Damien deposited Jet in a command tent that was set up atop a ridge that overlooked the former site of the chateau. Dozens of soldiers canvased the area, looking for Nigel. She couldn’t believe that so many were summoned to find Nigel. Dark clouds were moving in, and fresh snow covered the ground. Jet estimated that they didn’t have a lot of time before they would need to head back.

“Damien, you need to see this,” Norris said.

The big man scooped up Jet and carried her to a shed. There were tire tracks leading into the wilderness.

“It looks like Nigel may have fled on a snowmobile,” Norris said.

“Jet?” a familiar voice called out.

Damien followed the voice into the shed. April was in the corner, covered in a blanket.

“April, it’s good to see you. Have you seen Nigel?”

The young cyborg shook her head. “I was hiding in this shed after Dahlia threatened to dismember me for parts. Then the explosions came,” April said, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Set me down next to her,” Jet said.

Damien obeyed, then stepped away.

“I know you’re scared. I am too. But it’s very important that you remember what happened here. Did Delta see anything?” Jet said.

The cyborg gave Jet a wary look. “I don’t want her to come back. I thought she was gone, but she’s back!”

April gave Jet a hug.

“I will not let her take over again. But we need her to confirm that Nigel was here. It’s very important.”

“I don’t know how to bring her back.”

Jet tried to remember all the times when Delta was activated. It was when April was threatened, or she thought she was. Jet moved closer to April to speak without being overheard by Damien’s men.

“These men are going to turn us over to Dahlia if they can’t find Nigel. Delta can help, so think real hard and call her.”

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April gave her a wounded look. She could see the conflict on the little girl’s face. She wanted to help, but didn’t know how. Jet was running out of ideas. Moments later, shots rang out. One of Damien’s men grasped his throat and made a gargling sound. He coughed up blood.

“The shots are coming from the next ridge,” Norris said.

Shots echoed throughout the valley. The soldiers were dropping one by one. Jet’s arm came alive with pain. It was like a lightning bolt ripped the flesh from the back of her arm. Jet screamed in agony.

“Jet!” April said as she cowered behind some toolboxes.

“It’s the Black Heart!” a man cried out.

April got up and scurried into the wilderness. Jet crawled out of the shed to get a better view of the action. The cyborg ducked behind trees, rocks, scrubs and anything else she could use for cover. She picked up a weapon from a fallen soldier.

Delta is back.

Jet didn’t know if she should be relieved or dismayed by her evil twin’s return. She had hoped that Delta would speak with her about Nigel’s whereabouts, since April was hiding in the shed when the snowmobile was moved.

She had to have seen something.

Damien crawled to Jet. “What’s she doing?”

“Delta, her alter ego, has returned. Whatever you do, don’t let your men kill her,” Jet said.

“The girl with a weapon is a friendly. Don’t shoot her,” Damien said into his radio.

“I can’t see anything,” Jet said.

Damien handed her a pair of binoculars. The magnification was excellent. Jet could see the hard look of determination that could only come from Delta. The cyborg was on a mission to get to the shooter. Jet glimpsed something through the lens. It looked like Dahlia, but something about her was off. Another shot rang out. Jet caught another look of Dahlia, half of her face was covered with something she couldn’t tell what. She looked to have lost the use of her right eye.

That explains why we are not dead, Jet thought.

Despite the onslaught of shots coming from the ridge, Delta made her way to just below Dahlia’s position. The Black Heart had not noticed her approach. The person inhabiting April’s body appeared to be just as ruthless as Dahlia. Her face told the story of a girl looking for answers by any means necessary. Dahlia threw the sniper rifle down and fetched an automatic weapon. A rain of bullets showered over them. Jet screamed in pain and frustration. They cut the door to the shack to ribbons. The shooter’s weapon jammed. Jet snuck a look through the binoculars. Delta was hitting her. Dahlia threw the young cyborg off the ridge and fetched another weapon. Jet held her breath as Dahlia pointed the gun at April—nothing happened. Moments later, April was kicking the weapon out of Dahlia’s hands. The Black Heart produced a knife and slashed April with it. Jet would see that Delta was injured, but she kept coming.

“I’ve got a clean shot,” Norris said.

Dahlia moved. Instead of a clean head shot, Norris removed the bark from the tree behind her.

Damn, she’s fast!

April grabbed the knife, and, to Jet’s astonishment, they forced Dahlia to drop it. Another shot rang out. It hit Dahlia in the shoulder. The pain must have been excruciating, but she kept coming.

April punched Dahlia in the throat. The woman fell to her knees. Another shot rang out. This time it was true. Dahlia was down.