by John Davis
“Long time ago. We're talking the first Thanksgiving or so.” Jackson commented, slapping Calypso on the arm a bit before walking off.
“Jackson,” Alicia hastily said, grabbing her lover by the arm. “Thank you.”
“What can I say? You had me at handprint on the ass.” he replied with a grin.
“Go.” Alicia said, smiling wide and pushing the lust-filled soldier away.
Nearly an hour of nighttime searching, easing their way through trees of thick leaves and spongy grass, brought the three person team close to the Ancients.
They were easy enough to find, never a race to hide from anyone. The flicker of several lights alerted Jackson and his team to their position, as did the animalistic breathing of three butchers, all of them pulled in closely together.
“These bastards are confident, I'll give 'em that much. Didn't even feel the need to post one guard.” Calypso said, the three person team having cautiously checked the outskirts of the Ancient's small camp.
“Think this will work?” Gretchen asked.
“No, not really,” Jackson admitted. “But hey, I figure it has to go the way it gets planned eventually, right?”
“Alrighty.” Gretchen replied with shock.
“I'll sneak down and try to release the lock on the prisoner cage. If and when I do, Calypso, you stand up and start raising hell with your gun,” he said, nodding to the strongman. “I'll try to usher the prisoners out unnoticed. If and when I do, Gretchen takes them straight back the way we came. Get them back to Alicia and our group as soon as possible.”
“I will. And what about you guys?” she asked.
“Hadn't quite got to that part yet.”
“We're gonna both have to haul ass back.” Calypso said.
“Yea, I think you're right. And they're gonna be running us down like escaped convicts.” Jackson remarked, pausing for thought. “Gretchen, have Alicia escort you and the prisoners out of harm's way. Somewhere safe. Tell her to have the rest of our group locked and loaded. If we know they're going to follow us, we might as well lead them into a trap.”
“Good plan.” Calypso replied.
“We're gonna have to haul ass, but also give Gretchen time to take them back safely. That's going to be the hard part.” Jackson said.
“Gonna have to run like hell in large circles to buy her some time.” Calyspo replied.
“Yep. Very big circles.” Jackson said.
Then, extending his arm out, he softly connected a clinched fist with both the musclebound warrior and the woman who accompanied them.
“Good luck everyone.” Jackson somberly wished them, turning to disappear into the night.
“He's got guts, I'll give him that.” Calypso said.
“So do you.” Gretchen replied, lowering her pistol to look into the soldier's eyes. Offering a very inviting glance in the tense heat of the moment.
Calypso felt it was time to make his move. Time to finally make love to the woman he'd so quickly fallen for. Proving to the world that he had swag with the ladies.
“He's in position.” Gretchen said.
“Huh?” Calypso asked, turning to see Jackson crawling slowly to the rear of the prisoner's cage.
Ah fuck man. Why do you have to crawl like a fucking cheetah? Five more minutes and I would have been verified, damn man. Damn.
“You alright?” Gretchen asked.
“Yea. Just ready to use my weapon, that's all. So ready.” Calypso replied, shaking his head while moving himself into position.
Holding his finger to his lips, Jackson eased himself across the ground, becoming visible to the prisoners who knew of certain death.
“Don't talk, just listen,” he said, raising to a kneel while using the cage as cover. “There's a woman right over that ridge,” he said, turning to point into Gretchen's direction. “When I free you, there will be gunshots. They will be ours. Ignore them, and run as fast as you possibly can in that direction. She'll be able to lead you to a nearby camp. Everyone understand?”
With the prisoners nodding back to him, Jackson understood they were both terrified, and ready to begin their run to freedom. Though it would have to wait.
“Check our meat.” one of the Ancients said, scissoring teeth grinning a bit.
The lowest ranking Ancient soldier stood to his feet, quickly turning to execute his orders.
As the monster approached a steel cell full of helpless humans, each of them trembling with fear, the monster smiled. Exposing teeth which eventually planned to feast on the tender of their fleshy frames.
