Holding Down The Fort

Immediately, panic broke out in the camp, the mind link sparking with mania as everyone started to run, only taking what they had already packed. Though it would be expensive, the equipment could be replaced. If they were killed or captured, they couldn't be replaced. I grabbed up my bag and shrugged it on, the other three doing the same. Da suddenly came rushing in, grabbing the lock box of money and shoving it into the top of his rucksack. He looked at the three of us.

"Right, the children and the non fighters are going through the tunnels first, with a few fighters going with them to keep them going and secure the exit. If you lot want to go through with them, that's fine." He told us. It was an offer we were only given because we were his children, of that I had no doubt. Da would be the last through the tunnels to safety, even though he was getting older. His experience meant that he should really go first through the abandoned quarry shafts, to make sure that the hill they let out on was empty, but he was the leader. He wouldn't. I exchanged a look with Nathan and Gwenna, getting nods in answer to my unspoken question.

"Nah, we'll stay behind and help defend the quarry." I spoke for us, nodding at him. It was the way we always evacuated camp if we had pack wolves on our tails. A few of our stronger fighters would lead the weaker members of our group to safety while the bulk of us stayed behind and put up a fight. I could only remember staying behind to fight once before, when I was eleven, and it had been a long and bloody scrap. In truth, the only reason our trio had survived was because da had stayed close to us and stepped in whenever we were about to get our throats opened.

But here would be better. We were much older, with much more training and experience under our belts. Hell, I'd managed to take down an alpha in the time between. And if we were going to get ambushed by pack wolves in a camp in the middle of the night, this was probably the best camp to be in. The quarry was easily defended, especially if they were attacking in their fur and we were in our skins. And we had a clear exit plan; not just suddenly breaking from the fight and making a run for it. Last time, they had tracked us over the moors for two days before we got enough slack to slip into a town and loose them.

Though I did dread the quarry tunnels. I had only been through them once, as a child, on a dare, and it was one of only a few of my escapades that nearly cost me my life. Depending on how much rainfall there had been, the tunnels could flood, and the water would run icy cold even in the height of summer. I was a decent swimmer, thanks to my da continually chucking me into deep water until I figured out how to do it, but there was a difference to shallow rivers with your parent nearby and a pitch black tunnel with an uneven ceiling and a strong current.

I'd gotten carried away, hit my head, been separated from the others. I'd been conscious, but only just, and I'd gotten myself lost and stuck, half underwater. It hadn't taken the other two long to realise something was wrong and mind link me, or to then reach out and alert da, but it had taken him a fair while to reach me. By the time he got to me, I was halfway drowned and thoroughly exhausted. If it wasn't for wolf healing, it would have killed me. Navigating them again under duress wasn't very appealing.

"Ada, you should go through the tunnels. I'll meet you on the other side." Gwenna insisted, gently pushing her mate towards the stream of people heading for the way out. Ada shook her head and set her jaw, her stance firm.

"No. Absolutely not. If you're going to stay and fight, so I am." Her tone was hard and unyielding, eyes flashing with stubbornness and affection. I felt my opinion of her rise a notch or two. As I remembered it, she was always the first to flee from a fight, a true rogue. Maybe having a mate really could change you. It looked like Gwenna was going to argue, but da stepped in and spoke over any protests.

"Great, all four of you can help man the fort. You know the drill; we trap the exits and entrances, fight them off until everyone is out and safe, and then make our own escape. Natalia, help herd the last of the others into the quarry and see them safely down. Nathan, I want you to feel out and try to figure out how many of them there are. If you can figure out who their leader is, attack them with everything you have. Gwenna, I want you to start tying wires and traps to the entrances that aren't being used, and barricade those that can be barricaded. Ada, I want you to scatter weapons about, make sure everyone is armed with at least a club and a blade. Don't touch the guns; we only have three of them, I'll decide who gets them. Only the best shot, because at the last count we had ten bullets and we need to be conservative with them. Go on then, don't just stand around!" He instructed, snapping at us to make us hurry into action.

I was quick to rush out into the quarry, poised to shift if a pack wolf got too close. They were closing in, but I had some time. A few people were being too slow in packing up, trying to keep too much, and one woman was struggling to carry two wriggling children into the quarry. I raced over to the latter, lifting one of them clean out of her arms and rushing to the entrance of the quarry, the woman shortly behind me. I grabbed a teenage boy, shoving the kid at him.

