Chapter 128
Elara's POV
I stepped out of the rental sedan. Cold morning air hit my face like a slap.
Cole had ditched our original truck two towns back. Paid cash for this anonymous gray Honda at a used car lot. No trail.
Seven people were already waiting at the forest entrance. Six college kids clustered near a van, laughing about something. The seventh stood apart—a bald, muscular man in tactical pants. Had to be Kress.
His eyes tracked me as I closed the car door.
I forced myself to breathe normally. Rolled my shoulders back. Tried to look like just another college student excited for a camping trip.
Not someone whose sister was running for her life into these woods.
Cole walked ahead of me. His boots crunched on gravel.
"Old friend," he said, extending his hand to Kress. "Sorry for the last-minute trouble."
Kress shook his hand but kept looking at me. His eyes narrowed.
"That's her?" He pulled Cole aside, voice dropping. "Last night you said she 'absolutely won't slow us down,' but she looks—"
I pretended to adjust my backpack straps. Watched the six college students from the corner of my eye.
Two girls in expensive outdoor brands. The blonde one—had to be Tina—was staring at me. Her gaze swept from my boots to my face, cataloging every detail.
Four guys. One with glasses looked nervous. A tall athletic type seemed curious rather than hostile. The twin brothers were whispering to each other.
"Trust me," Cole said quietly to Kress. "She's tougher than she looks."
Kress hesitated. Then sighed.
"Fine. But if there's a problem, it's on you."
He walked back toward the group. Cole caught my eye for half a second. A warning in his expression.
Stay low. Stay normal.
I nodded slightly.
Tina stepped forward before Kress could speak. Her voice was sharp.
"Kress, we paid a fortune for this experience."
The brunette girl beside her—Linda—crossed her arms. "Right. What if she can't keep up and slows us all down?"
The guy with glasses pushed them up his nose. "And our supply allocation was calculated for seven people..."
Kress cut in before I could respond. "Cole's with me. He's extra security for the expedition."
His tone made it clear that wasn't up for debate.
The guy with glasses—Greg—nodded slowly. Backed down.
Only the athletic guy stayed quiet. Just watched me with open curiosity.
I walked toward them. Kept my voice calm but firm.
"I'm sorry for disrupting your plans."
Tina's eyebrows rose. Like she hadn't expected me to speak.
"But you don't need to worry about supplies," I continued. "I brought minimal survival gear—enough for myself. I won't touch the group resources."
Cole shifted his weight slightly behind me. A subtle confirmation. His pack was just as loaded as mine.
Kress's eyes flicked to my pack. It was a heavy-duty mountaineering pack, sleeping bag strapped to the bottom, compact and efficient.
Military-style packing.
His expression shifted slightly. Reassessing.
"And if you need an extra pair of hands," I added, "I can help with camp setup, water collection, whatever you need."
Linda blinked. Tina's mouth tightened.
"Money isn't really the issue," Tina said. Her tone was cold now. "The issue is whether you can actually—"
"If I slow the group down," I interrupted, "you can leave me at a safe location and continue without me."
Silence.
The twins exchanged glances. The athletic guy—Luke?—tilted his head, reassessing me.
Tina looked like she wanted to argue more. But Kress spoke first.
"Alright. Since that's settled, let me go over the itinerary again."
He pulled out a weathered map. Spread it on the van's hood.
"Original plan was to cross into the Inner Sector. But... I'm recommending we stay within the Perimeter."
Tina's face flushed red.
"What? We paid this much money to experience real wilderness!"
The twins stepped closer, voices rising in protest.
"Mid-layer is barely exploration," one said.
"That's basically a glorified camping trip," the other added.
Kress's jaw tightened. "The inner forest is dangerous right now. A few days ago, another expedition team reported encountering—"
He stopped. Glanced at me.
My heart kicked hard against my ribs.
Encountering what?
I forced curiosity into my voice. Made it light. "Encountering what? Wild animals?"
Kress studied my face for a long moment.
"Not sure exactly," he said finally. "Details were unclear."
Tina waved her hand dismissively. "The forest is huge. What are the odds we'd run into whatever they saw?"
Luke nodded. "We're all adults, Kress. Not children who need to be coddled."
The guy with glasses—Greg—pushed his frames up again. "And we signed liability waivers that explicitly state 'voluntary assumption of risk.'"
Kress looked at me. His expression was unreadable.
"What about you? If we go into the deep forest, the danger level increases significantly."
Everyone turned to stare at me.
I hesitated.
The smart thing—the right thing—would be to stay quiet. Let them argue among themselves. Not push civilians into danger.
I needed this group. Needed their cover, their identity, their guide.
My throat felt tight.
"I..." I started, then stopped.
Tina jumped in before I could finish. "See? Even she agrees it's worth the risk."
I hadn't agreed. Hadn't said anything.
But Tina was already turning back to Kress, voice sharp. "We're going deeper. That's what we paid for."
The twins nodded. Luke crossed his arms, waiting.
Kress looked at me one more time.
I forced myself to meet his eyes. Said nothing.
Let them think my silence was agreement.
Guilt twisted in my stomach. These people had no idea what was really out there.
But I couldn't save Lynette alone.
Kress pulled out his phone. Scrolled through something—probably the contract.
His face darkened.
He looked at Tina. Then at the twins. Then back at his phone.
His jaw worked like he was grinding his teeth.
"The penalty clause is fifty thousand dollars," he said finally. Voice flat. "Plus legal fees if your parents decide to sue for breach."
Tina crossed her arms. Waiting.
Kress's hand tightened on his phone.
I saw it then—the calculation in his eyes. Whatever he needed that money for, it was more important than his pride.
Maybe more important than safety.
"Fine," he said. The word came out rough. "We go deeper."
Tina's smile widened.
"But—" Kress's voice cut through her satisfaction like a blade. "—if we encounter real danger, I terminate the trip immediately. I don't care what the contract says. Your parents can sue me if they want."
He looked at each of us in turn. His expression was stone.
"And while we're out there, you follow my orders. Absolutely. No exceptions. If I say run, you run. If I say climb, you climb. If I say leave someone behind—"
His eyes lingered on me.
"—you leave them behind. Understood?"
Silence.
Even Tina looked slightly less confident now.
"Understood," Luke said quietly.
The others nodded.
Kress shouldered his pack.
"Let's move out."