The morning passed without incident.
After their brief rest beneath the towering tree, the elderly man pushed himself to his feet with a quiet grunt. The others gathered their belongings almost immediately, tightening the straps on worn backpacks and adjusting the weapons hanging awkwardly from their waists. Nobody suggested lingering. The longer they remained in one place, the greater the chance something would find them.
Without a word, the group resumed walking.
Nina quietly fell back into her usual position near the rear. Not too close to the others. Not far enough to seem detached. The distance had become instinctive, a silent compromise that neither invited trust nor provoked suspicion.
The road changed gradually.
