image [https://i.imgur.com/8DfS7V9.jpeg]
----------------------------------------
During the 'commotion' caused by Raiji, the latter having run off in a huff shouting that it's all far too naive, one of the three adults observed the scene from their hiding place, making sure they weren't being watched. Noticing that Raiji is running away from the group at full speed, the figure smiles broadly and starts trotting down the other corridor, unable to pass by the group of teenagers who are bound to set off in search of him without further delay. Given their familiarity with the area, they know they can pass Raiji quickly and before the other three teenagers by taking the right-hand corridor, a shortcut made possible by a large hole in the wall. Without having to stop or get stuck in the same hole, they manage to reach the other corridor as planned, even if their clothes get dirty from the dust on the floor and the remaining debris. In any case, they'll just have to lie and say they fell, or that while walking through one of the rooms, they accidentally bumped into a wall — they'll think of it later. The person has managed to find a good excuse for the other two adults to run away quickly, promising to come back soon, so they have to get rid of Raiji quickly: after all, they're sure he's still got his phone on him. With this in mind, they have to take it from him, stop him from calling the police and, as quickly as possible, get the other phones. The fact that they didn't put them in the bag is a problem, but on the other hand, it was all to the good for this person: with the body of 'Rayan', the man they killed, already stiffened, they don't really know how she could have taken the bag with them without having to cut the straps. The only thing that bothers her is that she'll have to stow all the phones in her own bag, but as soon as that's done, they'll just have to flee the scene without the slightest hesitation, leaving this laboratory they know pretty well. The teenagers were a bit of a problem for her, but after all, they're only children. The presence of 'Deshya Oveja' is a problem, given her intelligence, but it seems that she hasn't yet managed to discover her identity and therefore doesn't need to be too afraid of being discovered. Although this person will have a hard time defending themself against the accusations they're going to take for Raiji's murder, they don't really have a choice: they have to steal his phone as soon as possible! So they take their knife out of their pocket — since they didn't think to take a pistol or any other remote weapon, which is what the teenagers think — and first checks that Raiji can't see them behind him. Fortunately for the criminal, the boy is too focused on his phone, probably dialing the police, so they approach him without making a sound, raises the knife high and aims it at Raiji's back, intending to wound him severely — killing him isn't even a problem for them.
CHAPTER 56
⎾Dark Secrets of The Abandoned Laboratory⏌
- Idiot.
However, Raiji drops the word without even turning around, causing the criminal to open their eyes wide.
At the same time, someone grabs their arm.
With a strength that proves experience and exercise, the girl who has grabbed the culprit’s right arm, the one holding the knife, forces the criminal back a step and with a flick of the wrist, makes the adult drop the sharpened knife. The girl pushes the weapon backwards, sending it to the front of the room, and just then, another girl catches it with a sigh, stooping towards the knife. The adult closes one eye, their arm pulled in such a way that they can't move it. The feeling that it's about to be ripped from their body is really unpleasant and they are quickly sent to the ground with a precise kick, preventing them from grabbing the other knife he has in their bag or defending themself in any way. The boy in front of the adult keeps his phone on, but bows his head.
- What did you think... It would have been too easy if I was that stupid, wouldn't it…
Raiji turns back to the adult, part of his face illuminated by the light from the phone. In the same room, the only window has been barricaded with old wooden planks, clumsily nailed together and letting in the thin rays of the sun, which still hasn't set. The man can therefore see a certain part of Raiji's face, the latter smiling with a touch of 'malevolence' in it.
- Our little 'Balthazar Kriken'?
Raiji blurts out the man's identity in a tone as amused as it is happy and proud. Balthazar, the criminal who almost stabbed the boy in the back, opens his eyes wide: from the way Raiji speaks, the way he acts and the way he didn't even have to turn around to realize he was in the room, Balthazar immediately understands that he's simply fallen into a trap. His eyes closed suddenly, the light from Raiji's flashlight assaulting his retinas. The girl who is still holding Balthazar by placing her hand on her back is the long, purple-haired 'Tessa Merossa', making sure the adult can't try anything. Maruno Uffite' arrives in the room in her turn, passing by 'Deshya Oveja' who is holding the weapon she picked up observing her.
- It's not just a simple kitchen knife, in any case..." she remarks.
Balthazar grits his teeth, trying to escape Tessa's grip, but when he tries to struggle, the girl above him punches him — without it being too violent — to make him understand that his gestures are useless. With a grunt, Balthazar stops moving, biting his lower lip. Maruno looks around, but seeing nothing to bind Balthazar, he excuses himself by quickly fetching a rope: he saw one in front of the building when they entered, so it won't take too long to get it. Raiji looks at his phone and moves a little away from Tessa and Balthazar, tapping the numbers on his screen.
