The hallway outside the training room had gone quiet. Bob leaned against the wall, arms crossed, eyes closed—but he wasn't resting. His mind spun with everything that had happened.. The look on Axel's face. The concern in Alex's. The fact that even for a second his power got the better of him, unacceptable.
Then he felt it.
A presence. Controlled, deliberate.
He opened his eyes just as Lena stepped into the corridor, dressed in full tactical gear, her mask off, blue eyes locked on him.
"Walk with me," she said, already turning.
Bob followed without a word, his boots echoing softly against the concrete floor. They passed several doors, until Lena stopped at a small supply storage room tucked behind a corner. She opened it, glanced inside to check it was empty, then slipped in.
Bob followed, closing the door behind them.
The only light came from a thin strip above, flickering faintly. The room smelled of metal and disinfectant. Shelves lined the walls, full of spare equipment—nothing that could eavesdrop.
"You look like hell," Lena said.
Bob didn't respond.
She didn't wait for him to. "I have to tell you something. There's a spy in the facility."
Bob's eyes sharpened instantly. "Are you sure?"
Lena nodded once. "Been tracking communication inconsistencies for a week. Someone's relaying information from the inside. Encryption is military-grade, and only a few of us would recognize the pattern."
His body tensed. "You think it's one of the trainees?"
"I don't know," she said, voice low. "Could be someone on Jack's team. A guard. Hell, even someone embedded higher up. But the timing is too perfect. Right after your group settled in, transmissions started."
Bob exhaled slowly, rubbing his temple. " Does Jack know?"
"I haven't told him yet," she said. "He's already stretched thin. If he reacts wrong, the mole might disappear before we can catch them. Besides, I'm not sure who to trust."
Bob looked at her for a long moment. "Why tell me? You really think I'm more trustworthy then Jack?"
Lena stepped closer, her eyes searching his. "Yes, I do trust you, as much as it annoys me, and Rick trusted you too. And because if it gets worse, if things go south, you're the only one who can protect them."
The room was silent for a beat. Just the hum of electricity and tension.
"Alright," Bob said quietly. "We find them. Quietly. And when we do…"
"We end it," Lena finished.
Bob nodded once. Something in him was awake again.
But before he turned to go, he paused.
"How can i be sure you're not the mole?" he asked, half a grin tugging at his mouth.
Lena rolled her eyes. "If I was, you'd already be dead."
He chuckled, just a little. "Yeah, sure."
As the storage room door creaked open, Bob stepped out first, his expression calm and unreadable. Lena followed a second later, straightening her posture, her usual steel composure firmly in place.
Unfortunately, they weren't alone.
Standing at the far end of the hall were Alex, Ryan, and Beth, frozen mid-step like they had stumbled into a movie scene. Ryan was holding a half-eaten protein bar. Beth had a lollipop sticking out of her mouth. Alex just stared, wide-eyed.
A beat of silence passed.
Then Ryan grinned. "Well, well, well… what do we have here? The narcissistic trainer and the ice cold guard, that doesn't as much as look in my direction. Hiding in closets, ay?"
Beth tilted her head, her blue lollipop clacking against her teeth. "Were you two making out in a storage room?"
Alex blinked. "Is… is she your girlfriend?!"
Bob didn't miss a beat. He threw an arm casually around Lena's shoulders—half out of mischief, half to end the interrogation. "Yeah. This is my girlfriend. Lena, kids. Kids, Lena."
Lena stiffened beside him. Her eyes snapped toward him in warning, but he kept his smirk firmly in place.
Beth gasped dramatically. "You have a girlfriend?! I thought you were, like, emotionally damaged or something."
"I am," Bob said dryly. "She just likes damaged guys."
Alex's jaw dropped. "How long has this being goin' on? Since when?!"
"Since none of your business." Bob gave him a pointed look.
Ryan let out a long, theatrical whistle. "I've been trying to flirt with her all week. I feel betrayed."
"I'll kill you, I.. I'll...I feel nauseous," Lena muttered under her breath.
Bob shot her a sideways glance. "You're not helping."
She sighed and offered the three a small, dangerous smile. "Hey, I'm Lena... Like he said, I'm his gi..girlfriend. it's a pleasure meeting you."
Alex's mouth opened, then closed again.
"Nice to meet you too, Miss Bob's Girlfriend," Beth said, grinning.
Lena turned to Bob as the kids wandered off, still laughing and whispering. "Girlfriend?"
"It shut them up, didn't it?" he replied.
She shook her head and walked off without another word.
He watched her go, the smirk slowly fading from his face.