Sasha woke up to silence.
The van was empty. Alvaro was gone.
Her heart jumped. It was still dark outside — that dangerous time before dawn when everything felt too quiet. The world didn't sleep anymore, and walking alone at night was basically suicide.
She looked at her wrist tracker. His signal blinked near the lake, not far from the van.
"Unbelievable," she muttered, grabbing her gun and gear. "If he's out there doing something stupid, I swear—"
She armed herself with everything she could carry and slipped out of the van. The air was cold and heavy, and every sound felt too loud. She moved carefully, trying not to step on dry branches.
The forest opened up into a small lake, glowing red under the bloody moon. Water shimmered, reflecting the sky like liquid glass.
And there he was.
