45. The Search: Part 6

As Noah and Jake sprinted through the area, anxiety hung heavy in the air. Jake's worry for Spencer and Esther was evident, his breaths heavy with concern. "I hope they're still okay," he muttered between gasps, desperation etched across his face.

Noah, however, couldn't withhold his frustration. "We wouldn't have to hope for anything if you'd done your damn job as the leader," he accused, his voice sharp with resentment. The tension between the two intensified as they raced toward where they left Esther and Spencer.

Noah uttered, "If you had let me put a bullet in him, we'd have one less problem to worry about."

"I know, alright – I messed up. I let my emotions get the better of me, and I admit I was wrong," Jake confessed, attempting to appease Noah's frustration.

But Noah was relentless. "So what if you admit it? Is that gonna fix anything? Is that gonna change the fact that James is gonna demonize and go after all of us – the entire settlement? Huh?" Noah's accusations cut through