Chapter 2

"Richard!"

Margaret fumbled desperately to press her hands over the wound.

I fixed my eyes on Sebastian's drone fleet above.

"Sebastian, you really think you've already won?"

Sebastian scoffed.

"On the brink of death and still talking tough? Your lives are in my hands!"

I shook my head.

"You're being used as someone's pawn, and you're deluded enough to think you're some avenging hero of love."

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean—you're about to regret this. Very soon."

Vivienne shrieked.

"Baby, don't listen to her nonsense! She's stalling! *Kill* her!"

The taunt tipped him over the edge.

"Do it!"

Dozens of drones extended their sharpened metal blades in unison.

Sebastian's industrial-grade drones could punch a hole clean through our boat with a single strike.

I yanked something out of the emergency pack.

*Crack!*—the flare gun fired.

Sebastian howled with laughter.

"A flare gun? Ha ha ha ha..."

"Aurora, is your brain waterlogged? I've jammed this entire area. No one's coming to save you!"

The wind whipped harder, the waves rising.

Sebastian's parents had closed their eyes, faces filled with despair.

I watched the flare arc up to its peak, and burst.

"Sebastian, do you have any idea what class of jammer I loaded into that flare?"

Sebastian froze, about to ask.

The next second, dozens of drones plunged out of control into the water.

The swarm that had loomed so menacingly a moment ago sank in seconds.

In the helicopter, Sebastian and Vivienne's laughter cut out.

"What's happening? Baby, what's wrong with your drones?!"

I flung the grapple hook loose and drove the boat toward shore.

But Sebastian was furious now, dropping the helicopter down on top of us.

"Aurora, you think this is over?"

The grapple hook lashed down at us again!

My face went pale. I steadied Sebastian's parents and tried to swerve clear.

"Jump! Now!"

If we didn't move, the helicopter's rotors would grind us to nothing!

Richard shoved Margaret hard toward me.

"Rory, take Margaret and go! I'll cover you!"

"Richard!" Margaret screamed.

Too late.

The metal claw drove straight through Richard's already-wounded right arm, hoisting him into the air.

Richard shrieked. Blood soaked half his body in seconds.

"Weren't you the one talking tough? Weren't you saying you'd rather die than sign? Let's see how tough you really are!"

Sebastian swung the arm, whipping Richard through the air.

Margaret had already fainted from terror, collapsed in my arms.

If Sebastian's parents hadn't been out there trying to clean up his mess—

they'd never have been driven by furious grieving families into the heart of a flash-flood disaster zone.

I screamed.

"Sebastian! Stop! Dad's going to die!"

"Now you're begging me?" Sebastian cackled.

"Sign that document! Or I'll drop him in and drown him!"

"Fine! Fine! I'll sign, I'll sign right now!"

Without hesitation, I opened the phone and uploaded my signature to the email.

Richard's voice had already grown feeble.

"You animal... I'm your father..."

Once the email came through, Sebastian's laughter turned cruel.

"You old bastard—I'm the one calling the shots here!"

"Since you don't know what's good for you, keep going—you can die and join Vivi's parents down there!"

He released the arm.

Richard's body plummeted, slammed into the muddy water, and vanished!

"NO!"

"Dad!"

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