Success of the Broken Banner

Chapter 12: Unreceived Letters

The photograph rattled in my trembling hands, the image of myself staring back – a haunting mirror of the moment I'd drifted off to sleep. There I was, lounging on the den couch, legs crossed, nose buried in that damned book. The snapshot had been taken through the window, the white frame peeking into the corner of the shot like a ghostly witness.

My heart lurched as my gaze fell upon the back of the photo, my full name scrawled in marker alongside the date. A chill ran through me. "You found this last night?" I asked Kilo, my voice barely above a whisper. His anger from our earlier shouting match seemed to have fizzled out, replaced by a tense unease that hung in the air.

He nodded, "Yeah, right about the time you started screaming. I heard something outside, but there was nobody there. Just this picture stuck to the truck's windshield."

My mind raced. Who could have done this? I turned to Echo, "Do we have any idea who...?"

He shook his head, his eyes scanning the woodline for any potential sign of the mysterious photographer. "The photo's all we have. But we need to take this seriously."

I clenched my jaw. Fear would get me killed. "This is just a threat. A warning. When they come back, we'll be ready."

Echo opened his mouth to argue, but I cut him off. "You two are scary looking. Maybe the sight of two burly military men will scare them off, make them realize I'm not an easy target."

Echo's expression turned firm. "We need to get you out of here. We can't guarantee your safety here anymore."

I stood my ground. "We can't move yet. Neither of us are fully healed. If we run now, we're as good as dead. But if we stay, prepare...we might have a chance."

Kilo was quiet for a moment, his gaze fixed on the photo in my hands. "She's right. We can't run. So, we'll have to come up with a plan."

I nodded, reaching for the door handle. But something made me spin back around, my gaze locking onto Echo and Kilo like a target.

"If you two ever dare leave me in the dark again," my voice dropped to a deadly whisper, my finger jabbing the air between us. "You'll regret the day you crossed me."

Kilo snorted, rolling his eyes as he crossed his arms. A smirk danced on his lips, taunting me. Echo remained silent, his face a mask I couldn't crack.

"Oh, you think you're intimidating?" Kilo sneered, trying to shoulder past me. I blocked his path, my feet shoulder-width apart.

"Save it, Kilo. I'm not afraid of you." My voice rang out, firm. "We're a team, or at least, we're supposed to be. That means no more secrets, no more treating me like a fragile little girl who can't handle the truth. I'm not your damsel in distress. I'm your teammate, and I deserve better than to be left in the dark."

My heart pounded in my chest, but I stood my ground. "We've been dealt a crap hand, and the only way we survive it is together. If you keep shutting me out, you're basically saying you don't think I can hold my own. And that's a load of crap I'm done swallowing."

Silence hung heavy in the room, the only sound my ragged breathing. Kilo's smirk had faded, and for a moment, Echo looked almost... proud. But neither of them spoke up to deny it, to reassure me that I was more than just a liability.

And that told me everything I needed to know.

I spun on my heel, leaving Kilo and Echo gaping on the back porch. My footsteps thundered up the stairs as I sought refuge in my bedroom. My heart raced, but it wasn't anxiety or guilt fueling it – it was the rush of finally standing up for myself. Even with my newfound backbone, I needed a moment to gather myself before facing them again. Emotions ran too high, and we'd get nowhere trying to plan in this state.