The door swung open with a hiss of pressurised air.

Jake raised his weapon. Emma mirrored him. Mercer backed into the corner, eyes wide.

A figure stepped inside.

Not a tactical officer.
Not a Directorate agent.
Not someone Jake expected to see in a million years.

Deputy Director Collins.

Grey suit. Calm expression. Hands visible. No weapon drawn.

Shaw stepped aside, jaw clenched. “You’re late.”

Collins ignored him. Her eyes swept the room, landing on Jake and Emma with something like relief — or warning.

“Stand down,” she said quietly.

Jake didn’t move. “Director Shaw authorised a breach at a safehouse. Off‑books teams. Armoured vehicles. That’s not standard procedure.”

Collins’ gaze flicked to Shaw. “No. It isn’t.”

Shaw stiffened. “Collins—”

“Be quiet,” she said sharply.

Jake had never heard that tone from her. Controlled. Cold. Dangerous.

Emma lowered her weapon a fraction. “Ma’am… what’s going on?”

Collins stepped fully into the room and closed the door behind her. The lock clicked. The hum of the soundproofing deepened.

Then she turned to Mercer.

“You should have come to me.”

Mercer let out a bitter laugh. “I didn’t know who to trust.”

“You could have trusted me,” Collins said. “You always could.”

Shaw scoffed. “He trusted no one. He ran. He stole. He betrayed—”

Collins spun on him. “Enough.”

Shaw’s mouth snapped shut.

Jake exchanged a look with Emma. Something was shifting. Something big.

Collins faced them again. “You two are in danger. Real danger. Mercer was right — there is a leak inside MI5. A deep one. A network.”

Emma swallowed. “The Inner Line.”

Collins nodded. “A shadow group embedded years ago. Hidden in plain sight. They manipulate intelligence flow, redirect operations, and eliminate threats.”

Jake’s voice was low. “And Shaw is part of it.”

Shaw’s eyes flashed. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Collins didn’t look at him. “He’s not the leak.”

Jake blinked. “What?”

Emma frowned. “But he authorised the breach.”

Shaw’s jaw tightened. “Because I was told Mercer was planning to sell the data.”

Collins nodded. “He was manipulated. Fed false intel. The Inner Line used him as a shield.”

Jake felt the floor tilt beneath him. “Then who—”

Collins cut him off with a raised hand.

“Before I tell you, you need to understand something. The Inner Line has eyes everywhere. Comms. Surveillance. Internal logs. They know when someone gets too close.”

Mercer stepped forward. “They tried to kill me.”

“They will try again,” Collins said. “And they will try to kill all of you.”

Emma’s voice was barely a whisper. “Then who is the mole?”

Collins hesitated.

For the first time since entering the room, she looked afraid.

Not of Shaw.
Not of Mercer.
But of the truth she was about to speak.

She leaned in, lowering her voice to a whisper.

“The mole… is someone with full access. Someone who can override protocols. Someone who can erase evidence with a single command.”

Jake’s pulse hammered. “Who?”

Collins looked him directly in the eyes.

“Someone you’ve worked with.”

Emma’s breath caught. “Someone we trust?”

Collins nodded.

Mercer whispered, “I told you. Close.”

Jake felt a cold weight settle in his stomach. “Name.”

Collins opened her mouth—

The lights cut out.

Again.

But this time, it wasn’t a breach.

It was a kill switch.

A total blackout.

Emergency red lights flickered on, bathing the room in a blood-red glow.

Shaw shouted, “What the hell—”

Collins grabbed Jake’s arm. “They’re here.”

Emma drew her weapon. “Who?”

Collins’ voice was barely audible.

“The mole.”

A metallic click echoed outside the door.

Then another.

Then—

BOOM.

The door blew inward.

Smoke.
Shrapnel.
A shockwave of heat and dust.

Jake shielded Emma. Mercer dove behind the table. Shaw stumbled back, coughing.

Silhouettes appeared in the smoke.

Not MI5.

Not the police.

Black‑clad. Masked. Silent.

The same off‑books unit from the safehouse.

But this time, they weren’t here for Mercer.

They were here for everyone.

Collins shouted, “Jake, Emma — get Mercer out! Now!”

Jake grabbed Mercer. Emma covered them, firing into the smoke.

Collins drew her own weapon — something she rarely did — and stepped toward the attackers.

Shaw yelled, “Collins, no—”

She didn’t listen.

She fired.

The room erupted into chaos.

Jake dragged Mercer toward the emergency exit. Emma backed up, firing controlled bursts.

Collins shouted over the gunfire.

“Find the drive! Find the truth! Don’t trust—”

A shot cut her off.

Jake spun.

Collins collapsed.

Emma screamed, “NO!”

Shaw froze, horror etched across his face.

Mercer whispered, “They killed her. They killed Collins.”

Jake felt something inside him snap.

He grabbed Emma’s arm. “We move. Now.”

They burst through the emergency exit, alarms blaring, smoke filling the corridor behind them.

As they ran, Mercer gasped, “She didn’t finish. She didn’t tell you the name.”

Jake didn’t slow. “She didn’t have to.”

Emma looked at him, eyes wide.

“You know who it is.”

Jake nodded once.

Cold. Certain.

“I do.”