We drive through barren landscapes. The plan is to slip across a remote pass, far from official checkpoints. But as we near the crossing, a distant rumble of engines catches our ears. Dust clouds on the horizon. Tension skyrockets.
Ramirez curses. "Could be local patrols… or worse." The convoy picks up speed. Elena's hand grips my thigh, heart hammering in tandem with mine.
Suddenly, gunshots echo across the valley. We duck low, panic flaring. Through the dust, shapes appear—armed riders on motorcycles? Or a rival smuggler crew? The trucks swerve, bullets pinging off metal. My mind reels: WTF is happening now?
Zach returns fire from the passenger seat. Marta curses, leaning out the window to cover our flank. Ramirez's men do the same. Elena and I flatten ourselves on the truck bed, fear pulsing. The chaos rattles me to the core. The crossing is turning into a firefight.
The trucks accelerate, bounding over rocky ground. Elena presses against me, eyes wide with panic. Another bullet rips through the tarp overhead. I stifle a curse. We can't die here, not after everything. The swirl of dust and gunfire batters our senses until, miraculously, the motorcycles peel off. Maybe we got lucky, or they realized we're too heavily armed. Either way, we surge onward, hearts in our throats.