“I'd say the first order of business would be to get you back to your friends.”

“Agreed. Any ideas?” Alicia asked.

“Try to flash them,” Jackson replied.

“You want me to flash them?” Alicia asked, a sarcastic smirk on her face.

“With the flashlight dear,” Jackson said with a smile, tossing Alicia a small flashlight that was strapped to his thigh. “Unless, of course, you just want to flash them.” he added, his smile growing volumes with the mere idea.

“Wow, really?” Alicia said with a giggle, quickly turning to use the handheld light and signal her friends.

Jackson was a good man by all accounts, a noble man, and not a single person had ever accused him of being otherwise. Still, he was a man. And Alicia had a way of distracting even the most well-intentioned of men, just as she was distracting Jackson this very moment.

Her curves were both voluptuous and capable, as the vibrant shimmer of her dark hair simply added to her allure. And though she had stood face to face with a Butcher only to be knocked on her ass, Jackson knew that she was still one of the best. Everyone sent into this damn trap that was blanketed with lies, every one of them had to be among the best, at least in his opinion.

And so he watched her every movement, especially the slight lean forward as she tried to communicate with the remainder of her group. It allowed her backside the opportunity to gain the attention that it deserved, almost as if it were a museum exhibit, which it very well could have been; at least in Jackson's mind.

As Alicia turned to let him know she believed her group understood it was her doing the signaling, she saw the slight hesitation, his eyes breaking from the view of her ass before looking into her eyes. Normally, it wasn't welcomed on her end. The typical guy would stare her down before offering to buy her drinks, quickly leaving with his confidence shattered.

But Jackson was no ordinary man, at least not in Alicia's eyes. She found him to be intoxicating, every word spoken by him filled with the strength of a dozen men. He was a bit rugged for a pilot, but still much too poised for the average grunt of war. Both Officer and Cowboy, intertwined within a single body; a body that Alicia could see herself holding tightly.

“Um,” she said, approaching him slowly. “I think my friends have figured out we're up here. So it'd probably be best to sit tight and wait for them.”

“I agree.” Jackson said, using his hand to check the bruises on her face once more. “Are you alright?”

No verbal reply came, just lips feeling one another out as Jackson wrapped his arms around her, the two warriors for the same cause of freedom kissing deeply, and without pause, for several minutes. Alicia finding herself at home in his strong arms, warming her body as it pressed against the leather of his flight jacket.

 

“Hell no, terrible plan,” Calypso said. “We move as a group, otherwise the Butchers will be too strong.”

“I just thought that...” Nadia began to reply.

“I agree with Calypso,” Certes said. “The Butchers would love nothing more than for us to split up before they find us.”

“And if they have already called for assistance?” Nadia asked.

“They haven't. They still have a majority of their group living, so they won't call for help. It would appear as though they are weak. They want to find us, slay us, and then report that one of their own was killed in the heat of battle. It's how they're wired.” Calypso replied.

“Well, looks like it's settled. Let's all go find Alicia.” Preacher said.

And as the group prepared to make their way to the flashing light which was located on the rooftop of a building several hundred feet away, Nadia grew tired of her command being trampled on. She longed for the sight of her German designed airship and the escort soldiers who stood guard around it.

The group slowly made its way into an alley which remained, for the most part, in complete darkness. They worried of the Butchers spotting them, and also that a citizen of New Kinneston would see them and give away their position. Though they remained indoors, the citizens feared the wrath of Ancients and knew the punishment for harboring a member of the Resistance.

Of course, there was also the possibility of a Nomad stumbling out into the streets, and they had indeed seen Alicia's group enter town. But, with the heavy drinking and long hours of karaoke in front of them, it was a very slim possibility.             

Either way, it was safe to assume that a majority of the folk who lived here would certainly turn them over to the Butchers in order to spare their own lives, or the lives of their children.

They would have taken a different attitude if their military filled with Resistance fighters would have given them any kind of hope. But the few years since Invasion Day had been filled with defeat after crushing defeat, each battle lost taking with it hope that Humanity would survive.

On Invasion Day, the Empire of Japan fell. Ships littered a sky which was painted with clouds only moments before, raining down missiles that were followed by large ships filled with battle ready soldiers.

We didn't even know they were ships until the first weapons struck Earth's surface.