report this, but the only one that involved a preacher."

"Thanks for the report," Wallace said. "I've got a trip to the Pentagon to prepare for. You're dismissed."

The team looked at each other, confused. At no point during the meeting had Wallace or Abbie mentioned the fact that the team had disobeyed a direct order.

"Sir?" Lily said. "Are we in trouble?"

"Of course not," Wallace said with a dismissive wave. "Now go get some rest."

"Let it go," Scott whispered.

"But sir," Lily said, "did you read the report?"

Wallace sighed. "Baxter, I have important things to do here, so I'll get through this as quickly as I can. Yes, I read the report. You disobeyed orders, which you should not have done. You knew there could be consequences, but you did it anyway. If you had the chance to do it over again, you'd do the exact same thing. You already know how important it is to follow orders, so any speech from me would be pointless. You obviously felt this was more important, and the truth is, I'd have done the exact same thing. I'm not going to pretend like I'm considering your punishment because we both know there won't be one. You're heroes on this base, now. Does that cover it?"

"I guess it does," Lily said. "Thank you, sir."

"Although," Wallace added, "I do admit I probably wouldn't have burned the city to the ground. That was a bit of overkill, don't you think? I mean, after we win this war, we'll have to rebuild the city."

Lily felt her face flush. "Technically," she explained, "I didn't burn the city to the ground. During my fight in the church, the candles were knocked over. I was leaving as the church burned, but then I noticed that nobody was coming to put out the fire. That's when I realized it meant Gettysburg was purely a vampire town. The werewolves we killed were obviously just there to drop off the prisoners.

"So I took a piece of burning wood from the church and threw it into a nearby house. It just kind of grew from there. To be honest, I have no idea how many buildings actually burned down. I left after I started that second fire."

"I see," Wallace said. "Well, consider yourself yelled at. Next time, follow orders, blah blah blah. Now get the hell out of here. I told you I have important things to do."

Lily looked at her team and said, "Guys, you go ahead. I'll catch up."

Scott cocked an eyebrow. "What's up, chief?"

"I just have something I need to ask Wallace and Abbie about. It's personal."

"We can wait outside," Scott said.

"Yeah," Grung said. "The last time you told us to go on, you burned down a city."

Lily laughed. "I appreciate it, guys, but you go on. Have a good night. I plan on doing a lot of nothing."

"Alright," Scott said, "but I'll keep my radio on me in case you change your mind."

"Sure thing," Lily said. She waited until the team left, then turned back to Wallace and Abbie.

"I wasn't kidding when I said I have a lot to do, Baxter," Wallace said.

"What's a channeler?" Lily's voice was flat and serious.

"I think you know," Abbie said.

"It's people with the touch," Lily said.

Abbie nodded. "Yes. Vampires call them channelers, which, to be honest, is really more accurate. Something happened in that church, didn't it."

"I melted a vampire's face," Lily said, "with my fist."

Wallace laughed. "The preacher, I hope. I hate those guys."

"No," Lily said, "but he lost his swagger when he saw me do it."

Wallace and Abbie exchanged glances, then Abbie looked at her and said, "You definitely killed every vampire in that church?"

"Yes," Lily said.

"You're sure?" Wallace said. "Absolutely sure."

"Yes," Lily repeated. "Why?"

"Because," Abbie explained, "we do not want them to know what you are."

"What the hell am I?" Lily said.

"You," Wallace said, "are the chosen one."

Lily felt her heart leap into her throat.

"Stop it!" Abbie said as she smacked Wallace on the shoulder. She looked at Lily and said, "He says that to every channeler we get. He thinks it's funny."

"Oh, I know it's funny," Wallace said.

"To be clear," Abbie said, "there's no such thing as a chosen one. There are many others like you. As a matter of fact, we suspect it's an ability anybody can learn, but we've had no luck in teaching it yet."

"You still haven't explained to me what a channeler is," Lily said.

"I did," Abbie argued. "I covered it many times during your training, but you refused to accept it."

"A channeler," Wallace said, "is just someone who can use their own body as a power object. Simply put, you don't need a cross to channel the good that lives inside you."

"Where does this power come from?" Lily asked.

"It's not a power, exactly," Abbie said. "It's more about focus. Every human can do it, but most need something to channel it through. I demonstrated this with a rock during training."

"When I met you in Iveyton," Wallace said, "I was pretty sure you were a channeler. It was the only explanation for what happened there."

"It could've been Leo," Lily said.

Wallace shook his head. "No. It was obvious he was the sidekick. I knew it had to be you."

"Lily," Abbie said, "it's very important that you don't advertise this ability. When you can, use a cross."

"Why?"

Abbie looked at Wallace as if she were waiting for permission to continue. After Wallace nodded, she turned back to Lily and said, "This is confidential information. You can't share it with anybody, even your team."

"Okay," Lily said.

"The Legion," Abbie explained, "has no idea how many Day Soldiers are channelers. While they're indeed very rare, we've done everything we can to make them seem even more so."

"How many do you have?"

"As of your induction," Wallace said, "a hundred and twenty-three."

"As far as the Legion knows," Abbie added, "I'm the only one. That's why I'm kept on this base and never sent to the field. It's a deflection technique. They think I'm here because the Day Soldiers are protecting the only channeler. They seek out and destroy every channeler they can find, for obvious reasons."

"Which is why," Wallace said, "we were so emphatic about whether or not you killed them all."

"I killed them all, sir," Lily said. "I'm one-hundred percent sure of that."

"Still," Abbie said, "this introduces a new danger. If one of those vampires communicated this information telepathically..."

"They can do that?"

"Some can," Wallace said. "It's doubtful in this case, though, because you were facing the leader in that area."

"True," Abbie conceded, "but if they do know there's a new channeler, it could expedite their plans for attack."

"You're right," Wallace said. "I'm leaving tonight." He looked at Lily. "Remember, Baxter, this is very confidential. Those channelers are our most powerful hidden weapons."

"I got it, sir," Lily said.

"Now, seriously," Wallace said. "Get the hell out of my office."

Lily gave him a smiling nod. "Yes, sir."

***

When Lily stepped into her small apartment, she was still thinking about the various implications of being a channeler. On the one hand, it was an immeasurably powerful ability. She didn't have to carry crosses. Vampires were pretty much no threat to her at all. On the other hand, if they did somehow know she was a channeler, she'd be a target for the rest of her life. She found herself wishing she'd let Abbie use live vampires during training. It would have given her much needed practice and time to perfect this ability.

Her communicator beeped again. She pulled it from her belt and saw that Scott was trying to call her. Again. She didn't answer.

I don't feel like partying tonight, Scott.

She walked to the bathroom, undressed, and got in the shower. Her mind was a whirlwind of fear and excitement. An invasion was coming. The invasion to end all invasions. Literally. And now she knew she was going to play an important role in this invasion, considering the fact that most of the invasion force comprised of vampires.

Intellectually, Lily understood that she was supposed to be scared, but she wasn't. Instead, she felt hopeful that this would be a victory over the darkness that had swept the world. A battle was about to happen that would be in the history books. Two-hundred years from now, school kids would read about this battle. And she was going to be part of it.

She was ashamed to admit it, but a little piece of her was excited.

A knock at her front door pulled her from her thoughts. Lily quickly got out of the shower, dried off, and slipped on a robe. "Dammit, Scott," she said as she opened the door, "I want to stay home tonight."

As soon as she saw the look on Scott's face, she knew he wasn't asking her to go celebrate anything. "What's wrong?"

"Where's your computer," Scott said as he walked inside.

"The bedroom," Lily said. "This way, and don't comment on the mess."

Scott walked to the bedroom, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings, and sat down at her computer. He logged her out of the Day Soldiers database and logged himself in.

"Scott," Lily said, "what's wrong?"

Scott looked up at her with very worried eyes. "When I got to my apartment, I decided to do some research about the invasion. I wanted to see what the other teams found."

"You have access to that?"

"Yeah," Scott said. "All members of Intelligence have heightened access. Not unlimited, but heightened. So I was doing the research and I discovered something, Lily. I've been agonizing over whether or not to tell you."

"Well," Lily said, "now you have to."

"While I was doing my research," Scott continued, "I came across the original transmission sent from the soldier in Indiana. I found it odd that Abbie and Wallace specifically said he was from Indiana because Indiana is mostly Legion territory. The border between Indiana and Ohio is a warzone, but most of Indiana belongs to the Legion. Which means the soldier was most likely from Ohio."

Lily suddenly had trouble breathing. "Leo," she whispered.

"The report doesn't give the soldier's name," Scott said. "So I listened to it, just out of curiosity."

"Play it," Lily said, even though she already knew what she was about to hear. There was no other reason Scott would have been this upset.

Scott pulled up the file and hit the play button.

Lily's world collapsed when she heard Leo's voice.

"This is Leo Rosenberg, lead sniper for the Celina, Ohio infantry division. Our squad was spotted on the outskirts of New Castle, Indiana. They must have smelled us despite our scent inhibitors. The entire squad is captured. For some reason, they wanted us alive. New Castle was full of—"

After a noise that might have been a growl, Leo's voice said, "Shit!" then the transmission ended.

Lily stared at the screen, not speaking.

"You're my field commander," Scott said, "but more importantly, you're my friend. I know why Abbie and Wallace didn't tell you, but I felt like you deserved to know."

"When was this sent?" Lily said, still staring at the screen.

"Fourteen days ago," Scott said. "Apparently, he loaded a flare transmitter and shot it into the air. It sent the message to his base in Ohio. It really shows his heroism that he thought to do that."

"He said they were taking them alive."

"Lily," Scott said, "that was fourteen days ago. We both saw how fast they dealt with the prisoners in Gettysburg."

"Actually," Lily said, "we didn't. Those people are still alive."

"Because we rescued them," Scott said. Lily could hear the fear in his voice. The regret that he'd said anything. "The preacher explicitly said he was turning them the next morning."

"We don't know if he meant it," Lily said. "Could've been torture. He was sadistic. Besides, we don't know if they're doing that everywhere."

"Lily, he's—"

"We don't know, Scott! We don't know!" She looked around the room and started gathering up her clothes. As she slipped her pants on under the robe, she said, "How the hell did you expect me to react to this?"

"I don't know," Scott said. "I didn't think about it beyond the fact that you deserve to know."

"Thanks for that," Lily said as she dropped her robe and pulled her shirt over her head. She then put on her jacket. "I mean that, Scott. You've been a friend to me since we met in that bar." She left the room and headed toward the apartment door.

Scott followed. "Where are you going?"

"To Wallace," Lily said. "You know that."

"We just discovered a full-scale invasion," Scott said. "I doubt you'll get in to see him now. And even if you do, what could you possibly hope to accomplish?"

"A transfer," Lily said, "to Ohio."

"Lily," Scott said as he followed her down the hall toward the elevator, "sleep on this. We'll go to him together, tomorrow."

"No."

"Shit." Scott stopped chasing her and just watched her get in the elevator. Once the elevator door closed and Lily was gone, he reached down and pulled his communicator from his belt.

***

The werewolf bounded through the streets of New Castle, Indiana, ignoring the dozens of vampires lining the streets. It leapt onto the front steps of a local post office and quickly transformed back to its human form. As soon as she was human again, Tina strolled into the post office.

"This had better be worth the trip, Gus," she said.

Two other werewolves – both in human form – stood in the lobby of the post office. Several human prisoners were in the next room, separated from the werewolves by locked glass doors.

"I thought Dennis was coming," Gus said.

"Dennis," Tina said, "is busy planning the end of this war. Now, what was so important that you had to show us in person?"

Gus pointed at the humans. "We captured these soldiers about twenty miles east of town."

"I don't care," Tina said.

"You will," Gus assured her. He turned to the other werewolf and said, "Bring him."

"Bring who?" Tina asked.

Gus smiled. "When we captured these prisoners, one of them looked very familiar to me, but I just couldn't place him. Then it hit me. Do you remember the last time you and I met?"

"I'm sure I don't," Tina said.

"Iveyton," Gus explained. "I was part of the group that turned that town."

Tina's eyes widened ever-so-slightly. "Gus, is there a point to this trip down memory lane?"

"Oh, there's a point, alright," Gus said as his grin widened.

The other werewolf dragged Leo into the room and threw him onto the floor.

"We were going to give them to the vampires last week," Gus explained, "but when I remembered who this little guy is, I figured Dennis might enjoy meeting him again. Apparently, he survived his little hometown adventure and went on to join the Day Soldiers. He says his girlfriend died there, but I'm pretty sure he's lying."

Leo was on his knees, staring at the floor.

Tina reached down and pulled him to his feet. She couldn't suppress a smile as she looked into his eyes. "I can't begin to express," she said, "how wonderful it is to meet you again."

"So tell me," Gus said. "Was this worth the trip?"

"Yeah, Gus," Tina said. "It was worth it. In more ways than I could possibly explain."

***

"Commander Wallace is gone," Abbie said from behind Wallace's desk. "He's on his way to Arlington. Is there something I can do for you?"

"Yes," Lily said. "Transfer me to Celina, Ohio."

"No," Abbie replied. "Is there anything else?"

"Yeah," Lily said. "There's something else. You can explain why the hell you didn't tell me it was Leo who sent that transmission!"

"I think," Abbie said, "your actions right now are answering that question for you."

"I quit," Lily said. She turned around and walked toward the office door.

"And what," Abbie asked, "are your plans? Are you going to steal a car and drive to Ohio?"

Lily turned around and looked at Abbie. In that moment, she hated her. And Wallace. And the Day Soldiers. "If I have to."

"I'm sorry, Lily." Abbie's voice was quiet and sincere. "I know you loved him very much. But Leo—"

"No," Lily said.

"Leo is a vampire," Abbie finished.

"No!" Lily kicked a chair beside the door, knocking it onto its side.

A speaker on Abbie's desk buzzed. She pressed a button and said, "We're fine in here, Jason. Ignore the noise."

"Yes, ma'am," a voice said from the speaker. "Do you want me to ask your visitors to come back later?"

"Visitors?"

"Three of them, ma'am. It's your newest team of sneakers."

Abbie sighed. "Send them in."

"I showed her the transmission," Scott said as he walked into the room, followed by Grung and Ellie.

"I figured," Abbie said, then turned to Lily. "I appreciate your pain, Lily. I really do. But the human race is facing a threat worse than extinction. I wish I could give this more time, but I can't. I'm not sending you into enemy territory on a rescue mission for someone we both know is a vampire by now."

The tears Lily had been fighting to keep inside slipped down her cheeks. "Please, Abbie. I have to know."

"And what will you do," Abbie said, "if you find him and discover that he is, in fact, a vampire?"

"I'll kill him," Lily said. "Just like I killed my father and every other person I grew up with. But I have to know. I'll go alone if I have to. You know me well enough to know that."

"No," Grung said. "You won't be going alone."

"I have a car," Ellie said. "I can drive us."

Lily looked at Scott.

"I told them," he said. "And we decided if there's even a chance that Leo's alive, we have to try." He looked at Abbie. "I'm sorry, but we can do this. He's probably a vampire, but if he's not, we can save him. I know we can save him."

"How?" Abbie asked. "How could you possibly know this?"

"Faith," Scott said.

"You asked me," Lily said, "why humanity deserves to win this war. Well, this is why. Their willingness to do this on the small chance that Leo's alive is exactly why humanity deserves to win this. This moment is what separates us from them."

