They Called Her the Devil

Chapter 40, Kate

Xander and I had arranged to meet at the Hideout two days after our first meeting. It made a good neutral meeting place since Xander wouldn't tell me his base location and didn't trust me enough to come to my base.

It wouldn't be particularly hard to kidnap Xander and his friends. All I'd have to do is hide some men in a back room. But I having their men on the inside would make stopping the virus easier.

We'd agreed that each of us could bring allies. I'd brought Izzie, Lia, and Derek. Izzie to remind them I still had one of their friends, Lia so Izzie would feel more comfortable, and Derek because he'd been in the limo that morning and I hadn't felt like kicking him out.

I picked up a chocolate chip muffin and started to eat it. Chocolate had almost died out after the war, but my mother had liked it so my father had turned chocolate into a multi-million-dollar enterprise.

It had also spawned an illegal chocolate trade and resulted in a riot killing five. But it was all worth it for the taste. None of the substitutes even came close.

"He's here," Derek said as he attempted to steal my muffin. I clocked him on the nose, not hard enough to break it.

"There's a basket right their fuck face."

"Love you too sis."

Why do I let him talk to me like this? Oh right, mom liked him.

Then Xander walked in and I stopped caring about my brother.

He was being followed by Leo and a man I didn't recognize. Xander wasn't unarmed, but of course, neither was I.

We met each other in the center of the room. Izzie and Lia had gone to the back for more coffee so Derek and I were outnumbered. Not a problem though.

"Silver, you made it," I said.

I tried to emphasize the disdain so he'd know this wasn't a friendly chat. I couldn't have him blowing our secret.

"Devil. Do you really think I'd miss this?" He replied, clearly getting the message.

"I don't think you'd dare. Silver this is Lia, she's one of my best assassins." I said. "And this is my brother Derek. And you know Izzie of course."

"Of course, you kidnapped her from us, remember?" Xander said. "This is Daniel, my best strategist. And you know Leo."

"A strategist and a sniper. You came prepared." I said.

"Yes, how dare I bring a strategist to a strategy meeting," Xander said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

At least he's maintaining our cover.

"Bold of you to assume you have a say in anything. Let me remind you we're the ones with the army." I said.

"Yes and we're the ones with the spies, that's kind of why this alliance works." He replied.

"Ceasefire."

Then Izzie and Lia walked back into the room. Izzie dropped the mug she'd been carrying and practically leaped into Xander's arms.

I considered killing her right there. I definitely wasn't jealous.

The two of them broke apart. Izzie gave Leo a hug identical to the one she'd given Xander. I wanted to kill her less.

"Izzie! You're alive!" Leo greeted her.

"You noticed. I missed you guys." She replied.

While they caught up I finished my muffin and poured myself a mug of hot chocolate. I was starving from running twelve miles that morning rather than my usual ten.

"What're you drinking? Smells good." Xander said coming up behind me.

"Hot chocolate. You should try some."

"Hot chocolate doesn't smell this good. Are you sure it isn't poisoned or something."

"If it were poisoned do you really think I'd be drinking it?" I said taking a sip. "It smells good because it's real, not the fake stuff you get at the grocery store."

"This much of the real stuff could buy me a sports car."

I took another sip. Chocolate this good could probably buy two sports cars. Personally I preferred the chocolate.

Then, of course, the Gold Order attacked.

About fifteen men in Gold Order uniforms burst in through the front and back doors. We were surrounded. Simultaneously we pulled our guns.

Without a second thought, I shot one point-blank and rolled behind the bar. Xander had followed me but the others were across the room.

This wasn't the first shoot out that had happened at the Hideout. Due to this we were prepared. I pulled bulletproof suits from a cabinet and handed one to Xander.

I pulled on the high tech black jumpsuit and attached helmet. It was designed to go on quickly in an emergency. I loved modern technology.

Ten seconds later I motioned for Xander to follow me in my favorite tactical maneuver. A head-on charge.

There were about ten men standing. I attacked three at once and relished the looks of shock on their faces when their bullets bounced right off of me.

I obviously could have just shot the men. But there were more fun options. My mother's knife in hand I swept the first guy's legs out from under him then as I spun back around I slashed his throat as he tried to stand.

The other two attacked at the same time and had the brilliant idea to try to shoot me again. I dropped at the last minute and a bullet flew over my head. And into one of the remaining Gold Order soldiers.

I took a running start towards the last man and brought him down in three seconds. I was very proud of him for blocking one of my punches before I stabbed him in the neck.

I did a tally of survivors. Five gold order men standing. One down on our side but I couldn't see who.

If Derek's dead I'll kill him.

Three of the five survivors were attacking Xander. Then I saw a man sneaking up behind him.

I threw my knife and hit the attacker in the chest. In the moment he was distracted I leapt a table and was back to back with Xander.

I got my knife from the guy I'd left it in. Then I kicked the guy in the jaw and knocked him out cold, I'd have a present for Dawn when we got back. One down, two to go.

Xander was fighting a man who was surprisingly skilled for a Gold Order lackey. Meanwhile, the other guy kept trying to distract Xander by shooting him.

I took two bullets for Xander before I got bored and disarmed the guy who'd been shooting me. I shot him right in between the eyes.

Then I turned to Xander as he killed the last Gold Order man. He must have seen someone since he took off running towards the back door.

I trusted him to handle that so I went over to where Derek was looking through the muffins for another chocolate chip one. He was wearing a bulletproof suit similar to mine except he'd taken the helmet off.

Behind him were three bodies that'd all been shot in the head. Derek had always lacked style with his kills.

Then I saw Izzie sobbing over a body while Lia and Leo comforted her. The body was that of the man Xander had introduced as Daniel.

I hoped Xander wouldn't grieve for too long. We still needed to stop Gold.

***

Hi readers! What do of the alliance/ceasefire so far? How did Richard Gold find out about the meeting? How will everyone react to Daniel's death? Please vote and comment, I really want to know what you think!

-Jade

Ps. The image at the top is how I envision the bulletproof suits. I do not own the image.