The Cross Over (Silent Moments Series: Book 7)

Chapter 15

Realization dawned on me. "If it's airborne, it's a suicide mission," I stated, looking to Raven for confirmation. But she shook her head.

"No, not necessarily," Raven countered. "It will take time for the compound to spread from the entry point to the vents. Echo will try to reach the stone room."

Hope interjected sharply. "Which is exactly what we should be doing. She gave me an hour to get you out. We still have time."

Levitt, grasping at any hope of averting disaster, urged us, "We can still stop her. Please, untie me. I can help."

Hope, her voice laced with concern, reminded us of the stakes. "Aunty O, they will kill her."

Levitt's counterargument was stark. "She'll kill us all if we don't act."

The room was a vortex of conflicting objectives and emotions. The clock was ticking, and with every passing second, the likelihood of stopping Echo's deadly plan diminished. It was a race against time, a battle of wits and wills, with the lives of countless people hanging in the balance. Grasping Raven's hand, I motioned for the others to follow us out, leaving Octavia and Levitt to their private moment. The air between them crackled with an unspoken history, and it was clear they needed this brief respite of privacy amidst the chaos. As we stepped out into the hallway, the sound of the gag being reapplied was audible, followed swiftly by Octavia joining us, her expression resolute. Our pace quickened as we navigated the corridors of Bardo, the urgency of stopping Echo propelling us forward. We rounded a corner and the sight that greeted us was one of impending doom — Echo was on her knees, a vial in hand, poised to release the Gem9 into the central humidification system.

"Echo, no!" The words tore from my throat as we burst into the room, the gravity of the moment hanging heavily in the air.

Echo's reaction was one of frustration and desperation. She hissed at Hope, her voice laced with accusation, "You were supposed to get them out!"

The tension in the room escalated rapidly. Echo, on the brink of unleashing a catastrophic bioweapon, seemed lost in a maelstrom of grief and vengeance. Hope's plan to evacuate us had clearly gone awry, and now we were all caught in the crossfire of Echo's revenge and the Shepherd's machinations. As we stood there, our weapons lowered but our senses heightened, the room felt like a powder keg ready to explode. Echo's finger hovered over the fate of an entire world, her emotions a tempest that threatened to spill over and engulf us all. In that instant, it became clear that our mission was no longer just about survival or escape — it was about saving Echo from herself, about pulling her back from the edge of an abyss that would consume us all.

Octavia's voice was firm, yet empathetic. "It's not her fault, Echo. We couldn't leave without you. You don't have to do this. I understand your pain. Everything they took from you, they took from me, too. But there are still good people here."

Echo's response was laced with bitterness. "Who? Levitt? The man who betrayed your trust and used your memories against us? He's the reason we're in this mess. Is this how you honor Bellamy's memory?"

I stepped forward, speaking softly in an attempt to reach Echo. "This isn't you, Echo. I know you think this is justice, but there's always another way. Grief is a wound that heals with time, but a choice like this will scar you forever."

Echo glared back. "You don't understand, Kegan. Your choices are about protecting those you love. This is about revenge, plain and simple."

As Echo moved to empty the vial, I pleaded, "Stop, Echo. This isn't what Bellamy would have wanted."

Her scream was raw with anguish. "You don't know what Bellamy would have wanted! If it were me, or you, or Octavia, he'd be doing the exact same thing!"