"Oi, help those who are struggling! We're not damn pack wolves!" I scolded him, and by extension, all of them because I was not even trying to keep my voice down. The last dregs of the rogues who weren't staying to fight were now making their retreat, fighters in wolf form circling them and dealing with the odd glancing attack from the pack. I grabbed a bag out of one man's hands and threw it aside, scolding him for trying to take so much and forcing him to follow the others. The other fighters fell back, defending the entrance.

I opened up my mind to reach out to da for my next orders, and Sebastian almost forced his way back in. I had to pause in order to throw him back, putting enough force behind to hopefully warn him off pulling that again. I could feel his panic, but he was going to be the one who got me killed at this rate. I contacted da.

'Alright, everyone's in the tunnels. What now?' None of the snark I usually gave him. Not when I could hear my rogues fighting for their lives.

'Go up top, get a club and stop the wolves from climbing. No one's defending your den.' He was distracted, some of his other mental conversations spilling into my own mind until I managed to tune them out. I dashed up the steep slope to the den, taking up a bent and rusted golf club Ada had left at the entrance. I could hear claws scrabbling on the stone outside and raced to the opening, swinging at the wolfs head as soon as it came into view. I hit them squarely on the snout, a few fangs coming out with a string of blood as they were thrown off balance. Despite the situation, I did get a laugh out of watching him fall onto his friend and throw them both down to the ground below.

"Hey Nat, want a knife pole?" Ada asked from behind me, as if the answer was ever going to be anything other than yes. I threw the golf club away and snatched it off her with a grin.

"Of course." I answered, before scampering back to the hole and jabbing fiercely at another two wolves trying to scale into the quarry. Da had put me here for a reason, and that was because it was easily defended and it was unlikely I'd be killed. Nate was near the exit to the quarry, safe and sound, rifling through the attacker's minds and taking potshots wherever he could. Gwenna was in the armory, helping Sadie make smoke bombs so we could make our escape when everyone else had made good their evacuation. Even Ada had been given a safer job, to stop Gwenna's heart from breaking if she died.

And the old man still tried to claim he didn't care about us.

It was tiring, fending off the pack wolves, but I didn't let up. I had the high ground anyway, not that that stopped them from trying anyway. Unfortunately, ten minutes in, one got the knife stick in their mouth and wouldn't let go. I would have been happy to fight for it, but one of his friends was climbing up after him and I needed to fend him off as well. I made myself feel better about leaving such a brilliant weapon behind by twisting it and ramming it as far down the wolf's throat as my strength would push it. Blood sprayed over my face and I felt the rough wood leave splinters in my skinned palms as the stick was wrenched from my hands, but it was worth it to watch the wolf fall dead to the ground.

I couldn't savor it though. Instead, I snatched up the discarded gold club and went to town on the other wolf, not willing to let him into the den. The adrenaline was burning through my veins, letting me ignore the aching in my muscles and the tiredness that was threatening to drown me. Still, my energy was quickly being sapped. Just as I was beginning to think of a new strategy, da reached down the mind link to all the defenders.

'The evacuees have reached the other side of the tunnels, and they're far enough away for us to make our own escape. Hold the fort until Ada has brought you all smoke bombs and I give the order, then blind the pack wolves and make a run to the tunnel. If anyone splits before I give the signal, I'll string you up myself.' He warned us all, and I didn't doubt it. He didn't make a habit of killing rogues, but when they put the entire camp in danger he wasn't above it.

I kept fighting off the sea of pack wolves, not even able to glance back over my shoulder when Ada came hurrying in and placed a smoke bomb near my feet. They were trying to batter into our minds, but Nate was putting up a good defense. If an alpha had come, we might be in trouble, but ordinary pack wolves barely got any training. After only a few more minutes, da spoke through the mind link and told us to count down from three and throw the mildly explosive smoke bombs at them. I, for one, aimed directly at one of their heads.

The moment the smoke plumed, I snapped into action. I grabbed my backpack and pulled it on, dashing down the halls and to the start of the tunnels. The water level was high, it would reach my armpits at least, and I stopped dead. A moment later, Nathan appeared at my side and grabbed my hand, wading into the water and dragging me with him.

"Nat, we have to go, I promise I won't let you drown." He yelled back when I dug my heels in. I hesitated, and then I heard the pack wolves barking and howling, coming for us after breaking through the smoke. Other rogues rushed past, leaving my little trio behind. Da arrived last, and he didn't bear with my hesitation for a moment. He grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder, wading into the water without a backwards glance.