Angel’s initiation:


    Chapter 22:  Living wraith


    The police arrived on the scene of the shootout and surrounded the area, finding the pile of corpses Alicia had left behind.


    Most of the policemen there were used to the peace and tranquility of Forest Grove, sometimes having to arrest a drunk or a junkie, in the worst-case scenario they’d have to intervene in the fights between the small gangs that settled in the most unsavory parts of the town. There was no town or city in this world that didn’t have at least one of such areas. Even then, gun violence in the town was relatively low, and the detectives usually took care of the heavy lifting, keeping it all safe. But this was different, this was a level of violence unprecedented in the town and in their careers as law enforcement officers. Some of them felt a primal fear crawl up their spines upon arriving at the warehouse.


    The police searched the area looking for evidence and maybe even survivors of the carnage. They found lots of the former and none of the latter.


    “Shit, the guys who did this were armed to the teeth.” – Said officer Howard Jones upon entering the warehouse. He and his partners walked up to the corpse of Big D, who had a big gaping bullet hole through his mouth. – “Holy fuck, they executed him.”


    “Shit, they killed a girl too.” – Said an officer who had found the corpse of the girl Alicia had blown her brains apart. – “She had a phone, she asked for help, and paid the price.”


    “Ruthless, simply ruthless.” – The officer put his gun back in its holster, knowing there was nothing else to see in this warehouse other than a bunch of gangers full of holes, and some were even blown apart with an explosive judging by what they saw out there. – “I guess this is the end of Big D, I knew the asshole didn’t change after coming out of prison.”


    “They mostly never do.” – Added another officer.


    “Attention all units!” – Their radios went on. – “We’ve got another report of a violent crime at the Littlehorn apartments, gunshots reported, all available units please respond.”


    “That’s five blocks away!” – Said an officer.


    Two patrols arrived at the scene, finding a bunch of scared civilians gathering outside the building.


    “Here! Someone broke into an apartment in the third floor. We heard gunfire, I’m sure someone got killed!” – Said an old woman standing in the officer’s way.


    “Everyone, stay here, we’ll take care of the situation.”


    Four officers took out their guns and went up the stairs to the apartment the neighbors pointed at.


    When they arrived on the third floor they saw the door of the apartment half-opened and a puddle of blood extending itself under it. The officers approached slowly, sticking to the wall and keeping their guns ready.


    The officer taking point opened the door slowly and then fell back a couple of steps. Then he managed to get enough courage to peek into the apartment.


    “Police!” – He said as he peeked, only to find five corpses in the living room, three men, two women, their blood had formed a big puddle all across the floor. – “Sweet Jesus…” – He signaled his partners to move in.


    They searched the apartment carefully, guns up. Checking the bedrooms they found another corpse, a man, he died on the bed, his brains were splattered on the wall behind it.


    Finally, checking the bathroom they made a most shocking and disturbing finding. The officers found a little girl tied up to the sink pipe, and another corpse inside the bathtub, a fat man with a bushy beard and a torso full of holes that colored the water with an intense crimson red.


    They called an ambulance; it was clear what was going on in there.


    The police would later identify the people in the apartment as members of a Mexican cartel that smuggled children across the frontier, and they were expecting instructions from their employers on what to do with the little girl they had with them. The girl was the daughter of a wealthy man and they were holding her hostage for ransom and then to sell her to the highest bidder anyway.


    None in the force had a clue that this was happening in their peaceful town, and they felt ashamed they were ignorant of it, but that was just the beginning.


    They received another report ten blocks away inside another apartment building.


    Second floor, room 206, a man lies dead in the living room with a hole the size of a thumb on the back of his head and his Tv screen was showered with his blood. The police found his collection of child abuse material in his bedroom.


    It was at the fourth call that they realized they had a very big problem in their hands.


    Inside a 7-Eleven store, a very bored clerk thought that he was gonna have a boring night as it was usual and was thinking on how he could get a better job, but at the moment that seemed to be virtually impossible.


    He was suddenly brought out of his trance by the sound of the bell above door ringing.


    “Good evening, wel…” – He looked towards the door and saw a very grim looking girl carrying a big bag walk inside, but the most notorious thing about her was those livid red scars on her face. – “What the…?”


    She walked down to the bottom of the store and looked inside the fridge for the milk and ice cream.


    “Hey…lady? Are you ok? Do you need help?” – He asked, from behind the counter, he didn’t dare approach her.


    Suddenly another person walked into the store and took out a gun from inside his pants.


    “A’ight muthafucka this is a robbery! Gimme all the dosh! Come on!”


