Free The Hungry 5: All Hell Breaks Loose (The Sheriff Penny Miller Series) by Steven Booth, Harry Shannon Page A

brunette just didn’t sit well. She tried to shrug it off. Hell, he might even be right. Maybe he should go make friends. But she knew she was pushing it with two attempts to subvert the enemy. Three was bound to blow up in their face.
    Miller couldn’t believe the frivolousness of her thoughts. She could work out her relationship with Scratch later, when death wasn’t floating overhead at two thousand feet or waiting right around the corner with semi-automatic rifles and stun grenades.
    The drones moved to the west and were soon almost out of sight. Miller checked on Sheppard, who was quietly whispering to Brandon. He looked up and nodded. Miller was surprised. She didn’t expect he’d have been able to gain Brandon’s trust so quickly. Had she underestimated Sheppard—or overestimated Brandon?
    One down.
    Rat came back to stand next to Miller.
    “No dice,” she said. “But I managed to get his weapon away from him.”
    Miller nodded imperceptibly, but didn’t allow herself to smile or react in any way. “Do you think he suspects anything?” she whispered.
    “Nope.”
    Miller lifted her pry bar.
    Gary said, “Okay, the drones are gone now, it’s all clear.”
    After a moment, Jennifer, Shane, and Allison stepped forward, followed closely by Gary. No one else moved.
    “Sorry, this is where we get off,” said Miller.
    Gary looked surprised. He reached for his pocket, presumably to produce the hidden pistol. Miller stepped in close. Her eyes went bright with rage when she put the hook of her pry bar under his chin. “Don’t do that.”
    Allison and Jennifer dropped their tools with a clatter, but didn’t even have time to reach for their weapons. Both Sheppard and Rat produced very serviceable-looking guns of their own. Sheppard had a Glock and Rat now held what looked a lot like a silver-plated Firestar. Brandon had crossed over to the good guys, as she had hoped.
    Gary, Allison, Shane, and Jennifer immediately raised their hands.
    “These tunnels lead north quite a ways, if I remember my local lore,” Miller said. “You’re going to show us how to get of here safely.”
    “No,” said Gary. “I won’t.”
    “Okay,” said Miller. “Rat, Sheppard, get ready to shoot one of them.”
    Allison and Jennifer visibly blanched. Shane looked like he was ready to wet himself.
    Gary didn’t blink, but he didn’t drop his hands either. “You’re bluffing. You won’t shoot me.”
    “You’re right,” Miller sighed. “I’d rather not.”
    She stepped forward and whacked Gary in the kneecap with the pry bar. The bone cracked like a piece of plastic.
    “Son of a bitch!” Gary fell down. He grabbed his knee with both hands and rocked back and forth. He wailed like a paid mourner.
    Allison and Jennifer panicked and turned to run. Sheppard quickly raised his pistol and shot Allison in the leg. She went down, hard. She cried out, and quickly dragged herself behind a large rock. A small trail of blood led right to her position. Meanwhile, Jennifer and Shane disappeared into the far tunnel.
    Rat turned to Brandon. “Okay, kid, how long before they bring help?”
    “Not long,” said Brandon. “I can show you the way out. But you have to take me with you. They’ll kill me for betraying them.”
    Miller looked Brandon straight in the eye. “You get us out of here, and we’ll do what we can. But you have to do your part first.”
    Brandon turned to face Sheppard, not Miller. “Thanks for trusting me, Karl.”
    Sheppard frowned a little. “Thanks for helping us out.”
    Brandon reached out sideways for Sheppard’s hand. Sheppard looked down at it like it was a snake about to bite him. He looked around at the others, then directly at Miller. She nodded. They weren’t out of this yet, and it was better if the kid thought Sheppard was into him. Hell, maybe he was. But none of it mattered if they didn’t get the hell out of there, and pretty damned pronto.
    Sheppard put his hand in Brandon’s, squeezed