### Baldwyn's Perspective
I grab the toolbox from the staff room, placing it on Addie's cleaning cart along with a broomstick and dustpan. We enter the elevator, heading to the top floor. I glance at our reflection in the elevator mirror. I'm dressed in black slacks and a gray polo shirt, while Addie wears a black dress with white trim and a ruffled white half-apron. The ruffled headdress she wears adds a somewhat provocative touch to the uniform. A shiver runs down my spine as I catch her steely gaze in the mirror; she looks like she could kill me at any moment. I quickly look away.
TING!
The elevator doors open, and I silently breathe a sigh of relief. Saved by the bell, as they say.
As we step out of the elevator, Brandon's voice comes through our earpieces. "Skipper. Wings. Over. Look at your 3 o'clock direction."
"What's the situation inside?" Addie asks, while I pick up the toolbox and replace the broomstick and dustpan.
"Dissing each other, Skip," Zane reports unseriously.
"Six people inside. No signs of the heads. They are the sub-department heads of the drug cartel," Brandon responds in a robotic tone.
"Twenty-one (21)," Addie instructs, signaling me with her open palm pointing left, then folding her fingers to leave the middle, index, and thumb extended. This signals me to infiltrate after fifteen minutes. I nod, understanding her instructions.
I knock on the door behind the occupied room of the Luna Vera Mafia.
"Vas-tu toujours venir me chercher? Tu es très en retard, mon escorte!" (Will you still come and get me? You are very late, my escort!) a woman inside complains in a high-pitched voice as she opens the door. She has straight blond hair falling down her back, wears a champagne dress, and carries a Gucci pouch. She definitely needs an escort.
"Désolé pour mon intrusion, Mademoiselle" (Sorry for my intrusion, Miss), I say gently, giving a perfect bow. She scoffs. "Je suis un concierge et un plombier tout autour de cet hôtel. La femme de ménage m'a signalé que le lavabo de votre baignoire devait être réparé. Comme la devise de notre service est de servir et de satisfaire les clients" (I am an all-around janitor and plumber of this hotel. The maid reported that the sink in your bathtub needs to be fixed. Our service motto is to serve and satisfy clients).
"Très bien, continuez. Je vais partir. Et pour l'escorte qui viendra, dites-lui 'il est licencié et paiera une indemnité'" (Fine, carry on. I will be leaving. And tell the escort who will come, 'he is fired and shall pay compensation'), she says despondently before leaving. As she enters the elevator, I slip into the room, avoiding cameras. I place the toolbox in the bathroom and quickly rectify the sink issue, removing and replacing the gasket, cleaning the seat, and adding plumber's grease. Done! I hide the toolbox under the sink, wash my hands, and check my watch before stepping out of the bathroom, still avoiding cameras.
In the living room, I find the banister connected to the Luna Vera Mafia's room. Time for action. I carefully walk along the banister, holding on tightly, until I reach the small patio of the LVM room. Wearing black gloves to avoid leaving traces, I use a modified hairpin to pick the lock. After a few moments, the door opens quietly. I slip inside, looking for traps.
I search the dining room, temporarily used as a study, feeling the sides of the table for hidden compartments. Finding a bump, I discover a lock on the box. Remembering the Luna Vera Mafia's backstory, I recall their obsession with numbers. I try "110," their symbolic code, but it doesn't work. Frustrated, I methodically listen to the lock mechanism, finally landing on "369." Success. Inside is a flash drive, which I scan and copy using a connector and my smartwatch.
"Wings, finish picking the scraps," I announce, sending the files to Brandon. "Wit, activate and locate. Gap, change position. Wings, exit and follow them," Addaline commands.
I take one last look around the Luna Vera Mafia's chamber, noting the suspiciously clean, minimalist decor. Something feels off—no cameras, no obvious surveillance. I trust my instincts as I prepare to leave.
"Wit, activate and locate. Gap, change position. Wings, exit and follow them," Adaline reminded me through the earpiece.
"Roger, Skipper," I replied, exiting through the window and returning to the previous chamber via the railings. I grabbed the toolbox and headed to the elevator. As the doors opened, I was met by four tall men in business attire with tattoos on their left arms—the same men we had previously seen. Busted. We've reached the reel. I sprinted for the emergency exit at the far end of the corridor.
"Arrêtez là!" (Stop there!) one of the men yelled.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Gunshots echoed in the corridor as I zigzagged my way to the emergency exit door.
"Gap, we are in the reel! Fall back!" I yelled to Brandon, not caring if the LVM heard me while they chased me.
"FALL BACK! ASAP!" I shouted again. Frustratingly, the listening equipment wasn't working. Once the hunters, now we're the hunted. I checked my phone to send a message, but there was no signal. What a fantastic day we have ahead of us.
As I exited the emergency room, two more LVM men stood at the entrance.
