“They keep coming!” Dahlia said.

“How many have you killed, Mum?”

“I’ve lost track!”

“We should retreat and regroup,” Dahlia said.

Dahlia and Hunter were back-to-back near the front of the complex. Viktor and Alexei were defending the road that led up to the complex. Mani’s men seemed to be everywhere. Dahlia felt the breeze of hot lead.

That was too close.

“What’s that buzzing sound?” Hunter said.

Dahlia looked around her immediate area. The men were thinning out, and Viktor was reloading.

“The buzzing is getting louder,” Dahlia said.

“Look!” Hunter said.

Dahlia followed his gaze. Small, black shapes were coming out of the complex.

“What are those things?” Dahlia said.

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“Drones?”

“They look like giant metal wasps.”

“Ouch!” Hunter said as he grabbed his neck.

Several of the wasp-like things had them surrounded. They were discharging small pellets at them; it was as if they were being shot at from tiny shotguns inside the wasps. Hunter held his face and screamed as the robots’ shots drew blood.

Dahlia reloaded.

My last clip. I’m taking out as many of these as I can.

She readied her whip. With a flick of her wrist, several of the flying wasp-bots fell to the ground. The effort was futile. When she disabled several with one snap of her wrist, twice as many would take their place. She continued using the whip and gun, dispatching as many of the winged bots as possible. Dahlia looked back at Hunter. He was consumed. His face was a bloody mess. The bots turned to Viktor, who ran out of bullets and attempted to pistol-whip the bots. Seconds later, he was swarmed, and the bots surrounded him. Dahlia saw red blotches appear on Viktor’s skin as the wasps shot him. He ran down the road—but he didn’t make it far. Seconds later, he collapsed.

Why am I still standing?

Other than a few lacerations, Dahlia experienced no injuries. Then, as if someone had turned them off, all the bots fell to the ground. Dahlia surveyed the grisly scene before her. Hunter and Viktor were down. She checked for signs of life: nothing. Dahlia stumbled down the path away from the complex and slipped and fell in the pool of blood surrounding Viktor’s body.

As she stood, she allowed herself to shed one solitary tear for Hunter, her only natural child.

He was to lead the others. What am I to do now?

Farther down the road, she saw the remains of Alexei. She felt a small pang of regret.

Too bad he outlived his usefulness, Dahlia thought.

Dahlia started the nearest ATV, and then began driving down the hill.