Purple and pink painted thin streaks across the sky, backed by thick clouds. The sun made its last stretch before heading to the other side. I took a moment to enjoy the view and then watched Ozzie looking down. Rhett wasn’t kidding when he said, I’ll make you drop instead.

Reyna swung a rope tied from a steady steel rod. She pointed, letting me know that was my ride down.

Oh, hell no.

“Ready for your first drop?” She snickered. She didn’t seem as angry. Perhaps she felt sorry for me.

I frowned at Rhett. “You’re not serious, right? You were joking, trying to make me laugh. Right?”

I turned to Ozzie for support, but he deflected me with information.

“This is the fastest way down, unless you want to go back the way we came, and that’s a long way from here. Plus, it’s getting dark, and I don’t know if you knew, but our glider works on solar power. We have battery backup, but we don’t want to use that unless it’s extremely necessary. Unless you want to spend the night here with the possibility of drifters wanting to touch you, I suggest you drop.”

I was just about to tell Ozzie to stop talking when several red lights flashed across space, cutting the rope. My heart thudded out of my chest. It happened so fast, it took me a moment to register Rhett had wrapped his arms around me and thrown us behind a broken wall. I felt no pain, only discomfort. Rhett’s body had cushioned the impact.

“Drifters have Tasers?” Ozzie roared, crawling to us.

Reyna yanked him down as a light hit the spot where he’d been a second before.

“Thanks, that was close.” Ozzie took his Taser out of his backpack and positioned it to aim.

Rhett reached over the boulder and shot. “They’re not drifters. Even if they could get a hold of Tasers, they’re not this aggressive. They’re ISAN guards.”

ISAN guards? Confusion filled my mind. How did he know? No ISAN symbol displayed anywhere on their suit. But then again, ISAN wouldn’t want to be identified.

What was I supposed to do? Which team was I on? My mind told me to run to the guards, but my heart told me to stay with Rhett. Too late. Again, no time to plan, just do. Clearly when the guards shot at me the decision had been made for me.

Reyna shot a man wearing all black and a mask. “What are we going to do?”

Rhett ducked. “We’re going home, that’s what we’re going to do. There’s about twenty of them. Reyna, take the second rope out of your backpack and get it ready. Ozzie and Ava, come with me.”

Holding my Taser in front of my chest, I readied to shoot when Rhett stopped me by placing his hand on my shoulder.

“Do you remember what you read? What your father did for you? You’re special, Ava. You don’t need Helix to be strong or be brave. It’s already in you. You just have to believe in yourself. You’ve been trying to reject this all your life. It’s going to take time. If it doesn’t work for you today, then fine. We’ll find a way. Now ... ready?”

I nodded, thanking him silently for his pep talk, but I still trembled. I might freeze up, and then I’d be useless.

“Let’s go. On my mark. Three ... two ...”

Rhett never got to say one. I flipped over the boulder and landed with one knee down, and then shot the man in front of me. The lights flashing from behind me came from Ozzie and Rhett, behind the wall on either side.

“You have a bad habit, Ava. You didn’t let me say one.” Rhett growled, shooting another one. “But that was awesome. Some things never change. You’re still the same stubborn, feisty, brave, Ava.”

I ducked low behind some debris to escape a shot, and then got back up to stand behind Rhett.

“Miss me already?”

He pressed his body into mine before I could say something back. The chunk of the wall where he’d stood a second before blasted into pieces. Debris and smoke swirled around us.

“Rhett. Ava.” Ozzie’s voice thundered, filled with concern.

“We’re fine.” Rhett coughed, switching from Taser to gun. “Ava is trying to make out with me.”

I ignored his comment and shot a guard who emerged from the shadows. Too close.

Rhett ducked and gut-punched the guy who came for him and then used the guy’s body as a shield. “You want to know why you called me Sniper, Ava?” Rhett pointed his gun away from the targets. “You’re about to find out.”

“You don’t have good aim, Rhett.”

“That’s what you think.” Rhett’s body jerked after he pulled the trigger.

The bullet hit the edge of the chipped ceiling, dropped to nick a piece of the thick rod on the ground, and then flew right between the target’s eyes. The thumping on the ground confirmed he went down.

“Sniper ... that’s what I can do. Perfect aim, all the time.”

“Nice shot, Rhett. You’re my hero.” Ozzie fired his Taser.

“I never miss, right, Ozzie?” Rhett placed the gun back, took out two Tasers, and shot with both at the same time. “Ready, Reyna?”

“Just in time, Rhett. I’ve re-tied it. It’s ready. I’m going first.”

“Wait for us down there. Keep safe.” He shot like a madman. “Ozzie, you’re up. Go. Ava, go after Ozzie.”

I did as instructed, but I kept an eye on Rhett. Ozzie and I continued to shoot while heading for the rope. Dust and chips from the cement flew about, making it difficult for me to aim for the target.

“It’s easy.” Ozzie ducked a bullet, chips of debris blasted like small fireworks. “Pull your sleeve like this and go down. I’ll catch you from the bottom. Please don’t be afraid of heights. We’re running out of time.”

Easy for you to say. “Okay, Ozzie. You go first, and then I’ll go.”