“Soon, each of you will provide a filling meal for a group of Ancients.”
“You mean cowards.” one of the prisoners said, his voice unafraid.
“You would taunt me?” the Ancient replied.
“I would do more than that if I had the ability to get my hands on you.” the human said.
He had been coached to do so, of course, after Jackson learned of his military background. Their plans of escape changing a bit, all due to Jackson's tactful thinking.
“I have half the mind to let you out, just so I can cut you down tonight. Perhaps we will make a feast of you this very moment.” the Ancient replied, visibly agitated.
“You won't. You don't rank highly enough among your race to do shit. You're a knuckle dragger, even I can see that.” the prisoner said.
“Careful you pathetic human. You would be wise to cease your sharp tongue.” the Ancient said, bringing his face to the bars of their cell, frightening the others in the process.
“Fuck you and you're dragon breath.” the prisoner said.
“Very well then,” the Ancient said angrily, beginning to unlock the cell. “Your taunts have earned you a place at our campfire, and your screams will fill our stomachs.”
As the cage door began to open, the prisoner immediately held a combat pistol out, splattering the contents of the Ancient's skull at point-blank range.
An act that instantly brought attention by the Ancients, though gunfire from Jackson and Calypso quickly changed their direction of thought.
Thinking themselves the victims of an ambush, the Ancients began to focus on the gunfire falling onto them, while the prisoners continued to pile out and sprint for the ridge closest to them.
“You, hunt the prisoners down,” an Ancient commanded, throwing a wrench into Jackson's plans. “The rest of you, follow me. We'll squash these pathetic cattle!”
“Shit, they're not taking the bait,” Calypso said, noticing a butcher breaking from the group to follow the stringing line of prisoners. “Gretchen won't last.”
“We got our own problems,” Jackson replied. “One of the prisoners was a soldier, so I gave him a sidearm. He and Gretchen are gonna have to swim on their own, because we need to haul ass right now!”
And so they did, the two human soldiers quickly retreating to the cover of a thick treeline and sprinting as if their lives depended on it. Which they did.
Often I have struggled with my emotions. But never like this. Alicia wrote, pausing for several moments as she sat alone. Glancing for a bit into the surrounding area that was blanketed with dark.
As I sit here, my heart is with Jackson. And of course, I pray for his safe return. But why do I also drift to thoughts of Nadia? Why does she even have the ability to creep into my mind at a time like this?
Alicia stopped for a moment. And though she continued to sit on the large rock, which was flattened a bit and perfect for resting, journal in hand; Alicia dealt with the contents of her heart. Small, but ever-crisp tears beginning to fall.
Should my whole heart not be with my lover at such a time? My every prayer? Yet I continue to pray that whatever is broken inside of me becomes healed. Whatever is splitting my heart in half be purged from my soul, so that I may be happy for once.
Her emotions quickly turned, however, as a patch of brush alerted her, its shaking a sign of approaching feet.
Quickly drawing her combat rifle, Alicia readied f
or whatever was in store. Be it an Ancient, or the devil himself, who had no doubt placed the burden of a love for two onto her heart.
What Alicia didn't expect, however, was a string of defenseless humans scrambling into their camp. Dazed and confused, but carrying the look of flee upon their faces.
“Help! Need some help over here!” Alicia yelled out, the soldier in her keeping the recently blazed trail covered.
“What is it?” a German soldier asked, several more following closely behind as they ran to Alicia.
“Get these people safely out of sight. Quick!” she replied.
The survivors needed no invitation, however, shuffling feet to the armed soldiers who would prove their safe haven.
Several gunshots covered by the thick of trees furthered Alicia's alarm, secretly praying that Jackson was not on the receiving end. As her eye remained to the crosshairs of the rifle, the soldier in her remained true.
