The river was relentless. Evelyn fought to keep her head above water, but the current dragged her under again. The weight of Thomas pulled at her, and for a terrifying moment, she couldn't tell which way was up.  
Then a strong hand grabbed her wrist.  
She gasped as she broke the surface. Claire was holding onto her, kicking hard against the rushing water. Evelyn coughed, sputtering, her lungs burning.  
“Don’t stop kicking!” Claire yelled.  
Evelyn kicked, pulling Thomas along. He was barely conscious, his face pale from blood loss. Sarah and Ben were ahead, struggling toward the riverbank. The gunmen were long gone, the river carrying them far past their reach.  
The cold seeped into Evelyn’s bones. Every muscle screamed, but she forced herself to keep moving. The water churned violently, dragging them toward a bend. Large rocks jutted from the surface, and Evelyn realized too late.  
They were heading straight for them.  
“Watch out!” Sarah shouted.  
Evelyn barely had time to react before the current slammed her into a rock. Pain exploded through her side, knocking the breath from her lungs. She felt Thomas slip from her grasp.  
“No!”  
She reached for him, fingers grasping at nothing. He was sinking.  
Then Claire dove.  
Evelyn saw a flash of movement before Claire disappeared beneath the water. Heart pounding, she fought against the current, eyes searching.  
Seconds stretched into eternity.  
Then, Claire surfaced, dragging Thomas up with her.  
Evelyn forced herself toward them. “I got him!” she gasped, taking Thomas’ arm again.  
Claire nodded, breathing hard. “We have to get to the shore.”  
Together, they pushed toward the riverbank. Sarah and Ben had already reached it, Sarah helping Ben onto solid ground. Evelyn’s limbs felt like lead, but she refused to let go.  
The moment her feet hit the muddy shore, she collapsed, chest heaving.  
Sarah rushed over, helping them pull Thomas onto the ground. His face was ghostly pale, his wound still bleeding.  
Ben groaned, rolling onto his back. “We’re alive?”  
“Barely,” Claire muttered. She turned to Evelyn. “We need to stop the bleeding.”  
Evelyn’s hands were shaking, but she nodded. They had no time to rest. Thomas was dying.  
And they were still being hunted.
Evelyn’s fingers trembled as she pressed down on Thomas’ wound, trying to stop the bleeding. His skin was clammy, his breaths shallow.  
“Stay with me,” she whispered.  
Claire knelt beside her, ripping a strip from her already torn shirt. “We need to stop the bleeding, or he won’t make it.”  
Sarah rummaged through their soaked bags, pulling out what little medical supplies they had. “No antiseptic,” she muttered, voice tight. “We need fire to sterilize the wound.”  
Ben, still clutching his injured leg, looked toward the darkening forest. “We can’t stay out in the open. They could still be looking for us.”  
Claire glanced at the trees. “We move now, we lose Thomas.”  
Evelyn’s heart pounded. They had no good choices. They had lost their food, most of their supplies. If they stayed, they risked being found. If they moved, Thomas wouldn’t survive.  
“We find shelter,” she decided. “Something close, something hidden.”  
Ben groaned. “And if there’s nothing nearby?”  
Evelyn met his gaze. “Then we keep moving until we find something.”  
Claire wiped her wet hair from her face. “I’ll scout ahead. Stay with him.”  
She disappeared into the trees, moving like a ghost. Evelyn kept pressing on Thomas’ wound, watching his face. He was slipping.  
Minutes stretched. Then.
A whistle. Claire’s signal.  
Evelyn and Sarah lifted Thomas together, struggling under his weight. Ben hobbled beside them, using a broken branch as a crutch. Every step was agony.  
Finally, they reached Claire. She stood by a fallen cabin, half-hidden by vines and trees. It looked abandoned, but solid.  
“Inside,” Claire ordered.  
They laid Thomas on the floor. The cabin smelled of rot, but it was shelter. Evelyn grabbed Sarah’s hand. “Fire. Now.”  
Sarah nodded and started working with the few dry materials they had.  
Ben slumped against the wall. “We’re alive,” he muttered.  
Evelyn didn’t respond.  
Thomas’ breathing was slowing.  
If they didn’t act fast, he wouldn’t be alive much longer. 
Evelyn pressed her hand against Thomas' wound, but his pulse was weak. His breathing came in short, uneven gasps. They were running out of time.  
Sarah struck flint against a dry branch, her hands shaking. Sparks flew, but the wood was too damp. Claire crouched beside her, rubbing her arms for warmth.  
"We need dry kindling," Claire muttered.  
Ben groaned from his spot near the wall. "There's no time for that."  
Evelyn’s heart pounded. They needed fire to sterilize the blade, to stop the bleeding. But without it.
"Move," Claire said suddenly. She pulled a bullet from her pocket, her expression grim.  
Evelyn frowned. "What are you—"  
Claire gripped the bullet between her fingers and pulled it apart with a practiced twist. Gunpowder spilled onto the damp wood. She grabbed the flint, struck it once.
A small flame flickered to life.  
Sarah quickly shielded it from the wind, feeding it with scraps of dry cloth. Within seconds, they had fire.  
Evelyn wasted no time. She grabbed the knife and held it over the flames. The metal glowed red-hot, the heat licking at her fingers.  
She swallowed. No turning back.  
"Hold him," she said.  
Ben and Claire pinned Thomas down. Evelyn placed the burning blade against the wound.  
Thomas screamed. His body convulsed. Claire gritted her teeth, keeping him still. Evelyn held firm, forcing herself not to pull away. The smell of burnt flesh filled the cabin.  
Then, Thomas went limp.  
Evelyn’s heart lurched.  
She pressed two fingers to his neck. His pulse was faint, but it was there.  
Sarah let out a shaky breath. "He's alive."  
Evelyn sagged with relief, her hands trembling.  
Claire wiped sweat from her brow. "We can't stay here long. They could still be looking for us."  
Ben glanced at the boarded-up windows. "One night," he murmured. "Then we move."  
Evelyn nodded. One night. That was all they had.  
She sat beside Thomas, watching his chest rise and fall. They had saved him. For now.  
But tomorrow, they'd have to run again.