Abbie leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath. "There's a plane leaving for New Hope, Ohio in four hours. From there, you should be able to drive into Indiana as far as Jacksonburg. The battle there last year left that city a wasteland. As far as we know, the Legion has deserted it entirely. Jacksonburg is just eighteen miles from New Castle. You'll have to walk that stretch. If your mission goes well, you could be back in Norfolk in three days."

"You're going to allow this?" Scott said.

"On one condition," Abbie said. Her answer was to Scott's question, but she was looking directly at Lily. "If you get there and find that Leo has been turned into a vampire, don't take any risks to kill him. If you can't get to him, turn around and come home."

Lily was silent. She hadn't considered a third option. In her mind, it was rescue Leo... or kill him.

"Promise me, Lily," Abbie said. "I can accept this plan as a potential rescue. Leo is the only connection you have to your past life. But I cannot accept you risking your life and the lives of your teammates to destroy a body that Leo no longer occupies."

"I promise," Lily said. "If he's a vampire, we'll take no risks to kill him."

"This isn't an order," Abbie said, "because I know you have no respect for orders. I'm asking you, as a friend who cares about you, to keep this promise."

"I will keep it."

"New Castle," Abbie explained, "is werewolf territory. It's a dangerous area, full of creatures that can't be pushed back by power objects. You can't go in like cowboys on this one."

"Pirates," Ellie said.

Abbie rolled her eyes. "Whatever. You have to do this right or you'll die. And we've reached a point in this war where we really need you to not be dead."

"Yes, ma'am," Lily said. Her mind was already on getting Leo home safely.

Abbie looked at the clock on the office wall. "Go gather your things. Your flight will leave without you if you're late."
Part Five:

The Fate of Humanity

# Chapter 17

Hubris

Tina and Cassius stood on top of the New Castle Post Office, looking at the empty streets below them. Leo sat on the roof behind them, his hands tied behind his back.

"So I guess this is a job for the henchmen," Tina said.

"Nonsense," Cassius said with a look of mild disgust. "I don't know what kind of relationship you have with Dennis, but I most certainly am not a henchman to Arcas."

"Don't be so sure," Tina said. "You weren't on the council until the takeover."

Cassius laughed. "That's just adorable. Honey, that council was put together by werewolves who lived under the delusion that their people deserve a voice in how things are run. Vampires have no such delusion. Your werewolf council – before and after your little takeover – is something your kind needs, not mine. We don't need representatives. If Arcas commands something, they do it. If I command something, they do it."

"What makes you and Arcas special?"

"Arcas is special because he is the father of what humans call evil," Cassius said. "Every Satan myth, every demon myth, every fiction about some great evil... they all started with Arcas."

"What about you?"

Cassius smiled. "This kid we're waiting on..."

"The channeler," Tina said.

Cassius gave a single nod. "Yeah. I'm what she will become."

"That's why we're doing this?" Tina said. "That's a little annoying. We're going through all this effort just to give you and Arcas a new friend?"

"It's much more than that, wolf," Cassius said.

"It's bullshit," Tina said. "We shouldn't be standing in an empty town. We should be out with the others!"

"There's a tactical reason," Cassius said, "so calm down. The human leaders will go into hiding. If Dennis really can bring her over, she will be a vital part of rooting them out. Having a turned Day Soldier channeler is a hell of an opportunity."

Behind them, Leo laughed. "That's what this is about? Are you kidding?"

"Speak again," Tina said, "and you lose an arm. You have a part to play in this, but you don't need both arms to do it."

"No," Cassius said. "Let him talk." He looked at Leo. "You don't think we can turn her?"

"It's actually funny to me that you think it's possible."

"What if you were a vampire?" Cassius asked. "What if you were the one trying to convince her it's just the grooviest thing to be a vampire? Because that's kind of the plan at this point."

Leo looked at him with hate-filled eyes. "I watched her father try to convince her that being a vampire was a good thing. Then I watched her kill him, which is exactly what she'll do to me as soon as she sees that I'm one of those things."

"Well, that's why I'm here," Cassius said. "You won't be one of those things. If I'm the one who turns you, you'll be one of these things." He pointed at himself and smiled. "I think the visuals will make all the difference."

"It won't matter," Leo said. "You're wasting your time."

Cassius gave him a gentle smile. "You're actually right about one thing. In the greater scheme of things, it won't matter. Just a few minutes ago, we flipped the first domino. This war will be over very soon."

"That's an outdated analogy," Tina said. "Someone his age probably doesn't even know what a domino is."

"Don't be silly," Cassius said. "Dominos are timeless." He turned back to Leo. "You know what a domino is, right?"

"Yes," Leo said.

Cassius looked at Tina. "See? You underestimate young people." He turned back to Leo. "Anyway, like I said, you're right. It really doesn't matter. Turning the kid is more of a bonus objective we're trying to complete. Your job is really just to shake her up a bit until Dennis gets here. Make her feel despair and all that good stuff. I don't care if she joins you or kills you. Either way, you'll have done your part."

"They've written me off as dead," Leo said. "Lily's not coming for me. Nobody is."

"That's kind of why we're on this roof," Cassius said as he pulled a small camera from his pocket. "We want to get a clear shot of the city, so they'll know exactly where you are."

"You're actually very lucky," Tina said. "You get to be the person who announces the coming of the apocalypse."

Leo sprang to his feet and sprinted toward the edge of the building. Without hesitating, he dove over the edge, head first to guarantee he'd break his neck in the fall.

A moment before he hit the pavement below, he stopped. Cassius now stood on the street, holding him by his ankle. "I'm impressed with your willingness to die here," Cassius said. "I am. Sadly, I can't let it happen."

"Well," Tina said as she landed on the road beside them, "not yet."

***

"This is your captain speaking. We'll be setting down at the New Hope air strip in approximately thirty minutes. In approximately fifteen minutes, we at Day Soldiers Air will be asking you to strap yourselves in and prepare for the landing."

"Greg," Lily said from her seat directly behind the pilot, "the intercom thing was funny when we took off. It was mildly amusing for about half the flight. Now, it's just annoying."

"I still think it's funny," Ellie said.

Lily gave her a mock-angry look. "You're not helping."

"And you," Scott said, "are remarkably perky, considering what we're doing here."

"What we're doing here," Lily countered, "is finding the best friend I've ever had and bringing him home. I think that's a pretty damn good reason to feel good."

"You're sure we're going to succeed here," Grung said, "aren't you."

"Of course we're going to succeed," Lily said with a grin. "We win, Grung. It's what we do. Abbie allowed this mission because she knows it, too. We win. We always win."

Scott chuckled. "The ancient Greeks would say you're challenging the gods right now, which is not a good thing."

"Well, I guess it's a good thing," Lily said, "that we're not ancient Greeks."

"Guys," Greg said from the pilot's seat, "we, ah, might have a problem here."

***

Abbie sat at her computer, staring at the frozen image on her screen. This was the second video sent to humanity from the Legion. The first was when they announced they were starting the war. And now, this one had announced the end.

She knew the young man on the video well. As a matter of fact, she had just authorized the mission to rescue him. But something was different about him. He looked pale. He looked...well, different.

He wasn't a vampire. At least, he wasn't like any vampire Abbie had seen. He still looked like himself. And yet, he had an unnatural look about him.

Abbie started the video again, from the beginning. In the first play-through, she had determined where he was. New Castle. Perhaps the second viewing would help her determine what he was.

She hit "play" and watched as Leo began to speak.

"My name is Leo Rosenberg. I'm a sniper for the Day Soldiers. Recently, I was captured by the Legion, but they did not kill me. They've actually treated me with great respect and kindness.

"The Legion understands that most humans are not fighting this war. They understand that you just want a peaceful life. They understand that you want to coexist with them. They want the same thing.

"But they also understand that the war-mongers who dominate your society will never let that happen. Your governments do not want peace. They want to do exactly what they've been doing since human civilization began. They want to destroy.

"During my stay here, I've come to the sad realization that humanity is no longer the dominant species on this planet. Humanity's time has passed, and I've come to realize this is a good thing.

"The Legion is not interested in your destruction. They offer you the chance to live a happy life, free of war. You can do this as a human or as a vampire. The Legion is fine with either, because this war is about to end and when it does, vampires, werewolves, and humans will live together peacefully.

"By now, many of your cities are experiencing the end of the war. Across the globe, the final battle has begun. It's a battle humanity cannot win. If you want to live beyond this battle, all you have to do is surrender. Step into the streets and surrender. If you do this, the Legion has promised you'll live to see the new age of peace.

"I believe them. I urge you, do as they say. If humanity has proven anything, it's that our greatest talent is destruction. We don't deserve extinction, but we shouldn't be the ones running the show. I see that now.

"There's no reason to be afraid. The war is ending as we speak. When it's over, we can all celebrate.

"Together."

Abbie stopped the video again and looked at Leo's face. There was something powerfully wrong with him, but she couldn't figure out what it was.

Her computer beeped and a window popped onto her screen informing her she had an incoming call. She pressed the "answer" button.

An image of Commander Wallace filled her screen. "This is bad, Abbie."

"Yes," Abbie agreed. "It's bad, Geoff."

"We're going to lose all of Ohio," Wallace said, "probably by dawn. A tidal wave of vampires and werewolves is headed there."

"I saw," Abbie said. "It's happening everywhere. The fighting has already begun in Sydney and Tokyo. Their numbers are staggering, Geoff. I don't think we can win this."

Wallace sighed. "Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

"I'm only saying we need to consider the option," Abbie said. "We can't win this. It might be time to hide."

"Abbie," Wallace said, "you're talking about leaving the majority of humans to die. The Day Soldiers are sworn to defend them from exactly this."

"We can't defend them if we're all dead," Abbie said. "If we take as many soldiers and supplies as possible and go to the underground facilities, we can regroup and reorganize. With us gone, the Legion will most likely take the humans prisoner. They need them for food, since they used up their food supplies building this invasion force."

"We've come to the same conclusion here," Wallace said. "Leaders across the globe agree. A full evac is ordered. I just wanted your thoughts on it. The idea of leaving millions of civilians..."

"I know," Abbie said softly. "But this isn't happening tomorrow. It's happening right now. We can't organize any kind of retreat. All we can hope to do is come back later to rescue the survivors. What about the channelers?"

"They'll be the first we get to safety," Wallace said. "We'll need them when we strike back."

"We fought the good fight, Geoff," Abbie said.

"And we still will," Wallace said. "We won't be one side of a civil war anymore. We'll be a rebellion. And we'll adjust accordingly."

"As soon as we finish this call," Abbie said, "I'll start the evacuation of the base."

Wallace was quiet for a moment, then said, "We do have another fairly significant problem."

"Baxter," Abbie said.

Wallace nodded. "Using Leo for that video wasn't a coincidence. Somehow, they know she's a channeler. Maybe one of them did survive Gettysburg."

"Or," Abbie offered, "maybe the werewolf that infiltrated the base found out."

"Maybe," Wallace agreed. "Doesn't matter now. What matters is the fact that they're obviously using Leo as bait. They want her. They want a channeler."

"And she's on a plane right now," Abbie said, "heading straight for them. I was a fool to let her go."

"You did the right thing," Wallace said. "She'd have gone with or without your permission. The question now is what are we going to do about it? We just told her how many channelers we have. If they get that information from her, we could be in serious trouble."

"What's worse," Abbie said, "is that Scott was recently given the locations of our underground facilities. The ones in America anyway."

"Scott's a good soldier," Wallace said. "He'll kill himself before he lets it fall into their hands."

"If he can," Abbie said.

"Maybe they'll keep their focus on Lily," Wallace said.

"Are you willing to take that chance?"

"No," Wallace answered. "Any suggestions?"

"Ordering her to turn around and come back isn't an option," Abbie said. "Especially if she sees that video."

"Agreed."

"Then I see only one alternative."

Wallace cocked an eyebrow. "What are you suggesting?"

"That we go get her, of course," Abbie said.

# Chapter 18

The Fate of Leo Rosenberg

"What the hell is that?" Grung asked as he looked out the plane's window.

The entire team was looking at the ground below. From their vantage point, it looked like a massive flood of something flowing toward the town beneath them. Even though it was the middle of the night, they could see that whatever it was had a pale white color.

"Vampires," Scott said. "And werewolves. All of em running toward that town."

"How many would it take to look like that?" Ellie said. "It looks like a solid mass."

"Thousands," Scott said. "Maybe hundreds of thousands."

Lily stared in horror as the wave of monsters washed over the town. She was too high to see any real detail, but in her mind's eye, she could see the terror in the faces of the people below. "We just lost the war," she whispered.

Nobody said anything to contradict her.

"It gets worse," Greg said from the pilot's seat. "I'm getting nothing from the ground in New Hope. Nothing at all. If I had to guess, I'd say the same thing is happening there."

"Is there anywhere safe to land?" Lily asked.

"We'll know shortly," Greg said. "New Hope will be in visual range any minute now."

"Can we go back?" Scott asked.

"No," Lily said.

"Be reasonable," Scott said. "Look at what's happening down there. There's absolutely no way in hell he's still—"

"Doesn't matter," Greg interrupted. "We can't go back. Fuel."

"Damn," Scott grumbled.

"The Day Soldier airstrip at New Hope is about two miles outside town," Greg said. "If they are attacking, maybe the airstrip's clear."

"How far is New Hope from New Castle?" Lily asked.

"About forty-five miles or so," Scott said. "If we could find a vehicle, we could be there in an hour."

"New Hope it is," Greg said. "Not like we have much of a choice."

"Maybe," Ellie added, "New Hope isn't hit yet. All we know for sure is they aren't communicating."

"We're about to find out," Greg said, pointing out the front window. "There it is."

They all looked at the town below and immediately lost any hope that it was safe. Many of the buildings were on fire. Vampires and werewolves covered the area like ants on a piece of discarded food. As they got closer, they saw that dead bodies were scattered everywhere.

The town was lost.

"The airstrip looks more or less deserted," Greg said.

"That'll likely change when they see us land," Grung said.

"We'll have to move fast," Lily said. "As soon as we're grounded, we have to find a vehicle. Any vehicle. And we bust ass to New Castle."

"When we land," Greg said, "I'll hide until they've moved on. Then I'll try to get fueled up. Do you want me to wait for you?"

"Staying there alone will be dangerous," Lily said.

"I'm a pilot," Greg said, "not a soldier. Hiding there won't be as dangerous as going with you. I'd just hold you back."

"Fair enough," Lily said. "Give us four hours, if you can. If you have to leave before that, do it."

"I'll wait as long as I can," Greg said. "If I do manage to get fuel and take off, I'll fly toward New Castle. With the invasion moving into human territory, the old Legion areas may be relatively clear."

"Let's hope," Scott said.

"Okay," Greg said, "strap in. I'm going in as fast as I can. This could get bumpy."

As the plane closed in on the ground, Lily saw a small fueling station and what she guessed was a small radio tower. Two cars and a pickup truck were parked in front of the fueling station.

The plane's wheels began to screech as it hit pavement. Lily looked at the others and, yelling over the noise, said, "When we stop, we'll run straight for those vehicles. Greg, you hunker down here somewhere. If anything sees us, hopefully it'll just assume we're all running for the cars."

"I got a storage container behind your seats," Greg yelled. "I'll crawl in there and hunker down for a while."

