CHAPTER TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY SEVEN – THE DANGEROUS SEARCH

"I knew that girl was trouble," Regina Hawthorne sniffed, her legal mind already assigning blame. "Probably wandered off on some foolish adventure." "Or maybe she's hurt," Amelia countered, hugging Diego close. "We can't just assume the worst." Marcus Reeves paced back and forth, his business-like demeanor cracking under the strain. "This is a disaster. What if she found another way off the island? What if she's contacted the outside world and painted us all as savages?" "Enough!" Kayla's voice cut through the rising panic. "Speculation isn't helping. We need to focus on finding Brittany." She quickly organized search parties, assigning areas of the island to each team. As flashlights were distributed and last-minute instructions given, Kayla felt the weight of leadership heavy on her shoulders. "Remember," she called out as the teams prepared to depart. "Brittany is one of us. Whatever happened, we're going to bring her home." As the search parties disappeared into the gathering