Eliza Danvers was never a fan of violence. While she was a scientist, the majority of her work centered on the preservation of life, utilizing technology to improve the human experience. She believed there was no need to create instruments that intended to harm another person and was staunchly opposed to those who wielded them.
So, when her eldest daughter announced she was joining the Federal Bureau of Investigation, she knew the sleepless nights of her past would become permanent as long as Alex was a Special Agent. In the first two years she worked for the Bureau, Eliza called three times a week, wanting to hear her child's voice as often as reasonably possible to assuage her fears about Alex risking her life on assignments she couldn't even talk to her mother about. Fortunately, her daughter resisted the compulsion to be her usual hardheaded self when it came to accommodating her worrying mother. With time, the phone calls decreased to once a week, especially after Kara moved to National City to be closer to her sister. She trusted her daughters to take care of each other. Still, there are aspects of Alex's career that she would never be welcoming of.
When the sound of breaking glass woke her, she did not expect to see the red haired woman barreling from her childhood bedroom with her government issued weapon drawn, clad in the pink flannel pajamas she left behind after departing for college. Jesse was right behind her, rushing down the stairs towards the source of the crash.
"Mom, stay up here," Alex whispered as she took the steps two at a time. She did not turn on the light, wanting the element of surprise if there is already an intruder in the house.
When they reached the first floor, Kara and Lena were exiting the basement, looking too disheveled for two people who were supposed to be asleep a few minutes ago. They were about to charge the door alone when Alex held her hand out for them to stand behind her.
"Watch my back, rookies," Alex commanded before pressing her back against the wall and gestured for Jesse to open the door. The other woman obediently took her positon and waited for the agent's signal. Soon as it swung open, the agent pointed her gun at the face of the intruder who tumbled over the threshold without invitation and slammed the door behind her.
Her short, dark hair was a mess of rain and leaves, breath coming out in rapid bursts as she doubled over with her hands on her knees. For several moments, she did not raise her head, unaware of the guns trained on her. When her breath finally settled, she raised a hand and used her fingers to comb back the tangled locks, clearing her eyes to see four figures standing around her with guns pointed at her chest, darkness obscuring their faces.
"Who the hell are you?" Alex demanded harshly, sliding the safety back on her weapon.
She tensed for a moment, rapidly analyzing the shadowy room for an escape route and realized she was completely cornered. Shy of going back outside, the horde of zombies probably still searching for her, she was stuck right there. Without another option, she attempted to joke her way out of a hail of bullets.
"Wow, I guess four guns being pointed at me is better than being chased by zombies, am I right?" The stranger remarked sarcastically, slowly raising her arms above her head. She waited silently for the other women in the room to make a move, nearly jumping from her skin when an unseen hand reached out to grab her shoulder.
"Lucy?" Jesse's familiar voice questioned from besides her, relief swelling in her chest. The shorter woman was quick to embrace her coworker when Eliza turned on the light, revealing two (and a half) familiar faces in the room.
"Jesus Christ, it's good to see your face, Jesse." Her relief tripled when she caught the eye of her boss over the assistant's shoulder. "Glad to see the Best Luthor is here too."
Lena lowered her gun, stepping towards the former Army Major turned security specialist with a kind smile. She gestured for the sisters to put their weapons down and allow her employee a moment to catch her breath after obviously running for her life.
Of course, Alex refused and kept her weapon raised until Kara explains.
"Put your gun down, Alex. This is Lucy Lane, she's the Head of Security at L Corp." Her sister eyed the woman still hugging Jesse with suspicion until Eliza swatted her arm and pushed her back toward the living room.
"Let's give Miss Lane a moment to breathe. There's no need for such hostility with the world falling apart. I raised you better than that, Alexandra." The adult woman groaned audibly at her mother's scolding and grumbled under her breath, before choosing to stand guard from the loveseat across the room. Eliza ignored one child in favor of directing the other upstairs to scavenge fresh clothes that might fit the shorter woman's frame.
Once Kara disappeared, she concerned herself with retreating to the kitchen to fill a glass of water for their guest. By the time she rejoined the group, Lucy was wiping her face with a wet cloth, clearing away a thick layer of dried mud. Eliza directed Lena and Jesse to situate her on the couch across from Alex before placing the glass and a plate of crackers on the table between them. Kara cleaned the broken glass from beneath the door, Lucy's failed attempt at finding away into the only house with lights on the beach strip.
