"How are we going to handle that much shit?"

Back in Freehold, Will, Terra, and Jay gazed down at the detailed site layout of the town evacuation site, just recently approved by the Library Board. Solid lines denoted the existing water distribution building and the road to it, while faint lines showed topographical elevations, based on the survey Will completed earlier. Dotted lines indicated preliminary sites for the backup hospital, supply warehouses, temporary living shelters, and other facilities. But they had not yet considered sanitation and waste management.

Will pointed to the diagram. "Maybe there, the flat area down-slope. We could put in a holding pond to handle the waste outflow from the hospital and a bathhouse. For the living areas, about the best we can do is put in pit latrines. There is not enough time or money for a septic field."

Jay replied. "That may work. I'll run some calcs on the pond size. Although, someone needs to go back out there to check soil permeability and layout a sewer line route."

Terra made a suggestion. "Let's all go out tomorrow. There is no school, so Moya could come too. The weather should be good. We could bring a picnic lunch."

Jay remarked, "Exceptional idea!" He nudged Will. "You really should marry this woman."

The next morning, the four squeezed into Jay's truck with a picnic lunch and survey equipment stashed in the bed. The weather was sunny and warm, and they looked forward to both a productive and relaxing day. Along the way, the women talked excitedly and at length about Terra's pregnancy. Will grinned at the nervous, wide-eyed expression on Jay's face.

The truck stopped in front of the water distribution building and the four gathered in front of the truck. Will unloaded some of the equipment while Jay walked toward the building to check on the pumps and piping within. Moya took his hand and went with him.

Standing beside the truck, Terra jerked. "Oww!" Her hands flew to her extended belly.

Will jumped to her side. "What is it?"

"It's your daughter. She kicked me hard." With a sharp exhale, she bent over. "Oww!"

Will put his hand on her belly. "Easy, little one. That's your mother."

Will spread a blanket on the ground under a nearby shade tree and helped Terra sit down. He tilted his head toward the building. "I'm going to see what's taking Jay so long." He opened the door, but paused at the threshold, letting his eyes adjust to the relative darkness before entering.

Squirming, Terra shifted herself on the blanket, trying to find a comfortable sitting position. With a sigh, she laid on her back with knees bent up and hands on her belly. The baby within her wriggled enough so that she felt the motion with her hands. Terra whispered. "What is going on with you, little girl? Why are you so agitated?"

Terra shifted to the aura to check on the baby within her. But nearly at once, two bright objects in the aura caught her attention, shining like indicative of powerful Talent. They were close — in the pump building.

With a halted breath, her heart pounded. This is very wrong!

Terra knew that if she could see them in the aura, then they could see her. No opportunity for stealth now. Grimacing, she hefted herself up. Shifting fully into the aura, she steeled herself for a fight.

Within two steps of the building door, a bitter psychic wave overcame her. Wavering on her feet, she bent over and put a hand against the rusty metal wall to steady herself. Mind spinning, Terra panted, and the baby within her stilled.

The Darkness! Will!

*****

From his high vantage point within the pump house with sniper rifle in hand, Neige peered outside through a hole, squinting against the much brighter light outside. He held up two fingers to the men positioned below, then said over the com system. "Two non-targets approaching. Do not fire. Restrain, but do not harm. We may need them."

A younger unknown man swung open the door for the woman and followed her inside. He led her around a set of pipe expansion loops toward a row of three pumps, each set on concrete pedestals, while she cupped hands over her ears, shielding them from the noise. She gasped, jaw dropping and eyes snapping wide open, as a Dynasty guard appeared behind and put a knife blade to her throat. The man moved to intervene, but stopped when Haze appeared before him with his rifle leveled.

"Hands up!" Haze commanded.

"Okay. Just don't hurt her," the young man said in a voice loud enough to be heard above the rush of water in the pipes. He lifted his hands slowly, palms forward.

The young woman trembled, her face paled with fear, but the young man held steady, face resolute and eyes on the woman. Haze backed off behind the pumps, his rifle still shouldered, while the Dynasty guard remained with his knife pressed against the woman's throat. Niege hoped they would not be harmed.

Neige watched as the Hooded Man walked into the building, leaving Lorr behind sitting on a blanket. The Hooded Man stood for a moment, blinking, while his eyes adjusted to the relative darkness inside, letting the door swing shut on its own behind him. His jaw dropped at the sight of the terrified woman with a knife to her neck. Clenching his fists, the Hooded Man advanced toward her but froze in place when Thorne touched a rifle barrel against his back.

Diego emerged from behind a stack of chemical drums and approached with his typical arrogant smirk. The Hooded Man cast his eyes at the jeweled handle of a dagger that extended from Diego's belt and bared his teeth. "So," Neige muttered to himself, "this man took part in Necros' killing."

"The Emperor would like to meet you," Diego said as he extracted a syringe from a pocket.

Wincing as the needle plunged into his arm, the Hooded Man spat, "The Emperor can go to hell!"

With a growl, Diego yanked out the dagger and swung, thumping the Hooded Man hard against the side of his head with the handle. Dropping to one knee, the man put a hand to his temple. A trickle of blood escaped his fingers. Snarling, he jumped up to challenge Diego, but the tip of the dagger poked at his neck, stopping him.

"Call in Agent Lorr," Diego ordered in a loud voice.

"You can go to hell, too!" the Hooded Man replied.

Having witnessed the escalating altercation, the young man stepped forward with both hands up and yelled, "Wait! Don't do anything drastic. Let me shut down the water so we can hear."

