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Sixteen - Tati

"There are two answers to that question, but I don't know which is the truth yet," Zeus explained. His eyes never sought hers again.

Tati could tell he was feeling guilty. It was like a pull deep in the pit of her stomach. She understood how he felt. If anyone was hurt today; she didn't know how she would react. Her own guilt was like a knot in the bottom of her stomach.

It was possible, even without the team risking their lives, to find her this morning and bring her back to their haven. Webb might have found them, anyway. If the K9 team had found her, then somehow Webb would have. All this time, she'd been lulling herself into a false sense of security. She thought if she kept running and hiding on this planet, then she was safe. But she wasn't. No hybrid was safe as long as Webb's operation was still running.

Tati didn't have a working knowledge of their technology. But aliens had abducted her from her home under the cloak of darkness. Performed experiments, altering her DNA. The thing that made her what she was. It was stupid of her to think she was safe anywhere. If the Ghoul and Webb could do what they'd done to her and countless other women. What gave her even an ounce of security in the belief that once escaped, they couldn't find her again and take her back? Their technology was far more advanced. What if all this was a game? Webb seemed to be right on K9's heels and she couldn't help blaming herself for the situation they were all in now.

She never used to second guess herself. Not until she met Darian. With him, it didn't matter. If something went wrong, then it was Tati's fault, and she was still trying to break herself out of that habit of thought.

"We have tech that can track down anyone. Anywhere on the planet as long as the system knows what kind of genetic markers to look for," Zeus said. "It's like scanning a picture of someone into a computer database. A satellite uses renderings to locate them."

Tati sat back in her seat, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. What Zeus explained sounded like something from a James Bond movie. Double-Oh-Wolfeen.

"When we went outside, it exposed us all."

Zeus' hand stretched across the median and clasped hers in his, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Don't say that Tati. It could have been any of us. We don't even know if that's how Webb found us... if it's anyone's fault, it is mine. The tech is expensive and while we could have used it at K9 headquarters, the whole place is nothing but rubble now. Besides, the odds of Webb having a picture of you are slimmer than the rest of the team. It could have been any of us."

As much as Tati wanted to believe Zeus. Tati was too deep into her self-loathing cycle not to take all the blame onto herself. She couldn't even look him in the face, so she stared down at his hand holding hers. She was trying to imprint the image into her mind forever.

"Then there is another alternative." He said. "We have a leak in K9 and one of our friends betrayed us."

Tati sniffed and ran her tongue over her lips before she could look up from their hands. She was trying to compose herself before letting him see her face again.

The thought that one of their friends betrayed them was scary. It was a lot scarier than their enemy using facial recognition software, which was for sure. But Zeus had a point. Erika had told her they'd been hiding out there for almost two weeks. If Webb had that kind of technology, wouldn't she have used it to find them already? There had to be pictures of every single member of the K9 unit within their database. Most companies kept information on a secure server. There server could be anywhere. It didn't have to be in the building. Webb could have used it this morning or anytime within the last two weeks.

Tati reasoned the team would have to leave the safe house for supplies. Or it was her guilty conscience trying to place the blame elsewhere.

She couldn't remember anything after her abduction until she woke up. They could have taken pictures of her, but she couldn't remember anything. If they had, she didn't know it.

"This isn't your fault, Tati."

Zeus squeezed her hand once more, returning both hands to the wheel of the car as silence fell between them.

She didn't like the idea of someone within their own group. Or even the other agents of K9, had slipped up and leaked information. Or sold them out to Webb didn't feel good. Tati didn't want to believe it. But the more she thought about it, given the way things had happened, it felt like the only plausible outcome.

Someone had told Webb where they were—but who would do that? Was it another agent that was working for Webb as a double agent? Someone Tati had never laid eyes on before, or was it someone she was close to? Someone Zeus trusted.

A dull ache surfaced in her chest as she thought of them all. She didn't want to believe it was anyone of the Wolfeen men she'd met. She didn't want to think about it being Doctor Samfred or Tabetha either. If someone ratted them out, it had to be someone else.