Jumping off the plane was, of course, not an option. She'd lose her life if she did. Rena wasn't reckless enough to go that far.
After fixing her appearance in front of the mirror until it was at least "presentable," she let out a heavy sigh and returned to the expressionless face she usually wore within the Organization. Since she couldn't reveal her true thoughts, she could only hide behind a blank expression. She had learned that trick from Ritsu.
Already enjoying his first-class meal, Ritsu glanced at Rena, now rid of her disheveled look. The corner of his lips lifted ever so slightly before returning to neutral.
"I shouldn't have ordered anything you can't eat. Let's talk while we eat."
"Are you sure we should be discussing the mission here? Be careful, walls have ears. You know our mission can't be discovered."
"Don't worry. There aren't many passengers in first class on this flight, and they're probably all drowsy right now. No one has the energy to eavesdrop."
Before falling asleep earlier, Ritsu had secretly drugged the other first-class passengers. Not with poison, of course, but with a stronger sedative than the sleeping pill he took himself. It was enough to keep them asleep for the entire journey.
Taking out the map he had drawn the day before from his carry-on bag, he pointed to several key locations and routes. After going over the mission plan with Rena, he added, "Make sure to stay in contact during the operation. That way we can share information immediately and adjust accordingly."
"Got it. So Irish and I will be the ones breaching. Between the two of us, who takes the lead?"
"You don't need to listen to him. Just follow my instructions."
Whenever he was thinking, his left thumb would unconsciously rotate the ring on his index finger. Ritsu spoke calmly, "Just listen to me the whole time. Understood?"
"Understood." Rena had seen that habit more than once. Pretending to be curious, she asked, "Macallan, can I ask something off-topic?"
"Go ahead."
"Was that ring given to you by someone important? I've noticed you always wear it."
He hadn't expected that question. Was it just a woman's natural curiosity? Or was she trying to use the ring to investigate his identity?
Slightly surprised, Ritsu glanced at the ring on his finger and replied flatly, "I bought it myself. Seems like you've misunderstood something about me, Kir."
"Hmm? Misunderstood?"
Ritsu calmly cut into the filet mignon in front of him, its juices pooling slightly on the plate. After placing a bite-sized piece into his mouth and swallowing, he looked at her, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"I don't have anyone 'important.' That kind of troublesome relationship just becomes a weakness."
As he said those words against his true feelings, he even wondered what kind of expression he was wearing.
Rena froze for a moment before smiling lightly in agreement. "Yeah… emotions are the last thing people like us need. You're right."
"If you like it, I can get you one after the mission," Ritsu said, taking a small sip of chilled juice. "Girls like that kind of jewelry, don't they?"
"Heh, no need. I'm not really into accessories, they're easy to lose."
"I see."
The conversation ended there. The two of them finished their meal in silence. There wasn't much for them to talk about in the first place, too much conversation would only risk exposing their identities.
[Ladies and gentlemen, we will soon be landing at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. Please return your seats to the upright position, fasten your seat belts, and secure your tray tables. Thank you.]
The announcement finally echoed through the cabin, signaling the end of the long eighteen-hour journey.
Ritsu shifted slightly in his seat, stretching his body. To be honest, his back and waist were starting to ache. He hated sitting in one place for too long. It felt like being imprisoned.
After collecting their luggage and heading to the airport lockers, they retrieved the key left by the contact, just like during the mission in the U.S. The vehicle and equipment had been prepared in advance, and all they needed to do was use the code to access it.
By the time they arrived at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, it was already 19:52. The drive to Hanko would take about two hours. Conducting the mission at night would greatly improve their concealment but it would also test the sniper's skill to the limit.
After retrieving the key, Ritsu led the group to the parking lot. The contact had prepared a five-seater military-green Jeep Wrangler, spacious enough and suitable for the terrain ahead.
Opening the passenger door, Ritsu got in and casually tossed the keys to the eager Chianti. Ever since getting his license, he had realized that riding was always better than driving. If he could be lazy, he would, that was his life philosophy.
Once they left the airport area and reached the outskirts, they stopped at a stretch of road without surveillance. The four of them got out and began distributing the equipment from the trunk.
Opening a rectangular metal case, Chianti saw a black AWP sniper rifle inside and couldn't help but say, "Macallan, they even prepared your favorite sniper rifle."
"The contact was pretty thoughtful."
"Yeah, they got me a PSG-1 too. With this, I can improve my accuracy by at least five percent."
Instead of praising her, Ritsu corrected her, "Chianti, that's a bad habit. A good sniper should maintain the same accuracy regardless of the weapon. You can't rely on the rifle."
"Sorry, I'll fix that."
Looking at a full bag of fragmentation grenades, flashbangs, and smoke grenades, Irish turned to Kir and asked, "How about you handle support? Take the smoke grenades?"
"Sure."
Ritsu had initially intended to take all the throwable weapons himself, but instead he grabbed a few and stuffed them into his satchel.
"Chianti, take a few as well. Just in case something goes wrong, it'll make retreat easier."
"Isn't that a bit overly cautious? I don't think Finlandia would expect us to attack tonight. Besides, he doesn't even know the Organization has discovered his betrayal."
"Being cautious never hurts. It's for the 'just in case.'" Ritsu always prepared for the worst, not because he was pessimistic, but because he habitually calculated every possibility.
Irish chuckled and gave Ritsu a firm pat on the back. "That's exactly what I like about you. Alright, it's about time, let's move."
"Yeah. As planned, we head to the outer forest closest to sniper point A. Hiding the car there will be safer."
"Got it!"