Thorne nodded and motioned to Haze, apparently agreeing to the request. The man walked over to the pumps with his hands still up, then sequentially pressed the red off-switches that stood beside each pump. Next, he walked deliberately over to a nearby large isolation valve while keeping his eyes on Haze. Grabbing the valve wheel, he turned it as quickly as he could.

Neige breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe this would quiet the distracting noise.

As the injected sedative took effect, the Hooded Man wavered on his feet. He glanced toward the other man and they exchanged subtle nods. Neige's eyes widened — these two had something planned.

The Hooded Man extended his hands. A mild wave of vertigo came over Neige, and he lost what little access he had to the aura. But something affected the two Dynasty Enforcers so much more. They staggered, dropping to the floor, clutching their heads as they writhed. The dagger slipped from Diego's hand and clattered to the floor.

With an uncharacteristic gasp, Neige lowered his rifle. The Hooded Man somehow controlled the Darkness, Neige realized. He may be the Null — the one prophesied. This must be how he and Lorr defeated Necros, and why the Emperor wanted him so much. This changed everything.

Neige stood and tapped his chest with a closed fist, a hand signal that only Haze and Thorne knew. Both men nodded. The alternate plan was now in play.

Thunderous bangs shook the pipes. Everyone but the Hooded Man and the young man jumped at the deafening sound. The bangs sounded again and again in a wrenching rhythm.

"What the hell?", Neige mumbled to himself while wrinkling his forehead.

So powerful was the force that large pipes jumped from their support racks, ripping off the tie-down straps. As the banging continued, flanges separated, spraying jets of water across the building. A pipe-support stanchion crashed down on one of the Dynasty gunmen, smashing against his head. A gush of water toppled Thorne, sending him tumbling across the hard floor.

The other Dynasty gunman that held a knife on the woman stumbled back. The young man she entered with took advantage and rushed him, shoving him hard against a metal support column and leaving him dazed. He grabbed her hand, but stopped as Haze appeared before them. Lowering his rifle, Haze waved them on. The couple seemed momentarily puzzled at this development, but did not question their fortune and ran toward the building back.

*****

After recovery from the Darkness, Terra gritted her teeth and blasted the building door with a powerful telekinetic push, ripping it from the hinges. She walked in, focusing on the flickering aura beacons. The Enforcer furthest away recovered first, rising from a flooded floor and lifting fighting spikes to face her. Terra did not give him the time to launch an attack or raise a shield. Her razor-focused force sliced through his neck and he slumped to the floor, staining the water crimson.

The Dynasty guard who once held a knife to Moya jumped up, growling. He swung the rifle from his shoulder and pointed at the retreating Jay and Moya. Terra gasped as shots rang out. But they came not from the guard, but from a sniper above. The guard collapsed with two holes in his chest.

Terra snapped her head around to the source of the shots, then jumped as the sniper fired once more, striking the nearer Enforcer in the gut as he staggered to his feet. As Terra prepared a telekinetic attack, the sniper dropped his rifle and raised his hands. She stood ready as he crawled down the ladder. On the sniper's hand signal, the two remaining gunmen also dropped their rifles.

Why are they giving up?

The sniper approached Terra with his hands up. "Hold. We are with you. My name is Neige"

Neige bent over to pick up the dagger.

Terra's breath hitched with recognition. Necros' knife!

The injured Enforcer laid nearby clutching his bloodied belly, his dark eyes widening. Neige bent down and pushed the dagger into the Enforcer's chest. He then withdrew the bloodied blade, leaned it against a concrete curb, and stomped on it, snapping it apart.

Neige turned to Terra, bowing his head. "This blade was meant for you. Now it will threaten no one again."

Water sprayed across much of the building. Terra scanned the building, her heart pounding. Where is Will?

On one knee behind a concrete stand, Thorne waved her over to where Will lay. Terra rushed over to his side, holding her breath as she kneeled down and placed fingers on his neck. A wave of relief came over her at his steady heartbeat.

"They gave him a sedative," Thorne said. "He will sleep awhile, but will be okay."

Thorne picked up the sleeping Will in his arms and carried him outside while Terra supported his head and gently placed him on the shaded blanket. As Terra cradled his head in her lap and against her belly, their daughter within stirred briefly.

The rest emerged behind them, dripping wet. When Jay and Moya reached the blanket, Moya collapsed into his arms, pressing her head into the crook of his neck.

Terra turned to Jay and asked, "What happened to the pipes in there?"

A smug smile came over Jay while he pulled Moya tighter against him. "Water hammer. When I shut the valve, all the momentum energy from kilometers of fast-flowing water in the pipeline had to go somewhere. So it set up strong pressure pulses in the pipe, hence the name. That is why you never install quick closing isolation valves in pipeline service, but fortunately for us, someone did. I have to admit, I did not expect that much damage."

Neige merely lifted an eyebrow at the explanation, but Haze and Thorne grinned widely at each other.

Haze remarked, "Brilliant!"

Terra gazed up at Neige's emotionless face. He was hard to read, but was obviously the leader, and not at all loyal to the Dynasty.

He came here to take my life, but made a different choice. Why?

She put on a stoic expression to match his. "Explain."

*****

A woman watched them through binoculars, hidden behind a distant tree grove. A contented smile rose on her face of how she might be rewarded. The Emperor was wise to send her, of all the Finders. The assassins had failed, but she had succeeded. She had the aura signature. Now there would be nowhere Agent Lorr could hide.