Aftermath.

Nineteen young women. Well not all of them women. The minority were women, the rest were underage. Some of them were barely twelve. Six had reached the mythical age of eighteen, Ella told me. The rest was underage. All in bad condition. Physical and mental. The only one still strong enough to tell the tale was the young woman we had saved in the cellar. Her name was Elfrieda, quickly abbreviated to Elfie. She was only eighteen, had seen, heard, smelled and above all, experienced the horrors of what men are capable of.

She was asking about her father. Ella had no idea what she was talking about.

“The guy that blew up the gasoline station?” I asked Ella to translate.

He had indeed. Elfie was from F-city, they had prepared themselves for the nuclear fall-out and had warned the others how to do it as well. He had been hunting while Elfie and the rest of the surviving villagers in the city had been captured. Every man, woman, and child the Russians deemed ‘useless’, they had gathered and murdered in the church. The remaining women and children came from cities east of F-city. Even from almost the south of the Black Forest. It didn’t matter if they resisted or not, the atrocities had befallen them all.

So they came in from the east of the city, plundering and **** whomever they liked. Killed everyone else. If I had any remorse left in me after killing unarmed men, it was gone after hearing that all.

Elfie’s father had been a soldier in his life, then a guide and hunter in the city Elfie grew up. The Russians quickly found out the relation between Elfie and her father. They had held her hostage for more than one reason. But her father couldn’t risk them going too far inland into France or back into Germany with their IFV’s. So he blew up the gasoline station to limit their movements. After that, the Russians had hunted him and wasn’t heard of anymore. If they had killed him, they would have gladly told Elfie, to break her. She had resisted whenever she could, but had extensive bruises as result of it. Kate had her work cut out for her.

I told Elfie that if her father was still alive, he would have watched us do our work. Perhaps even followed us. It wasn’t as if we were completely silent in our retreat with the nineteen women and children. We had made a detour with the cars left at the Backdoor. Perhaps he could have lost our trail, but he would keep looking.

“We will need to go back to the city, leave a message for him only Elfie can tell him. So he knows it is hers. Perhaps even in her handwriting. But we can’t leave traces for others to see where we need to send him, so also a coded message for a hiding place in her house. If he’s not wounded somewhere in a ditch. No, don’t tell her that last thing.” I told Kylie in my own language.

“Kate, when the newcomers are healthy enough, send them to Sophia. All those above sixteen will need military training. That is, if they are... I mean... Perhaps send them all first to the women we rescued from the village monsters first. They all survived the fall-out. Then those, capable, above sixteen will need military training. The rest will have to learn hunting from the same women. They can refuse, but Tom tells me they are willing to help us.”

“Sophia, your squad will then train the remaining survivors of that selection in all disciplines, like we have taught you. Coordinate with Mia for setting up lessons for friends of Maria.”

“Clara, you will train the women we saved from the village monsters. Together with Emma, who will also take care of the kids. Emma, train the kids to hunt. The women must be supported with your skills and presence during the day.”

“Ella, you coordinate the villagers in setting up new patrol sectors for the villagers, making sure we cover more area.”

“Kylie, go back to the city, check for survivors, if any, food supplies, if any, and so on, and deliver the message to Elfie’s father. If he comes back. Paint something on the door to attract his attention.”

“Tom, continue the intel network, but you will need to step up as village leader as our representative, as the law in town. Simply said, you will be sheriff. Didier will help you. Lina as well. Filter out the bad apples, strip their houses, if they misbehave, in any way, from domestic **** to theft. Imprison them if you have no alternative, or simply leave them to me. My patience is running out quickly these days. Times change around here fast, we may be one of the few areas where there is still food and other supplies.”

“Ambra... No, I haven’t forgotten you, nor did I forget Kara... You’re the reserves, stepping into all jobs if needed, including hunting and preparing food for our own people.”

“And what will you do?” Kara asked.

“Like you have to ask, I will make my rounds all around and make sure things run smoothly. Like always. Come on, off you go. Lots of things to do, before we can go to bed...”