Ambush

“What if they are still arguing? At least you must realize it is an unconventional arrangement we have, good as it feels. Let’s say Didier would have argued with Kara joining?” I asked in the cave while getting ready for the day.

“We’ll handle that when it is the case. And Didier wouldn’t have argued. He knew Kara liked you. And besides, he isn’t attracted to women like us. We are way too skinny for his taste.” Kate replied.

“His loss. And I don’t find you skinny at all, you are... just... careful, now, careful... exactly the way you should be, stunningly beautiful.”

“Nice save,” giggled Kara. But she suddenly froze while opening the covers of the cave.

I pushed her behind me, not knowing what I would expect.

Oh fuck, we are dead. Too complacent.

But then I froze too. And then I felt relieved. Extremely relieved.

I saw the entire squad sitting at the circle. Smiling. Looking incredibly pleased with themselves.

“Good morning,” Sophia greeted us.

“Eh... good morning to you all.” I said relieved it was just them. Then embarrassed it was them.

“Looks like they found us after all.” Kylie muttered.

“We did.” Clara was even giggling about it. With a smile brightly plastered on her face.

“Very impressive. Very impressive isn’t it, Alex?” Kara asked, looking at me.

“Yes.” I sighed out loudly. ”Most impressive of them. As a team, to retake the initiative and... to reverse the roles after yesterday night.” Still a bit recovering, but I felt also...

“I am also very proud to see you here. Now.” I stated.

They all smiled very brightly at that compliment. Most of all Clara and Sophia.

“But I have to wonder... How did you outwit our guard?”

“Guard?” Lina asked. “We didn’t see a guard.”

Aha... In that case...

“Didier?” I said loudly.

Didier had taken the adagio of ‘see, but not be seen’ to the next level. I had learnt to stop expecting to see him where I thought he would appear. In the days he had been wandering the woods he kept improving on it. He was also losing a lot of his acne. It was if he thought his acne was a shield that needed to be replaced by outstanding stealth.

He appeared twenty meters on my right, covered in branches that were the same as the ones all around us. I had seen him in different covers, every time the same as the background of the forest. One time he had painted his face in just the same color as the tree roots he was hiding next to.

He shed his cover and walked closer.

“I let them pass. Didn’t see the harm in it.” He grinned at me.

“Ah... a practical joke then.” I surmised.

“Not like you are famous for your good jokes,” He kept grinning at me.

“No... Very true.” I lightly smiled.

Damn, not only the three women are able to defeat me every time I talk back to them.

I turned to the squad and said:

“My ladies, meet Didier, our resident sniper.”

Resident, as he returned home, after guiding the villagers, and mostly sleeping in his cave, while Tom was mostly sleeping at his girlfriend’s house.

“Didier, meet our newest squad.”

Didier was looking at the women of the squad, but I saw his gaze lingering on Lina. And Lina looked most pleased with that.

Hmm...

“Right then, since you all are here, we don’t need to travel to you. Didier, report of the lessons to the villagers?”

“Almost finished. Learning them to run and hide, letting them to set up premade shelters in the woods now.” While he was reporting, I noticed Lina throwing furtive glances at him.

Hmm...

“How long until you will be pleased with their results?”

“They are learning fast, very determined. A couple of hours would do it.”

“Good. Very good.”

Time to fire back...

“Well, return to the villagers for this morning and take Lina with you. Teach her to handle a sniper rifle. She is a very good shot.”

Hit.

“The rest of the squad will take further lessons in setting up cloaked fire positions, and refine the art of ambushing without being noticed by guards.”

Double hit.

“After that, you will resume finishing up the construction of your campsite.”

Looking a lot less smug about themselves now I finished with:

“Don’t worry, I will help you with that, and then you can tell me all about how you found us.”

I smiled at them, seeing their moods brightened after my last remark.

So easy to please them.