Then—
voices.
Billy froze.
They were close.
Too close.
He slowly shifted, careful not to move the branches too much, and peered through a small gap in the leaves.
Figures moved between the trees.
Soldiers.
Relief hit him before he could stop it.
They made it.
Someone made it.
His throat tightened, and for a second, everything inside him pushed him forward.
Help.
Safety.
Someone who knew what was going on.
Billy took a step.
“…camp’s gone,” one of the soldiers said.
He stopped.