The boat engine growled low and angry, pushing us down the river like it knew we were running out of time. I sat cramped in the back corner, Kai’s head heavy on my shoulder, my arm wrapped around him so tight my fingers had gone numb. The night air smelled of wet mud, rotting leaves, and the faint metallic tang of blood that kept seeping through his bandages. Every time the hull slapped against the current, my stomach clenched. The jungle on both banks felt too alive, too close, like it was whispering our names to anyone listening.
Lena wouldn’t leave my head. I kept seeing her on that ridge, rifle up, firing until the very end. No goodbye. No last words. Just her buying us those few shitty seconds so we could get away. She didn’t even hesitate. She chose us. And now she was gone because