    The clerk, trembling like a jelly, did as he was told and opened the cashier, all the while this deranged man kept berating him while holding him at gunpoint.


    He was so focused on putting the money in a bag and not screwing up he didn’t notice that girl walking up behind the criminal and shooting him in the back of the head. He sprayed his blood and brains all over the wall and some of it splashed over his face. the clerk panicked and screamed and curled in a corner on the ground.


    The corpse of the thief plummeted over the counter and his blood spilled from over the edges, meanwhile the girl searched his pockets and took out his wallet and looked inside, took six dollars out, put the wallet back in his pants and placed the money on the counter in a place where it wouldn’t be soaked in blood; she was paying for two cartons of milk, she had already drunk half of one.


    She left the store without saying a word. The store clerk would remain on the ground for a few more minutes before getting over his shock and calling the police.


    Alicia walked out of the store while drinking the half full carton of milk, consuming its contents in a single gulp, then she opened the second carton of milk walking down the sidewalk and once again drinking the milk in a single gulp. She then dropped the cartons in a nearby garbage bin.


    She had gotten thirsty after killing the man with the dubious collection of videos, and even then, she suspected that he wasn’t the only one in that town, there were some similar scents nearby, but she wanted to taste something different at least for the moment.


    She smelled the air again, there was a huge gathering of pork steaks nearby, pork belly with cherry BBQ sauce on top of them. Alicia noticed herself drooling again and wiped off the saliva sliding down a side of her mouth.


    Alicia walked down an alley and jumped up the walls, onto the rooftops, she would keep a low profile like this. She could hear police patrols coming and going all around the town, they had noticed what she was doing and were on the case. However, her mind couldn’t grasp why they would care about her cleaning house. But in any case, she didn’t give a single damn about it.


    Alicia rushed forward, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, reaching for her preys. They were close enough, she could already taste them.


    Carl had found an advantage point on a rooftop from which he could survey the situation down in the warehouse, the last hint they had of Butcher’s trace.


    Looking through the scope of his rifle he saw a group of paramedics, backed off by policemen, bringing out a bunch of corpses in bags out of the warehouse, while the forensics team went in to gather evidence.


    “What do you see Carl?” – Asked Luis through the intercom.


    “It seems that our little stunt woke up the monster within.” – Said Carl. – “When I saw her she seemed to be enjoying herself with simple target practice but that’s not enough anymore, she went and killed a bunch of hoodlums.” – He then heard the echoes of the police sirens rushing through the streets nearby. – “…And it seems she isn’t done just yet.”


    “So let me get this straight, she knows there’s a group of pros after her, and she decides to go and kill a bunch of unrelated cunts?”


    “Maybe she’s just warming up.” – Interjected Kalina. – “She has to be at peak performance to face a group of assassins, right?”


    “She mopped the floor with you Kalina, remember that.” – Said Igor.


    “Fuck you, knucklehead.”


    “Maybe it’s not just that.” – Said Luis. – “Those gangbangers probably were armed, she’s scrounging up the area to get her tools of the trade one way or another. Let’s listen to the police radio, we are gonna follow her tracks and we’ll catch up to her at some point.”


    “And then?” – Asked Carl.


    “We kill her, of course, before she gets bored and escapes for good.”


    A few hours ago, against all odds, Kirsten and Charlie had made it into the town. It was a long journey, and no one guaranteed them that they’d find Alicia by the time they arrived, but at last they were there.


    However, now that they were in the town, Kirsten had to face an uncomfortable fact: they had no idea of her specific whereabouts. He’d really like to have the support of a satellite but they couldn’t afford that at the moment, for all intents and purposes the organization was in shambles, but as long as Lionel couldn’t deal the killing blow, he was convinced that they could get back in shape, Darius would do it, he was a genius, he would do it effortlessly.


    In any case, he was there to fulfill his role. He couldn’t just ask people around if they had seen a girl that looks like a zombie with thick scars on her face, that leaves an impression, passive witnesses, and that could work in the benefit of their enemies if they didn’t know what they were doing already.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    It was better to start slowly, they rented a room in a hotel from which they could organize and gather their thoughts.


    Kirsten set up a map of the city on a wall and a radio from which he could listen to the police’s frequency. Assuming that what the commander said was correct, they’d hear about random violent incidents in the vicinities that could potentially be linked to Butcher.


    “So you say that it’s likely she gets the itch and walks around looking for someone to slash?” – Asked Charlie. – “Man, she is a real piece of work.”


