Chapter 16: Betrayal

As Edith and Zain stealthily made their way through the warehouse, their senses heightened by the knowledge that they might have been compromised, a voice crackled over their earpieces. "Edith, Zain, this is Kasey. We have a problem," Kasey's voice came through urgently. They both froze, exchanging a glance of concern. "What's going on?" Edith asked, her voice low.

"There's been a breach. Someone inside the CJA has tipped off the government that you're currently in the building," Kasey explained, his tone grave. Zain's jaw clenched with frustration. "How could they have known?" he muttered, his mind racing with possibilities.

"We don't have time to figure that out right now. You need to abort the mission and return to the van immediately," Kasey instructed. Reluctantly, Edith and Zain began to backtrack, their movements swift and silent as they retraced their steps through the warehouse.

Once they were safely back in the surveillance van, Kasey wasted no time in debriefing them on the situation. "We have reason to believe that there's a mole within the CJA," Kasey explained, his expression grim. "They knew too much about your movements for it to be a coincidence."

Zain's fists clenched with anger. "Who could it be?" he demanded, his voice tense. Markus exchanged a glance with Kasey before responding. "We're not sure yet, but we're looking into it," he assured them.

Edith frowned, her mind racing as she tried to think of who could have betrayed them. "Any leads?" she asked, her voice tinged with suspicion. Cian, who had been scanning through security footage, spoke up. "There was one person who seemed a bit too interested in our mission during the conference," he said, pulling up an image on the screen.

It was Joshua Heathers, a member of the CJA board who had been present at the conference. Edith's eyes narrowed as she studied his face, a sense of distrust settling over her.

"He fits the profile of someone who would betray us," she remarked, her tone cold. "And the CJA doesn't have any dirt on him, so he could have been here for his gain." Zain's expression darkened with anger as the pieces fell into place. "He played us," he muttered, his voice low and dangerous.

With their original plan compromised by the betrayal from within the CJA, Edith, and Zain, along with Kasey and Markus, retreated to a safe location to reassess their strategy.

"We can't risk going back into the warehouse now," Edith stated her voice firm. "We need a new approach." Kasey nodded in agreement. "Agreed. We'll need to come at this from a different angle," he said, tapping away at his laptop as he analyzed their options.

After a few moments of contemplation, Markus spoke up. "What if we bypass the warehouse altogether and try to access the blueprints from Sparrow Unlimited's main office?" he suggested. Zain furrowed his brow, considering the idea. "It's risky, but it might be our best shot," he conceded. Edith nodded in agreement. "We'll need to move quickly and stay under the radar," she added, her mind already racing with possibilities.

Kasey glanced at the map of the city displayed on the laptop screen. "There's a back entrance to the Sparrow Unlimited building that's less heavily guarded. If we time it right, we might be able to slip in undetected," he explained. Zain's eyes gleamed with determination. "Let's do it," he said, his voice filled with resolve.

With their new plan in place, Edith and Zain geared up once again, preparing themselves for the next phase of their mission. It was a risky move, but they were prepared to take the chance to succeed.

Zain's phone buzzed in his pocket, and he quickly retrieved it, his heart sinking slightly as he saw the caller ID displaying his father's name. He excused himself from the group and stepped away to take the call, feeling a mix of apprehension and resignation. "Hello, Dad," Zain greeted, his tone guarded.

"Zain, I just wanted to check in and see how the mission is progressing," his father's voice came through the line, tinged with a hint of concern.

Zain sighed inwardly, knowing that his father's interest in his work was more about maintaining the family's reputation than genuine concern for his well-being. "It's... complicated," he replied vaguely, not wanting to reveal too much over the phone.

"I understand. Just remember, our family's legacy is at stake here," his father reminded him, the weight of expectation heavy in his words. Zain clenched his jaw, his frustration simmering beneath the surface. "I know, Dad. I won't let you down," he replied, though his words felt hollow even to his ears.

There was a pause on the other end of the line before his father spoke again, his tone softening slightly. "I believe in you, Zain. Just focus on the task at hand and do what needs to be done," he said, his words a mix of encouragement and admonition.

Zain nodded, though his father couldn't see the gesture through the phone. "I will," he promised, though whether it was to his father or himself, he wasn't entirely sure. 

K.M Strunk