Fracture Line

The Watcher

The truck rolled through the Colorado night, headlights cutting through the darkness.

Vance sat in the passenger seat, the Director's file open on his lap. The names blurred together. Senators, generals, intelligence directors. People who had sworn to protect the country, now plotting to tear it apart.

But he couldn't focus on them. Not yet.

There was a mole in his team.

Someone was feeding information to the Director. Someone close. Someone he trusted.

Vance looked at his team. Echo was driving, her eyes fixed on the road. Hawk was in the back, rifle across his knees. Flint was sleeping, or pretending to.

Any of them could be the mole.

"I need to stop," Vance said.

Echo glanced at him. "We're miles from anywhere."

"Just pull over."

She pulled the truck to the side of the road. The engine idled, the only sound in the silence.

Vance got out, walked a few paces into the darkness. His breath misted in the cold air.

Flint followed him. "What's going on?"

"The Director said there's a mole in the team. Someone's been feeding him information."

Flint's face went still. "You believe him?"

"I don't know. But I have to check."

"Then check. But don't do it alone."

Vance looked at him. "If it's you, I'll kill you."

"If it's you, I'll do the same."

They walked back to the truck. The others were waiting.

"We have a problem," Vance said. "The Director claims there's a mole in this team. Someone who's been feeding him information."

Hawk sat up. "That's crazy."

"Is it? Think about it. Every move we've made, the Director has been one step ahead. The facility in Shenandoah, the safe house, the prison in Vermont. Someone has been telling him exactly where we're going."

Echo's face was pale. "Who?"

"I don't know yet. But I'm going to find out."

Vance looked at each of them. Hawk, Flint, Echo. His team. His family.

"I'm going to ask each of you a question," he said. "And I want you to be honest."

Flint nodded slowly. "Ask."

"When was the last time you spoke to someone outside this team?"

Hawk spoke first. "I called my wife two weeks ago. Before we went to the Shenandoah facility. To check on her."

"Did she know where you were?"

"No. I just said I was safe."

Vance looked at Flint. "You?"

"I contacted a contact in Vegas. A former handler. I was trying to get more information on Rennick's network."

"Did you mention the team?"

"No. Just Rennick."

Vance turned to Echo. "You?"

"I've been in contact with a darknet source. Someone who's been feeding me information on the facilities. They didn't know about the team. Just the locations."

"And the Director?"

Echo's face went white. "I've never spoken to the Director. I swear."

Vance studied her. She was scared, but she was telling the truth.

He turned to Flint. "What about you? Any contact with the Director?"

"No. I've never met him."

"Hawk?"

"Same. I've never met him."

Vance looked at each of them. They were all lying. Or all telling the truth.

He didn't know which.

"Here's what we're going to do," he said. "I'm going to trust all of you. But I'm also going to watch all of you. If I find out one of you is the mole, I'll kill them myself."

No one spoke.

Vance climbed back into the truck. "Drive."

---

They drove through the night.

Vance couldn't sleep. His mind was racing, turning over every conversation, every decision.

Who was the mole?

Hawk was the most obvious. He'd been reluctant to join the team. He'd resented Vance for years. But he'd also saved Vance's life more than once.

Flint was a mercenary. He worked for money, not loyalty. But he'd stayed when he could have left.

Echo was the most vulnerable. She had a sister who was still in danger. She'd do anything to save her.

But she'd also been with Vance from the beginning. She'd helped him crack the chip, find his parents, survive Rennick's traps.

Any of them could be the mole.

Vance needed to find out.

"Echo," he said. "Can you run a trace on the team's communications? Any calls, messages, anything that went outside the team?"

"I can try. But it'll take time."

"Take it. I want to know who's been talking."

Echo nodded. She pulled out her laptop, started working.

Hawk shifted in his seat. "You really think one of us is a traitor?"

"I think the Director wants me to believe that. Whether it's true or not is what I need to find out."

"And if it's true?"

"Then we deal with it."

---

They stopped at a small town at dawn.

The diner was open, the coffee strong. Vance sat in a booth, watching the others.

Hawk was at the counter, eating eggs. Flint was outside, checking the truck. Echo was in the corner, working on her laptop.

Vance studied each of them. Their faces, their movements, their words.

He saw nothing. Just tired soldiers, trying to survive.

But one of them was lying.

He walked to Echo's table. "Anything?"

"I've traced the communications. There's been traffic from three devices. Yours, mine, and—" She paused. "And Hawk's."

