Jet opened her eyes to two masked women in a pool of oil and blood. Green smoke poured into the room. Jet coughed as she breathed in the green gas.

“Check the room for survivors,” the female with the shotgun said, pointing in Jet’s direction.

The shorter female came closer. Jet reached toward the nearest object that she could use as a weapon. She grasped an object that was heavy enough to defend herself. As the short female crept closer to Jet, she thought she recognized her.

“April?”

“That’s not my name, love,” the female said in a British accent.

“Oh, then who are you?”

“My name is Delphina, and I’m here to fetch you for the master.”

Jet was stunned. She had hoped that Sally and April would save her. She had no idea who these people were, but Delphina was clearly a cyborg. But they’re not mindless tools for a madman’s plot. They’re part of something else.

“Bring her. It’s best not to keep Papa waiting,” the woman with the shotgun said.

“Right, now come along,” Delphina said, walking toward the door.

When Jet didn’t follow, Delphina paused and looked back.

“I can’t walk and my... wheelchair is missing,” Jet said.

“Carry her. I will watch your back. Now hurry; reinforcements are coming,” the woman with the shotgun said.

A rat-tat-tat sound echoed through the building. Someone was getting closer.

Delphina yanked Jet’s arm, and a burning sensation coursed through her veins. It was like someone had injected her with some burning liquid.

“That hurt!” Jet protested.

The girl squatted next to Jet.

“Get on!”

Jet grabbed Delphina’s neck and positioned herself on the girl’s back. Delphina rose, then strode to the door so fast the room blurred. The girl was much stronger than she looked. Jet didn’t know if she was friend or foe, but as they emerged onto the tarmac of the Dark Angels’ airstrip, her heart sank. Every building was ablaze, and there were bodies everywhere. A gigantic stretch SUV waited. Flames glowed from its shiny surface. Moments later, one of the doors opened and an older man with a white suit and fedora exited. He had a slight limp and steadied himself with a cane. The whirring sound of a chopper emanated from above.

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“They’re upon us. We need to leave now,” the man said.

The woman with the shotgun began shooting at something that Jet couldn’t see. Delphina opened a door and deposited Jet into one of the seats. The older man got into the vehicle. The driver put it into gear.

“Not without our bodyguards,” the man said.

A boom came from outside, and the woman with the shotgun recoiled as she fired toward the sky. The chopper swooped in and its landing gear slammed against the roof of the car.

“Get your sister. We need to go,” a man’s voice said.

“Yes, professor,” Delphina said.

Soon, the SUV was careening across the runway faster than Jet thought possible for a vehicle this size. Tapping sounds assaulted her ears. She caught a glimpse of something both wonderful and horrifying. April was firing a machine gun from the side of the helicopter. The bullets had little effect on the vehicle. Whatever material it was made out of seemed to deflect them. Delphina looked nervous.

“Don’t worry, we’re safe from that rabble. They will run out of bullets before they get us,” the older man said, chuckling.

“Who are you?” Jet asked.

“Forgive me, but I didn’t have a chance to introduce myself. I’m Professor Paladin, your savior and new master. But I think you already know that, Josephine.”

“How?”

“I know who you are, and how important you are to a certain teenage boy. Nigel has defied my orders for the last time. He will listen once I take you to him.”

“Where is he?”

“In New York. Instead of following my orders, he’s decided to take residence with a group of rebels. Normally I would drop a bomb, but I still need Nigel’s help in decoding the information he got from the windowless building.”

Jet’s heart ached at the sound of Nigel’s name. He had explained that the Cabal had forced him to raid that building for information, but that was almost a year ago. Despite what Nigel had done, Jet still cared for him. Tears flowed from her eyes.

“Are you with the Cabal?” Jet asked.

The man laughed.

“No, they’re like cockroaches in the night. Something to be exterminated. I have nearly done that. That is something I have in common with your dear Nigel. The Cabal is our shared enemy.”

Jet took a moment to collect her thoughts. If Nigel was in control of whatever information this man needed, then... Jet gasped as she came to the realization that she was live bait.

“How did you know where to look for me?”

“It wasn’t very difficult. I had Nigel distract you long enough for me to trace your radio signal here.”

Jet had a bad feeling as the car careened onto the highway. She glimpsed at signs for Haven and Milford. She wasn’t far from her home. She figured she was an hour’s drive to the Newport border. A pang of regret overcame her as a flash of memory stole her attention. They cuddled by the fire, lost in each other’s eyes, as Nigel’s touch sent chills down her spine. But that was so very long ago. Jet wondered if anything would ever go back to normal again.