The chase was frantic, a blur of motion and desperation. The mountainside, once their promise of safety, now became an unforgiving gauntlet. Élodie could hear the shouts of the Gestapo behind them, the rapid clicks of boots on stone as they followed close on their heels.
Luc led the way, weaving through the rocky terrain with the practiced ease of someone who had spent years running from danger. But Élodie—though agile—was not accustomed to this kind of flight. Her breath burned in her chest, each step sending a jolt of pain through her legs. She kept her focus ahead, knowing that any hesitation could be fatal.
Liam's weight on her shoulder seemed to grow heavier with every second, his body an anchor to her every move. Still, she couldn't let him go. Not now. Not when they were so close.
They reached the mouth of a narrow cave, barely visible in the shadow of the jagged cliff face. Luc didn't hesitate. He ducked into the darkness with Élodie and Liam close behind him. The entrance was small, barely wide enough for the three of them to squeeze through. Inside, the air was thick and damp, the smell of moss and earth clinging to their skin.
Élodie collapsed against the cool stone, her breath ragged, her muscles trembling from the exertion. Luc moved to the far corner of the cave, pulling Liam carefully to the ground.
"We wait here," he whispered, his voice tight with the strain of their narrow escape. "They'll pass. We'll be safe."
But Élodie wasn't sure. Something in the air—the weight of their situation, the desperate silence—told her that nothing was certain. They were in the heart of enemy territory, and the Gestapo would not stop until they were found.
Her gaze drifted back to Liam, his face pale in the dim light of the cave. She touched his brow gently, feeling the heat of fever beneath her fingers. His body was broken, his breathing shallow. They needed help. They needed time.
But time, as she well knew, was a luxury they no longer had.
Luc's voice broke through her thoughts. "Élodie... I need to talk to you."
She turned toward him, her heart still hammering in her chest. In his eyes, she saw something she hadn't expected—something more than the usual camaraderie they shared as Resistance fighters. There was a vulnerability there, a quiet pleading.
"I've been thinking," he said softly, "about what happens next. If we survive tonight, if we make it through, we'll need to make choices. I'll need you with me."
Élodie's throat tightened. His words hit her like a wave, and for a moment, the world around her blurred.
"I've always been with you," she whispered.
But she wasn't sure if the promise she made was for him—or for someone else.