Payback

Only a few days have passed since Dawn O'Shaunessy learned the truth about her life, which turned out to be a lie. Her "Uncle" Lee Craig was not a relative, had killed her biological mother, and was actually the notorious assassin Cipher. Dawn makes it clear to Athena Academy grad, police lieutenant Kayla Ryan that she will personally go after Cipher's boss Dr. Aldrich Peters. She will also destroy his Lab 33 that genetically changed her as the instant healing from a bullet wound proves. After locating two "sisters" over the last nine moths that she was AWOL from Lab 33, Dawn confronts Peters. He informs her that the genes of her and her sisters are breaking down; the worse case is they will be dead in twenty-one days. Peters also states that her only hope of living means breaking into the Arizona lab of geneticist William London who is guarded by US and British elite troops led by Special Air Services Captain Des Asher, a rare opponent worthy of Dawn's skills. The key to this terrific science fiction action thriller is Dawn, an interesting character who is becoming less robotic and more humane as the series continues. Previously it was her lab rat sisters to soften her, but now Des brings out the feminist side including love that the heroine has denied exists since her "Uncle" and her employer were exposed as the bad dudes. Fans will fully appreciate this fine fast-paced tale in which the escapades and the romance are worthy of an Athena Academy graduate, of which Harper Allen obtains her diploma like Debra Webb and Evelyn Vaughn before her. Harriet Klausner