Vance's blood went cold. "Hawk?"

"Two weeks ago. A call to an unregistered number. It lasted three minutes."

"Who was he calling?"

"I don't know. The number is encrypted."

Vance walked to the counter. Hawk looked up.

"We need to talk," Vance said.

Hawk followed him outside. Flint was at the truck, watching them.

"What's this about?" Hawk asked.

"Two weeks ago, you made a call to an unregistered number. Who was it?"

Hawk's face went stiff. "That's private."

"Not anymore. Not when my team's life is on the line."

Hawk was silent for a moment. Then he spoke.

"It was my wife. I told her I loved her. I told her I was coming home."

Vance stared at him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it's none of your business. I have a family. I wanted to say goodbye."

Vance felt the tension in his chest loosen. Hawk was telling the truth. He could see it in the man's eyes.

"Okay," Vance said. "I believe you."

"Good. Because if you didn't, I'd have to kill you."

---

They walked back inside. Echo was still at her laptop.

"Anything else?" Vance asked.

"One more thing. A message came through last night, encrypted. It's from the Director."

Vance's heart rate ticked up. "What does it say?"

Echo turned the laptop around. The message was short.

*The mole is closer than you think. Look at the one who joined last.*

Vance read the words. The one who joined last.

That was Hawk.

But Hawk had just told him about the call to his wife. It made sense. It was human.

Unless it was a lie.

Vance looked at Hawk. Hawk looked back.

"It's not me," Hawk said.

"I know."

But Vance wasn't sure. He wasn't sure of anything anymore.

"Let's move," he said. "We have a long drive ahead."

---

The road stretched ahead, empty and dark.

Vance sat in the back of the truck, watching the others. Hawk was driving. Echo was in the passenger seat. Flint was sleeping beside him.

The mole was somewhere in this truck.

Vance would find them. He had to.

The Director had said to look at the one who joined last. That was Hawk. But it was too obvious. The Director was smarter than that.

Maybe it was Flint. He was a mercenary. He worked for the highest bidder.

Maybe it was Echo. She had the most to lose. Her sister was still in danger.

Or maybe it was Vance himself. Maybe he was the mole, and he didn't even know it.

No. That was crazy.

Vance closed his eyes, tried to sleep.

But the question gnawed at him.

Who was the mole?

And how was he going to find them before they destroyed everything.

---

The truck pulled into a gas station in Nebraska.

Vance got out, stretched his legs. The air was cold, flat.

Flint walked over. "We need to talk."

Vance looked at him. "About what?"

"About the mole. I think I know who it is."

"Who?"

"Echo."

Vance's heart sank. "Why?"

"Because she's the only one with access to the Director's channel. She's been tracking it for days. She could have been feeding him information the whole time."

"And why would she do that?"

"To save her sister. The Director has her. He's using her as leverage."

Vance thought about it. It made sense. Echo would do anything to save her sister.

But she'd also risked her life for Vance. For the team.

"Then we confront her," Vance said. "Tonight."

---

They set up camp in a field outside the gas station.

The night was quiet, the stars bright. Vance watched the others, waiting.

Echo was working on her laptop. Hawk was cleaning his rifle. Flint was sitting by the fire.

Vance walked to Echo. "We need to talk."

She looked up. "About what?"

"About the mole."

Echo's face went pale. "You think it's me?"

"I think you have the most reason to betray us. The Director has your sister."

"It's not me. I swear."

"Then prove it."

Echo looked at him for a long moment. Then she turned her laptop around.

"I've been tracking the Director's channel. The messages have been coming from a specific location. A facility in Nevada."

"Rennick's network?"

"No. Something new. Something the Director built."

Vance studied the screen. A facility in the Nevada desert. A new command center.

"Why would the Director build a new facility?"

"Because he's planning something. Something big."

Vance looked at her. She was telling the truth. He could see it in her eyes.

"Okay," he said. "I believe you."

"Thank you."

"But I'm still watching you."

"I know."

---

Vance walked back to the fire. Hawk was waiting.

"Did you find anything?" Hawk asked.

"Echo gave me a location. A facility in Nevada. The Director's new command center."

"We're going there?"

"We're going there."

Hawk nodded. "Then let's move."

They packed up camp, climbed into the truck.

Vance sat in the passenger seat, watching the night blur past.

The Director was in Nevada. The mole was somewhere in the team.

And Fracture Line was still counting down.

Vance had one objective now.

Find the Director. Stop him.

And find the mole before they found him.