The walls of the safe house seemed to close in on us, suffocating under the weight of betrayal. Trust was no longer a given but a fragile thread stretched thin. Somewhere in our ranks lurked a traitor, a person who had turned their back on us, and the knowledge burned in my chest like an open wound.
The Plan
"Let's lay it out," I said, addressing Rico, Lucia, and the rest of the team. The tension in the room was palpable. No one met each other's eyes for too long.
"We know the mole's been working with the Crows," I continued. "They've fed them our intel, sabotaged our missions, and put us in the line of fire. But this last attack was different. It wasn't just about information—it was an attempt to silence us. To eliminate anyone getting too close to the truth."
Lucia leaned against the table, her expression sharp. "We need to flush them out, Adriana. Let's stop chasing shadows and force them to reveal themselves."
"How?" Rico asked. "If they're smart enough to stay ahead of us this long, they won't fall for a simple trap."
"They will," I said, a plan already forming in my mind. "Because this time, we're going to let them think they've won."
Baiting the Trap
The plan was risky, but we had no other choice. We'd stage a mission that seemed too good to pass up—an opportunity the mole would find impossible to resist leaking to the Crows.
"Spread the word," I instructed. "We're moving a weapons shipment through the old industrial district tomorrow night. Make it believable, but don't oversell it. If the mole catches on too easily, it'll blow our cover."
Lucia nodded, already reaching for her comms. Rico, however, looked hesitant.
"This could backfire," he said quietly. "If they figure out it's a setup…"
"Then we'll deal with it," I replied firmly. "But if we keep playing defense, we'll lose. We need to take control."
The Setup
The industrial district was the perfect stage for our trap—abandoned, isolated, and riddled with hiding places. We set up decoy crates filled with nothing more than scrap metal and broken parts, positioning them near an old loading dock.
From our vantage point on the second floor of a derelict building, we had a clear view of the area. Rico, Lucia, and I crouched behind shattered windows, our weapons ready. The rest of the team was stationed at key points around the district, forming a loose perimeter.
Hours passed in silence, the only sounds the distant hum of traffic and the occasional creak of the old building settling. My nerves were razor-sharp, every shadow and flicker of movement setting me on edge.
Then, just after midnight, the trap was sprung.
The Betrayal
The first sign of movement came from the far end of the district—a group of figures slipping through the shadows, their movements calculated and precise. It wasn't the Crows. This group was smaller, quieter, their focus entirely on the decoy shipment.
"They're here," Rico whispered, his voice low.
I nodded, signaling for everyone to hold their positions. We needed to wait until the mole revealed themselves.
As the figures reached the crates, one of them motioned for the others to spread out, clearly searching for traps. I held my breath, my heart pounding in my chest.
And then I saw it.
One of our team members—someone I had fought beside for years—stepped out of the shadows and joined the group. The betrayal hit me like a blow to the stomach.
"Eric," I whispered, disbelief washing over me.
Lucia's eyes narrowed, her grip tightening on her rifle. "That son of a—"
"Wait," I cut her off. "We need to see what he does."
Eric spoke briefly with the group, his gestures indicating the crates. It was clear he was giving them instructions, pointing out what to take and where to go.
The Confrontation
I couldn't wait any longer. Motioning for the others to follow, I descended the stairs quickly and quietly, adrenaline fueling my every step.
By the time we reached the ground floor, Eric and his accomplices were already loading the decoy crates into a van.
"Eric!" I shouted, my voice ringing out across the loading dock.
He froze, his face a mask of shock and guilt as he turned to face me. The group he was with immediately drew their weapons, but so did we. The standoff was instant and deadly.
"Adriana," Eric began, his voice trembling. "It's not what it looks like."
"Don't insult me," I snapped, my gun trained on him. "You've been working with the Crows. Feeding them our intel. Selling us out."
His jaw tightened. "I had no choice."
"There's always a choice," Rico growled, stepping forward. "You chose to betray us. To betray Adriana."
The tension was suffocating, everyone's weapons raised and ready to fire. I could see the fear in Eric's eyes, but there was also defiance—a spark of something that told me he wasn't going down without a fight.
"Last chance," I said, my voice cold. "Drop your weapon and tell me everything. Or this ends here."
Eric hesitated, his hand hovering near his gun. For a moment, I thought he might surrender. But then he made his choice.
He reached for his weapon, and all hell broke loose.
The Fallout
The gunfire was deafening, the flashes of light illuminating the dark loading dock. Eric's accomplices were skilled, but they were no match for us. One by one, they fell, leaving only Eric standing.
Bloodied and cornered, he dropped his weapon and raised his hands, his breathing ragged.
"Talk," I ordered, my gun still trained on him.
He slumped against the wall, his face pale. "They promised me protection," he muttered. "The Crows. They said they'd spare me if I gave them what they wanted. I didn't have a choice, Adriana. They would've killed me."
"And you thought they wouldn't kill us?" Lucia spat, her fury barely contained.
Eric's silence was all the confirmation I needed.
A Harsh Decision
"Adriana," Rico said quietly, his eyes on me. "What do we do with him?"
I stared at Eric, my mind racing. He had betrayed us, put us all in danger, and nearly cost us everything. But despite his actions, he was still one of ours—or at least, he had been.
The weight of the decision pressed down on me like a crushing wave.
"You made your choice, Eric," I said finally, my voice steady. "Now you have to live with it."
I turned and walked away, leaving the consequences of his betrayal to the rest of the team.