"You won't believe how relieved I am to have found you guys. I really thought I was a goner out there," Lucy told them between slips of water and bites of cracker. "I survived through quite a few scrapes in the Army, but these zombies are no joke."
"You were in the Army?" Alex asked, suddenly more relaxed knowing their new guest was actually trained for and experienced combat, unlike the other four women in the house. Clearly, Jesse and Lena had unofficial training, unsurprising for two women who traveled the world on numerous projects, occasionally to dangerous areas. She wondered what sort of predicaments the smaller woman survived overseas.
Having been assigned to dozens of security details while working for the FBI, Alex understood that there were times when plans failed and the people they were assigned to protect had to defend themselves. Being capable of shooting a gun straight was a lifesaving skill to have. As much as her mother loathed her job, her daughters were both beyond prepared to handle the steaming pile of shit presented to them now.
When Kara moved to National City, Alex made sure to sign her sister up for self-defense classes and took her to the gun range whenever there was time, but the younger woman never had to fire a gun at an actual person. Until today, at least, if Lena's story from earlier was to be believed. While she seemed fine now, the reality of taking another life would set in soon. Alex still felt shame for leaving her sister behind, despite her returning to their home unharmed. Their mother was a wave of fury when her eldest daughter informed her of Kara's plan to escape the city with Lena Luthor, the woman she'd only known for a few months. Eliza read her the riot act, a scolding that she certainly deserved, and would be rehashed when their mother found out about the events from earlier in the day.
While her mom was aware that she had Kara in self-defense courses, the weapons training as a secret between the sisters. They knew Eliza was already unhappy with Alex working for the Bureau and did not want her worrying any more than was necessary. Though, there was a strong chance their cover was already blown if her reaction to Kara strapped with an assault rifle earlier was any indication. That would be a conversation for another day.
"Yeah, I did two tours in Afghanistan before going to law school and joining JAG." Lucy informed the pretty redhead that she presumed is Kara's sister. She only met the youngest Danvers once after Lena requested she be given a permanent security pass to enter the administrative building of L Corp. There were very few people that the CEO trusted, so Lucy was desperate to learn just how they ended up in this small beach town instead of the bugout shelter detailed in the company wide email sent when the city fell.
When the dark haired woman raised her arm to finish her glass of water, Lena spotted the tear in her sleeve, obscuring a four inch gash down her forearm.
"Lucy, you're bleeding," she shouted, reaching for the woman's wrist and delicately pulled the fabric up. Eliza was already returning with her medical bag when the major tried to downplay the seriousness of her injury. Her hands were protected by latex gloves when she cut away the fabric and started cleaning the wound with a gentle touch.
"I only have a topical anesthetic, so this is going to hurt still. I apologize." Eliza grimaced as she applied the gel around the wound with a wooden stick. Her patient simply nodded, having experienced medical care in the field more than once. There wasn't always time for pain reduction when danger was coming around the corner.
"Damn zombies chased me into the woods. Couldn't see and tripped over something. Probably cut my arm then." Lucy murmured while Doctor Danvers worked on her arm. Hearing the word 'zombies', Alex stood to move the window's curtain aside, inspecting the darkness for any sign of the infected. She was worried the horde that chased Lucy towards their home would find them sooner rather than later. They would have to abandon their current position before sunrise and she did not like the idea of traveling with impaired visibility.
"Lucy, how did you end up in Midvale?" Lena asked, handing Eliza a needle and surgical thread to begin closing the gash.
"I stopped just inside of town to look for gas and ended up with a flat tire on my bike." The major told them, shaking the lingering cloudiness from her head and testing her arm's mobility after the final stitch was placed. "I was walking through town to find help when a horde caught wind of me. Managed to take out a dozen or so before I ran out of ammo. Lost them in the woods and ended up here. I pretty much kept running full speed until I saw the lights out here."
"Then, we can't stay here tonight. It's too dangerous if there's a horde nearby." Alex warned them authoritatively. When no one moved to disagree with her, she directed them to prepare for their departure, following her mother and Jesse upstairs to change.
