The Cave
They killed the engines before the final ridge. No lights. No sound but wind pushing down through the pass. For a few seconds, they just sat there in the dark. The storm hadn’t reached them yet, but the air felt charged — heavy, waiting. Elias checked the map one last time against the terrain. “This is as far as the rigs go.” Ahead, the trail narrowed into broken rock and steep switchbacks. No way through without scraping metal or worse. “How far?” Sadie asked quietly. “Fifteen minutes,” Iris said. “Maybe less.” “On foot,” Rowan added. Elias nodded. “We gear up.” No wasted motion. They moved with quiet efficiency — packs slung, sidearms checked, comms adjusted to low-volume earpieces. Rowan grabbed thermal optics. Kade took rear position automatically. Sadie tightened her glov
- Writer
