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Their exchange went on for sometime, already people were dead, from both sides. Although they hadn't got passed the last gate, but they were about too. "Well, well well, I bet you guys are really regretting killing our men now." Atkins yelled over to the large wooden gate. They had made it past the metal one, killing with defenses quickly, then the fence, which had no people occupying it, now the men were gathered around in front of the main gate, weapons in hand and blood splattered over most of them. It all felt like a few minutes, but it took a while to finally get there and they lost some men along the way.
As they were charging head in and shooting whoever they could at the main entrance, there was a man standing near the top of the gate, ording for the people fighting to hold their fire. This had never happened before, so some men were hesitant to continue shooting, Tom stopped for a brief moment, feeling bad but he was also curious. Apparently the general felt just as curious, probably even more, so he stopped in his tracks, raising a fist up, a motion to tell his men to stop. "Hold your fire, but just be ready." He told them, and that's when all gunfire stopped.
So there they stood, on one side was the people on top of the gate, with guns, but not using them, in the middle stood a unarmed a light skinned man who looked to be almost 50 or so. On the other side were the soldiers, ready to continue their havoc at any given moment, but they all stood still, glaring at the people across from them. "We don't have to fight like this." The man spoke loudly, making his presence known, it was obvious he was some type of leader. In all honesty, Tom was scared for the man, and the people behind those walls. If he were there, he would've kept the guns blazing.
"No, but I think we do my friend!" Atkins shouted over with an amused smile, wanting to see where this would all go, like a small child playing with their food before eating. By then it was cold. "You see, your men killed about a hundred of mine. That can't go unpunished. Do you honestly think we would just let that slide?" Of course, if everyone were being honest, they actually deserved it. "You already punished us, we can make a deal, put all of it in past, it doesn't have to be like this, I don't want a war. We don't want a war." the man spoke, his voice sounding tired and strained.
"Just stop this, we never have to see each other again..." in retrospect, the man did take responsibility for killing the soldiers, his defense was they had already done damage to so many people, for really no apparent reason. "So why'd you do it then? Have your people come after us?" Atkins asked, which was a rather good question that even Tom wanted to answer too. "You, and your kind, killed some people in an out outside settlements, and we heard about your handy work around the nation." He answered, he was just defending his people, "we already got our pay back, and sadly it seems that you've had yours, let's stop this please..."
Tom was actually hoping Atkins would back down, but knowing him, it was highly unlikely. "Sir, I don't think we can loose any more men...they have families at home..." Tom whispered, earning a fast "shut it" from his commander. "We could, but we can't..." Atkins said truthfully, as if it pained him that it had to be this way. "...not after what happened before. You're a threat to us and everyone at home base... I can't have that, none of us can." He continued "I know walking away will be a lot harder that this. But it's the better way, for all of us."
