Success of the Broken Banner

Chapter 16: Wanted

My eyes fluttered open to an unfamiliar ceiling. But there was nothing unfamiliar about the warm, comforting scent of Echo's shirt clinging to me, or the solid weight of his arm draped over me, his hand splayed possessively across my stomach. His chest rose and fell rhythmically against my back, each soft snore a lullaby.

My heart swelled as I lay there, soaking in the tranquility of the moment. I felt cherished, safe. Wanted.

When I shifted, his hold instinctively tightened. "No," he mumbled, his voice rough with sleep. "Not yet. I'm not ready to let you go."

A smile tugged at my lips. "I'm not going anywhere," I whispered, rolling over to face him. His eyes fluttered open, bleary. "I could lay here forever if I could."

His gaze softened. "Good," he rasped, a lazy grin curling his lips. He leaned in, pressing a featherlight kiss to my forehead before his mouth found mine. The kiss was languid, a sweet promise of more to come. His hand slid under my shirt, calloused fingers tracing gentle patterns on my lower back. "Me too."

My arms tightened around Echo's neck, my lips feathering slow, soft kisses across his face. The room was heavy with blissful silence. A contented sigh rumbled from his throat as his hand rose, his thumb grazing my cheek in a gentle caress.

"We can't stay here forever," I whispered, pressing another kiss to his cheek. Echo grumbled, his body protesting as he fought the pull of sleep. "The apocalypse doesn't take breaks, and we have a mission to complete." With a heavy nod, he finally sat up, scrubbing the remnants of sleep from his eyes.

I threw off the covers, the chill of the room a sudden shock on my skin. Echo followed, his movements slower. My boots waited by the bed, and I tugged them on before we left the sanctuary of his room. The stairs creaked underfoot as we descended into the silent house.

Kilo already occupied the kitchen, an old newspaper spread out and a steaming mug of instant coffee in front of him. His smirk was waiting as my eyes met his.

"Long night?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I rolled my eyes, dropping into the chair beside him. "Shut up, Kilo."

He chuckled, sliding the remains of his coffee across the table to me. I cradled the mug in my hands, letting the warmth seep into my fingers for a moment before taking a long, scalding drink.

"I'm not saying anything!" Kilo protested, laughing, as I coughed and sputtered on the coffee. "I just found it interesting that your door was wide open in the middle of the night, but you were nowhere to be found. I didn't check Echo's room, didn't want to traumatize myself." His eyes gleamed with amusement, and I elbowed him hard in the ribs.

"Alright, Kilo, what's the plan for today?" Echo mumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he dropped into the chair across from us.

"We're headed to the shooting range," Kilo replied, jerking a thumb towards the backyard. "Time to get Amelia familiar with the arsenal."

A jolt of excitement electrified my veins. More training? That meant the mission was getting close. Really close.

"Echo, you're with me to set up targets," Kilo barked, already pushing to his feet. "Amelia, hit the truck and grab whatever weapons catch your eye."

We scrambled to our feet, the kitchen table chair legs screeching against the floor as we stood. Echo and Kilo stomped out the back door, leaving me to take the front. My boots thudded against the porch steps, then hit the dirt as I made a beeline for the truck.

The tailgate creaked in protest as I flipped it down, revealing our stash of deadly possibilities. I spun to face the road, my back to the weapons as I flipped my knife nervously in my hand. Too many choices. Not enough time.