Ralphie huddled inside the helicopter, his heart pounding as the drones rained down around them. The EMP blast had temporarily disabled the machines. Still, he knew it wouldn’t be long before they regained their senses and attacked again.

“Sally, get us in the air!” Nigel shouted, his voice barely audible over the cacophony of metal on metal.

A blond-haired woman jumped in the pilot seat and spun up the rotors. Ralphie gripped the seat in front of him, his knuckles turning white with fear.

As the helicopter lifted off, Ralphie risked a glance out the window. More drones were approaching, their metallic bodies glinting in the fading twilight. He watched in horror as they swarmed towards them, their movements precise and deadly.

Do they have guns?

“Brace yourselves!” a woman with a European accent yelled.

“This reminds me of old times, Blanka,” Nigel said.

Blanka kissed Nigel, then pushed him away, pulling an enormous automatic from a compartment, and started shooting at the drones. Nigel fed her clips until the skies were clear.

How does Nigel know her?

“I think that’s it for now,” Sally said.

Moments later, a rat-a-tat sound reverberated through the cabin as a volley of bullets hit the front of the helicopter. Ralphie whispered a silent prayer as the windshield cracked and, for some reason, didn’t shatter.

“Shit, I spoke too soon.”

The air erupted with the sound of gunfire as they engaged the drones. Ralphie ducked, covering his head with his arms as stray shots ricocheted around the cabin. He could feel the helicopter banking and weaving. Sally’s expert piloting was the only thing keeping them from being torn apart.

Through the chaos, Ralphie caught glimpses of the battle raging outside. Drones exploded in brilliant bursts of flame, their debris raining like metallic hail. But for everyone they destroyed, two more seemed to take their place.

“We can’t keep this up!” Blanka shouted, her voice strained. “We need to find somewhere to land!”

Nigel nodded. “Sally, head for the coordinates I gave you. It’s our best shot.”

Sally banked the helicopter sharply, and Ralphie felt his stomach lurch. He closed his eyes and screamed, trying to block out the surrounding chaos, but the sounds of battle were inescapable.

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I don’t want to die!

Inside the helicopter was pandemonium, a clicking sound, screams, yells, and gasps, then silence. Ralphie opened his eyes cautiously, peering out the window. They descended towards a cluster of buildings, their walls fortified and patrolled by armed guards.

“Is everyone okay?” Nigel asked.

Smoke billowed around the helicopter.

“I’m okay, but I think this bird is cooked,” Sally said.

“Don’t you mean goose?” Blanka said in an amused tone.

“Very funny. I will need to see what the damage is in the morning.”

“Someone is coming,” Nigel said.

“I’m ready! Let them come,” Blanka said.

Ralphie saw an older man approach, his face weathered but his eyes sharp. Nigel tensed beside him, and Ralphie felt a flicker of unease. The old man rapped on the helicopter door.

Blanka opened the door, gun raised.

The old man raised his hands. “I’m unarmed.”

Blanka jumped outside, looked around, and then frisked the old man. She gave Nigel a nod of approval.

“Nigel,” the man said, his voice gravelly. “I didn’t expect to see you again.”

Nigel nodded curtly. “Benson. We need shelter and supplies if you can spare them.”

Benson’s gaze flickered to Ralphie, and Ralphie shrank back instinctively. “And who’s this? Another stray you’ve picked up?”

Nigel’s jaw tightened. “This is my brother, Ralphie. And you’d do well to show him some respect.”

Benson held up his hands placatingly. “Of course, of course. And you all are welcome here.” His eyes narrowed slightly. “Though I hope you’ve learned from our last encounter.”

Nigel said nothing, but Ralphie could sense the tension between the two men. As they followed Benson into the encampment, Nigel leaned in close.

“Stay close to me, Ralphie,” he murmured. “Benson can’t be trusted. He tried taking Jerry from us.”

Ralphie’s eyes widened. “Who’s Jerry?”

Nigel sighed. “That’s a story for another time, and a lot’s happened since you saw me last. I’ll explain everything soon.”

Ralphie nodded, sticking close to his brother’s side as they entered the fortified walls. He didn’t know what had happened between Nigel and Benson, but he could sense the danger beneath the old man’s welcoming facade.

“We don’t have a lot, a lot of room, but there’s a garage in the back of the encampment you can stay—until you get back on your feet,” Benson said, pointing to the backside of another low building.

“We can’t stay long, Nigel. Vedrana and Eva await in Boston,” Blanka said.

“The chopper is serviceable, and I have some parts in the hold, but I had trouble landing, so I hope the hydraulics are okay,” Sally said.

“We’ll worry about that tomorrow. But let’s get a good night’s rest,” Nigel said as he wrestled with a door to the garage.

It wasn’t much, but it protected them from the element. Especially if another one of those freaky storms appeared. As they settled into their temporary quarters, Ralphie couldn’t shake the feeling that they had traded one peril for another. But with Nigel by his side and the promise of answers about their mother’s whereabouts, he knew he had to stay strong.

“I will take the first watch; I will wake you in four hours, Nigel,” Blanka said.

Ralphie’s eyes widened as his brother gave Blanka a passionate kiss.

“I thought you and Jet were… together,” Ralphie said in a hesitant tone.

“It’s complicated, but let’s just get some sleep,” Nigel said.

The battle against the machines was far from over, but they had found a brief respite for now. Ralphie only hoped that the price wouldn’t be too high.