Chapter 55: The Traitor's Mask
The room fell silent, the weight of the revelation hanging in the air like a storm cloud. Every pair of eyes turned to Priya, who stood frozen, the message still in her hand. The text flashed in front of her eyes, repeating itself in her mind: "I've been monitoring your progress. If you want to make it out alive, I suggest you stop now. I'll give you the information you need—only if you meet me. No one else."
Aadarsh's voice cut through the tension. "Who's doing this, Priya? Who is it?"
Priya's mind raced as she scanned the room. She had trusted every single one of them with her life. But the message... it was too personal, too direct to be from someone on the outside. Someone close had betrayed them.
Her gaze swept over the team. Could it be one of them? The thought hit her like a punch to the gut.
"Don't look at me like that," Kiara snapped, her fists clenched. "None of us would sell you out."
"Then who would?" Aadarsh demanded, his voice strained. "Someone has to be feeding Vikram information. We've been careful. We've covered our tracks. How the hell does he know?"
Naira stepped forward, her eyes narrowing. "There's only one way he could have known. We've been talking too much. Too openly. Someone's been listening."
Priya felt a surge of dread. "No. It can't be one of us."
"But it has to be," Naira said, her tone cold. "Think about it. Whoever's leaking information is right in this room. It's one of us."
The accusation stung like a slap. Priya's heart raced as she tried to wrap her mind around the possibility. A traitor. One of their own.
"How do we figure out who?" Amrita's voice was steady, but there was an edge to it. "We need to know who's playing both sides, or we're all dead."
Aadarsh looked at Priya, his eyes searching hers. "If you've got a plan, now's the time to use it."
Priya swallowed hard. She needed to make a decision—and fast. She couldn't afford to second-guess herself. The team's survival depended on it.
"We go quiet. We keep our movements small. We track everyone's locations. Whoever's leaking information will slip up. They always do."
"But what if they don't?" Naira asked. "What if they've already planned their escape?"
Priya shook her head. "Then we get them first. We need to flush the traitor out, before they take us all down."
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The Trap
For the next several hours, the team worked in silence, their movements sharp and efficient. Priya and Amrita took charge of monitoring communications, making sure there were no open signals. Aadarsh and Kiara ran recon, checking the safehouse for any signs of tampering or surveillance. Naira reviewed their old contacts, looking for any leaks or inconsistencies in the information they had received.
As the night wore on, Priya grew more and more uneasy. Whoever the mole was, they were good. They had to be. No one had made a mistake, and yet, Vikram's forces were still closing in. Something didn't add up.
Priya found herself pacing again, running through every possible scenario in her mind. The more she thought about it, the more the pieces began to fit together.
That was when she saw it.
On the encrypted laptop she had been using to track their movements, a message appeared on the screen, barely visible. It wasn't from Vikram. It was from a different contact. A code. One she had never seen before.
Priya's blood ran cold. She recognized the pattern—it was a message from someone she had worked with in the past. Someone who knew all their methods, all their techniques. Someone who had been in their circle.
Raghav.
He had warned her earlier that Vikram's people were tailing him. But the message wasn't just a warning. It was a confession. He had been compromised. He had betrayed them.
Without saying a word, Priya turned to the team, her expression grim. "It's Raghav."
The room went still.
"You're sure?" Amrita asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Priya nodded. "He's the one. He was the leak."
The realization hit them like a wave. Raghav had been their contact—the one person they trusted above all others. But now, everything had changed. The safehouse, the plans, the information... it was all at risk.
"We need to find him," Aadarsh said, his voice low but filled with fury. "And we need to make sure he can't do this again."
"Agreed," Priya said, her voice firm. "We can't let him get away with this."
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The Confrontation
The team quickly gathered their gear, preparing for the confrontation. They knew they had to act fast. Raghav was already on the move, and they couldn't afford to lose him.
"Keep it tight," Priya instructed. "We need to catch him off-guard. No mistakes."
Naira and Aadarsh led the way, their eyes scanning the streets for any sign of Raghav. Kiara followed closely behind, her nerves tightly wound. Amrita and Priya brought up the rear, keeping their heads low.
As they approached the location where Raghav's signal had been last traced, Priya felt a knot form in her stomach. This wasn't just a betrayal—it was personal. Raghav had been more than just an ally. He had been a friend. And now, they had to face him as an enemy.
When they reached the alley where Raghav's signal had stopped, they found nothing but darkness. No sign of him.
"Where is he?" Kiara whispered, her eyes darting around.
"Wait," Priya said, holding up a hand. "He's close."
The sound of a car engine revved in the distance. The headlights cut through the darkness, illuminating the figure standing at the far end of the alley. It was Raghav. His hands were raised, but his expression was cold, distant.
"You should have listened to me, Priya," Raghav said, his voice steady. "This was never going to end well."
"Why?" Priya demanded, her voice breaking. "Why betray us? We trusted you."
Raghav's lips curled into a tight smile. "Trust doesn't mean anything in this game. Power does. And I've always known where to find it."
Before Priya could respond, the sound of approaching cars filled the air. Vikram's men were closing in, and they were trapped.
"Get ready," Aadarsh muttered. "We're not walking away from this without a fight."
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To Be Continued…
In the next chapter: The final showdown. Raghav's true allegiance is revealed. The team must face the ultimate test as Vikram's forces close in. And the future of their fight hangs in the balance.