“If they’re drawing us out of the farmhouse,” Ford said, “then they may be planning to take us out with real weapons or kidnap some of us.”He looked pointedly at Crew, who snarled.
A window shattered in the next room and paintballs exploded against the wall in rapid fire.
“Let’s figure out where they are first,” Crew said.“Then we’ll plan our counter.”
The males split up, checking windows discreetly and looking for anything in the darkness that would signify where the males were.They didn’t seem to stick in place long, shooting out windows and then moving.
Then Avi saw the glint of metal in the darkness just before paintballs hit the wall behind him.“I see them!”he whispered loudly.“In the tree line by the barn.”
Crew was by his side a moment later.“How many?”He looked through the window and ducked quickly as paintballs splattered around them, spraying them in colorful paint.
“Two, I think,” he said.
“There’s one at the side by the pasture,” Ford said as he joined them.
Paintballs slammed into the wall behind them again, making them duck as plaster sprayed down on them.
“Fire a few warning shots,” Crew said.“Make them duck and we’ll go for them.Avi, you’re with me for the two at the front.Grey, take the back.Ford, take the side.”
“On it,” Ford said.
“Be careful,” Grey said.
Ford opened the front door and raised the rifle, firing twice into the tree line.“They’re scrambling, I can see their shadows.Go, go!”
“Strike hard, don’t kill.Let’s drive them away.”
Avi and Crew darted off the porch into the shadows as Ford fired off a few more shots and then raced for the side yard.Paintballs hit the ground as Avi and Crew ran for the trees, ducking the projectiles.Avi saw someone just inside the trees as he raised his paintball gun to fire.He burst from the shadows and hit him low, driving his shoulder into the male’s stomach.Crew grabbed the weapon and cracked the male in the side of the head, rendering him unconscious with one blow.
Avi and Crew moved forward through the trees, ducking and weaving blasts from another paintball gun.
As the clouds moved away and the waning moonlight lit the area, Avi saw his cousin Colton, eyes wide and paintball gun raised.
“You’re outnumbered,” Crew shouted.
Colton aimed the paintball gun at Crew, and Avi shoved his alpha to the side, taking one in the shoulder.With a growl of fury, he raced for Colton, who disappeared into the shadows.
Avi backed off, exhaling slowly as his heart pounded in his ears, and scanned the area for threats.
When he didn’t sense anyone else, he turned to find Crew, who was picking himself up off the ground.
“You saved me from taking a paintball pellet to the face.Thanks, man.How’s your shoulder?”
“Sore and colorful.”Avi looked at the spot where dark paint bloomed.“That’s going to bruise up nicely.”
“Yeah.”Crew put his hands on his hips and looked around.“What were they doing?Just luring us out of the house?To what end?”
“I don’t know.It’s weird.”
They moved back to where they’d left the unconscious male, but he was gone, most likely grabbed by another herd member as they fled.
“Looks like someone dragged him off,” Crew said.
They turned toward the farmhouse.“Wait,” Avi said, his stallion letting out a worried whinny.
“What?”
“Doesn’t something feel off?”
