Chapter 28

At The Jackal's headquarters, the normally bustling atmosphere was now heavy. Several members were busy taking stock of the loot they had just taken from the other Mutiiner groups. Each unit in the headquarters had its own responsibilities-from Miranda in the technology division to Jimmy in the logistics division. However, amongst all the hustle and bustle, a shadow of suspicion about betrayal began to creep into the minds of many.

Alice walked slowly down the hallway of the headquarters, noticing the change in her colleagues' attitudes. Every time she approached someone, their chatter suddenly stopped. Their once eager gazes had now turned cold and suspicious. There was an invisible distance between them, something that made Alice feel like a stranger in a place that was supposed to be her new home.

Although Alice tried to act as usual, her heart was not at ease. The rumors about the traitor that had surfaced in the past few days began to sound more and more vivid, and although no one had openly mentioned his name, Alice knew that all suspicions were pointing towards him. The mysterious letter found some time ago has become evidence against her. The letter, it is said, contains a secret communication between Alice and Michael, the leader of MFH, stating that Alice is loyal to MFH and is willing to betray The Jackal whenever needed.

Alice knew the letter was fake. But who would believe her? Her fingerprints were found on the letter, an irrefutable proof for most members of The Jackal. In fact, Alice knew that MFH had advanced technology to forge fingerprints and other information. It was all part of Michael's cunning plan to undermine The Jackal's trust in him.

As Alice continued to walk through the rooms of the headquarters, she suddenly heard voices from inside a room whose door was slightly open. Jimmy and Miranda's voices could be heard having a serious conversation. Alice stopped for a moment, unintentionally listening to their conversation.

"I still can't believe that Alice really did this," Jimmy's voice sounded low, but full of disappointment.

"But the evidence is there, Jimmy," Miranda replied in a doubtful tone. "Her fingerprints are on the letter. It can't be a coincidence."

"But we're talking about Alice," Jimmy argued. "She's not that kind of person. She's proven her loyalty time and time again on previous missions."

Miranda was silent for a moment, then sighed. "I want to believe her too, Jimmy. But... the facts can't be ignored. We must guard The Jackal against betrayal, no matter who it is."

Alice felt her body weaken at that conversation. It broke her heart to hear that even Miranda, whom she had considered a friend, was beginning to doubt her loyalty.

Suddenly, the door to the room burst open, and Jimmy and Miranda were surprised to see Alice standing at the door. There was an awkward moment between them before Jimmy finally said, "Alice... you've heard all this, haven't you?"

Alice just stared at them wordlessly. Her throat felt dry, and she didn't know what to say in her defense. It all felt futile.

"I...," Alice tried to speak, but her voice faltered. She knew that whatever she said now probably wouldn't change the way they looked at her.

Alice was very cornered, do not actually the main factor that made her feel so cornered came from within her own heart because she harbored a huge disappointment due to the slander that the members of The Jackal believed.

Miranda stepped closer, trying to calm the situation. "Alice, this is all very complicated. We don't want to believe this is about you, but there's evidence that.... I'm sorry, but this evidence strongly corroborates this news about you. If you were in our shoes, you would understand."

Alice bowed her head, trying to hold back the tears that were already welling up in her eyes. She wanted to scream, wanted to defend herself, but what was the point? The people who had trusted her were already beginning to doubt her. How could she possibly convince them?

As long as Alice could not provide evidence to turn things around then it was certain that their view of her would become completely bad without exception.

"I didn't do that...," she whispered softly. "I would never betray The Jackal."

Jimmy and Miranda exchanged glances, but neither of them answered. The silence was too much for Alice. She felt alienated, as if this entire base was slowly rejecting her.

***

On the other side of the base, Jhonny was presiding over a closed meeting with the core members of The Jackal. The room was filled with tension. Some members had already started whispering about Alice's betrayal, and now they demanded answers from Jhonny. They wanted him to take swift action.

"We can't let this drag on, Jhonny," one member said in a stern tone. "If Alice really is a traitor, we need to take immediate action before things get worse."

"I understand your concerns," Jhonny replied calmly, though inside he was feeling pressured. "But I need more time to confirm everything. I won't make a hasty decision based on just one piece of evidence."

"Will you still defend Alice even if all the evidence points to her?" asked another, defiantly.

Jhonny was silent for a moment. His eyes looked around the room, taking in the faces that demanded reassurance from him. "I'm not defending anyone," he answered firmly. "But I'm also not going to condemn someone without confirming the truth first. We all here know how sneaky MFH can be. They could have set Alice up to divide us."

However, even though Jhonny spoke firmly, doubts still remained in many people's minds. Alice wasn't in the room, and that made the tension boil over even more. Everyone wanted to make sure that The Jackal remained solid and that there were no traitors within.

***

In her room, Alice finally could no longer hold back her tears. Tears fell heavily down her cheeks as she contemplated her fate. In between her sobs, terrible thoughts began to overwhelm her. What if they decided to throw her away? What if she had to return to the outside world, where aliens and other savage groups waited to kill anyone who wasn't protected?

Images of her bleak future haunted her mind. He had already been dumped once, sold by Michael to Jhonny. If The Jackal no longer trusted her, she had no place in this world.

Alice took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. However, fear and anxiety continued to haunt her. She couldn't imagine her life without The Jackal. But did she really still have a place here?

***

The meeting in the closed room ended without a definite decision. Jhonny knew that time was pressing on him, and he had to find out the truth soon before everything fell apart. But for now, one thing was certain: Alice is walking the fine line between trust and betrayal.

While Alice was still sobbing in her room, a cold wind infiltrated from the small cracks in the walls of the headquarters, adding to the eerie silence. Dark shadows of bad thoughts continued to circle her mind, whispering uncertainties and fears that further shattered her confidence. She grabbed the blanket on her bed, pulling it tightly against her body, as if to hide from reality.

However, even though the tears were still flowing, Alice knew she couldn't stay in this state forever. She had to find a way to prove her innocence. But how? The evidence MFH had planted was so strong, and she didn't know where to start to clear her name.

Images of Michael flashed through her mind, creating anger mixed with fear. She knew Michael was cunning, manipulative, and had unpredictable resources. Everything that happened in this base seemed to be a game he had created to break The Jackal's trust in Alice. Alice steeled herself not to stay down for too long. If she fell, it meant Michael had won.

On the other side of the headquarters, Jhonny sat in his chair with a serious face. Although the meeting had just ended, his mind was not at ease. The members kept demanding decisive action from him, and that added to the pressure. He knew Alice better than they did, but the evidence was too compelling to ignore.

Jhonny stood up and stepped towards the large window that looked out over the headquarters. His gaze fell to the darkness of the night out there, but his mind kept spinning wondering what steps to take next. Underneath it all, he realized that his decision was not just about Alice, but also about the fate of The Jackal going forward. If he made the wrong move, not only would Alice fall, but their entire group could be torn apart.

Without realizing it, his hands clenched into fists, and in that silence, Jhonny vowed to find out the truth behind all this at all costs.

At the same time, Alice in her room tried to take a deep breath, wiping away her tears, and although her feelings were still chaotic, she knew one thing: she couldn't give up now. Not if there was still a slight chance to fix everything.

Slowly but surely, Alice got up from her bed, with renewed determination. As hard as it was, she had to fight back, and she would start by finding out who was behind the slander.