Disable the enemies with the guns first; ranged weapons would put them at a serious risk. Machetes and hammers next; they were one-handed weapons that could be swung fast, and cause more potential damage. Shovels and axes last; they usually required two hands to wield, had lousy balance and a slower hit rate. They would, however, do more damage if they did land a strike.

The other man with a gun had it pointed directly at Jason’s chest. Her friend’s gaze didn’t leave hers, and she darted her eyes at the man holding the weapon. She hoped he got her meaning . . . and that their enemies didn’t.

Jason give an infinitesimal nod and she looked over at Alice, who’d faded back into the trees, Tommy clung to her legs like a baby koala, his face buried against her stomach. “Stay back,” she mouthed.

“Stand up, I don’t want you getting any ideas about that knife of yours.” The man behind her spoke again, accenting his words with another jab of the gun barrel. Rachael stood slowly, hands out in front, making sure not to make a move for her knife and sword—both within her reach.

She was going to have to do this on hard mode apparently. But that was their life now. Hard mode.

Without warning, she crouched and swung her leg around, hooking an ankle behind the man’s knee and yanking hard before rolling to the side, dagger back in her hand. Unprepared, the man lost his balance, falling backward with a shout. He hit the ground hard, gun falling off to the side and into the brush. He lay there, the wind knocked out of him.

“Go!” she shouted to her team. Without waiting to see if they obeyed, she moved on to the next man, landing a strong kick to his chest as he swung his machete. He stumbled backward. Rachael pressed her advantage, slammed the pommel of her dagger against his wrist. He screamed and dropped the machete and she kicked him again, this time in the balls. He toppled over, hands folded over his groin.

She heard the sounds of combat behind her, punctuated by Tommy’s screams. She turned and immediately ducked under the vicious swing of a shovel that would have taken her head off. Rachael grabbed the long handle and gave it a violent twist so that the attacker’s wrist was bent at an extreme angle. The leverage snapped his thumb with a sound like a heel stepping on a green twig. The man shrieked and Rachael doubled him over with a kick to the groin as she tore the shovel from him. She whirled and swung the flat of the blade against the ankles of a woman rushing at her, sending the attacker flying forward into a bad fall. The woman hit the bent-over man and the two of them fell into a sloppy heap.