Free Planet Urth: The Savage Lands (Book 2) by Jennifer Martucci, Christopher Martucci Page B

the shed holding my weapons.  I run as fast as my legs will take me and do not stop until I am standing before the metal cabinet I saw earlier.  I fumble with the key s, frantically trying each until I find the one that fits. 
    “Come on! Come on!” I whisper hurriedly as I turn the key in the lock. 
    When the door swings open, I nearly cry out with joy.  But time for celebration does not exist for me.  I have my spear, my dagger, my sword and Will’s club when two men round the corner and head my way.  I dart off in another direction as I see them begin to run.  I drop everything except my sword.  I clutch it tightly, excited to be armed again and looking forward to fighting the first man who confronts me. 
    These men are no better than Urthmen.  They abuse women and children. They are monsters in their own right. 
    The first man arrives, armed.  He is clutching a sword as well.  He rushes me and wields it like an ax, chopping down.  I deflect his labored swing easily then slice the air horizontally.  The edge of my blade drags across his throat, cutting it deeply.  The man’s weapon clangs to the ground just as another, familiar man approaches.
    I recognize Ross immediately.  Ross . I spit his name in my mind like venom.  He is the one who duped us into surrendering our weapons.  He is the one who likes little girls.  My body begins to tremble with fury. 
    “Boy, you’re beautiful when you’re mad,” he wheezes.  He is breathing heavy from running and makes the first move, hefting his blade clumsily.  I sidestep his swing easily and pause for a moment, staring at him.  He awkwardly attempts to slice me a second time, but again, I avoid being hit with ease. 
    “What’s the matter?” I toy with him.  “You can’t handle a woman who fights back, you fat boart!”
    He takes another lazy swipe, winded and red-faced.  Only this time, I do not toy with him.  I move in for the kill.  I cleave the air with all my might, driving the blade laterally, and open him at his gut.  His weapon falls seconds before his innards spill. 
    I turn and take comfort in knowing that Ross is out of commission, that at least the female children in the compound will be safe for the time being, and sheathe my dagger and spear then pick up Will’s club.  I clutch it in one hand and my spear in the other.  I take off toward the hut in which June, Will, Riley and Oliver sleep.  When I catch sight of our hut in the distance, I see Jay, Tal and his father standing outside.  A torch has been lit.  In the firelight, I see that Will has been dragged from his sleep sack.  He is on the ground.  Tal hovers over him with the tip of his sword dangerously close to Will’s chest. 
    I unsheathe my spear from my back and summon every muscle in my body to be strong and precise.  Then I hurl it with all my might.  It flies through the night and cuts the air, never stopping until it stabs through the center of Tal’s throat. 
    The momentum of my spear causes Tal to lurch backward.  His weapon falls and he staggers a moment, stunned before he frantically tries to dislodge the object from his neck.  I see it in a blur as I run full speed toward Will, see his legs cave from beneath him then his body flop back.  I don’t stop, though, and immediately toss Will his club.  Oliver is on the ground unconscious and the girls are huddled together crying. But I cannot attend to any of them yet.  Will grips his club.
    “Oliver, are you all right?” he calls to his brother.  But Oliver does not answer.  “What’s happening?” he asks.
    My shoulder is touching his and I do not take my eyes off either Jay or Tal’s father.  “They were going to kill you and Oliver and do some sick things to June, Riley and me, weren’t you?” I address the men. 
    Jay laughs cruelly.  “We still are,” he says.  “What makes you think you’re getting out of here?”
    Tal’s father licks his lips and calls for Ross and two