“Neeko,” she roared, and the little scout whirled away from a trap he’d just evaded. He saw her, saw the bundle, and as if a burst of telepathic communication shot like lightning between them, he nodded and ran to help her. Two more of the zombies in boiler suits rushed out of the woods, and as Dahlia turned to avoid them, Neeko—smaller and weaker than her—darted in, using his lack of size to evade grabs, and his thin limbs to whip out with his makeshift weapons. He had never moved this fast before. She had never run as fast. The tricks and traps of the Arena tried to kill them both. More zombies chased them. It seemed as if the whole world wanted to catch them, kill them, kill the child.

Dahlia felt herself shifting, transforming. She wasn’t a kid anymore. She wasn’t who she was before meeting the old man. She was pretty sure she wasn’t who she’d been seconds ago. Somehow, she was becoming who she was going to be. If she lived. If they all lived.

She was fifteen feet outside of the circle, with a panting Neeko crouched beside her, before she even realized was safe. The moment froze.

She looked around and there was Church standing a few feet away. The man almost never smiled. But he was smiling now.

— 18 —: THE WARRIOR WOMAN

— 18 —

THE WARRIOR WOMAN

When Rachael cut their tour short, saying she needed a drink of water and some food, Heather seemed almost relieved to be done playing native guide. She pointed them toward, unbelievably, a coffee shop. “Just tell them you’re new here and that the mayor will arrange for payment.”

The three watched her walk off and out of sight before turning to look at each other.

“So I’m not the only one totally creeped out by this place, right?” Jason asked.

“Hell, no,” replied Claudia. “There is something seriously fucked up going on here.”

Rachael nodded her agreement. “Okay, this is what we’re gonna do. I want to find out what I can about this place and what’s going on here. I totally understand if you two want to hole back up in the house while I play detective. I don’t want to put you in any situation here where you don’t feel safe or welcome.”

“I’d rather have them have to look at my face.” Claudia’s voice was cold as she watched a Hispanic teenager on his knees weeding while a white couple and their dog walked by as if he didn’t exist. That was strange, because dogs were rare out in the woods. Orcs had eaten most of them and the rest were smart enough to stay away from anything that walked on two legs. This one, though, seemed like an ordinary pet. Strange.