Chapter Four Nero scanned the Shroud’s control panel with a worried expression. They were low on fuel. He knew that he was going to have to put the Shroud down somewhere very soon. They had no chance of making it back to H.I.V.E.; their best chance was if he could touch down somewhere near one of the safe houses that Raven maintained for just such an occasion in various cities around the world. He plotted their flight range against their remaining fuel load and realised that there was only one realistic option, but it would mean flying through some of the most densely populated airspace on the planet. He punched the destination coordinates into the autopilot and activated it. He knew that the Shroud’s stealth systems would render it undetectable to civilian or military radar, but he also knew the increased power consumption would mean running out of fuel while they were still over the ocean – clearly not a desirable outcome. So he had to work on the assumption that wherever they went, Drake would be able to follow them.
