After clearing her objective without losses, Yuno didn't relax. Ray always said that on the battlefield, you have no right to make mistakes. There were several dozen groups simultaneously attacking cartel points.
While Yuno remained on guard, her group was contacted by the overall operation commander — a former special forces commander who had decided to join the "Devils." He was the head of the tactical headquarters.
"Princess, this is Oracle. Panther's group walked into an ambush. They weren't cartel fighters — I'm sure an elite special forces unit was waiting for them there. Three out of six are wounded. The rapid response group has already been dispatched. The building is surrounded, they won't get out, but we can't storm it — it's too dangerous."
"We're in a stalemate, we need a negotiator. Your group is the closest. It's a risk, but I think there's still a chance to negotiate."
At that moment, Kira's clearly worried voice reached Yuno's ears:
"Don't take risks. If something happens to you, I won't be able to look Ray in the eye. I'm sure Sam will understand."
Yuno understood that these words were very hard for her to say. After listening, Yuno said calmly:
"We may be a very unusual family, but we're still a family. For Daddy, we're close people — that's the main thing. I'll get my sister out of this mess. I'm sure you two will find a way to thank me, but remember, I won't have fun without Daddy."
"Don't worry about anything."
Approaching their unit captain, a soldier asked:
"Cap, what do we do?"
Keith tried to go out, but a bullet flew inches from his groin.
Thinking, Jack Kirby said:
"They can't start a storm. We can't go out, so there'll be negotiations. How are the wounded?"
"We have two critical, we've managed to stabilize them, but if they don't get help soon, they'll die. The 'Devils' have three wounded, one critical — looks like their commander."
"Don't let them die now — they're our only bargaining chip," the man said.
"I understand, but we can't remove their armor. I don't know how it works, but if we don't, medics won't be able to help them."
Hearing the soldier's words, the commander turned to the three members of the "Devils" who weren't wounded. Their tactical armor looked like futuristic combat suits from sci-fi movies.
"We want to help your comrades, but we can't remove their armor. If this continues, one of them will definitely die."
Exchanging glances with the other two, one of the girls said:
"Untie us, we'll help our sisters ourselves."
"I can't take that risk."
"I'll tell you what happens if one of us dies. Units like ours live together for many years. If necessary, we're ready to die together. If even one of us dies — you'll all lie beside her."
The girl's voice was clearly altered, but Jack had no doubt she was serious. After thinking for a moment, he gave the order to untie them.
Once free, the trio rushed to help their comrades.
They didn't remove their wolf masks to avoid exposing their comrades' faces, but the special forces soldiers who had them in their sights noticed numerous scars on the girls' bodies, which made them uncomfortable.
These scars made it clear that these girls had been tortured.
Observers reported that three people had approached their building. Two of them carried medical cases.
"Search them and let them through."
When several soldiers approached to search the visitors, the two carrying medical cases lifted their robes, revealing suicide belts underneath. Seeing this, the soldiers froze.
Meanwhile, Jack said calmly:
"Ladies, this is just negotiations. Why all this masquerade?"
"Don't worry," Yuno replied. "This isn't an attempt to win your hearts, just a demonstration of our readiness, and insurance in case any of your guys decide to play hero."
"These two are medics — they'll examine our sisters, then help your people."
Looking at the three girls who hadn't been wounded in the skirmish, Yuno said:
"Don't worry, everything will be fine now."
Jack noticed that at this girl's appearance, the trio visibly relaxed. This indicated she commanded respect among the "Devils."
"Why are you doing this? I can't see your faces, but I can tell that if you're older than my daughter, it's not by much."
"Do you love your daughter?" the girl asked, hearing his words.
"Of course," Jack replied confidently. "Any parent loves their child."
Hearing his words, the girl chuckled and said:
"There was a girl in my unit. Her father was climbing the career ladder fast. To the people and voters, he was a role model and a worthy man. But in the shadows, he and his wife raped my friend, kept her in a cage, and tortured her for their advancement. He gave his daughter to his colleagues."
"She prayed to God for it all to end, but no one came to save her. Instead of God, those who pulled that little one out of hell were the 'Devils.'"
"So she became one of them. Many of my sisters and brothers have been through similar things. I'm telling you this so you don't forget that we're very serious."
"Not long ago, two of our sisters died by suicide to avoid killing your colleagues. Now our code has changed: when you come for us, you must be ready to die."
Hearing these words, the soldiers fell into deep thought. They had heard the story of those girls who had committed suicide.
Noticing the medics had finished their examination, Yuno asked:
"How are they?"
"Spark and Pony are fine, nothing serious. But Panther is in bad shape. In these conditions, we've done everything we could, but we're running out of time."
"What about the soldiers?"
"Two critical, the rest are scratches."
"Cap, send four medical 'birds.' We need evacuation."
Yuno was surprised that besides the medical birds, a large transport also arrived. The military immediately grew alarmed, but Jack calmed his subordinates.
From the "Devils'" actions, it was clear they valued their people and wouldn't take unnecessary risks.
Besides the medical team, a girl got off the helicopter. Even though she wore a mask, Yuno immediately recognized her.
Entering the building, Kira wanted to rush to Sam but suppressed the impulse, trusting her daughter to the medics, and turned to the special forces unit:
"As you know, two of your comrades are wounded. I'm here as a representative of my organization. If you surrender, I give you my word that no one will be harmed, and your comrades' lives will be saved."
"The 'Devils' are ready to risk a lot to save six people. Do you have the courage to take that risk?" Kira asked.
After some hesitation, Jack remembered his daughter and put down his weapon. He was highly respected among his men, everyone had something to lose. Besides, Yuno's story had deeply moved their hearts.
Getting into an elite special forces unit was very difficult, and as a rule, true patriots and strong-spirited people joined. Since the "Devils" appeared, many law enforcement officers had begun to doubt what they were doing. Most of them left the service.
When they laid down their weapons, they were searched, blindfolded, and loaded onto the transport.