Behind the Shadows: A Love Unspoken

Chapter 18: Fractured Trust

The firefight had been relentless. The team was scattered, the enemy forces swarming the safehouse like a coordinated wave. Gekko and Iso were cornered in a storage area, pinned down behind steel crates. The air was thick with smoke and the acrid smell of gunfire.

"Mateo, stay down!" Iso barked, firing at the advancing enemies. His aim was precise, dropping one, then two attackers, but more kept coming.

Gekko clutched Wingman close, his heart pounding as he peeked over the crate. "There's too many of them, Iso! We need backup!"

"We'll make it," Iso replied, his voice tight with determination. He shot down another enemy, but his movements were slower now, more strained.

Gekko's stomach twisted as he noticed the blood seeping through Iso's side. "Iso... you're hurt."

"I'm fine," Iso snapped, reloading with a grimace.

"No, you're not!" Gekko shouted back, panic rising in his chest.

Before Iso could respond, a flashbang exploded nearby, the blinding light and deafening sound disorienting them both. Gekko shielded his eyes, his ears ringing as he struggled to regain focus. When he looked up, Iso was on the ground, clutching his side as blood pooled beneath him.

"No! Iso!"

Gekko scrambled to his side, ignoring the bullets ricocheting around them. Wingman chirped frantically, trying to shield them both.

Iso's face was pale, his breaths shallow. "You need... to get out of here," he rasped.

"I'm not leaving you!" Gekko said fiercely, grabbing Iso's arm and trying to pull him up.

The sound of reinforcements arriving barely registered in Gekko's mind as Phoenix and Jett burst into the room, cutting down the remaining enemies. Sage followed close behind, her eyes immediately locking onto Iso.

"Move, Gekko!" Sage ordered, kneeling beside Iso. Her hands began to glow with healing energy as she assessed his injuries.

Gekko backed away, his hands shaking. "Is he going to be okay?"

Sage didn't respond immediately, her focus entirely on stabilizing Iso.

"He'll pull through," she finally said, though her tone lacked its usual certainty.

As they carried Iso to the infirmary, Gekko's anger began to boil. The ambush, the betrayal, the lack of answers—it all pointed to a failure within the team. Someone had let this happen. Someone had put Iso in danger.

When they reached the infirmary, Gekko rounded on the others, his voice shaking with fury.

"How did this happen?" he demanded, glaring at Phoenix, Jett, and Sage. "We're supposed to be a team! How did they know where to find us?"

"Mateo, calm down," Phoenix said, his usual bravado subdued.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Gekko snapped. "Iso almost died because someone in this room didn't do their job!"

Jett crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing. "You think one of us is to blame? Seriously, Gekko?"

"I don't know what to think anymore!" Gekko shouted. "First the ambush, now this. How do we know the traitor isn't still here?"

Sage stood, her calm demeanor barely masking her frustration. "We're all shaken, but turning on each other isn't going to solve anything."

"Shaken?" Gekko repeated, his voice dripping with disbelief. "Iso's in there fighting for his life, and you're telling me to stay calm?"

"Enough!" Sage's voice was sharp, silencing the room. "We all want answers, but this isn't the way to get them. Focus your energy on finding who's responsible, not tearing the team apart."

Gekko's fists clenched at his sides, his chest heaving. He wanted to argue, to shout, but Sage's words cut through his rage like a cold blade.

"Fine," he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "But if anything happens to Iso, I'm holding everyone accountable."

Without waiting for a response, Gekko stormed out of the infirmary, his mind racing. The weight of everything pressed down on him, threatening to crush him under its enormity.

He stopped outside Iso's room, leaning against the wall as he tried to steady his breathing. Wingman chirped softly, nudging his arm in an attempt to comfort him.

"I can't lose him, Wing," Gekko whispered, his voice breaking. "I can't."

Inside, Iso lay unconscious, his face pale but peaceful. Gekko watched through the glass, the sight of his partner like a dagger to his heart.

He didn't know who to trust anymore, but one thing was certain—he would find whoever was responsible. And when he did, they would pay.