She ended the call and began pacing along the shoulder, gravel crunching beneath her shoes. Every few seconds, she glanced toward the ditch, her nerves raw. Her thoughts tangled into worst-case scenarios, each one darker than the last, each one clawing harder at her chest.
The dog let out a low, broken whimper, the sound shredding through Tina’s composure. He shifted uneasily, circling once before settling back onto the blanket. His body language flickered between aggression and desperation, torn by the weight of what he was guarding.