Checkmate

Corvis insisted on taking point. After all, he had to be the one to pull the trigger on that fat bastard. The one who'd kept the love of his life away from him. The living space was empty, so Corvis rushed to the bedroom door. His finger twitched in anticipation as he pictured lining up the perfect shot on the fat oaf of a ruler. After a deep breath, he kicked in the door, eager for whatever awaited him.

What he found caused the hardened commando to freeze. On a crimson-stained bed lay his beloved Maras, her body nude and her throat punctured by the Stinger she'd been concealing. Bruises over her body spoke of the fight she had before she'd been murdered. The door to the adjoining bathroom then opens. King Altan found himself in Corvis sights. Enraged, he let off a long burst of gunfire. Round after round tore through the King's body until he's slumped against the wall, staring emptily at the floor.

By the time Corvis was done firing, Ismak had arrived behind him. He took in the sight for a second before squeezing Corvis' shoulder. "We need to go."

Corvis remained motionless, still taking in the sight of his dead lover. Ismak then pulled on his shoulder, dragging him away from the room. After all, their mission had failed, and now they needed to escape.

"This is Ismak to Heren, we're aborting the mission. Queen Maras is dead and we need to escape now."

"Shit... Copy that."

"What's our best escape route?"

"Going the way we came. We're gonna have to hope that we can get out before authorities move in."

"Understood."

The remaining commandos rushed to the elevators, leaving their fellow fallen behind. Each one would be evidence of the terrorist attack that had occurred, but they didn't have the time to retrieve their dead. Once they were inside the elevators, Ismak looked to Corvis, who wore a blank stare. Ismak had seen such stares before. Mourning would come later. For now, Corvis had to keep his head in the game.