Darkness Settles In

Darkness set in, bringing with it a biting chill that seeped through the shelter's patchwork walls. Leila was walking the main corridor when Kai approached from behind, moving like a silent shadow. She didn't spook; she'd grown used to his stealthy gait.

He spoke in hushed tones. "I found more footprints near the western fence. They loop inside our perimeter, then vanish. Could be just someone answering nature's call. Could also be sabotage recon."

Leila's gut twisted. "Which newcomers do we suspect?"

He shrugged. "Hard to say, but we need to start ruling people out or we'll go mad suspecting everyone."

Shortly before midnight, Leila and Kai assembled a handful of trusted members in an out-of-the-way storage room that had been half-emptied for repairs. Fiona, Mark, and Darren joined them. They set a small lantern on a crate, pulling boxes around for seats. The sense of conspiracy was palpable.

Leila cleared her throat. "We can't publicize our watch plan or we risk tipping off the mole—if a mole is indeed here. But we also can't let fear tear this place apart. So, here's what we do."

She outlined the existing schedule, then added new rotating tasks: each suspect would be paired with a known loyal member for certain chores, ensuring they were never alone near critical areas. Meanwhile, watchers would track any unaccounted absences.

Darren tapped a pencil against his thigh. "We'll need to handle this carefully. If anyone figures out we're basically tailing them—"

Mark cut in. "They might panic or accelerate whatever sabotage they have planned."

Fiona's gaze flicked around the circle. "What if we're wrong? We could alienate an innocent person."

A heavy pause followed. Leila exhaled slowly. "That's a risk. But better that than risk losing everything to hidden sabotage." She glanced at Kai, who gave a small nod of agreement.

Talk shifted to the storeroom thefts. Fiona explained she'd instituted a log for rations, yet meal packets vanished in the night. Leila suggested physically barring the storeroom door at lights-out. Mark worried that might hamper them in an emergency.

Ultimately, they decided to bar the storeroom from the outside each night, with only two watchers holding keys. If an intruder forced entry, watchers would know immediately. It felt drastic, but all nodded solemnly that it was necessary.

Before they disbanded, Leila reminded them to remain calm around newcomers. "Not everyone's a villain. In fact, most might be decent folks. We can't show we're suspicious of them all."

Fiona reached out to clasp Leila's hand. "You're right. We can't lose the humanity we're trying to preserve. Let's just catch the real culprit or culprits."

A murmur of agreement sealed their plan. They snuffed the lantern and slipped out one by one to their assigned patrols. A hush lingered in the storeroom, as if the walls themselves soaked in the tension.

The next day, Leila called a brief midday gathering in the common area, adopting a neutral tone as she announced some "tightened guidelines." She avoided mentioning sabotage or infiltration, focusing on the need to "preserve limited supplies" and "keep everyone accountable." Some new arrivals eyed her warily, but a handful nodded, relieved to see leadership stepping up.

Trevor asked politely if there was anything they could do to lighten ration concerns. Leila commended him for volunteering to lead a small foraging party once the weather eased. The more supportive voices they had, the better.

Still, she noted the tall, wiry man in the back crossing his arms, scowling at her every word. If he was innocent, he hid it poorly. If guilty, he was dangerously blatant. She mentally flagged him again.

Tensions within the population grew, but so did pockets of goodwill. A few new survivors proposed organizing a small garden in the courtyard come spring. Others planned salvage runs to gather building materials from a nearby collapsed barn. For every whisper of infiltration, there was also an example of sincere cooperation.

Kai approached Leila late in the afternoon as she reorganized a supply crate. "People are asking more questions about ration locks, guards at night. We can't stonewall them forever."

She rubbed her eyes, exhausted from double shifts. "We tell them it's a precaution. The best we can do without giving details."

He nodded, then hesitated. "I just worry if the traitor realizes we're ramping up security, they might skip subtlety."

The thought sent a chill through her. "Then we'll face them head-on. Better a direct confrontation than a silent dagger in our backs."

