"Ryan!" Rachel screamed.
She took a step toward him but she could not lower the barrier.
If she did, the bullets would reach the boat instantly.
"I—I'll get him!" Mei said.
She started to climb out of the boat.
Lucy grabbed her arm.
"No."
Mei spun toward her.
"Let me go!"
"You'll get caught," Lucy said, her voice firm. "And then you'll be useless to him."
Mei's eyes widened.
"What are we supposed to do, then?"
Lucy did not answer immediately.
Her attention remained fixed on Ryan.
Then she reached down and pulled a long weapon from the boat.
The Starakian rifle.
The Resonance Disruptor.
Ryan raised his head slowly.
Gaspar stood in front of him.
He was no longer entirely human.
Yellow plasma shifted across his skin like living armor. Dark veins of energy moved beneath it. His body looked larger than before, his posture more twisted, and when he spoke, his voice carried a second tone beneath his own.
The Ravager was close to taking control.
