The last command floated back at them as he vanished over the hill.
Benny looked at Nix, who looked at Lilah, who looked at Chong, who looked at Morgie.
“Tom said to stay here,” said Nix.
“Absolutely,” said Benny.
And that fast they were off. They grabbed their wooden swords and swarmed through the garden gate, except for Lilah, who jumped it exactly as Tom had done. Then they were running as fast as they could.
5
LILAH OUTRAN THEM ALL. HOWEVER, SINCE LAST SEPTEMBER THEY HAD each put on muscle and built their endurance, so they weren’t too far behind. In a loose pack they rounded the corner by the grist mill and then tore along Oak Hill Road.
Benny grinned at Chong, who grinned back. In a weird way, this was fun. They were warriors, the world’s last group of samurai trainees. This was what they were training for.
Then, just as they reached the top of the hill and cut left onto Mockingbird Street, they heard a fresh set of screams.
They were the high, piercing screams of children.
That sound slapped the grins from their faces.
Benny looked at Nix.
“God,” she gasped, and ran faster.
The screams were continuous. Benny thought they were screams of fear, not of pain. There was a fragment of consolation in that.
They cut right onto Fairview, running abreast, their wooden swords clutched in sweating hands.
Then as one they skidded to a stop.
Three houses stood at the end of a block of stores. The Cohens on the left, the Matthias place on the right, and the Housers in the center. Townsfolk were clustered in front of the Houser place. Most of them had axes, pitchforks, and long-handled shovels. Benny saw at least four people with guns.
“It’s Danny’s place!” said Nix in a sharp whisper.