The Swiss Family RobinZOM (Book 5) by Perrin Briar

snapped their reins, and the animals darted forward. Bill’s goats struck the first Spinner, knocking it back. Liz and Fritz attacked the Spinners on either side, Lightning and Lightfoot rising up on their hind legs and kicking at them. Ernest turned Clementine around so she could kick with powerful thrusts of her legs. Herdy head-butted the Spinners, throwing all her weight into each blow. But the harder they pushed, the harder the Spinners bounced off those around them, striking the animals’ armour.
    “It’s not working!” Liz said.
    “Pull back!” Bill said.
    The family edged back and lashed out at any Spinners who drifted too close. The oppressive wall of death inched closer.
    “How did the situation turn on us so fast?” Ernest said. “One minute we were celebrating, the next… This!”
    Jack looked down over his shoulder at the crashing waves below.
    “It’s a long way down,” he said, gulping.
    “I’m not much in the mood for a swim,” Fritz said.
    “We might miss the rocks if we jump,” Ernest said.
    “Even if we were that lucky we’ll still be infected by the bloodied water,” Bill said. He turned to face the Spinners. “We can’t jump. We have to go through them.”
    The Spinners formed a tight wall of thrusting fists, feet and snapping jaws. They cajoled one another, parting and converging like Battling Tops.
    “We’ll never get through them!” Ernest said.
    Bill stepped off his chariot.
    “Maybe we don’t need to,” he said.
    He moved to the goats, who were skittish with the whirlwind wall of noise before them. Bill whipped their blinkers off. The goats pulled back at the sight of the Spinners.
    “Go on,” Bill said to the goats. “Find a way through.”
    But the goats only meh ed, rubbing against the Robinsons’ legs. They were having none of it. Liz hopped off her zebra.
    “Try Lightning,” she said. “He might be a bit more stalwart.”
    She took the zebra’s blinkers off. Lightning grunted and backed away. Liz tutted soothingly and led her forward by the bridle. Lightning hesitated, stepping toward a gap, and then back again as it closed.
    “Get off your animals,” Bill said to the boys.
    The boys shared wary glances, and then dismounted, feeling even more vulnerable. They took the animals’ blinkers off. The animals approached the Spinners, stepping toward an opening, and then backing off as the Spinners closed it.
    “If one gets through, follow them,” Bill said. “They’ll find a way.”
    “This is so dangerous,” Ernest said.
    Clementine was the first to squeeze between two Spinners.
    “Quickly!” Bill said.
    The Robinsons dashed forward, but the Spinners closed the gap. One by one the animals slipped through the Spinners’ defences, but each time, the family was blocked.
    Gwek!
    Clementine stood on the other side of the raging Spinner army.
    “Clementine got through to the other side!” Ernest said. “Damn, I could have ridden her through!”
    “You would have slowed her down,” Bill said.
    “Still…” Ernest said.
    “It looks like Lightfoot and Lightning got through too,” Jack said.
    “Happy days,” Bill said drily.
    “We’re going to have to jump,” Liz said. “It’s a long way down, but we might be able to make it.”
    “What about the blood?” Bill said.
    “It’s still better than heading into that ,” Liz said, pointing at the Spinner army.
    “At least the fall and the rocks will be over quick,” Ernest said. “Not like getting torn to pieces.”
    “Wait,” Bill said. “There might be another way. Hold my legs!”
    Liz pressed on them as Bill lay down and crawled over the precipice, hanging upside down. The water raged and billowed, roaring and reaching up like a bird ruffling its feathers.
    “Whatever you’re doing, do it fast,” Fritz said, stepping forward and pushing against the Spinners with his shield.
    Bill peered at the cliff face. There were no ledges jutting out from its surface.
    Damn! It was their one way