A great horn sounded, like the coming of the cavalry when all’s been lost. The orc-men skidded to a halt. Milly kept firing and emptied the Glock in her rage. She pulled the trigger long after the magazine was spent, the tap of the hammer striking the empty chamber echoing in the stillness.
Shots came from everywhere, and Tye twirled his bolas and let it fly, striking home and taking out a viral. The beasts bolted in every direction like roaches under a klieg light.
Tye breathed out and relaxed. The newcomers weren’t shooting at them.
The blow caught him by surprise. He staggered, reacting too late, and fell. A giant man with a long brown beard stood over him.
Then Tye saw his mother looking down at him. “Sleep now, baby, it’ll be all right.”
Tye Rantic out.
Chapter Thirteen
Year 2068, Southern Texas
When Tye went down, and then Vera, a bloodlust flowed through Milly like she’d never experienced. She stuck the Glock in her pants, pulled free her club, and pivoted on the balls of her feet, scanning the sagebrush. Next to her a bull snake sat coiled around a branch, watching her with dead black eyes.
What would she do without Tye?
“Don’t shoot. We don’t want to hurt you.” The voice was deep, male, and filled with truth. Milly believed it. She squinted, pain running down her spine. Why did she believe?
Silence.
“Tell that to my friends,” Jerome yelled.
“This one’s not dead.” A female voice, but harsh and smoke worn.
Milly searched for the source of the voice, trying to determine who the woman was referring to, but saw no signs. She moved through the sagebrush, keeping low, searching.
“This one is.” The voice was close to her. Beyond the underbrush, a teenage boy stood over Vera’s bloody body. Milly ran toward her fallen friend.
“Halt!”
“It’s OK.” A female voice, fresh and understanding.
Vera’s neck was torn open, and her abdomen spilled blood and intestines. Her eyes were open, and she stared at the sky, already looking into the next world.
Peter pulled up behind her and almost fell. When he saw Vera, he said, “One little Soldier Girl left all alone; she went out and hanged herself and then there were none. God speed old friend.”
Then hands were on her, and they took Milly’s club and Peter’s axe and herded them forward like cattle. They reached a clearing where Robin and Jerome huddled together. Two men dressed in patchwork clothing had guns pointed at them. Tye lay on the ground, unconscious. Hansa was gone.
A big man with a long brown beard approached Milly, and took the Glock, examining it as he smiled. “Nice gun. You can call me Grady. Where’s the little girl?” he said.
Milly searched around her again, panic filling her. Tye hadn’t moved. More men and women joined them in the clearing, and before long, twenty people were staring at Milly. “I don’t know,” she said. She owed these people. They’d saved her life. Then there were the guns. “Can I tend to my friend?”
“You should focus on me now, sweetie,” Grady said.
Milly struggled to break free, but the dark bearded men held her tight.
“Live one,” Grady said. “We saved your asses. You owe me a few answers. Yeah?”
Milly nodded.
“Where you coming from?”
“Respite,” Milly said.
“And where might that be?” Agitation growing in Grady’s voice.
“It’s an island,” Milly said.
“How did you get here?”
“On a boat. Then we walked,” Milly said. “My turn now. Who are you people?”
“Go tend to your friend,” Grady said.
Milly and Peter were allowed to go to Tye. “Water. Water, please,” Milly said.
A young woman with short blonde hair and keen blue eyes screwed the lid off a mason jar and handed it to her. Tye looked fine, if a little piqued. Dark rings hung beneath his eyes, and a thin trickle of blood ran from a lump on his head. She poured water onto his face and after a few seconds he sputtered awake.
Milly wiped the blood away with a rag, dabbed his forehead, and said, “You know I’m your boss, right?”
Tye laughed. “I’m all here. No worries.” He sat up.
The blonde woman turned to the man next to her and said, “Get him some food and a little beer. Tina, you have any aspirin powder on you?”
Grady joined them. “So you want to tell us now where the girl is?”
Milly looked up at him. “I don’t understand. She was with us when we were attacked. You saw more than I did after that.”
“Was her name Hansa?” the blonde haired woman said.
Milly and Tye exchanged glances.
“We know of her. She’s an exile,” Grady said. “She couldn’t live in the compound, so she lives in the wilderness alone, catching people in her web and helping those she deems worthy find us. Kat here knew her well.” Grady pointed at the woman with the short blonde hair. “They were friends when they were little kids.” A crooked smile split his face.
“She understands why she’s exiled, if that’s what you’re wondering,” Kat said.
“Why?” Peter said.
“How long were you with her?” Kat said.
“Over a year,” Tye said.
“Well then, you know perfectly well why. Can you walk?” Kat said.
Tye nodded and Milly and Peter helped him up.
“We’re going to hold onto your weapons for now. We’re bringing you back with us, and until Gerral rules on your status, you’re prisoners. Don’t worry, we’ll treat you well.” Robin and Jerome joined them. “My people have dug a hole for your person, if you’d like a few minutes, or they can handle it. Your call.”
“Thank you,” Milly said. “We’ll do it.” She was confused.
