Songs of Nightmares and Snow

13- Traitor

Astrea

I glare down at the boy angrily, flashes of his memories flickering through my head as I stare into his frightened eyes. Thane stands motionless beside me, his mind a jumbled mess as what I'm seeing flickers through his head at the same time, not a single word is spoken or thought between us...and I honestly can't blame him. I know what it's like to be betrayed by a family member.

"Thane...big bro, you gotta believe me! This bloodsucker is crazy! I would never betray you!" The boy, named Tripp if I recall, tries to plead as he squirms beneath my grasp.

Thane seems to snap out of his trance, staring down at his brother with a mixture of anger and disappointment.

"That 'bloodsucker' is my mate, and considering her ability to see through people's bullshit, she certainly isn't a liar...unlike you." He growls.

"What's going on here?!" An authoritative voice calls out, and I glance up to see Thanes father, as well as his mother, Nes, and Danté coming towards us, shocked looks on their faces.

"I'm sorry Chief, but your son Tripp is a traitor. He's the one who helped set up Thane for murder." I answer stiffly, and they all gasp.

"What?!" The Chief responds first, and he looks down at his youngest son in disbelief.

"Dad! It's not true! I would never, you gotta believe me!" He pleads, and I hiss as his lie practically slaps me in the face.

"Thane...is this true?" He asks in an abnormally calm voice.

"I don't want to believe it myself dad, but it is...Astrea has the ability to see people's greatest sins and lies, and the memories associated with them. And I can see what she's seeing through our mind link..." He answers softly, glancing down to see his brother's defeated expression, and the sadness in my Beloveds eyes twists at my heart painfully.

"Tripp..." His mother murmurs, a pained look on her face as she turns away from him.

"Why would you do this?" The Chief asks, still not quite recovered from the shock...well, more like the betrayal. Seeming to realize that his lies aren't helping him in the slightest, he looks back up at Thane with what looks like contempt burning in his eyes.

"Why do you think? I heard you talking to mom about how if Thane came back now, you'd be willing to give him back his 'rightful' position as Chief. I was so close to becoming Chief, and you were willing to give it to him after he squandered his chances and made our Unit look like a bunch of delinquents! I couldn't let that happen! I'm the one who worked for it! He did nothing but cause problems and get arrested!" He growled, and my grip tightens on him as he struggles against me.

"Tripp...if this is the extent you would go to keep power, then you are the one who doesn't deserve it. No Chief would frame an innocent person for crimes they didn't commit, especially not their own brother. I thought I raised you better than that..."

It gets quiet for a moment, and in the silence I remember an important detail from the memories I saw.

"Who are you working for? You couldn't have done this alone." I question, and he turns his cold eyes towards me with a snarl.

"Like I'd tell you, you're already picking around in my head. Freak."

Thane growls, but I ignore it as I dig deeper into what I can see...then it finally clicks.

"You don't know who they are, just where they work...it's how they framed Thane. They work in ICE don't they? Only an insider can get that close to the case details, you just provided personal intel on Thane and his potential whereabouts." I deduce, his body stiffening beneath me. "Whoever it is in ICE must be the person who killed all those people...and the other agents. More than likely they got too close to discovering the truth."