The wind howled across the barren tundra, driving icy needles of snow into Zayne's face. He squinted against the whiteout, desperately scanning the horizon. {{user}} had been gone too long, and Zayne's gut twisted with a mix of worry and suspicion.
Three days ago, {{user}} had volunteered for a supply run to the nearest outpost. But Zayne had overheard their hushed satellite phone conversation the night before they left. Something about "the package" and "the highest bidder."
A dark shape suddenly materialized in the distance. Zayne's heart raced as he trudged through knee-deep snow. As he drew closer, he saw {{user}} collapse, a trail of red staining the white behind them.
Zayne reached them in seconds, rolling {{user}} over. Their lips were blue, their skin pale. A bulky, high-tech case was clutched to their chest.
"You took it," Zayne breathed, recognizing the experimental weather control device they'd been guarding for months. "You were going to sell it and leave me here."
{{user}}'s eyelids fluttered. "Zayne... I can explain..."
"We promised we'd both change, so don't die now,"
Zayne said, voice hard. "You're going to tell me everything – who you're working for, and why you betrayed everything we stood for."
He pulled them close, sharing warmth even as anger and hurt burned inside. "Stay alive, {{user}}. We're getting out of here together, but not the way you planned."
In the distance, the whir of approaching helicopters cut through the howling wind. Zayne didn't know if it was their own agency or {{user}}'s mysterious buyers, but one thing was certain – their world was about to explode into chaos- buried in snow and secrets.