That kind of power—none of them could even begin to describe it. "Is she even human anymore?" Liam muttered, half in awe, half in disbelief. "Dominic, did we just save a divine being or something?" Louisa said, still catching her breath. "What are you talking about? She's the one who saved us! She didn't need saving," Dominic shot back. The other two nodded like maniacs. Even Flora found herself bobbing her head in agreement. At the wheel, Miles glanced at Theresa through the rearview mirror. For once, those cold, detached eyes of his held something close to reverence. "What the hell did that girl take?" an old man's voice came from the back seat. Professor K stared at Theresa, who had just carved her way through a small army, unable to keep the amazement out of his tone. "Our Beautiful's always been like that," Quentin said lazily, a crooked smile tugging at his lips. "Woof! Woof!" Even the dog in the car barked twice as if to back him up. While the others were still talking, Theresa came tearing back from the battlefield. She ran faster than Louisa and her group, who'd left earlier. The moment she jumped into the off-road truck, she went straight to check on the older man. Professor K and his dog are both here. All good. Then came the howl. Behind them, the swarm of zombies surged forward again. Louisa and the others scrambled inside in a panic."Move it! Let's go!" Theresa yelled. Everyone turned to stare at her, eyes wide and sparkling, like they were looking at some kind of action hero. "Theresa, those are just baby zombies," Louisa said, all starry-eyed. "You sure you don't wanna show off a little?" "Show off what? Just drive!" No one said a word after that. Miles slammed the gas and gunned the truck back into the station. A mass of zombies trailed behind, flailing their limbs and lurching after the truck, their heads bobbing like broken dolls. The off-road truck roared through the concourse, hit the platform, then dropped down onto the tracks, speeding off in the same direction they'd come from. The rails ahead were almost clear, barely a zombie in sight. They gradually pulled away from the zombies. As they passed North Station, a voice crackled through Theresa's earpiece. "Congratulations, Number 7913. Mission accomplished. Remain where you are. A helicopter will arrive in thirty minutes to extract you and Professor K." Theresa snapped, "What about my Aunt Tania?" "Number 7913, please board the helicopter with Professor K." Her eyes flashed cold. "The hell I will. Where's my Aunt Tania?" "Follow instructions, Number 7913. Your aunt Tania's safety will be guaranteed." Theresa drew in a deep breath, staring at Professor K across from her. A cold smile tugged at her lips. "So that's how it is. You people don't keep your word, huh? Fine. Wait for me. And for the record—my name's Theresa." She ripped the earpiece off, crushed it in her fist until it snapped, then tossed the broken chip into the swarm chasing behind them."Keep driving," she said. "My people will come for us." There's no way I'm letting them keep pulling my strings. And I'm sure as hell not dumb enough to walk right in with Professor K like some obedient idiot. I gave them my word once, but they broke theirs. So fine. Let them wait and see. The off-road truck rumbled along the tracks, kicking up dust as it went. Before long, a helicopter came into view ahead of them. The driver slammed on the brakes, and the truck screeched to a halt. A few armed men jumped out of the chopper, rifles in hand, moving fast to meet them. Theresa climbed out first, dragging Professor K and his dog with her. Quentin followed, quiet as ever. Surrounded by the heavily armed crew, they all boarded the helicopter. Louisa and the others stood frozen, their eyes wide. "I'm leaving," Theresa said, turning back to look at them by the chopper's door. "You guys coming or not?" Louisa glanced at Dominic. "Flora heard her relatives are at a base nearby. We still need to check that out." Theresa nodded slightly, not trying to convince them. "Then I wish you luck." "Thanks," Louisa said. Theresa was about to step inside when Louisa called out, "Theresa! You said you're from Ansford, right?" "Yeah." "That's our next stop. We'll come find you." "Alright." Theresa gave her a faint smile. "Just mention my name." "Got it!" The chopper lifted off, the thumping blades filling the air.On the ground, Louisa and the rest tilted their heads up, watching it disappear into the distance. "What do you think she really is?" someone asked. "No clue." "Can't believe we actually ran into someone like her." They stood there until the helicopter was nothing but a speck in the sky. Then the armored car's engine growled to life again, and they headed off in their own direction.