69. The Heart Of Deception

The morning after our raid, the team was on edge. It wasn't just the uncertainty of Caleb's information, nor the cold silence between us all; it was the gnawing weight of what I had seen on that list. Rico's name, right there, staring at me from the page, taunting me.

Shattered Trust

I had spent years building my trust with him. Rico was more than just a comrade; he was family. But now, the foundation of everything we had fought for seemed to tremble beneath me. How could I even begin to approach him? The list had to be a mistake, right?

I sat at the kitchen table, staring at my hands, trying to steady the racing thoughts in my mind. But every time I thought about it, my heart pounded with a sense of betrayal that I couldn't shake.

"Adriana."

I looked up, startled. Lucia stood in the doorway, her expression unreadable. She hadn't said much since the raid, but I knew she was as shaken as I was.

"You should talk to him," she said softly, stepping inside.

I shook my head. "I don't know if I can."

"You have to," she insisted. "You owe it to yourself, to him, to know the truth."

"But what if the truth is worse than the lie?"

She didn't respond right away, her gaze far away. "Then you deal with it. But you won't know unless you ask."

I met her eyes, and for a moment, the weight of my decision hung in the air.

Confrontation

Later that evening, I found Rico alone, his back turned as he cleaned his weapon. The soft click of the metal was the only sound in the room.

"Rico," I started, my voice steady but trembling beneath the surface.

He didn't turn to face me, but I could feel his tension. "What is it, Adriana?"

I stepped closer, the words caught in my throat. "I found something," I said quietly.

He stiffened. "What are you talking about?"

I pulled out the paper, sliding it across the table. His eyes flicked to it for a split second, before narrowing.

"Where did you get this?" he asked, his voice low, guarded.

"The safe house," I replied. "It had names on it. Yours was one of them."

For a moment, there was nothing but silence. Then he finally spoke, his voice cold. "You think I'm the mole?"

I didn't answer immediately, letting the question hang in the air. I had to know the truth—no matter the cost.

The Unraveling

Rico slowly stood up, his eyes meeting mine. The tension in the room was thick, suffocating.

"I don't know what game you're playing at, but I didn't put my name on that list," he said, his tone defensive. "And I don't know who's been feeding you this information, but you've been led down the wrong path."

"Then explain this," I demanded, holding the paper in front of him. "How do you explain your name being on it?"

He didn't respond right away, and for a moment, I thought he might walk away. But instead, his eyes flickered with something—regret, maybe guilt.

"I can't explain it," he said finally, his voice softer. "But that doesn't mean I'm the one who betrayed you."

"Then who the hell is?" I nearly shouted, frustration bubbling to the surface. "Who is trying to destroy everything we've worked for?"

He reached out, gently taking the paper from my hands, his fingers brushing against mine. His gaze softened. "I don't have all the answers, Adriana. But I know this much: the people who are behind this… they want us to destroy each other."

"Then we can't let them win," I said, my resolve hardening. "We have to stick together."

Rico met my gaze, his expression grim. "I agree. But right now, we can't trust anyone. Not until we find out who's really behind this."

The Quiet Before the Storm

As the days passed, the tension in the safe house grew unbearable. We were no closer to finding the true mole, and every member of our team seemed to retreat further into themselves, their trust in each other eroding with every passing hour.

But I refused to give up. We had come this far—too far to let betrayal tear us apart.

One night, I found myself sitting alone, the weight of our situation pressing down on me like a vice. The city was still under threat, and while the team remained fractured, I couldn't afford to lose focus.

Suddenly, the door creaked open, and I looked up to see Lucia standing in the doorway, her face pale.

"Adriana," she said softly. "I think I found something."

The Key to the Puzzle

Lucia led me to a small, dimly lit room at the back of the safe house. On the table before her was a collection of documents—more intel, more secrets.

"I've been going through everything," she said, her voice steady but urgent. "And I found something that doesn't add up. The mole… they've been covering their tracks, but there's one person who's been involved with both sides."

I stepped closer, my eyes scanning the papers. One name kept appearing again and again—someone I hadn't considered.

I stared at the name, my stomach dropping. "Marco."

Lucia's expression was equally grim. "It's him. He's been working both sides."

The Final Choice

The revelation hit me like a punch to the gut. Marco, our loyal ally, the man we trusted to have our backs through thick and thin, had been the one to betray us.

I was torn. Do I confront him now, before he can slip further into the shadows? Or do I wait and gather more evidence?

"I'll take care of this," I said, my voice cold and determined. "But I need everyone else to stay out of this for now. It's time to end this."

As I left the room, my heart weighed heavy with the knowledge that there was no going back from this. The final battle would come soon, and the question was no longer about survival—it was about who we could trust to fight by our side.

And right now, that answer was no one.