Melissa woke in a small featureless room with a single bed. She was sore from the prolonged use of the stun gun. She’d almost had April.

What would I have done if I left with her? she thought with regret. I don’t have the means to take care of her!

As much as Melissa hated to admit it, April was better off staying with Jeremiah. Melissa feared for April, and she didn’t want her to die. When April had been born, Melissa had wanted nothing to do with her. She wanted to put her up for adoption; her father put a stop to that. Her hatred for him lasted for years. Melissa surveyed her immediate situation. She was in a room with a couch, bed, chair, and television.

Time to get the hell out of here.

She started pounding on the door.

“Hey, let me out! Open this door,” Melissa cried.

Several minutes of banging was followed by a click, and then the door opened. It was Ash.

“Let me out! You can’t keep me here forever,” Melissa said.

“The operation . . . was a limited success; your father is with April now.”

“What do you mean, ‘limited?’”

“April is dying. I have called in the only man I know who can save her. He should be here soon.”

“I want to see her . . . now!”

Dr. Ash put a hand on Melissa’s shoulder. “Of course, dear.”

What’s wrong with her? Melissa thought frantically.

Ash opened the door, and two armed guards handcuffed Melissa.

“Hey, get your hands off me!” she screamed—but it was futile.

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The guards escorted Melissa to Jeremiah’s office, removed the handcuffs, and then left. Her father was sitting behind his desk reading something on the screen of his laptop.

“You disappoint me, daughter.”

Melissa rubbed at her wrists.

“You are a sick bastard! You killed . . . my baby girl,” Melissa said.

“We have everything well in hand, daughter. April will survive, but you have to accept that she is no longer your baby girl. I’m sending you back to the Shadow Dealers. We need additional information on Black Iris and the Collective,” Jeremiah said.

“It doesn’t sound like you have anything under control. Ash said that April was dying.”

“She shouldn’t have said that. It is too early to tell,” Jeremiah said.

“Assuming that April survives, what will you do with her?”

“She will have a very important job to do: command our forces in the coming war.”

“What war?”

“Every day, people commit the most heinous of crimes on the Dark Web, many against children. They try to hide in plain sight while committing these acts. These people are doctors, clergymen, fathers, brothers, mothers, and sisters.”

“What does April have to do with any of this?”

“They have asked me to clean up a mess. We’ve been doing reconnaissance work for some time. These people profit from human misery. They collect pictures of children. They even kidnap people and ship them away to other countries. These people are a menace.”

Melissa exploded. “She’s a child—not some weapon that you can use!” She walked up to Jeremiah and spat in his face. “Who are you working for, Father?”

Jeremiah wiped his face. “Over the years, I have formed a group of like-minded people with considerable resources. We have pooled our wealth and talents into something we call the Timeslicers. Arresting the accused doesn’t have a lasting effect. We tell everyone about their activities. We dox them as the disturbed and sick people they are.”

“Why don’t you just offer to work with the authorities instead? The word will get out about these creeps.”

“That is not enough. We must spread the word, and we must go after their infrastructure. There are many businesses that provide a haven for these disturbed individuals, and we must stop them.”

“Won’t that disrupt other legitimate businesses?”

“Only the ones supporting this debauchery. We are entering a new decade, and we need to wipe the slate clean. Bringing down their support network is essential to accomplishing that goal.”

Father has gone mad, Melissa thought anxiously. He will disrupt the global economy. How do I free April?

“Why do you want me to go back to the Shadow Dealers?”

“You need additional help from them, and you have made your intentions clear, so I have little need of your services until April’s transformation is complete.”

There is little I can do here to help April. It’s best to regroup.

“Fine, I will go!”

Jeremiah looked surprised.

“I’m glad you have come to your senses. A car will take you to the airport.”