The Enemy Within
998 Words
Amara couldn't sleep.
The note lay on the bedside table like a ticking bomb.
The daughter dies before the wedding.
Seven words.
Seven words that had completely destroyed any illusion of safety she had left.
She stared at the ceiling of the underground room, listening to the faint hum of the ventilation system.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the shattered glass.
The gunfire.
The blood on Luca's suit.
Someone wanted her dead.
Not eventually.
Not someday.
Now.
A soft knock interrupted her thoughts.
Three gentle taps.
Amara sat up immediately.
Her pulse quickened.
"Who is it?"
"It's me."
Luca.
She hesitated before opening the door.
He stood in the hallway wearing a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up.
For the first time, he wasn't dressed like a mafia boss.
He looked almost normal.
Almost.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
His gaze flickered to the untouched dinner tray inside her room.
"You haven't eaten."
Amara frowned.
"Have you been monitoring me?"
"Yes."
The blunt answer caught her off guard.
"What?"
"You have a target on your back. Of course I'm monitoring you."
She opened her mouth to argue but found herself unable to.
Unfortunately, his logic made sense.
"I wasn't hungry."
Luca raised an eyebrow.
"You haven't eaten in nearly twelve hours."
Amara looked away.
The truth was she felt too overwhelmed to eat.
Everything seemed pointless.
Luca studied her for a moment.
Then he sighed.
"Come with me."
"No."
"Amara."
"No."
His jaw tightened.
"Stop acting like a stubborn child."
Her eyes widened.
"A stubborn child?"
The audacity.
Luca looked completely unimpressed.
"You're upset."
"My father died."
"I know."
"My life is falling apart."
"I know."
"Someone is trying to kill me."
"I know."
His calm responses somehow made her even angrier.
"Then stop acting like everything is normal!"
The words echoed through the hallway.
For a second, silence stretched between them.
Then something unexpected happened.
Luca's expression softened.
Only slightly.
But enough for her to notice.
"I know this isn't normal."
His voice was quieter now.
More human.
"I know you're scared."
Amara immediately looked away.
She hated that he had guessed correctly.
Luca continued.
"But right now, fear isn't going to help you survive."
The word survive settled heavily in her chest.
Not live.
Not heal.
Survive.
That was all this world seemed to care about.
Luca stepped aside.
"Come eat."
To her own surprise, she followed him.
The bunker kitchen was empty except for Antonio, who sat drinking coffee.
He looked up as they entered.
A knowing smile appeared on his face.
Luca ignored him.
Amara sat down reluctantly.
Within minutes, a plate of food appeared in front of her.
She stared at it.
Then at Luca.
Then back at the food.
"You made this?"
Antonio nearly choked on his coffee.
Luca glared at him.
"No."
That answer seemed much more believable.
Despite herself, Amara began eating.
She hadn't realized how hungry she was.
The three sat in silence for several minutes.
Then Antonio's phone rang.
The moment he answered, his expression darkened.
Luca noticed immediately.
"What happened?"
Antonio stood.
"We found something."
Luca's eyes narrowed.
"What?"
Antonio hesitated.
Then he glanced toward Amara.
Luca understood instantly.
"Say it."
Antonio exhaled heavily.
"The attack wasn't random."
A cold feeling settled in Amara's stomach.
"What does that mean?"
Antonio looked directly at her.
"It means someone inside the organization helped them."
The room went silent.
Amara froze.
An insider.
A traitor.
Someone had allowed the attackers access.
Someone close.
Luca's expression became terrifyingly still.
"Are you certain?"
Antonio nodded.
"The security system was disabled from inside the estate."
Amara swallowed.
The realization made her skin crawl.
The enemy hadn't just attacked them from outside.
The enemy had been among them.
Watching.
Listening.
Waiting.
Luca leaned back in his chair.
His face revealed nothing.
But something dangerous had awakened behind his eyes.
"Who knew about the meeting?"
Antonio immediately understood the question.
"Everyone in that room."
Amara's heart skipped a beat.
Everyone.
That meant dozens of suspects.
Dozens of people who could have betrayed them.
Luca stood.
"I want every employee investigated."
Antonio nodded.
"It'll take time."
"We don't have time."
The cold certainty in Luca's voice sent chills through the room.
The threat against Amara wasn't waiting.
Every second mattered.
Then another thought occurred to her.
A horrible thought.
She slowly looked at Luca.
"What if they weren't trying to kill everyone?"
The room became silent.
Luca studied her carefully.
"What are you saying?"
Amara's throat tightened.
"What if they were only after me?"
Nobody answered.
Nobody needed to.
Because everyone had already considered that possibility.
Antonio broke the silence.
"The note was addressed to you."
Amara's stomach dropped.
Luca's jaw tightened.
The attack.
The threat.
The inheritance.
It all pointed to one conclusion.
She was the target.
Not the mansion.
Not the organization.
Her.
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from somewhere deeper inside the bunker.
Everyone jumped to their feet.
Antonio immediately pulled out his g*n.
Luca stepped in front of Amara.
Instinctively shielding her.
The crash came again.
Closer this time.
A guard burst into the kitchen.
His face was pale.
Terrified.
"Luca."
The room went still.
"What happened?" Luca asked.
The guard swallowed hard.
"We found another body."
A chill swept through the room.
"What body?"
The guard looked shaken.
"Asher."
Antonio cursed.
Luca's eyes darkened instantly.
Asher.
One of the guards who had been stationed outside the meeting room.
One of the men responsible for protecting the estate.
The guard continued.
"He was murdered."
Amara felt sick.
The room suddenly seemed too small.
Too crowded.
Too dangerous.
Then the guard delivered the worst part.
The part that made everyone's blood run cold.
"He was killed three hours before the attack."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Luca's expression turned deadly.
Because that meant only one thing.
The traitor hadn't just helped the enemy.
The traitor had murdered one of their own.
And they were still somewhere inside the organization.
- Writer
