Jeanne fought furiously. With her stick in her hand, she struck very quickly. She knew the sequence by heart. She spun the stick around her body, then stepped forward. Vincent parried her attack with a powerful blow. He alternated attack and defense movements and took advantage of his height to force Jeanne to counter shots that were out of range. She circled around him, her stick in her right hand, she swung it around him. Vincent didn't take his eyes off her. She grabbed her stick, passed it over Vincent's head, who crouched to avoid the attack, then he made a parade by jumping back on one arm, the stick in the other. He put his arm on the ground again, stood up quickly then attacked Jeanne, his stick in both hands, aimed under Jeanne's legs who jumped and tried to hit him on the legs.

 -Well chained... let's take a break... affirmed Vincent

 They were sweating. Jeanne went to get a towel to dry her face. She threw one at Vincent. She emptied her water bottle. When she turned around, she saw in the opening of the gym door, Romy and Lena standing there. They looked at each other. 

-Finally... exclaimed Jeanne 

They found themselves in the meeting room. Jeanne presided. Around her, were Lena, Vincent, Ichiro, Romy and Ellie, who had regained almost all her strength. 

-To start, team B. I want to know everything. 

Lena took the time to tell everything. The slave gang, known as the KTL, had been relatively easy to spot. They had pissed off a gold trader. When Jeanne sent out the information, explaining that she was trying to locate them. They quickly received their location and their photographs. There were eight of them.They were in a dilapidated, isolated, two-story building, in the countryside, formerly Chinese territory, surrounded by mountains. 

They had landed miles away so as not to be spotted and had crossed the valley bordered by a river, all night. In camouflage outfits, they waited until early morning to launch the assault.The gang was small in number, but they were dangerous and ready for anything, junkies and without qualms. 

What worked in Team B's favor, was that the KTL were convinced they were nowhere to be found, at the end of the world. They should act quickly.Lena could have destroyed their location with a bomb but they still had around thirty people held hostage with them. They used them as human shields. They therefore had to prepare the attack meticulously so as not to cause collateral victims. 

At six o'clock, finally, the assault was launched. Ten soldiers climbed without difficulty to the second floor where there were five rooms. Two soldiers per room. On the first floor, there were three other bedrooms. Twelve soldiers remained to be placed. Four placed themselves around the house to secure each corner. The other eight had no trouble forcing the wooden door, damp and dilapidated. On the ground floor, they saw around ten people lying on the floor, thin and dirty. Lena took charge of evacuating them quietly with Romy. Then, six soldiers went up to the first floor, always two per room. 

Lena and Romy were waiting outside protecting the civilians who had already left. On the second floor, the soldiers signaled to each other, they all placed the gas masks they were wearing above their heads. Everyone imitated them. Then, everything happened very quickly. They broke down the doors, threw paralyzing and blinding bombs. Some members of the gang tried to shoot the soldiers but they were quickly put out of attack. Each member was identified, everyone was taken out of the barracks. 

They recovered documents, weapons, stones, cargo and anything that could be useful to them.The gang members were lying on the grass, face down, with their hands on their heads.The helicopters arrived. Romy had the civilians evacuated, accompanied by part of the team.

Lena remained with eight soldiers. She looked at the bodies on the ground. At that moment, the bodies of these men, helpless on the ground, made her feel sorry for them. She almost wanted to spare their lives, in another world. A world where secure prisons still exist. But that no longer existed. They had done too much harm. They had to die.Lena gave the signal and the gusts fell on them. 

As she flew over the valley, Lena no longer felt anything. She tried to convince herself that they were on the right side. 

In the meeting room, everyone was looking at her. She hadn't spoken her last thoughts out loud. She recovered.

 -Civilians needed care. Without Amar, we did the best. By the way Ellie, I'm delighted that you're recovered.

 Ellie nodded to thank her. 

-What happened to the civilians? asked Vincent

 -They wanted to find their families, which was predictable. Explained Romy 

Jeanne accepted.

