Racing Faith

With the goal of releasing two Wattpad installments every month, the second story continues the world of Mounting Tensions. Last time we visited this universe, we caught a glimpse of Mara’s unease with her portion of the mission, but this month’s entry offers a fresh perspective. Until now, each of the previous flights simply happened. This is the first time we step inside a pilot’s cockpit to feel what it truly means to slip through the gaps Darvin has arranged in Liam’s surveillance net.

Sometimes survival comes down to inches, a flicker on a scanner, or a fleeting sliver of empty space. In this installment of the series, Mara attempts one final, desperate run. She’s the last pilot out, still following orders no one will admit to giving, clinging to caution even as Darvin snaps at her to move faster. When hesitation can kill just as swiftly as enemy fire, how much faith can you place in a plan you never fully understood, let alone trusted?

This is a story of relentless pursuit, fraying nerves, and the quiet hope that the next opening might hold. Read the full tale on Wattpad, and drop a comment if you think Mara’s caution is a blessing… or a curse.

The hum of Mara’s engines was steady and familiar, comforting her like a warm blanket. She flicked through her sensors as she moistened her lips. Fortunately, Darvin’s intel and machinations were proving to be accurate. However, something tugged at her from deep within her mind. “Are you certain these gaps are going to remain open until I’m through?”

“They’ll close if you keep procrastinating.” Darvin’s voice echoed from her headset. “If you’d punched it like the other pilots had, you would have escaped the planet’s scans already.”

In the shadows of the nearby celestial bodies, she traced a finger along the glowing nav chart inside her cockpit. Her eyes flicked toward the sensors as her lungs filled with sterile air. “I didn’t think my being cautious was going to be problematic.”

Mara swallowed hard, glancing toward the planet’s faint curvature. She was the last pilot still trying to slip through the tightening net, and if Liam’s forces captured her, it wouldn’t matter that she’d been following dubious orders. The other pilots had punched out faster, trusting the gaps blindly. She preferred certainty, even if it came at the cost of time. The thought of interrogation rooms and static-filled silences made her stomach twist.

“If you keep waiting, the openings you’ve squandered will simply disappear, never to be seen again.”

She examined the plan once again and released her pent-up breath, then pushed the small craft out of the dense shadows, her brow furrowing. “You agreed that waiting for now was the best option before us.”