The Traitor Unmasked
281 Words
Silence filled the office.
Ethan stared at the head of security, convinced he had heard wrong.
"Claire?" he repeated. "That's impossible."
The officer lowered his gaze. "The access logs don't lie, sir. Her security card was used to enter the research vault the night the project disappeared."
Maya's face turned pale.
"There has to be another explanation," she whispered.
Ethan clenched his fists.
"Bring Claire to my office. Now."
Minutes later, Claire walked in. She looked confused by the serious faces waiting for her.
"You wanted to see me, Mr. Blackwood?"
Ethan tossed a printed security report onto his desk.
"Explain this."
Claire picked it up. As she read, all the colour drained from her face.
"My access card? No... I didn't do this."
"You expect me to believe someone stole your card?" Ethan asked coldly.
"I swear, I never entered the vault."
Before anyone could speak again, the office phone rang.
The room froze.
Ethan answered.
"What now?"
The kidnapper laughed.
"I see you've found your little suspect."
"What have you done to my sister?"
"You're asking the wrong questions. Claire is innocent."
Everyone stared at the phone.
"If she's innocent," Ethan growled, "then who betrayed me?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
The call ended.
At that exact moment, one of the security monitors flickered to life.
A masked figure appeared on the screen.
"I'll give you one final clue," the distorted voice said.
"The real traitor is already standing inside Blackwood Tower."
The screen went black.
A chilling silence settled over the room.
Ethan slowly looked around at everyone present.
If Claire wasn't the traitor...
Then someone else, someone he trusted, had been hiding in plain sight all along.
- Writer