    “But she’s still a very valuable asset for the organization, and Lionel went to great lengths to make sure she would die, but she’s still alive. Because of that, we have to find her.”


    “No wonder he waited for her to be on her own to strike.” – She said. – “…I’m kind of offended that they don’t hold me in such a high regard.”


    “You are more delicate, Charlie, you’ve got finesse.” – He said, then he crossed his arms and looked back at her, she had already gotten comfortable on her bed. – “And you are a very agreeable and amicable person, maybe they thought that you’d agree to their terms or oppose little to no resistance” – He looked up to the roof evoking his thoughts. – “Lionel and his sympathizers thought that she was a monster from the very beginning, that’s why they are so eager to get rid of her.”


    “Well, from what I’ve seen from her they are certainly in their right to try to defuse that time bomb.”


    “But she’s a very capable asset, so we must get to her before Lionel’s mercenaries do.”


    “Hmmm…” – Charlie reflected, crossing her arms while placing the back of her head on the pillow. – “…Why do you think she’s like that though? Even I know how to take it easy sometimes, go to a nice little beach and take it easy.”


    “War does things to people, Charlie.” – He said. – “And as you know, she knows a lot about it, she’s been involved in wars for a very long time.”


    “So young…she reminds me of a certain comic book character.” – She said, turning to her side. – “That big dude with the thousand yards stare that punishes criminals, you know?”


    “Come on, don’t bring that up Charlie.” – Kirsten turned his attention back to setting up the radio.


    “Seriously, she sounds as loveable as that dude, I can already imagine she has that stone cold glare, just like his.”


    Kirsten wouldn’t define her glare as stone cold. The commander defined it as full of hate, but when they talked to each other, Kirsten saw something different: he saw a flame burning reluctantly, tired and out of fuel, as if she was dying within, but when her emotions surfaced, that flame regained some of its strength.


    And of course, he couldn’t forget about that indescribable creature that hid behind that glare, the creature that corresponded to her emotions and fought alongside her.


    “In any case, I don’t know how long we’ll stay here, and we are not going to ask around the place for her just like that. Could you go around and keep an eye out on things? See if there’s anything worth noting.”


    “Alright, you got it.”


    “Ok, and keep a low profile!”


    “That’s what I’m best at.”


    Kirsten heard a bell, and when he turned around Charlie had already disappeared from the room, leaving no trace of her presence whatsoever.


    “…Assassins…” – He muttered. – “They couldn’t be like the hitmen from my time, no sir…”


    He finally set up the radio and could hear miscellaneous transmissions between the various police patrols coming and going around town. He wished he could call back to the HQ to give a status report, the last time he did it was back at the outpost, but he was afraid that if he used his phone again, the wrong people would be listening, everyone in the organization shared this suspicion.


    Regardless he still couldn’t shake off the feeling of being watched. After what the commander said, he could still feel the cold and silent presence of his bodyguard stalking him as if he was his very own shadow.


    “(He can’t let go, just as much as we can’t.)” – He thought. The commander refused to let go of his favorite weapon completely, while the organization refused to let go of a legendary killer and her services.


    However, it was better that way. Leaving her to her own devices was irresponsible, and ultimately, destructive, and he would soon see why.


    Kirsten would spend the following hours listening to the radio and keeping a lookout on their base of operations, meaning, their hotel room.


    He had given Charlie a radio they could use to communicate, he turned it on and reached out for her.


    “How’s it going Charlie?”


    “This place is booooooring, over.”


    Kirsten laughed. – “It’s a nice town, don’t be like that.”


    “There’s nothing to do and nothing to see, it’s the same wherever you look. This is pure americana, but somehow, it’s boring! Where are the cowboy hats? Where are the gothic clothing stores? Where’s the biker gangs? Where’s everyone?”


    “If you want to see that stuff we have to go further south, Forest Grove doesn’t really see that kind of things as often as others.”


    “And Butcher had to choose the most boring town in the entirety of the US to get stranded into?” – She scoffed.


    “She didn’t have much of a choice, did she? The plane detoured from its course while she kept fighting in the plane and it crashed. She’s actually lucky she didn’t fall in the middle of Washington, or worse yet, in a big city like Los Angeles or New York. Maybe the quietness of this town has helped her relax.”


    “Hmph, I don’t think someone like her knows how to relax.” – She said. – “Anyway, I don’t see signs of her anywhere, though I did hear something about corpses being found in the forest nearby. Old ladies and their gossip, you know? Apparently a group of dudes killed a girl, and someone passed by and killed them.”


