Josephine “Jet” Smith tried the radio one more time. She had been in touch with Milo, and he had acted as an intermediary between the young lovers. She wasn’t happy with how things turned out at the chateau and Nigel’s deception. He tried downplaying his involvement in the largest cyber-attack in history. But she wanted to give him another chance to explain himself.

“Hey, Jet,” Sally said.

Jet frowned in frustration, then hit the radio.

“Do you know how to use this damned thing?”

“Sure, I can help. Still trying to reach Nigel?”

Jet nodded and chided herself. She was usually good at technology, but today was different. She couldn’t seem to do anything right.

“Yeah, I just need to talk to him one more time. I need to hear his explanation,” Jet said, her voice trembling slightly.

Sally gave her a warm smile and took the radio from her hand. “Don’t worry, I got this,” she said before pressing the call button.

“Nigel, you there?” Sally spoke into the radio.

There was a moment of silence before a crackling sound filled the airwaves, and then Nigel’s voice came through. “Yeah, I’m here.”

“It’s Jet. She wants to talk to you,” Sally said before handing the radio back to Jet.

Jet took a deep breath before speaking. “Nigel, we need to talk. I need to know why you did what you did.”

There was a long pause before Nigel spoke again. “Jet, I’m sorry. I know what I did was wrong, and I regret it. But I was captured by the Cabal and didn’t have many options.”

Jet’s heart twisted at the sound of his voice. She had missed him so much. But she couldn’t let him off the hook so easily. “That’s not an excuse, Nigel. You could have told me what was going on. We could have found another way.”

“I know, and you don’t know how sorry I really am. But can we please talk about this in person? I want to make it up to you,” he pleaded.

Jet’s heart ached at the thought of seeing him again, but she knew it was a risk. She couldn’t afford to let her guard down, especially now. “I don’t know, Nigel. I’m not sure if I’m ready to see you again.”

“I understand, but please just think about it. I want to make things right between us,” he said.

Jet was torn. She missed him so much, but she couldn’t trust him anymore. She didn’t know if she would ever be able to trust him again. Sally took control of the radio.

“Listen, Nigel. Jet needs some time to think. Maybe we can arrange something for the future, but right now, she needs to focus on herself.”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Jet breathed a sigh of relief as Sally handed her the radio back. She felt a weight lift off her shoulders at the thought of not having to face Nigel just yet.

There was a pause on the other end of the line before Nigel responded. “I understand. But things are getting pretty bad out here. I was trapped for several weeks inside an abandoned lodge. If it weren’t for Blanka, Eva, and Vedrana, I don’t know what I would have done. I would probably be dead.”

Jet remembered Dahlia’s darlings, a group of teenaged assassins that Dahlia had trained since they were old enough to walk. A pressure was building in her chest. She knew that feeling all too well.

I can’t let the anxiety take over again!

“I’m just happy that you’re safe now.”

“Yeah, about that. I’m with Mr. Henry, and he needs my help. We are going to try to restore the internet backbone.”

Jet perked up at the sound of their old friend. Mr. Henry ran Better Buy Computers, a local computer repair shop that Nigel and Jet frequented.

“Give Mr. Henry my regards. Don’t put yourself in danger, Nigel,” she said, trying not to sound as frightened as she felt.

It had been weeks since she had reliable internet access. While she was able to get online, she felt guilty for not looking for clues to stop the calamity that the Cabal had put into motion.

I guess the rumors of Mr. Henry being an NSA spy were correct.

With the state of the world, she knew that Nigel’s skills were in high demand, but that didn’t make it any easier for her to accept the danger he was putting himself in.

“I’ll try not to. Look, I know you need time, but please, just think about what I said. I’ll check in with you later if I can,” Nigel said, before signing off.

Jet sat in silence for a moment, her mind racing with conflicting thoughts and emotions. She missed Nigel so much, but she couldn’t ignore the pain and betrayal he had caused. Sally put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“It’s okay, Jet. You don’t have to make any decisions right now. Just focus on taking care of yourself,” Sally said.

Jet nodded. She knew that she would need all the help she could get to face the challenges ahead. The world may be falling apart, but she was determined to find a way to survive, even if it meant facing her deepest fears head-on. She took a deep breath and gave Sally a determined look.

“Thanks, Sally. You’re right. I need to focus on myself for now. But I’ll keep Nigel from going to get himself killed. Who knows, maybe I can find it in my heart to forgive him someday,” Jet said, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

Sally smiled warmly at her before grabbing the radio. “I’ll let him know. But for now, why don’t we focus on getting you some lunch?”

Jet nodded gratefully as Sally wheeled her toward the kitchen. She knew that the road ahead wouldn’t be easy, but she was ready to face it head-on. She was Jet, after all, and nothing could stop her from fighting for what she believed in.

Is it over?

As they entered the kitchen, the delicious aroma of freshly baked bread filled Jet’s nostrils, and she smiled.

Sally pushed her toward the table, and she sat down. The warm meal brought her little comfort. She picked up a slice of bread and took a bite, savoring the taste of the soft, warm dough. She closed her eyes, enjoying the momentary respite from the chaos outside.

Suddenly, a loud explosion rocked the building, and Jet’s heart skipped a beat. She looked up, fear etched on her face. Sally was already on the radio, calling for backup. Jet knew that this was it. The Cabal had found them.

She took a deep breath, feeling a sudden surge of adrenaline coursing through her veins. She would not let them win. She would fight with all her might. The familiar sound of whirring drones filled the air.

Is Doc Chop attacking?

She positioned herself so she could look out the window. A swarm of drones were spraying green gas across the airfield. One of the machines was gunning down mechanics and maintenance workers, while another sprayed gas over people in pilot’s uniforms. Smaller drones hovered over the attack and slayer drones. It was like they were making a movie of the carnage. She caught the attention of one of the drones. She propped herself up with one arm and shut the blinds with another. Her motionless legs pulled her body to the floor. She landed hard, hit her head, and swooned from the impact.