As soon as the plane had come to a stop, Lily screamed, "Go!" and the team sprinted toward the vehicles. "Grung, check the truck! Scott, take the car on the right! Ellie..."

"I got the one on the left!" Ellie yelled.

Pistol in hand, Lily scanned the area. She ran to the front door of the station and kicked it open. As soon as the smell hit her, she ran back outside, fighting the urge to throw up.

"No keys here," Scott said as he jogged toward Lily. He looked at her face and added, "What the hell is in there? You look like shit."

"It's the smell," Lily said. "The inside is covered in blood and body parts. I think the Legion has been here and moved on."

Ellie jogged up to them. "No keys in the other one." She immediately flinched. "What's that God-awful smell?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Lily said, "if Grung doesn't find some keys."

The pickup cranked and backed out of the parking space. Grung drove to the others, rolled down the window, and smiled. "Key was under the seat and gas tank's full." He lifted his sword arm. "Although, if we're being honest here, one of you should probably drive."

"Move over," Scott said. Grung slid across the seat and Scott replaced him in the driver's seat. "Room for one more up here," Scott said.

Ellie climbed in the back. "I'm good back here."

Lily joined her in the bed of the truck. "You know how to get to New Castle?"

"I'm the information guy," Scott said. "I never go on a mission without finding all important inform—"

"Then go!" Lily yelled. "Damn, Scott."

Grung reached back and slid open the back window of the cab as Scott pulled the truck onto the highway. "Next stop," Scott yelled through the window, "New Castle, Indiana!"

"Trouble!" Ellie yelled.

Lily looked at her and saw that she was watching the road behind them. "Oh, boy," Lily whispered as she saw several vampires and werewolves sprinting toward them.

"Hold on to something!" Scott screamed as the truck lurched forward.

Ellie was trying to aim her gun at some of the creatures behind them when Lily yelled, "No!"

Ellie looked at her, confused.

"It's a waste of ammo!" Lily said. "Let em get closer!"

Grung crawled through the cab window and stood between Lily and Ellie. "How many?"

Ellie did a quick count. "Eight werewolves and six vampires. Looks like the party is still back in town."

Lily pulled out two wooden daggers. Grung flipped his weapon-arm to the wooden stake, then pulled out a pistol and held it in his right hand. Ellie dropped to her knees and steadied her arms on the truck's tailgate as she aimed her own pistol.

"Should I slow down?" Scott yelled from the front. "If any of you fall out, it'll likely kill you."

"No!" Lily said. "No matter how slow we're going, if we fall out, we're dead. The road's pretty straight. We'll be fine!"

Ellie fired. "One down!"

Lily could see the pale faces of the vampires easily enough, but the werewolves were harder to spot in the dark. She spread her legs slightly to get better balance and held her stakes ready, trusting Grung and Ellie to take out the werewolves.

"Two!" Ellie yelled after firing another shot.

Grung fired, then yelled, "Dammit!"

"I thought you were the weapons expert," Ellie taunted.

"Shut your face!" Grung yelled, then fired again. "One!"

The first vampire soared through the air and landed directly between them. Lily immediately slid a stake into its heart, then kicked it over the side. Two more vampires replaced it. Lily dropped to her knees and stabbed each stake into a different vampire. One of them turned to dust and the other's skin rotted away until it was a skeleton.

"Damn," Grung yelled. "Those two were old!"

"Yeah!" Lily yelled as she kicked the skeleton over the side.

"Three!" Ellie yelled after firing another shot. "I'm batting a thousand here, Grung! What about you!"

Grung popped off two quick shots. "Two and three!" he yelled. "My first shot doesn't count. You had a brace!"

A werewolf leapt into the air and landed in the bed of the truck. Its weight caused the truck to bounce hard, which sent Ellie over the back of the tailgate.

Grung dropped his gun and dived toward her, catching her by the wrist just before she was out of sight. Lily dropped her stake and drew her pistol, immediately firing several shots at the giant beast in the truck.

The now-dead werewolf fell toward the back of the truck, hitting Grung who was holding Ellie. All three fell off the back.

"Stop the truck!" Lily screamed.

Scott slammed the breaks, sending Lily smashing into the back of the cab. As soon as the truck stopped, Lily picked up a stake and her pistol and leapt onto the road, sprinting toward the spot where Grung and Ellie had fallen.

Not worrying about the vampires for the moment, she fired at the giant black shape she knew was a werewolf.

And missed.

It was, however, enough to get its attention. The werewolf took a step back, preparing for a leap in her direction.

Before the jump came, Lily saw a flash of silver in the moonlight, then saw the werewolf's head roll down the street as its body fell to the pavement. Grung stood behind it, his sword-arm covered in the werewolf's blood.

"Behind you!" Lily screamed.

Grung turned to face the three remaining vampires, and with a flick, his sword was a stake. A split second later, he was pulling the stake from the chest of one of the vampires.

Lily was beside him a second after that and sunk her stake deep into the chest of the other vampire. As she pulled the wooden dagger from the creature's body, she suddenly felt intense pain in her shoulder.

The last vampire had bitten deep into her shoulder and was drinking her blood.

Before Lily or Grung could react, the vampire released its bite and staggered back several steps. It had a look of absolute agony on its face as blood gushed from its mouth.

Did it drink that much blood from me?

Blood then began to pour from its nose. And its eyes. And its ears.

No, Lily thought. That's not my blood. It's his.

The vampire's knees began to wobble, then it fell to the ground, convulsing as if it were having a seizure. Smoke began to rise from its mouth and nose. The creature thrashed wildly for a few more seconds, then went completely still.

Grung walked up to the dead creature. "What the hell is in your blood, Baxter?"

"I have no idea," Lily said.

Scott jogged up to them and said, "It's the touch. I've read about it, but always wondered if it was a myth. I guess it's not. Vampires can't drink from you. How does it feel to be immune to vampires?"

"Weird," Lily said. She looked at Grung. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Grung said with a nod. "The dead werewolf broke my fall."

"Where's Ellie?" Scott asked.

Lily's heart sank as she realized she hadn't seen Ellie since the truck stopped.

"I threw her," Grung said. "Soon as the werewolf hit me, I swung her around and threw her to the side, hoping she'd miss the road." He looked up and down the road, then pointed to a small dark shape in the ditch. "There."

Ellie was beside the road, on her back and completely motionless. Scott dropped to one knee and checked her pulse. "She's alive," he said. "Just unconscious." He felt her arms, then legs, then stomach area. "Doesn't seem to be any broken bones." He placed his hand behind her head. When he pulled it back it was covered in blood.

"Shit," Grung whispered.

"She might have a concussion," Scott said. He pulled out a knife and cut off the sleeve of her jacket, then wrapped it around her head.

"Can we move her?" Lily asked.

Scott looked back toward New Hope. They could all hear the distant screams. "I don't think we have much of a choice."

They carried her to the truck and placed her in the back, using Grung's jacket as a pillow.

"I think she's okay," Scott said. "It just feels like a laceration. Cuts in the head can bleed like a bitch."

"Okay," Lily said. "Let's get moving. We'll sit back here with her."

Scott nodded and slid behind the wheel of the truck. "Next stop, New Castle."

"That's what he said the last time," Grung mumbled as the truck began moving again.

"You're bleeding," Lily said. She was looking at his right shoulder.

"Just a nick," Grung said.

"From what?"

Grung gave a sheepish smile. "Stray bullet."

Lily's eyes widened. "My bullet?"

"It was crazy back there," Grung said with a shrug. "I'm fine."

"Leo," Lily whispered, "you better be okay. We're taking some hits just to get you out of there."

"He's fine," Grung said. "Or have you forgotten the most important thing about our team?"

"What's that?" Lily asked.

"We always win," Ellie answered.

Grung laughed, "Welcome back, kid."

"You have one tough head," Lily said with a relieved laugh.

Ellie sat up and looked at Grung. "That throw," she said, "saved me. I owe you..."

"You don't owe me shit," Grung said. "We're a team."

"Welcome back!" Scott yelled from the front. "Take it easy back there. You still might have a concussion."

"How long to New Castle?" Lily asked Scott.

"I'd say about forty to forty-five minutes," Scott answered. "So rest up, soldiers. The main event is coming up next!"

***

The rest of the trip was uneventful. Ellie seemed to be okay and there were no more attacks on the truck. Apparently, the Legion had completely deserted their former territory. Lily was relieved they'd made it to New Castle without another attack, but mostly she felt disgust. There were no attacks, she knew, because the Legion was busy assaulting the rest of humanity. More than once, she felt a surge of guilt because she was on a personal mission to save a friend instead of fighting in defense of humanity. And what was worse, she'd taken three fine soldiers with her.

"You look deep in thought," Ellie said.

Lily looked at her and smiled. "Nah," she lied. "I don't have deep thoughts."

"He'll be okay," Grung said.

"I know," Lily said. "I just didn't expect the assault on humanity to come so soon."

"Don't worry," Scott yelled from the front. "There will be plenty of vampires to kill after we rescue Leo."

Yeah, Lily thought, because they'll be in control of the world. She looked at the others and saw in their eyes that they were thinking the same thing.

After a few minutes of silence, Scott said, "Welcome to New Castle."

Lily stood up and scanned the empty streets as they slowly drove through town. There was no movement anywhere. The town was completely deserted.

The truck slowed and eventually stopped in the center of the street. Scott climbed out of the driver's seat and walked to the back. "He could be hidden somewhere."

Lily could feel her hopes slipping away. "We were stupid to come here," she said. "This place is a ghost town. If Leo was here, he's not now." For the first time since they left Norfolk... maybe for the first time ever... Lily felt hopeless. She looked around the empty town, fighting the tears that were forming in her eyes. "He was all I had left, Scott."

Grung put his hand on her shoulder, but didn't say anything. Scott climbed into the back of the truck and sat on the side of the bed. "We can still look," he said. "Just to be sure."

"No," Lily said. "Nobody's here."

"Somebody's here," Ellie said. Lily looked at her as she nodded toward the street in front of the truck.

A woman was walking toward the truck. She was smiling. "How in the hell did you get here so fast? We sent out that video like two hours ago."

"What video?" Grung mumbled.

As the woman got closer, Lily recognized her.

Holy shit.

Lily drew her gun and jumped down to the street. "Where's Leo, Tina!"

"Oh, he's around," Tina said, still smiling, "but you've ruined the surprise. You're way too early. Dennis is still in Jackson's Folly. How did you get here so—"

Lily shot her in the head.

***

In Jackson's folly, the city formerly known as New York, Dennis howled with pain and rage.

***

Cassius watched from a nearby rooftop as Tina fell to the ground. He could almost feel that little channeler's despair and hatred. "Dennis was right," he whispered. "Turning you will be easy. And quite fun." He turned and leapt to another rooftop, then another. Within a few minutes, he was gone from New Castle.

***

Lily stepped over Tina's dead body. "Leo!"

"We'll sweep the town," Scott said. "I think we should stay together. Who knows how many others are hiding here."

"LEO!"

"I'm here."

They all turned to see Leo standing in the doorway of a nearby post office. Lily sprinted toward him.

"Something's not right," Grung said. "Look at him."

"He just looks pale," Scott said.

"Maybe," Ellie added, "they've been feeding on him."

"He's clearly not a vampire," Scott said. "He looks... like himself."

"I don't care what he looks like," Grung said. "Something ain't right."

Lily ran to Leo, ready to give him the biggest hug of his life, but stopped a few feet in front of him.

He was pale. Very pale. His skin was almost white, but it didn't look unhealthy. As a matter of fact, it looked quite radiant. When he smiled, showing extremely long incisors, despair invaded Lily's heart.

"Oh, Leo."

"What?" he said. "Don't look so sad. I'm happy. Turns out, not all of vampires are the little monsters we faced in Iveyton."

Lily didn't reply. She just stared at him with heartbroken eyes.

"The war is ending as we speak," Leo said, "and it's not as bad as we thought. After the war, the werewolves just want nature, Lily. They want to run off into the woods and just be... left alone. And the vampires can't live without humanity. They want to find a way to live together, in peace. Humans give blood to help each other. Why not do it for vampires?"

"Because vampires are evil."

"And humans aren't?" Leo asked. "Lily, we were wrong. Vampires aren't evil. They're just slaves to their biology. But some of them aren't like that. I'm not like that. I'm still me, Lily. I'd never harm you. Ever. Think about it. You can still be you, but you'll live forever! You'll never get sick. You'll never die."

"I couldn't join you if I wanted to," Lily said.

"You mean because you're a channeler?" Leo asked. "Because that's not really an obstacle. A channeler is just someone who can focus their own desires. It's not about good or evil, Lily. It's about whether or not you want this. It's more about a vampire's sensitivity to the energy you put out. That's why you have no impact on a werewolf. If you want to become a vampire, you can. And from what I was told, you'd be a powerful one."

Scott stepped beside Lily and said, "You're not considering any of this, are you?"

Lily wiped the tears from her face. "Of course not."

"They have a good system figured out," Leo said. "Humans will donate blood for a set number of years. When a human gets to thirty, he'll be given the choice to become a vampire. But only if he wants it. It doesn't have to be war, Lily."

"I can't do it," Lily said with a shaky voice.

"You don't have to," Leo said. "That's my point. This war is ending. After it's over, you can live life as a human or a vampire. It's your choice, Lily-bug."

"No," Lily said. "I mean I can't kill you. I was able to kill my own father, but I can't kill you. You used to be my Leo. But you're not anymore, so don't call me Lily-bug." She took a deep, shaky breath, then said, "Do it."

"Do wha—"

Leo's eyes widened as a round shaft of wood burst from his chest, splattering Lily's face with his blood. He tried to speak, but couldn't. He staggered forward, pulling himself from the stake, and fell toward Lily.

Lily jumped back and let him fall to the pavement.

Grung stood behind Leo, blood dripping from the stake on the end of his arm.

Lily looked down at the dead creature that was once her best friend. "I guess," she whispered, "we don't always win after all."

***

Lily found Leo's glasses in his shirt pocket and put them on his face. She sat beside him and held his hand.

"I failed him in every way," she said to nobody in particular. "Every single way."

"No, you didn't," Scott argued.

"I did, Scott," Lily said. "I convinced him to go kill those vampires in Iveyton. I convinced him to help me kill all the people of Iveyton. He joined the Day Soldiers because of me. And he died because of me, both directly and indirectly. I didn't just take his life... I destroyed it."

"Lily," Scott said, "he made his own choices. And he knew how important this was to you. He would have wanted—"

"Don't give me the 'he would have wanted' crap," Lily said. "You know what he would have wanted? He would have wanted to marry me and take me to Florida or Mexico, where we could have had a peaceful life together. That's what he would have wanted, Scott, because he loved me. And I used his love to drag him into a life he didn't want."

"You're disgusting," Grung said.

Lily looked at him with eyes that showed a broken spirit. "Is that so?"

"Yes," Grung said. "Why don't you lean over and spit in his face, because that's what you're doing to him anyway."

"If you're trying to inspire me to get up and take action," Lily said, "you can rest easy, Grung. I just need a few minutes to feel sorry for myself, that's all."

