After the mess with the Lich, Hunter decided it was a good idea to take the office on a vacation for a few days. The destination was a mystery until they arrived at the airport in Honolulu, Hawaii. The entire goal of the trip was to relax and get back to 100%. The plan was a whole week with no work, no interruptions, and whatever they could within regular bounds.
Hunter had his own plan that he quietly kept to himself while Hanson let him know that he planned on spending time enjoying the fine liquors they have on the island along with some enjoyment at some of the shows they have to offer.
Juliet had different plans. She planned on using some of her savings to indulge her shopping habits with the plan of having a new outfit every day they were there for the beach, for the city, and for the night. She was more thinking of hunting for some local islanders but that was put to a quick stop. She had her fill at the army base.
The first day was just to plan. Juliet was able to spend her extra cash on local outfits that would attract some attention. Hanson got to go out and enjoy a few of the shows that they offered. Hunter spent his day sitting in a reclining chair on their porch looking out into the ocean and enjoying his drink of choice for the hour. As the sun began to set, the others returned to the hotel room. Hanson was refreshed with the local culture still fresh in his mind and Juliet with the hope of a long vacation still ahead of her.
Hunter, however, was sitting on the porch with his drink still in his hand and a scowl on his face. As Hanson joined him on the porch he noticed the unpleasant look on his face. "What seems to be the matter, sir?" Hunter didn't say anything. He just handed him his phone which was already on an open email. Hanson's hope for a quiet vacation disappeared as he read the phrase "Mandatory Contract Acceptance". Hunter downed his drink, "Get your things together. We're going to one of the smaller islands for this one. Vacation's over!"
The last sentence caught Juliet's ears and she came running to the crashing sound of her time off. "What do you mean vacation is over?!" Hunter got out of his chair, "We've been employed by the government to take care of a nuisance." It was only hours but they were on an airfield packing into a puddle jumper plane to head to one of the smaller islands where tourists do not go. They had a rough landing on a dirt field where they were greeted in the dark by some of the locals.
They went from the luxurious hotel to a shack that seems like it was built that day. The wind howled through the holes in the wall. Juliet fell to her knees, "If there is a God! Please just kill me now!" She fell to the floor giving up on everything. Hanson and Hunter walked around her putting their stuff down on the shabby table that fell apart from the weight. Hunter sighed, "Yea, I give up too. Let's get this done."
Hunter fell onto the couch falling into the beaten cushion while Hanson took to the bedroom to fall into the bed that was falling apart. Juliet eventually got up and found a chair but the three of them had a bad night's sleep before waking up to the sun breaking in through all the cracks in the walls.
This job required them to take a boat into the ocean to an area where fishing boats have gone missing. More specifically their crews have. Over the past few days, they pulled back 4 empty boats that look as though the people on them just walked off into the ocean. On the car ride to the harbor, Hunter started working on a plan, "I would bet my last dollar that the sirens that were harassing pirates migrated to Hawaii." There were no objections the entire ride to the marina.
Upon arrival, they were greeted by the harbormaster and their government liaison who would be accompanying them. The boat they would be taking would be better than the shack they had but not by much. There was enough space that everyone would have their own space but not much else. A small common area below the deck was about the only other space they had. They all exchanged greetings. Hunter would be going by Ivan again for this mission. Juliet was given Abigale while Hanson stayed as he was.
The boat was packed with a week's worth of food, gas, and supplies including diving gear. Hanson took the helm to get them to the GPS coordinates where most of the boats had gone missing. It would be two days before they reached the location, and in the small boat they had, it might be the boat that killed them first.
Hunter, Juliet, and their liaison were all below deck doing anything to keep themselves occupied while they traveled. Hunter took to playing solitaire while Juliet watched. Their liaison sat across from them reading a book that looked like some kind of field manual. It was hours before they heard the engine stop and Hanson come down to the hold. It was getting late and it was time to give the engine time to rest. Hanson cooked a quick dinner while the others were doing their own thing.
As the food was served everyone finally gathered around the same table. Hunter started to take his first bite when he dropped his fork onto his plate. It grabbed everyone's attention. He was staring across the table with a death stare on the liaison, "So, Mr. Quiet, I really want you to explain what's going on."