- I'll call the police, will you be alright, Tessa?" he asks.
- Yup, he doesn't look too talented so I won't have too much trouble holding him back.
- Perfect.
Raiji leaves the room, putting the phone to his ear, passing Deshya without saying a word. The girl watches the boy walk down the corridor waiting to be answered, his other hand in his trouser pocket. Deshya may not have noticed it before, but Raiji always keeps the same headset around his neck, yet this one has no wires attached. Is it a Bluetooth headset? He's never asked her, especially as she never sees him with it on his head. Amora should know too, but that's a question she'll ask later, having something else to do for now. In the dimly-lit room, the adult stands still, gritting his teeth, silent and surely waiting for Tessa to break her concentration for a moment, but unfortunately for him, he doesn't know this girl very well: if she has to stay focused on what she's doing for an hour, then he'll have no problem with that. Tessa isn't the type to underestimate others in a situation like this, so Deshya isn't worried that he'll manage to get back up. Noticing that she still has the knife in her hands, the latter gloved, she tucks it away in a pocket of her satchel, thinking that she mustn't forget it, since it could be useful evidence for the police. Immediately afterwards, Maruno returns with a long rope — enough to tie up the adult — and Deshya helps her, along with Tessa, to tie up 'Balthazar', the man who nearly killed Raiji... but also the culprit behind the murder of 'Rayan Silvagre'.
- …
Balthazar is then raised on his buttocks, sitting at the back of the room, lit by Maruno and Deshya's flashlights. Tessa pats her hands to remove the bit of dust on them and turns to her two friends.
- Is Raiji still calling the police?" she asks.
Just as she asked her question, the teenager in question returned, putting his phone away in his pocket.
- It's done," he says.
- What did they say?" asks Tessa.
Raiji takes out his flashlight, but doesn't turn it on and simply plays with it in his hands.
- Two policemen should be here in ten minutes," he replies.
- What da hell...?
In a faint but audible voice, thanks mainly to the echoing interior of the room, the bound adult speaks, his eyes fixed on the four friends in front of him. Not only can boredom and anger be read on the anger, a hint of another emotion, one complex to grasp, is in his eyes. What surprises Tessa without shocking her is his lack of fear, fright or concern about the oncoming police. Even if it's impossible to be certain that the other two adults, the videographer couple, aren't also criminals helping Balthazar, the odds of such a thing are very weak, so none of the teenagers are afraid of such a possibility. Tessa wonders if it's possible that someone else who would work with this criminal is here, but she doesn't believe it either. It's not impossible, just unlikely.
- What do you mean?" asks Raiji, stopping to play with the flashlight in his hands.
- I made sure to get here super-quick, taking an even shorter route than the corridor you were on..." says Balthazar.” Did you come to his rescue so quickly or—
- Are ya stupid or what?
Raiji scratches his hair.
- Did you think I was stupid enough to run around this abandoned lab because I'd think my friends were naive? In that case, you're the naive one.
- Besides, we knew you were the culprit," admits Deshya.” We already knew that before.
- B-Before...?
This time, Balthazar shows some astonishment on his face, shocked to learn this. Deshya nods and points a finger at him.
- Even if it was only later that we were convinced, you've always been the most suspicious and bizarre of the three," she replies in part.
- B’cause I was alone, unlike da other couple th’re?
Maruno shakes his head.
- Nah, it wasn't that.
- So what?" asks Balthazar, losing patience.
He's in a situation where he can't really afford to act in this way, but that's what he does in every case — is it a matter of experience, because he knows he can't do anything in every case, or that he wants to provoke them, only he would know. Deshya replies:
- Because you were holding your phone in landscape mode.
- ... S-Sorry...?
This one answer makes Balthazar unable to stop blinking in incomprehension, having no idea what this has to do with the way he held his phone and him being 'suspicious'. Seeing that he doesn't understand, Raiji decides to explain, showing him his own phone.
- Since you wanted to film for 'TikTok', you should film vertically instead. It's more of a vertical thing, since that's the only way you can view the stuff on this app. Even if you weren't filming yet, let's make it up, you'd have the reflex to do it anyway, just in case.
Raiji shrugs.
- Well, unlike the other three around me, it's not something I noticed and even if I had, it wouldn't have shocked me.
- The difference between geniuses and little idiots, it seems," teased Tessa.
- It's just that it wouldn't have meant anything anyway…
He's not necessarily offended, but perhaps Tessa's words stung his heart all the same. Balthazar sighs heavily, closing his eyes.