"Then feel sorry for yourself for the right reasons," Grung said. "You just lost your best friend. But don't take his accomplishments away from him. Don't take credit for the great things this man did. He killed hundreds of vampires in Iveyton, and he's not a channeler. He killed one of the most powerful werewolves known. He warned the world of the invasion that started tonight. And let's not forget, he single-handedly saved the lives of every person standing here right now. If you want to cry because the world just lost a hero, you do that. But don't you dare act like he was some love-sick kid who stumbled into his own death... because if you do, I'll kick your ass right here and now."

"Grung—"

"I mean it, Lily!" Grung said. "This man is a hero and I won't stand here and let you take that away from him!"

"He's right," Ellie said. "If Leo did this just to be near you, he would've quit the Day Soldiers and lived in Norfolk. But he didn't. He stayed, even when it meant a transfer to another state."

"Guys," Scott said, "cut her some slack. Damn."

"No," Lily said softly, "they're right. As usual, I'm acting like I'm the center of the universe."

"What now?" Ellie asked.

"Greg might still be in—" Scott stopped mid-sentence when a faint beep came from his belt. He pulled his communicator's earpiece from his belt and hooked it over his ear.

The team waited patiently while he listened to whatever transmission he was receiving. After several seconds, he looked at the others and said, "They're ordering a full evacuation to the underground facilities."

Ellie looked shocked. "They're running?"

"Apparently," Scott said.

"Where the hell are the underground facilities?" Grung asked.

"I have the locations programmed into my portable GPS," Scott said. After seeing everyone's surprised looks, he added, "It's part of the information expert gig. The problem isn't finding them. It's getting to them unseen."

"How fast will they fill up?" Ellie asked.

"They won't," Scott said uncomfortably. "We have a slot. There's room enough for all of us."

"What the hell, man," Grung said. "How many do they hold?"

"In all the American facilities," Scott explained, "there's space enough for about half the Day Soldiers."

"No," Ellie whispered as the ramifications of Scott's statement began to sink in. "What about the people left behind?"

"Most will be captured," Scott said. "The idea is that we go underground and regroup, then plan the rescue of the survivors."

"That's bullshit!" Grung said.

"Look at the alternative, man," Scott said. "It's either most of the people get captured or killed, or all of the people get captured or killed. Things must be bad down south. This was a last resort plan."

"How the hell did we even get picked?" Grung said.

Scott looked at Lily.

"Oh," Grung said. "Right."

"So that's it," Lily said as she got to her feet. "The war is over and we lost. This day just keeps getting better."

"We haven't lost," Scott said. "We've just been... wounded. We'll heal from this."

"So," Ellie said, "if we have a slot, that means we don't have to go underground by any certain time?"

"Right," Scott said. "They actually expect it to take weeks for some soldiers to make it there. Why?"

Ellie looked at Leo's body. "Tina said Dennis was in New York."

"Technically," Scott said, "she said he's in Jackson's Folly, but that's just the name they gave New..." He stopped when he realized what Ellie was suggesting. "Oh."

"You want to go after Dennis," Lily said.

"I do," Ellie answered flatly.

"I'm not opposed to this idea," Grung said. "If the war is down south, I bet we can get there without much trouble."

Lily looked at Scott. "You're our voice of reason. Especially now."

"Speaking as the voice of reason," Scott said, "I vote we get to New York and kill that son of a bitch."

# Chapter 19

The Long Night

Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Several hundred soldiers stood with their weapons drawn at the north end of the beach. One particular soldier paced back and forth in front of the large group. He was a man of about forty, with a wedge-shaped body, black cropped hair, and a face that wore the scars of many battles.

His voice carried power and sincerity to the listening soldiers. "Serving with you people has been the single greatest honor of my life. For ten years, we have protected Virginia Beach with strength and honor. The Legion has attacked us before and we drove them back!"

"Sir," A soldier said from the front of the crowd, "are you saying we can do it again?"

The leader paused and looked at the soldier. They had all seen the reports. They all knew what was headed their way.

"No, son," the leader said. "We're not going to win this one." He took a step back and raised his voice, speaking to the entire group. "As you all know, the enemy will be here any minute. I have never lied to you folks and I'm not going to start now. This is a battle we cannot win.

"There is no dishonor in leaving. If you want to find a place to hide, do it. If you want to run south, do it. If you want to swim into the ocean and take your chances with the sea, do it. You have fulfilled your obligation to humanity."

One of the soldiers stepped from the crowd and said, "If it's all the same to you, sir, I'm going to stay here and take a couple hundred of those bastards down with me."

Another soldier screamed what had long been the Day Soldiers' battle cry when facing vampires.

"Go back to sleep!"

Several other soldiers repeated the cry. Soon, more soldiers joined in until it became a chant.

"Go back to sleep! Go back to sleep! Go back to sleep!"

They all fell silent as the first line of werewolves and vampires came into view. The front row of soldiers dropped to one knee and aimed their weapons. The row behind them aimed their weapons as well.

As they began to fire, the werewolves leapt into the air.

A few seconds later, the vampires washed over them like a tsunami.

Norfolk, Virginia.

The communications officer looked out the window of the tower, watching the chaos below. His wife was somewhere down there. He remembered with disgust the day he convinced her to move onto the base. "It's a dangerous world out there," he had said. "You'll be safer if you live on the base with me."

He understood now that it didn't matter where his wife lived. It didn't matter where anybody lived. The war had never really been a war. It had been a game. The Legion's game. And now they were tired of the game and decided to move on to something more fun. And because they decided to end their game, he knew his wife was either a vampire or she was werewolf food.

Several vampires were now climbing the tower toward him.

The game was indeed over, but the communications officer knew he still had some power. He had the power to decide how his game would end.

He put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger.

Johnson City, Tennessee.

Charlie ducked into the alley and sprinted toward Kate's house. So far, the bulk of the attack seemed to be in the middle of the city. Charlie prayed they hadn't reached Kate's neighborhood yet. His entire body ached with exhaustion. Every breath was agony, but he didn't stop running.

He had to make it to Kate. He had to tell her. Now, at the end, nothing else mattered.

Charlie ran up the hill that led to Kate's neighborhood. He risked a glance behind him and saw that most of the city was burning. Screams echoed across the city, but they weren't close.

I have time.

He ran through her neighborhood and slid to a stop in front of her porch. He stood in her yard long enough to catch his breath, then stepped onto the porch and knocked on the door.

A large balding man answered the door. "Charles?"

"Mr. Howard," Charlie said, "is Kate home?"

"Of course she's home," the man said. "What the hell are you doing here, boy? Get inside!"

"You should be with your family," Mr. Howard said as they stepped into the living room.

"My family's gone, sir," Charlie said.

Mr. Howard didn't ask for details. He just put a hand on Charlie's shoulder and said, "I'm sorry, son."

"Charlie?"

Kate was standing in the doorway leading to her kitchen. Charlie could tell by her eyes that she had been crying, but it didn't detract from her beauty. If anything, it added to it.

"I love you," Charlie said. "I realized tonight that I have never said that out loud. I love you, Kate. After I got my degree, I planned to ask you to marry me. You have always been the one part of my life that was perfect. I just wanted you to know that."

"I love you, too," Kate said. She was crying again.

Kate's mom was looking out the window. "They're coming," She turned and looked at Mr. Howard. "Oh, God, Carl, they're coming."

Mr. Howard turned to Charlie. "Don't just stand there, son. Kiss her."

Charlie walked up to Kate, put his arms around her, and pulled her to him. "I love you," he said again.

As he pressed his lips against hers, a giant wolf burst through the front door.

Tampa, Florida.

"Mom!"

Karen opened the bedroom door and said, "You're supposed to be asleep, honey."

"I can't sleep," Megan said. "I'm scared."

Karen walked across the room and sat on the bed with her six year old daughter. "Now what," she said, "are you afraid of?"

"Vampires," Megan said. "Brett said they're coming to get us tonight. He said he saw it on TV."

"Megan," Karen said, "you know your brother is just trying to scare you. We live in Florida. Now, what have I told you about Florida?"

"There ain't no vampires in Florida."

Karen smiled. She didn't bother to correct her daughter's grammar. Really, there was no point. "That's right," she said with a gentle smile. "And why are there no vampires in Florida?"

"Because," Megan said, "vampires hate pretty things and everything in Florida is pretty."

"That's right," Karen said.

"But I can hear them outside," Megan said. Her little chest moved up and down rapidly and her upper lip quivered. "They're screaming."

"Honey," Karen said, "that's not vampires. There's a party outside. Those people are just having fun."

Megan's eyes lit up. "Can I go?"

"No, baby. It's only for grown-ups. But you don't have to worry about vampires. That's just grown-ups being too noisy at their party. You can go back to sleep."

"Will you sleep with me tonight?" Megan asked.

"I will," Karen said with a smile. "As a matter of fact, let me go get your brother. I think we're all going to sleep together tonight."

"Okay."

Karen stepped into the hallway and began to walk toward Brett's room. As she passed her bedroom, she saw a figure standing just outside her bedroom window. She turned and entered the room.

"Let me in, Karen," the vampire said.

"You don't live here anymore," Karen said. "Go away."

"Dammit, Karen," the vampire said, "don't be a fool. The werewolves will be breaking down your walls any minute now. They'll rip the kids to pieces. To pieces, Karen!"

"No," Karen said. "I'm about to make sure that doesn't happen to them. Go away, Adam."

"You're going to kill them?" the vampire asked. "But I can save them, Karen! I can make them safe. Forever. Don't you want that? I can make it so our kids will always be like they are right now. Our family will be together forever."

"I... I don't..."

"You want this, Karen," the vampire said. "You know you do. Look at the alternative! Just open the window and invite me in. I'll make it so none of us ever feels pain again."

Karen opened the window.

Air Force One, somewhere above Louisiana.

"Baghdad just fell," the communications officer said.

"I'm not interested in Baghdad," the president said. He looked out the plane's window at the land far below. "How much is left of America?"

"The entire east coast is lost," the officer said. "And every state west of Texas. The last report said that Texas is putting up a hell of a fight, but..."

"But what?"

"It's only a matter of time, Mr. President," the officer said. "Arkansas, Louisiana, and Alabama are pretty much the only clean states left."

Congressman Dan Hillman sat beside the president. "Historically," he said, "troops are diminished by battle. Soldiers die. But these bastards gain numbers after every battle. By sunrise, humanity will no longer be the dominant species on this planet."

"If we ever were," the president said. "We should've nuked them ten years ago."

"Wouldn't have helped," Hillman said. "A nuclear attack would just kill more humans."

"Damn!" The president punched the wall of the plane.

"Mr. President," Hillman said, "I think we need to get underground while we still can. Are there any facilities in Louisiana?"

"Hell, I don't know, Dan," the president said dismissively.

"What?" Hillman said, his voice a mixture of surprise and worry. "You're the president of the whole damn country. How could you possibly not know where the facilities are?"

The president smiled humorlessly. "Regretting your decision to hitch a ride with me, congressman?"

"No, sir," Hillman said. "I consider it an honor to be by your side at the end. I'm just... surprised."

"It was for security," the president explained. "I can't have that information in my head. If the Legion ever captured me... or worse, if they ever turned me into a bloodsucker, it would be disastrous. Dan, since this war started, you'd be amazed at the stuff I'm not allowed to know."

"I'm assuming," Hillman said, "there's a way to get this information?"

The president pulled a small thumb drive from his jacket pocket. "It's all here," he said. "If I were to be captured, I just press this button and it's instantly erased. Very few people actually know the locations of the facilities. The rest carry one of these."

"I'm a little upset I wasn't given one," Hillman said.

"I'm sure you have advisors who have one," the president said as he opened his laptop and slid the device into the appropriate slot. "Besides, it doesn't matter now. You're with me."

A map booted up on his monitor. "Looks like we have seven facilities in Louisiana. Apparently, my designated facility was in northern Virginia, but that's out. So I guess we just pick one."

"Or not," Hillman said.

"As usual, Dan," the president said, "I don't know what the hell you're talking about."

Dan answered with a low, guttural growl.

The president turned to see a large, hair-covered monstrosity sitting beside him.

In that instant, a dozen thoughts shot through the president's mind, but three overshadowed the rest.

He's a poser.

He knows where the facilities are.

I'm going to die.

Five minutes later, every human on the plane – including the pilot – was dead.

The werewolf scooped up the president's laptop, ripped the plane's door open, and dove into the night sky.

# Chapter 20

New York City

The early morning sun gave everything in New Castle a subtle orange glow. Abbie stood over the body of Leo Rosenberg. She looked at the wound over his heart and said, "Baxter has now officially killed every person she ever loved. That poor girl."

"Looks like they took out a werewolf as well." Wallace was looking at Tina.

Abbie looked at Tina's body. "Did you know her?"

"No." Wallace looked around the town. "Maybe they went back."

"If we found Dennis lying here dead," Abbie said, "I'd agree with you. But I doubt she's turned back now. I'm sure they got the order to go underground, which means they know what happened last night. Hope is lost to them. Leo is dead. The war is lost. That just leaves one thing."

"Revenge," Wallace said.

Abbie nodded. "If I had to guess, I'd say they're heading to the Legion's capital."

"Jackson's Folly," Wallace agreed.

Abbie looked at him with annoyed eyes. "New York City," she corrected.

"Right," Wallace said. "So are we headed to New York?"

"What do you think?"

"The werewolves," Wallace said, "are probably heading back to their home cities as we speak. The vampires will join them after nightfall. It'll be like New Year's Eve in the Big Apple tonight. I think going there is suicide, for us and for Lily's team."

"So we're going then," Abbie said.

"I reckon so," Wallace answered.

They walked back to their vehicle and climbed inside, Wallace taking the driver's seat. As soon as she sat in the passenger's seat, Abbie saw the red flashing light on the dashboard. She pressed the touch screen above the light and said, "There's a standing order to maintain radio silence."

A young man's face appeared on the screen. "I know, ma'am, but this is... important."

"It had better be extremely important," Abbie said, "for you to risk sending a signal from a safe zone."

"We found the president's plane, ma'am. It crashed in Louisiana."

"Okay," Wallace said, "that's bad."

"Yes, sir," the soldier said, "and it gets worse. The bodies in the crash appeared to have been mutilated."

"A plane crash will do that," Abbie said.

"By a werewolf, ma'am."

Abbie and Wallace looked at each other with worried eyes. "If a werewolf caused that crash..." Wallace said.

"They know where the facilities are," Abbie finished.

"That was our thinking, too," the soldier said. "Suggestions?"

Wallace and Abbie looked at each other again. Neither had an answer.

Abbie finally asked, "Is it really over, Geoff?"

"I can't speak for the other facilities," the soldier said, "but down here, we plan to dig in and take out as many of those bastards as we can. We've got several channelers here. If this really is the end, we're gonna make it epic."

"What's your name, son?" Wallace asked.

"Burke, sir."

"Well, Mr. Burke," Wallace said, "if your people are willing to fight to the very end, can I suggest a final stand that would be a little more... what was the word you used? Epic?"

Burke smiled. "I'm listening, sir."

***

Grung laughed.

Scott looked at him and cocked an eyebrow.

"I just got it," Grung said. "When you said, 'Let's go kill that son of a bitch,' it had a double meaning. He's a canine. His mom was literally a bitch."

"I just meant I hate him," Scott said.

"Well," Grung said, "I thought it was pretty funny."

Scott just shook his head and looked at the clock in the truck.

5:07pm.

"You probably should wake up the ladies," he said. "I think we should walk the rest of the way."

"We're there?" Grung said.

