Behind the Shadows: A Love Unspoken

Chapter 17: Cracks in the Armor

The flickering emergency lights barely illuminated the safehouse as chaos erupted. Gunfire echoed in the halls, the deafening sounds mixing with hurried footsteps and shouted commands. Iso and Gekko were pinned behind a toppled metal table, adrenaline coursing through their veins.

"Cover me!" Iso barked, his voice sharp as he reloaded his weapon.

Gekko didn't hesitate, raising his pistol and firing at the advancing enemies. His hands trembled, the injury in his side throbbing with every movement, but he forced himself to push through it.

"Who the hell are these guys?" Gekko yelled over the noise.

"They're not just randoms," Iso replied grimly. "They're too coordinated. This was planned."

As soon as Iso finished reloading, he popped out of cover, delivering precise shots that took down two attackers. He glanced over at Gekko, his sharp gaze softening for a brief moment. "We need to move. Stay close to me."

But as they moved deeper into the safehouse, a creeping doubt began to claw at Gekko's mind. The betrayal they'd just uncovered—it didn't sit right. Someone on the team had sold them out, and now their sanctuary was under siege. But why? And how long had it been happening?

As they slipped into a quieter corridor, Gekko couldn't help but steal a glance at Iso. He had been acting strange ever since the ambush. Always close, always watching. It had been comforting before, but now it felt... calculated.

"Iso," Gekko said, his voice cautious, "how did you know the ambush wasn't random?"

Iso didn't answer immediately. He stopped, checking the corner ahead before turning back to Gekko. "It was obvious. Too many moving parts for it to be coincidence."

"That's not what I mean," Gekko pressed. "You figured it out before anyone else. Almost like... you were expecting it."

Iso's eyes narrowed, his jaw tightening. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying this all feels too convenient," Gekko replied, his voice shaking slightly. "You've been watching me like a hawk, Iso. Protecting me like it's your only mission. But what if..." He hesitated, hating the words even as they left his mouth. "What if you knew this was coming?"

Iso stared at him, his expression unreadable. For a moment, the only sound was the distant gunfire and the hum of the emergency lights.

"You think I'd betray you?" Iso's voice was low, dangerous.

"I don't know what to think!" Gekko shot back, his frustration boiling over. "You've always kept things close to the chest, Iso. You don't let people in. How do I know you haven't been playing me this whole time?"

The accusation hung in the air, a knife between them.

Iso took a step closer, his movements slow and deliberate. "After everything I've done for you, you think I'd sell you out? You think I'd put you in danger just to—what? Watch you bleed?"

"I don't know!" Gekko's voice cracked, his emotions spilling out. "I don't know who to trust anymore! Someone on the team betrayed us, and for all I know, it could've been you!"

Iso's hands clenched into fists at his sides, his face a mask of barely contained anger. "You're right, Mateo. Someone betrayed us. But if you really think it's me, then you don't know me at all."

Gekko opened his mouth to respond, but Iso cut him off, his voice laced with frustration. "Do you think I haven't been watching my back, too? Do you think I haven't had doubts about you?"

Gekko froze, the words hitting him like a punch to the gut.

"What?" he whispered, barely able to get the word out.

Iso's expression darkened, his gaze sharp. "You've been the common denominator in all of this, Mateo. The ambush, the safehouse breach—they've all centered around you. You don't think I've wondered why?"

The accusation stung more than Gekko thought it would. "You're blaming me now? After everything we've been through?"

"I'm not blaming you," Iso said, his voice tight. "But I can't ignore the facts. Whoever's behind this is after you. That's why I've stayed close—to protect you. Not because I don't trust you, but because someone out there wants you dead."

The weight of Iso's words settled between them, suffocating and heavy.

"I didn't ask for this," Gekko said quietly, his voice trembling.

"I know," Iso replied, his voice softer now. "But this is bigger than us. And if we don't figure out who's behind it, we're both dead."

Before Gekko could respond, a loud crash echoed from the far end of the corridor. Both of them snapped into action, weapons raised as they moved toward the sound. The air was thick with tension, not just from the danger around them, but from the cracks that had formed between them.

As they rounded the corner, they found the server room in ruins. The console was destroyed, sparks flying from the broken machinery. And in the center of the chaos was a shadowy figure, their back turned to them.

"Stop!" Iso commanded, his gun trained on the figure.

The figure turned slowly, their face hidden beneath a hood. But when they spoke, their voice sent chills down Gekko's spine.

"You're too late," they said, their tone cold and mocking.

Before either of them could react, the figure threw a smoke grenade to the ground, the room filling with thick, blinding smoke.

Gekko coughed, his eyes watering as he tried to see through the haze. He reached out instinctively, his hand brushing against Iso's arm.

"I'm here," Iso said quickly, grabbing Gekko's wrist and pulling him close.

When the smoke cleared, the figure was gone, leaving behind only destruction—and more questions.

As they stood in the wreckage, the tension between them lingered. The doubts, the accusations—they hadn't gone away. And now, with the enemy slipping through their fingers, those fractures felt even deeper.

"Iso," Gekko began, but he didn't know how to finish.

Iso shook his head, his expression unreadable. "We'll talk later. Right now, we have bigger problems."

But as they left the room, Gekko couldn't shake the feeling that the biggest problem of all might be the one growing between them.