- What a shitty reason, but at da same time... I und’rstand. Fuck, I hadn't thought of that," he said.
- If you'd just said you wanted to start a channel on TikTok, but didn't know anything about it, that would have been an unnecessary detail to take into account, I think," Deshya tells him.” Well, anyway, it wasn't enough to point the finger at you when we were thinking of a culprit for the murder of 'Rayan', but I must admit that I thought of you instead and wondered if it was possible.
- No one really had a proper 'alibi' and given that we were in the basement, we could only hope to understand the 'Dying Message' of the dead man you planted.
- …
The man squints.
- What, that chess piece?" he asks.” I saw him take som’thing out of his bag in those last moments, but I thought it was a s’mple lucky charm…
The teenagers all nod at the same time.
- We were right: this knight is indeed his 'Dying Message'," says Maruno.
- I'm glad I understood, hm, hm," smiled Raiji.
- Ya're f’cking kidding me, right?!
Balthazar doesn't lower his voice, which echoes throughout the room. Despite his unbearableness, Deshya doesn't need to hold her ears this time, even if his deep voice is unpleasant — the fact that it's resonating like this doesn't help. Tessa shakes her head.
- Nah, it's really a 'Dying Message' pointing out that you're the criminal.
- How, eh?" asks Balthazar.
The teenagers look at each other, wondering if they even want to admit it to her. However, Deshya ends up speaking first, really wanting to give the explanation. It's probably a matter of ego and pride, but she's fine with it: they have to wait for the police and Tessa is a little further back than they are, making sure no one comes to help Balthazar. The chances of him being accompanied remain so low as to approach 0, but they're still chances…
- Given that it's a black knight, it could have meant 'Marc Réti', as his surname is literally an 'opening' of chess, which, moreover, begins with the movement of a horse, albeit a white one," explains Deshya.
- On the other hand, even if afterwards, Marc would have done everything to catch him or remove him from there, perhaps approaching the body and asking if he was all right, thus stealing the chess piece to remove the only clue leading to him," adds Maruno.
- Even without that, if it was about him, I don't know why she bothered taking a coin out of her purse instead of her key ring," admits Tessa, looking to the left of the corridor.
- So for me, it couldn't have been Marc, as he would surely have had time to pick up the chess piece as he approached the body. Leaving it there would have been too risky, especially as he knows his way around a chessboard, which is what we heard before entering the laboratory," says Raiji.
- So if it's not him, it's me, eh?" shouts Balthazar again.
Tessa shakes her head, but Raiji continues to speak.
- Given the 'L'-shaped movement of a knight, you'd think it represented the first letter of 'Lea Lotus's first and last name, which wouldn't have been silly, but given her reaction to the body and the fact that she'd probably still have understood it was a 'Dying Message', I've taken her off my list of suspects, so I thought of you.
- It's stupid," admits Balthazar.” Removing a suspect from his list for such a stupid reason…
- Eh, I'd say we were more or less convinced it was you, seeing as you didn't seem to know anything at all about the subject of 'TikTok' despite what you said, and besides, for us, the 'Dying Message' was something else a bit more complex, making sure nobody understood it," Maruno admits with a shrug.
- Which one, then? Are you going to tell me there's a famous knight called Balthazar?!
Maruno shakes his head and points at the man in front of him.
- ‘Balthazar Kriken', hence 'B.K’. 'Black Knight'. B.K. That's what he meant.
- We often use English terms, even when playing against people who speak French*," admits Deshya.” Even if it looked like the 'L' in 'Léa Lotus', I was betting on you too. Well, coming with your husband, which I suppose is true, isn't the best idea when you want to kill someone…
(* Quick remember that this Case was thought of and written in French at first. I removed a little bit of these dialogues to make it clearer and easier to read.)
- It could have been thought of on the spot and not in advance, but I have to admit that when I thought of this place, I thought it might have been premeditated," admits Maruno.
- What da ya mean? What is—
- I bet it, Balthazar.
Maruno frowns.
- The corpses here are victims of illegal organ transplants, right? You kill them and take their good quality organs and sell them illegally, which is why there are bodies of children, teenagers and young adults in particular, hm?
No response from Balthazar. In fact, the four teenagers think that — yes, even Raiji. Tessa was the first to theorize it with Deshya, but Maruno quickly understood it later — the same goes for Raiji. If they're right, then this is a reason beyond disgust itself. In some countries, these are practices that are used by the government itself, given the lack of organ donors within the country, but Belium has no such concerns — in any case, nothing public is known on the subject. Who knows what goes on in the darkness of a country, a nation? If something wants to be hidden, there's always a way to do it; we just have to understand that some people will seek the truth even if it leads to their own demise. Still without offering the slightest answer, the man stares at the teenagers with a gaze of embers, of violent fire. Raiji sighs.
