The road stretched endlessly before them, swallowed by night and bordered by trees that loomed like silent sentries. Mia sat quietly in the van, watching the shadows flicker across the windows as they drove deeper into the countryside. Each mile they covered felt heavier, the gravity of what lay ahead pressing down harder with every passing moment.
The van was filled with a fragile, humming tension. Ramirez sat stiff in the passenger seat, her phone in hand, ready to intercept any updates. Matt was driving, his face impassive but his hands gripping the steering wheel a little too tightly. Andrew sat beside Mia, their arms brushing every time the van hit a bump in the road. It wasn't much, but that small connection made it easier to breathe through the nerves knotted tight in her chest.
