James Rodriguez

We leave at first light.

i repeated as night settled fully over the camp i positioned myself at the perimeter watching the tree line somewhere in that darkness david's body lay covered in the tent while thomas's broken form remained on distant rocks morning arrived with fog clinging to the tree line

I'd been awake since 415, checking perimeter sensors and documenting overnight incidents.

Six separate whisper events.

Two visual anomalies at the western edge.

Nothing that approached our defensive line.

The satellite call to Wilson's operations centre had gone as expected.

Clinical acknowledgement of our situation.

Promised consultation with Wilson about extraction options and instructions to maintain position until further orders.

I'd already decided we wouldn't wait.

Emily sat at the command table, cross-referencing her notes with the Dutch trading records.

Dark circles shadowed her eyes.

Anything useful?

I asked, pouring coffee into her empty cup patterns.

She replied without looking up.

The Vertu didn't just disappear.

They followed their dead into the jungle.

One by one.

Got approached from his watch position.

Movements precise, but eyes darting towards shadows between trees.