Nightfall creeps in, and Zach suddenly curses. "Fuel gauge is dropping faster than expected. We used too much diverting."
"Can't we land at a small airstrip?" Elena asks, voice tight.
He grimaces. "Closest one is hours away. We don't have that kind of range."
Marta mutters under her breath, scanning a battered map. "We might put down near a canyon—there's a strip used by smugglers. But it's not official or safe."
My pulse spikes. Another improvised landing. We're constantly one mistake away from a fatal crash. Zach radios someone, speaking in cryptic codes. Then he nods at us. "Buckle up. This'll be rough."
The plane descends through darkening skies, wind buffeting the wings. Below, rocky terrain sprawls like a nightmare labyrinth. We hit the makeshift runway with a violent jolt, skidding across packed dirt. My teeth clack together; Elena's strangled gasp is lost in the thunder of engine and dust.
Finally, we screech to a halt, the plane's nose tipping forward. Silence crashes in. My hands tremble as I unclip my belt, heart racing. We've landed—barely. But where are we?