I reactivated the world map, the holographic overlay blooming in my vision like a private galaxy of red stars. Drake, Jack, Bill, and their ragtag ambush crew were barely two minutes out, their dots pulsing through the dense forest grid.
They moved in a loose, sloppy formation, rustling through the thick pines, their footsteps heavy, their breathing loud. They thought they were being stealthy. They weren't.
But two other markers seized my attention—burning brighter, moving faster.
Megan and Hailey.
Their dots were sprinting straight toward the cave, cutting a direct line through the underbrush, their pace frantic, desperate. They weren't with the men. They were ahead of them, separate, running like their lives depended on it.
I didn't retreat inside the cave.
