Anna said nothing for a long moment, but did not look at Ellie. The cattle shifted in the grass, making restless noises and presently shouting was heard from the compound.
Ellie cursed. "We've got to go."
Anna leapt to her feet, snatching up her rifle, and pointing to Ellie. "Go around behind the animals on that side, we'll drive them back to the plant," she cried. "Move, move!"
Ellie cast one final look over her shoulder as Anna raced through the trees and they flanked the cattle, waving their arms and yelling, startling the beasts into an ungainly trot toward the gate. Joel was there when Ellie and Anna broke the cover of the trees.
"Hurry up!" he shouted. "Group of bandits! Houser! Steve! Cattle comin' through!"
The animals scrambled through and the gate was closed and locked behind them. The two men herded the cattle into the barns, and Ellie turned to Anna, who was standing there breathless, her rifle in her arms.
"Whaddwe do?" she panted. "I've never fought off bandits before."
"It hasn't happened in a while," Ellie replied, seizing her wrist. "We've got to find Maria."
Joel turned and saw Ellie and Anna hurrying across the compound, and lifted his voice.
"Ellie! Go find Maria!"
"I am!" she vociferated.
"Tell her you're staying out of this one!"
"No way!" Ellie's eyes were wild as her hand pulled from Anna's. "You need a good shot!"
"You listen to me!" Joel pointed a finger. "I ain't goin' to argue with you, now do as your told!"
Ellie cursed under her breath, and grabbed Anna's hand again, towing her along.
"Ellie," Anna said as they twisted through the back row of houses and half-jogged toward Tommy and Maria's place, "Ellie, do as Joel says."
"No way in hell," she murmured. "I'll be careful."
"Don't be an idiot," Anna's voice rose, and she yanked her hand free. "Tell me what to do, I'll take your place."
"It's better with two, then we can flank those mother–" She broke off as Maria leapt down the steps and landed on the ground near them, thrusting a walkie talking into Ellie's hands. "Take this, and get your bow. Anna, do you have ammunition?"
The girl checked her pockets. "Not much."
Maria met Ellie's eyes. "Get your pistol too, and whatever ammo you have. And stay out of the line of fire. You're just backups if any make it through. I want to be able to reach you." Jamming her pistol into her belt and shouldering Tommy's newly acquired AR-15, Maria broke into a run toward the main gate. Ellie pointed a finger toward the weapon.
"Nice," she breathed, turning to Anna. "Two secs."
"Right behind you," Anna replied, following Ellie as she raced into the house and up the stairs to her room, snatching her bow from the corner and slinging on her backpack which carried her collection of arrows.
"Think about this, Ellie," Anna begged as they clattered back down the stairs, Ellie checking the magazine of her pistol as they went. "Someone can cover for you. Matt –"
"- accidentally shot off whatever it was someone lent to him when Joel and Tommy were still out of range." She glared at Anna. "Fat lot of help he'll be. Come on."
"Ellie – talk to me." Maria's voice crackled over the walkie.
"We're fine, heading to the east side. There's not much happening there, that's the side that – "
"Stay by the border of the woods. Shoot anything that comes in range."
"Roger that."
Men and a few women flocked to the main gates, bristling with weapons, while the others were barricaded into the dining hall by a group of the Oklahomans. Ellie sighted Matt, but ducked her head before he could see her, and threw herself up the steps to the parapet of the east wall. There she dropped to her knees, hearing Anna's labored breathing in her ear, and set an arrow to the string of her bow, eyes scanning the woods. Tommy's voice talking to Maria squawked from the walkie.
"Alright, you keep 'em busy –"
"There's got to be at least ten..."
"You got this."
"I'm gonna need a few more men."
"Headed your way."
Earl's voice came through momentarily. "Someone at the east side?"
"Hold the button," Ellie commanded Anna, her hands occupied with her bow, and Anna did as she was told, Ellie replying, "That's me." Anna met her eyes. "It's Ellie, and I've got Anna here with me. No incoming."
There was no response, but the sounds of shouting and gunshots were heard from the main gate.
"Does this happen often?" Anna asked in a low voice, but before Ellie could reply, a figure was sighted making its way doubled-over through the treeline, and Ellie loosed an arrow, quickly notching another one, and sending it flying into the man's torso. He fell and lay still. Ellie cursed under her breath.
"He'd better be the only one."
"You're not a bad shot with that thing," Anna mumbled.
"Yeah, well, don't get your hopes up, I've only got so many arrows. Which is why I need you, otherwise we're stuck with my pistol."
Joel's voice broke in over the walkie. "Maria! We've got six or seven to the north, they've got climbin' gear."
A curse, likely Tommy.
"Maria?"
"Matthew and some guys are headed your way."
No response.
"Joel– "
"Where's Ellie?"
"East wall."
Joel's voice again, unmistakable, as he swore.
Ellie narrowed her eyes as she saw the group to which Joel was referring, approaching the point of the north-east corner, three firing a volley while four others tried in vain to attach grappling hooks to the wall under their cover.
"Tommy –" Joel's voice warned. "A little help!"
"Ellie!" Maria this time. "Go, go, go!"
"Stay here, and shoot anything that moves," Ellie managed, unclipping her walkie and shoving it into Anna's hands. She got to her feet, and sprinted along the parapet. A flying hook narrowly missed her head, attaching itself to the top of the wall, and Ellie the projectile, pulling out her revolver and firing directly beneath her. A cry sounded below, indicating her aim had been true. Joel met her at the juncture of the two walls
"Since you're here, shoot," he growled, and Ellie nodded, setting another arrow to her bowstring and taking out one of the bandits in the middle of the cover fire. A second arrow lodged in the neck of the one to his left, and the final man dropped his weapon and ran for the shelter of the woods.
"Get him, Anna," Ellie muttered through clenched teeth, as several more grappling hooks clanged to a firm position on top of the wall. Ellie ducked her head through her bow, slinging it across her back as she pulled out her revolver again and shot at the heads which began to appear over the wall. Joel wielded the Winchester, his shots reverberating amid the clack of the bolt being yanked back again and again, and the ring of the empty shells hitting the walk beneath them.
Meanwhile, Anna held her breath as she watched the figure break the cover of the woods, his hands held high above his head.
"Don't shoot! Don't shoot!" he yelled. "I'm not with them!"
Anna hesitated, sighting down the barrel of her rifle, and the moment he turned his back and broke into a run toward the forest, she pulled the trigger. He fell to the ground, writhing in his own blood. Anna let her eyes fall shut, and cocked the rifle again when the walkie talkie crackled.
"Ellie!" Maria's voice. Anna lowered the gun and pressed the button.
"Maria? It's Anna."
"Where's Ellie?"
"With Joel, he got overwhelmed – "
"Things're are clear on our end."
Anna didn't say anything, but waited for the next query. "Anna?"
"Yeah?"
"Talk to me."
"Uh – I shot a guy who didn't have a weapon," Anna said in a quiet voice.
"Can't hear her, speak up," Tommy exclaimed. "Clear at east gate."
"Clear at the north-east juncture," Joel put in.
"Joel! Is Ellie with you?"
A pause. "Yeah. She is." His voice sounded worn, exhausted.
"She okay?"
"I'm okay." Ellie's voice, this time.
"All clear south entrance, outer perimeter. I say we go and get their ammo," Earl spoke up.
Anna got to her feet, taking in a deep breath of air.
"Roger that," Tommy replied, and in a daze, Anna stumbled along the parapet to find Ellie when she heard an unfamiliar voice through the walkie.
"Tommy? Joel? Matthew's been hit."