- Anyway, I'm glad you fell into my trap..." he says.
- I didn't hear ya talking to each oth’r. How did ya know it was all a trap on his part?
Balthazar addresses the other three teenagers, completely ignoring the petty smile on Raiji's face. The one who answers is Maruno, but his response is the same for all three.
- Even without knowing too much about Raiji and his mental abilities, I know he's far from stupid and still intelligent. He would never have lied like that about his phone if there wasn't a reason, then I understood that he wanted to trick the criminal into chasing him, the only one who always had his cell phone on him. When he started to run after we'd spoken, which was also an impromptu discussion designed to authorize Raiji to act in case we were being eavesdropped on, the three of us immediately understood that we'd been right.
- Plus, I gave Deshya a quick wink, but it looks like all three of them understood," smiled Raiji.
- It was dangerous... You like danger, don't you?" drops Deshya, crossing her arms.
- Hey, as long as it works, it works.
- What if it doesn't work?
- Then I'm an asshole.
- ... You like to live dangerously, I like that.
Tessa pats Raiji on the back and he starts to giggle, as the man looks on in amazement. Balthazar finally bows his head in despair, but smiles back.
- ... When did ya find out ‘bout the corpses?" he asks.
- Honestly, holes like this, missing organs and all, there aren't 30 million different reasons," admits Tessa, the only one who dared approach.” Even if it could have been the lair of a criminal with a sick mind, there was a better chance that this was the place to harvest organs illegally.
- ... Eh. If only that shitty video hadn't seen the light of day... We'd cl’sed the door prop’rly and the other bodies were generally well hidden, but they had to ruin everything…
- It's true that there were other corpses in other rooms.
Balthazar keeps his head down, but his eyes are wide open.
- Basically, we move them when we can, but we had a pretty big ord’r not long ago, last week. By da time we got ready to clear ev’rything out, the other couple of assholes came in and made a mess. We made sure da video was quickly removed and couldn't be uploaded, but it looks like some geniuses managed to find the place... What a bad luck.
Balthazar now speaks in a different tone, a little calmer and with all signs of anger gone from his voice.
- So this place…
- Da laboratory stopped in 2002, and it was in 2008 that we decided to use it to harvest organs illegally," admits Balthazar, as if his heart wanted to empty everything he knew.” I started working in 2020, but I know this bus’ness hasn't been around since yesterday
- …
The four teenagers look at each other, but Tessa continues to check the corridor: however, no one is coming. She wonders where the other two adults have gone... She hopes they're safe and sound.
- It's horrible..." admits Deshya.
- I know.
Balthazar looks up at last, a tiny smile on his face, which doesn't seem to bear any malice in its bosom.
- It's just a mis’rable job that pays really well. When ya're someone like me, who doesn't know how to do anything except complain about not knowing how to do anything, ya don't have much choice," he admits.
- ... Where are the other two?" asks Raiji.
- I just said I had to check on ya quickly and promised to come back. They b’lieved me like idiots, but I'd have knocked them out anyway. I offered to run away in da meantime, because I didn't care about them as long as I had the phones. I had no choice but to prevent ya from contacting the police while I was here.
- You could have run, couldn't you?" asks Tessa, squinting.
He approves, but retorts:
- It didn't matter if I was here or not, as my fingerprints would have been found in sev’ral places, because if I'd worn gloves all the time, y’all would have understood, I think. B’sides, we were going to get rid of the bodies today, which is why I was in the area.
- And why did you kill Rayan?" asks Deshya, noticing that Balthazar doesn't hesitate to reveal the truth.
- We know he's already been here and actually seen da bodies, which is why some of the rooms no longer had their barricades. He just wanted to take advantage of what he knew to film and get ‘ven more s’bscribers I bet, so I wanted to get rid of him today as we were watching him. If he'd come tomorrow, I wouldn't have had to kill him.
- ...it's horrible.
He shrugs.
- I don't like killing, but ya don't have to b’lieve me. I've got orders from high-ups and I respect them.
- High-ups?
Maruno tilts his head and this time Balthazar doesn't respond directly. What's more, the couple return to them, asking if everything's all right. Tessa greets them, promising them it's all right, while Raiji heads towards them in turn. He explains the situation in the corridor, preferring them not to enter the room, and the bound man stares at Deshya.
- ... So ya're da girl who's making a name for herself and is crazy enough to jump out of a hotel on a motorcycle, huh? I could never beat s’meone like you," he says.
- What do you mean?" she asks, surprised that he's actually talking to her.
