Free Embattlement: The Undergrounders Series Book Two (A Young Adult Science Fiction Dystopian Novel) by Norma Hinkens

person.”
    “Where?”
    “Tall building to the far left with the window frames ripped out, top floor, just inside the doorway.”
    I take the binoculars from his outstretched hand and focus in on the building he’s pointing to. At first I don’t see anyone, but then a shadowy movement catches my eye. A tall figure comes into view, a gun dangling from his shoulder. “I see him! He’s armed.”
    “I’m guessing he’s the sentry,” Trout says. “He’s got a bird’s eye view of anyone approaching or leaving the city from up there.”
    “Then he’ll be an ace shot. We’ll have to find a more indirect route in.”
    I feel a sudden tug on my sleeve and look down to see Izzy peering up at me. “I wanna see my brother!”
    I lean down and squeeze her bony shoulder. “You will, I promise. Just be patient a little longer.”
    She jams her thumb between her lips and saunters over to pet Tucker, who’s keeping a watchful eye on Rummy and Won.
    I let out a relieved sigh, thankful she has a diversion so I can think this through properly. “Let’s go over our options,” I say motioning everyone to sit down. “We’ve established that there are people living here. We just don’t know who, yet.”
    Sven bars his arms across his chest. “I can scope the place out. Find out how many sentries they have posted. Watch their movements for a few hours.”
    Jakob shakes his head. “We don’t have time for all that. Panju's lost too much blood.”
    “A couple of us could circle around behind the building the sentry is in and try and find another way in,” Trout says.
    “And then what?” I ask.
    “Go building to building until we find someone who’ll help us. Once they realize we’re not a threat, they’ll take us to whoever’s in charge.”
    I rub my hand across my forehead. “Except we don’t know for sure that they’re even Undergrounders. I like the idea of keeping the element of surprise, just as a precaution.”
    “Is too late for that!” Won says, jumping up. He gestures frantically over my shoulder with his bound hands.
    I scramble to my feet and spin around. My blood chills. A little girl in a tattered blue skirt is clambering over the rubble toward the city in full view of the sentry.

8
    A fist of fear slams my gut. I snatch the binoculars from Trout and focus in on the gutted doorway where we spotted the sentry. A flurry of activity breaks out there. Two—three figures in the doorway, another one skulking inside the concrete frame for cover. One of them points at Izzy. My legs almost buckle beneath me.
    “They’ve spotted her,” I say in a hushed tone. “There’s four of them up there now.”
    I pass the binoculars back to Trout in a daze. I was worried Izzy would complicate things, but I never anticipated anything like this. If something happens to her, I’m responsible. I’m the one who brought her here, who promised to get her safely to her brother.
    “They kill us now!” Won wails.
    Sven shoves him back down in the brush. “Keep your trap shut.”
    “He’s right,” Rummy says, throwing me a look of disgust. “You let that dang kid gave you the slip, and now our number’s up. She’s going after her brother, ain’t she?” He leers up at me. “Blood’s thick—least most o’ us feel that way.”
    I clench my fists and will myself to walk away. Rummy’s never going to let me forget that I left my brother behind. Not that I ever could blot out the memory. And now if something happens Izzy, I’ll have that on my conscience too.
    I shield my eyes from the morning sun, and study Izzy’s progress in the distance. I wish I had Sven’s enhanced vision. Without the binoculars it’s impossible to tell what’s happening in the lookout building, but it’s a fair bet to say they’re trying to decide what to do about Izzy. “What do you see, Sven?”
    He jerks his head in the direction of the building. “The sentry just gestured down at Izzy again.”
    “Looks to me like they’re