My watch read 0200.

In the distance, a pair of headlights appeared on the ridge behind us, moving slowly down the dirt trail we had just taken.

The lights were high and wide, matching the profile of a heavy utility vehicle.

The headlights stopped at the top of the rise, their beams cutting through the dark directly toward our position.

“Get down,” I whispered, pressing my palm against Eleanor’s shoulder.

She obeyed instantly, slipping low into the passenger footwell.

In the backseat, Captain Vance shifted his weight, his tactical vest rustling against the leather.

Vance was a seasoned investigator from the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division.

He had joined me at the border of the sector three hours ago.

“The headlights are turning away,” Vance said, his eyes glued to the side mirror.

I watched the twin beams sweep across the scrub brush and track back toward the main highway.

“They were just checking the ridge line,” I said, letting out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

“We have about twenty minutes before the next scheduled patrol,” Vance said, checking his glowing watch.