Betrayed ✔️

Chapter 39: "Glory"

ADA

I SHOULD HAVE moved.

I should have dodged. I could have fired back- I had a gun in my hand!

But I was rooted to the spot by a deep fear.

As a child, when the monsters picked out the best of us to present to potential clients, I would stand deathly still. I thought that if I didn't make a sound, or moved, they wouldn't see me. They wouldn't pick me.

Of course, later on, I would realise that was simply a lie. They would always find me. Something would give me away- the wrong eye contact, the way my breath hitched in my chest, blinking at the wrong time. I could never be invisible.

But perhaps that childish hope was still rooted inside of me.

So when Keres locked his stark blue eyes with mine, I froze. I dropped the gun. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think.

His lips twisted around words I'd heard so long ago. "Goodbye little birdie."

His finger curled around the trigger. The gun recoiled back. Once. Twice. Thrice.

A figure jumped between the bullets and me, determination splayed across his features as the tiny pieces of metal went through his chest.

I screamed, the sound ripped from my vocal cords but sounding muted to my own ears. I collapsed and dragged myself forward, desperately trying to staunch the wound.

No, no, no! I can't lose another person!

"Ezra you idiot." I gasped, tears streaming down my face. "Why would you do that?"

"Can't let you hog all the glory." He chuckled, gripping my hands tight. He stared at me, as if trying to sear my face in his memory. "Ada...I'm sorry..."

His breath rattled and then his chest stilled, eyes dulled as he looked to the stars a million miles away. His hand went limp in my grasp.

My breaths came out in ragged gulps as I shakily stood to my feet, glaring down the man who murdered Ezra. The man who murdered Kayden and Izzy and a thousand other young boys and girls who had their whole lives ahead of them. I imagined them standing beside me, their anger fueling mine.

"Keres!" I roared, taking a painful step forward. "I will kill you!"

He quipped a brow, amusement spreading across his features. Even after all this time, he thought of me as a little girl- scared of him, the big bad wolf. But that little girl died a long time ago.

He raised his gun again.

I don't know what I would have done- probably something very brave, or very stupid (possibly both)- but at that moment, there was a loud bang! from the end of the tunnel.

"Somebody call for backup?" A familiar accent hit my ears, causing my shoulders to drop in relief. Zaza had a rifle slung across her back, flanked by Ryder and a crowd of Agents, Analyst and her own crew behind. Her gaze landed on me and she grinned. "Hey Addy!"

I only removed my eyes from Keres for a second, but when I looked back, he was gone. He had slunk back into the shadows like the coward he was. He never picked a fight he couldn't win.

Some of the wiser Sanguis left with him, seeing that they were now outnumbered and outgunned. But a few of the especially stupid ones charged. They were very quickly taken down in a thunderstorm of bullets and knives.

A sudden hush descended over the room. The air was heavy with the stench of blood and a pile of corpses- both friend and foe- lay at our feet.

"It's over," I whispered in disbelief. My knees buckled underneath me, but Jay was there to catch me. "It's actually over."

"We did it, Ada!" Jay beamed, a nasty gash spluttered blood on his forehead. "We actually did it!"

But at what cost? I thought, staring at the countless people who cried as they spotted loved ones amongst the bodies thrown across the room.

"Julia!" One elderly man cried, cradling a dead woman as if trying to bring some warmth back into her greyed flesh. "No, please, please don't go! I'll- I'll be better! Just please come back."

A younger woman was by his shoulder, tears gathering in her eyes. "Grandpa, please, let her go."

The cleaners were brought in and sheets were draped over the dead souls. There were too many bodies to count- both on our and the enemy's side.

Fireworks went off outside the Agency- away from the death, the grief, and the misery. It was the New Year.

My head swum and a tired sound that was half a sigh and half a sob pressed past my lips. I leaned forwards as waves of exhaustion swept over me. The adrenaline had worn off and I sank into the comforting arms of darkness, still clutching the cold hand of the first friend I'd ever made.

 *********

I hope you guys liked it! 

Stay safe and thanks for reading :)