Nearly firing onto the figure ahead, Alicia quickly pulled her hand away from the trigger area when catching sight of Gretchen scrambling into the opening of camp.
Alicia had started to stand to her feet in an effort to meet Gretchen, learn of Jackson's whereabouts. But even she was taken by surprise as a butcher seemed to nearly leap into the clearing. And as Alicia began to rush her combat rifle back to the ready, it was Gretchen that turned, firing six nervous shots from a pistol, each of the striking the demon at point-blank range.
With the wounded soldier of the stars crying out in pain, falling to its back and becoming totally defenseless, Gretchen stood to her feet and pointed her pistol to its face.
Click.
“Oh damn.” Gretchen said loudly, her ammunition expended.
Fearing the monster would soon recover, her fears would quickly put to rest. A single shot from Alicia's rifle thumping into the skull of a dying demon while leaving no doubt.
“It's alright,” Alicia said, extending her arm to help Gretchen to her feet. “He won't be chasing anyone else.”
“Thank...thank you.” Gretchen replied.
“No need for that, I'm pretty sure you had sealed his fate already. I just don't like to hear their screams,” Alicia said. “Where's Jackson, Calypso?”
“I don't know.” Gretchen replied.
“You don't know?” Alicia said, stopping to face the woman of Calypso's lust.
“They stayed behind to try and distract the others. Gave us time to get back. Jackson said to have our boys ready for a gunfight when they got back,” she said before pausing. “Among the survivors was a German soldier. Jackson gave him a pistol...but he didn't make it.”
“Butcher?” Alicia asked, turning to look once more at the freshly slain demon.
“Yea,” Gretchen replied. “It was going to be either him or me. He volunteered to stay behind and slow the butcher down. Why would anybody do that?”
“That's what soldiers do,” Alicia said. “Ready to be a soldier?” she asked.
Gretchen agreed with a nod of her head.
“Good,” Alicia said, pulling her sidearm and handing it to the shaken young woman. “Watch this path until I round up our soldiers.”
“Alright.” Gretchen replied.
Hours passed by, Alicia, Gretchen and a stock of soldiers each facing the obvious way into camp, guns at the ready.
“Perhaps it's time to form a search party.” Gretchen commented in a hushed voice.
“Wouldn't be wise. It would thin us out even more, and we need our firepower covering the survivors.” Alicia replied.
“I want Calypso to come back safe.” Gretchen said with a tense voice.
“You think I don't? You think I don't want Jackson right here with me? But if they were here, they'd tell you the same thing. We can't afford to thin our ranks any further.” Alicia responded.
“Is that your military opinion or feelings for Nadia coming to the surface?” Gretchen asked with sarcasm.
“What did you just say bitch?” Alicia asked, turning to investigate further, even if it meant beating the explanation from her.
“Calm down, both of you.” a German soldier insisted, stepping between them.
“I'm...I'm sorry. I just don't want to lose Calyspo.” Gretchen admitted.
Though Alicia's eyes remained on her harshly for several moments, eventually the brunette eased up.
“I know. I understand. But a good soldier keeps her wits in times like these. If you allow yourself to fight with emotion, you end up dead.” Alicia replied.
Quickly after her statement, Alicia clinched a fist, letting the group know silence was a must. Someone was coming.
Calypso ran into the clearing under the drape of darkness, meeting nearly a dozen weapons in his direction.
“Hey, it's just me. Don't shoot.” he said, lifting his abundantly strong arms into the air a bit.
“Where's Jackson?” Alicia asked.
“He's not here? I stayed behind so he could get back.” Calyspo replied with confusion.
“No. He's not here.”
“That makes no sense Alicia,” Calypso replied, embracing Gretchen with a strong hug. “We were in the clear. I told him to head back nearly an hour before I did. I wanted to make sure we didn't have anyone tracking us.”
“Well where the hell is he?” Alicia demanded to know.
“I don't know. It's possible he ran into Ancients, but I doubt it. We were very careful.”
