23
He lost the trail.
One minute it was in front of him, the twists and twirls evident in the sand, but then it disappeared into the ground. The moment boulders appeared, he struggled to find the trail as it led into the rocky hills away from the forest. Now, after eight hours, he couldn’t see anything at all.
The light continued to fade, but night had not come. The wind thumped at his flight suit as he dragged his boots across the rocks. He collapsed on the flat surface, exhausted.
Rolling on his back, he checked the Whisper again. Nothing. The air in his tank would be used up in four hours, leaving one final receptacle. The fighter had more than enough oxygen on board if they could only get there. If Ryker didn’t have her supply, they would both die on the way back to the fighter.
H
