Finding Karen hadn't been difficult, the subcutaneous transmitter gave a very clear signal. Nor had they had to do more than open a door on the truck to get her to jump in. Unfortunately getting her to let go of the box with the crystal Illyria wanted wasn't as easy.

"I think my fingers have spasmed." Karen gasped, as she tried to let go of the box. "I've been holding so tightly to the box that my finger joints have locked."

"Let me see if I can help." Morgan suggested, taking her hand in his and trying to rub the joints. "I don't know if this will help, I'm not a medic, but we need that crystal to lure that thing into a trap and I really don't want to break your fingers to get it."

"Destroying the crystal might be difficult in and of itself." Karen informed them as Morgan rub the joints on her fingers and tried to loosen them. "The Magic itself could be released and we don't know if that could cause problems too. We have no idea what Illyria's powers are and they're contained in this crystal. Wherever you set up your ambush, I have to be there too. As far as I know, none of you do Magic. I'm not at Samantha's level, she is or rather was, years ahead of me in terms of theory, practice and power. But that doesn't mean I can't throw up a protective field of my own, just that it won't be as good as what she can do."

"We can all help with that." Xander said. "Anyone can do Magic and belief plays a big part in it. If we believe in you and what you can do, we can augment what you can do."

"I've seen enough Magic since I joined this Command to believe." Morgan agreed as Karen's locked joints began to move and he carefully took the box with the crystal in it from her hand. "And Hell, woman, you just held off an ancient demon for over an hour. Alone. That's enough to believe in you personally. If you can do that, there's very little I doubt you couldn't do."

Karen blinked and stared at the soldier, she hadn't considered the possibility that she'd done anything someone might think was all that remarkable. 'Samantha was the one who'd, who'd sacrificed herself, to buy time.' Karen thought. 'Samantha was a hero.' as far as Karen was concerned. She, herself, had just done what was necessary, that's all.

"Here, drink this." One of the soldiers handed her a bottle. "Energy drink, with sugar, you're going to need it." Karen didn't argue, just gratefully drank the slightly fruity drink and decided it tasted incredible. The truck headed out of Sunnydale and into the desert. About ten miles outside of town they began to set up their ambush. Effective firing range of the Gustaf, a weapon that can take on a tank, against a stationary object was 500 meters or 1600 ft. The blast wave was dangerous out to 30 meters or a 100 feet. Xander set up five two man crews spaced evenly away from each other, with the center fire position, his own, at 500 meters from where they set the box. Karen was stationed off to the side of them with Morgan watching her back. It was night and vampires usually used cars nowadays, but it would be really stupid if they got caught unaware by vampires while trying to destroy an ancient demon.

Set off to the side of each two man crew was two M16 assault rifles and multiple magazines waiting as a secondary defense if the first failed to get the job done. And the trucks parked way far off to the side, had cases of grenades in them if those failed. And back at the base other trucks stood ready with still more weapons. When the United States did war, it did so with the intention of winning. Barring political stupidity of course.

Illyria was on foot and had no idea how to operate a vehicle, not enough of Knox's brain had survived the bullet for Illyria to know how to work one, even if she'd have been willing to attempt to do so, which is why she was relentlessly walking in her pursuit of the crystal with her power in it. Consequently it took about 3 hours for her to arrive at the ambush sight, plenty of time to get set up. As she approached the box, Xander didn't give her a chance to get near it or pick it up.

"Target up!" The spotter called out.

"Fire." Corporal Harris answered. "Steal on target." A long burst of flame and a cloud of burning, incandescent gas shot out of the back of the recoilless rifle, and a brilliant streak shot out of the front. Followed by four more, two on either of him as the others fired as well. Illyria became a flaming pile of burning, melting flesh.

"Fire." Corporal Harris ordered a second time, aiming toward the ground, where the box was and Karen threw up a protective shield around the flaming mass, trying to contain the Magic as the soldiers threw their belief, the force and drive of their wills towards her and she gathered it to herself and poured it into the Magic, holding it as the flames consumed Illyria and hopefully, her power.

The soldiers watched until the fire burned itself out and then carefully approached and gathered what remained for disposal, grateful it hadn't cost any lives to stop the ancient demon.