Chapter-31 Mole

On the side of a road, with a car still on fire nearby, its twisted metal a testament to the chaos that had unfolded. Daemon lay unconscious, his eyes fluttered open as he grunted, 'Uhh.' The acrid smell of burning fuel.

Slowly, his foggy mind cleared. Despite the searing pain and burns marring half of his face, Daemon began to get up, shaking off the disorientation. He didn't even bother to check his injuries his thanks to his rebirth even without death it heal rapidly from even the most grievous wounds made pain a familiar, almost trivial companion.

As he started to look around, he muttered, 'She's gone... Is she going after the cargo again? Can't be, she must be too hurt. Then again, I did bear the force of the explosion,' he mused. The girl, Aaliyah, was a mystery wrapped in danger.

Why did Aaliyah spare me?, Was it a tactical move, a sign of her uncertainty, or does she harbor deeper intentions?

Her presence in his life was both a complication and a curiosity. Daemon knew she harbored secrets ones that could unravel the cartel's operations. Aaliyah mostly likely possessed a rare form of Nyx energy. 'Why did Aaliyah's presence unsettle me so deeply? he wondered. What secrets does she hold that could threaten the Iron Cartel?' he thought.

'No one stayed behind,' he noticed, her disappearance left him with more questions than answers, but he knew he couldn't afford distractions now

"I don't know where the auction is, so I might as well go back to the hideout," Daemon said. "Whatever problem that girl has, she can deal with it, but she can't expose what I did and am doing," he muttered.

Daemon then started slowly walking down the side of the road. He heard multiple sirens approaching, heading past him toward the scene of the explosion.

After about four hours of constant walking, it was sunrise by the time Daemon arrived at the hideout. He was fully exhausted, yet his body was fully healed. When he arrived, the others were shocked to see him. They didn't know what had happened because Jason hadn't said anything, but they had heard from their friends in the other hideouts. They questioned how he survived.

When Daemon entered the command room, he saw Jason writing on a notepad, looking tired and stressed. Feeling Daemon's presence, Jason turned around in fear, but his expression turned to disbelief.

"Mortis? You're alive?" Jason said.

"Apparently," Daemon replied.

Jason took a step closer to Daemon. "I thought you were caught in the explosion. I tried to find you, but the chaos... it was impossible," Jason said.

Was this his attempt to save me genuine, or merely a ploy to gain my trust? 

Daemon responded coldly, "You didn't try hard enough."

Jason, defensive but determined, said, "That's not fair, Mortis. The explosion attracted the police. We were under attack. We had to make a decision on the spot."

"And your decision was to leave me behind. The first decision was yours," Daemon said.

Jason gritted his teeth. "I fought to stay, to find you. But Adam insisted we leave. He didn't want to risk losing the product or being caught."

"So we are assets to him. That's all we are to Adam, aren't we?" Daemon said.

"Not to me. I reminded them that you helped keep the captives in line and fought to give us a chance to escape," Jason said.

Daemon's eyebrow rose. "And what did that get me?"

Jason pressed on. "At first, they refused to allocate any of the captives to you. They didn't see the point in honoring your sacrifice. But I didn't give up. I argued, fought for your share. It was only when a couple of the Iron Enforcers vouched for you that he finally agreed."

'So my plan worked. I've gained the trust of a couple of Iron Enforcers,' Daemon thought.

Daemon said mockingly, "How noble of you, Jason. Fighting for my share while I was left to die." He thought, 'I need to slowly see if I can really start trusting him.'

Jason was frustrated. "Dammit, Mortis! I did everything I could. I trusted you'd survive because I know what you're capable of. And here you are, proving me right."

Daemon narrowed his eyes. "And what now? You expect gratitude? Forgiveness?"

Jason sighed. "I expect nothing. I just needed you to know the truth. I never wanted to leave you behind. I didn't have a choice."

Daemon said, "There's always a choice, Jason. You just made yours."

"But this doesn't mean I forgive you. Now, can you leave? I want to rest," Daemon said.

Jason nodded in understanding. "That's enough for now. We'll figure the rest out along the way," he said before walking out of the command room with his notepad.

