Pāhonoa te oro

One by one, they spread out, disappearing into the trees. A plane. Something lost. Something important enough to burn everything for. Billy swallowed. He should leave. He should go the other way. Get as far from them as possible. He turned slightly, ready to move— then stopped. The words echoed in his head. We lost it… before anyone else gets near it… He glanced back toward the trees where the soldiers had gone. Everything in him told him this was a bad idea. Told him to run. Hide. Stay away.