Free Tara The Great [Nuworld 2] by Lorie O'Claire Page B

the laser. Darius pulled his weapon as well.
     
    “That’s not the dog-woman,” she whispered to him. “Something is very wrong
    here.”
     
    At that moment, light flooded the room. The dog-woman and all her candles
    disappeared. Another door banged open.
     
    Tara and Darius didn’t hesitate. Firing their lasers simultaneously, they blanketed
    the entrance with fire. Anyone on the other side would not be able to see them until
    they stepped into the line of fire.
     
    Darius set his laser to automatic fire and pulled an Eliminator from underneath his
    robe.
     
    Tara was shocked that he’d brought it. At this particular moment, however, she was
    also elated. He manipulated the Eliminator until he held it comfortably in one hand.
    Tara reached over to take his laser from him, which he willingly gave up. She covered
    him, holding both lasers at the door, firing at will.
     
    Darius leapt to the center of the floor, landing on his belly. He aimed the Eliminator
    straight into the open doorway and fired.
     
    A huge explosion followed. Screams and echoed cries filled the small room. Tara
    moved over Darius, to cover him if necessary. The two of them looked down a long
     

 
    hallway as the ball of fire from the Eliminator rolled toward an unknown destination.
    They strained to see through the falling rock, raised dust, and smoke, but couldn’t
    determine how many people were in the passage, though they realized many bodies
    were falling, appearing as shadows through the thick haze of smoke. Some fell into the
    room.
     
    An entire army had been sent to capture them, using the guise of the dog-woman as
    a trap.
     
    “Let’s go!” Darius grabbed Tara and bolted toward the door leading to the street.
     
    Their chances for escape were minimal. Both of them knew that. They ran down the
    street, this time in the direction of the entrance into the large cavern, with the city of
    Korth on fire around them.
     
    One glance over their shoulders told them a large number of soldiers chased them.
    More soldiers appeared in front, forcing them to a stop.
     
    They were surrounded.
     
    Men and women in dark brown uniforms, stood attentive with long black pistols
    pointed at the two foreigners.
     
    “I shouldn’t be so surprised by this demonstration of your abilities,” a tall robed
    man spoke as he moved through the soldiers to stand within ten feet of Darius and
    Tara. “Your reputations precede you.”
     
    An equally tall woman came up from behind the man. Her pale skin looked like
    death as the hood of her cape hung around her face. She walked into the circle of
    guards and stood before Darius and Tara.
     
    “I’ll admit it’s an honor to have captured you. For a second, it appeared we
    wouldn’t be able to do it.” The woman smiled a toothy smile as if she had just
    pleasantly introduced herself. “Get them out of here,” she said, still smiling.
     

 
    Chapter Seven
     
     
     
    A half-dozen guards surrounded Darius and Tara and took their weapons, before
    forcing them back the way they’d come.
     
    Tara looked around as their small procession marched down the street. Piles of
    rubble stood where buildings once had been. The air smelled of burnt rubber, possibly
    electrical fires, and smoke from the explosions. The stench clogged her senses.
     
    Tara studied the piles of rock and small fires that so recently had been a functioning
    city. The citizens of Korth seemed to have disappeared, or at least watched in hiding.
    The streets were barren except for the horde of soldiers escorting their captives.
     
    A hallway similar to the one Tara and Darius had left in rubble appeared at the end
    of the street. Tara wondered how many of these lit hallways disappeared into the rocks.
    Two guards led them into it while the remaining troops marched behind them. Tara
    could only assume the man and woman in charge brought up the rear.
     
    Her sore arm had been nudged repeatedly by the guard’s pistols. Her ribs had