Egon left the water station. He drove for several minutes, following the faint traces, until they got stronger, more recent. Then, he hid the vehicle behind a collapsed building and cut the engine. He grabbed a rifle, two extra mags, and a single MRE before continuing on foot. Silence matters more than speed.
For nearly an hour, he moved between the empty building. Close enough to the streets to see the traces, yet far enough to stay undetected. Eventually, he reached the center of the city.
The Villa in the center, loomed over it's surroundings. A grand mansion designed to accommodate the most esteemed of guests.
Six military vehicles parked outside it, twice the size of the one they used to get into the city. He recognized them. They were the same model once used by his own unit to guarded the shelter. Yet his entire unit was dead. at least, he believed so. That left only two possibilities: either some of his comrades had survived, which is unlikely, or outsiders had claimed the area as their own. He was no stranger to times without laws; they always bred wanna-be conquerors, staking their claims over whatever they could seize.
The walls of the mansion rose 10 meters high. Even in decay, their white tiles Still retained their pristineness. But what drew his eyes were the symbols. Each pure white wall bore a massive maroon-red circle with a black dome split by a jagged central crack.
The shade of red was familiar. After a moment, he recognized it for what it was, even from a 100 meters away—blood, darkened and hardened with age. He had seen it too many times not to know.
Above the villa, flags moved in the silent wind. Red fields, white circles, and the same fractured dome in black. It was clear. The place was occupied. A new order had already declared itself.
Using his radio transmitter, Egon contacted Alfred, reporting what he'd seen. He told him to bring weapons, equipment, and Wagner. The more men, the better, as the magnitude of the danger they faced, was unknown.
Egon took shelter in a building about 100 meters from the villa. Through the scope of his G-28 sniper rifle, he observed the mansion. Hours passed. Dusk began to descend. The city darkened. Nothing moved.
Yet, he remained vigilant, every creak of the ruins around him tightening his grip on the rifle. However, with darkness fast approaching, and the time nearing 5 PM, he choose the wiser call. He withdrew the way he had come. Back to the water station.