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

shoulder.
    I nod good-bye to Sven and he gives a quick bob of his head in return. If he’s afraid, he doesn’t show it. His face is oddly devoid of emotion, like only a clone can accomplish. In his mind he’s in the zone he was trained for. For that I’m grateful. I know I can rely on him to do whatever it takes to get Trout and the others safely out of here if need be.
    I peer into the distance at Izzy’s retreating back. As young as she is, somehow she’s found the grit to keep going, despite what happened to her parents. She’s determined to find her brother. The least I can do is follow in her footsteps, and reach inside for my own courage. I raise my flag and steel myself for whatever happens when I step out from behind the cover of the brush.
    A sudden pounding of hooves in the distance makes me lose my footing. The ramshackle flag flies from my grasp. A heavy hand grabs me from behind and yanks me back down beneath the undergrowth.
    “Riders!” Sven hisses at me.
    I flatten myself on my stomach and worm my way to the edge of the brush as two figures on black horses exit the city. They gallop straight toward Izzy, dust spiraling up from the horses’ hooves. My pulse races erratically as they draw ever closer to the tiny figure I swore to myself I’d protect. Suddenly, they veer apart, and the rider on the left swings low in the saddle and scoops Izzy up. She screams, shrill and brief. As if on cue, the horses turn sharply, barely breaking stride, and gallop back toward the city.
    It’s all over before I have time to process what happened. They took Izzy, but did they see me too? Have I put everyone in danger? Sven moved swiftly to pull me under cover, but there’s no way to know for sure if they spotted me or not.
    “Do you think they were Undergrounders?” Sven asks. “I couldn’t tell with the bandannas over their faces.”
    I shake my head. “I’ve never seen an Undergrounder ride like that.”
    I get to my feet and retrieve my pack.
    “They didn’t hurt Izzy, so that’s a good sign,” Sven volunteers.
    “It doesn’t mean she’s safe. And we’re not either. They’ll grill her to find out what they need to know about us. We have to lay out a plan in case they come back with more riders.”
    “If they’re Undergrounders and Izzy’s brother is with them, they’ll send help,” Trout says. “Maybe we should sit tight for now. Panju's in bad shape. It’s best not to move her unless we have to.”
    I throw a quick glance her way. “We’ve got to get her inside the city. It’s her only hope. I say we split up. Sven and I will take Panju and go after Izzy. If the situation turns hostile, the rest of you can still get out of here.”
    “Sven can’t go with you,” Jakob says, frowning. “His size is a red flag that he’s not one of us. He’ll put you and Panju in danger of getting shot at before you have a chance to explain our situation. I’ll go instead.”
    Trout raises his brows at me. “Jakob’s right. You don’t want that sentry getting trigger happy before you have a chance to plead your case.”
    I hesitate before responding. Jakob gives me a loaded look that’s asking why I picked Sven over him to begin with. We always promised each other we’d be together at the end, and we might just be walking into it.
    “Panju's pulse is weakening,” Jakob adds, quietly.
    Sven turns to me. “What do you want to do?”
    I avert my eyes and suck in a silent breath. “Okay, Jakob and I will take Panju. We’ll circle around and enter the town from the west. That way if they send out riders to intercept us, they won’t stumble on the rest of you.”
    “We’ll wait here ’til dark,” Trout says.
    Jakob adjusts the coats covering Panju. We pick up the stretcher between us taking care not to roll her to one side.
    Rummy gives a curt nod as we pass by. “No soldier left behind, eh?”
    I give a stiff grin. His words have a hollow ring to a guilty conscience like mine, and he knows