"Pretty much," Scott said. "We're coming up on the Holland tunnel. I doubt we'll be able to get the truck through. From what I've read, all the cars from the original New York Massacre are still there. We'll have to walk through."

Grung slid the back window open and yelled, "Rise and shine, soldiers! We're there."

"Already?" Lily asked as she wiped the sleep from her eyes. "How long was I asleep?"

"A good five and a half hours," Scott said as he slowed the vehicle to a stop in the center of the road. "The one benefit of this being a fourteen hour trip is that we all got some much needed rest."

Lily looked ahead of them at the tunnel entrance, which was cluttered with old cars. "I hope we don't run into company in there."

"Not likely," Ellie said. "We didn't come across a single werewolf or vampire during the entire drive. I'd say the majority are still down south."

"No," Scott said. "We can't make that assumption. This is their capital. They'll be coming here to celebrate."

"Alright," Grung said. "Here's the important question. Pirates or ninjas?"

"We do pirates way too much," Ellie said. "It makes sense most of the time, but not here. We need to show them why we're called sneakers."

"Sounds good to me," Scott said.

Grung smiled, "I'm down for some ninja action."

"Make sure your silencers are secure," Lily said, "and after we cross the bridge, take another scent inhibitor."

"I have two things to add," Scott said. "Two important things."

"Go ahead," Lily said.

Scott took a moment to apparently gather his thoughts, then said, "First, there's a good chance there's a vampire on their ruling council."

"Why the hell would you think that?" Lily asked. "Vampires are pawns. Mindless, soulless pawns."

"Obviously, not all of them." Scott didn't say his name, but they all understood he meant Leo. "There's always been speculation in the upper ranks of the Day Soldiers that a vampire was on their council. I think our experience in New Castle supports that idea."

"How do you know what the upper ranks of the Day Soldiers think?" Lily asked.

"I'm an information specialist," Scott said with a smile. "Perk of the job."

Why do I find that smile so damn charming? Lily thought, then immediately chastised herself for thinking like a damn teenager on what could very possibly be the last day of her life. She decided right then that if they survived the night, she would tell him. There was no denying he was handsome. Everything about him was attractive, from his smooth skin to that perfect, charming smile. If they'd met under different circumstances—

Lily suddenly understood something very important.

"You okay, chief?" Scott asked.

Lily flushed slightly, then said, "Yeah. What's the second thing?"

"We decided to do this as a team," Scott said. "All of us."

"Right..."

"We can't be picky about who gets to be the avenger here," he explained. "We're here to kill Dennis. That's the team's goal. If any of us gets a shot, we take it. Right then."

"I see," Lily said. "You're worried that I'll pull some he's mine nonsense."

"A little," Scott admitted. "Yeah."

"Don't worry," Lily said. "We all want him dead. If any of us gets the shot, we all win."

"Okay then," Scott said.

"If nobody has anything else," Lily said, "let's get moving. If we're lucky, we can be in and out of here before dark."

The team climbed over the first cars in the tunnel and began their final walk to New York City.

***

"If she comes to Jackson's Folly," Dennis spat, "she's dead!"

"No," Arcas said calmly. "We had a deal."

Dennis paced around the small office, clenching and unclenching his fists. "You can take our deal and shove it straight up your undead ass. If she comes here, she dies."

"She killed your mate," Arcas said, "so I'm going to forgive your current attitude. I know how passionate werewolves can be. But you have to get over this, Dennis. The girl is broken. I'm confident we can turn her."

"Turn someone else," Dennis said. "We have hundreds of thousands of human prisoners. Pick one of them, because I'm killing this girl."

"No," Arcas said calmly. "I need her."

"Why!"

Arcas walked to the window and looked at the city outside. "We just won the world." He turned and looked at Dennis. "Do you even fathom what that means? You shall have your forests, Dennis. And we shall have the cities." He again looked out the window. "And I will not fill those cities with the vampires who currently own the night. I need something... better."

"I'm pretty damn sure you'll find others," Dennis said.

"I'm not so sure," Arcas said. "I suspect there are many more out there, but it's incredibly difficult to find them, primarily because most vampires who meet them die."

"I don't care," Dennis said. "This isn't my problem."

Arcas moved faster than even Dennis could see, instantly appearing two inches from his face. "Listen to me, wolf. This is not the time to fracture our relationship. I will have this girl."

Dennis saw Daciana and Cassius in the doorway, watching the exchange.

"You want to feel better?" Arcas continued. "Drown her in despair. Make her feel so horrible that she'll accept any offer to make the pain go away... even from the devil himself."

With Daciana and Cassius watching, Dennis understood that now wasn't the time to fight. His kind was about to get everything they ever wanted, and he recognized that, despite his personal anguish, he couldn't be the one to ruin everything they'd worked for. "That sounds like a reasonable compromise," he said through gritted teeth.

"I'm very sorry," Arcas said. "I promise I'll make it up to you, my friend."

"There's a crowd forming in Times Square," Daciana said. "I think they're waiting on someone to officially start the celebration."

Dennis looked at Arcas. "I'm not a politician."

"Don't look at me," Arcas said. "It's still daylight out. My people aren't even there yet."

"No," Daciana said when Dennis looked at her.

Dennis sighed. "This day just keeps getting better."

***

Thousands of werewolves were gathered in Times Square. Some were in human form, but most were giant bipedal wolves. When Jackson's Folly was New York, all the screens in the square were filled with various advertisements. This day, however, they displayed video images of different cities across the globe. Some of these cities were completely destroyed while others seemed untouched by war, but they all had one thing in common.

They were no longer human cities.

Dennis stood on top of the large sign in the center of the square, watching the celebration below. He had climbed onto the sign from the window behind it and was so far unnoticed by the celebrators below. The small camera on top of the sign swiveled away from the crowd and pointed up at him, splashing his image across the giant screen beneath his feet.

Dennis waited quietly until more and more of the werewolves noticed the screen and eventually quieted. Dennis cleared his throat and switched on the microphone attached to his shirt. He took a deep breath, thought again about how badly he hated being in front of large crowds, then began to speak.

"The world," he said calmly, "belongs to us now."

The crowd literally howled in celebration.

"The surviving humans," Dennis continued, "will be placed in facilities where they won't be mistreated. Each facility will be near water, and they will be given supplies to grow their own food. Hell, some of them will have improved lives. They'll have to supply our undead friends with blood, but other than that, they'll be left alone. Finally, humanity will be in its proper place."

Someone in the crowd yelled, "As cattle!" Several others laughed at the comment.

Dennis lifted his hand to quiet them. "Of course, human/vampire relations aren't really our concern. The vampires can have these ugly human cities. I don't give a damn. We fought this war for the world beyond city walls."

The crowd howled again.

"The forests," Dennis said, his voice louder and more excited, "belong to us! The mountains belong to us! The jungles belong to us! No more deforestation! No more parking lots where nature once stood! The vampires don't need fast food. They don't need car factories. They will have the cities, but the rest... is ours! The planet will once again... finally... find balance!"

He took a calming breath. "Friends, the plague that is humanity has ended. Enjoy your celebration."

***

Lily and her team watched the speech through the window of a darkened apartment several stories above the celebration. The body of a werewolf lay dead on the floor behind them.

"I hate to say it," Scott began.

"Then don't," Lily interrupted.

Scott shrugged. "He makes a good point."

"I'm sure," Grung added, "that many Germans in the nineteen-forties thought the same thing about the speeches they were hearing."

"Point taken," Scott conceded.

Ellie looked at the dead werewolf and said, "I think we should get moving. It won't take them long to notice our friend isn't answering his calls."

"Not yet," Lily said, not taking her eyes off Dennis.

"Oh yeah," Ellie said with a nod.

Dennis stood on the sign, watching the celebration for several more minutes. Eventually, he turned around and crawled into the window behind him.

"Bingo," Scott said.

***

Cassius sat with his feet propped up on the office desk. Arcas stood by the window, watching the celebration. "You know," Cassius said, "we're eventually going to have to do something about all the baby vampires. There are too many."

"I know," Arcas said quietly. "It shouldn't be difficult. We'll just wait until they're resting one day soon and do a purge. The other elders are going to do the same across the globe."

"How many are there?" Cassius asked. "Elders, I mean. How many vampires are out there like us?"

"Not sure," Arcas said with a shrug. "I know I've made about a hundred over the centuries. I don't know how many are still alive, though. Since this damn war started, I feel death so often, it's difficult to know which are mine. I would guess most are still alive. How many have you made?"

"Seven," Cassius said.

"Only seven?"

Cassius gave a single nod. "I'm very particular about who I bring over."

"You've been a vampire for a long time, my friend," Arcas said. "A hundred is being particular. Seven is downright stingy with your power."

Cassius chuckled. "I suppose you're right. Still, it's reasonable to assume there are enough elders to build our new world. Why are you so interested in the channeler?"

Arcas turned around and looked at Cassius. "In all the centuries of my life, I've turned one channeler. Every other channeler I've faced, I had to kill. But that one channeler turned out to be one of the most powerful vampires I've ever known." He smiled. "And he turned out to be my best friend."

"I appreciate that," Cassius said.

"Humanity has it all wrong," Arcas added. "They think it's about good and evil. They think a channeler is able to summon the power of God or whatever, but the truth is, it has nothing to do with good or evil. It has to do with the human spirit, which is significant."

"So when you turned me all those years ago," Cassius asked, "you didn't think I was evil?"

"Of course not," Arcas said. "You were driven. You were focused. And that's all that separates a channeler from any other human. A channeler can focus their energy without the need for trinkets. Humans are the most tragic creatures on this planet. They have unlimited potential, but they refuse to grow. Channelers are simply humans who are a touch more evolved. And if they decide, they become something... greater."

"Is that what happened to you?" Cassius asked. "You chose to become greater?"

Arcas smiled. "Perhaps."

Dennis strolled into the room, followed by Daciana. "How was the speech?" he asked with a smile.

"Inspiring," Cassius said. "You should consider a life in politics."

"I'd rather take a silver bullet in the eye," Dennis said.

Daciana looked out the window. "We're celebrating too soon. We're making ourselves vulnerable."

"Are you kidding?" Dennis said. "Humanity has been driven from every city in the world. We took them down in a day. I think that's worth a little celebrating."

"There are survivors out there," Daciana said. "Hiding. And as long as there are, we're in danger."

"We have the location of every underground facility," Dennis said. "We just have to give the stragglers time to get there. This party is part of the war, Daciana. We're just pretending we think it's over. They'll crawl into their holes, start licking their wounds, and that's when we'll go in and finish them."

"I know the plan," Daciana said, "but something feels wrong."

"There are guards all over the city," Dennis assured her. "The sun will be down in about an hour and the vampires will be joining us. If any humans come sneaking around this city, we'll know it. I promise you that."

"I suppose," Daciana said.

"Jackson's Folly," Dennis said, "is a safe city. No human would be foolish enough to come here tonight."

***

The werewolf's head quickly reverted back to its human form as it rolled down the dark hallway without its body. Grung wiped the blood from his sword-arm and gave the others a subtle wave that said, "All clear."

The others stepped into the hall behind him. "How many is that?" Ellie whispered.

"Twelve," Scott answered as he went to the window at the end of the hallway. He looked out the window, then turned back to the others. "The next building is shorter. If we can get a hook to attach to something on its roof, we should be able to slide across easily enough."

Lily looked out the window. "Dennis is in the one after that," she whispered.

"If he's still there," Grung said.

"It's all we've got right now," Lily said, then turned to Ellie. "You're up."

Ellie fired a small gun that silently shot a hook and cable across the divide. Once the hook was on the other roof, she pulled the cable back until the hook attached itself to a pipe. She then attached the cable to the window and pressed a button that pulled it taut.

With a wink, she said, "See ya on the other side." She attached herself to the cable with another hook and jumped out the window.

As she slid toward the other roof, she noticed the street in Times Square was slowly coming into view. Due to the angle of the buildings, she realized with horror that when she got to the other building, she would be in full view of the werewolves below.

Throwing her feet on the cable, she tried to stop herself, but the momentum was too strong. She slid across the divide and dropped to the roof on the other side, hoping against hope that she hadn't been seen.

Ellie quickly scrambled to the edge of the building and peeked down at the street below.

"Shit," she groaned.

***

"Shit," Grung said.

The team watched as hundreds of werewolves began to scale the wall beneath Ellie. Grung snapped a hook to the cable.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Scott whisper-yelled.

"You two go another way," Grung said. "Get to Dennis. We'll keep those fuzzy bastards busy. Don't worry, we'll meet up with you later."

Before they could stop him, he leapt from the window and slid toward the other building.

"We can pick them off from here," Lily said as she drew her pistol.

Scott pulled her away from the window. "No."

"Scott, we have to help them!"

"No!" Scott looked at her with an intensity she'd never seen from him before. "There are thousands down there, Lily! If we start shooting, it'll just draw them to us as well."

"Then what the hell do you suggest?" Lily shot back.

"We take Grung at his word," Scott said. "And we do what we came here to do."

Lily looked back at the window and started to speak but realized she didn't know what to say.

"Every second matters," Scott said. "Every second, Lily."

"Okay," Lily said. "Let's go get Dennis."

***

Ellie sprinted toward the only door on the roof. She hoped she could get inside the building and crawl out a back window before the werewolves got to her. She slid to a stop in front of the door and pulled on the handle.

Locked.

Of course, she thought.

She drew her gun and fired, then tried the door again. It pulled open about an inch and stopped.

"What the hell, door!" she yelled as she stuck her fingers into the crack and felt a large chain on the other side. Even if there was a chance she could shoot the chain, she knew she didn't have enough time to do it.

She turned around and watched the first werewolves crawl onto the roof. She pointed her gun toward the first werewolf, said, "I really hate you guys," and began to fire.

***

As Grung slid toward the building, he held on to the cable with both legs and the bend inside his sword-arm, leaving his good hand free. He quickly pulled a grenade from his belt, pulled the pin with his teeth, and flung it in the direction of the werewolves.

***

Ellie stood with her back against the door, firing at the monsters coming toward her. As werewolf after werewolf fell dead, Ellie felt something she didn't expect.

She felt good.

She suddenly thought about that day back in Virginia Beach, a lifetime ago. She remembered hanging underneath that pier, terrified and powerless.

Not today, she thought as she pulled the trigger again and again. If this was her moment to die, so be it. She would face it with courage and conviction. Every shot was lightning fast, but her aim was steady and accurate. A few of the werewolves actually turned back and ran the other way. The bulk of them, however, just hopped over their dead friends and kept coming.

As the werewolves got closer, Ellie surprised herself again.

She started laughing.

Just as the werewolves got close enough for her to see their snarling teeth, the roof exploded.

The explosion came from somewhere in the middle of the pack of werewolves, sending them flying in all directions. The force of the explosion slammed Ellie against the door, breaking the chain inside. The door flew open and Ellie fell into the darkness inside.

She tumbled down the inside stairs for several feet, landing hard on the small platform where the stairs turned before they continued down in the opposite direction. Ignoring the pain she felt in about a million different places, Ellie sprang to her feet and drew her second pistol.

She almost fired as a large figure burst through the smoke above. The only thing that stopped her from pulling the trigger was the fact that she recognized his screaming voice.

"RUN!" Grung yelled as he sprinted down the stairs, taking three and four steps at a time.

