Success of the Broken Banner

Chapter 20: You Promised

Blinding overhead lights assaulted my vision as we infiltrated TEO's fortress. My gaze locked onto Kilo's back, Echo a silent shadow behind me. Kilo's hand shot up, halting us. He risked a glance around the corner, his nod the only signal we needed to proceed.

"Heads up, we've got a problem," Echo's voice crackled through my earpiece. "Dead end. No signs of the prisoners."

"They're here," Kilo growled, his eyes scanning the labyrinth of hallways. "Keep sharp."

Every muscle screamed with tension as we inched forward. My heart thundered in my chest. And then, I saw it - a lone corridor, the door at the end glinting with the same deadly security system as the perimeter. "There," I breathed, pointing.

Kilo flashed me a tight smile. "Good eye, kid." He slid us down the hallway, our bodies molded to the wall, exploiting the fragile cover of the shadows.

Kilo's face twisted as he peered through the window. "This is it. Four guards, multiple hostages. Knives only."

My hand closed around the familiar hilt of my blade. I nodded, ready. "On you, kid. Get us in."

My card flashed through the reader. The lock disengaged with a deafening click. Before the guards could react, we were inside.

Time seemed to slow as I launched myself at the nearest guard. My blade sank into his neck. He bucked, slamming me into the unforgiving concrete. Pain flared, but I gritted my teeth and held on.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kilo and Echo take out their targets with deadly precision. The fourth guard recovered quickly, lunging at me only to be intercepted by Echo. His body jerked once against the bars before sagging, motionless.

The guard beneath me finally went still. Kilo yanked me to my feet. I dragged in ragged breaths, my gaze locked on the cage separating us from the prisoners. Over fifty terrified faces stared back at me.

"Keys, Amelia," Kilo barked, his gun trained on the door. Echo mirrored him, a wall of muscle and steel.

I scrambled to find the keys, my fingers closing around the cold metal on the second guard. I met the prisoners' fearful eyes. "We've got you," I vowed, the first bars rattling open.

I stepped into the cell quickly, kneeling in front of the scared prisoners and extending my hand. A little boy coward in his mothers arms looked up to me, his eyes brimming with silent tears. "We're getting you all out of here. Taking you somewhere safe." I promised.

The boy slowly reached for my hand, the little amount of trust he had left in him pouring into his grasp. I pulled him up to his feet and guided him to stand behind Echo and Kilo, doing the same with his mother and each prisoner after.

Once all of the cells were empty, I waited for Kilo's next move. He filed out of the room, his voice ringing in my ear. "Cover the rear, Amelia, Echo and I got it covered from up here."

"Understood, I got your six from here." I said, scanning behind us for any looming threats.

Quickly, we made our way to the back entrance, Echo and I breaking from the group as Kilo led the prisoners to a safe area to wait for us.

I turned my back to the door, my gun raised and ready to fire into any hostiles who made themselves known. Echo mirrored me, eyes always scanning.

"It's almost done, Amelia." Echo said quietly as he scanned. "This nightmare is almost over."

His final words were a mere whisper, lost in the deafening cacophony of gunfire that shattered the eerie silence of the labyrinthine hallways. Guards seemed to materialize from the very shadows themselves, their weapons blazing.

In an instant, Echo was upon me. His body slammed into mine, pinning me against the cold wall as a shield of flesh and bone. Bullets whizzed past mere inches from my face, their passage a deadly kiss of heated air.

I scrambled upright, heart thundering in my chest. My back was welded to the wall as Echo's voice, tight with urgency, crackled through the comms device. "Kilo, we have contact! Taking fire!"

The response was immediate. "On my way, provide cover and hold position." Kilo's deep voice was a lifeline, his boots crunching on gravel a promise of imminent backup.

Without a word, Echo and I pressed flush against the wall. I crouched low beneath him, our guns an extension of our selves as we swung past the corner. Our return fire ripped through the air, a lethal dance of lead and death. The guards crumpled, our aim true.

Reinforcements arrived just as more guards flooded the hallway. Kilo exploded through the doorway, his hulking frame seeking the scant cover of the wall opposite.

"They've triggered a silent alarm - the entire compound is on our asses!" he bellowed, his weapon chattering as he picked off targets. "We need to push, can't let them pin us down!"

We swiftly eliminated the remaining guards in the hallway. But the echo of distant footsteps from an unknown location hinted at more threats to come. Kilo immediately moved to position himself protectively in front of Echo and me, his weapon at the ready, eyes fixed on the hallway.

"We need to advance, catch them off guard. If we stay here, we're sitting ducks," he urged.

I gave a curt nod, then glanced at Echo for confirmation. But Echo wasn't looking at me. He was leaning heavily against the wall, his head down, using the wall for support. His breathing was labored now, shallow gasps escaping his lips. His free hand was clutched over his chest.

And that's when I saw it – blood seeping between his fingers, soaking his shirt in an expanding crimson stain.

"Echo?" My voice was barely a whisper as his hand slipped from the wall. Suddenly, he was collapsing forward, his bodyweight crashing into me.

My gun skittered across the ground forgotten in my scramble to catch him. I clutched at his uniform, the wet warmth of his blood seeping into my clothes as we both tumbled to our knees. His legs had given out, unable to support him anymore.

Kilo sprang into action, cover forgotten in the urgency of the moment. Together, we hefted Echo's limp form off the floor. "We have to get him to cover," Kilo rasped, his gaze flicking down the hall. "That room."

With a grunt, Kilo swung Echo over his shoulder. I sprinted ahead, flinging open the door to reveal a cramped closet. Kilo lowered Echo to the floor, propping him against the wall before taking up a defensive position at the entry.

Echo's hisses of pain filled the small space as I applied pressure to his gunshot wound. "Amelia..." His voice was barely audible, punctuated by ragged breaths. "It's not going to work."

"It has to," I snapped, my eyes welling up as blood soaked through my fingers. "We're not leaving you behind."

With a surge of strength, Echo's hand closed around my wrist, pulling my gaze to his. His eyes shone with a calm that belied the agony etched into his face. "I love you, Amelia," he gasped. "More than anyone...ever." A single tear escaped down his cheek. "Never forget."

"I won't," I choked out, tears spilling down my face. I caressed his cheek, leaving a smear of blood behind. "You'll be here to tell me yourself, every day for the next fifty years."

Sobs wracked my body as I cupped his face, his eyes fluttering closed as a weak smile graced his lips. "You promised we'd make it out of here together." I whispered, his fingers trembling as he tucked hair behind my ear. He had no response, his strength fading.

His chest rose and fell in shallow gasps, his eyes closed. I felt a hand on my shoulder. "Amelia, we have to go." Kilo's voice was heavy with unshed tears. "We can't stay."

I jerked away, shaking my head. "We can't leave him to die."

Kilo dropped down beside me, his gaze filled with a grief that mirrored my own. "Echo wouldn't want us to surrender. He'd want us to finish this. We'll come back for him, I swear it."

I hesitated, my vision blurring. Leaning in, I pressed a kiss to Echo's cheek. "We're coming back for you," I whispered. "Please hold on."

With a gentle tug, Kilo pulled me to my feet. We retreated to our original position, my gaze drawn to the trail of Echo's blood leading to the closet. I snatched up my discarded gun, meeting Kilo's eyes. "Let's end this."