Will stirred as he emerged from the drug-induced sleep, wavering on the edge of consciousness. With a soft groan, he moved his head and slowly blinked his eyes. Gasping, he jerked up, hands snatching at the air. "Terra!"

Gentle hands lowered him down and soothed him. "I am here, love."

Will's eyes focused on his wife's face above him while his head laid on her lap, leaning against her swollen belly. A fluttering from within brought a sigh of relief from his lips.

He asked, "How long was I out?"

She smiled while fluffing his hair. "About six hours. You had a long nap."

"Jay and Moya?"

"They are fine. They went back to Freehold."

Will scanned his surroundings — the back of a transport truck in motion. He stiffened on recognition of the man snoozing across from him, one of those from the pump building.

Terra noticed the reaction and explained, "It's okay. We have new allies now."

Will shook his head. "The last I remember was the water hammer. Then it all went dark. So what else did I miss?"

"You slept through all the fun." Terra smirked. "Although, to be fair, it was you and Jay who got the party going. That water hammer thing really tore the place up. Jay had to go up somewhere and shut off the pipeline so it wouldn't drain the whole reservoir. Do you remember casting your Darkness? Between you and Jay, we had more than enough distraction to take down the four Dynasty men. Inspired actions by you two, by the way."

Will sat up and rubbed his neck. "So, who are our new friends?"

"Mercenaries that the Emperor himself hired, or rather coerced. Upfront are Haze and Neige. Neige is the leader, but he doesn't talk much. Across from us is Thorne."

"Neige, Haze, and Thorne? Sounds like mercenary names. But why are they helping us?"

"They were in a Dynasty prison, and the Emperor has Neige's wife and daughter hostage. The Emperor himself promised them freedom if they completed the mission, which was to kill me and capture you." She shuddered at the thought. "Fortunately, Neige made a different choice. If he hadn't, things probably would have turned out much worse for us."

"So why are we in this truck, and where are we going?"

"There was a price, and I agreed to pay it. We are going to the Emperor's winter home to rescue Neige's family. The window of opportunity is short. It won't be long until the Emperor finds out the mission failed."

Will drew down his eyebrows. "Okay, but I don't want you involved with this."

Terra narrowed her eyes and her voice firmed. "Will, we talked about this! Remember? Together or not at all."

"I still don't like it. I do not want you or our daughter in any danger."

"I don't want that either, but we already are. I will stay out of the main action," she pushed a finger against his chest, "but I am going along!"

Closing his eyes, Will lowered his head. "I wouldn't be able to bear it if you or our daughter got hurt, or worse."

Terra leaned closer to place a soft kiss on her husband's cheek. "Nor I if it were you."

Terra laid her head down on Will's shoulder as they rode on. She smiled as a thought crossed her mind.

Will cocked his head. "What are you grinning about?"

"It just came to me." She lifted her head and extended hands for emphasis. "Think about it. When Neige noticed I was pregnant, it reminded him of his own family and he turned away from his mission to help us. And remember how our daughter kept kicking me before you went inside? I think she was trying to warn us! It was when I went into the aura to check on her that I noticed two Enforcers in the building, so I was ready. Will, our daughter is not even yet born, and she has already saved us!"

A proud smile emerged on Will's face as he patted his wife's belly. "That's my girl."

The journey continued through the night and most of the next day. They only stopped for short breaks or to recharge the truck's power cells. The men took turns driving and everyone napped when they could.

While Will slept, Terra called in a favor from Hex and obtained layout and details of the Emperor's winter retreat. From that, a semblance of a plan emerged. There were still many unknowns, so contingencies were also considered. Neige's skills as a master tactician became obvious.

True to his reputation, Neige said very little nor showed any emotion, but both Terra and Will noted the determination in his eyes. Thorne and Haze were more engaging and told some fantastic tales of past adventures. They would follow Neige anywhere. That Neige so earned their total trust encouraged Will and Terra.

Near dawn, they made their way their way along seldom-traveled back roads and pulled up near the winter retreat, but just out of sight behind a small rocky ridge. Neige and Thorne left the truck to scout the facility. In the pre-dawn light, Terra could just make out shrubby trees and cacti in the low desert environment. She and Will got what sleep they could while Haze kept watch.

Neige and Thorne returned mid-morning with good news. The facility seemed to be lightly staffed and the guards complacent, nor were there were any signs that they expected an assault. The small buildings that surrounded the compound were mostly empty. Presumably, when the Emperor was present, they would be more guards and attendants. Neige even spotted his wife and daughter in the walled courtyard behind the house.

At Neige's request, Terra shifted into the aura to examine the area, doing so only briefly to minimize the risk of being spotted. There were at least four people in the compound with some degree of significant Talent, possibly Enforcers. Also, there were no signs of anyone else outside of the compound.

Neige set the final plans. The operation would begin at dusk.