As I watched him descend and land, I pulled my sleeves over my hands and grabbed the rope. Taking deep breaths, I told myself I could do it. My life depended on it, but I couldn’t move.

Rhett’s words repeated in my mind. You don’t need Helix to be strong or be brave. It’s already in you.

Helix was in me. Just before I let myself go, lights zapped so close I had to veer my body in an awkward position. Still hanging on the rope, I swung like a pendulum on a clock.

“Go, Ava.”

The domineering sternness in Rhett’s voice had me in a panic mode, and the adrenaline kicked in, thick and heavy.

Anchoring the thick yellow rope with my feet and gripping it with one hand, I shot with the Taser on the way down at the guards. Rhett leaped across to get the rope and slid down while bullets sliced the air around him. Crazy, but amazing, Rhett.

Rhett landed a second after me and aimed the gun to where the rope tied. The rope dropped down with one shot.

I took off and raced around the corner of the building to find the vehicle held hostage by guards armed with Tasers and guns. Pointing their weapons at us, they held up clear, bulletproof shields, and their thick uniforms looked bulletproof, too.

Crap. Now what?

“Put it down, slowly,” a guard said. “You didn’t think you could escape again, did you, Rhett?”

Rhett sneered.

The guard knew Rhett?

“I’m going to get a huge reward for you. You’re lucky I was told to bring Ava and you alive. The rest can drop dead.”

Rhett didn’t say a word and raised his hands.

We were surrendering?

No. But he gave the impression we were.

I placed my Taser down and knelt like everyone else. Knowing they wouldn’t give up easily, I prepared to fight. The guard had made a big mistake by standing in front of Rhett and relaxing his gun arm.

Rhett swiped his leg under the guard, knocking him down. Then he picked up the guard’s fallen Taser and shot him in the chest. He spun and yanked the bulletproof shield from the next guard and used that shield to block a bullet flying toward him. Then Rhett went crazy with his Taser, just the way he had above.

Ozzie, Reyna, and I mimicked his moves with the other guards standing in front of us. When I got up, the other ten were down.

I was floored at how sleek, graceful, and swift Rhett, Ozzie, and Reyna moved, and how the four of us battled together as if we were a rehearsed team. We didn’t plan, and there was hardly any communication, but we fought together with ease and comfort.

“Get in.” Rhett cranked the engine. He shifted into reverse and the vehicle ran over bodies without a care. After changing to drive, he pushed the gas so fast my body jerked back against the seat.

Two bullets hit the truck. One pierced the back window and continued through the front, between Rhett and me. The truck screeched out into the street. As I watched the road, I had my Tasers ready to shoot, and my elevated pulse descended to find its steady rhythm the farther we drove.

“Anyone hurt?” Ozzie’s tone exuded urgently, his eyes fell on all of us. “That was real close.” He checked behind his shoulder then turned back to us.

I stole a glance in the side mirror at Reyna since she hadn’t answer Ozzie’s question. Well, nobody had.

Reyna slapped the door handle, anger seizing her. “How did they know? We’ve been here plenty of times, and they never came.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Ozzie placed a gentle hand on Reyna’s arm. “You know they can’t track us. I deactivated Ava’s chip. And even if she had another tracker, they can’t track us at the compound.”

Tracker? As I wondered if they had implanted a tracker inside me, I rubbed the back of my neck. My pinky slipped closer to my ear. Guilt and confusion flooded through me. Without a word, I peeled off the earpiece and tossed it out the window. Could that be a tracker too?

Damn. Why did I care?

“But they can track her here. I guess Ozzie forgot to check.” Reyna fisted a handful of her hair and placed her elbow on the door.

“You’re wrong. I did it when she slept.”

“In her sleep? You’re still afraid of her?” Reyna shook her head, a small squeaky noise escaped her throat.

“Kind of.” He shrugged.

It wouldn’t matter anyhow. If my earpiece was the tracker, a metal detector or any other device they had used wouldn’t have found it.

Rhett punched the wheel and swore.

I flinched.

“What happened?” Ozzie asked.

Rhett flashed a glance at me, and then looked back to the road. “ISAN guards will report Ava shot back. I should have killed them all. If they ask you about it, Ava, you lie. Tell them they must have made a mistake. It will be your words against theirs.”

Oh, God. Lying wouldn’t help me. I needed a miracle.

“Okay,” I said.

Rhett remained silent. One of his hands set on the wheel and the other hand rested on his leg. Too busy keeping my eyes on the road, I hadn’t noticed he was hurt until then.

“Rhett, you’re hurt.” I tried to sound calm, but my voice was too loud.

“You’re hurt?” Ozzie reached over to get a better view.

Rhett placed his palm on Ozzie’s head and shoved him back. “I’m fine.”

“He’s bleeding?” Reyna gasped.

“I’m fine.” Rhett huffed a breath, sounding irate. “It’s just a nick. We’re almost there. Once we get inside the glider we’ll be fine.”

Liquid soaked his dark, long-sleeved shirt on his shoulder and I questioned how much blood he’d lost. I had to take his word for it. Secretly, I chastised myself for caring and stared out the window.