No choice. I'd have to either rescue her or finish her off, depending on the general's orders. I called Uve on the phone. "Sir, we managed to complete the extraction, but that fool, Vera, was captured by the police; she's a very impulsive member," he reported. "What happened, Paul? What did that girl do this time?" the general replied in a stern tone, as if already tired of Vera's recklessness.
"Sir, remember that the original plan didn't work. Since the orphanage director didn't listen to her, Vera threw a tantrum and decided to go after her to exterminate her. But it seems the mother was smarter and called the police, who arrived immediately and captured her," the lieutenant explained in a measured tone, trying not to sound guilty. "I see," the general said after a brief silence filled with thought.
"What should I do? Should I leave her there to serve her sentence, or do you want me to free her? I'll just say that she didn't take the face-changing pill," Paul expressed, awaiting clear instructions. The general remained silent for a few seconds, carefully considering before responding. Finally, he said, "You need to rescue her cautiously and leave no loose ends. I'll deal with her personally afterward." His tone was direct, firm, and left no room for argument.
Paul had no choice but to accept the mission to rescue her. He called his team to give him a ride to the police station.
Meanwhile, the ambulance arrives at the orphanage. They loaded the mother superior onto a stretcher while the doctors began treating her wounds. Jeff, visibly anguished, asked the doctors, "Will she be alright?" They exchanged uncertain glances before replying, "We don't know, sir. Her vital signs are very low, and she's lost a lot of blood. We'll do everything we can to help her. For now, we need to stabilize her." They placed her in a medical capsule, a futuristic oval-shaped device that hovered slightly, and loaded her into the ambulance, which immediately set off toward the hospital.
"Sir," Tecro said calmly, "she's strong. She'll pull through." He was trying to console him as he watched the man break down in tears. "I should've gotten here sooner," Jeff muttered, silently blaming himself. "But you didn't know this was going to happen," Tecro replied gently, trying to ease the emotional burden on the sheriff. "If something happens to her… I wouldn't know what to do if she…" Jeff stammered, unable to finish the sentence.
"It'd be better if you followed the ambulance, sir. I'll radio ahead and let your second-in-command handle questioning the prisoner," the young man said with determination. "Alright, we'll follow her. Thanks, kid," the sheriff said before getting into his car and speeding off, trying to catch up with the ambulance.
On the other hand, Paul was waiting at an agreed-upon location where they sent him a dark green four-door car, designed for five people. He took the vehicle and headed to the police station. Meanwhile, at the station, the second-in-command had Vera in front of him. He ordered her to be tied to the chair with chains since this person was known to be extremely strong and slippery. Then, he instructed them to throw a bucket of ice-cold water at her, which caused Vera to wake up with a look of contained fury, glaring at them as if she could strike them down with her gaze.
"Who do you think you are, damn it?" Vera shouted, trying with all her might to break free from the chains binding her arms. The second-in-command, under Jeff, began asking her direct questions: "Who are you? What were you doing at the orphanage? Why did you want to kill the mother superior?" But Vera, with a twisted and defiant smile, replied, "I won't tell you anything, useless officer. Even if you torture me, I won't speak." As she said this, she laughed wildly, as if she were enjoying the chaos she had caused.
At that moment, a police officer entered the office and whispered in his ear, "Sir, there's nothing in the database about this woman. She must be from another country." "I see," murmured the second-in-command, frowning as he processed the information.
"Maybe we should ask the agency and see if they know anything about her elsewhere," suggested the officer. "Yes, sir," the subordinate replied before leaving. Shortly after, another officer entered and asked, "What do we know so far about what she was doing at the orphanage?" "Sir, the only thing we could see was the sisters tied up with some kind of ropes. Also, the children, from babies to seventeen years old, are not at the location according to the report," explained the young man who had just arrived.
The second-in-command remained thoughtful. "How is it possible that they took so many? Did they have it planned beforehand, or how could they pull it off?" he wondered aloud, trying to make sense of the situation.
Meanwhile, Vera glared at them with contained hatred, unable to free herself. "Release me, or you'll see your punishment!" she yelled furiously. The officer, unfazed, responded, "I'm not afraid of you. We'll find a way to make you talk. Soon, people from the agency will come to see you, and then your smug expression will change."
Suddenly, a strange sound was heard, and all the lights in the police station went out. In the darkness, Vera let out a demonic laugh: "I think they're already coming for me. You shouldn't have messed with me… you're going to die."
Meanwhile, at the hospital, the bailiff and the forensic sketch artist arrived just as Mother Superior Ana was being taken into the operating room. Jeff tried to approach to ask something, but the doctor stopped him firmly: "You can't go in. We'll take care of everything from here." Then he closed the door leading to the operating room, leaving Jeff frozen, watching as his best friend disappeared behind the metal doors.
"I swore to protect her... I..." Jeff murmured, slowly collapsing to the floor, shattered inside as he saw Ana in such a critical state. Memories of the past began flooding his mind, transporting him to a time that was more innocent and happy.
He could see himself as a child, running after a girl dressed in a delicate pink dress, her loose hair flowing in the wind. It was Ana. Jeff was wearing a suspender set with a yellow-and-blue striped shirt, his tongue sticking out as he panted, trying to catch up with her through the meadow of a nearby forest.
"Come on, Jeff! Run faster! Can't you catch me?" Ana teased him with a crystalline laugh that echoed among the trees.
