The jungle devoured them whole, its dense foliage providing both refuge and danger. James forced himself onward, the agony in his shoulder stabbing through his haze of breathlessness. Sarah gripped the USB drive tightly, her heart racing as she fell in line behind the group. Nathan was leading the way, his sharp eyes scanning for an ambush.
Behind them the village was burning. The Syndicate’s operatives had already wasted no time making their presence felt. Gunfire continued to ring out, distant but persistent, a cruel reminder they were being pursued.
James risked a glance back. We can’t stop now. We have to get to the cliffs.
Nathan stopped short, raising a fist. “Quiet.”
The group froze. Insects and the distant howls of forests filled the jungle, but beneath it, there was something
