[b]The Aftermath.[/b] Colonel Corbec had flown the Piggy Fool Helicopter all the way from the ruins of Money Marine mountain to the CPO Fraser Helicopter hire Station. He bypassed it and landed the magnificent Helicopter in a Forest Clearing nearby under the red, evening sun. But he didn’t land it so close that nearby that it would attract unwanted attention. He carefully made sure he had left no evidence behind that would link him to the chopper. Then, taking the still sleeping maid away, he went to the tree-line and prepared his Spas 12. He tucked it into his shoulder and aimed for the external fuel tank. Firing once, the entire Helicopter exploded into a bright ball of licking flame and sizzling metal. The maid still snored. Corbec scooped the girl up. He’d destroyed one more piece of evidence against him, now all he had to do was eliminate the people that had seen him in the rental station. The Receptionist was just working over the rental lists, ready to send a fine to DDR Master when the automatic door opened with a soft hum. She looked up in time to see a man in the doorway, back dropped with the sun behind him. “Can I help you?” She asked, confused. “Not really.” He said, the mask on his face making his voice sound metallic and strange. The man revealed a shotgun, and the receptionist screamed. [i]Bam![/i] She flew backwards as if hit by a car, and smacked into the wall, leaving a bloody trail as she slipped down the wall. Corbec picked up the waitress again, and brought her inside. Carefully, he set her down next to the dead receptionist. Then, he searched the computer. He released another virus to delete any evidence he ever took out a Helicopter and replace it with another person. Echo 360 now had a massive fine to pay up. He then went through the security cameras and deleted the footage that showed him walk in and hire a Chopper, and the incident just now. Now all he had to do was kill off the salesman, the one other person who’d seen him here. “Barbara?” Someone asked from around the corner, and the salesman walked into view. He saw the masked man with the gun and turned to run. [i]Bam![/i] He slammed into a wall and collapsed into a pool of his own blood. “Job done.” He said without a hint of regret and carried the still sleeping girl out to his TT, parked in the garage. He loaded her into the passenger seat and got into the right hand side of the car. He tapped the car in appreciation. It was like coming home. The silent Maid slept through the entire journey to Corbec’s Mediterbungian Home, giving Corbec time to think about what to do with her. He decided he would burn that bridge when he got home. Eventually, by the time the sun had sunk beneath the horizon, Corbec reached his home. With exhausted arms, he hefted the almost vegetable-like Maid into the house. He took her upstairs and set her down in the bed, tucking her under the Egyptian cotton sheets. “Now where the hell am I going to sleep?” Corbec said to himself, walking out of the one bedroom in the house and down the stairs. He decided to take the sofa in the living room. He removed the armour and hid it away in a closet. He was still thinking about what to do with the girl when he fell asleep. Pyroshark forced his eyes to open. There was a blinding light all around him. Where was he? Why was he here? He remembered a searing pain, Ninjas, bullets, screaming and blood. The Queen! He tried to get up and find her, but the pain was too intense. “Be still.” Said a strange voice. Pyroshark settled back down, unable to see past the light. “Who are you?” Pyroshark wheezed. The light receded, revealing a white metal ceiling. “We,” said a man leaning over to see him, “are the Grizzled Ancients.”