“This has to be it,” Seb murmured. “It’s what we’ve been waiting for.”
“Looks like Lopez took the bait,” Logan said, his eyes not leaving the screen.
Carter reached for his cellphone and quickly dialed before lifting the cell to his ear. “Team Two, be on standby. We’ve got activity at our location.”
Seb watched intently as the men disappeared inside the building. His mind raced—this was the confirmation they needed. Lopez was the mole. A flood of emotions washed over him, relief and anger mingling in equal measure. Relief that they were close to unmasking the traitor, and anger at the betrayal.
The van was suddenly a hive of activity. Seb and his team began preparing to intercept the men, ready to capture them and secure any evidence they might be carrying away from the building. If Ortega had indeed tasked the men with removing items that could be used in evidence against him, they needed to get their hands on it. The operation had shifted from surveillance to action, and every second counted.
As they geared up, Seb couldn’t help but feel a surge of satisfaction. They were one step closer to bringing down Ortega and protecting Clara and her father. Lopez’s days of betrayal were numbered.
As Seb watched the men re-emerge from the building, clutching what appeared to be a huge pile of documents, his instincts kicked in. “They’re coming out. Let’s move,” he whispered sharply.
Seb, Logan, Carter, and Clara swiftly exited the van, moving with practiced stealth. They split up, approaching the building from different angles to corner Ortega’s men.
The night air was crisp, carrying the distant sounds of the city, but Seb tuned everything out. His senses were heightened and focused on the task ahead. The adrenaline pumping through his veins sharpened his focus.
As they neared the men, Seb signaled to his team. Logan approached from the left, while Carter circled to the right. Clara stayed back, ready to provide cover if needed.
The men, seemingly unaware of the impending threat, continued their hurried pace. But as Logan stepped out, blocking their path, they froze, the documents held tightly in their arms.
“CIA. Drop what you’re carrying and put your hands where I can see them,” Logan commanded, his voice authoritative and calm.
The men hesitated, a look of panic crossing their faces and they looked over their shoulder for an escape route. Seb quickly moved in, coming up behind them.
“Don’t even think about it,” he added, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Carter, now in position, helped to secure the area, ensuring no one else was nearby.
Faced with no escape, Ortega’s men complied, dropping the documents to the ground and raising their hands in surrender.
“We’ve got them,” Carter said into his cellphone, alerting the other team.
Seb bent down to pick up the documents, his eyes scanning the contents quickly. They appeared to be financial records, and there were names, dates and locations on there too. At first glance it looked enough to make an arrest, but for the evidence to really hold up in court, they needed signatures.
“Good work, everyone,” Seb said, relief evident in his voice. “These look good, but let’s get everything back to the van and see if what we’ve got will hold up in court.”
As they escorted Ortega’s men to the van, Seb couldn’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment. They had taken a significant step towards achieving their goal, and though the night was far from over, this victory bolstered their resolve.
Clara walked at his side, her eyes meeting his. “We did it,” she said, a small smile breaking through the tension. “We uncovered the mole, and, hopefully, we got enough evidence to arrest Ortega.”
Seb nodded, a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose uniting them. It made him feel even closer to his mate. “We suredid. We’re one step closer to ending this,” he said, feeling more determined than ever.
Clara breathed a happy sigh of relief.
Back inside the van, the men had been secured with their hands tied behind their backs, and the team huddled around the documents they had just secured. The interior light cast a stark glow over the pages as Seb and his teammates poured over the contents. The papers rustled under their fingers, the inked numbers and names revealing a web of financial transactions and shady dealings, all leading back to Ortega. Several of the pages contained his signature.
“This is it,” Clara said, her voice tinged with disbelief. “These papers… they have enough evidence to put Ortega away for good.”
Seb felt a rush of triumph as he scanned the documents again. The evidence was undeniable, detailing years of illegal activities and the names of people he had both bought and sold arms to, including several countries who would have used them against the US. The scent of victory was almost palpable in the confined space of the van.
Relief washed over the team, wide, genuine smiles lighting up their faces.
“Looks like we get to go home soon,” Carter said.
“Missing your mate?” Seb asked.
His friend nodded. “Like you wouldn’t believe.”
