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"Any closer and I shoot," Wells snarled

Behind hi cracked "If that had been loaded, I’d have been quaking in my boots," caun and turned, letting the Protector in his arripped his throat, coughing, but knocked Wells’s shoulder in reply, , nice job

"Co round is finished"

The other novice Protectors picked their way out of their hiding spots in the forest and athered in a loose circle before pointing to Wells with a smirk

"You didn’t need to un That talks a lot louder than you do And a silentman If you talk, they’ll think they can talk too Talk you out of it Instead of warning the it with lightning speed "Just shoot"

He aier It clicked softly No arumbled "Not bad at all Which is more than I can say for the rest of you!" He turned to squint disgustedly at the others, stopping briefly at Kit, the Earthborn boy "You were stealthy, lad You and this one"--he nodded to Wells--"you’re starting to listen to Earth And She’s talking back Keep it up and you’ll be one of us, if Earth wills it"

"If Earth wills it," they all repeated

"Now get in line and prepare to run!"

Wells started sprinting away, knowing that Oak would catch up within seconds

Kit glanced at Wells over his shoulder as he jogged away, blinking twice, their signal that all was going as planned Kit and Eric had talked to all the other guys from their cae--everyone would play along and make the Protectors think they were on their side so their captors would let their guards down Then they would find the perfect tiht--if they were true believers or equally unwilling captives--but for now he and his friends were only speaking to the people they knew

Wells blinked back and Kit looked away, just as Oak fell in beside hiainst Earth’s soil," Oak snarled This was the call and repeat they had to do every tiiveness," Wells answered

"You eat Earth’s food"

"I thank Earth for Her bounty"

"Pledge yourself to Earth’s service"

Wells’s stohtened Here it came--the sucker punch--just like every ti the recruits weren’t ready to pledge themselves to Earth’s service, that they weren’t allowed And there was no sense in fighting it, not if they wanted the Protectors to believe they were buying this