"You're very agile for a girl!" he exclaimed, gasping for air as he kept chasing her. Suddenly, Ana stopped in front of a small rabbit hopping on the grass. When Jeff reached her, he tripped over a rock and fell on top of her. They looked at each other face-to-face, both blushing from the accident.
"I caught you, Ana," young Jeff said, breaking the ice with a shy smile. That was exactly what Ana wanted: for the boy to notice her. However, a female voice called from afar: "Ana!" The girl quickly stood up, leaving Jeff still blushing. "I have to go," Ana said with a smile. "My mother is calling. See you later, Jeff."
"Yeah, see you later," the boy said, or at least tried to say before the moment faded away. Time passed, and those two children, now teenagers, continued playing tag with other friends. But this time, Jeff took every opportunity to hold Ana's hand when no one was looking. Both wanted to keep their relationship a secret because they knew that if anyone found out, word would get back to Ana's parents. In the darkness of the night, by a stream next to a tree where they had carved their names, they kissed tenderly. "You make me so happy," Jeff whispered softly, while she gazed at him with eyes that seemed to express the same sentiment.
But one day, something happened that they hadn't planned: a civil war broke out in the country. Ana's parents were selected to fight, as was Jeff's father. When the war ended, only Jeff's father returned safely. Ana, devastated by the news, had to go live with her aunts. On the way to the station, Jeff desperately tried to convince her: "Please, stay. I'll always protect you. Stay by my side," pleaded seventeen-year-old Jeff, tears streaming down his face.
"I can't, Jeff. You know I can't. I'm still underage and have no way to support myself. Besides, my mother always said that if anything happened to them, I should go live with her sisters." Tears ran down her cheeks as she tried to contain her pain. "Please, don't make this harder," Ana murmured in a trembling voice.
"I'll see you again," he said, his eyes also filled with tears. "I don't know... I hope so," she replied uncertainly. "Then it's a promise," Jeff said, extending his pinky finger. Ana, moved, intertwined her pinky with his. "It's a promise," she confirmed, before boarding the train that began to move slowly. The young man ran after the train, shouting with all his might: "I love you, Ana!" as the machine pulled away, carrying with it the echo of their farewell.
Years passed, and Ana returned, now one of the sisters of the Order of the Sun. One day, a young man dressed in a police uniform approached her. "Hello, don't you remember me?" he asked. Ana looked at him without recognizing him, for too many years had gone by. "It's me, your Jeff," he said, a mix of hope and nostalgia in his voice. "Ana, do you remember we promised to see each other again when you came of age and I could provide for everything? Now I work at the police station. I know I don't earn much, but in the future, I'll be able to give you what you deserve," the young man said, trying to revive that promise from the past.
"I'm so sorry, Jeff, but I can't keep that promise. I've taken a vow of chastity and to always serve the Lord," Ana replied calmly, though her eyes revealed a deep internal conflict. "We can't be what we once were. We can only be friends," she concluded, turning her back to continue her path alongside the other nuns.
Jeff stood frozen, watching as Ana's figure disappeared among the other sisters. His heart shattered into a thousand pieces, but he understood that Ana's life had already taken a different path—one he couldn't share with her.
"You know, Ana... I'll always be by your side. Even like this, unable to do anything, I love you," Jeff shouted desperately as she walked away. "I'll always take care of you. Even if I can't have you as my wife anymore, I'll be with you no matter what," he kept shouting as the young woman crossed the orphanage gates. His voice faded into the cold afternoon air, but his words seemed to resonate within his own broken heart.
Jeff fell to his knees on the ground, inconsolable and defeated, in front of the orphanage gate. His patrol car remained parked behind him, a silent witness to his pain. Tears streamed down his face as he gazed toward the building where Ana had disappeared, knowing that his love could now only remain a feeling buried deep within his soul.
Back in the present, at the hospital. In the waiting room, Jeff was restless, pacing back and forth like a caged lion. Tecro returned from the police car after trying to contact the second-in-command, but no one answered. Only the hollow sound of static crackled through the radio, mocking his growing concern. He tried reaching out to other colleagues at the office, but received no response either.
"Sir, something suspicious is going on at the station. No one's answering. Absolutely no one. Do you think that girl might have taken them out?" Tecro asked, visibly nervous, fidgeting with the button on his communicator.
"No, I don't think so, kid. But we need to investigate," Jeff replied with determination, though a shadow of concern crossed his face.
"No, sir. You stay here waiting for mother Ana. I'll go check it out. If anything happens, I'll contact you," Tecro said firmly, placing a hand on Jeff's shoulder to reassure him.
"You're a good friend, Tecro. Thanks," the police chief responded gratefully, giving him a pat on the arm before saying goodbye. Tecro nodded with a faint smile and climbed into the car, starting the engine and driving off toward the police headquarters.
The sound of the engine faded into the distance as Jeff returned to the waiting room, where the silence seemed heavier than ever. He slumped into one of the hard plastic chairs, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts: Ana's life hanging in the balance, the mystery behind the actions of the woman they had captured, and countless other concerns. Everything seemed to converge on an uncertain and dangerous point.
"Everyone has the opportunity to have a new beginning. No matter where you are heading, if you move forward with love and happiness, you will always find a new dawn." These words echoed in his mind like a distant memory, reminding him that even in the darkest moments, there is always hope—words that his beloved Ana had always said.
Jeff closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to find some peace amidst the chaos. He knew that, no matter what happened, he would do everything in his power to protect those he loved. Because that was his oath, his promise, his reason for being.