***

"Was that an explosion?" Scott asked as they stepped onto the street a block away from Times Square.

"I believe it was," Lily said with a grin. "Since werewolves don't carry grenades, I'm going to assume Grung and Ellie are holding their own."

"Me too." Scott looked around the street, then pointed to a nearby building. "If Dennis is still there, that's the back of our building."

"Let's go," Lily said as she started toward the building.

"Wait."

"We don't have time to wait," Lily said.

"We haven't discussed the vampire yet," Scott said.

"Vampires don't concern me, Scott."

"This one should." Scott pleaded.

Lily's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"You saw Leo," Scott said. "He was... different."

"We covered that," Lily said, not bothering to hide the agitation in her voice.

"If the vampire who turned Leo is there," Scott explained, "we could be facing something we know nothing about."

"It's not even dark yet, Scott," Lily said. "If you'll come on, we can do this before the sun sets."

"That's my point," Scott argued. "We don't know if sunset matters. We don't know anything about this type of vampire. Until we met Leo, we didn't even know they existed. We assumed vampires like Dracula were just myths based on the mindless creatures we've been fighting for the last ten years."

"Yeah," Lily conceded. "Leo definitely wasn't mindless. I mean, when my father was turned, he still talked to me, but I could tell something was missing. Not with Leo, though. Nothing was missing. He was still Leo, but he was something more, not less."

"And don't forget," Scott added, "that in many of the classic tales, vampires walk around in daylight. The vampire who turned Leo might be there. And we have no idea how to fight him."

Lily rolled that thought around in her head. The vampire who turned Leo might be there. Amazingly, this was something Lily hadn't seriously considered. "You know," she whispered, "I have my doubts about what we did to him."

"Let it go," Scott said.

"The world has changed," Lily said. "Even you said Dennis made a warped kind of sense. Maybe Leo could've had a life in this new—"

"I was an idiot to say that," Scott said. "Let this go, Lily. You know it was the right thing to do. If you go in there with any doubts – any at all – you will get us both killed."

Lily shook off the thought. "You're right. I guess I'm still a little shaken by the whole thing. Bottom line, If the vampire who turned Leo is there, we'll find a way to kill it or we'll die trying."

"Just be ready," Scott said. "If that vampire is there, our entire approach has to change. We can't fight him like we would Dennis. If it's just Dennis in there, your anger will be a weapon. If that vampire is there, your best chance against him will depend on your ability to stay calm and focused."

"Because of the channeler thing," Lily said.

"Yes," Scott said. "If you let your anger get the better of you... if you let the hate you feel guide you, there's a chance you'll just make him stronger. Think about survival. Think about ridding the world of this thing. If you can muster up some pity, even better."

"That won't happen," Lily said.

"Fair enough," Scott said. "But if you try to hurt him just for the joy of causing him pain, it could backfire. Badly."

"Got it," Lily said. "But just so you know, if it's only Dennis in there, I'm letting myself enjoy his pain."

"Yeah," Scott said with a smirk. "Me too."

"If you're done," Lily said, "I'll like to go kill some monsters now."

Scott grinned. "Lead on."

***

"How many?" Ellie yelled as her and Grung ran at best speed down the stairwell.

"Too many," Grung said. "It was a silver frag grenade, so it probably killed a few and hurt the rest. We have a few seconds, at best, to get out of this stairwell."

Ellie stopped at a door leading to one of the upper floors of the building. She looked at Grung. "Good as any, in my opinion."

They ducked in and closed the door behind them. "No lock," Grung said. "Dammit."

Ellie turned around and saw numbered doors lining the hallway. "A hotel," she said.

"Good," Grung said. "Lots of places to hide. Come on!"

They sprinted down the hall and around a corner. Grung stopped.

Ellie almost ran into his back. "What is—"

Grung spun around and put a finger to his lips, which silenced Ellie immediately. He pointed toward the ceiling and mouthed, I heard something.

After a few seconds, Ellie heard it, too. Very faint footsteps were coming from just above the ceiling. The werewolves were searching the floor above them.

Grung slowly reached out and wrapped his hand around the handle of one of the doors.

Locked.

Look for an open door, Ellie mouthed, knowing they wouldn't get into a closed door without a keycard. They silently jogged down the hallway, scanning for an open door. The door to Room 614 was ajar. They slipped inside and quietly closed the door.

"What now?" Grung whispered, barely audible.

"We have to get out of this building," Ellie whispered. "Do you still have your rope?"

Grung felt for the cable on his belt, then nodded.

Ellie looked around the room and saw a door leading to a balcony. "Thank God," Ellie whispered.

They ran to the balcony and peeked over the edge. The street below was empty.

"We'll have to do this fast," Grung whispered as he attached the cable to the balcony railing.

"Cripples first," Ellie whispered.

"Nice," Grung mumbled as he slipped over the edge and began to slide to the next balcony.

They quickly made it to the ground, stopping at each balcony just long enough to readjust their grips. As Ellie softly landed and released the cable, she said, "Which way? That stairwell got me a little disoriented."

"You have a compass," Grung admonished as he pulled a small device from his belt, then pointed to their right. "This way. It's a big city. I think if we can get far enough away, we could hide out for as long as we need."

The street lights came on throughout the city.

"Oh, boy," Ellie said, noticing for the first time just how dark the streets had become.

A manhole a few feet away began to move.

With the press of a button, Grung's sword flipped over and was replaced again by a wooden stake. Taking a wide stance to maintain balance, he watched the manhole as four white fingers rose up and pushed it to the side.

"Get ready," Grung said.

***

The fact that Lily and Scott had made it up several flights of stairs without encountering a single werewolf made them both uncomfortable. Scott stopped in front of a door leading into the building.

"Judging from the window outside, this should be our floor."

"Most likely," Lily said, "he's out in the city, looking for the source of all the noise."

"Maybe," Scott said. "Then again, why would he bother when he can watch it all from the safety of this building?"

"You ready to find out?" Lily held her mini-crossbow in one hand and her pistol in the other.

"Not really," Scott admitted, looking at her weapons. "Do you have a plan?"

"Actually," Lily answered, "I do."

"Care to share?"

Lily was quiet for a moment, then said, "Not really, no."

Scott gave her a confused look. "Why the hell not?"

"Because you won't like it."

Scott's chuckle was dark and humorless. "So what's new," he mumbled.

Without another word, Lily leaned over and pressed her lips to his. She held the kiss for a few seconds, then pulled away, enjoying the surprise in Scott's eyes.

"What was that about?" he asked.

"Consider it an apology," Lily whispered.

"For what?"

"You'll know soon enough," Lily said. She turned to the door. "Let's finish this."

# Chapter 21

The Battle of New York

The vampire screamed as Grung slapped it in the face with a cross. A quick jab later, it was dead and Grung had moved on to another.

Standing beside him, Ellie drove a stake through the heart of her own vampire. "I think I like werewolves better," she said as they backed away from the group of creatures inching toward them. "Less creepy."

"I don't know," Grung said. "These guys are much easier to kill."

About a dozen vampires had crawled from the manhole. Grung and Ellie had easily killed the first few, but when a vampire slipped past them and made it to the alley, they were forced to back off.

As more vampires made it out of the manhole, they began to slowly drive Grung and Ellie back toward the street. Occasionally, a vampire would attack but was quickly killed.

Ellie risked a glance over her shoulder, then turned back to the creatures in the alley. "We have to make a decision," she said. "Do we let them push us into the street and risk being out in the open, or do we fight through them?"

The vampire closest to them answered before Grung could. "That depends," the thing hissed, "on whether you want to die from the bite of a vampire or the bite of a werewolf."

"Actually," a voice said from behind them, "there is no decision."

They turned around to see a woman standing in the street beyond the alley. Behind her, the street was filled with werewolves.

"Uh," Ellie said, "they weren't there a second ago. I swear."

"I don't suppose," the woman said, "I can convince you to come on out to the street on your own? I mean, let's be honest with each other. We're going to get you out here. Is the 'go down fighting' thing really necessary?"

Grung looked at Ellie. "Is it necessary for you?"

"Yeah," Ellie said. "I think it is."

Grung looked back at the woman. "We've decided it's necessary, if that's okay with you."

The woman sighed and said to the werewolves behind her, "Go get them."

***

Lily and Scott stepped into a library.

"I didn't expect this," Scott said as he looked at the thousands of books lining the walls.

The room was lit by a fireplace on the far end. A man stood by the fireplace. "You don't like it? I had it built about three years ago. It used to be a bunch of cubicles."

Due to the distance and the lighting, Lily wasn't sure if this man was human, werewolf, or vampire. She pointed both her pistol and her crossbow at him. "Where's Dennis?"

"Dennis," the man said, "is outside. Most likely, he's executing your friends about right now."

"He's lying," Scott said. "And you can put the pistol away. He's not werewolf."

The man smiled. "Oh, I am most certainly not lying. We can go watch it if you want. I have a great view from my office window."

"No thanks," Lily said.

"He's right about one thing, though," the man said. "I'm not a werewolf."

Lily holstered her gun but kept the crossbow pointed at the man's heart. "You made Leo."

"You made Leo," the man countered. "If we really want to throw blame around, you also destroyed human civilization."

"Can we just fight," Lily said. "I'm really sick of the mind games."

"No mind games," the man said. "When you killed Phillip, Dennis was given a place on the council. After that, he promptly killed all but five of us. We then decided to put the plan in place that resulted in the attacks yesterday. If you had never killed Phillip, none of that would have happened."

"You made Leo," Lily said again, showing him that she was not going to respond to his accusation.

"Technically," the man said, "yes. I'm responsible for Leo becoming a vampire. Also, you can put that stick-shooter away. It's quite useless. If you fire it, I could be on the other side of the city before it reaches this side of the room."

"If it's all the same to you, stranger," Lily said, "I'll keep it out, just to make myself feel better."

"Your choice," the man said with a shrug.

"What are you?" Scott asked.

"Interesting question," the man said. "How about I start with my name. Arcas."

"Are you a vampire?" Lily asked.

"I am," the man said. "I guess you could say I'm the vampire."

"You're the first?" Lily's asked.

"One of the first, I'm sure," Arcas said. "I don't know of any others like me, but I don't discount the possibility."

"I've killed some very old vampires," Lily said, "and none of them looked like you. Why are you so... human?"

Arcas laughed. "You know what I find fascinating? Your voice is neither angry nor afraid. You just seem... interested."

"I need to know," Lily said. "Why are you so human?"

"A better question," Arcas replied, "is why are they so monstrous? As you know, becoming a vampire requires a transfer of blood. Your veins have to be drained and replaced. Every time that happens, the younger vampire is weaker than his creator. I guess you could say the bloodline gets diluted with every new vampire. And the vampires you fought are hundreds of generations away from me. Their bloodlines are very diluted."

"Lily," Scott said, "I'm not sure this is the best time for an interview with a—"

"Shut up, Scott," Lily said.

"If you prefer," Arcas said, "I can kill you both right now. I'm afraid in your frenzy to kill that rather uncivilized werewolf, you wandered into a very bad situation."

The door opened behind them. Lily glanced back to see another human-like vampire step inside. Scott immediately pointed his crossbow at the second vampire.

"Relax," Arcas said. "If our goal was to kill you, you would be dead. This is Cassius."

Cassius nodded silently.

"This is bad," Scott said to Lily.

"Maybe," Lily said. "Maybe not."

"I like your optimism," Arcas said.

"If you don't want to kill us," Lily said, "what do you want?"

"Honestly?" Arcas said. "I just want to know what you want. Humanity has lost. Your friends outside are very likely dead already. Your team could have run off to hide in the mountains and lived a relatively happy life. Why did you come back?"

"Humanity has not lost," Scott countered. "I would think someone as old as you would know better than to underestimate humanity's ability to survive."

"I'm not underestimating anything," Arcas said. "I'm actually counting on humanity's ability to survive. We need you, after all. I have no doubt it will take some time – perhaps years – to finish what we started yesterday. There will be pockets of humanity here and there. Some will hide, some will fight. But the war is over. It's delusional to think otherwise."

"Just so you know," Cassius said, speaking for the first time since entering the room, "they have the other two. They're holding them in the center of the square. I'm sure Dennis will want to make some big show of their deaths."

"You sure you don't want to watch?" Arcas offered.

"No," Lily said. "I want you to help us kill Dennis."

Arcas laughed. "You are an interesting one."

"You asked what I wanted," Lily said. "That's it. I want you to help me kill Dennis."

"We just ended one war," Arcas said, "and you want me to start another? I'm afraid I must respectfully decline your request."

"You haven't heard my request yet," Lily said with cold eyes. "Not all of it, anyway."

"Lily," Scott said, "what the hell are you talking about?"

Still looking at Arcas, Lily said, "Make me like you."

"Lily, no!"

"Shut up, Scott!"

Lily heard Cassius laugh behind her.

"I'm not joking," she said, not taking her eyes off Arcas. "Killing Dennis is all I have left. He took everything from me. My family. My home. My only friend."

"Leo wasn't your only friend!" Scott screamed.

"I lost everything," she continued, ignoring Scott.

"Most humans lost everything yesterday," Arcas said.

"Most humans," Lily countered, "can't pinpoint the cause like I can. I didn't lose everything because of the war. I lost it because Dennis came to my hometown. He can't live happily ever after. He can't. I don't care what happens to me anymore. Hell, I don't care what happens to humanity. You're right. This war is over and we lost. I'm willing to give you this victory. But not Dennis."

"Dennis didn't turn Leo into a vampire," Scott pleaded. "This bastard did."

"He has a point," Arcas said.

"I've never hated vampires," Lily said. "I don't know if you believe that, but it's true. Vampires are slaves. They don't have a choice. But werewolves have a choice. They're not driven by any supernatural thirst. They're half human, yet they teamed up with you to kill us all. That is evil. Dennis could have killed Leo and me, but he didn't. He chose instead to torture us. That was evil."

Arcas looked at Scott. "She has a point."

"I can't kill him as a human," Lily said. "I see that now. He'll always be out of reach to me. But I can do it if I'm like you."

"Lily, I won't let this happen," Scott said. "I swear to God, I'll kill em both before I let them—"

"Scott, trust me on this!" Lily screamed. "Please!"

"You make a compelling argument," Arcas said.

"Let me have this," Lily said. "When I looked into Leo's eyes, I saw something I didn't expect. I saw humanity. He was still in there. I shouldn't have killed him. If you make me like you, I can do what I came here to do. I have nothing else."

"I want to believe you," Arcas said. "Really, I do. But I think we both know what will happen if you're lying and I try to feed on you. I think I'll need something more than words to convince me."

Lily turned to Scott and said, "I'm sorry." She pointed her crossbow at his head.

"Lily," Scott said in a panicked whisper, "what the hell are you—"

Lily pulled the trigger.

The wooden bolt zipped through the air and pierced Scott's skull. With horrified eyes, he tried to take a step toward Lily, but instead fell to the side, crashing into one of the bookshelves along the wall. A moment later, he was motionless on the floor, his blood pooling beside his head.

"Damn," Cassius said as he looked at the bolt imbedded in Scott's forehead. "That was surprising."

"Killing Dennis," Lily said as she dropped to her knees, "is all I have left." She removed her jacket, then her shirt. "Make me like you or kill me." Tears streaked her face. "But whatever you're going to do, do it now. Dennis is outside waiting."

