Chapter 46: Signs of Pursuit

We're back in the sky, the desert stretching out like a golden ocean below. Elena sits rigidly upright, tapping her foot. I peer through the tiny window, scanning for any sign of another aircraft. Paranoia gnaws at me.

Half an hour in, Marta abruptly curses under her breath. She points out the window to a speck in the distance—another plane, trailing behind, too small for me to identify. But the way it mirrors our altitude is unsettling.

Zach's jaw flexes. "Can't be sure it's them, but I won't risk it." He glances at Marta, something unspoken passing between them. She nods grimly.

My heart pounds. "What do we do?"

"We go off course," Zach says, turning the controls sharply. The plane banks, the horizon tilting dangerously. Elena grips the seat, face pale. My thoughts spin with "WTF" anxiety. If that plane is after us, we might be leading them on a wild chase.

Minutes pass like hours. The distant plane shrinks behind a haze. Maybe it's not following, maybe it's just coincidence. Still, tension suffocates the cabin, each of us half-expecting a midair ambush.