When she returned downstairs, Lucy was wearing the ill fitted clothes Kara had retrieved earlier, looking especially small in Alex's volleyball t-shirt and rolled up jeans. The redhead stopped at the last step and watched the woman as she fidgeted with her borrowed clothing. While she was unassuming in stature, there was something imposing about Lucy Lane that piqued her curiosity. She was so distracted that she didn't notice the brunette staring back at her with equally inquisitive look.
"Since your bike is out of commission, you should ride with my mom in the SUV." The eldest Danvers sister informed her. She removed one of the handguns from her thigh holster, inspecting the chamber before handing it off to Lucy. "The rest of us will be armed, so you shouldn't need to use this, especially with your injury. But, I'd rather be safe than sorry."
"Thanks," she replied, sliding the gun into her waist, "So, what alphabet soup organization do you work for, Agent Danvers?" Lucy asked Alex, watching carefully as the taller woman stopped in front of her with her eyes narrowed in defiance. She snickered lightly which only makes the other woman's expression deepen. She motioned to the functional haircut, black cargo pants, and thigh holsters the redhead was wearing. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you scream 'Fed.'"
"Somehow, I'm still slightly offended by that," Alex rolled her eyes playfully. The shorter woman smirked mischievously. "Funny how that works."
"Don't be," Lucy flirted lightheartedly, "I happen to think the Kim Possible/ GI Jane look is hot." She reached out to wrap her hand around Alex's bicep. "Especially on feisty redheads."
Alex's heart thumped in her chest as Lucy openly appraised her. "You're going to be trouble, aren't you, Lane?" The dark haired woman simply laughed and turned away from the redhead
"The best kind of trouble."
When Kara and Lena entered the room, they found Alex standing with her mouth wide open, eyes glued to Lucy Lane as she sauntered around the room like the cat who ate the canary. The woman don't ask any questions in case they faced with some of their own, earlier activities still fresh in their minds. They spent ten minutes organizing their backpacks and weapons before Eliza joined them.
With everyone clothed and armed, L Corp's CEO informed them of their travel plans. Luckily, Doctor Danvers' car was already packed with her and Alex's personal items, meager possessions that soften the transition from normalcy to life under strict quarantine. There was still much of their lives being left behind, but the feeling of dissatisfaction would be unavoidable. They would have to learn to live with it.
"Is everyone ready to go?" Eliza asked. A chorus of 'affirmative' begins their journey to the L Corp shelter.
Alex and the major were the first ones to depart the house, drawing their weapons as they scanned the property for infected persons. A dense fog has fallen across the beach, lowering the visibility of the road and woods around them, and the crashing sound of the waves against the sand was deafening to their ears. The combination of these two things was dangerous, leaving them seriously exposed to an attack they would not see or hear coming.
They exited the front door quietly, leaving the other members of their party behind as they diverge on the porch. The redhead went left as Lucy veered right, keeping their eyes and ears trained for intruders. When there was silence, save for the water, Alex called for the rest to join them outside. Though there hadn't been a formal discussion about leadership, they freely followed her orders, even the major and CEO who were unaccustomed with taking directions from other people.
"Lucy, you'll drive mom's car." As Eliza began to protest, she's stopped short by her daughter's commanding voice. "We don't have time to argue, mom. Lucy has military training that you don't. She should be behind the wheel."
Kara placed a reassuring hand on her adoptive mother's shoulder, "Alex is right, Eliza. I trust Lucy to keep you safe." The woman exhaled deeply and nodded before walking to the passenger side door. When she was inside and secure, her eldest turned to the other women.
"Lena, since you know where this place is, you'll lead the way with Jesse. Kara and I will take up the rear. Does that work for everyone?"
"Yes, that will work fine," Lena responded. "You should also take these." From her backpack, she pulled two boxes with the L Corp symbol and handed them to Alex and Lucy. "Inside these boxes are communication devices connected to the frequency of our helmets as well as prototypes for one of the gadgets I've been working on."
Opening the boxes, the women automatically picked up the earpieces and pressed the small devices into their ears. They adjusted them slightly, finding that they were more comfortable than the government issued ones they were forced to use throughout their careers.
"I forget working for a tech genius has its perks," The shorter woman remarked, smiling proudly at her boss, "I knew there was a reason I let you drag me away from the army, Luthor."
"I seem to recall cool toys being just one the many perks you were offered with your employment." Lena challenged, rolling her eyes as the major attached the second device to her wrist.
