stands there staring back at him. The black control suit draped over her arm like a butler holding his coat. Patiently waiting for him. Or perhaps more like a dog wanting to go for a walk and holding the leash in its mouth.

Either way, she’d been tested enough at this stage, even used against a smaller swarm of drones in the fishing village to the north on a scouting mission. He’d prepared a Jet Ski parked in the garage of one of the houses there.

It could get him across to the island to visit the guys, but he decided against it at the time as he didn’t want to leave Belle standing there on her own. And he felt as if somehow he’d be intruding on the guys.

Pulling the ration pack from the hot water by