True to their word, the Liwans did have wings. Nightshade looked down from atop his blackbird and watched the scenery racing by below him. It still amazed Nightshade how quickly the birds had come to the Liwans’ aid.

Nightshade and the cybernetic Liwans had only just escaped the cave tunnels when the ground began to quake beneath their feet. Normally, Nightshade would have commanded everyone to hit the floor, but the sudden rush of warm air blowing out of the mouth of the cave sent his instincts into overdrive.

Hearing elevator music on the way to your doom really messes with your mind.

If there was one thing Ziro had learned in the field, it was that having your cover blown could mean the difference between a hero’s welcome and a spear in your neck...or in this case, a sudden kick to the head.

Happening again? Ziro found it hard to believe anyone had ever seen what he was seeing before. The Liwan men were not merely captives, or even slaves. They were walking experiments.

The hive turned out to be easier to find than quills on a porcupine. As a matter of fact, it looked like one too.

Ziro felt like throwing up...again. Only this time, it had nothing to do with the ride. Unlike the WURM, the Dragoon was as exceptionally smooth as it was speedy. No, this sudden urge to empty his stomach had everything to do with where they were heading...and why.

“What are you doing here?” Ziro demanded. The last person in the world he expected to see in Liwa was Nitro and the Alpha squad. Then again, they always did have a knack for ruining his life. Why should today be any different?

It all happened so quickly, Ziro had to pinch himself a time or two just to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. One moment the squad was surrounded by spearheads and the very next they were being hoisted onto the shoulders of dozens of Liwan maidens, carried into town and heralded as heroes.

If evil made a sound, this was it. The hum grew steadily louder with each passing second, haunting the ears with its eerie tone then boring its way into Ziro’s skull and threatening to drive the mouse insane. At times he felt the ground itself tremble in anticipation of what was to come. Every instinct told him to run but he froze. Then darkness filled the air.