Blood Moon by Gwendolyn Harper (books for students to read .TXT) 📕

hold on t’each other now,” he said gently. “We’re gonna run as fast as we can towards that—”

The back door to the hall flew open with a bang, and heavy bootsteps echoed as guards rushed in.

Dropping low, Booker shielded the little girl’s head with one hand while waving the kids on with the other. They couldn’t stop. They had to keep going.

Hiding behind a pillar, Caitlin and Nathaniel held their breath.

“I know you’re in here,” a man shouted. “You think you can break into our community and not be found?”

Ducking beneath tables and gurneys, the children crawled towards the front door as quietly as possible.

One of the guards flipped a tray of medical equipment, metal instruments clattering to the ground. “I’ll string you goddamn scavengers up and gut you like pigs!”

Nathaniel grabbed Caitlin’s arm, trying to pull her back the way they came.

“We have to get them out of here,” she whispered harshly.

Another guard shot into the ceiling, and the children screamed in terror.

“Those brats are our property,” the man yelled, circling one of the tables.

Clean cut, middle aged, and in a uniform different from the other guards, Caitlin guessed he held a position of authority, not just in the militia but the whole camp.

Nathaniel knelt down, motioning for the children to come towards him.

Caitlin counted as they hurried on their hands and knees.

Three, plus the little girl Booker was holding.

Arching her neck, she tried to see where he was but couldn’t spot him among the machines and benches.

More gunfire sent drywall plaster raining down, and the kids covered their mouths to keep from screaming.

“Tell you what… Give us back what’s ours, and maybe we’ll go easy on you,” the man said, voice cold and taunting.

The little three-year-old girl came scooting out from behind a chair several feet away, running towards the rest of the group.

“There!” He yelled. “Get her, bring her back!”

A roar and a crash of metal erupted from the middle of the room.

One guard fired, but his curse was cut short with a sickening snap of vertebrae.

Bang.

Bang.

Enraged yelling followed by a violent brawl, fists and elbows landing in vital places.

“Caitlin, c’mon, we have to go,” Nathaniel said, already ushering the kids out of the door.

“No,” she told him.

Men were shouting over top of each other as the fighting continued.

“Caitlin, we can’t stay here.”

From around the pillar she could see Booker struggling with one of the guards, trying to wrestle his assault rifle away from him.

“Take the kids,” Caitlin said, staring over her shoulder at Nathaniel. “Go. Don’t wait.”

“Caitlin—”

“Now, Nathaniel,” she snapped.

Raising her weapon, she aimed for the lighting fixture above the guards.

Easy now, don’t squeeze the trigger too soon. Line it up, that’s it. Wait until you’re sure, and—

Caitlin fired and glass showered the room, momentarily stunning the men.

It gave Booker a second head start.

Yanking the rifle away, Booker slammed the butt of it against the guard’s temple, sending him to the ground in an unconscious heap.

Twelve minutes.

Scanning the room as best she could, she scowled. Where had the commander gone?

Just as Booker spun, ready to take on the last of the group, a pistol’s safety clicked, and he froze.

“Well, I’ll be damned.”

Stepping forward, with his weapon aimed for Booker’s chest, the man chuckled.

“Been a long time, gunny. Shame it had to be like this.”

Time stopped.

To Be Continued…

Our heroes return in the final installment, Bloody Sunset, in 2020