### Brandon's Perspective
"Wings, finish picking the scraps," Baldwyn said as I copied all the files he had transferred to the system.
"Wit, activate and locate. Gap, change position. Wings, exit and follow them," Adaline commanded through the earpiece.
"Copy, Skipper," I said, scanning and typing the numbers to trace the Luna Vera Mafia. "Plate number BM-542-QY. Heading west on Rue de Turbigo toward Passage Sainte-Elisabeth. Three hundred fifty meters now," I reported, checking the surveillance footage.
"Any news about the Captains?" Adaline asked.
"Port of Le Havre, Skipper," I replied, savoring a lollipop I had just opened. Things were getting interesting.
As I navigated the files Baldwyn had sent, the system flashed red. Inputting and recording the information he provided, I realized it was a virus.
"SHIT!" I cursed, biting the lollipop into pieces.
I turned on my phone and logged into the LYCA system. A hologram of Lyca, an anime heroine, appeared—a three-dimensional projection. She wore a black skirt, long-sleeved polo, and a black necktie. Her aqua-colored hair was styled in an updo ponytail, reaching her waist, paired with high knee black socks, black boots, and pale white skin.
"Master! How can I help?" Lyca said excitedly, fangirling with a high-pitched tone.
"I need you to help the Lycans, sweetie. Go stand by and watch your manners," I instructed gently.
"Yes, Master," she replied, adjusting her attire and speaking in a lovely, gentle tone. Her drastic shift reminded me of Adaline, whom I had modeled her after.
"Skipper, Lyca will stand in for me. I encountered some problems in the files Wings sent," I said, my voice trembling. This was the first time I faced a system capable of matching my hacking skills. A horrible vibe settled over me.
"Copy, Wit," Adaline replied coldly.
I resumed typing and coding, gathering all the information I could to combat the hacker trying to ruin our mission. I was certain I'd be in for a training session from hell after this mission.
### Adaline's Perspective
"Lyca, activate," I said while driving, and the computer system popped up in the middle of the windshield.
"Skipper, how may I help you?" she asked in the angelic voice Brandon had programmed. For now, she was replacing him because he was dealing with the virus that had infiltrated his system from the flash drive Baldwyn copied at the LVM.
"Access the location of Port Le Havre and give me the details of the Luna Vera Mafia we are pursuing," I commanded. She nodded and began her work.
"I'm at 114 Boulevard Clemenceau," I said into the earpiece that connected us all. I parked near the location and prepared two M1911s, each with an ornate gold grip, a silver slide, and a release, positioning them on both my left and right legs under my plaid punk dress. The dress was a tank top-style maxi with an asymmetrical hem, a chic tartan pattern of black and blue, and a corseted ribbon lace-up front paired with leather brown boots. Stepping out of the car, I strolled down the street, preparing our plan of action.
"Skip, at your 130° located at the crux tower," Zayn said in his serious voice, pointing out his location at Les Gens De Mer, six hundred meters from here.
"WIT, OVER ASAP!" I demanded, having not heard from him in a while and stressing my sentence. I didn't like this feeling.
"Skipper, over," he said, sounding uneasy.
"Where is Wings? I cannot contact him," I said, checking Baldwyn's location on my phone while sitting outside the car to make my act natural to bystanders. I heard familiar clicking sounds on the other side, and my worry grew.
"Skipper, Wings' last location is at the exit of the hotel in Paris, France. He hasn't moved since," Brandon reported. "Skipper, he left his earpiece and phone."
"What about the files he sent you?" I asked hurriedly.
"It's a virus that almost hacked the system," Brandon said, agitated.
"We fell into a trap, Lycans," I sighed, exasperated.
"Skipper, six men from Luna Vera are spotted near Boatin' France on the Mangusta 108/26. It's a white yacht, 33.50 meters in length, with a max draft of 1.30 meters and a beam of 7.12 meters," Lyca reported, which the boys also heard.
"Gap, spot a location near Boatin' France at 90°," Wit instructed.
"Lycans, on position," I said, returning to the car and accelerating to a racing speed of 250 km/hr. I reached the destination in less than eight minutes.
"Gap on position at your 90° on the left, Skip," he said coolly, pointing out his place at EM Normandie - Campus de Havre, a futuristic 14,000 m² building. Six hundred meters away, it covered the range of his British L96A1 sniper rifle, which had a range of 1.5km. He pointed to my location at Boatin' France, 12 Rue Bellot, 76600 Le Havre, France, near the Luna Vera Mafia yacht.
"I spotted Wings, Skip," Zane said exasperatedly. "He's currently a hostage, hands tied behind his back, followed by the six men you encountered earlier."
"Copy that, Gap. Lyca, infiltrate their system. Wit, give me the details," I said, blending in with the surroundings as I got closer to the yacht.
