The safe house felt colder than usual, despite the flickering heater struggling against the creeping chill of dawn. Selene sat on the edge of a worn couch, staring at the scattered maps and files strewn across the table. Outside, the city was waking, but inside, tension clung like smoke.
Rafe leaned back in a cracked chair, rubbing his bruised wrists, his gaze heavy with exhaustion—and something else. Guilt? Doubt?
"We've got names," Rafe said finally, breaking the silence. "Insiders working for Harrow, but some might be willing to help us take the program down from within."
Lina looked up, hopeful but cautious. "That could change everything."
Selene rubbed her temples, weighing the fragile trust building and fracturing all around her. "If we can't trust those closest to us, how do we know who's really on our side?"
Calder paced near the window, voice low and harsh. "There's a leak. Someone's feeding information to Harrow. Our safe house was almost compromised last night."
Marrow's expression darkened. "And the ambush? It wasn't random. They knew where we would be."
Selene's gaze swept over the team. "We need to root out the traitor before it's too late. But if we start accusing blindly, we'll tear ourselves apart."
The room fell silent, the weight of suspicion settling like a heavy fog.
Selene pulled out a worn photo from her jacket—a snapshot from years ago, showing faces of friends now blurred by distance and secrets. She thought of her past, the fractures that had led her here, to this moment where every alliance felt like a risk.
"We have to play this smart," she said. "We need to set a trap."
Lina nodded, eyes sharp despite the exhaustion. "I can create a false data trail. Something tempting enough to bait the mole."
Calder's lips curled in a grim smile. "And I'll watch the exits. If anyone tries to slip away with it, they won't get far."
Marrow folded his arms, eyes cold. "And what about us? What if the traitor is one of us?"
Selene's heart tightened. The unspoken truth hung between them: betrayal cut closest when it came from within.
"We watch each other," Selene said firmly. "But we don't lose sight of our mission."
Later, as the team dispersed to prepare, Selene lingered by the window, gazing at the sprawling city below. Neon lights blurred through the rain-streaked glass like fractured memories.
Her comm-link buzzed softly. It was a message from an unknown number:
"They're closer than you think. Trust no one."
Her breath caught.
Behind every shadow, every whispered secret, the danger was closing in—and the line between friend and foe was dissolving fast.
Selene clenched her fists. The battle for truth wasn't just about exposing Harrow anymore. It was about surviving the betrayals that lurked in their own ranks.