Success of the Broken Banner

Chapter 21: Split Up

Our boots thudded through the hollow corridors, each reverberating step echoing with a dire sense of urgency. Kilo forged ahead, his silhouette a dark blur against the sterile white walls of the facility. My grip on my weapon had become a death lock, the cool metal digging into my palm as fear and adrenaline battled for dominance.

My heart screamed for Echo, longing to shatter into a million pieces and wail into the desolate silence. But I couldn't afford that weakness. Not yet. The mission required a clear head, a sharp mind, and an icy resolve. Any fissure in that composure would prove fatal.

"We need one final sweep," Kilo's voice cut through the stillness, his usual gruffness replaced by a strained calm. His mask of control was beginning to crack, the weight of Echo's life slipping away threatening to buckle his shoulders. "Make sure we haven't left any behind."

"We should split up," I countered, my eyes scanning the barren stretch of hallway, searching for any flicker of movement. "We can cover more ground that way."

"No." The refusal was immediate, a raw edge underscoring his words. "We're not splitting up. I won't lose you too."

"We have comms," I ground out, frustration igniting a spark of anger. "If I encounter anything, you'll be the first to know. Staying together only slows us down."

The silence that followed was heavy, punctuated only by the dull rhythm of our footsteps. Kilo halted at a staircase, his gaze raking over the area before he finally relented. "You take the lower levels. I'll hit the second floor. Rendezvous in thirty. If you're not there..."

"I'll be there in fifteen," I promised, already moving away.

Kilo's calloused hand clamped around my wrist, halting me. "Be smart, stay alert. Echo would skin me alive if I let anything happen to you."

Hearing his name on Kilo's lips was like a fresh blow, as if he'd already written off Echo as dead. That thought injected a potent mix of rage and determination into my system.

"Echo is our priority," I growled, meeting Kilo's gaze. "I won't let any of them stand in the way of getting back to him. I'll be fine, Kilo."

With a curt nod, he released me, disappearing up the stairs as I refocused on my mission. The deserted hallway stretched out before me like a gauntlet, but I moved forward undaunted, weapon at the ready. No one was taking this from me. No one was taking Echo from me.

I plastered myself against the wall near the corner, my heart pounding in my chest. I stole a quick glance around the edge, my gun at the ready. A lone guard was sprinting towards me, his voice cracking as he shouted my location into his comms device.

Without hesitation, I whipped around the corner, my bullets tearing through the air before he could even react. The guard crumpled to the ground, and I sprinted past him. The maze of hallways blurred together as I tore through them, taking down anyone stupid enough to get in my way. Ten minutes of relentless sweeping, seven bodies dropped, and I was nearing the end of the first floor. Just five rooms left.

"Almost clear down here, Kilo," I panted into my earpiece, my eyes scanning every inch of my surroundings. "One more hallway, five more rooms."

Relief washed over Kilo's voice on the other end of the line. "Thank God, kid. Second floor is secure, no prisoners left. I'm on my way to you. We'll meet up and head back together. The lab is on three, Keres will be on the top – we're almost done."

Keres. Frankie. Traitor. Her name used to bring a smile to my face, but now it made my blood burn with rage. She'd given me everything for seven years, even led me to Kilo and Echo. If she hadn't kicked off the apocalypse, I'd have never met them. And now, thanks to her, almost everything I had found to cling to in this hell was hanging on by a thread.

"Incoming," I whispered into the earpiece, the thunder of footsteps echoing up the hall behind me. "They're trying to ambush."

I froze, spinning to face the new threat. Two guards, a prisoner held tight between them as a human shield. My gun was up, finger twitching over the trigger, before I registered what I was seeing. I hesitated, lowering my weapon as I scrambled for a plan.

"On my way," Kilo's voice was steady in my ear. "Do what you have to."

"Drop your weapon and come with us." The command echoed through the sterile hallway.

My heart pounded against my ribcage, but I knew I had to think fast. Slowly, I bent to set my gun on the floor, then straightened, hands raised in a gesture of surrender. My mind raced for a plan, but for now, I had to play along.

"Turn away and back towards us with your hands in the air." A cold sweat trickled down my spine as I obeyed, the weight of the hidden knife pressing against my thigh a small comfort. I inched backward, senses on high alert, waiting for my moment to strike.

The guards relaxed the instant they released the prisoner. That was all the opening I needed. In a swift motion, I reached for the knife and spun, aiming for the first guard. The blade sank home, a sickening warmth spreading across my hand as he collapsed. I yanked the weapon free and lunged at the second guard. He barely had time to register surprise before I struck, ending him swiftly.

I didn't pause to catch my breath. Snatching the knife free, I sprinted towards the prisoner. "You need to get out of here, the others are waiting in a safe place out back in the woodline. One of my partners are headed down here right now, he will show you where to go." I whispered urgently, clamping a hand over her mouth as I dragged her into cover.

Her wide eyes met mine, and I could see the fear and confusion. But I had no time to reassure her. "Go!" I hissed, shoving her in the direction of Kilo's familiar form. I watched until she was safe, then turned back to the approaching danger.

"There!" A shout went up, and I knew I was out of time. I whispered a final instruction to Kilo, the weight of my words settling heavily on me.

"If you come to me right now we both die, take her to the others while you still can." I was buying them time, but I would pay the price.

The guards were on me in an instant. I fought with everything I had, but I was unarmed and outnumbered. A blinding pain exploded in my face as the barrel of a gun pressed against my forehead, freezing me in place. They pounced, pinning me to the ground as they secured my wrists behind me.

I strained against my restraints, bucking wildly, but it was no use. Through blurred vision, I watched as Kilo escaped with the prisoner, a spark of hope amidst the chaos. My gaze locked onto his, a silent promise passed between us. He would get her to safety. I would handle this.

A booted foot rolled me over, and I found myself staring up at Frankie's smug face. She reached down, yanking the bandana off of my face, and a cruel smile twisted her lips. "I gotta say Amelia, its cute you thought you could play dress up with your new friends and storm my facility." Her voice was deceptively sweet, but the ice in her eyes made my blood run cold.

She leaned in closer, fingers wrapping around my chin in a bruising grip. "Unfortunatley, you have to learn the hard way that your actions against my people, my employees, have consequences." Her breath was hot against my face, and I fought not to flinch.

Her men pinned me down, immobilizing me as she efficiently disarmed me, ripping away my earpiece and grinding it beneath her heel. I thrashed beneath them, but a searing pain in my neck had the fight draining from me. Frankie held up the syringe, a satisfied glint in her eye.

"Take her to the lab." She turned to deliver the order, her voice growing distant as the sedative took hold. My vision tunneled, the scene fading to black. "Round up her remaining partner, dispose of him, he's of no use."

My last thought was of Kilo, escaping into the night, before everything went dark.