- You just remind me of my daughter, who dared to go go-karting at full speed when she was only ten. She still lives like she knows she's gonna die tomorrow, like she's invisible. I bet ya're the same, lil’ detective.
- …
- ... I'd advise ya to watch out.
- ?
Deshya frowns and Balthazar smiles at her. Maruno listens to their conversation, no longer interested in Raiji and Tessa's explanations, observing the bound man.
- Want to know who I work for? I can tell ya.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
- Why say so much?" asks Deshya, suspiciously.
- It's not like I really love what I do, and honestly, as weird as it is, being able to say what's on my mind to s’meone who's not from the police makes me happy. Don't try to und’rstand.
Even if she really can't know how he feels, she has a touch of sympathy with the thought: she'd like to tell the others about her fox attributes too, but she can't. In fact, she'd almost go so far as to be happy to confess it to someone who isn't an acquaintance of hers, but at least so that someone in this world, other than her family and probably those who did this to her, knows the truth. When Deshya confessed the whole truth to Korone, she was so... happy. Maybe even being able to confess it to someone made her open up a little more in general — she thinks back to what Amora told her this morning. Could this also be linked to her 'slight change'?
- ... I want to know. Why be so careful?
- ... Section 3.
The man keeps his gaze fixed on Deshya.
- "Le Majeur" — in short, Section 3. The one that deals mainly with da human b’dy, slave merchandise and ev’rything else that affects da French nations.
- W-What?
- We're also da ones who are som’times in charge of recruiting certain people to work for da Sections. I'm more of a stooge in the business of harv’sting human organs and othar comp’nents for sale.
- Wh-What are you... talking about?
Balthazar smiled, continuing his explanations as if he couldn't hear the girl.
- A total of five Sections.
He frowns.
- Da five fingers of the hand. Da 5 Sections are the '5 Fingers', and I come from Section 3, da Majeur.
- …
Deshya still doesn't understand what he means, or which 'group' he's talking about. However, in her chest, her heart can't help but beat faster. Although it would surely be too good to be true, she wonders if what he's talking about... wouldn't be…
- I'm not a high up, so I don't really know any more, except that each Section name is a finger name, with Section 1 being da lil’ finger. However, each Section name has a diff’rent language d’pending on their function," Balthazar continues to explain, his head half raised.
- …
- I know it must be a lot of information all at once. Som’times we sell it all to da Dark Web.
- T-The Dark Web?
Deshya repeats what she's just heard, with Maruno frowning behind her, surprised at what he's just heard. Balthazar nods and the girl in the fox sweater clenches a fist.
- But... It's a group called the 5 Fingers, the place you work for?
- Da Hand. Da Arm and then da Body.
- H-H... Huh?
Balthazar smiles.
- Da Hand is what groups tog’ther all 5 Fingers and controls its entirety. Da Arm is what controls da Sections and is a big d’main. Finally, da Body is what ya all know, but which is a mystery to ya all.
Police voices echo down the hall and Tessa can even see them. The two married adults turn around and Raiji tells them that the culprit is here. Noticing that their conversation is coming to an end, Balthazar decides to wrap things up quickly. With a smile, he speaks to Deshya with a smile that is mysterious: is he amused, annoyed or feeling something else? Deshya can't tell.
And then Balthazar said to her:
- Da Body is what ya call da 'black market', Deshya. Da Arm is the best-known division of the same black market... the 'EFE'.
- !!!
Deshya opens her eyes wide — same reaction as Maruno.
- Ya're a brave girl who'll go far in life, I'm sure, but don't get mixed up in every business ya come across, 'Deshya Oveja'. This is not a game: avoid such dangers.
- ... Should I take this as a threat?
The police arrive close to the room, but before they can get there, Balthazar manages to answer her briefly:
- I have no reason to stop ya, I'm da one who screwed up. Let's just say, if ya get into their business... I hope ya're ready to die.
The police arrive in the room and Tessa shows them the culprit. The couple and the teenagers quickly explain what happened, although Deshya is mute overall, thinking about what was said. Balthazar confesses to his crime, and the police call a few colleagues to come to the murder scene and verify the veracity of the youngsters' accounts of the corpses with holes in them. They all leave the building and 'Balthazar Kriken' — if this identity is a real one — is led away by the police, his hands tied at the back by handcuffs. Obviously, the rope has been removed from his body. He turns and looks at Deshya again, smiling.
- Never repeat what I've told to anyone. Well... ya two.