"There are sixteen people in total on the yacht. Six are the upper associates of LVM you encountered in Paris, located at the bow of the yacht. Five are elite soldiers on the deck. One Captain, Denver Magtalas, is waiting on the gunwale at the upper edge of the yacht, and one crew member is inside the bridge. Additionally, a hitman ranked 13 is keeping Wings hostage in the cabin," Brandon reported as I approached within 50 steps of the yacht.
"Lyca, take control of the system. I'll get Wings and plant bombs. Gap, kill as many as you can. I'll bring the Captain too. Wit, order backup. Over," I said, nearing the yacht.
I jumped into a rubber boat near the second yacht, closer to the Mangusta 108/26. I paddled silently to avoid alerting the enemies. "Gap, start the act," I said as I approached the boat, hearing a swift sound as a body fell into the sea to create a distraction. I climbed the rappelling rope to step inside the yacht, immediately hiding and planting microchip bombs while Gap continued shooting.
"Wit, Wings' position," I said in a hushed tone, moving quickly down the aisle with my twin guns at shoulder level, ready for encounters.
"On the east side cabin, Skipper. Turn left and go to the end of the door. Wings is inside the room with Hitman number 13 behind the door," Wit informed me.
### Zane's Perspective
"Gotcha, baby!" Zane said playfully after firing the first kill in the hull. He reloaded his magazine and looked for the next target. As soon as he spotted another enemy on the deck close to the captain, he set the trigger and fired.
"Monsieur, nous sommes attaqués!" (Sir, we are under attack!) shouted one of the men into his walkie-talkie as he took cover and fired shots to alert the others.
"Monsieur le rapport!" (Sir, report!) demanded another man, standing at attention and reporting to his superior. "Il y a un sniper dans l'escouade de garçons que nous avions pris en otage." (There is a sniper among the boy squad we took hostage.)
"Que pensez-vous que vous vous tenez ici?!" (What do you think you're standing here for?!) the supervisor yelled, pointing towards the cabin, enraged. "Va chercher le stupide garçon." (Go get the stupid boy.) The man reporting hurriedly entered the cabin.
As the shooting continued, civilians in the harbor near Mangusta 108/26 panicked. Heavy wails and screams filled the area as people ran in all directions, causing mass casualties and stampedes.
"This is Wit, over. Lycans of the Core Intelligence Association are requesting backup at Boatin' France, 12 Rue Bellot, 76600 Le Havre, France. Code 911," Brandon said urgently.
"This is the Groupe d'intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale (GIGN). Commander, over," a male voice responded on the radio.
"Roger, Sir. Mass disorder reported at the location. I will send it to you right away," Brandon said, quickly clicking the keyboard and sending the coordinates and fastest travel route.
On the Mangusta 108/26, the barrage of attacks continued as the Luna Vera Mafia men fell one by one with minimal casualties on their side. Despite their numerical advantage and taking cover on the decks, they fired blindly, unaware of their adversary's location, causing further civilian casualties.
Simultaneously, a helicopter hovered over the area, activated by the Luna Vera, operated by a sniper wielding a NEGEV NG7, a powerful machine gun with semi-automatic firing mode, allowing pinpoint accuracy. It targeted Zane's location but also threatened innocent civilians.
"HELL!" Zane cursed as his location was discovered. He quickly took cover behind some walls while firing back at the helicopter's engine.
At the same time, GIGN arrived at Boatin' France, 12 Rue Bellot, composed of two squads, each with eight members.
"GIGN will take over from here," the Commander said as every member took their positions.
"Alpha on position lock," the GIGN Alpha Leader assigned his subordinates to fend off the LMV and protect the civilians.
"Bravo in the gutter. Ready to snap," the Bravo team positioned themselves on top of buildings, sniping the LMV members in the area.
"Par ici s'il vous plaît" (This way please), Team Wolverines evacuated residents from various areas, clearing the vicinity. As they advanced, they countered the gunfire by firing back at the Mangusta 108/26.
### Adaline's Perspective
"Skipper, GIGN is in the house. Over," Wit informed.
"Got it," Adaline responded in a whisper as she continued to approach Baldwyn's location.
Hitman 13 left the room and stood guard at the door. Adaline took refuge in an open cabin as she heard the creak of the door. From the front, she discharged her gun but missed the target. In response, Hitman 13 fired back. She took shelter in the cabin, reloading her magazine as Hitman 13 continued shooting in a roundabout way to kill the assaulter as soon as possible. After nine shots, Hitman 13 aggravated his circumstances, leaving many holes in the wall. Adaline, meanwhile, found the right spot to shoot. Hitman 13 died from a fatal headshot.
Kicking the door of the end cabin with her foot, Adaline readied her two M1911s, prepared to break down the door and find Baldwyn.