Chapter 31: Double Agents

Sofia's POV

"Federal agents?" I whispered, staring at the four men I thought I knew.

"Undercover for six years," Agent Chen confirmed. "Cassian, Rafe, Luca, and Nikos have been infiltrating criminal organizations across Chicago."

My legs felt weak. Everything I believed was a lie.

"Show me proof," I demanded.

Agent Chen pulled out a tablet and opened classified FBI files. Photos of the four men in FBI training. Mission reports dating back years. Commendations for dangerous undercover work.

"Their assignment was to get close to Isabella Moretti through you," Chen explained. "They were supposed to gather evidence for prosecution."

"Were supposed to?" I caught the past tense.

"Things got complicated."

I looked at Cassian, who wouldn't meet my eyes. "What got complicated?"

"We fell in love with you," Rafe said quietly. "That wasn't part of the plan."

"Love?" The word tasted bitter. "You're trained liars. How do I know that's not a lie too?"

"Because we're risking everything by telling you the truth," Luca said. "The FBI didn't authorize this conversation."

"We went rogue the moment we chose you over the mission," Nikos added.

Agent Chen nodded. "Which brings us to our current problem. Someone in the FBI has been leaking information to Isabella for years."

My blood ran cold. "A mole?"

"We believe so. Someone high up with access to classified operations."

"How high up?"

"Possibly executive level. Maybe even my supervisor."

I thought about the implications. "If there's a mole, then Isabella knows about their real identities."

"Probably," Chen admitted.

"Then why are they still alive?"

The question hung in the air. Cassian finally looked at me.

"Because Isabella wanted us close to you," he said. "She's been using the FBI's investigation to monitor you and control your development."

My mind spun with the layers of deception. Everyone had been playing games with my life.

"So Isabella knew they were federal agents the whole time?"

"We think so," Chen said. "But we can't prove it without finding the mole."

"And the mole knows I'm here right now."

"Which means Isabella probably knows too."

As if on cue, every phone in the room started buzzing simultaneously.

Chen grabbed hers first. Her face went pale as she read the message.

"What is it?" I asked.

She turned the phone toward me. The message was from an unknown number:

"Hello, daughter. Did you really think the FBI could protect you from me? Come home, or your four little agents die tonight. You have one hour. - M"

"It's a trap," Rafe said immediately.

"Obviously," I replied. "But she's not bluffing about killing you."

"We can protect ourselves."

"Can you? She knows everything about your FBI training, your tactics, your weaknesses. She's been studying you for years."

"Then what do you suggest?" Cassian asked.

I looked around at their faces. These men had lied to me about everything. But their fear for each other was real. Their willingness to go rogue for me was real.

Maybe their love was real too.

"We find the mole," I said. "Right now."

"How?" Chen asked. "We don't even know who to trust."

"Actually, we do know something." I turned to Cassian. "You said the mole is probably executive level. How many people have access to undercover operations?"

"Maybe twenty agents at most."

"And how many of them knew you were meeting me here tonight?"

Cassian's eyes widened. "Only three people. My handler, Chen's supervisor, and the director himself."

"So one of those three is the mole."

"That's impossible," Chen protested. "These are decorated agents with decades of service."

"Decades of opportunity to be corrupted," I countered. "Isabella doesn't buy loyalty overnight. She cultivates it over years."

I grabbed Chen's tablet and pulled up the FBI personnel files.

"Show me everyone who had access to information about my father's original investigation twenty years ago."

Chen's fingers flew across the screen. A list of names appeared.

"Cross-reference with current executive staff," I ordered.

The list narrowed to five names. Then I noticed something.

"This agent," I pointed to a name. "Paul Richardson. He was on my father's team but now he's Chen's supervisor?"

"Yes," Chen said. "Paul helped train me when I joined the bureau."

"What happened to the rest of my father's team?"

"Most retired. A few died in the line of duty."

"Convenient. Show me how they died."

Chen pulled up the records. My stomach twisted as I read.

Three agents killed in seemingly random accidents. One died from a heart attack at forty. Another committed suicide.

"These aren't coincidences," I said. "Someone eliminated everyone who knew the truth about my father's investigation."

"You think Paul Richardson is the mole?" Chen looked sick.

"I think we need to ask him directly."

"He could be dangerous if cornered."

"Then we don't corner him. We trap him."

I outlined my plan quickly. It was risky and required perfect timing, but it was the only way to expose the mole before Isabella killed the men I loved.

Because despite everything, despite all the lies, I did love them.

"This could get you killed," Nikos warned when I finished explaining.

"Everything in my life could get me killed. At least this time I'm choosing the danger."

Thirty minutes later, we were in position.

Agent Chen had called Richardson with urgent news about my location. She told him to come alone because she suspected other agents were compromised.

If Richardson was the mole, he'd alert Isabella before coming to arrest me. We'd planted tracers on Chen's phone to follow any outgoing communications.

If he was innocent, he'd come alone and try to take me into protective custody.

Either way, we'd have our answer.

Richardson arrived exactly on time. He walked into the safe house with his weapon drawn.

"Agent Chen," he called out. "Where's the Martinez girl?"

"Right here," I said, stepping into view.

Richardson's gun immediately pointed at my chest. "Sofia Martinez, you're under arrest for multiple violations of federal law."

"Am I?" I stayed calm. "Or am I under arrest because Isabella Moretti wants me back?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't you? Then explain why you sent a coded message to an untraceable number thirty seconds after Chen called you."

Richardson's face didn't change, but his gun hand tightened.

"You're delusional. The stress has gotten to you."

"Show him," I said to Cassian.

Cassian held up a tablet showing Richardson's phone activity. The coded message. The response from Isabella's network. The confirmation that agents were being dispatched to kill the undercover team.

"You sold out my father," I said, my voice shaking with rage. "You helped Isabella kill him. Then you spent twenty years eliminating everyone who might figure out the truth."

"Your father was weak," Richardson snarled. "He fell in love with Isabella and it made him vulnerable. I did what was necessary to survive."

"You did what was necessary to profit. How much did she pay you?"

"Enough to retire comfortably. But she offered me something better than money."

"What?"

"Power. When she takes control of Chicago, I'll run all law enforcement. No more pretending to serve justice. I'll make the rules."

"You're insane," Chen breathed.

"I'm practical. And you're all about to die."

Richardson pressed a button on his phone. "Isabella's team is already outside. You're surrounded."

Alarms started blaring throughout the building.

But I smiled.

"You're not the only one with a team," I said.

The doors burst open, but it wasn't Isabella's people.

It was Marco Martinez and his crew, guns drawn and ready for war.

"Hello, Paul," Marco said coldly. "Remember me? You killed my brother."

Richardson's face went white. "You're supposed to be dead."

"Lots of people are supposed to be dead. Funny how that works out."

Richardson spun toward the exit, but Rafe was already blocking it.

"FBI or not, you're not walking out of here," Rafe said.

Trapped and outnumbered, Richardson did the only thing he could.

He turned his gun on me and pulled the trigger.

Time seemed to slow down as the bullet left the chamber.

But before it could reach me, someone threw themselves in front of the shot.

Agent Chen crashed into me, knocking me to the ground.

The bullet hit her instead.

As Chen collapsed bleeding in my arms, Richardson laughed.

"Isabella will be so pleased. She asked me to send her regards."

He reached for something in his pocket. A detonator.

"This whole building is rigged to explode," he said with a smile. "We're all going to die together."

His finger moved toward the button.