"What was that?"
"What?"
The trio were in the small warehouse, panting from their mad dash through the chaos, exhaustion and adrenaline written across their faces. Leo clung to Zara's neck, his small arms trembling as he buried his face against her shoulder.
Zara pressed her back against a rusted support beam, her chest heaving as she tried to steady her breaths. Her wide eyes scanned their makeshift refuge, cataloguing every shadow and broken machinery. The faint flicker of firelight from outside danced across Winter's face as he knelt by the entrance, his rifle resting in his lap while his eyes scanned the darkened perimeter, avoiding her gaze.
"Why did you freeze back there?" Zara asked with a small frown. Her gaze bore into Winter, who remained crouched, his silhouette tense.
"I didn't freeze," Winter muttered without looking at her. He busied himself checking the chamber of his rifle, but the subtle clench of his jaw betrayed the lie.