    “…Sounds like her alright.” – He said. Feeling tired he took his shoes off and laid down on his bed. – “Anyway, keep looking around, and if nothing happens, come back before the sun settles.”


    “You got it, boss.”


    The commander was right, but at least he had made it to the town in time. If they had come a day or two later, who knows what might have happened?


    But the reality was that he had arrived just in time to be part of a bloody and intense play that would make the entire town its stage.


    He decided it was time for a power nap, so he closed his eyes and allowed his consciousness to drift away. He was woken up two hours after by the same bell that announced Charlie’s arrival.


    “Well, it’s getting dark.” – She said. – “Saw no trace of Butcher, but heard a lot of talk about some sharpshooting competition, apparently they had some interesting contestants there.”


    “A shooting contest?” – Kirsten pondered, trying to determine if it would make sense for her to be there. – “Well, she does like shooting practice. But why would she go out in public? Wait, maybe she’s using that fake ID we gave her just in case!”


    “She’s smart to use whatever you gave her. Maybe it’d be worth the shot to look into that.”


    “Yeah, sure, but I doubt someone’s left there at this hour.” – Kirsten sat back up on the edge of the bed. – “Anyway, I’m hungry, wanna go out for something to eat? It’s on me.”


    “You are the best boss I’ve ever had, Kirsten.”


    “I’m the only boss you’ve had. When I found you, you were your own boss doing as you pleased.”


    “Hmmm…that’s true.” – She raised up her hand to her chin and smiled. – “No one stood a chance against the mighty Fate! Those adrenochrome eaters and their little foreign slaves never stood a chance, they were part of some of my best works of art… but when I ran them out of Paris things got rather stale, that’s when you showed up.”


    “Is that why you accepted my offer? you were bored?”


    “Not exactly, let’s say I was hoping for a better opportunity, I wanted to…expand my horizons. Those harvesters were small fries compared to the fucks you have sent me out to kill.”


    “Hey, language.”


    Charlie chuckled. – “I really went up a few positions in the Interpol’s wanted list thanks to your group.” – She lied down on her bed and stared at the roof. – “It’s been the dream, alright. It never gets old when a satanist asks good ol’ Lucy for help before being quartered.” – She said as she reached up with her hand.


    Kirsten felt a shiver crawl up his spine. – “…You and Butcher have some things in common.”


    “Butcher, Chain, Silencer, Spectre and me have a lot in common. Hell, I even see a lot of myself in Jules, and she’s such a good Christian girl.”


    “Really?”


    Charlie’s tone became serious, but she didn’t stop smiling.


    “…There’s one thing that sets up apart though. I don’t know about Butcher, but none of the others were born like this. I did.”


    Kirsten listened carefully.


    “I was born a weapon, and I’ll die a weapon, if I ever die of course. This is the way I’ve been wired by God himself, and so far, I’ve found no reasons to disobey his command.”


    “(Truly…they are all insane.)” – Thought Kirsten. – “(But for some reason I can’t bring myself to hate them.)”


    Kirsten kept listening to the radio. Night had fallen. He was uncertain how long they’d have to stay in that town.


    Fortunately for him it wouldn’t be long.


    There was a change of situation. The police were now on high alert.


    “Attention, all units, we got reports of a shootout around the old Silver Warehouses, any nearby units please respond.”


    “A shootout?” – Wondered Kirsten. – “It’s probably just random gang violence.”


    Charlie just closed her eyes and turned on her bed, she was already falling asleep.


    Ten minutes later another report.


    “Attention, all units, we received calls of a murder in the Littlehorn apartments, shots fired, I repeat, shots fired, any nearby units please respond.”


    Five minutes later.


    “Attention all units, we received reports of a failed robbery in the 7-Eleven in the 16^th avenue, any available units please respond.”


    “(All of this, happening one after the other.)” – Kirsten got up from the edge of the bed and looked at the map, he took out a box of pins and placed them in the general locations where these crimes were taking place.


    “(They are not that close to each other, are they actually just random occurences?)” – He wondered, still skeptic this was the sign he was looking for to follow Alicia’s trail on Forest Grove.


    Then suddenly he and Charlie heard the distinctive boom of a shotgun at the distance, at least two blocks away from their position, then another, and then another.


    “Attention, all units! We’ve got a shootout in the Red Lady brothel. Shots fired, I repeat, shots fired! All available units respond ASAP!”


    Kirsten heard as the blasts became more and more opaque until he couldn’t hear them anymore, in exchange, he could now hear the screams of multiple people as they ran away from the scene, most were women to be precise.