"What do you mean, Ivan?"
"The mandatory contract."
"Mandatory?"
"OK! I know you're just a golem but I know that they would not have sent you out here without some basic understanding of what we have to do so start talking!"
Juliet looked back and forth between the two. She could not tell how Hunter was able to identify that this person was a golem. The golem coughed, "You are good at what you do to identify me."
"It's not hard. You were reading your book upside down. You have the basics of being a human but you lack depth. So, start telling me what you know."
"Very well. A few fishermen have gone missing and it's affecting the local island enough that the government had to get involved or the entire island would suffer or disappear trying to pick up the slack. It's believed that something is abducting these people from their boats."
"Any idea what?"
"No idea. I am here as an observer."
"Well, we don't like people twiddling their thumbs so you will be helping. What kind of golem are you? Clay? Silt? What's your core?"
"I do not know. I am just artificial."
"Well, let's hope you don't sink or dissolve when you get thrown into the water."
Hunter continued eating with a grimace on his face to their guest. By the time they finished the sun had set and the darkness of the ocean was beginning to leak into the ship. Hanson and Hunter grabbed a few things from their bag. Each grabbed a change of clothes and a pair of handcuffs. Juliet went into her usual mode, "Oh, looks like you two are going to have some fun on the ocean." Hunter really was not in a joking mood, "If we are up against sirens they can use a song to charm us. If they do that in the middle of the night we're doomed so Hanson and I will have to chain ourselves to the bed. You will have the keys so you will need to wake us up in the morning."
Hanson and Hunter got changed in their private room before they clasped one wrist to the handcuff and the other end to the metal bar on the side of the bed. Both threw the key to Juliet before wishing her a good night. The golem would be sitting up at night to keep guard as he does not require sleep. The beds were better than the night before so the three of them were able to sleep better than the night before.
Morning came when Juliet had to wake the others up. They were still sleeping soundly when she walked in. She nudged them both awake enough that they were able to start moving on their own. Once released from their confinement Hunter took the helm today while Hanson was below deck. It was only a couple of hours before the engine stopped and Hunter went to grab the others.
As they emerged to the open ocean there was a small rocky island before them just within sight. "OK, here's the plan that I have. Golem and I are going to scout. Hanson and Juliet, you two will stay and guard the boat and each other. We're sticking to the buddy system here so no one gets swept away by the siren's song. Questions? Objections?"
Juliet raised her hand a bit, "How does this buddy system work so no one gets taken away?"
"Much like what you can do, sirens lure men to a watery grave so, not being a man, you can keep an eye on Hanson to make sure he does not succumb to the song while the Golem here is not human and is not affected by it."
"That… is really smart."
"I try. Golem, go grab the scuba gear. Hanson, we'll need a better plan after we do some scouting. Until then, read up and do your thing. Juliet, just stay out of trouble."
Within a few minutes, the golem had brought up the gear they needed. Hunter and the golem got dressed and were off of the side of the boat into the abyss heading to the island. Hanson and Juliet were left on the boat by themselves while the two took a look into the situation. As the waves hit the side of the boat the two sat comfortably on the deck waiting for the others to return. The boat swayed back and forth with the waves around them lulling Juliet into a light state of sleep. She listened to the sounds around her of the water washing back and forth until she heard Hanson get up from his seat. "My apologies lady Juliet, did I disturb you?" She stretched out in the sun a bit more, "No, I shouldn't be sleeping anyway." She stands up to join Hanson in the cabin while he reads up on the sirens. The book he has seems quite old compared to what he's had before.
The other team with Hunter and the golem begin upon the island. They take a spot on the beach for Hunter to set up a quick camp for them to dry off their stuff. They have to switch tanks for the next section so they are able to get closer to where the nest is believed to be. Their plan for this is just to scout it out and see what they can do once they get back to the ship. Golem and Hunter prepare for another dive. The water on the opposite side of the island where they believe the nest to be is full of jagged rocks and a lot of underwater plants that make visibility low and dangerous. The rule is to keep to no more than 10 feet and check on the other person in three to five-second intervals while looking around for their mark. This was all to make sure that the two are cared for.
