The truck shook as it rolled over another crack in the highway, making everyone inside sway with the movement. Gabriel caught himself against the steel wall before looking toward the driver. "How much farther?"
The driver glanced briefly at the navigation screen before returning his eyes to the road ahead. "Eight minutes or ten."
Laurel looked through the windshield. She still couldn't see the fortress. All she could see was smoke rising above the horizon in thick black columns. Every few seconds, an orange glow flickered beneath it, followed by another a moment later, as though explosions were erupting one after another behind the curtain of smoke.
Without saying anything, Gabriel picked up the radio again. "Fortress Command, this is Expedition Team One."
Only static answered him.
He waited a moment before switching to another channel. "Captain Rowan, do you copy?"
No reply came from the other end.
His brows gradually drew together as he changed frequencies again. "Dylan?"