He also addresses Maruno, who answers nothing, but Deshya remains equally silent. So the man disappears behind the trunks of the forest, accompanied by the two policemen. Others arrive to enter the abandoned laboratory, while the couple remain with the teenagers to explain once again what happened. They have already retrieved their phones — the culprit's was taken away by the policemen — and Tessa looks at the clock, but quickly turns her attention to Deshya.
- What did ya talk about inside?" she asks.
- … Nothing.
She raises her head and looks back at her friends.
- Nothing at all.
- …
She's well aware that this lie doesn't convince Tessa at all, but she'd really rather not say anything: what's the point? Besides, if Balthazar hasn't said anything stupid — which, strangely enough, she doubts very much he has — then this really is a dangerous subject... one she doesn't really want to get any closer to. She then turns her face to Maruno, who nods, as if he can read her mind: it's best they keep quiet on this subject with anyone. Deshya could talk it over with her father... but in the end, she doesn't really want to go any further in this search. Because the little she knows…
It is preferable not to confront or touch the black market.
Plus…
- EFE…
An abbreviation she knows well. It's actually the best-known division of the black market.
‘Everything For Everyone'.
It makes up most of the markets and sells a lot on the Dark Web, a place she prefers to stay well away from. She doesn't even want to think about what's out there… Generally speaking, people who dare to go there will say that, apart from the odd child pornography or illegal sales site, there's nothing of interest. However, this is sheer naivety: the real part of the Dark Web to be avoided is well hidden, where only those with nothing left to lose or who have lost all sanity can venture. Anyone who goes there for a 'laugh' will surely be hunted down, attacked, kidnapped... or even killed. Deshya shudders at the thought. The black market is simply an underground market where you can buy things that are illegal or impossible to find elsewhere, but it's not as 'horrible' as some people think.
At least, that's what they think.
- …
Maruno also heard the term EFE — the division that is the real 'cancer' of the black market. Markets that also sell slaves, human or animal parts, even illicit and completely illegal drugs. It's also at the EFE that products that can't be found on any other market, or that wouldn't be sold on any other market, that have yet to see the light of day other than in factories or laboratories are purchasable, albeit at prices that not everyone can afford. Even with Deshya's 10,000 euros, she can only dream of buying such things.
- ... It's a good thing he was alone," thinks Maruno.
He's obviously talking about the criminal in this case. The fact that he dared to talk so much also surprised her, but Maruno didn't feel he was lying... He just seemed to want to say what he couldn't tell anyone else. Maybe he knew that now that he'd been caught by the police, his life was over... Maybe he wasn't even going to confess to anything about the truth of the bodies.
- On the other hand... I'd never heard the other terms.
The 'Sections', the '5 Fingers', the Arm,... It was all new to him — surely these were terms used only over there or by the biggest connoisseurs. Maruno is very intrigued, but for his own safety, he prefers not to search the Internet any further. The best thing for him to do would be to put all this to one side, abandoning any unnecessary indiscretion. What's more, since he's involved in such an affair, there's a good chance they'll be under surveillance soon, so Maruno prefers to pretend he knows nothing about anything — same thought as Deshya.
And so it's about two hours later, after taking the train again, that everyone returns home, hoping to rest for the evening and not sleep with nightmares about such a… horrifying spectacle.
***************************************************************
Keyboard keys are tapped rapidly, one after the other. It's a melody more akin to cacophony, music unbearable to any ears — yet this is how they work. It's a small office, and yet a total of twenty people are writing on their computers, doing research or simply doing what they need to do. Tasks are orders, that's all they have to remember. Sometimes the place is quieter, quieter and even the flies don't make a sound, but some days the orchestra of employees plays its nonchalant, repetitive melody. Some people would like to make a living working only on a computer, but no one would dare call this one of their dreams. The payments aren't necessarily attractive, the time some tasks require overtime — which is rarely paid — and even with a few windows open, the size of their computer screens, the smell inside the room resembles that of a teenager who smokes and doesn't take care of himself. Candy scraps, cans and the odd extinguished, half-burnt cigarette lie on the floor. Maybe the only advantage of being here is that they're mostly free, but that's also a flaw for those who don't want to not work in an unpleasant odor. Since each of them has two screens — which is the limit of luxury for a place like this — they watch videos, listen to podcasts or even enjoy one series or another. They've all got their headphones on, some with earphones not even worth €5, and can't necessarily hear the noise of other keyboards. Strangely enough, few of them are simply listening to music. One of the men who works here — there's not the slightest trace of a woman here — even watches a film with subtitles in his own language. Indeed, most of the people working in this office don't even speak French, or rather, the bare minimum required to be hired. Here, a woman passes through the narrow corridor from the front to the back of the office, wearing a secretary's outfit. Given the lack of female visibility in such a place, the few men lucky enough to get a glimpse of her don't hesitate to check her out, even though her clothes mean that her curves are not clearly visible. Her black hair doesn't even reach her shoulders, and the glasses she wears are rectangular: it's as if she's doing her utmost to appear as 'cliché' a secretary as possible. Despite the age creeping over her skin, she's still quite beautiful, and thanks to her heels, she looks a little taller than she should. However, this is not something she needs: she's almost 1m80 without such shoes. She finally reaches the end of the corridor, opens the door and takes the elevator, which is off-limits to men working on computers. In this building, the floors below are all the same, with computers on all sides and narrow desks, but she doesn't want to have any fun visiting them all: because the smell spoils her appetite, the noise shatters her eardrums and the stares make her feel uncomfortable. She can't even imagine such a… ridiculous life. She climbs the elevator shaft and presses the highest number, '8'. A few seconds later, she reaches the floor and exits the elevator, looking to her right, where a sign explains that the stairs between floors 5 and 8 are not to be used, given the accident that occurred there.
