The message lingered in my mind like a shadow, refusing to let me rest. The words weren't just a warning—they were a challenge. Someone close to me was playing both sides, and until I uncovered the truth, every move I made was a gamble.
A Silent Rift
The tension within the team had grown palpable. Even casual conversations were laced with unspoken suspicions. Rico's normally steady demeanor had turned guarded, and Lucia's sharp gaze seemed to cut through everyone she looked at.
"You've been quiet," I said to Rico later that morning, catching him alone in the armory.
He didn't look up from the rifle he was cleaning. "Just thinking."
"About?"
He paused, then set the gun down carefully before meeting my eyes. "About how this all feels… wrong. Like we're fighting a war we can't win because someone keeps moving the goalposts."
I nodded. "You think it's one of us?"
His jaw tightened. "I don't want to. But the signs are there. The timing of those reinforcements at the docks wasn't a coincidence, Adriana. Someone knew we were coming."
"And you think it's me?" I asked, my voice steady but firm.
Rico looked taken aback, then shook his head. "No. If I thought it was you, I wouldn't be here."
That was a small comfort, but it didn't change the fact that someone had betrayed us.
A Questionable Lead
Later that day, Lucia pulled me aside with new information.
"There's someone you need to talk to," she said, her tone clipped. "One of Voss's old lieutenants. He's been sniffing around the south side, asking questions about you."
I frowned. "Why haven't we dealt with him already?"
"Because he's smart," she replied. "And because he claims he has information about the mole."
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. If this man really had answers, he could be the key to unraveling everything. But trusting him could also be a trap.
The Meeting
We arranged the meeting in a neutral location—an abandoned warehouse near the edge of the city. Rico and Lucia flanked me as I approached the man, their weapons at the ready.
The lieutenant, a wiry man with sharp features and a nervous energy, stood in the center of the room. His eyes darted around as if expecting an ambush.
"You're Adriana," he said, his voice trembling slightly. "I've heard a lot about you."
"Then you know I don't have time for games," I replied. "You said you have information. Talk."
He swallowed hard, then nodded. "There's a leak in your operation. Someone who's been working with the Crows for months. They're feeding them intel, but they're also using the Crows as a distraction."
"For what?" I asked, my patience wearing thin.
"To take you out," he said simply. "The Crows aren't your biggest threat. The mole is playing their own game, and when the time is right, they're going to make their move."
An Unexpected Attack
Before I could press him for more details, the sound of tires screeching outside broke the tense silence. Rico and Lucia were instantly on high alert, their weapons raised as the warehouse doors burst open.
A group of masked assailants stormed in, their guns blazing. The lieutenant barely had time to react before a bullet tore through his chest, cutting off any chance of further answers.
"Get down!" I shouted, diving for cover as bullets ricocheted off the walls.
The fight was brutal and chaotic. The attackers moved with precision, their tactics too refined to be a random gang. Whoever sent them knew exactly what they were doing.
Lucia took down two of them in quick succession, her aim deadly accurate. Rico provided cover fire, allowing me to flank the remaining attackers. One by one, they fell, but not before inflicting their own damage.
As the last assailant hit the ground, the warehouse fell silent once more. The lieutenant's lifeless body lay in a pool of blood, his secrets lost forever.
A New Resolve
Back at the safe house, the weight of the failed meeting hung heavy over us.
"That wasn't random," Rico said, his voice grim. "Someone wanted him dead before he could talk."
"And they knew we'd be there," Lucia added. "Which means the mole's still ahead of us."
I clenched my fists, anger bubbling beneath the surface. "No more waiting," I said, my voice hard. "Whoever this is, they've underestimated me for the last time. We're going to find them, and we're going to end this."
For the first time in days, I saw a flicker of determination in my team's eyes. The mole might have been one step ahead, but their time was running out