Chapter 60: Landed
The ride back from Russia was supposed to feel like relief—mission complete, lives saved, objectives met. We had made it through hell. We should've been celebrating.
But all I felt was the hollow ache of everything that had cracked and broken along the way.
I sat in silence, elbows tucked tightly to my sides, hands clenched in my lap like they were holding me together. The drone of the plane's engines filled the cabin, a low hum that did little to quiet the noise inside my head.
My eyes drifted across the rows, searching for comfort in faces that mirrored my exhaustion.
Elena sat beside me, her posture small, as if she were trying to disappear into her own seat. She kept twisting strands of her hair between her fingers—tight, repetitive movements that gave away the nerves she was trying to hide. Her lips moved now and then, almost like she was whispering something to herself. Maybe a prayer. Maybe just trying to feel grounded.
