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Were any of them prepared to take up a life on Third? And where the hell would they go once they rescued the prisoners?
He took a moment to gather his thoughts, looking the team over. He had a full minute before the timing was right to blow the prison grid wall. “We have a decision to make. Do we move forward or do we stay on Second?”
Owen, brows furrowed, spoke in a resonant voice, “We have people to rescue. Nothing else matters.”
A murmured assent traveled the group.
Duncan dipped his chin. “Then we’re all in agreement?”
A shout went up from each of the team members, a shared accord reminding Duncan why he loved the committed heart of the warrior as much as he did, male or female.
He turned around to face the grid wall.
He reverted to telepathy, his grayle power vibrating strongly in his chest. We’ll be about fifteen yards west of Yolanthe’s Militia Warrior force. As soon as we bust down the wall, turn to your right and fire with shotguns, then attack with swords.
He reloaded his shotgun and heard the others doing the same.
Aloud, he said, “On my mark.” He could feel the team behind him, energy sparking from warrior to warrior. Rachel stood at his left. She’d spent the time at the portal folding dagger after dagger from the dead wreckers into her hands and wiping them down with a cloth from her dagger belt. Her sheaths were loaded once more.
Glancing at her, he said, “We’ll need you in the back.”
She obeyed his order instantly and moved to stand on Endelle’s left.
When the vision neared the here-and-now, he shouted, “Fire up the shotguns. Here we go.” As soon as his wing-power flowed down his shoulder and charged his weapon, he cried out, “Fire!”
Eight shotguns let loose and the darkening grid wall fell down.
Leading the way, Duncan saw the prisoners hanging from chains and staring at him. He immediately shifted to the right, turned, and let loose with the other barrel. The team moved into position firing as he had, lining up to face the enemy.
Yolanthe’s warriors were caught unprepared. The front rows of warriors were blown to bits and fell back against those awaiting the black ops team in the wrong place. Setting his shotgun down, he advanced swiftly, sword aloft, a cry raging from his throat.
Joshua and Merl ran next to him on either side. Several of Yolanthe’s warriors climbed over the bodies, swords in the air as well, two of them levitating.
With his grayle power in full force, Duncan folded and came up behind one warrior, slicing across his back. He arched and fell to the floor.
Duncan whirled and met a blade coming down hard. He blocked, leaned then delivered a hard punch to the ribs. His foe lost control of his sword as he reacted to the blow. Duncan slipped a dagger from his harness and drove it deep into his belly, pulling up at the same time.
The warrior went down.
He had no time to breathe as the next bastard levitated over Duncan. Holding his sword in both hands, Duncan kicked off with his back foot and slid low to swing his sword against the warrior’s legs.
The shout of agony as the man came down, one leg partially severed, rang along the line of cells. Merl’s What-Bee team, still in chains, roared their approval.
Yolanthe’s warriors kept coming and Duncan folded once more and came up swinging.
~
In the relatively narrow hallway, Rachel remained deep in the background. Her dagger-throwing could easily catch one of her teammates, so she waited for an opening. Mostly she watched Endelle, who kept levitating and taunting Yolanthe’s warriors, drawing those out who could levitate high into the air since the prison had a tall ceiling. Her costume lulled her male opponents into looking for a quick kill, but each met his death at her superior swordsmanship.
“Are you the one called Rachel?”
Rachel turned around. The sweet, melodious voice had to belong to the woman in the lavender veil who now stood presse
d against her cell bars, trying to catch sight of the battle. She wouldn’t have much luck since each cell had solid stone walls and the bars faced the opposite wall.
Rachel felt pulled in Katlynn’s direction and moved to her. “I am. And you’re Merl’s sister, Katlynn, right?”
“Yes. Is Merl with you?” She peered down the hall. “I can’t make out the warriors since the veil mars my sight just enough and the wall obscures the rest.”
