THE SUN had fully set by the time they reached the car, darkness settling over the mountains like a shroud. Mailah's legs ached from the hike, her exhaustion compounded by fear and the soul-deep weariness.
Lucson drove in silence, his expression locked in that carefully neutral mask. His phone sat in the cup holder between them, screen dark, as if even his brothers had nothing more to offer at the moment.
They'd been driving for maybe twenty minutes when the car made a grinding, mechanical sound that seemed to come from deep in the engine.
"That's not good," Mailah said unnecessarily.
Lucson's jaw tightened.
The grinding became more pronounced. The car began to shudder, losing speed. Warning lights bloomed across the dashboard—red and orange and insistent.
"Pull over," Mailah said.
"I'm aware." But there was frustration in his voice, tightly controlled but present. The car limped to the roadside, coughing once more before dying completely.
