A harsh voice drifted through the storm. “This is General Shon, acting leader of the entire Partial species. Those of you who have betrayed your race and joined the human terrorists are complicit in the bombing of White Plains and the death of hundreds of thousands of Partials. Surrender now and you will be forgiven; stay with the humans and we will exterminate you with the rest of the vermin.”

“We have to work together!” shouted Kira, but the only answer was another hail of bullets.

“Give me your rifle,” said Marcus. “You can run for it, and I’ll cover you—”

Another Partial soldier appeared above them, and Kira screamed and fired, desperate to protect her friends even if only for a moment, but more soldiers appeared, and more beside them, and Kira’s rifle was empty but she still kept pulling the trigger, screaming and crying her defiance—

—and the Partial soldiers were cut down by a wave of gunfire.

“Kira!” a voice shouted. “Fall back to our position! We have you covered, fall back!”

The voice was impossible to identify in the midst of the wind and gunfire, but they were desperate for any help they could get. Kira and Marcus scrambled to their feet, dragging Green between them and stumbling through the snow. Bullets howled through the air around them, slamming into snowbanks and ricocheting loudly off the dark hulks of cars, but the vague shapes in the storm kept beckoning them forward. She didn’t know who they were, but they were on the link, and she wondered how a group of friendly Partials had appeared out of nowhere from the west.

She felt something familiar and almost stopped in shock.

“Keep coming!” said the voice. “We can hold them here—fall back behind us!”

She dragged Green and Marcus forward, and then there he was, kneeling behind the protection of a snow-covered car, holding off the enemy.

“Samm?”

“Kira,” he said. “I told you I’d find you.”

Chapter Forty-four

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

“Where did you come from?” Kira demanded.

“West,” said Samm. He kept his eyes on the road to the east and fired another short, controlled burst from his rifle.

“But how?” asked Kira. “Why? What about the Preserve? I thought I’d . . . never see you again.”

“Go ahead and kiss him,” said Marcus, throwing himself down behind the same car for cover. “He saved our lives—if you don’t kiss him, I’m going to.”

“Questions later,” said Samm. “Do you have any ammo left?”

“We’re out,” said Kira.

“I have a pistol in my side holster,” said Samm, firing another quick burst. “Take it, and get your people to safety. I’ll hold this line to give you and Heron more time.”

Kira took the gun. “Heron’s here too?”

“Planting explosives,” said Samm. “There’s a bridge two blocks behind me.”