"Was having a smoking hot boss supposed to be a perk?" Lucy sassed back, unaware of the glare the youngest Danvers was sending her way. The blonde tabled this moment for a conversation in the future. She did not appreciate the way
Once the straps were adjusted, Lena took hold of her wrist to activate the device. Turned off, it looked like a simple wrist watch with a leather band. When the crown was pushed in, the miniaturized machine whirled to life and a holographic display encircled their wrists. Everyone, except Jesse, was in awe.
"Awesome, it's just like the watch in Spy Kids, Alex!" Kara nudged her sister's shoulder as she activated her own device. The other woman was silent as she reached out to touch the blue screen floating above her wrist. Though she did not physically make contact with the surface, the hologram still reacted. She began to flip though the various applications and pages.
"I actually based these off the Spy Watches from the movies. Fortunately, these can also tell time, unlike Machete's gadget." Lena informed them proudly, silently preening as Kara continued to sing her praises. "There's a lot of cool stuff on here, but now isn't the time to explore everything. On page one, you will find the application to change the frequency of your earpieces and the GPS programmed with directions to the facility. If we get separated, you'll be able to see where everyone else is."
"I have to admit, these are pretty cool, Luthor." Alex complimented her before moving toward her own bike. "I always knew you would be a mega nerd."
"Oh, you haven't even seen how nerdy she is. Just ask her about Harry Potter and Star Trek." Jesse teased, jumping out the way when her boss tried to swat her arm playfully. The women began to argue amongst themselves as they walk toward their bikes behind Eliza's car, leaving the three others behind.
Just as Lucy moved to enter the driver's side of the car, she turned back towards the sisters. "I promise to keep your mom safe, guys." She expressed sincerely. There wasn't a shred of doubt on their minds that the former army major would protect their mother with her life.
Without much fanfare, the entourage reversed from the drive way, leaving the Danvers home in their rearview mirrors.
The road was pitch black except for the blinding light of the high beams on the SUV and the tender glow of the moon above them. Lucy set the pace for their journey, maintaining a safe speed of 15 MPH as they're forced to navigate abandoned vehicles along the highway. Though there were hundreds of cars littering their pathway, they don't encounter a single soul for miles. With the obstructions, their trip to the safe house would take a few hours, but there wasn't a sense of urgency. It was more important to arrive in one piece than to rush through the dark and wind up putting themselves in danger.
For the most part, they were quiet, only speaking to warn each other about overturned vehicles and collapsed light posts in front their path. Alex spent much of the time worrying about her sister, looking across the road to watch Kara every few minutes. The blonde was never this quiet and she's waiting for the other shoe to drop. When the adrenaline for the day finally dissipated, she would be an absolute mess. Of the five women on their journey, Kara was the least prepared for the experience of taking a life. Even Eliza understood from the perspective a medical professional, being unable to save a life was heartbreaking.
Alex has vivid memories of her first time killing someone. Remembers the crimson blood as it oozed from the man's chest and pooled on the linoleum floors of Grand Central Station. And, the smell, how it lingered on her clothes and seared her nostrils. Even after she scrubbed her skin until her flesh was red and raw, she couldn't escape the scent of death. Drowned herself in the bottom of a bottle until she couldn't recall her own name and the name of the would-be terrorist. She did not want to imagine his face every time she closed her eyes or think about the two little girls and wife he left behind to pursue a hopeless cause against the government Alex swore to uphold the laws of. He was a criminal who planned to kill hundreds and he needed to die to save those lives, but he still haunts Alex's dreams.
Her sister was a senior at National City University when Alex takes the special assignment in New York City that ends in disaster. When she returns to the city they call home, Kara was buried between books and writing her thesis, too busy to visit her sister and see her falling apart at the seams. And, if she did, the redhead would never allow the young, optimistic woman to be touched by the dark clouds that loomed over her head. She played her role as big sister so well that she deserved an Oscar, determined to never allow the blonde to see her agony. For Kara, she would be the person she needed all those years ago.
"Kara, switch to channel 2." The redhead couldn't see her sister's face, but knew she's probably confused. However, she still raised her hand briefly to change frequencies with a button on the outside of her helmet.
"What's up, Alex?" Kara asked her sister over the private frequency. She didn't sound distressed like Alex expects her to.
