Emma was gathering the girls out in the hallway. She was dressing them in black, or at least making them wear black. The girls were actually listening, or at least as much as they could.
I counted twenty plus me and Emma. It was a big pack, but Emma seemed good at communicating with them. The girls that were too strung out were being supported by other girls. I quickly walked up to Emma.
“We need to go,” I said.
“We’re not leaving these women,” she said fiercely.
I grinned at her. “You think I’d do that?”
“Maybe. I’m not sure.”
“I won’t lie and pretend like I hadn’t thought about it, but Kasia down there was convincing, so we’re all making a run for it.”
She frowned at me. “Really? You’re going to help these women.”
“Better fucking believe it. Tell them to get their shit together. We leave in two minutes.”
Emma nodded at me, determination etched on her face. She went back to the group of girls and began to explain what was happening. Word rippled out in several different languages as the girls finished pulling on their darkest clothing.
It was a sad fucking bunch. Twenty skinny, young girls, all of them terrified. At least three of those girls were being actively supported by others, too strung out to run on their own. And there wasn’t a single common language between everyone.
But watching Emma talk to the girls, I thought we might have a chance. She was incredible, explaining with body language and her hands, or using another girl to translate wherever she could. Somehow she managed to get the girls loosely lined up, dressed in black, and ready to go.
“Did you explain to them what’s happening?” I asked Emma as she came over to me.
She nodded. “We’re making a run for it.”
“We’re going out the back. Once we’re outside, if they want to survive, they can’t stop moving and they can’t get separated from the group. Can you get that across?”
She nodded. “Okay.”
“And, Emma.” I pulled her close to me, speaking into her ear. “Keep yourself alive. Please, whatever you do.”
“I will. You too.”
I let her go and nodded.
Emma went back into the group and explained the plan. Once word was sufficiently passed along, I motioned for them to follow.
We made our way downstairs, back down into the fighting. There were fewer women firing out the front as we made our way through the house and back into the kitchen. Kasia was on her feet, looking pale but determined.
“Ready?” she asked me.
“Are you?”
She grinned. “You’ll like what we have in store for you.”
“Where’s that path again?”
She pointed. “Straight back. It’s a bit overgrown now, but if you head for that tree with the forking arms, you’ll see it.”
“Got it.” I looked at Emma. “Tell the girls.”
As Emma relayed the next message, I scouted out the back window. There were fewer men back there, probably mainly meant just to keep us pinned inside as they slowly pushed in through the front.
Which was good and bad. It was good that the back was left weaker, but they did expect us to try to push out from there. The men in the back were likely farther in the woods, waiting.
Kasia was stalking along her fighters, cheering them on. Emma finished communicating with the girls, all of who looked fucking terrified as all hell.
I held up my weapon and steadied myself.
“Okay!” Kasia called out. “Brooks, you ready?”
“Roger that,” I said.
Kasia got this wicked fucking grin on her face. “Girls, light it the fuck up.”
Suddenly the fighters all began firing at once. Kasia held up her hand, keeping us in place as we gathered at the back door.
“Now!” she yelled.
Three fighters appeared at the windows with shoulder-mounted rocket launchers. I stared at them, shocked, as they fired the rockets out into the forest.
Explosions concussed the whole area, laying low trees. A fire raged out in the forest, and I could hear men screaming.
The fighters doubled down on their firing, filling the air with lead.
“Go, go, go!” Kasia yelled, throwing the door open.
I was the first one out. I had my rifle up, aiming forward, running like all hell. I could feel Emma and the girls on my heels, moving just behind me.
The backyard was a short slope of short grass. There was about twenty or thirty feet of open air before we got to the burning woods.
Bullets began to bite the air around me. I fired at the muzzle flashes I saw, but I couldn’t stop, couldn’t slow down. I went straight for the forked tree, searching for the path.
And I found it. The fires were raging on either side of the path, since clearly the fighters had aimed away from our escape route. I spotted a gun thug and fired a few rounds into him just as I burst into the forest and onto the path.