Rescuing Mattie by S. E. Smith Read Free Book Online Page B

shoulders.
    Shannon muttered a curse as she came to kneel next to Mattie. “That bastard has been following me for the last ten minutes playing cat and mouse. I knew if I stopped long enough he would show himself. Hey, are you okay?” She asked in concern when she saw how much Mattie was shaking.
    “No, I’m not okay! Ever since I made the mistake of coming to this horrid world I haven’t been okay. Why I ever thought it would be better I don’t know. I want to go home!” Mattie cried out before silent sobs overcame the slender thread of control she had left. She was not cut out for this type of life.
    Mattie let Shannon help her up. She felt bad about breaking down in front of the two women who were so much stronger than she was. She pulled her shoulders back and tried to hide her fear and embarrassment.
    Mattie sniffed and shook her head. “Take Oscar. The command is ‘Go find’ in German. He’ll find the man you are looking for. Just tell him ‘hush’ and he won’t bay.”
    Mattie turned to Shannon making sure she kept her eyes turned away from the dead men. She drew in a deep steadying breath, waiting until she felt like she could talk. She knew she couldn’t ask the other woman to protect her when she was obviously strong enough to help with the fight.
    “Go,” Mattie said. “I’ll be fine. I have the other dogs. I’ll find my own way out of the shield.”
    Shannon looked down at the younger girl with a frown. She could see how badly shaken she was. Her eyes moved to the dogs sitting and watching their mistress.
    “You know, I was trained for this,” Shannon said quietly. “They desensitize you in the Academy. Plus, my dad was a police detective. I was used to hearing about it.”
    Mattie nodded, not looking at the other woman. “Thank you,” she said. “They need you. The dogs will see me home. I just… it would be better if I wasn’t in the way. I’m not used to violence and I find it very… upsetting.”
    Shannon reached out and gave Mattie a quick hug. “Neither could my mom. That is why it killed her when my dad was killed. Good luck,” she added before she turned and disappeared into the night.
    Mattie motioned for Peewee to stay next to her while Polly took up the lead. “Let’s go home.”
    Mattie followed the dogs through the maze of cages, animal pens and storage units. She only had a few more yards to go before she reached the area Ricki and Walter had said the border of the shield was located. She cried out when a figure suddenly grabbed her from behind, holding a sharp blade against her throat.
    The dogs growled menacingly as the man backed up against the storage unit he had been hiding on top of. Peewee snarled and pawed the ground with his massive paws. Even Chia was growling.
    “You will lead me out of here,” the man snapped. “If they attack, I will slit your throat! Tell them to leave.”
    “Go home,” Mattie whispered as the blade cut into her throat. “Go! Go home!” She ordered with a slight wave of her hand.
    Peewee whined and moved back but refused to listen to her. The knife cut deeper into her flesh and she cried out at the sting. Her hands went to his arm out of reflex.
    “Please! They won’t listen if you hurt me,” Mattie cried out.
    “Then I guess you die,” the man growled out in her ear.
    Polly, who had been in the lead, had come back around the storage container. She charged the man, biting down on his leg. Mattie had wrapped her hands around his arm and felt it when he jerked backwards. She pushed his arm away from her and fell to the ground. She scrambled away from him as he swung out.
    Mattie heard Polly yelp when the man sliced the knife along her left leg. Peewee charged at the man and knocked him back against the storage container with a vicious growl. The man swung around, this time with a laser sword in his hand. He struck Peewee along the side of his face opening a long cut.
    “No!” Mattie screamed as she smelled the scent of singed