Chapter 43: Fractures in the Team

Here's a draft for **Chapter 43** of your novel. This chapter focuses on the aftermath of the failed ambush, highlighting the emotional strain on Sonu and the team, as well as their resolve to root out the mole.

Chapter 43: Fractures in the Team

The safehouse was eerily quiet when they returned. The air inside felt heavy, weighed down by the collective exhaustion and unspoken frustration that lingered after the ambush. Sonu tossed his rifle onto the table and collapsed into a chair, staring at the map of Bhagalpur still laid out in front of him. The plan had been flawless—or so he thought. But someone had known. Someone had betrayed them.

Meera was the first to break the silence. She slammed her fist against the wall, her eyes flashing with anger. "How did they know, Sonu? How did they know *exactly* when and where we'd be?"

Sonu didn't answer immediately, his mind replaying the events of the ambush in brutal detail. The extra men. The perfect timing. The precision of their attack. It all pointed to the same chilling conclusion—Raheem had a spy in their midst, and that spy had just turned a carefully laid trap into a near-death experience.

Vikram, bruised and bloodied, dropped into a chair opposite Sonu. "We were set up, and we all know it." His voice was cold and detached, but the edge in his tone made it clear he was just as furious as Meera.

Zafar, wiping the sweat and dust from his face, leaned against the doorframe. "We should have seen this coming. It was too perfect, too easy to bait Raheem. That mole… they're playing us."

Sonu's eyes finally flicked up to meet Meera's. "I know," he said softly, his voice carrying the weight of failure. "We need to focus now. Whoever this mole is, they're close—closer than we thought. And they're dangerous."

Meera shot him a hard look. "We can't trust anyone. Not after this. The team we've built, the contacts we've relied on—any of them could be the one feeding Raheem information."

Zafar nodded in agreement. "Our communications might already be compromised. We need to assume that everything we say, every move we make, is being monitored."

Sonu stood up, pacing slowly across the room. The mole had been outmaneuvering them for weeks, but now it was personal. The ambush wasn't just about thwarting their plan; it was a message. Raheem wasn't afraid of them, and whoever the mole was, they wanted Sonu to know how deeply they had infiltrated his operation.

But this attack had also revealed something important: Raheem was getting desperate. Sonu had seen the look in his eyes as his convoy retreated under the cover of gunfire. Raheem didn't like being on the defensive, and this meant that their pressure was starting to work. They just needed to tighten the noose—and flush out the mole before their next move.

"We'll start by going through every piece of intel we've collected," Sonu said, his voice steady now. "Anything that's been leaked, any discrepancies in the timing of our operations. We'll cross-reference it with the people who had access to that information."

Meera raised an eyebrow. "You think the mole made a mistake?"

Sonu's lips tightened into a grim line. "Everyone makes mistakes eventually. Even the best spies. We'll find a pattern. We have to."

---

The next few hours were spent combing through data, files, and communications. Zafar had set up a secure line, ensuring that their discussions would stay private, but none of them could shake the feeling of being watched. Sonu worked in silence, scanning through reports, analyzing each person who had been close to their operations over the last few months.

Every name brought up questions, memories of operations gone wrong, or details that didn't quite fit. As they worked, the tension in the room grew thicker. Each time a name came up, Sonu could feel the doubt creeping in. Trust was fragile now.

Meera was the first to speak again, breaking the long stretch of silence. "Look at this," she said, pointing to a file. "The intel on Raheem's supply routes. It was leaked just days before our last raid. The only people who knew about that were you, me, and…" She hesitated.

"Vikram," Sonu finished for her, his eyes narrowing.

Vikram, who had been scanning his own files, looked up sharply. "You think I'm the mole?"

Meera didn't back down. "I don't know what to think anymore. But we can't ignore the facts. You were part of the planning team for that raid, and the enemy knew exactly where we'd be."

Vikram's eyes blazed with anger. "I've bled for this team, Meera. You know that. We all have."

Zafar stepped in, trying to defuse the situation. "This isn't about accusations. We're just following the trail, seeing where it leads."

But the air in the room had already shifted. The tension between Vikram and Meera was palpable. Sonu knew that suspicion was inevitable, but he also knew they couldn't afford to let it tear them apart.

"Everyone's a suspect until we find proof," Sonu said, his voice calm but firm. "But we don't jump to conclusions. We work together, or we fail."

Vikram glared at Meera for a moment longer, then turned back to his work. "Fine. But you better be damn sure before you start pointing fingers."

Sonu didn't respond. He could feel the fractures in the team deepening, but he couldn't afford to let it consume them. The mole was close, and every second they spent fighting each other brought Raheem closer to victory.

---

By the time the sun began to set, they had compiled a list of names—people who had access to sensitive information, individuals who had been close to Sonu's operations over the past year. Some of them were trusted allies, others mere acquaintances. But any one of them could be the mole.

Sonu stared at the list, his mind racing. There were too many variables, too many unknowns. He needed more than just a list of suspects—he needed leverage.

"We're missing something," Sonu muttered, rubbing his temples. "The mole is too careful. They've been covering their tracks from the beginning."

Meera leaned back in her chair, exhausted. "We need a way to draw them out. Force them to make a mistake."

Sonu's mind flashed back to the ambush. The way Raheem's men had attacked from behind, as if they had known their exact movements. The mole wasn't just feeding Raheem information—they were anticipating Sonu's strategies, predicting his moves.

An idea began to form in Sonu's mind. It was risky, but it might be the only way to expose the mole. He stood up, pacing the room as the plan took shape. "We set a trap," he said, his voice low but determined. "We leak false intel. Something so valuable that the mole can't resist passing it on."

Meera frowned. "And when they do?"

"We'll be ready," Sonu replied. "This time, we control the narrative. We control every move."

Zafar nodded slowly, understanding dawning in his eyes. "And when the mole takes the bait, we catch them red-handed."

Vikram's face softened slightly, his anger replaced by a grim determination. "It's a long shot, but it's our best chance."

Sonu looked around at his team, the weight of the coming days heavy in the air. The fractures were still there, but so was their resolve. They had survived the ambush, and now they were on the hunt.

The mole had played them for long enough. Now, it was their turn to strike.

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This chapter heightens the internal tension, showing the strain the team is under as they start to suspect one another, while also setting the stage for a bold plan to flush out the mole. Let me know if you'd like to expand or adjust anything!