So they made it inside the fortress. When they got closer to the main area, Haley notified them that the number of men had tripled.. Her drone counted more bodies than they registered..
Before anyone could process the warning, boots crunched on the gravel behind them. Two men stepped out from around the corner of a tin-roofed shed, both carrying rifles slung low across their chests. Wide-brimmed cowboy hats shaded their eyes.
"What are you doing here?" one of the men shouted, bringing his hand up to rest flat against his holster.
The group froze. Nobody took a breath. Bambi's fingers twitched toward her belt, her shoulders pulling back as her body prepared to spring forward and strike.
"They must be the new recruits," the other cowboy said, looking them up and down without much interest.
Malo cleared his throat and stepped in front of Bambi before she could move.
"Yes, we are the new people," he said, forcing his hands out wide to look harmless. "We lost our way and...."