"I just wanted to see how you're doing. Today was a lot." If her hands weren't wrapped around the throttle and break, she would have waved off the redhead's anxieties. She knew Alex was probably concerned about her mental well-being; after all, she did kill a man today. Several men actually. Well, they weren't necessarily men anymore but she still took lives. There wasn't any training her sister could have given her to prepare for the way a human skull looks when a bullet exploded through it.
"You don't have to worry about me right now, Alex." She tried to reassure the other woman. "I'm sure I'll freak out everything later, but I'm letting that simmer on the backburner for now."
"So, what's got you inside your head? You haven't been this quiet since mom caught you making out with Jen Garret in 10th grade." Alex jested, laughing to herself at the memory of the unfortunate family dinner that look place after the incident. She swore Kara's entire body would going to turn red as a cherry while their mother lectured the young girl on safe sex practices for queer women.
"It's nothing." She answered almost too quickly, throwing more force behind her tone.
"Doesn't sound like nothing. Didn't look like nothing when you and Lena came up the stairs." Alex pointed out, raising her eyebrow beneath her helmet when the ton of Kara's voice pitches higher.
"Ew, we're not having this conversation, Alex." Despite her protests, her sister continued.
"Definitely wasn't nothing when Lucy called Lena hot. I thought you were gonna glare the poor woman to death." The redhead was so busy reaming her sister to notice the car and motorcycles in front her abruptly stop.
"Alex!" Kara's voice was uncomfortably loud in her ear before they both switch back to the first channel. Joining the conversation was useless because they could very clearly see what's caused the other drivers to halt. Lena and Jesse had already dismounted their bikes and were cautiously advancing on the young boy standing in the road, blood dripping down from a gash on his forehead.
"You have to help my mom, please." He begged them, pointing towards the crashed Maserati 20 feet from the road. The front end of the vehicle was wrapped around the body of a towering pine tree, smoke bellowing from under the crushed hood. At a distance, the overwhelming light from the SUV obscured his face, but Kara immediately recognized his voice.
"Carter? Is that you?" The boy rushed towards his mother's former assistant, shoving past Lena and Jesse to wrap his arms around the blonde woman like a boa constrictor. Nearly tumbling over from the force, Kara held him close and stroked his messy, brown hair as he sobbed into her chest.
"Kara, you have to help my mom, the door won't open and she isn't waking up!" Except, he continued to clutch onto her body. Alex, Lena, and Jesse were already at the car, trying to force the driver side door open without much luck. Kara wanted to help, but she was unable to detangle the scared boy's arms from her body. Luckily, Eliza appeared behind Carter, motioning for her daughter to hand the boy to her.
"Carter, this is my mom, Eliza. Stay with her, I'm going to help your mom. I promise she'll be alright." Cat's son looked at her mother wearily before allowing himself to be lead to the backseat of the car. Her mom spoke smoothing words as she closed the door behind him and pointed to the trunk.
"There should be a crowbar in the back. You can use that to pry the door open." The blonde nodded, racing to the back of the car to retrieve the crowbar from the side panel of the trunk. When she joined the other women, they were struggling to manually pry the door, their hands scraping against the fragments of broken glass in the window.
"Alex, catch!" She shouted, tossing the crowbar to her sister who pulled it from the air with one hand and immediately jammed the flat end between the metal near the door handle. The loud creak of the metal as she heaved the bar backwards echoed through the dense forest, unknowingly alerted the horde of zombies a short distance away. Kara was the first one inside the vehicle, placing two fingers on her boss's neck and found a weak pulse. "Cat, can you hear me? It's Kara. I'm going to get you out of here." The CEO groaned under the force of Kara's shaking, twisting her body trapped by the seat belt.
"Here, use this to cut the seat belt," Lena handed her a small, curved knife from the pocket of her pants. It took several minutes for the karambit to slice through the seat belt, but that was enough time for the rest of their party to hear the roaring approach of zombies from the darkened forest. They each raised their weapons, pointing towards the sound of the stampede.
"Kara, we gotta go. They're getting closer now." The blonde exhaled audibly when the final piece of belt snapped under the pressure of the knife. She handed the blade back to Lena and wrapped her arms around the petite woman's body, taking care to not jostle her neck as she lifted her from the vehicle. There was barely a second to adjust Cat in her arms before bullets began flying through the air.
