The night was quiet, except for the constant sound of Evelyn typing on her laptop as she worked through the data Clara and Marcelo had retrieved. I sat in the living room, watching Clara on the other side of the couch. She had a bandage on her arm, her head tilted back, and her eyes closed. It was clear exhaustion had hit her, yet she still seemed on edge.
“You should rest,” I said, breaking the silence.
Clara opened her eyes and looked at me. “I’m fine,” she replied, her voice low but firm.
“No, you’re not,” I countered, feeling a hint of frustration. “You don’t have to carry everything on your own, Clara.”
She sighed, leaning forward. “I’m not carrying everything on my own. I’m trying to keep all of us alive.”
“And do you think destroying yourself in the process is going to help?” I asked, crossing my arms. Clara seemed ready to respond, but Marcelo walked into the room before she could.
“Sorry to interrupt,” he said, holding a folded map. “We’ve got a problem.”
Marcelo unfolded the map on the table, pointing to an area a few kilometers from the refuge. “I’ve got intel from one of my contacts,” he began. “Richard is redirecting his men to patrol this region. If he finds out where we are, we’ll be surrounded.”
Clara leaned in to examine the map, her expression hardening. “We need to move.”
“Not yet,” Marcelo interjected. “They’re still organizing their patrols. We have a window of time, but we need to use it to plan our next move.”
Evelyn entered the room, looking as exhausted as the rest of us. “I’ve accessed part of the data,” she said, holding a flash drive. “But to complete it, we’ll need more time. If we leave now, we risk losing everything.”
Clara ran a hand over her face, visibly frustrated. “We’re stuck between acting fast and losing an opportunity or staying and risking discovery.”
“Maybe we don’t all need to move at once,” Marcelo suggested. “We could split up. One team stays to finish the work, and the other goes to throw Richard off our trail.”
I watched Clara as she processed Marcelo’s words. She was conflicted, and I knew, deep down, she wanted to handle everything herself. But I also knew I needed to intervene.
“I’ll go with you,” I said, breaking the silence.
Clara turned to me, surprised. “Bela, no—”
“I’m not staying here while you put yourself in danger again,” I interrupted. “You need someone you trust, and I need to be by your side.”
Marcelo seemed ready to chime in, but Clara raised a hand to silence him. She looked at me for a long moment before finally nodding. “Fine. But you follow my orders.”
We spent the next few hours dividing tasks. Clara and I would leave at dawn to distract Richard’s men, while Marcelo and Evelyn stayed behind to continue working on the data. It was a risky plan, but it was the best option we had.
While Clara prepared, I approached her. “Are you sure this will work?” I asked, my voice low.
“Nothing is guaranteed,” she replied, looking at me. “But trust me. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
I nodded, trying to ignore the unease in my chest. “I trust you.”
Clara cupped my face with her hands, her touch firm but gentle. “I trust you too,” she said before kissing me softly. It was a brief moment, but it carried so much emotion, like a silent promise that no matter what happened, we would face it together.
As the sun began to rise, Clara and I made our way toward the location Marcelo had marked as a strategic point to mislead Richard’s men. The path through the forest was dense, and the sound of branches breaking beneath our feet was the only noise besides the distant chirping of birds.
“How are you feeling?” Clara asked as we walked.
“Scared,” I admitted, not bothering to hide the truth. “But also relieved to be here with you.”
Clara stopped and turned to me. “I didn’t want you here. Not because I don’t trust you, but because I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I know,” I replied. “But I’m here because I chose to be. With you.”
She held my hand for a moment, her gaze intense. “You’re braver than you think.”
We continued walking, but the tension in the air was palpable. As we neared the designated point, Clara signaled for me to stop. She pointed to a clearing where two armed men were talking.
“We need to draw them away,” Clara whispered. “I’ll create a distraction. You stay here.”
“No,” I insisted, my voice as quiet as hers. “I can help you.”
Clara hesitated before finally relenting. “Fine. But stay close to me.”
Clara threw a rock in the opposite direction, drawing the men’s attention. As they moved to investigate, we took the opportunity to sneak around. But a branch snapped under my foot, and the men immediately turned toward us.
“Run!” one of them shouted, raising his weapon.
Clara grabbed my hand, and we started running through the forest. The sound of footsteps behind us was terrifyingly close, and my heart pounded in my chest. When we reached a small slope, Clara pushed me down, using the terrain to hide us.
“Stay here,” she whispered, drawing her weapon.
“Clara, no!” I tried to protest, but she was already moving.
Using her precision and skill, she incapacitated the men without killing them, leaving them unconscious. When it was over, she returned to me, breathless but unharmed.
“Are you okay?” she asked, holding my face.
I nodded, still catching my breath. “You’re incredible.”
Clara gave a small smile, but there was concern in her eyes. “Let’s get out of here before more show up.”
When we finally returned to the refuge, Marcelo and Evelyn were waiting. Marcelo approached us immediately. “Did you manage it?”
“Yes,” Clara replied, handing him a map she had taken from the men. “They won’t follow us for a while.”
Evelyn looked at me, then at Clara. “You two need to rest.”
Clara nodded, and before heading to the bedroom, she took my hand once more. “Thank you for trusting me.”
“I always will,” I replied, squeezing her hand.
As we prepared to rest, I knew there was still a lot of danger ahead, but I also knew that as long as we were together, we could face anything.