The group gathered on the second floor of the office building in a rare moment of quiet. The battle with the ruffians had left them drained, but there was a palpable sense of relief. Marcus sat at the head of a weathered wooden table with Kate, Daniels, Amelia, and Victor seated around him. The sound of the others downstairs—tending to the wounded and cleaning weapons—was a low murmur in the background.
Marcus leaned back in his chair, his voice steady but tinged with weariness. "Before we move forward, I want to bring you up to speed on what happened when Carl and I went west. The ruffian base there wasn't as fortified as expected. I think most of them were at the other base near station. We took out the ones who stayed behind."
He paused, taking a sip from a chipped mug of water. "We also found hostages."
This caught everyone's attention. Amelia straightened in her seat. "Hostages? Alive?"
Marcus nodded. "Yes. Four civilians and a warehouse guard. They're downstairs now and there is a reason why i dare to take them back"
Marcus placed his mug on the table and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "First, there's Reed. He's an old acquaintance of mine. We trained together at the military academy. He had to leave the service when his father was in a hit-and-run and ended up in a coma. Reed left the military to take care of him."
Kate raised an eyebrow. "And you trust him?"
Marcus looked at her evenly. "I trust his skills, and I trust the man he was back then. But like everyone else, he'll be on probation here. No exceptions."
He continued. "The others are Tyler, a warehouse worker; Lily, an herbalist who might be able to help with medicine; Cooper, a plumber; and Maya, a journalist. They all have skills we could use if they prove themselves."
Daniels crossed her arms, her tone skeptical. "A journalist? How's that going to help us?"
"She's resourceful," Marcus replied. "And she was brave enough to survive this long while being held by those animals. That says something."
Kate nodded slowly. "We'll see how they adapt. It's smart to keep them under observation for now."
With the new arrivals covered, Marcus turned his attention to the matter weighing on them all. He looked at each person in turn before speaking. "Now, about Morrison."
The room went silent.
Marcus tapped his fingers on the table. "We need to know everything. Since when did he betray us? Did he have a hand in any of the encounters with the ruffians? And most importantly… was he involved in the ambush that got Lucas and Mia's parents killed?"
The mention of Lucas and Mia brought a wave of somber tension. Amelia looked down, gripping the edge of the table, while Kate's jaw clenched. Victor, who had been quietly leaning against the wall, pushed off and walked closer to the table.
"I say we put him under the fire and get every last answer out of him," Victor said, his voice sharp. "If he's got blood on his hands, he doesn't deserve to live."
Daniels nodded in agreement. "Agreed. But we need to get answers first. If he's been feeding intel to the ruffians, he could've cost us more than we even realize."
Kate raised a hand. "Before we decide what to do with him, we need to hear his side of things. Even if it's lies, we might be able to piece together something useful."
Marcus stood, his decision made. "We'll gather everyone, including the new arrivals. Morrison will answer for what he's done."
Marcus brought everyone into the building's common area. The new arrivals—Reed, Tyler, Lily, Cooper, and Maya—stood off to one side, glancing warily at the others. Marcus introduced them briefly, reassuring the group that they would be evaluated just like any other new member.
"Now," Marcus said, he leaned against the edge of the table, his arms crossed as he surveyed the room. his voice commanding attention, "we move on to Morrison."
Victor disappeared upstairs to retrieve Morrison. Moments later, he returned with the man in tow. Morrison's wrists were bound, his face pale but defiant. As he was led into the room, Reed and Tyler's eyes widened with recognition.
"What the hell?" Reed spat, taking a step forward. "That's him!"
Marcus frowned. "What do you mean?"
Tyler jabbed a finger in Morrison's direction. "That bastard! He's one of them! He's the ruffians' leader!"
Gasps rippled through the room. Victor shoved Morrison into a chair, his grip on the man's shoulder tightening. "You've got some explaining to do," Victor growled.
Marcus turned to Reed, his expression hard. "Explain. Now."
Reed pointed a finger at Morrison, his hand trembling with barely restrained anger. " I saw him when the ruffian take over the warehouse. He wasn't just some lackey. He was giving orders, Marcus. He was their leader."
Morrison glared at Reed. "You're lying."
Kate step out and look at Reed " its not that i don't believe you but why don't we hear what Morrison said first, after he is done you can tell us your side of the story and then we decide after that?"
Reed look at Morrison, his fists clenched. "fine." he turn to Kate and nodded " I'll do what you said"
"Morrison," Marcus said, his voice dangerously low, "you've got one chance. Tell us the truth. Who are you really working for? Why did you betray us?"
Daniels stepped forward, her voice cold. "You're better not lying to us or we'll make sure you feel like a living hell ."
"I didn't betray anyone!" Morrison shouted. "I did what I had to do to survive. They would've killed me if I hadn't... if I hadn't made a deal."
Chris, who had been silently leaning against the wall, stepped forward. "And what was the deal, Morrison? You sell us out in exchange for your own skin? That's some survival instinct."
"They forced me!" Morrison spat, his voice cracking. "You think I wanted this? You don't know what they're capable of!"
Kate glanced at Marcus, her voice firm. " we need to hear the rest. If he was their leader, what else has he done? How far does his betrayal go?"
Marcus nodded, his expression grim "Morrison you're not walking out of here alive unless you start talking. When did this start? How much have you told them? what else have you done?
Morrison sighed heavily, his shoulders sagging. "It started months ago. After one of our first run-ins with the ruffians. They captured me when I went on a supply run alone. Instead of killing me, they offered me a deal. Feed them intel, and they'd leave me alone."
Chris stepped forward, his voice laced with disbelief. "And you believed them? You actually thought they'd honor that?"
Morrison nodded weakly. "I didn't have a choice. They had me cornered. I thought... I thought I could control it. Give them just enough to keep them off our backs."
Daniels folded her arms, her voice cold. "Let's talk specifics, Morrison. Did you feed them information about us? Were you behind the ambush that killed Lucas and Mia's parents?"
Morrison flinched at the mention of the children. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Marcus stepped closer, his voice low and dangerous. "Answer the question."
Morrison hesitated, sweat beading on his forehead. Finally, he looked down, his voice barely above a whisper. "Yes."
The room fell into a stunned silence. Kate's hand tightened into a fist at her side, her knuckles turning white. Victor cursed under his breath, while Daniels let out a bitter laugh.
Morrison looked up, his eyes darting around the room. "But it wasn't supposed to happen like that! I didn't know they'd kill them. I thought—"
"You thought what?" Marcus snapped, his voice cutting through Morrison's excuses. "That they'd just let them go? That there wouldn't be blood on your hands?"
Kate's voice trembled with barely suppressed rage. "Lucas and Mia's parents trusted you. They believed in you. And you sold them out."