When Daemon was about to enter his room to sleep, there was a sudden voice behind him.

"Mortis."

Daemon snapped back and saw the voice's owner was The Whisper, sitting on a chair. "Last time, you sent me to hunt a vampire. You didn't mention there would be a Blood Lord there," he said calmly, with an edge of cold.

The Whisper smirked while leaning back. "Ah, Daemon. Always straight to the point. I did warn you it wouldn't be easy."

Daemon replied icily, "Easy is one thing. Near suicide is another. I almost died."

The Whisper, feigning concern, said, "Almost, but you didn't. You're still here, aren't you? Consider it a test, a way to see if you're really deserving of the information I provide."

Daemon, skeptical, asked, "A test. Right. And did I pass?"

The Whisper, grinning, said, "With flying colors. You handled yourself impressively. That's why I'm giving you something bigger this time."

"Wait, before that, I have some suspicions, but I need your help to confirm them," Daemon said.

"What suspicions?" The Whisper asked.

Daemon eyed The Whisper gauging for a reaction. "I overheard something. There's been talk of someone within our clan manipulating information for their own gain. Almost like they're... trying to divert attention. What do you think about that?"

The cartel, a labyrinthine organization of power-hungry factions and ruthless operatives, was always teetering on the brink of internal conflict. Each faction vied for dominance, using any means necessary to climb the hierarchy, where loyalty was bought and sold, and betrayal was a currency as valuable as gold. 

The Whisper's expression remained neutral, but his eyes gleamed with interest. "That's intriguing. I happen to have similar information, but I'll let you go first."

Daemon leaned in slightly, a hint of challenge in his voice. "I'm not sure who it could be, but it would have to be someone clever. Someone who can spin stories and make others believe them. Someone with a good reason to distract us from the real issues."

"You don't think it's me, do you?" The Whisper asked, feigning innocence.

Daemon smirked. "Oh, I never said that. But now that you mention it, Lila, if I were the manipulator, I'd probably do exactly what you're doing. Create a believable story about an informant to keep everyone on edge. It's a brilliant tactic, really." He paused before adding, "I even found something on a dead vampire that belongs to someone close, but don't worry about it. I just wanted to get that off my chest."

Daemon took a seat, leaning back as if settling in for a story. "I'm listening to yours now."

The Whisper's smile widened. "There's a mole within our organization. A vampire. He's been feeding information to their clan. If you can root him out, you'll be doing us all a favor. And it will certainly boost your standing."

Daemon's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I know you give Jason information, but there's got to be more to why you're just handing me this information. Or is it out of the kindness of your heart?"

The Whisper chuckled. "Hardly. I need someone capable and ruthless enough to handle it. And you've proven you can. Besides, removing a mole benefits us both."

Daemon's tone turned cold. "Who is he?"

The Whisper played coy. "Now, where's the fun in just giving you a name? I'll give you a lead. There's a shipment coming in tomorrow night. The mole will be there, overseeing it. That's your opportunity."

Daemon calculated, weighing the risks. "If this goes sideways, it's on you."

The Whisper, smiling deviously, stood up. "Of course. But I trust it won't. You're too resourceful for that."

Is this another of The Whisper's ploys, or is there a deeper conspiracy at play?

Daemon locked eyes with The Whisper. "If you're playing me, Whisper, you'll regret it."

The Whisper's smile never wavered. "Oh, I wouldn't dream of it. Just remember, Mortis, trust is a valuable currency in our world. Spend it wisely." With that, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving a note behind.

Daemon read the note, his mind racing with possibilities. 'I have already planted the seed in his mind. Now I have to wait,' he thought.

Daemon folded the note carefully, slipping it into his pocket. He had a lead to follow and a mole to find. But more than that, he had to stay one step ahead of The Whisper and everyone else in the cartel.

Who within the cartel can I trust? Jason's loyalty is questionable, and The Whisper's motives are opaque. Are there others playing this game?

The game was dangerous, but he thrived in danger. It was time to see just how deep the rabbit hole went.