Like none of this is over.
Then finally—
“Fine.”
Reluctant.
Tight.
Still agreement.
He steps closer as everyone starts moving again.
“Stay close,” he says quietly.
Not an order to the group.
To me.
I don’t answer.
Because I already know I will.
And judging by the look in his eyes—
So does he.
14
Russ
We climb in silence.
Loose rock shifts beneath our boots while the wind cuts through the canyon hard enough to sting exposed skin. Every step has to be deliberate now.
One mistake out here gets people killed.
Below us, the scouts spread wider through the valley floor.
Too disciplined.
Too patient.
They’re not searching blind anymore.
They’re tracking.
I keep Olivia directly ahead of me.
Not accidental.
Close enough to catch if she slips again.
Close enough to stop her if she tries pushing past what her body can handle.
She hasn’t complained once since we started moving.
That worries me more than if she had.
