Mark's POV
The forest was quiet, save for the rustling of leaves in the night breeze. Sabrina leaned heavily on me as we trudged forward, her breaths shallow but steady. The adrenaline that had carried us out of the bunker was fading fast, leaving behind a bone-deep exhaustion.
"We need to rest," I said, scanning the dark surroundings. The trees pressed in on us, their shadows dancing under the moonlight. "Just for a little while."
"No," Sabrina whispered hoarsely, her voice cracking. "We have to keep going. They'll follow us."
"They won't track us immediately," I countered. "Not if I covered our trail right." I hoped my words were true. I'd done everything I could to throw them off—smudging our tracks, doubling back, even leaving false trails. But hope was a fragile thing in the face of such relentless enemies.