She spoke to one of the soldiers, who went to a door across the lab. He entered, speaking briefly to another man, then they both came back out – with someone else between them.

Macy.

The breath froze in Nina’s throat at the sight of her daughter. ‘Oh shit. No,’ she gasped, gripped with terror.

Eddie’s response was more vocal, murderous rage in his eyes as he spun to face the Wus. ‘If you hurt her—’

‘That is up to you!’ the younger officer barked. ‘Do as we say and nothing will happen to her.’

Macy’s expression as she emerged had been one of relief at seeing her parents, but it now turned to confusion and alarm. Her toy trikan was in one hand; she clutched it more tightly. ‘Mom? Dad? What’s going on?’

‘What are you doing here, Macy?’ Nina cried. ‘Why aren’t you with Olivia and Holly? Are they okay?’

‘Yeah – of course they’re okay,’ was the bewildered reply. ‘What do you mean, what am I doing here? You told me to come!’

Nina ran to Macy and hugged her. ‘Oh my God, my God! I didn’t tell you to come here! I wanted you to stay in New York, where it was safe!’

Eddie joined them, fists clenched and giving Macy’s two escorts a glare that promised instant and painful retribution if either interfered. Both men retreated, slightly. ‘What did you do to her?’ he snarled at Wu.

‘Nothing,’ the Chinese woman replied. ‘She came with the permission of her guardians. Lam Chi,’ she glanced at the man in civilian clothes who had been with Macy, ‘met her at the airport and travelled with her.’

Eddie’s gaze snapped to him. ‘Did he hurt you?’ he asked Macy, straining to control his fury.

She shook her head. ‘No, he looked after me on the plane. Dad, what’s going on? Why were you so surprised to see me?’

Nina gave Wu a hostile look of her own. ‘I think we’re owed an explanation.’

Wu seemed about to refuse, but her father said something to her with a small shrug. ‘Very well,’ the major said instead. ‘I will show you.’

She logged into a computer. ‘Here,’ she said, gesturing at the large wall screen. ‘Watch.’

The screen lit up. Nina saw . . . herself.

The frozen image appeared to be from a computer’s webcam, her other self looking directly into the lens. Inset into one corner was a smaller picture of Macy; it was a recording of a video call. Nina didn’t recognise the background. It looked like a hotel room, but not one she had stayed in recently. Confused, she watched as Wu started playback.

‘Hi, honey, it’s me,’ said the Nina on the screen. ‘Are you okay?’

The inset Macy replied with a smile. ‘Yeah, Mom, I’m fine. What about you? Are you in New Zealand now?’