A man who committed suicide.
Even though they'll be able to go the next day, the majority of people - not to say all but 3 — take the elevator in any case. This same woman, who is clearly a secretary, hates taking the stairs, especially when she's wearing heels. She makes her way down the colorless corridor and eventually reaches a new door with blue paint, a shade that matches the place where they work. The woman with the short black hair knocks, waits and just after, a man comes to open it. Unlike those downstairs, he looks good, healthy and even happy. With a smile, he greets her, asks how she's doing and even offers her a bottle of water. Since she's just passing through, she thanks him for his kindness and heads to the back of the room, passing all the men and women who work here. This room is much larger, more spacious, and the smell is hardly there at all: it's even pleasant, with a hint of lavender and another flower she doesn't recognize. Here, there is a prohibition to smoke or to pollute the room, although this is often unavoidable, which is why cleaning ladies are hired to clean the floor every day — between 1am and 4am to be precise. Finally arriving at the end of the room, the woman stops in front of a new door, completely blue — same tone as the one the other is wearing — and knocks on it again before pronouncing her first name:
- It's 'Joanna'.
Quickly, a voice sounds from inside, authorizing her to enter. So she does, turns the handle and closes the door behind him directly, approaching the desk where the chair has her back to it, with a person inside looking out from the place's large windows. The secretary, whose first name is Joanna, places a file on the desk, pushes it gently forward and bows politely, even though the person sitting in the chair can't see her, even in the faint reflection of the windows.
- Madame.
In a serious voice; with a straight back; with an admiring but neutral gaze; with a professionalism that exudes experience. The secretary speaks to the woman still seated in her chair, a glass of soft alcohol in her left hand.
- I'm here to give you a quick report," says Joanna.
- I'm listening," replies the woman quickly.
Without further ado, the secretary speaks, starting by correctly placing her rectangular glasses back on her nose.
- Our employee 'Balthazar Kriken' was arrested one hour and forty-two minutes ago, in the north of Sléron, during his mission to get rid of the man who knew a little too much about our AC-41 location.
- The laboratory where we harvest organs for transplants and sell them on the market and on the Dark Web?
- Exactly.
- Why was he arrested? How come?
- From what one of our employees reported, he managed to get rid of the target, but the people who were there discovered that he was the criminal and framed him. He's currently at the Sléron police station, and even if we can get him back, I think—
- No, don't. We need to be as inconspicuous as possible. Have the police started investigating the corpses?
- Yes, ma'am. It seems that the people there don't really know what's going on and have simply explained what they've seen. It's more or less certain that they didn't go all the way down to the lowest basement of the laboratory, so they didn't find the entire corpses. Tonight, we'll get rid of them, but we can't collect the corpses on the other floors, otherwise it'll look too suspicious.
- Did Balthazar tell them about us?
- Apparently not. A member of Section 2 is at the police station making sure he doesn't dare say anything about cooperating with us. We know all about his family in any case, so if he dares reveal anything…
- Good.
The woman in the chair slowly turns her glass of liquor before taking a small, but hardly any, sip. She enjoys the taste, texture and warmth in her mouth before swallowing.
- There must be no corpses left in this laboratory below floor -4.
- Floors -5 and -6 are already planned, but we'll need more staff for -4," admits Joanna.
- I don't care, we can't risk any more. There's already a chance that the police will understand all this, so we'll have to keep a low profile and make excuses if the need arises.
The woman puts the glass behind her and rises from her chair.
- I'll be looking for a new place to extract organs for those who request them. A wealthy woman working in the field of justice has made a special request for a liver from a girl aged between 7 and 8; we only have two weeks ahead of us. The deal has already been struck.
