Chapter 77 A Sand Line In The Desee

• Alex's POV
• The cabin was quieter than I had wanted. Outside there was no rustle of leaves, no sound of the wind against the timber. Just the sound of our breathing—mine, Lena's, Finn's—combined with Samantha's weak, laboring breathing as she lay unconscious on the cot. Like a creature ready to strike, the quiet was weighty and bit at me.
• Perched beside the window, I peered out into the deep woods. Though dark, morning was not far off. With the light would arrive decisions—ones I wasn't sure I was ready to make. Though it felt difficult to trust Finn once more, we had little option if his warnings were accurate. The order was almost perfect, too near, and errors were not allowed today.