CHAPTER 344: MOLE?

"Everyone is clean?" Ewan addressed Sandro, who had just rejoined the group with Zane, both with palpable tension riding on their faces.

Ewan could understand why already. If the people were clean, it meant that the mole was within the group, the people known as family to each other. His prayers hadn’t been answered; things were about to get ugly.

"Yes. They are all clean. The prisoners too. I did a quick check on Connor also. Clean as ever," Sandro answered, his hand gripping the tracking tool tightly. "Maybe the traitor placed a call to whomever is behind this mess. Maybe there is no tracker at all?"

"Maybe..." Ewan concurred, more to himself, for his voice was barely a whisper. "But to be on the safe side, we will be checking everyone." A pause, where he lifted his head and stared at Sandro steely, pushing sadness and hope aside.

"Start with you and Zane."

Sandro hesitated only for a second, accepting the emotion—or rather, the no emotion he was seeing in Ewan’s eyes—understanding that this was necessary; also aware that the group was now the object of attention.

Everyone wanted to see the traitor, the one who had dared to sabotage their mission. Of course, he wasn’t the one, but in the world of games, even the most perfect can be framed.

Inhaling deeply, he gave Zane the tool. "Scan me." He said, biting his lower lip.

Zane exhaled loudly, nervously, and turned on the tool. Breath catching, he scanned Sandro’s body, back and front, twice to ensure accuracy, before he finally let out the held-in air.

"Clear," he exhaled in relief, catching Ewan’s almost non-existent sigh of relief. Zane’s relief, though, was short-lived as all eyes turned to him.

Without any words, without wasting time, he handed the tool to Sandro.

"Scan me," He said, taking in his lower lip.

Sandro’s hand shook a little—partly from relief, and then anticipation for the result of his friend’s scan—as he checked Zane out. When nothing turned up, he exhaled harshly and stood erect, having checked out the latter’s legs last.

"Who’s next?" He asked, his voice steadying.

Aiden and Susan stepped forward. Both were clean.

There should have been happiness, but seeing as it now narrowed to just four people who could be likened to family, tension strung tight in the air.

Old Mr. Thorne offered himself next, his wife following. But they were both clean.

"Maybe Sandro was right after all. Maybe the details were leaked through a message or something by one of the men. Perhaps Spider can check it out?" Aiden started after the last scan; there was possibly no way that Ewan and Athena were the traitors. They were the main players in this game!

"Maybe..." Ewan concurred once again in that bland voice of his. "But still... let’s complete the scan. Sandro, check me out."

Silence reigned among the gathering, not a murmur went out.

Athena was highly disturbed. What was Ewan playing at? Did he think she was the mole? That was the most stupid thing to be thought of!

Seeing as he was okay with being searched, then he must be free. Unless... her eyes widened, mouth slightly open, as she stared at Ewan.

Unless they had been tagged without knowing! That could be done in diverse ways.

"Hurry up, please!" She called out to Sandro. "I need to be checked too. We might have been tagged without our notice. Spider can check the other route if this one fails..."

She didn’t think the other route was feasible though. The men here were as loyal to Ewan as her grandfather’s men were to the old man. No way would there have been an infiltration. If there had been, Spider would have discovered it by now. He wasn’t one of the best hackers for nothing; his reputation preceded him because he left no stones unturned!

Seeing that his earlier abstract thought had been given shape by his friends, Sandro hurriedly scanned Ewan, this time without the usual trepidation and tension.

If Ewan had a tracker on him, then it was forced on him, without his knowledge. But Ewan was clean.

This left Athena to be scanned. Her mind’s wheels spun into motion as Sandro approached her with the tool.

When could be the moment she had unknowingly accepted a tracker from the enemy? Feeling curious rather than fearful, she watched as Sandro started the scan from her shoulders.

He didn’t even get past her waist before the machine started beeping.

"Take it out." her voice was steel; everyone could hear the rage, the anger shining from that leveled tone.

Sandro wasted no time. He rushed to open up Athena’s top to locate the tracker, but Ewan clutched his hand, an indescribable emotion fleeting past his eyes as he glared at Sandro.

Luckily, Sandro was sensitive enough to recognize the possessiveness emanating from his friend. So he stepped back.

Unfortunately, Athena was not.

"Why did you stop!" She shouted, glaring at Sandro, who promptly looked away.

"Take this thing away from me!" She yelled, fists clenched at her sides, feeling disgusted at the thought that she was the reason for the massacre. So disgusted, she snarled at Ewan when he said nothing after her outburst.

"What are you waiting for?"

Ewan didn’t want his head bitten off yet, so he hurriedly lifted her cloth shy of her waist and slid his right hand onto her side, letting the cloth hang on his hand while he searched the area where the tracker was supposed to be.

But it was empty. He frowned and stopped searching.

"What is the matter?" Athena asked, her voice throaty, visibly cooled down. She didn’t want to understand why.

"I can’t find it. Sandro, get the tool, and scan again..." Ewan instructed, hoping it wasn’t what he was thinking.

But when the scan beeped at the same location where his hand was, he sighed and withdrew it from her body; a hand now shaking with anger.

"What happened, Ewan? Talk to me! Where is the tracker?" Athena asked, seeing the wrath on Ewan’s face.

Ewan gritted his teeth, fury darkening the color of his pupils. "It’s inside your body."