A siren became audible, approaching fast from the north. Either the neighbors had finally convinced the police to come or they’d heard the shots themselves. Either way, it was looking like their only chance.

“Start scooting back, Randi,” Smith said, flicking his gun out and shooting in the general direction of the man undoubtedly closing on them.

She did, dragging the whimpering hacker along with her. Smith slithered along behind, staying focused on the tall hedge they were closing on. It was thick enough to hide them even from a Merged-up soldier, but it didn’t leave a lot of options for which direction to run.

When they got to cover, he pulled Zellerbach to his feet and held on to him as they crashed gracelessly through the hedge. It put them in the backyard of a modern home built almost entirely of glass. A light went on inside just as Randi was starting to climb the fence on the north side.

“You’re next, Marty. Come on!”

“I’ve…I’ve lost too much blood, Jon. Just leave me. Just leave me here to die.”

“Shut up,” Smith said, wrapping his arms around the man’s thighs and lifting him chest-high against the fence. Zellerbach had just gotten his hands on the top rail when someone behind them spoke.

“Stop! I have a gun.”

Fortunately, it wasn’t the confident demand of one of Whitfield’s special forces men. It was the quavering voice of a homeowner who had heard the shots and seen three people run across his backyard. Smith glanced back and saw that the man was wearing a pink robe and speaking through a tiny gap in the bottom of one of the house’s windows. Not someone looking for a fight.

Randi’s hand appeared over the fence and grabbed Zellerbach by the collar as Smith vaulted over next to him. He tucked the Sig Sauer in the back of his pants and started immediately in the direction of the siren.

A swirling red-and-blue light became visible as they angled through an empty lot and ran out into the center of the road, waving desperately in the illumination of the cruiser’s headlights.

It skidded to a stop and the driver threw open his door, ducking behind it for cover.

“They’re shooting!” Randi yelled in a panicked voice. “Someone back there’s shooting at people!”

Smith confirmed that the cop didn’t have a partner in the car and followed her around to the side of it.

“Calm down, ma’am,” the man said. “How many are—”

He fell silent when Smith put a gun to the side of his head and Randi deftly relieved him of his weapon.

“Marty, get in the passenger seat,” Smith ordered as Randi forced the cop into the back and slid in next to him.