Pāhonoa te oro

Billy felt something cold settle in his stomach. These weren’t rescuers. His foot shifted slightly against the dirt, and he froze instantly, eyes wide, waiting. The soldiers didn’t react. They kept talking. “Spread out,” one of them said. “Search everything.” Billy slowly leaned back from the gap in the leaves, his heart hammering again—but this time it felt different. He stayed low, barely breathing, listening as the soldiers began to move.