"Nothing darkens a soul," Cassius said, "like murder."

Arcas pulled Lily to her feet and sank his teeth deep into her neck.

***

Grung sat on his knees in the center of the street. He didn't struggle against the werewolf holding his arms because it took all his strength to simply stay conscious.

"You look like hell." Ellie was on her knees beside him.

"Yeah," Grung said. "When I look back on the best days of my life, I don't think today will be among them."

"I don't know," Ellie said. "I think we did alright. How many did we kill before they dragged us out here?"

"Not enough," Grung said.

"Four," Dennis said as he stepped through the crowd and stopped in front of them. Daciana stood beside him.

"Right," Grung said. "Not enough."

"I get to kill him," Daciana said. "You can have the little girl, but I want him. He annoys me."

"I'd rather be killed," Grung shot back, "by someone who's not a coward."

With a guttural growl, Daciana took a step forward.

"Not yet," Dennis said.

"Why not?" Grung spat. "Let me go and back off. Make a little ring and let me face this bitch in a fair fight."

"Do it," Daciana said.

"Stop it, Daciana," Dennis chastised.

"Learn your place, Dennis," Daciana said. "I do not answer to you."

"So you're Dennis," Ellie said. "I like your new girlfriend. She's sassy. Of course, I didn't really get to meet your last girlfriend. She died so fast—"

Dennis grabbed her by the throat and lifted her into the air. "Mention her again. One word. One syllable."

"Dennis!" Daciana yelled. "We wait for the signal. You don't want our friends upstairs to miss the show, do you?"

Dennis released his grip, dropping Ellie back to the ground. She fell to her hands and knees, coughing as she struggled to breathe again.

"They have one minute," Dennis said. "Then we go with a new plan."

"I don't know why you agreed to it in the first place," Daciana said. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were afraid of him."

Dennis laughed. "Nonsense. I agreed because I decided it would be better for him to discover the truth on his own. Then there won't be any unnecessary tension between him and us."

"What truth?" Daciana asked.

"There's no way in hell she'll want to turn."

"Dennis," Daciana said, "turning her was your idea."

"I was wrong," Dennis said. "I realize that now. Killing her is the only option."

"Liar," Daciana said. "It's just no longer something you want to happen."

Dennis grabbed Ellie's hair and pulled her head up, forcing her to look at him. "Thirty seconds," he said.

"I was wrong about werewolves," Grung said. "I see that now."

Daciana looked at him and smiled. "Do tell, lover."

"Throughout this war," Grung said. "I knew you were my enemy, but I always felt I was fighting an enemy with honor. I think it was because you refused to use human weapons. I thought you were standing against what guns represent."

"And what do they represent?" Daciana asked.

"Death," Grung said. "But it doesn't matter, because I was wrong. You don't use our weapons because you think you're above us. Werewolves don't have honor. You're pathetic, weak animals and I'm absolutely sure the vampires will wipe you out next."

Daciana reached down and touched his face. "Poor baby. You're just desperate to find some kind of silver lining here, aren't you?"

"No." Grung's voice was strong and defiant. "I don't need a silver lining, because I know we're going to win this war."

Dennis laughed. "Really? You're really going to sit there and say that?"

"Vampires need us," Grung said. "No matter how many wars we fight, the vampires will always need us. So we'll always be around, to rise up against them. They can win a hundred wars, but they can never destroy us, because if we die, they die. But we don't need them. All we have to do is win once and it's over."

"You'd have a point," Dennis said, "if the war was only between vampires and humans. It's amazing that you forget about werewolves when so many are standing in front of you."

"Oh, I didn't forget you," Grung countered. "I disregarded you. I see now that you're meaningless in the greater scheme of things. A year from now, the vampires will have wiped you out of existence."

Dennis started to reply, but fell quiet when Daciana placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Dennis, don't be an idiot. He's trying to engage us in an attempt to extend his pathetic life by a few extra minutes."

"Good point," Dennis said as black fur began to cover his face. He looked at Ellie. "Your time is up."

A second later, he was a giant bipedal wolf.

Daciana gave Grung a quick wink then shifted as well. As a wolf, she was slightly smaller than Dennis, but like him, her fur was pitch-black.

Grung looked around the square. It was filled with vampires and werewolves. Hundreds of them.

Maybe thousands.

He wasn't afraid to die, but he did wish his death had been a bit more... heroic.

As Daciana stepped closer, he closed his eyes and said, "It was an honor serving with you, Ellie. It's a shame our team came in so late in the game. We would've done great things."

"It was an honor serving with you, soldier," Ellie said calmly. "And make no mistake, my friend. We did great things."

Grung smiled and prepared himself for the end.

Somewhere in the distance, Grung heard a faint pop. The werewolf holding him released its grip. Grung's eyes sprang open.

I know that sound.

He turned around. The werewolf that had been holding him was sprawled on the pavement, dead. Blood poured from a small hole on the side of its now-human head.

Beside him, Ellie stared in shock at her former captor, who was also dead.

Grung looked ahead to see Daciana and Dennis – both still in wolf form – looking around in a state of apparent panic.

Grung watched as another werewolf dropped dead.

Then another.

And another.

The werewolves began to scramble for cover, but most of them didn't make it far. Within a few seconds, the square was littered with the bodies of dead werewolves.

Grung looked up. The street lights prevented him from seeing the tops of the buildings, but he didn't need to see the roofs to know who was up there.

Snipers.

Day Soldier Snipers.

"Where's Dennis?" Ellie screamed.

Grung looked at the bodies on the ground. He didn't see Daciana or Dennis. "Dammit!"

Ellie darted toward the alley.

"Where are you going?"

"To get my damn weapons!" Ellie yelled. "Then I'm going to find Dennis!"

Grung watched as several vampires ran after her.

He snapped the stake into place on his arm and took off after them. "I was wrong!" he yelled. "I think I just might look back on this as one of the best days of my life!"

***

"The vampires are gone," one of the snipers said. "They'll be coming our way."

"You just focus on the werewolves," Abbie ordered. "We'll handle the vampires when they get here."

"Yes, sir," the sniper said as he again aimed his rifle at the street below.

Abbie turned to Wallace. "I don't like the whole sir thing. I was perfectly happy being called ma'am."

"Just showing equality," Wallace commented with a smile.

"By making me take a masculine name?" Abbie shot back. "Typical."

Wallace chuckled, then said, "I think we have more pressing matters right now, Abbie." He pressed a button on his belt and spoke into the mic attached to his ear. "Attention, Day Soldiers. The vampires have cleared the street below. Keep your back-to-back formations. Snipers, keep firing at anything furry and trust your partners to watch your backs."

Twenty-three snipers stood along the edge of the roof, firing constantly. A guard stood behind each sniper, crossbow in hand, watching the roof for incoming vampires. They had managed to slip into the city unnoticed, thanks to Lily's team.

"Any sign of those kids?" Wallace asked one of the snipers.

"Negative," the sniper said. "Looks like they got the hell outta Dodge."

"Good," Wallace said.

"If we'd been ten seconds later," Abbie began.

"Well, we weren't ten seconds later," Wallace said. He again spoke into his mic. "Soldiers, this is not a battle we can win. We're not just standing against the creatures of this fallen city. If they manage to call for help, we'll be standing against every vampire and werewolf in a two-hundred mile radius.

"None of that matters, though, because we didn't come here to win a battle. We have reason to believe the ruling council is somewhere in this city. Our only job is to keep them focused on this roof while our sneakers do what they do."

"Speaking of," Abbie added, "I need my sneakers to report to me now."

"Based on the amount of werewolves that were converged here," Wallace continued, "we can reasonably assume the council is holed up somewhere nearby. Our objective is to find them, kill them, and get the hell out. And to kill as many of these bastards as we can while doing it."

Eleven sneakers gathered in front of Abbie. "We're splitting into three teams," she ordered. "Johnson, since your team only has three people, I'll be joining you."

"Yes, ma'am," Johnson said.

Abbie looked at Wallace and smiled. "He said ma'am." She turned back to the teams. "This is the big game, folks. We don't have the luxury to play it conservatively. If you find the council, radio their location, then kill them. Do not wait for reinforcements. Do not watch them to see where they go. If you see an opportunity to attack, by all means... attack. Any questions?"

"No ma'am!" the teams said in unison.

Wallace laughed.

"Be careful, Geoff," Abbie said.

"You, too, Abigail."

A moment later, Abbie and her sneakers were gone.

Wallace again spoke into his mic. "I need a group of soldiers on the ground. I'd say those two sneakers down there could use a hand."

***

In the alley, Grung and Ellie were an unstoppable team. The simple fact that they were still alive inspired them to fight off the swarm of vampires with renewed energy.

Standing back-to-back, they killed every vampire that came near them. Eventually, they stabbed, punched, and kicked their way back into the center square. Once they were in the open, the vampires stopped their attacks, apparently considering a different strategy.

"What now?" Ellie said. "I don't think they're going to stop coming. Eventually, we'll tire out, but they won't."

"Yeah," Grung agreed. "I say we get to a roof and hope the other soldiers are still there."

"You really want to show up with a herd of vampires on our tails?"

"Good point," Grung said, "but what choice do we have? If we stay down here, we're dead. I don't know about you, but I'm sick of facing certain death in this damn square."

"Why aren't they attacking?" Ellie asked. "They're just standing there, looking nervous."

"That's probably because of us," a voice said from behind them.

Ellie and Grung turned around to see twenty Day Soldiers, all carrying crossbows and stakes. One of the soldiers – a young man with hair cropped to his skull - gave a solemn nod and said, "Commander Wallace figured you could use a hand."

"Commander Wallace was right," Ellie replied.

The soldier smiled. "How 'bout we put these guys back to sleep."

One of the vampires laughed. "You humans are hilarious. Your entire world is lost and here you are, mounting an attack you cannot possibly win. There are more vampires behind me than bolts in your crossbows."

"Normally," the soldier retorted, "I don't speak to your kind. It's beneath me. But today, I'll make an exception." He placed his crossbow on the ground at his feet. Beside it, he placed his stake and a large silver cross.

As the soldier, now unarmed, walked toward the vampire, Grung looked at Ellie and asked, "What's he doing?"

Ellie replied with a confused shrug. "How the hell am I supposed to know?"

"Just watch," another soldier – a young Asian woman – said.

The unarmed soldier walked up to the vampire who had spoken. "My name's Cooper. Most people call me Coop, but you know what? My name's not important. What's important is the fact that I'm a Day Soldier. I protect the day from trash like you."

"Hilarious," the vampire said.

"I have no weapons," Coop said. "If you find my arrogance so adorable, teach me some humility. I'm within arm's reach. Kill me. Turn me. Use me as an example to my squad. Show them the consequence of my human arrogance. Go ahead, you ugly—"

The vampire reached out and wrapped its clawed fingers around his neck.

Grung started to move, but the Day Soldier behind him placed her hand on his arm and said, "Stand down, soldier. Coop's got this."

Coop reached up and wrapped his hand around the vampire's wrist. As soon as their skin touched, smoke began to trickle up from between Coop's fingers.

The vampire's face shifted from anger to pain and finally to fear.

Coop smiled. "That's right, baldy," he said as he grabbed the vampire's throat with his other hand, "channelers don't need weapons. We are weapons."

The soldier behind Grung yelled, "Now!" The other soldiers immediately sprinted toward the vampires.

Grung hesitated, surprised by their method of attack. "They all have crossbows," he said. "Why are they running toward them?"

Ellie watched in awe as the soldiers began to fight – and kill – the vampires with relative ease. "They're channelers," she said. "Every one of them. It's a whole damn squad of channelers."

"Well that's just neat," Grung said. "Although I do wish they'd shown up before Dennis slipped off like a coward."

"Which reminds me," Ellie said. "If Dennis was down here with us, where did Lily and Scott go?"

***

Lily struggled to stay conscious. The pain from Arcas sinking his teeth into her neck was excruciating. She felt herself grow weaker as he took in his first large gulp of her blood.

Luckily, his first gulp was his last.

He pulled his teeth from her neck and staggered back several steps. "Cassius," he stammered as smoke filled his mouth.

Lily quickly pulled a stake from its holster on the side of her boot and thrust it into his chest.

Arcas looked at his new wound with wild eyes, then looked back at Lily. He tried to speak, but only an unintelligible whisper came out. He again looked toward Cassius. This time his eyes seemed to be begging for help he knew wouldn't come.

Lily put a foot on his chest and grabbed the end of her stake. She pulled the stake free as she kicked him into the wall beside his fireplace.

Arcas became dust as soon as he hit the wall behind him.

Lily turned around, stake in hand, to face Cassius.

"You killed your friend just to trick Arcas into drinking your blood," Cassius said with a grin. "That's hardcore."

Lily pointed her stake toward Cassius. "Let's get this over with."

"I have no quarrel with you," Cassius said. "I'm also not the person you came here to kill. If you want Dennis, his office is on the top floor of this building. Judging from the commotion I'm hearing outside, I'd say he's on his way there now. He is a coward, after all."

Before Lily could react, Cassius winked, kicked the door open behind him, and vanished into the hallway.

Lily didn't bother to chase him. Instead, she looked at Scott and said, "Get up. I know you're a werewolf."

Scott pulled the bolt from his forehead and sat up. "How the hell did you know that?"

Lily ran toward the door. "Do you want to sit there and discuss my remarkable deductive skills or do you want to kill Dennis?"

"I want to kill Dennis," Scott said as he got to his feet, "but seriously... how did you know I'm a werewolf?"

"Later!" Lily yelled as she ran into the hallway. "Now, come on!"

***

Times Square was littered with the bodies of vampires and werewolves. Wallace walked across the square, admiring the fact that there were no Day Soldier bodies on the ground.

Not one.

This was, without a doubt, the most one-sided battle he'd witnessed since the beginning of the war.

Grung and Ellie jogged up to him and gave a quick salute. "Thank you for coming, sir," Grung said. "We really thought we were going to die."

Ellie looked at the hundreds of bodies scattered across the street. "If every battle had gone this way, maybe the war would've turned out differently."

Wallace sighed. "Yeah," he said. "I think we fought this war all wrong. We fought a defensive war. We kept our channelers hidden and protected. We trained our people to defend humanity instead of how to attack the darkness."

"Protect the day," Grung said, echoing the Day Soldiers' slogan.

"Indeed," Wallace agreed. "Have you heard from Lily and Scott?"

"No, sir," Grung said. "I've tried to reach them multiple times, but they aren't answering."

Wallace sighed again. "That's worrisome."

He looks old, Grung thought. "Maybe not, sir. We agreed to maintain radio silence. We didn't think radio communication was secure, considering we are in their city."

"Makes sense."

"So what's next?" Ellie asked.

"Survival," Wallace answered. "Since the underground facilities are compromised, there's a general evacuation order. We're going to head as far away from civilization as possible and just try to stay alive for a while."

"It'll be a massacre," Grung said. "They won't stop hunting us."

"It won't be pretty," Wallace admitted, "but what choice do we have? Most of us will be hunted down, but some of us will make it. And after some time has gone by, we'll regroup. Our greatest advantage is the fact that the vampires need us alive. As disturbing as it sounds, the fact that they feed on us is the one thing that gives us hope."

"Have you ever considered switching teams?" Ellie asked. "I mean, you're technically one of them."

