Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 125037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
She turned her head toward Luther gesturing, every line of her body protesting. Diego took the shot, uncaring that she was adamantly opposed to the transmitter. Hell was about to rain down on them.
She had discipline, he had to give her that. She didn’t cover her neck or even jerk when the needle went in, but she did turn her head and flick a scowl at the side of the mountain where he was concealed. At the same time, she gave him the finger. It was an elegant movement, her gun in her fist, the finger riding the barrel. She looked beautifully defiant. Unexpectedly, he found himself smiling. A genuine smile. Strange that she could make him smile in such a dire situation.
He let out another shrieking cry, warning Luther to move toward one of his bolt-holes that would lead to the caverns. The moment Luther signaled to the women to retreat, to press back into the brush, a volley of shots rang out, the bullets spitting all around the three. Warrior Woman returned fire, and two of the enemy shooters went down. Diego took out three who were coming up behind them. Luther shot one soldier at nearly point-blank range and another as the soldier fired from the cabin roof.
Diego was certain the soldiers were attempting to herd the three to a specific spot with their gunfire. Warrior Woman must have thought so as well. She backed into another depression and scooted into deeper brush, angling away from Luther and the other woman. Diego could see her deliberately moving brush to keep attention centered on her. At the same time, she fired at the wave of soldiers spreading out to capture them.
Luther caught up to the other woman and ran, slinging her over his shoulder, staying low but firing rapidly at any soldiers he could see. Instantly a volley of shots rang out, returning the fire. Luther stumbled and nearly went down but kept moving, trying for one of his bolt-holes.
Diego shot three soldiers as they sprayed bullets at Luther and the girl on his shoulder. Warrior Woman spat bullets as well and two more soldiers went down. Movement up higher on the mountain, above the first wave of soldiers, caught his attention. The hawks in the sky screamed warnings at him.
More soldiers. Luther and the women didn’t stand a chance even with him picking off soldiers. He doubted they had time to escape into a bolt-hole. He continued firing, trying to give Luther cover, but the soldiers were swarming around him. Luther staggered, went down to one knee and gently deposited the girl on the ground. He leaned close to her, whispering something. She clutched his arm for a moment and then nodded before letting him go.
Diego knew immediately that Luther was going to try to make it to one of the entrances to the caves. By abandoning the young woman, he gave them both a chance to live. Luther had to believe the soldiers wouldn’t kill the girl, who had once again curled up in a ball. She waved him away, and Luther was up and running. Diego rapidly shot as many of the soldiers gunning for him as possible, but there were so many. Inevitably Luther went down, rolling and tumbling, leaving a trail of blood splotches until he disappeared in the higher grass surrounding a pile of boulders.
Diego shot one of the soldiers who shot Luther, but even as the bullet plowed through the man’s chest, a secondary spray of blood spewed close to the first. Warrior Woman had turned back and was firing as well. She seemed to be an excellent shot. When she tried to get to the other two, she was instantly cut off.
From his vantage point above them, he could see the soldiers swooping in on the young woman on the ground. They surrounded her, guns out, but she didn’t put up any resistance as they approached her. It didn’t appear she had any weapons on her, and it was apparent to anyone looking at her that she was violently ill.
They secured her and turned away from the firefight still waging between Warrior Woman and other soldiers. They began to run back toward the meadow. Diego had to let them go and turn his attention to aiding Warrior Woman. She was game, that was certain. She didn’t flinch from a fight, even though the odds were overwhelming.
Diego didn’t miss, and he was dropping the soldiers closest to her as quickly as possible. She had no choice but to move from the depression she was in and head up the mountain to evade the wave of soldiers. She couldn’t get to the other woman, and she probably had no idea where Luther had gone. He’d vanished, as was his way. There were times when Diego wondered if he could teleport. He knew a couple of men who could do so, but they’d been enhanced in ways he hadn’t thought Luther had been.