- We'll have plenty of time.
- Of course. Thank you for the report... However.
The woman gently turns her face back.
- What had happened there to trap him? Wasn't he supposed to be alone with that man? I mean, our Balthazar with our dear man who knew far too much.
Joanna keeps a straight pose and approves.
- It seems that a couple of videographers were there too, but they didn't film enough to put anything on the internet — we're keeping an eye on them for now, but it'll only be for a short week. Besides, the police don't allow it to be published, so we don't have to worry about that. As for the 'trap', it seems that... four teenagers were there and caught Balthazar.
The woman in the long coat squints gently.
- Teenagers?
- Four students from Tetazo high school. 'Raiji Harmony', a boy from a modest family, 'Maruno Uffite', Aya Deroom's current boyfriend, 'Tessa Merossa', nothing special about her, as well as…
Joanna swallowed before pronouncing her identity:
- ‘Deshya Oveja', the fox-eared detective.
The woman in front of the windows opens her mouth, but no sound comes out. Time passes without a word being spoken, so Joanna decides to continue quickly.
- It would also appear that this famous 'Tessa Merossa' took part in Axel Lymenn's arrest along with Maruno.
- I know the story. Deshya, Tessa, Maruno... I don't know about this Raiji, but…
The woman again admires the scenery observable from the clean windows, but nothing is appreciable: a gray city view, where the night lights have not yet been switched on. The sky is getting darker, but the stars don't show their brilliance — in any case, pollution will prevent them from observing the beauty of a starry night.
- ... So I guess it's because of 'Deshya Oveja' that our Balthazar has been arrested?
- We don't have enough information on this.
- Did Balthazar say anything about us?
- Unlikely, since he's the type who doesn't talk much.
- Would she or her friends have understood the link between the corpses and the black market?
- Impossible to say. We can keep an eye on her, but—
- Not at all useful.
The woman refuses directly. She speaks without hurrying, doesn't make the slightest useless gesture, and only her long white hair with red streaks moves lively.
- Given her intelligence, it's likely that she's understood, but the black market is so poorly documented and unknown to the public that I don't think there's any reason for us to worry," admits the long-haired woman. We have no reason to bother her.
- ... Are you saying this because of the customers who have come to see us?
- …
The woman doesn't answer, but she finally smiles softly, showing her sharp teeth under her blue lipstick mouth.
- We're powerful, Joanna, but some people have the upper hand. Even without their demands, I don't want to monitor a teenage girl. Let her live in peace... for now.
The woman turns back to Joanna as she walks through her office. Each step is followed by a more oppressive one, one that seems slower; it's like a melody created by her presence. Her long jacket swings from left to right, a gesture followed by her long hair, which easily reaches her pelvis. She stops in front of her secretary: their heights are almost similar, even if the secretary's heels give her the impression of being only slightly taller.
- It would seem that some people are wondering if she isn't a real girl with fox-like attributes, but that's just the beginning. Her popularity has only grown and grown since the 'Sleeping Little Beauty' affair, so it's possible that at the end of this year or next, we'll be getting some... peculiar requests.
- ... Forgive my rudeness, Director, but we have no right to kidnap a teenage girl—
- Don't worry, I'm not proposing any such thing. We may be part of the EFE and therefore part of the black market, but we have certain rules in place. However, it is possible that we are being paid heavily to learn the truth about this Deshya. With such people coming to us and asking for such conditions, as well as this girl who doesn't want to show what's under her sweater…
- Is it really possible that she's... semi-human?
Joanna's question amuses the woman, who can't help but smile.
- That would be science fiction, maybe even fantasy. However, with them around…
The Director turns around and smiles broadly as she admires the outside.
- We live in a world that is moving faster than we ever thought possible. When I was still little, we thought flying cars would exist today, but even if we don't have such a thing, we have something even better. Perhaps the conquest of space will be known to our grandchildren, can you imagine that, Joanna?
- I can't, Directrice.
The woman steps forward with her hands behind her back, walks around her desk and carefully watches the city lights come on one by one.
- We won't do anything to her, we've signed a contract with conditions that prevent us from doing so, and even without that, we have no right to kidnap a teenage girl in this way. Our slaves and 'victims' are not mere inhabitants, but forgotten lives, after all.
The Director cracks her fingers, hands hidden behind black gloves with blue logos on the back.
- However, this girl, Deshya Oveja, often seems to end up in investigations and trouble. If at some point she should die, or the contract is no longer to our advantage…
The woman smiles broadly.
This woman who is the Director of Section 3 —
— the North Director of the Majeur, one of the 5 Fingers of the black market.
- Then I'll be happy to get that girl's body for us.