Alicia felt gut-wrenching sadness as she turned to stare out into a countryside filled with the pitfalls of night. Hoping her lover had enough wits about him to return in one piece.
“Is she on board yet?” a man's voice asked, his words coming by way of radio.
“Negative.” Jackson replied, holding down a small position in the middle of secluded woods.
“We need to get her on board. She will be vital to the success of our mission.”
“I know that. I understand. But I need more time.” Jackson replied with reluctance.
“Our time to strike is running out. Either you get her on board, or she'll be left behind. You know that.”
“I do,” Jackson replied. “And I'll have her with us by then. You have my word. I've set the markers as instructed.”
“Good. Very good.”
“Jackson out.” he said, quickly disassembling the radio once more. A piece of it screwing into the bottom of a bracelet around his wrist, with a second pushing into a ammunition holster he carried on his leg.
I just need her to trust me. Jackson thought, soon turning to head back to their camp.
The next morning as sunlight began to crest over the mountains, Jackson entered camp. He entered to the barrels of several rifles, of course, as well as the loving arms of Alicia Lucard.
“My God, where have you been?” she asked.
“Had to lay really low. Had a butcher tracking me.”
“A butcher? That's strange, I was sure I finished those bastards off myself.” Calypso commented.
“I,” Jackson replied with a bit of hesitation. “I don't know. I thought I had a clear path home. Next thing I know, one of the bastards was over my shoulder giving chase.”
“Is he still on you?” Calypso asked, prepping his large chain-style gun.
“I don't know. I tried to be as careful as possible.”
Even Alicia picked up on his irregular heartbeat as he explained the situation, her face planted to his chest. A chest that seemed to point to the exclusion of details.
“We killed one as we entered camp. Could be that he pulled from your trail to give chase to us.” Gretchen said.
“Must be,” Jackson responded. “I'm just glad to be back in one piece.”
“Now what?” Calypso asked.
“Now we send the rescued on a direct path to Wernigerode. It's a clean path, and we know they'll be safe there. We can spare a single escort soldier, but nothing more. We need to continue forward and get the supplies we need.” Alicia said.
“Agreed.” Jackson said, Calypso noddi
ng his approval of her plan as well.
As the small group of decision makers began to break away, readying to send the group of survivors to safety, Alicia grabbed Jackson by the hand.
“Are you alright?”
“Yea, why?” he asked.
“You just seem distant. I'm worried about you.” she replied.
“I'm fine as long as I'm with you.” he said, pulling her close and clinching tight the woman of his dreams.
“Our building is up ahead, third on the left. Point of entry should be the front door, assuming we don't run into more company.” Jackson said.
The group had cautiously marched deep into a seemingly abandoned Berlin, taking several hours to reach their destination of interest.
“I'll take them in.” Alicia replied, still worrying for the man she'd fallen in love with.
“I'll remain out here for a few minutes. Going to scout the surrounding area in case we need a quick out.” Jackson replied, awaiting a heartfelt good luck from Alicia.
“Fine.” she replied, unsure of his need to be distant.
“I'll stay back with you.” Calypso said.
“No, you stay with her. Keep her safe. I'll be fine out here by myself.” Jackson replied.
Rather than offer a reply, Calypso simply shrugged before once again hoisting his weapon and following the small group into the shadows of the buildings which lined the once-busy street.
Jackson slowly lifted his binoculars, scouting the nearby terrain of Berlin. Moments later, he shifted his sights to his own group, assuring himself that they were out of range. Then, lowering his binoculars, Jackson pulled a small device from his ammunition belt, tucking the thumb-sized device which glowed crimson red behind a series of wooden crates, sprinting ahead to quickly join his group.
“You know the routine people, find anything with an extended shelf-life and load it into the sacks. Calypso and I will sift through what's left for anything useful.” Alicia said, turning quickly to aim her battle rifle onto the door.
