One moment there were three alive men and an unknown dead man in the room. The next second there were three alive men and two dead men.

However, Alba didn't know who was the second dead person.

Everyone in the room had heard the conversation between Azarov and Axel. They had all heard the gunshot, but after that moment, the communications were turned off, and no one was responding.

Agent 16-E was trying to bring everything back, but Agent 19 was certain that their agents had deliberately turned off their earpieces and microphones.

Alba was trying to locate their people with the satellite, hoping to find them alive.

"Agent 40-S, do you hear me?" She wouldn't stop repeating the question while her fingers were typing fast.

Her wrist was protesting in pain.

Not now. Be patient! she said to her wrist as if it could stop hurting willingly.

"I got them! I see the Chief and Agent O."

Where are you?

A brassy sound filled the Great Room through the speakers, and then a man's voice spoke.

"Azarov is dead. Neva is arrested. We are returning."

Where are you, Axel?

"Sir, what happened?" Assistant Agent X asked, and the whole room was eagerly waiting for an explanation.

"Not now. Make sure that we won't face any surprises on our way back."

Alba's eyes were fixed on the screens, scanning for him.

Oh my God!

A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she saw Axel getting out of the wooden house.

"Good job, everyone! Return to your business. The show is over," Assistant Agent X announced, and only a few people were left in the room.

"Excellent job, Agent 23. Go eat something and rest. They won't be back for a few hours." Agent 16-E was smiling, though the dark circles were visible behind her glasses.

Alba nodded, hearing her stomach growl in agreement.

"I'm coming with you. I need a break for twenty minutes, please."

Agent 16-E was hesitant but gave a sign of permission when she saw the pleading eyes of the sunshine.

The two women entered the restaurant of the base.

"I wonder why we call it that way. It's nothing more than a grey room with tables, chairs and long benches with food."

Alba took a plate and filled it with some meat and mashed potatoes. She had no idea what time it was, but she believed that it wasn't the right time for dinner.

They sat alone, opposite each other, and for a few minutes, no one spoke.

If only I could tell Kayla that her mashed potatoes are no longer the most perfect thing I've eaten, she thought and went to refill her plate.

"So..."

Alba raised her head. "Yes?" The question was muffled between her bites.

Agent 19 stretched her body and moved her head forward. "Did those papers help you?"

"I don't know. Did you read them?"

"I did. I'm curious, you know." She took a bite from her vegetables. "But I don't judge you. When my parents died, I had nowhere to go. The base is everything I know, and they took care of me. However, that hasn't stopped me from dreaming of a life out of here."

"Why do you stay, then?"

She shrugged. "I'm afraid. Here, everything looks simple. There is a protocol for everything. I am not worried about having enough money to rent or buy my food. And then you came, and I got a friend."

Oh...

"Listen, I-"

"I know that you spend a lot of time with Agent 40-S, and of course, you probably don't consider me your friend. I just... I want you to know that if you need help, I'm here. I never had a real friend."

She played with her fork and the food on her plate, her eyes no longer looking at Alba.

"I want to be your friend." She touched the girl's hand.

"Really?" Her smile was shy and fragile.

"Really. I need a friend here, too."

"You have Agent 40-S. He always has your back. We all saw it in Bratislava."

"Sure." Alba avoided looking at her new friend. "Do you know why the Chief would travel to Helsinki?"

Sooner or later I'll have to trust someone. At least, she looks genuine.

"Well, the Chief travels to various places to talk with other businesses and preserve PROTEA's secrecy. We also have one small place run by PROTEA agents."

Alba nodded in disappointment.

"However, I can think of only one thing that is related to that city and would be important given the circumstances."

Agent 19 leaned closer and whispered in a voice so low that Alba barely heard her. "It's the most possible place for Neva's labs."

Perfect! Absolutely perfect! Now what, Alba? Isn't that what you wanted to know? Great job. Now, find a way to escape before they kill you.

"Are you okay? You turned pale."

"I'm tired. I'll go sleep. Notify me if the team arrives." She didn't let Agent 19 say something. She stood up, leaving her plate half-empty and headed to her room.

She closed the door behind her and sat on the ground, caressing her wrist.

I need to see his files. This is the only way to find the truth. I must get into the Chief's office.

She got out of the room and headed there.

Look normal. One more turn to the left, and you are almost there, girl.

She turned at the last corner before the final corridor, relieved that no one was around. She was about to open the door when she heard a noise from the office.

Her heart started beating fast, and she ran to the closest place she could think of.

How fast everything happened! A couple of days ago, Axel trapped me here, and now, I trapped myself.

She opened the door enough to peek and checked the corridor. A few more seconds passed, and the door of the Chief's office opened.

The tall man! What is he doing here?

Seeing the man closing the door and locking it, she hid behind the door and almost stopped breathing.

She calmed down after a minute.

At least now I know that I must find a way to unlock the door first. Isn't it strange that his office is the only locked room in here? Except for the prisons, of course.

Defeated before she even tried, Alba returned to her room and postponed her robbery plan. Letting herself relax, she closed her eyes and fell asleep as strange images filled her mind.

She was in the Chief's office, wearing the usual black clothing. Her hair was shorter, barely touching her shoulders. She wore the silver necklace with the star and was behind the desk, a file and a pen in her hands.

"You can always decline, but I believe you'll be a great addition to our team."

"Thank you, sir. I know what I'm doing." She took the pen and signed the papers.

She raised her head to look at the man, but everything around her changed, and she faced another desk and a computer screen set in a different room.

"Assistant Agent X needs me in her office. Will you be okay alone?"

Alba looked around and spotted the female voice. "Yes, I'm fine."

The room was empty now, and she focused on the screen. However, instead of tracking people on some street cameras, she opened a file and then, another. File after file, she broke every password. Her fingers and her eyes were moving fast, understanding that this was a "once in a lifetime" opportunity.

Numbers filled the screen: coordinates, money, and something she didn't recognize.

"B16XTL. Strange. I haven't heard of that. Where are you?"

She scrolled up and down the page until she found the number she was looking for.

"Bingo!"

She started writing fast in her red notebook, alarmed in case someone got inside the room. The cameras weren't working because she was in charge of updating the system.

Time was running out, and she didn't want to push her luck. She closed the files and opened the one with the information about the agents.

"Let's see what they got on you, Axel Kerr." She smiled playfully.

She jumped from paragraph to paragraph because she knew everything that was written about him. Everything except for the last line: "It was agreed that PROTEA would delete every record of the agent's father. Jaakko Neva's files are no longer accessible, and his existence was deleted."