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ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-THREE

The door screeched open and Barbara stumbled in and collapsed on the dirt floor.

Ellie froze. The man had her damn gun. Adrenaline shot through her as the girls screamed, and Ellie launched herself at Huller with all her force, knocking her weapon from his hand. “Barbara, get the girls and run!” Ellie shouted.

Ellie knocked Huller backward and threw a punch to his face while Barbara pushed herself up. He growled as blood spurted from his nose, then he grabbed her and thew her off him. Barbara attacked him from behind, but he shoved her against the wall and she banged her head again.

A quick glance at the girls and Ellie realized they’d frozen in fear. “Run,” she yelled again.

Huller snagged Ellie’s hair, rolled over and straddled her, pinning her down.

Barbara ran to the girls and ushered them into motion but as they passed Huller, he caught Mazie’s ankle and jerked her down. She cried out and kicked at his hand with her free foot.

Rage shot through Ellie, and she clawed at the man’s face, drawing blood. “Go, Mazie!”

Barbara helped Mazie up and they ran toward the door. Huller clutched Ellie by her hair and hit her again. Furious, she kneed him in the groin, and they rolled and struggled to reach the gun.

He grabbed it first but she managed to knock it from his hand and sent it skidding across the floor. Using all her force, she shoved Huller off her and scrambled for the weapon, but he recovered and jumped her from behind before she could reach it.

Then he punched her in the back. Pain shot through her kidneys and she heaved for a breath. She struggled to crawl out of his reach, but he pushed her to her back, straddled her and jammed the gun to her temple.