Lies that have lead to the death of a member of my team!” she added, her pistol aiming directly into Nadia's direction.

“Okay,” Nadia said, holding her hand out to ask for a moment. “Okay, it's true. But at least give me an opportunity to speak. Please.”

“Alright then.” Alicia replied, keeping her gun on Nadia while listening.

“We became aware of an impending war between Ancient factions.” Nadia said.

“Nothing new, they fight all of the time.” Calypso replied.

“Not like this,” Nadia said as if to convince them. “I mean an official war. They mean to chew at one another until only one faction remains. I'm just part of an organized group of officials who approached the faction at the doorstep of Washington City. They assured us peace if our Resistance groups were to lay down arms and fight alongside them in their war to come.” Nadia added.

“The group that approached the Ancients...Germans?” Alicia demanded to know.

“No,” Nadia said. “In fact, other than myself and the few Ancients who are loyal to our cause, no other Germans are involved.”

“It's true,” Preacher said. “I knew nothing of this treason!”

“Americans then?” Alicia asked, already knowing the answer that would follow.

“Yes, several of them. Politicians mostly.” Nadia responded.

Alicia stood there for a few moments. She knew Nadia spoke the truth, because the list of names backed up her story. They were indeed all Americans with the exception of a few Nomad groups.

 

 

“I have no such treaty with the Ancients. Just a promise to our own kind to dust as many of those son of a bitches as I can, and I keep my promises,” Alicia replied. “Leave us.”

“But Alicia, if we don't go soon the Butchers,” Calypso replied.

“I said leave us,” Alicia said with a stern tone. “I'll be right behind you, but she won't.”

As the group began leaving into a dark alley by way of a side door, Preacher took enough time to stop and look to Nadia, giving her the look of a traitor.

“You mean to kill me then?” Nadia asked.

“No,” Alicia said, approaching her slowly. “I told you I'm a warrior who keeps her promises.”

“What is to become of...” Nadia began to ask, Alicia grabbing her hands quickly and holding them above her, pressing the German goddess to the wall as they kissed with passion. Their lips only began things as they soon exchanged tongues, breathing heavily in the process.

“I wish we could have met under different circumstances. I truly do.” Alicia said, her heavy breathing quickly silenced by Nadia's puffy lips.

“Perhaps one day,” Nadia managed to push from her lips, before they trembled for another deep kiss. “You'll remain on my mind until that time.”

“I'm sorry.” Alicia replied, kissing the blonde one final time, finally sweeping the butt of her pistol around and burying it into the head of the German.

As Nadia lay there, unconscious, Alicia knelt down, kissing her lips slightly before rising back to her own feet.

“Goodbye Nadia Jacobson.”

 

“I still can't believe Nadia betrayed us. Betrayed Germany.” Preacher said, as the group now included Alicia and had found shelter inside of a small house on the outskirts of New Kinneston.             

“It's all right here,” Alicia said, taking a moment to hand the classified paper and photos to the sniper. “She was marching you into a trap,” Alicia said sternly. “All of us, she was marching us into the waiting arms of Ancient soldiers! There is no Lackland Air Force Base. Not anymore.” she added, her voice calming with despair.

“She's right, it's all right here in black and white,” Calypso said with solemn words before stopping on the list. “Wait.”

“I know, he's number eleven.” Alicia replied quickly.

“Who?” Preacher asked.

“Commander Snelling.” Alicia replied with reservation.

It hadn't fully hit them all yet, but Butchers waited for no one, especially Resistance soldiers filled with confusion. And they weren't to be taken as simple brutes of war.

As the door sprang open abruptly, Alicia was the quickest to respond, firing three shots which seemed to zip into the first Butcher.

Very large but equally injured, the demon fell to the ground in overwhelming pain, victim to her hot lead as much as his own haste.

Right behind the Butcher who had fallen into a pool of his own blood, a second charged, this time finding a victim of his own. Burying his serrated blade deep into the meaty area of Austin's shoulder, the Sheriff yelled loudly, a mixture of pain and shock to blame.

The demon's plan was to rip his blade back out quickly, but he ran short on time as Calypso stepped in, burying a flush elbow into the Butcher's face.

The Ancient warrior of great skill was huge, there was never a person to question it, but Calypso was no slouch in the department of physique. He too was large, his throbbing muscles damn capable of putting even the largest Ancient on its ass, and he had proven it to everyone as the Butcher lost its grip on the sword and stumbled back onto the ground.

Calypso had won the initial confrontation, only to lose moments later as he lunged on top of the Butcher and quickly found himself outmatched.

The last remaining Butcher charged, slowing momentarily at the sight of one of his so many guns on him. Less than a second later he slowed a considerable deal more, hit in both the legs and chest from gunfire. Jackson, Alicia and Preacher had all fired on the beast, and though a single round may have missed, with the combined skill of the soldiers it was unlikely.

Calypso draped his large arms across the neck of the second Butcher, pummeling it into the floor just a bit.