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"She’s not going alone," said Ronald He’d gone and suited up, too, only he’d added a flak jacket to his ense me one

I crouched behind the shield and put it on Jaear on as well

"Ready?" he asked, grinning from ear to ear "This is fun I feel like a cop"

"Fun until you feel a bullet," I ured we’d lookwithit up and stepping outside I waited for a few seconds to see if the strangers would do anything

"Are we going to go talk to them?" whispered Jamal

"I wanted to see if they’d shoot first," I whispered back

"If it were me, I’d wait until ere closer," said Ronald

"Good point," I said, ain Ronald and Jaot, the more confused I beca like they’d just gotten into a fight It was the blood and the ripped clothes that initially threwit difficult to identify thees hitdown ate

"Bryn!" yelled Ronald, "what are you doing?!"

Rob was holding Fohi up on one side, and another big guy was on Fohi’s other side

"Ohhere?" I yelled, desperately trying to find the right key to open the gate My hands were shaking and they kept slipping away

Jamal came up beside me and took theh the keys to find the right one

"I’uys at all"

"Yeah," said Rob "We’ve run into some trouble"

"But … but … Yokci’s here too," I said, not understanding "How coet in Fohi’s in bad shape I hope you have so down and his hand was resting lightly on his stoate and putting h the links "What happened to you?"

He lifted his head and tried to srimace His teeth were bloody "Got kicked a few ti to joke about it He started coughing and so it aith the back of his hand

Rob gaveand ate and let the?" I asked

"I hope so," said Rob "We couldn’t wait around to see as going on"

Ronald and I ushered the out the front door to help Jaround near Jenny, and Winky and Peter got to workhim comfortable I pulled Rob and Yokci over to the side, out of their way, and Bodo, the twins, and Gretchen and Bianca joined us

"So what the hell happened? Where’d you guys get jumped?" I asked

"Just outside Kahayatle Near the canoe rental place," said Rob

"You were there, too?" I asked Yokci

"Yeah I was helping the to coed "Probably eventually This just sped up the process"

"Who was it?" asked Gretchen "Soot ae came to their place, I think Plus some of their new friends"

"So they tracked us back there," I said, thinking out loud and feeling guilty as hell

"Dey already knew about da kids in da swamp Kiersten told me all about it She said your days were numbered Dat’s a funny expression I alwayss pictured a calendar with da days crossed off It’s spooky, really"

"Tell me about it," said Rob "We were ready to co to Kowi and Trip, and bam, there they were"

"Who else was hurt?" I asked, not sure I wanted the answer

"Lots of kids Several of theuns and lots of bullets Several of our tribe got away and went off to the ranches where we have the livestock We can’t afford to let theet to that stuff, otherwise life will become even more difficult I’et here," I said "We can protect people here"

"Well, that’s good news," said Yokci, "because here is where everyone’s co"

"What? Are you serious?" I asked

"Yeah Apparently, Trip had a change of heart for so He told us to tell you that you could come back anytime, but that if you didn’t, he and Koould send supplies And he also told everyone that anyone anted to come join you could"