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of a new race. I hope you’ll come.”
    Calder stepped into the helicopter and pulled Liam’s unconscious, bleeding body inside. This one was different. It was black, for one. More military in appearance than the one I’d flown in with Ben. The one that exploded with Ollie inside.
    Oh, Ollie� No. I couldn’t think about that now.
    The helicopter rotor started to spin and I was surprised at how quiet it was. No wonder we didn’t hear it , I thought.
    I stood in the blowing snow as the helicopter took off. Tears streamed down my cheeks and froze. I clenched my teeth and fought the ache in my chest as I fought to raise the gun and point it at the helicopter. I couldn’t even summon the energy.
    The helicopter hovered in the air awkwardly for a moment, then slowly flew south. I hope Liam wakes up while you’re up there and tears you a new asshole, you bastard.
    “Doc?”
    I spun around, pointing the gun in a shaking hand. It was Ben. Behind him was the gunman.
    “What the fuck is going on, Ben?”
    “Easy, doc. Just don’t point that thing at me,” Ben said.
    “Actually, pointing it at you is exactly what’s going to happen,” I said. “Now, what the fuck is going on?”
    Ben had a bleeding gunshot wound in his shoulder. He saw me looking.
    “Oh, this?” he said. “It’s nothing. Through and through. I’ll stitch it up.” He looked at the stranger. “I’m glad you weren’t aiming for my head.”
    The man was expressionless. I trained the gun on him. “What’s your story?” I asked. “And how are you not dead? I saw Calder claw you.”
    “My name is Parker,” he said. “I work for the Company. As for the miraculous survival…” He knocked on his chest. “I’m superstitious. I always wear three layers of armor.”
    “So you work for the company that runs the show around here? I hope your human resources department doesn’t mind a little overtime. It looks like there are some job openings.”
    “He’s a Sheriff,” Ben said. “Sent to liquidate the lot of us.”
    I’d heard the term before in my research. “So you changed your mind?”
    “I have,” he said. “For now, at least. Right now our priority is Calder. I think it might be wise to work together.”
    Ben laughed. “Because if you call home, they’ll just send another Sheriff and another team to liquidate your , ass. I can’t believe you shot me. I thought we were friends.”
    “I thought you were infected,” Parker said. “Your reports said that Calder was able to infect shifters with TPV and that it made them volitive, like him, but also made them unstable and violent. Nothing personal, but you’re a polar bear shifter. I’m only going to get one chance to shoot you before I get disemboweled. And I like my bowels where they are. Besides, I shot you in the shoulder. It’s a flesh wound. It’ll heal.”
    “Yeah, eventually . In the meantime, it hurts like hell.”
    “If you two are finished, can we talk about how we follow Calder? He’s going to Alert.”
    “I might be able to help on that end,” Ben said. “The Company is a sucker for redundancy. I have an emergency helicopter. It’s on a platform a mile or so north from here.”
    I really wasn’t looking forward to another trip in a helicopter, but Liam was worth it. He was worth anything.
    “So what’s the plan?” I asked.
    “We can take one of the lifeboats from the cutter ship,” “Paddle out to the platform, and then take the helicopter from there, although I might need to stop here and refuel,” Ben said.
    I handed Parker back his gun. I had no choice but to trust him. “All right. So when do we leave?”