As she raced across the grass, doing her best to hold Cat still, Alex and Jesse fired blindly into the woods. Wave after wave of bullets were hitting body after body, but their attackers persist, shoving each other as they pushed through the tree line. In just the few hours since the pandemic took a turn for the absolute worst, the infected had deteriorated even more, their skin a pale shade of green as flesh dripped from their bones. When she reached the car, Lena pulled open the door and Carter helped pull his mom into the backseat.
"Ok, time to move, people." The CEO shouted as they slammed the door shut. She provided covering fire as her assistant and Alex darted back to their motorcycles, throwing their helmets on. Engines revving loudly, Lena and Jesse took off like lightening with the rest of the caravan following close behind them, zombies biting at their heels.
Thankfully, these zombies were not the ones from World War Z, though they were significantly faster than expected. They were able to follow the vehicles for half a mile through the slog of abandoned cars and trucks before giving up their chase. From behind the SUV, Kara could see Eliza examining Cat through the back window and asked Lucy for an update on her condition.
"Don't worry, Little Danvers, your boss is awake. In and out of consciousness, and the worst patient ever, but she's alive." The driver voiced over the comms. Cat's voice droned from behind her, sounding weak and in pain.
Eliza raised a hand to check her pulse again before opening a First Aid Kit to clean the wounds on her forehead. There wouldn't be much more the doctor could do until a proper examination was completed; she hoped they hadn't caused any lasting damage by extricating Cat from the car so carelessly. Hopefully, Lena's facility had the equipment to perform X-rays and maybe a CT scan to ascertain if there was any spinal or internal damage. With luck, Miss Grant might walk away with scrapes and a concussion. When they arrived, the youngest Grant would need stitches for his injury.
"I should have known you would be cheeky like your sister, Lane." Cat sassed before losing consciousness again. Kara laughed at her boss, who had been on a sabbatical since before the pandemic started. Last she checked, the eccentric almost billionaire was traveling overseas, but that was months ago. Even with travel restrictions, there wasn't anyone willing to tell the Queen of All Media 'no,' so she was jumping from country to country providing supplies and resources for the communities hardest hit by the pandemic. Kara was the only one at Catco aware of this because Cat wasn't looking for the praise; she supposed media moguls were allowed secrets too. Hell, her former assistant turned friend didn't even know she was in town.
"How's Carter? Is he alright?"
"The kid is as ok as can be expected. A little banged up, but far better than expected. He's doing a good job helping Eliza check over his mom." Lucy told her, using the rearview mirror to watch him briefly while he gentle cleaned Cat's head wound with a Q-Tip. The journalist wished she could be there with them. Carter was a special kid and he wasn't prepared for this kind of situation. With Cat out of commission, she should be there to support him, but staying on the road was of the utmost importance. The sooner they reached the facility, the sooner they could provide them both with the proper medical attention.
Luckily, their journey was greatly shortened when they are directed to take Exit 22 by the GPS, sending them straight toward the prison just as the sun began to peak over the sky. After a night of unbelievable darkness, Earth's protector began to rise over the horizon, painting the sky with vibrant shades of crimson, gold, and copper. Like a hero, she didn't need invitation as she chased away the blackness, beating back the chill from the air. Her light was a gift, a tender kiss upon their spirits, reminding the survivors that there was hope to be had.
Kara understood why Lena chose this location. For the final 20 miles of their travel, the land around them was completely devoid of human life. There are only a handful of stores or houses along the entire stretch of road. They drove through lush, green meadows on long neglected pavement, untouched by man's desire to see high-rises and Walmarts on every inch of available land.
L Corp's CEO was the first to breathe a sigh of relief when the soaring fortress rolls into view. Their vehicles came to a crawl as they progressed down the winding road to the entrance. Her relief, however, was cut short when the gates of the facility finally come into view.
"Everybody, stop, immediately!" She yelled over the comms. The vehicles behind her came to an abrupt stop with Alex and Kara halting in front of the SUV.
"What's wrong, Lena?" The sisters asked simultaneously. She did not answer. Instead, she allowed Jesse to respond for her as she reached over her shoulder to unzip her backpack, removing a tablet from the inner pocket. When the device booted up, she flicked her finger until she found the program for the security camera in and around the building.
"There are only two people who have the codes needed to access those gates and we're both right here." Her assistant answered grimly.
"What does that mean?" Lucy asked from inside the car. They could hear Cat, Carter, and Eliza asking the same question.
"It means we have company."