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The fire directed at the kitchen area stopped and Dianne used the opportunity to poke the barrel of her rifle through a gap in the splintered boards and fire back The fire was azine she heard a cry of pain and withdrew, satisfied with at least wounding one of the attackers

Wounding one of the six would only go so far They were spread out, had apparently brought enough ammunition to keep up a continuous streae over those in the house As Dianne ejected her spentand felt in her pockets for a fresh one, the ed off by Nealson’s men flashed across her mind It was immediately followed by the re taken because they had h the tunnel

The tunnel She looked over at the kitchen, where the door to the base and then looked upward and shouted at the top of her lungs “Mark! Jason! I have to run an errand!”

“An errand?” Mark’s eyes widened as he looked over at Jason “What’s she talking about?”

“No idea,” Jason shook his head before taking a few h the woods “Your ot a plan up her sleeve”

Mark stood up fro behind a dresser and pulled back the bolt on his rifle He inched along the wall before holding the gun out at ar blindly out into the drive The recoil frorip on it as he tried to find a target without taking shots hilass instead of the gravel drive, and though he couldn’t see it, he had driven back two of Nealson’sup to make a run for the front door of the house

“Whatever she’s doing, I hope it works” Mark squeezed back into his spot behind the dresser and flinched as azine on his rifle as he tried to keep a calm, stoic face, but Jason could see quite clearly that the teen was terrified beyond belief Terrified for his family, for himself, for what had happened and what could happen in the near or far future if they

“Chin up, lad” Jason sh this”

“Move, move!” Dianne practically flen into the base every rule she had set for the children when it cah still in pain and unable toherself, watched Dianne with eyes that were still sharp and focused

“Dianne” Her voice was soft, but still possessed strength

“H and re the chains around the tunnel doors

“Be safe out there”

Dianne pulled open the doors and took a few steps down before turning and nodding at Tina “I will Sarah, get them into the tunnel and then lock it behind you, okay? Don’t co look at Jacob and Josie, Dianne descended the rest of the stairs and took off at a run down the tunnel

Chapter 17