The next morning, I leave as planned for another area. No regrets. Just a friendly kiss on Blaise's cheek and a desperate text to Mélia who doesn't give a damn about me and who confirms me about Naya and Damien. What an idiot Damien is. I didn't ask for anything. Mélia half reassures me by saying that their couple was already in trouble. On the other hand, Clarissa has no remorse. She's always been a bitch. Thibaut was too good for her. I hope he will find someone else, just like Blaise, he too deserves a nice girl who will take care of him and fill his need for tenderness. He needs a kissing machine. I'll get him one.

This time, I have a mission I'm excited about. Exfiltrate a group of survivors stuck in the middle of a heavily contaminated area. One of the last ones actually. The bacteria is dying out due to lack of food. The remaining humanoid survivors are all quite cautious and new contaminations are low. As for the animals, only those protected by humans or small herbivores are left and they flee the contaminated areas for the healthy ones. They follow the human reconquest at a good distance and recolonize the clean lands. I even had the pleasure of seeing deer and hinds frolicking in a clean forest.

Let us return to the mission. The chopper drops us off on the grass of a stadium. We have to find the survivors. We know that they are there because we saw signs of recent human activity and SOS written on the ground, only, we could not get in contact with them. While we explore the city, the chopper will drop toxic packages in as many places as possible. To attract the zombies and kill as many as possible tonight. It will return to look for us at nightfall except contrary indication by radio.

We are in the area where we have detected the most activity and SOS. I am the mission leader. We inspect the buildings one by one. Simple technique. We throw out a bait, then shoot on sight at whatever is throwing itself at us. Seven buildings and still no survivor in sight. On the other hand, a dozen infected wiped out. We pull their bodies out into the sun and drop poison on them as we go. I'm angry not to find anything. The survivors have hidden themselves well. I suddenly have an intuition when I see a school with barred windows and high entrance gates. No human tracks, but the building is human zombie-proof.

I signal to the others. I move forward and throw out some bait. Nothing moves nearby. I spot rat traps with fresh bait. The area looks deserted. I hear some noise though. Killer has heard it too. He wags his tail. He wants to go back and waits for me to allow him. He does not seem to perceive any danger. On the contrary, he is joyful. What did he hear or feel that makes him so happy? I warn my soldiers. I am going to take a risk. Break our silence. If Killer is in a good mood, there must be a reason. I take off my military helmet to reveal my face. I leave my assault rifle with a soldier. I still have my pistol and knives, and especially my most effective weapon, Killer.

I get back on my guard. I start to speak softly. I say that I am not dangerous, that I am coming to save them. I am babbling. I hear crying and talking in low voices. Very small voices. High-pitched and faint. Killer gets into a playful position. He's clowning around. The doubt I had about the type of survivors is quickly confirmed. Then I see a little girl, no more than four years old, come forward. She is in tears and clutching a blanket tightly.

Killer covers her with licks to stop her crying. I immediately get down on my knees in a reassuring position. The little girl comes into my arms. Little by little, as I calm her down while examining her, I see about forty kids between four and ten years old and ten teenagers of about fifteen years old coming forward. The teenagers are armed however, one sees well that they do not know how to use it too much except one. Only I know her. I love her almost as much as Melia. I was told she was dead.

- KATIA.

I look at the girl in disbelief. She is there in front of me. Taller, skinnier and not in great shape. It is her. I am sure of it. The girl observes me too. She doubts my identity.

- Katia, my dear. It's me, Megane. It's over my darling. It is me. I am there.

Fifty children hid in their school, protected by their older brothers and sisters. Katia is crying her eyes out. She breaks down. She tells me everything that has happened since our last contact. She was not in her house when it was bombed during the war. Her parents are dead, but not her. She also thought I was dead by then.

Katia was trained by Papinou when she was on vacation in the summer. From the beginning of the war, she followed Richard's guide that I had sent her. She picked up one of our messages with the latest information. Katia was the babysitter of a little girl. She turned the school into a bunker. She put music and lights everywhere. She stored food in the cold room. Katia made food raids for everyone, in the midday sun, at the supermarket with a van.

She called for help as she could. Katia protected the children during all this time, like a mother, as I would have done at the same age. She followed Richard's recommendations to the letter. She used the fighting techniques that Papinou had taught her. She acted like a military woman, carefully, protecting and taking only limited risks. She and I are so much alike. Except that her parents were good people.

I congratulate her. I tell her what happened to me and Melia. The government letter saying they found her body in the rubble of her parents' house. The attacks. The deaths. The survival. The farmhouse. My friends found. Mathilde. I tell her everything. I want her to know that now I will take care of her. Now she can rest.

I take her to safety, with all the children. I take the time to calm them all down. They are crying. Half with joy, half with fear. I put aside my soldier side to show them my mother side. I am invaded by little ones who want a hug. Killer gives out licks. He makes the youngest laugh. Katia certifies me that the children do not have any wound. She checks them every morning. Children and teenagers alike.

My soldiers return at my request. They removed their hoods and lowered their weapons. They are reassuring, benevolent. We put the children on a school bus. One of the men knows nursery rhymes and keeps them occupied while the others pack the teenagers. We act quickly. We take the children and all their toys to the stadium. I warned the helicopter which is ready for a return.

In small groups, we take them to safety. One soldier, five children. I warned the HQ. Some women welcome them and put them all together in a large dormitory. We hide the weapons as much as possible. The children are reassured by my presence. Katia told them in the evening how strong her cousins were. They had persuaded them that one day her cousins would come and get them. My presence is like a fairy tale come true. Even for the teenagers.

I demand to have the children repatriated to Papinou's old farm, two kilometers from the farmhouse. They are traumatized. They need a reassuring cocoon to stop their nightmares. I refuse that they are locked up for their quarantine. They are afraid of adults. They are afraid of guns. Melia and I will keep them without visible weapons. Three Kawai offered to help despite the risk. Naya also joins us. When the transit bus drops them off the day after their exfiltration, Mélia has already turned Papinou's estate into a resort for kids.