006. Trouver Et Tuer
Nora found herself engaging in conversation with Elodie and Sabine as Pierre wrapped up his discussion with Andrei on his device. What started as an awkward exchange quickly became more comfortable, thanks to the women’s easygoing demeanor. They brushed off her earlier mistake, even going so far as to show her their scars with a sense of pride.
"There isn’t a single FN member without battle marks," Sabine remarked, her tone light but her words heavy with the weight of experience. As Nora listened to their stories, she began to grasp the gravity of the responsibilities they bore and the constant dangers lurking in their line of work.
Elodie, who only moments before had been lying wounded on the table, now stood tall, dressed and seemingly unscathed. She and Sabine each selected a pair of brass knuckles and large knives, securing them behind their backs with practiced ease. As she noticed Nora’s curious glance, Elodie offered a terse explanation.
"When bullets can’t pierce bulletproof creatures, melee weapons might still give you a fighting chance—if you’ve got the skills to use them."
Pierre and the others were preparing to leave when Guillaume's phone rang, the sharp tone cutting through the tense atmosphere. The curly-haired man’s face grew serious as he listened, his brow furrowing deeper with each passing second. After a brief exchange, he walked over to Pierre, his expression grim.
"A Russian student was found dead in her apartment," Guillaume reported.
"Location?" Pierre demanded, frustration etched into his features. The very scenario he had been desperate to avoid had unfolded.
"Ville des Rois, the student apartment complex right next to the university area. Olivier Granger is already on the scene with some police officers."
“Circle the black zone and activate TET!” Pierre ordered, his voice steely with resolve.
At those words, a palpable tension rippled through the group. Nora noticed the sudden shift in their demeanor—expressions hardened, eyes gleamed with a new intensity. Pierre's command seemed to ignite a spark of determination in each of them. Without hesitation, they moved swiftly toward the elevator, exiting the scrap metal disposal site known as the dépotoir.
Guillaume, Sabine, and Elodie mounted their motorcycles, engines roaring as they sped off into the night. Pierre pulled Nora into his sedan, and the car shot forward. He drove with reckless abandon, weaving through traffic so aggressively that even with her seatbelt fastened and clutching the headrest, Nora feared for her safety. The car only slowed when they entered the busier streets of Centre Ville, the congestion forcing Pierre to finally ease up on the gas, allowing Nora a momentary breath of relief.
"What do you mean by TET, Mr. Balzac?" Nora couldn't suppress her curiosity, though her heart still raced.
"Trouver et tuer," Pierre answered curtly. "No negotiations with creatures that have killed more than one human."
"Do you usually negotiate with... mutant terrorists like that?" she pressed, her voice tinged with disbelief.
Pierre fell silent for a moment, slowing the car as they approached a crosswalk near Place de Verdun.
"They’re not terrorists or mutants," he continued. "They’re beings from other dimensions. Our world is just one of many, scattered across unseen partitions in the vastness of the universe—who knows how far it stretches. Like humans, these beings sometimes wander into other worlds, including ours. FN’s mission is to help those who wish to return and seal the interdimensional rifts that connect worlds that should remain separate. But if they pose a threat to humans, FN eliminates them without hesitation."
Nora stared at Pierre, her mouth slightly agape, eyes wide with disbelief. Everything she had witnessed at the dépotoir defied her skepticism, yet her logical mind struggled to accept the existence of worlds beyond her own.
"There are some beings who can’t return to their world," Pierre continued, his tone more measured. "If they’re willing to cooperate and abide by our laws, we help them assimilate into human society. That’s part of what Force Noire does, Nora."
"Are there really other beings living as humans?" she asked, the question almost escaping her in a whisper.
"Plenty," Pierre confirmed, his tone brisk. "Though French regulations prohibit interdimensional beings from participating in FN activities, other countries have integrated them into their task forces. The United States, Japan, Indonesia—they’ve all benefited from the unique technologies these beings bring, which in turn, aid task forces worldwide, including ours."
"Like the technology at the dépotoir?"
"Exactly. A few years ago, the Indonesian task force even managed to decipher the universal language understood across all dimensions. They immediately shared it with every EPCU task force around the globe. Our work transcends politics and borders; we’re united in our mission to protect humanity. But ironically, the biggest obstacles often come from the very people we’re trying to protect. Take the Indonesian task force, for example. They no longer exist—betrayed by their own government."
Nora fell silent, her thoughts in turmoil. The preconceptions, theories, and deductions she had built around FN were shattered. The woman understood that she had only glimpsed the tip of an immense iceberg, with the true extent of the FN’s world lying submerged and unseen beneath the surface. The mere outline of their tasks made her feel insignificant, like a novice facing a vast and unfathomable expanse.
"Do you carry any gun, whatever it is?" Pierre's question disrupted Nora's thoughts.
"I have a Glock 17," she responded, her voice trailing off.
"You’d better leave it in the car. Bullets seem to only make Miss X more ferocious."
Nora’s concern was palpable. "What if she attacks me, Mr. Balzac?"
Pierre's gaze was steady as he replied, "The Russian soldier we saw in her memory survived because he didn’t fire his weapon. Dealing with interdimensional beings isn’t like handling humans. Sometimes, the best way to survive is to stay still."
Without further protest, Nora carefully retrieved the semi-automatic pistol from her waist and stowed it in the dashboard compartment, her movements slow and deliberate. Curiosity edged her voice as she asked, "Do beings from other dimensions look like us—like Miss X?"
"Some are enormous and terrifying, while others are so tiny they’re nearly invisible," Pierre explained. "No, Nora. Not all beings from other dimensions resemble humans."