"No," Wallace said quietly. "I will never be one of them. From the start, this war should have been humans and werewolves standing together against the vampires. And one day, they will understand just how high the price is when you make a deal with the devil. I just hope I'm there when—"

Wallace stopped mid-sentence and looked toward an alley between two of the buildings.

"Sir?" Grung said. "Are you okay?"

A werewolf covered in black fur burst from the alley and sprinted on all fours toward Wallace.

Grung flipped his sword into place and Ellie drew her gun. The other soldiers in the square all drew weapons and aimed them at the wolf.

"Don't fire!" Wallace screamed.

"I know her, sir!" Grung yelled as the black wolf leapt toward Wallace.

"Do not attack!"

The wolf tackled Wallace, pinning him to the ground. Its lip curled into a furious snarl as it pulled its head back, preparing to attack.

Grung's instinct took over. With one clean swipe, he severed the wolf's head.

"NO!" Wallace screamed.

By the time the head hit the pavement, it was the human head of Daciana.

"I'm sorry, sir," Grung gasped. "She was going to kill you."

Wallace crawled out from under her body and ran to the head. He dropped to his knees and ran his fingers through the severed head's hair.

"What the hell?" Ellie whispered.

"You did the right thing," Wallace said with a quiet, defeated voice. "She was a member of the ruling council. Killing her was one of the reasons we came here."

"Why did you order us to hold back?" Grung asked. "Did you want to question her?"

"It was a moment of weakness," Wallace said, his voice breaking with emotion. "I had hoped to avoid witnessing the death of my own daughter."

Grung felt sick. "I'm sorry, sir."

"Don't be," Wallace said as he got to his feet and took a deep breath. "She made her choice. You saved my life, son. Thank you."

"You know," Ellie said, "I don't think our team has ever successfully followed an order. We really are terrible soldiers."

Wallace chuckled as he wiped the tears from beneath his eyes. "You won't hear me disagree with you there."

"Hey," Grung protested.

"You also," Wallace added, "won't hear me complain about it." He turned his head to the side and spoke into his mic. "Abbie, we just took down a council member. You having any luck?"

"Actually," Abbie's voice replied, "I think we found the majority of them. All dead."

"Dead?"

"Yeah. And judging from the decay, it looks like they've been dead a while. I think there might have been some kind of overthrow."

"That would explain their sudden change in tactics," Wallace said. "Any sign of your missing sneakers?"

"Possibly," Abbie answered. "We found the ashes of what appears to have been a vampire, and there's a lot of blood on the floor. Fresh blood."

"Keep looking," Wallace said, "but don't waste any time. We really need to get the hell out of this town before others arrive."

"I'm pulling all four teams to this location. We'll sweep the building."

"Keep me informed. Wallace out." He looked at Grung and Ellie. "We can't search the entire city. We'll have to pull out soon."

"We understand, sir," Grung said.

Ellie placed her hand on Grung's shoulder. "I'm sure they're fine."

"I'm sure they're alive," Grung said as he looked at the hundreds of bodies scattered around them. "But I'm not sure any of us will ever be fine again."

# Chapter 22

Dennis

Still in the form of a wolf, Dennis scaled the side of the building. Hopping from ledge to ledge, he moved toward his office window.

This is still a good day, he reminded himself.

The war was over.

Humanity was defeated.

It would have been nice to kill those children, but in the greater scheme of things, that was a minor loss. He didn't see what happened to Daciana when the attack came, and he really didn't care. If she was dead, the only real loss was the fact that the balance of power on the council would shift to the vampires.

Even that, he decided, didn't really matter. Soon, he would be deep in the forest and would never have to look at another vampire again.

As Dennis reached his office window, he decided his only regret was that he never got to properly avenge Tina. He crawled inside the office window and shifted back to a human. Once inside, he knew with one sniff he wasn't alone.

Scott and Lily stood by the office door, guns drawn and pointed at Dennis.

Dennis looked at them and smiled.

"I have to admit," he said. "I'm impressed. I do hope you've thought of something really cool to say." He took a subtle step toward the window. "I mean, that was my only request. I hope it's not something completely lame like, 'I'm back.' Or even worse, I hope you don't make some dramatic comment about this being for your friend—"

Lily shot him in the head.

# Chapter 23

Topia

From a nearby roof, Cassius laughed. This was without a doubt the best day of his life.

The idiot Arcas was dead. Dennis and his little werewolf council were dead.

The world no longer belonged to humanity.

The world no longer belonged to the Legion.

The world belonged to him.

A female vampire stood beside him. Her name was Natasha and she was the biggest secret Cassius had kept from Arcas. He had turned her about twenty years ago and kept her hidden, just in case he needed an ally when the day came for him to kill his old maker. Thanks to the human girl, keeping Natasha hidden was no longer necessary.

"So what's next?" she asked.

Cassius looked at her and smiled. "Soon," he said, "we'll start the purge. We'll kill all these bald abominations who consider themselves vampires. After that, we'll go to our human captives and find the best and the brightest. I want the best humanity has to offer. Scientists and engineers. That kind of thing."

"Shouldn't we be hunting down the survivors?"

"We'll send some of the bottom feeders to hunt them," Cassius said, "but I'm not concerned. Their time is over and they know it."

"Okay," Natasha said. "Scientists and engineers. I assume we're turning them?"

Cassius nodded. "They will be the founding fathers of our new world."

"And you will lead them," Natasha added.

Cassius looked at her and chuckled. "No way. I've never been one for politics. Staying out of the spotlight has kept me around for a long time. I see no reason to change that now."

"They'll need a leader," Natasha pressed.

"What about you?" Cassius offered. "Have you ever considered running for office?"

"I'll think about it," she said with a smile.

Cassius watched as Lily and Scott stepped onto the street below. He watched as they embraced their friends and celebrated their little victory.

"Shouldn't we kill them?" Natasha asked.

"No," Cassius said. "Let them go into hiding. They've done me a great service today. I feel like this particular group has earned the right to hide in the woods and deal with the werewolves. If we're really lucky, they'll just kill each other."

Natasha laughed. "So what are you going to call your brave new world?"

Cassius looked at her and shrugged. "Earth?"

"Don't be such a bore," she countered. "You're going to create a perfect new world. It needs a perfect new name."

"How about Utopia?"

"You really have no creativity," Natasha said. "It's not surprising you're the same people who called themselves the Legion."

"That's not fair," Cassius countered. "Humanity gave us that ridiculous name."

"Either way," Natasha said, "Utopia is stupid and unoriginal. How about... Topia?"

"You just dropped the first letter," Cassius said.

"Well, I like it," Natasha argued. "Topia. It's a simple, yet elegant name."

"Whatever," Cassius said dismissively. "Call it Happy Blood Land for all I care."

Natasha put her arm around Cassius and looked down at the street as the humans left the city. "I remember the day you turned me," she said. "You promised me the world."

Cassius smiled. "You're welcome."

"Big things are happening," Natasha said. "This is going to be a very fun year."

"Don't be such a small thinker," Cassius said. "This is going to be a very fun millennium."

# Chapter 24

The Cave

Lily sat by the fire, staring absently at the orange glowing embers. Around her, the other soldiers continued to work on setting up camp. The large cave was their new home, at least for now. In the woods outside, snow continued to fall in great white sheets, but inside the cave, the fires kept it just warm enough to be tolerable.

"You know," Scott said as he sat beside her, "you could help us set up camp."

"Wallace ordered me to rest," Lily said. "For once, I've decided to do what he says."

"First time for everything, I suppose," Scott said. "So when are you going to get out of this funk? You've hardly spoken since we left New York."

"So?"

"So that was two days ago," Scott pointed out.

"I'll come around," Lily replied, still watching the fire.

"You're thinking about what that vampire said," Scott guessed. "The crap about you causing the fall of humanity."

"Nah," Lily said. "You're right. That was a load of crap. I didn't make Dennis a power hungry monster. What happened would have happened with or without my involvement. He could've just as easily blamed my grandparents for getting married."

"Then why so quiet?" Scott asked. "This is the most you've said to me since you shot Dennis." He grinned and nudged her with his elbow. "Which was awesome, by the way."

"Thanks," Lily said with a soft smile. "And I don't know why I'm quiet. I think I'm mostly just missing Leo. He should be here."

Scott nodded. "Yeah. He should."

Lily turned away from the fire and looked at Scott. "When I shot you, why didn't you get back up? You pretended to be dead while I faced that Arcas guy. Why?"

"You asked me to trust you," Scott said. "It was one of the last things you said to me before shooting me in the head. Which hurt like hell, I might add."

"Sorry about that," Lily said with a chuckle. "And thanks. Thanks for trusting me."

Scott was quiet for a moment, then asked, "How did you know, Lil?"

Lil. The word shot through Lily's heart like a bullet. Until that moment, Leo was the only person who ever called her Lil.

"You know too much," she finally answered. "It hit me just before we went into that tunnel outside New York. You always had information that seemed a little too confidential. Even for a specialist. When you talked about the suspicions of high ranking Day Soldier officers, it just clicked."

"I can see how you found it weird that I was privy to high level info," Scott said, "but I don't see how you connected that to me being a werewolf."

"It wasn't just that," Lily admitted.

"So what was it?" Scott pressed.

Lily sighed. "Okay," she said. "I'm going to tell you, but don't let this go to your already big head."

"No promises," Scott said with a grin.

"I noticed how handsome you are," Lily admitted. "Even though we had been traveling for days, you still looked perfect."

"Wow," Scott said. "You couldn't accept that I'm just a good looking guy?"

"Shut up," Lily shot back. "When I had that thought, I noticed you didn't have any cuts or scratches. Nothing. Your face was perfect. After all the fights, you were perfect. Then I remembered the day that werewolf infiltrated Sneaker City. He pulled you through a window, flung you across an alley, and slammed you into a wall. The next day, at the hospital, you didn't have a scratch."

"Not bad," Scott said.

"Once it all clicked," Lily continued, "I knew you had to be one of the seventy-four. That explained everything, including the fact that you had access to high-level information."

Scott laughed. "That's funny."

"What?"

"You came to the right conclusion," he said, "based on the wrong conclusion. I'm not one of the seventy-four."

This surprised Lily. "You're not?"

"My father was," Scott explained. "I was thirteen years old when the war started. From birth, my father had kept me hidden from the other werewolves. He had turned his back on that world years earlier, and he didn't want me to be a part of it. But he taught me everything about them. He wanted me to have every advantage if they ever discovered me. When the war started, he went to Wallace and told him about me. Since I already knew so much, they didn't hide anything from me. I guess you could say I was raised by the seventy-four."

"Well," Lily said, "I knew it was something like that. Why did you keep it secret after becoming a Day Soldier?"

"I'm not just a werewolf," Scott explained. "I'm a poser. We're every bit as rare as channelers. Wallace made it a standing order that I never reveal myself. If we had been captured at any point, it would be a massive advantage."

"Makes sense," Lily said.

"Your little plan was kind of stupid, you know," Scott said. "I could have been a spy. I could have just been another poser who infiltrated the Day Soldiers."

"No," Lily argued. "Your knowledge told me there was more to you than that. Besides, I had that covered."

"Oh, really?"

Lily smiled. "Why do you think I shot you in the head without explaining anything? If you had jumped back up with an evil werewolf laugh, I would have known it was time to change my plan."

"I see," Scott said. He picked up a stick and tossed it on the fire. "He would be very proud of you, you know."

"I know," Lily said.

"So how do you think this is going to end?"

"I have no idea," Lily said. "We're facing impossible odds."

"We've faced impossible odds before."

Lily laughed. "Yes, we have."

Scott leaned back, resting on his elbows. "It's going to be a very interesting year."

"Don't think so small," Lily said. "It's going to be a very interesting decade."

Six Months Later...

# Epilogue

The Declaration Video, part II

You think the war is over.

You're wrong.

You've enslaved or killed most of us. You think you've hunted down the majority of survivors. You think because you have enslaved millions of us, we are defeated.

Again, you're wrong.

We're still here, and we're getting stronger. For six months now, we've been preparing.

And you have helped.

You've taught us how to live in the shadows. We understand you now. By stepping into the light, you have exposed yourself to us. We see your weaknesses. We know your strengths.

This war is not over.

This war is about to begin.

If you look behind me, you'll see we're filming from one of your towns. When you trace the transmission of this video back to its source, you'll find this town as empty as it is right now. Well, not empty.

Just dead.

This is the beginning.

Humanity will survive this new war.

You won't.

My name is Lily Baxter and I am a Day Soldier. For nearly eleven years, we have vowed to protect the light.

Today, we're making a new vow.

We're not protectors any more.

We are your destroyers.

Consider this video our declaration of war.

The war against the darkness continues in books two, three, and four of the Day Soldiers saga...

Purging Fires: Day Soldiers Book Two

Since the Battle of New York, life has not been easy for the Day Soldiers. Humanity is hurt, but not defeated. Led by Commander Wallace, the Day Soldiers have a plan in place to take the world back from the dead.

Topia: Day Soldiers Book Three

The Day Soldiers must make a final stand against an ocean of monsters. One way or the other, the war is going to end. Sometimes, redefining victory is the only way to achieve it.

Evolution: Day Soldiers Book Four

The world has changed. Everything has changed. In this new world, an even newer threat has emerged. The Day Soldiers quickly learn they have two choices: Evolve... or die.

And be sure to pick up the Sneaker's Handbook: A Day Soldiers Guide to Fighting Vampires and Werewolves

This companion piece is a replica of the Sneaker's manual that was given to Lily Baxter when she first joined the Day Soldiers. This book was written because it was suggested by fans of Day Soldiers.

Once you've completed your journey with the Day Soldiers, enjoy these other books by Brandon Hale:

The Gods and the Builders

This standalone novel is about alien visitation, but it's not about war or governments. It's about people. The Gods and the Builders tells the story of four average people as they deal with this monumental event. When the world changes, what in your life will still matter... and what won't?

The Man From Newella:

The Sheriff's Tale

This is the first story in the exciting Man From Newella series of novellas by Brandon Hale. It's about a larger-than-life hero wandering the lands of a post-apocalyptic future. If you like westerns, sci-fi, apocalyptic tales, or even zombies, you're sure to like The Man From Newella.

Tales From Hale

This collection of five short stories is a great way to step into the mind of Brandon Hale. Enter at your risk.

In Without Holly, a man tries to hold onto his own sanity as he deals with loss and loneliness during a zombie apocalypse.

In The Dead Initiative, a scientist develops technology that allows us to see ghosts... and soon regrets that breakthrough.

In The Shoebox, a young boy has the most memorable Christmas of his life.

In Fred, the Boy, and Forever, an old man faces death in a very unusual way.

In The Date, a teenager deals with the horrible fact that a zombie apocalypse has completely ruined his date with the most popular girl in school.

Tales From Hale brings you a wide range of emotions in a very short time. It's a quick ride, but definitely a fun one.

Stay up-to-date with Brandon's newest works by going to www.BooksFromHale.com

From there, you can sign up to be notified about each new release, follow Books From Hale on Twitter, and like Books From Hale on Facebook. While you're there, check out Brandon's blog. From his regular movie reviews to his thoughts on the zombie apocalypse, you're sure to laugh more than a few times.

Thanks for reading Day Soldiers. I hope you enjoyed it and I promise I'll do my very best to continue providing you with fun entertainment for as long as you're willing to continue reading it. – Brandon