Once back in the water everything feels different. It's almost like the water is thicker. It pushes against the two harder than before. With a diving knife in his hand, Hunter begins cutting their way through the vines. It's a slow process but they continue slowly deeper into the vines and through the rocks. Hunter reaches a point where he quickly doubles back. With a slow hand signal, he motions for Golem to watch behind them while he moves forward. Under a rock slab, there seems to be a section that was cut from the rock from years of work and wear where he finds the layout of what looks like underwater nests for a certain type of fish, the exact kind he is looking for. There are small piles of soft dirt that flow with the minor current that seems to swirl in the area. Slowly moving forward Hunter keeps his eyes open for anything moving. Anything! One wrong move and he will be drowned here.
They may be out hunting right now but for now, Hunter signals for Golem to swiftly and cautiously move back to their dive point to get out of the water. The water lightens up as they leave the vines as they make their way to the beach. The two emerge from the water quickly dragging their stuff up to their camp to dry. Immediately Hunter begins prepping for another task he has while he is here. The contract calls for the removal of the sirens, but it does not call for how they need to be removed. Hunter grabbed parts for an electroshock device that releases a large static charge in wet areas. It's not what he wants to use but to try and negotiate with these creatures he will have to take drastic measures.
Since they are out they will have to wait till near sundown when the open water chills. The sirens should return to their nest and then Hunter will be able to try and make his first move. Golem and Hunter do a bit of fishing of their own for food in the meantime.
Back on the boat, Hanson has been working on researching the sirens to see if there is a specific species of them that would be found in the area. His resources are limited out in the middle of the ocean but even so, he came prepared. Most of his day is spent with his nose in a book until he begins to notice that the sun is shifting through the window of the cabin. He begins prepping food for himself and Juliet who is on deck watching out over the ocean. When the food was finished Hanson called for her but there was no answer. He stepped out onto the top deck to find her sitting in a chair leaning forward and looking out into the water. "Lady Juliet, food is ready."
She still seemed rather out of it. "Lady Juliet?" He tapped on her shoulder bringing her back to where she was. "Huh? What?"
"Lady Juliet, food."
"Oh, right. Thank you, Hanson. I'll be down in a minute."
He nodded, returning below deck. Juliet took her last deep breath before heading inside herself. There was already a plate set out for her waiting on the table with Hanson on the other side. She sat down and began picking at the fish and noodles but never taking a bite. Hanson finished his bite before wiping his mouth to speak with her, "Is something the matter, Lady Juliet?" She let out a deep sigh, "These sirens, what are we going to do about them?" Hanson nodded, "Ah, are you worried about their well-being?"
"I am but at the same time I sympathize with them."
"Yes, if I recall you and your ladies were in a similar situation. It's considered hunting to excess. Sirens are a different breed and unlike the succubus, they are considered more 'feral' so they do not follow the human mentality of thinking. They know they need to hunt and feed but they do not know limits other than satisfaction. If that is what you are worried about I feel that the young master will be able to inform them and have them correct their hunting methods."
"Can you communicate with sirens?"
"Yes, although difficult. If they speak the words of man it's through song so he will have to find a way to speak with them using other methods. They should understand him but it's the return communication that I hope he will be able to cope with."
"Now I'm more worried about Hunter."
"I understand but for now we have to trust in his ability and his partner to take care of themselves. Hurry now, your food is getting cold."
The thought of Hunter trying to communicate with the sirens was still stuck in her mind but she had seen his plan and fight against a Lich. One of the fiercest and darkest creatures to set face on the Earth fell before him because of his quick thinking. She would have to trust him to take care of himself but it was still uneasy with her.
As the sun began to set on the horizon it was time for Hunter to put his plan into action. The two stayed on the island walking around to the rock face where there was a ledge that, if his location was correct, went down under the water to where the sirens were nesting. The two stepped out onto the ledge at a fair distance from the water. Hunter kept the golem behind him while he began slamming a rock against the ground. He did it in sets of three with a slight pause in between before doing it again. He continued until he saw a large group of bubbles emerge from the water before them. He stood up, grabbed the electric device, and pulled the pin. If he was grabbed the plan was to release it, shocking all of them and himself. The top of a head emerged from the water as a light humming came from nowhere. Hunter held up the device as it glowed with the energy inside of it, "Now, you stop that, or all of you will be shocked into floating with your belly up. I'm here to speak with you. Do you understand?"
