During his months on the front lines, Ray had sustained several injuries, but the dance with death was one of the few ways he could feel alive. He and Miku came from different worlds, and he had thought it possible she might leave him. But Ray had believed that the respect she had for him wouldn't allow her to jump into bed with another man while they were together. He hadn't expected his attachment to her to become so strong, nor that it would hurt so much.
Looking into her eyes, he could clearly see she regretted it. But that wasn't enough for him to forgive her.
Besides Miku's betrayal, seeing that Deya was truly happy with Frank and Jill, he began to think that by giving in to his fears, he had chosen the wrong path in deciding to give the little one a normal childhood.
Only his conviction that this approach was the only right one for the little one to live a happy life kept him from going off the deep end. He felt his world slowly crumbling.
The group of "Devils" consisted of broken people, many of whom had been through hell and could never return. And lately, Ray felt that he belonged among them.
Returning to base after another mission to eliminate terrorists, Ray turned on his phone. As soon as he did, it rang immediately. Answering, he heard his sister's anxious voice:
"Brother, when are you coming back? I miss you."
"I think I'll be back in a couple of months."
"Can't you come back sooner?"
"Is something wrong with you guys?"
"No, don't worry, everything's fine. I'm just very ashamed, and I wanted to apologize." Even over the phone, Ray could feel the sincerity Deya had put into those words.
"You don't need to apologize," Ray said.
"No, I need to apologize. You always said that people who love you and those you care about are the most important things. But I think I forgot all about that."
"But a couple of days ago, I dreamed about Mom. We talked, and she reminded me of what's really important. You know, now I understand who I get my good looks from."
"I don't know who my father is, but you were right: our mother really is beautiful. I'm very glad I look like her."
"I know you're very busy, but try to come back soon. Yuno and I really miss you."
"Okay, I'll try. How are you doing?"
"I'm fine, but I miss you so much. A couple of weeks ago, I had to beat up the boys badly: they were going to peep on big sis Yuno. So now those idiots are afraid of me."
"You did the right thing. Good girl. I know big sis is very ashamed of her scars, and I think she really doesn't like boys. I still remember how she broke the arm of that guy who was too persistent in asking her out."
"When you come back, we should go out together again."
"Yes, we'll definitely do that."
After this conversation with his sister, Ray's heart felt a little lighter. He even felt a desire to return, but Ray had to suppress it because the "Devils" were preparing for a major operation against human traffickers, and extra hands would certainly not be wasted.
"Here's everything we've managed to dig up on this group," Ray continued, addressing his team. "They traffic people. Beautiful girls, especially virgins, are mostly sold to Arab countries. Those who aren't as pretty are harvested for parts—and that goes for men too. Catching this kind of fish will be risky even for us, so those storming their locations need to be careful. Besides selling girls, they have brothels of varying degrees of filth."
After considering the latest analysis from the head of intelligence, Ray, who was wearing a mask today, turned to the people in charge of the medical corps:
"Be prepared for casualties. Also, the rescued will need treatment for drug addiction and psychological help. Are you absolutely ready for this?"
"Yes, I can confidently say everything is ready on our end," those in charge of these areas replied in turn.
"Good. And remember: for these people, victims are just merchandise. They may start using them as shields. Assault team leaders need to be prepared for that."
Sergei grumbled as usual, but Ray, in his typical manner, headed to the most dangerous part of the assault. It wasn't obvious from the outside, but deep down, all the "Devils" were like children to Ray. Even if they were his tools to change the world, it was only because he couldn't do it alone. Ray tried to take care of them as much as possible.
Thanks to good training and the elite equipment the "Devils" had developed themselves, their losses were minimal: only three killed and two wounded. But even such small losses were a heavy blow for the "Devils." Only the sight of those they had saved and the understanding of why they were doing this gave them strength. Those who had been enslaved recently were still in relatively normal condition. For those who had been there for more than a year, it was a true hell.
Many had completely lost touch with reality and were ready to do anything for their next fix. It was clear that despite their preparation, they wouldn't be able to save everyone. But the medical corps of the "Devils" was doing everything possible.
Ray was now reviewing the personal files of those they had managed to save after the last operation. The dance with death, even if only for a while, had brought back his joy in living. This group had three hundred people in circulation: including people of both sexes, different races and ages, and even children. The fact that they kept personal files on everyone, including height, weight, a brief biography, and photos, indicated good preparation. Although it seemed incredible, Ray remembered every single person in his organization.
A good memory also had its significant drawbacks: the moment of Lily's death was almost always playing in his head, preventing him from relaxing. Continuing to review the files, Ray came across a familiar face. His calm heart, which was very difficult to disturb, missed several beats.