if looks could kill - ines bettencourt
summaryđ Ź: two spies, one mission. only one can walk awayâ unless they choose to walk together.
warnings: gun violence, injury, blood, emotional distress, themes of betrayal and sacrifice, action/thriller intensity, implied loss, open-ended fate
tags: @patscorner @kmoneymartini @authentic-girl03 @vamptizm
the cabin was quiet. too quiet.
ines sat near the window, gun in her lap, eyes scanning the treeline as dawn broke through the woods in pale gold slivers. summer lay on the couch, arm bandaged, body still. for the first time in weeks, her face looked peaceful.
she wasnât supposed to care. not about her. not about the girl from the south side with a scar above her collarbone and too much fire in her eyes.
they were supposed to walk away after this.
but ines wasnât sure she could.
a soft click too sharp for the old wood, cut through the silence.
then she was on her feet.
âsummer,â she whispered, rushing to her side. âweâre not alone.â
summerâs eyes opened immediately. her hand reached for the pistol beneath the blanket. âhow many?â
ines glanced out the window. âthree men. west side uniforms.â
summerâs breath caught. âfuckâ
ines nodded grimly. âthey donât want either of us walking away.â
âhowâd they find us?â
âdoesnât matter. we have to go. now.â
gunfire shattered the window before the sentence ended. glass exploded inward as bullets tore through the wooden walls. summer rolled off the couch, hissing in pain but moving fast. ines returned fire through the broken window.
âgarage,â ines yelled. âthereâs a back door.â
they ran, ducking and weaving, gunshots ringing through the quiet morning. the cabin groaned under the assault, decades-old wood splintering with every shot.
they burst into the garage, and there, under a tarp, two motorcycles. black. sleek. fast.
âwhen did you have time to bring these here?â summer asked, half-laughing.
âa magician never reveals her secrets, princess,â ines replied, tossing her a helmet.
summer climbed on, gritting her teeth against the pain. âthatâs crazy.â
they kicked up gravel as they tore out of the garage, the sound of engines loud and hungry beneath the rising sun. bullets chased them into the trees.
into the blur of morning mist and adrenaline.
into the final stretch of the game.
not with the black vans barreling down the mountain roads behind them, not with gunmetal slicing through the trees like angry bees.
summer yelled against the loud sound of the motorcycle engines.
âhalf a mile to the drop point. we just have to make it.â
ines nodded even though summer couldnât see. she tightened her grip on the handlebars, eyes sharp, breath shallow.
the sun had climbed higher now, bleeding gold over the treetops. the world felt unreal, like maybe if they made it to the clearing, theyâd get to breathe. start over.
like maybe this was the kind of story that could have a happy ending.
âwhen we get out,â summer said through the wind, âi have something to give you.â
but the words had barely left her lips before it happened.
the whine of a sniper round.
summerâs bike swerved violently, veering off the dirt path, flipping once, then crashing into the underbrush.
âsummer!â ines screamed, braking hard, skidding sideways, gravel burning her skin as she dropped to the ground.
she ran. didnât think. didnât breathe.
summer lay crumpled beside the wreck, blood blooming on her shirt, one hand still curled around something.
ines dropped to her knees, grabbing her, shaking her.
âno, no, no, look at me. stay with me, summer. please.â
summer coughed, a weak smile flickering across her lips.
âyouâre so pretty,â she whispered, voice trembling like a radio cutting out.
ines let out a broken laugh, one hand cradling the back of summerâs head.
âshut up, youâre bleeding, you idiot. weâre not done yet, remember?â
âi know,â summer breathed. her eyes fluttered.
ines blinked back tears. âyou said you had something to give me?â
summer nodded faintly, fingers twitching around the small object in her palm.
she tried to lift it, but her strength was gone.
inside, was a folded piece of paper etched in shaky handwriting, âfind me again. in another life.â
ines stared at it, unable to speak. her lips parted, but it was too late.
summerâs hand fell away.
it was a silence louder than gunfire.
behind them, the engines grew louder again.
ines stood slowly, face streaked with dirt and tears, and picked up summerâs gun.
her eyes, once warm, turned cold.
she slipped the locket into her jacket.
and without a sound, turned and disappeared into the trees. alone.
âif i donât make it, tell ines i was going to choose her. always her.â were summers last words to connie.
