The world seemed to slow as Alex's voice faded, his command echoing in Claire's mind. Run. The word hung in the air like a death knell, but she couldn’t just leave him.
“Stay with me,” Claire said, dropping to her knees beside Alex. Blood soaked through his jacket, his breaths shallow and labored.
Ethan crouched next to her, his weapon still trained on the treeline. “We don’t have time, Claire. Whoever’s out there isn’t going to wait.”
“I’m not leaving him!” she snapped, tearing a strip of fabric from her shirt and pressing it to Alex’s wound.
“You can’t save everyone,” Ethan growled, but his gaze softened when it met hers. “We have to move. If they pin us here, we’re dead.”
Before Claire could argue, a rustling in the trees silenced them all. Shadows shifted, and figures emerged—five
