Hector's voice broke the quiet. "Maybe we should go back," he muttered, eyes flicking toward the trees.
Ruben snorted. "You're kidding, right? We're not walking for 3 days in the snow just to turn around."
"Yeah, we make sure the line's good, or we all die freezing when the power cuts out. You forget that part?" Andrei muttered.
Hector huffed, shifting his pack higher on his shoulder. "I didn't forget. I just… I just feel like something's weird."
"You volunteered," Ruben reminded him with a half-smile. "You knew the chances when you raised your hand."
"I did," Hector admitted, his voice low. "Still doesn't mean I'm not scared."
Ruben chuckled. "Not a bit scared, huh? Try a lot."
The men laughed quietly, the sound easing the tension for a moment. But even with the banter, Malcolm could see the unease behind it, the quick glances, the way hands stayed too close to weapons.
