Not with violence.
With infiltration.
They had people inside the government.
Inside the task force.
Inside Damien's inner circle.
And the hunt for the mole began.
The first sign was a leak.
Not to the press. To the cartels.
A memo. Confidential. Detailing the task force's next move.
The cartels knew before the task force acted.
Every time.
Sterling brought the news to Damien.
"We have a mole."
"How do you know?"
"Because they knew about the raid before we launched it."
"Who knew about the raid?"
"Everyone on the task force."
"That's not helpful."
"I know."
"Then find out who."
The investigation began immediately.
Not by the government.
By Cole.
He trusted no one.
Not the task force. Not the White House. Not the President.
"Everyone is a suspect," he said.
"That's not helpful anyone with a high offivce could be in the 500 million annual payroll.
The second sign was a disappearance.
One of the task force members vanished.
No warning. No trace. No body.
His name was Agent Miller. FBI. Trusted. Loyal. Or so they thought.
Cole searched his apartment.
Found nothing.
Then he found everything.
A hidden phone. Encrypted messages. Payments from offshore accounts.
Miller was the mole.
Or he was a decoy to make them think they found the mole or he was kidnapped and it was made to look like he is a mole.
Damien stared at the evidence.
"Miller was working for the cartels?"
"Yes."
"For how long?"
"Years."
"Who else?"
Cole was quiet.
"That's what I'm trying to find out."
---
That night, Christabel put Lena to bed.
Not Damien. Her.
Lena was full of questions.
"Mama, why is Papa angry?"
"Because someone betrayed him."
"What's betrayed?"
"Someone he trusted lied to him."
Lena thought about that.
"That's bad."
"Yes, it is."
"Will Papa be okay?"
Christabel smiled.
"Papa is always okay."
---
Damien appeared in the doorway.
"She's asleep?"
"She's dreaming."
"Of what?"
"Of you,thinking of the mew word she heard today.
He walked to her.
Took her hand.
"Miller was the mole."
"I know."
"He's gone."
"I know."
"There are probably others."
"I know."
"Why aren't you surprised?"
She looked at him.
"Because I know who you are."
And i know this war is far from over.
The hunt continued.
Cole interviewed everyone.
Task force members. Aides. Security.
He watched. He waited. He listened.
The third sign was a mistake.
Not by the mole.
By Cole.
He trusted someone he shouldn't have.
Her name was Agent Reeves. Secret Service. Assigned to the task force.
She was beautiful. Smart. Charming.
She was also a liar.
Cole didn't see it until it was too late.it seems beauty helps when you are a mole attractive amd working with males more with higher clearence
She stole the files.
Not all of them. The most important ones.
The cartels' weaknesses. Their vulnerabilities. Their secrets.
She handed them over to her handlers.
Then she disappeared.
Cole stood in her empty office.
His hands were shaking.
Not from fear.
From rage.
"I trusted her."
"I know."
"I liked her."
"I know."
"She played me."
"Yes.,she is a hired gun what did you expect.
---
Damien was quiet for a moment.
"Find her."
"I will."
"Bring her back."
"I will."
"Alive?"
Cole looked at him.
"If I can."
---
The search took weeks.
Reeves was good. Better than good.
She had been trained to disappear.
But Cole had been trained to find.
He tracked her to a small town in Mexico.
She was hiding in plain sight.
Working at a café. Living in a small apartment. Waiting for her handlers to contact her.
Cole watched her for three days.
Then he approached.
"Reeves."
She didn't run.
She didn't fight.
She just looked at him.
"Cole."
"You betrayed us."
"I did."
"Why?"
She was quiet for a moment.
"Because they had my sister."
---
Cole brought her back.
Not in handcuffs. In a car.
She sat in the back seat.
Silent.
Damien was waiting.
"Agent Reeves."
"Mr. Moreau."
"You betrayed my family."
"I did."
"Why?"
She looked at him.
"Because the cartels took my sister. They said they would kill her if I didn't help them."
"Where is she now?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"They stopped contacting me. After the leak. After I disappeared."
Damien was quiet for a moment.
"Then we'll find her."
---
Reeves started crying.
Not the silent tears.
The kind that came from somewhere deep.
Somewhere that had been hurting for years.
"Why would you help me?"
"Because you're not my enemy."
"Then what am I?"
Damien looked at her.
"You're collateral damage."
---
That night, Christabel put Lena to bed.
Not Damien. Her.
Lena was full of questions.
"Mama, why is Papa helping the bad lady?"
"Because she's not bad."
"She betrayed him."
"She was scared,the bad guys took jer family and he someone dod such i and your dad will turn the world upside down.
Lena thought about that.
"Can scared people be forgiven?"
Christabel smiled.
"Sometimes."
---
Damien appeared in the doorway.
"She's asleep?"
"She's dreaming."
He walked to her.
Took her hand.
"Reeves is helping us now."
"I know."
"She's giving us everything."
"I know."
"The cartels are going to lose."
"I know."
"Why aren't you surprised?"
She looked at him.
"Because I know who you are."
First Line of Chapter 180 (Teaser):
"The one hundred thirty-fifth week, Damien and the President addressed the nation. Not from the White House. From the task force headquarters. With the recovered files. With the evidence. With the truth. And the cartels knew their time was up."