“Apolonia, there are children in there. I think the scientists are baiting the parasites with them. We have to get in there.”

A myriad of emotions scrolled across Apolonia’s face. Most times, she seemed heartless, but the thought of children inside clearly affected her. She nodded. “I will get you in, but if I go against Cyrus’s wishes by killing one or all of them, I will tell him you’re to blame.”

“Fair enough,” I said, positioning myself behind the lethal, beautiful being I was actually beginning to like.

“Amun-Gereb will be on top of this place at any moment!” Tsavi hissed.

I was surprised she wasn’t okay with the new plan. Tsavi was usually the more compassionate one, but she was clearly afraid. She had seen what those parasites were capable of and didn’t want to be anywhere near them.

Apolonia rounded the corner, grunting and huffing with every jab and swish of her sword. Tsavi joined her, using only her hands. One by one, they cleared the soldiers, mostly debilitating them, but a few wouldn’t stay down, so Apolonia had to make their incapacitation more permanent.

When they were all either unconscious or writhing in pain, Apolonia and Tsavi stood in the center, victorious. I stepped out.

“Well played,” I said, smiling.

They both half-frowned, half-smiled.

“Well…played?” Tsavi said, laughing once and then looking to Apolonia.

“Well done,” I said. “Good job. Way to kick ass.”

“Kick…ass,” Apolonia said. “I like this one.”

In unison, we all responded to movement from the floor but too late. A rifle was already raised, and a spray of bullets pierced through Tsavi’s torso. She cried out as Apolonia quickly removed the soldier’s head.

We both rushed to Tsavi’s side.

Tsavi groaned and then whimpered. Apolonia spoke to her in Ahnktesh. Tsavi was bleeding out, her dark blood pooling quickly beneath her.

“English,” Tsavi said. “I like English.”

“What do I do, Tsavi? Tell me what to do,” Apolonia said. Her hands were shaking as they hovered over the dozens of bleeding holes in Tsavi’s suit. Apolonia didn’t seem to know where to start.

“The roof,” Tsavi said. “Once Hamech arrives, take me to the…to the…”

“Infirmary?” I said.

Tsavi let out a breath. “Yes. Infirmary.”

Apolonia looked around, her lips quivering. “I do not think we…I’m not sure we have time to wait to get Hamech’s attention.”

“I’ll just rest here until you come get me.”

Apolonia laughed once, a tear falling down her cheek. An explosion outside made the steel-and-concrete building shake like a scared child.

Apolonia lifted Tsavi from the floor and carried her through the plastic tarp, laying her on the empty silver table. The men in the hazmat suits watched, still and silent.

Apolonia turned to look through the medical supplies and instruments available, both scared and frustrated. A canister caught her eye, and she grabbed it.

A bubbling noise came from Tsavi’s throat, and then she let out a gurgling long breath. Her body relaxed, and her head fell to the side.

“I must…” Apolonia looked around at everyone in the plastic-covered ten-by-twelve room, fidgeting. “I must signal my father. We can still save her.” She ran from the room with the canister and up the stairs to the roof.

I stood, glaring back at the scientists in hazmat suits staring back at me, and then pushed through the plastic tarp. The machines inside beeped, buzzed, breathed, and pumped in rhythmic harmony.

Each of Tsavi’s eyelids formed narrow slits, revealing her dark eyes and vacant stare. Just a few minutes before, she was walking, talking, alive. I wondered how long she could go without oxygen. How long have I gone without it?

“Tsavi,” I leaned down, whispering into her ear. “Listen to me. Wake up. You can do it. It’s easy.” I felt my whole body trembling and tears burning my eyes. “Tsavi?”

“Don’t waste your time, Rory. She’s obviously gone,” a scientist said. He removed his hood, and his ginger hair and blond eyebrows came into view.

“Help her,” I begged, looking at the others on the table.

One African American girl and one Latino boy, both about eight or nine years old, lay on the other side of Tsavi in a deep sleep. On the other side were a middle-aged man and a silver-haired Asian woman who was nearing the last stages of her life. The monitors showed that their hearts were beating, but their brain waves were flatlined.

“Benji was told that you wanted the rock to protect us from Apolonia’s people. Who is going to protect us from you?” I said, slapping an instrument tray off one of the small tables and taking a step toward the ginger.

Another still-hooded scientist backed away.

The little girl, her hair in gorgeous tight spirals, had stitches in her forearm. The boy had an open laceration in the same spot, and plastic tubing guided his blood to the rock.

The building shook again.

“You’re baiting the parasites?” I said, so angry I was shaking. “With children?”

The ginger smiled with approval. “Rory, nice to finally meet you.”

“Who are you?” I said, even angrier that he knew my name.

He chuckled. “I’m a little hurt you don’t recognize me. Either you’re not paying attention in class, or Byron Zorba is more jealous than I thought and doesn’t teach his students about the most esteemed biomedical engineer of all time.”

“Dr. Tennison?” I asked, surprised.

He didn’t look at all like an evil mastermind. His face was pocked with old acne scars. He was greasy and potbellied. He didn’t look like he was capable of tying his own shoes.

He smirked, disgustingly gratified. “I guess he does, after all.”

I grabbed a scalpel and lunged at Tennison, but a strong, thick hand grabbed my wrist.

“Easy now!” the man laughed.

I pulled away. It was Rendlesham, still wearing his ridiculous crocodile boots.

“Don’t be stupid, girl. You’re outnumbered and alone. We don’t want to hurt you,” Rendlesham said, forcing me to drop the scalpel.

“No? And here I had you pegged as a sadist,” I said, gesturing to the innocent people on the tables.

“No,” Tennison said, motioning to me. “You’re clearly an asset, smart and dangerous. We could use you on our team.”

“I heard—as bait.”

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