Success of the Broken Banner

Chapter 4: Soul-Shattering Scene

Sleep was a cruel mistress, teasing me with fleeting moments of refuge before abandoning me to the merciless darkness once more. My head would nod against the chilled concrete wall, my arms wrapping around my knees in a futile attempt at comfort. In the hushed stillness, I'd steal glances at Echo, my heart fluttering with each soft rise and fall of his chest.

The storm shelter sheltered us from the tempest above, but it couldn't block out the chilling symphony of sounds that drifted in from the unknown. Scrapes echoed against metal, the clang of footsteps vibrating through the ground. My breath hitched as Echo's grip on his gun tightened, his knuckles bleached white. I scrambled for a bag, fingers closing around the familiar shape of a flashlight. Clicking it on, I shielded the beam with my palm, casting a dim glow over our cramped sanctuary without betraying our position to the predators outside.

Sliding closer to Echo, I barely breathed the question, "Do you think they've found us?" He cast me a glance over his shoulder, his shoulders rolling in a helpless shrug. "Hard to say," he murmured, his voice a mere whisper. "Maybe they can sniff us out from a mile away."

"Maybe," I agreed, a shiver running down my spine as I recalled the Lurker at the gas station. The way he'd materialized out of the gloom, his gaze locked onto me like a hound on the scent. "If he could pick out a survivor in an abandoned gas station...either he was one hell of a lucky guess, or he knew something I didn't."

Echo grunted a nod, his gaze drifting back to the entrance. Exhaustion etched lines into his face, his eyes drooping as he battled to stay alert. Then, a sound that made my blood run cold – the scrape of claws against metal, the thunder of a body slamming into our shelter. The ground trembled beneath us, and Echo was instantly alert, his head whipping towards the noise.

"They've found the car," he growled, a muscle ticking in his jaw. "Anything we left behind is fair game now."

"What was in the car?" I pressed, but he just shook his head. "Nothing that'll matter in a few hours. Some food, maybe, if they leave it untouched. Extra clothes..." His voice trailed off, his eyes widening as realization dawned. "The clothes, Amelia. If they can track us by scent, those clothes will lead them straight to our doorstep."

Panic ignited within me as Echo sprang up, yanking the door open a crack. Curses spilled from his lips as he took in the scene beyond, his hand shooting out to motion me back. He slammed the door shut, his expression grim. "We've got a horde forming outside. If those clothes are bait, we'll have Lurkers hammering on the door any minute."

In an instant, Kilo was awake, jolted out of sleep by Echo's urgent grip. He sat up with a start, his bleary eyes snapping into focus as Echo filled him in. The clothes, the Lurkers, the car...the single, precarious path to escape. Kilo's face hardened, his jaw clenched tight. "I've got a plan," he ground out, "but it's gonna be a gamble."

He eased the door open, and I found myself creeping closer, desperate for a glimpse of the hell beyond. Our vehicle was a ravaged shell, the seats torn to ribbons, the roof peeled back like a tin can. Lurkers swarmed over it, their claws tearing through leather and fabric, their snarls rising into a deafening roar. They weren't just destroying – they were hunting. And we were the prey.

"What's the play, Kilo?" Echo asked, his voice low and urgent. The door clicked shut, cutting off my view of the nightmare outside. Kilo was already moving, ripping through bags and dumping their contents onto the floor. He worked with a ruthless efficiency, packing weapons, medical supplies, and food into three bags before slinging two at us. "We make a break for that house across the street," he declared, a feral glint in his eye. "Get upstairs, take out as many as we can from a window, and hold out till dawn."

"And then?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. Kilo flashed me a reckless grin. "Then we slip away, and hope they lose the scent." Echo just grunted, handing me a handgun before hefting his own bag. "It's the best we've got."