    “Charlie, go check it out!” – He said.


    “Got it boss.” – Charlie disappeared with the ring of a bell, though this time Kirsten felt a gust of wind rushing by his side and out through the window, he assumed that sudden current had to be her, so she really didn’t have any weird superpowers, she was just extremely fast and stealthy; he didn’t know if this was any better or not.


    Charlie jumped over the rooftops and rushed to the scene of the shootout. After running for a couple of minutes she stopped to overlook the brothel were the shootout took place.


    Unfortunately, the cops had arrived first.


    “We’ve surrounded the building! Surrender and come out with your hands up! No one else has to get hurt!” – Said an officer holding a megaphone.


    Charlie spotted a handful of corpses at the entrance, they had to be the ones on the receiving end of the shotgun, some were staff of the brothel, others seemed to just be random townsfolk that were there out of sheer coincidence.


    “(She wouldn’t just kill random people, would she? Has she gone berserk?)” – Thought Charlie. – “(Only one way to find out I guess.)”


    Charlie jumped to the brothel’s roof unnoticed by the police while they formed a perimeter around the building and waited for the SWAT team to come as ordered by the chief.


    She entered through a window and landed on the second floor where the girls’ rooms were located, and once she set foot in the brothel, she felt it.


    A building pressure, gravity felt heavier, she could almost hear the screams of the damned that were murdered and were still dying.


    Charlie heard a whisper. It was a passing thought, yet loud and clear to her ears.


    “[As long as they remain…I can’t return home.]”


    Charlie gasped. – “(What the hell…?)”


    She sneaked to the stairs to the first floor where she spotted the aftermath of a carnage.


    Around twenty people lied dead around the main hall, none of them were the girls that worked there, but the corpses seemed to be members of the staff, and once again, random civilians, most of them were wearing suits. They had been gunned down before they could react.


    Charlie heard another whisper coming.


    “[I’ll leave a scar so deep it won’t ever heal…]”


    She heard screams and gunshots coming from below, in the basement. Charlie rushed towards the stairs, stumbling upon yet another trail of corpses that had formed there, they were probably trying to escape before they stumbled upon their ruthless executioner.


    In any case, she walked down the stairs, making sure to not make a single noise, listening to the unrelenting sound of guns being fired and bodies dropping to the ground amidst screams and pleas filled with pain and terror.


    Charlie walked into the basement, stepping into a puddle of blood. It was hard to determine how many corpses littered the corridor, the lights had been destroyed in the firefight, sinking it in darkness. Only a single flickering light remained at the bottom of the corridor.


    They were armed, and judging by the holes on the walls and roof, they had done their best to defend themselves, but it was a fruitless effort in the end. Whoever killed them, exceeded their capabilities and competency, bringing their lives to a cold and sudden end.


    Charlie wanted to move forward, but for some reason his legs weren’t responding anymore. She was now forced to watch as the events unfolded in front of her.


    A little girl walked out of a nearby room. Her long hair fell over her face, she was dressed with a single bloodied shirt and her right arm was completely absent.


    Then, from the room right in front of her walked out another person, she was holding two MP5s in her hands, a shotgun dangled from her back along a bag full with more guns and a ammunition.


    Charlie saw them, the glowing red scars on her face, but they weren’t merely glowing red anymore, it was as if hell itself was contained within her, holding back a roaring fire that threatened to destroy the entire world around them. Charlie felt weak, her hands were trembling, her mind was completely blank. Her heart was filled with such yearning she shed a couple of tears; she hadn’t cried in so many years she thought that she had lost the capability to do so.


    “Charlie, what’s wrong?” – Said Kirsten through the radio. – “Do you see anything? What’s happening over there?”


    Alicia caressed the hair of the little girl and whispered something to her, the girl nodded and ran back into the room where she came from. Then she turned around and walked towards Charlie.


    “Charlie, what the hell is happening!? Are you ok!?” – Kirsten kept reaching out but she didn’t dare pick up the radio.


    Alicia walked pass Charlie and went up the stairs, ignoring her completely, some would say she wasn’t even aware of Charlie’s presence there, she was insignificant, or rather, her soul didn’t smell like anything.


    Charlie finally gave in and kneeled, losing the strength in her legs. She grabbed the radio with her trembling hands and responded. – “It’s her…it’s Butcher.”


    “Really!?”


    “We are in for a fun night, boss…” – She said with a trembling smile. – “I’m so happy…”


    Kirsten didn’t know what that was about, but at that point he and Luis were thinking the exact same thing.


    “We have to catch her.”