 -Good...thanks for those informations, Lena. You all may know this but X, my father, is alive. 

No one dared to answer. Jeanne continued.

 -And now... if I tell you: the Base Organization... does that mean anything to anyone?

Everyone looked at each other. Jeanne examined each face in the hope of obtaining an answer. A moment passed, then Romy hesitated. 

-Maybe... 

They all turned towards her. 

-I'm not sure... a vague feeling of déjà vu... in ancient South America... a mission three years ago... Remember Jeanne... Vincent, you were there too... 

Jeanne and Vincent looked at each other. 

-During an extraction, Jeanne you were touched. Vincent had evacuated you.

Jeanne couldn't resist to touching her leg. Yes, she remembered this mission. 

-The man on the ground... the organ trafficker... I had hit him in the carotid artery... he was bleeding out... I remember his sadistic face... I was going to shoot him in the head... but just as I was about to shoot... he grabbed my leg and said the Socle would never collapse... I got away and he started again... the Socle was behind us... I remember grabbing his face and compress his throat but he had already choked on his blood... 

Jeanne was not aware of this information. 

-Why didn't you tell me about it? 

-The "socle"? Seriously ? I thought the guy was delusional! That he was talking about the base of his organization something like that... 

Faced with Jeanne's black gaze, Romy felt uncomfortable.

 -Jeanne... I'm sorry... I couldn't have known that this would be essential information...

Ichiro intervened. 

-No, of course Romy... We too may have missed out on information. To be sure, he didn't tell you anything more... Is that all you remember? 

-Yes I'm sur... 

Romy looked at Jeanne in the hope that she too would forgive her. But Jeanne doesn't tell him anything. Vincent spoke. 

-Okay, we have to get back on the trail. Who sent us on the trail of the organ trafficker? What was his code name? 

-VY, Romy replied immediately. It was an execution. A contract from Switzerland I believe? 

Ichiro connected to the secure network on his computer. 

-I confirm that to you right now. 

Jeanne stood up. She couldn't stay still. She placed herself next to Romy. She put her hand on her shoulder.

 -Congratulations for this track Romy. It's promising. 

Romy nodded, relieved. A few moments later, Ichiro had all the details. 

-Yes, it did come from Switzerland. One of your financiers Jeanne. He represented an anonymous client. This client had paid VY several million for a kidney for his daughter, a healthy kidney with blood group O-, after paying for it, VY disappeared and his daughter died some time later, virus. It was never known if the kidney was already diseased or if a doctor had injected him with the virus after being paid by VY. Still, we accepted the deal and executed the contract.

 -Who tells us that the client was not part of the Base? Who tells us that the base has not been using us for years to eliminate those who bother them? asked LenaEveryone looked at each other. 

-Very well, then we're leaving for Switzerland. We have to find the Socle, we will find X. We have to go back up the trail without being tracked in our turn. We will have to count on our allies. And our speed of execution.

 -It smells like a trap. We can't go there with an army and dismantle the entire Jeanne organization without being detected. The Socle expects to know us there. Your financiers probably work for him. Replied Vincent 

-It's a possibility, but do you have something better to offer? I won't let him play with me anymore. 

-It's not just about you Jeanne... But about the whole fortress... 

Jeanne made everyone jump by banging her fists on the table. 

-You think I didn't think about that... 

Vincent was trying to think quickly.

-And if you contacted them first. Tell them you know about your father and that you want to meet him. You will set the rules.

 No one dared to speak anymore. When Vincent and Jeanne clashed, no one dared to intervene. 

-We'll trap him. We will manage. 

-No Vincent. We will not make the mistake of underestimating it. If he has left us alone until now, it's because he wanted to. I wouldn't risk exposing everybody to him. You do not know him. 

Ichiro waited a little, then with his wise and quiet voice: 

-I have an idea... 

All faces turned towards him.