BREAK THE HANDLER

The Traitor's Face

Dante sat in the dark motel room, his weapon across his knees.

He'd been waiting for three hours. No word from Naomi. No word from anyone.

The silence was worse than gunfire.

His phone buzzed. A text from an unknown number.

"Gary's cabin. Come alone."

Dante's blood went cold. That location was supposed to be secret. Only Naomi knew about it.

The traitor had found them.

He grabbed his gear and left the motel. The drive took forty minutes. Mountain roads. Dense forest. Isolation.

The cabin appeared through the trees. A small structure. Smoke rising from the chimney.

But something was wrong. No guards. No movement.

Dante approached carefully, weapon raised.

The door was open.

He stepped inside.

The cabin was destroyed. Furniture overturned. Bullet holes in the walls.

And in the center of the room, Naomi knelt on the floor. Her hands were bound. Her face was bloody.

Webb stood behind her, a gun pressed to her temple.

"Cross. I was wondering when you'd arrive."

Dante's grip tightened on his weapon. "Let her go."

"Not until you give me what I want. The flash drive. The evidence. Every file Gary hid."

"I don't have it."

Webb smiled. "Then she dies."

He pressed the barrel harder against Naomi's skull.

Dante's mind raced. He could shoot. Take the chance. But Webb was too fast. Too experienced.

"What do you want?" Dante asked.

"I told you. The evidence. All of it."

"I don't have it. Naomi does."

Webb's eyes flickered to Naomi. "Is that true?"

Naomi's voice was steady. "I have it. But if you kill me, you'll never find it."

Webb laughed. "You think I believe you?"

"You should. I've been your informant for eighteen months. I know how you think. I know what you value." She met his eyes. "The evidence is worth more than my life. And you know it."

Webb considered her. Then he lowered the gun.

"Where is it?"

Naomi hesitated. Then she nodded toward the fireplace. "Behind the brick. Left corner."

Webb motioned to one of his men. The man crossed to the fireplace, pried a brick loose, and pulled out a small flash drive.

Webb examined it. "Finally. The truth."

Dante watched him. Something was wrong. Webb was too calm. Too confident.

"You knew," Dante said. "You knew it was here all along."

Webb smiled. "Of course I knew. I've been tracking Naomi's movements for days. She led me right to it."

Dante's jaw tightened. "Then why wait?"

"Because I needed you here. Both of you. Together." Webb pocketed the flash drive. "The network is larger than you know, Cross. Larger than Aldrich. Larger than anyone. And now that I have the evidence, I control it all."

Dante's hand moved to his weapon. "You won't control anything. I'll kill you before you leave this cabin."

Webb raised his gun. "Try it."

They stood across from each other. Two men. Weapons raised. The silence stretched.

Then Webb fired.

Dante dove to the side. The bullet missed.

He rolled, came up firing. Webb retreated behind a table.

Naomi scrambled to her feet, still bound. She ran for the door.

Webb's men opened fire. Bullets tore through the cabin.

Dante returned fire, dropping one man. He grabbed Naomi, pulled her through the door.

They ran into the forest. Bullets chased them, splintering trees.

Dante found cover behind a boulder. Naomi dropped beside him, breathing hard.

"He has the evidence," she said. "Everything. Gary's files. The network's secrets. It's all gone."

"No." Dante's mind raced. "There's always a backup. Gary taught me that."

Naomi stared at him. "You have another copy?"

"I know where Gary kept his backups. The Watering Hole. Sully. He always had a second set."

Webb's men were closing in. Flashlights pierced the darkness.

"We need to get to the bar," Dante said. "Before Webb destroys everything."

"How?"

Dante checked his weapon. "I'll create a distraction. You run. Don't stop until you reach the city."

"Dante—"

"Go."

He pushed her forward, then turned and fired at the approaching lights.

The men scattered. Dante ran in the opposite direction, drawing them away.

He led them through the forest. Over rocks. Through streams.

His wound burned. His heart pounded.

He reached a clearing. Turned. Fired.

Three men dropped. The others retreated.

Dante ran again. Down the mountain. Toward the city.

He reached the outskirts at dawn. Exhausted. Bleeding.

The Watering Hole was still standing. Dark. Silent.

He entered through the back. Found Sully behind the bar.

"I need Gary's backup files," Dante said.

Sully studied him. "What makes you think I have them?"

"Because Gary trusted you. Because you're the only one who knew about this place."

Sully was silent for a long moment. Then he reached under the counter. Pulled out a small safe.

"Gary told me if anyone ever came looking, it would be you."

Dante opened the safe. Inside was a second flash drive. Identical to the one Webb had taken.

He pocketed it.

"Webb is coming," Dante said. "He'll destroy this place. You need to leave."

Sully shook his head. "This is my home. I'm not leaving."

Dante couldn't argue. He turned to leave.

"Cross." Sully's voice stopped him. "Gary also told me something else. About the traitor."

Dante froze. "What?"

"He knew who it was. The second source. The one feeding Webb information."

"Who?"

Sully's eyes met his. "It's not Naomi. It's not Sasha."

"Then who?"

"Someone you trusted from the beginning. Someone who's been with you since the start."

Dante's mind raced. The list was short. Gary was dead. Naomi was compromised but loyal. The others were scattered.

Who could it be?

"He said you'd figure it out," Sully continued. "When the time was right."

Dante stared at the old man. "I need a name."

"I don't have one. But Gary said to tell you one thing. 'Look at the dead.'"

Dante's blood went cold.

The dead.

Danny. Ana. Gary.

They were all killed. All silenced.

But one of them might not be as dead as he thought.

Dante turned and walked out of the bar.

The sun was rising. The city was waking.

And somewhere out there, the traitor was still alive.

Waiting for their moment.

Waiting to strike again.

---

Would you trust a dead man's last words to unmask the traitor?