As dusk fell, watchers quietly took their posts. Fiona, Mark, and Bernice each settled in vantage points around the main building's corridors. Kai readied his rifle for another perimeter sweep, while Darren took first shift at the storeroom door. Meanwhile, Leila circulated, feigning normalcy by chatting with various survivors about tomorrow's chores, all the while monitoring who seemed most uncomfortable with the watch presence.

She found the teenage girl from before, asked how she was adjusting. The girl admitted she still felt uneasy sleeping in a large group. "Everyone's on edge," she said simply, voice trembling. "I just want to be safe."

Leila patted her shoulder. "We all do."

Supper that night was a thin stew. Whispers flared over the watery texture: was someone stealing extra rations for themselves? The mood soured quickly. One newcomer snapped at an older member who tried to help dish out portions. Another confrontation nearly boiled over until Fiona intervened, reminding them they were all hungry.

Kai gave Leila a look across the room that said, We need to root out this tension soon. She returned a grim nod. If the group kept fracturing, a single sabotage event might tip the entire place into chaos.

At last, darkness claimed the corridors, and watchers took their carefully mapped positions. The hush that settled felt like a collective holding of breath.

Around midnight, the shelter was still. Most survivors curled in corners or on bedrolls, lulled by exhaustion. A handful of watchers patrolled silently. Leila was holed up in a second-floor corridor near the generator room, quietly listening for footfalls. Mark was stationed near the main entrance, Darren outside the storeroom, Fiona on standby in the common area.

Kai roamed the perimeter, checking for footprints by moonlight. The night air bit into his cheeks, a crisp wind rustling the fence. He found scuff marks near the southwestern corner, fresh enough to worry him. He lingered there, rifle ready, hoping to catch the intruder in the act.

Indoors Inside, Leila's heart jolted when she heard faint rattling from down the hall. She crept closer, gun at her side. Rounding the corner, she spotted a shadow near a utility closet. The figure froze at her approach, then darted away before she could fully identify them—a silhouette, gone in a flash. She hissed a soft curse under her breath, giving brief chase but losing them in the labyrinth of dim passages.

Breathing hard, she signaled Mark via a quiet rap on a nearby wall. He responded from across the building, indicating he saw no one pass. The intruder had either found a hiding spot or slipped out to the yard. Another dead end.

Meanwhile, in the common area, Fiona overheard raised voices. She rushed in to find two newcomers—one from Trevor's group, the other the wiry man—arguing over stolen blankets. The wiry man accused the other of hoarding bedding. Trevor's friend denied it, brandishing a small flashlight. Fiona demanded they quiet down before the entire shelter woke. The heated dispute threatened to become a brawl until Darren arrived and forcibly separated them.

In the chaos, no one noticed a small door at the back of the hallway creak open, then shut again. Another missed chance to catch the saboteur?

Close to 3 a.m., Kai completed his final perimeter sweep, returning to the main gate to switch shifts with Mark. He spotted something that sent adrenaline surging: the fence near the southwestern corner, newly reinforced hours ago, now partially undone—wires cut, boards pried loose. Someone had worked quickly and silently in the night to sabotage it.

Kai knelt to examine the slash marks, heart pounding. This was no random accident. Tools were used. He hurried inside to alert Leila, only to find her hurrying toward him from the corridor, breathless.

"We lost them," she rasped, eyes wide. "Whoever was messing around inside got away. You?"

He gestured anxiously toward the corner of the fence. "They've been busy outside too. This is bigger than I thought."

In the hush of the near-empty corridor, their eyes met, fear and anger mingling. The saboteur was stepping up their game, risking direct damage to the fence that protected them from both undead and raiders. How long could they patch holes faster than the traitor tore them open?

A hush fell, heavy and thick, as the watchers convened near the gate. Mark's face blanched at the sight of the sabotage. Fiona grimly muttered about how easily a small horde could slip through next time. Darren scowled, glancing around as if expecting the culprit to leap out from the shadows. The wiry newcomer lingered in the distance, arms folded, expression unreadable.

Their efforts to keep the infiltration rumor secret were failing. Soon, everyone would learn there was an active saboteur in their midst. And if fear replaced calm, the entire shelter might collapse into paranoia. Leila and Kai locked eyes, each acknowledging the urgent need to unmask the traitor.