Bullets spanged from the armour, earth energy flaring. The two giants staggered – but didn’t fall. The metal was not even dented. One recovered and angrily unleashed his weapon. A cop exploded in a bloody haze, spraying the car a sticky crimson.

His partner kept firing, hitting the attacker’s helmet. The Nephilim’s head snapped backwards, and he crashed to the ground. The cop switched his aim to the second warrior—

The baraka roared. The energy bolt exploded the officer’s legs and most of his torso. What was left of his upper body slapped down on the car’s hood.

Nina cried out at the carnage – but instinct sent her running to the car. She had ten seconds before either Nephilim could fire again. The driver’s door was open. She leapt in. Three pedals; it was a manual. She stamped down on the clutch and jammed the stick into first, revving hard before releasing the pedal.

The tyres shrilled. The cop’s remains slithered off the hood as she hauled hard on the wheel, powering away from the warriors—

Another burst of earth energy – and the back of the roof ripped open.

The car lurched and slewed around. Nina screamed, but managed to counter the spin. Into second, the car picking up speed. A look back. The roof’s entire rear end was gone, along with the trunk lid, ragged fingers of twisted steel surrounding the new void.

The car had shielded her, taking the blast – but now she was exposed.

And the downed Nephilim sat up, raising his weapon—

She turned hard, wheels squalling over the asphalt. Another bolt clipped the vehicle’s tail as it sped out of the intersection. The rear wing shredded like paper – but the car kept going.

Nina raced up through the gears, still accelerating. The Nephilim were lost to sight as she followed the curving road. The central skyscrapers rose before her. Smoke curled from the top of one of the towers; the stricken helicopter had landed on it.

Where was the fortress? She looked back. Her now-unobstructed view revealed it clearing some buildings – and turning to pursue her.

‘There!’ barked Gadreel. He had sent nine men to the ground, and a flurry of action told him some had found their prey. Colourful armour stood out clearly on a grey road, as did two bursts of blood – and something was moving quickly away from them. ‘In that . . . chariot.’ He frowned. A chariot without horses? ‘Follow her!’

The fortress changed course to pursue the fleeing redhead.

Eddie cautiously rose. Wind blew in through the open hatch, the vertiginous cityscape far below. ‘We’ve got to get out of the other side,’ he said. The Z-20 rocked with the shift of weight. ‘Macy, look at Cheng, okay? When we open the door, you go through.’