The air inside the safe house was taut with tension, the quiet before a storm. Every shadow seemed to whisper suspicion, every glance carried the weight of unspoken accusations. Selene stood near the cracked window, watching the city's distant lights flicker through the rain like fading hopes.
Tonight, they would set the trap.
Lina had prepared a false data file — a trove of fabricated secrets designed to lure the mole out into the open. The bait was irresistible: plans for a major strike against Harrow's key operatives, supposedly uncovered in the decrypted files. The team was ready to monitor every entrance and exit, every heartbeat, every breath.
Selene gathered the group around the battered table. "We stick to the plan. No unnecessary risks. We watch each other—and most importantly, the bait."
Calder nodded, loading his pistol with a practiced calm. "No one slips past me."
Marrow's eyes narrowed, cold and calculating. "We find the leak tonight. One way or another."
Rafe's gaze flickered between them, uncertain, his recent rescue still a shadow hovering over the room.
Selene met his eyes firmly. "We need everyone focused. No more secrets."
The hours crawled by, each minute stretched tight like a drawn bowstring. Outside, the rain hammered against the roof, masking the subtle sounds inside. The team rotated watches, eyes scanning every movement, ears tuned to the faintest whisper.
Lina's tablet chimed softly — the false data had been accessed.
Calder's voice was a razor in the silence. "We've got company."
Footsteps echoed down the hallway, deliberate, slow. The team melted into shadows, weapons ready, breaths held.
The door creaked open, and a figure slipped inside—Marrow's eyes widened as recognition hit him. "It's..."
Rafe.
Selene's heart pounded. "Rafe?"
He froze, hands raised in surrender. "I didn't want to hurt anyone. I'm not the mole."
Calder's pistol was trained on him instantly. "Then who?"
Rafe swallowed hard. "I was forced. They have someone close to me. Someone who's watching."
Selene lowered her weapon, tension easing but suspicion deepening. "We need the truth."
Suddenly, another presence emerged from the shadows—Lina, her face pale, eyes wild. "There's more. Someone here has been feeding Harrow everything."
Selene's gaze darted around the room. The trap had caught a fish—but there were bigger predators lurking.
Minutes later, as the rain softened outside, the team sat in a circle, each weighed down by the crushing realization: the mole was among them.
Accusations spiraled, voices rising and falling like waves.
Marrow slammed a fist on the table. "Enough! If we tear each other apart, Harrow wins."
Selene stood, commanding silence. "We survive by staying united. We'll watch each other, carefully. But now, we must act."
She reached into her jacket and pulled out a small device—a recorder. "This will document every conversation. No more secrets."
Rafe nodded, his voice steady despite the chaos. "We find the real traitor—before it's too late."
Later, as the safe house settled into a fragile quiet, Selene couldn't shake the feeling of eyes watching from the dark corners, shadows moving where none should be.
Her comm-link buzzed with a new message: "Your trust is misplaced. The real enemy wears your face."
Selene's breath caught. The trap had been set—but the game was far from over.