[Ethan's POV]
The silence in the back of the van was heavy, broken only by the rhythmic thud of the tires hitting potholes and the steady hum of the diesel engine.
Cold condensation crawled down the inside of the metal walls in thin streams, gathering near the floor beneath our boots. The weak overhead bulb hanging near the rear doors flickered every few seconds, casting the cramped cargo space in uneven shadows. Outside, endless forests rolled past beneath a gray Romanian dawn, the skeletal branches of the trees scraping against the fog like grasping fingers.
I watched Claire pack the dead tablet away. She leaned her head against the vibrating metal wall of the van, her eyes closed, exhaustion finally catching up to her. But my mind was racing. Darius's training had rewired my brain to look for anomalies—to find the gaps in the enemy's armor, and the holes in our own intel.
I replayed the brief, frantic conversation with Nia and Darius in my head.