A few more popped up from the water keeping most of their head under the water but one showed his face. He must have been the alpha male of the group. He bared his teeth at Hunter with a slight hissing noise. Hunter took that as his cue that they were listening. "Good, I want you to know that I do not want to use this." He motioned to the device leaning it towards them, "However, if you do try to lure me I will drop this. If you grab me I will take you all with me. So I want you to listen as I want everyone to be able to swim away from this." The alpha male sunk further into the water still with his head exposed. "Glad you understand. I'm here because there have been too many reports of fishermen gone missing at sea." The alpha male rose out of the water-bearing an open mouth and all his teeth with a vicious hiss. "Hey! I'm not sure if it is your nest but if this is happening in this area you would know, yes?" It backed down and nodded. "Good, I need to be shown where and what is attacking these sailors. My condition is this. One of you shows me where we need to go. You pick which one. We'll follow in our boat and when you show us where, we will leave you alone. I only want to stop the ones that are attacking and hunting outside of the rules. Do you understand?" Again he emerged but this time submerged himself with the others.
Hunter kept a tight grip on the electrical device waiting for them to emerge. It was a few minutes before the alpha male approached the rock with another siren. This was the one who would show them where the troublemakers were hiding. "I'm glad we were able to come to an understanding. Tomorrow at first light we will pack up and head back to our boat, we will show you the way to our boat, and then you will take us to where we need to be." The sirens nodded before sinking back into the water. Even though they were gone, Hunter kept his grip on the device. "Come on, Golem. Back to camp. We have an early day tomorrow." Once they were back on dry land Hunter disabled the charge on the device and packed it away.
It was a long night for everyone. Hanson was handcuffed to the bed again while Juliet was stationed outside his door this time. Hunter and the golem were handcuffed to one another to make sure that they would not try to lure him away. The sun came up early in the morning waking everyone up. Hunter radioed to the boat to get closer to the island but not too close. Once they were in sight they packed their bags and grabbed their scuba gear. At the shoreline, there were two sirens waiting on the beach. The alpha male and the one designated to guide them. Hunter grabbed the device quickly, getting a charge into it. "Remember, only one. As long as they do not attack us they will return to you once the job is done. That is the deal." The alpha male hissed before looking at the second siren. They seemed to click at one another before the alpha male shimmied off the beach into the water. Once geared up Hunter and the golem hit the water swimming back to the boat. Once aboard Hanson took the wheel keeping up with their guide. It was a pretty far ride. A solid four-hour boat to a bunch of jagged rocks just barely sticking out of the water.
Hunter got golem and their gear together quickly. This would not be as easy as the first nest if they were the ones killing sailors. As Hunter put his feet in the water their guide siren emerged from the blue. Hunter jerked back expecting the others to be there. The siren kept most of his body above water while Golem and Hunter got ready. Once prepared, Hunter turned his attention to the siren before him, "A deal is a deal. You tell your nest that as long as they do not break the rules they are free to operate as they see fit." Hunter held out his hand. The siren dove into the water slapping his hand with its tail before darting off back to its island in a dark blur.
Hunter had the device in his hand but this time he had an extra bag. The electronic device was enough to stun them for a short while allowing them to escape. The other bag was something much more dangerous. Something he hoped wouldn't be needed for this. Golem and Hunter braced themselves for what was ahead. Hanson had Juliet stay near the ship's wheel. She knew things were going to be happening when Hanson grabbed a heavy shotgun from the cabin. They were to defend the boat while the other two worked.
Hunter and Golem got off to a quick pace to the rocks but came to a slow, almost crawl, the closer they got. The others were one thing where they were unsure if they were the offenders but this nest was known for attacking people. They had to have their guard at all times. They had a lot to worry about on this visit. The water was very open, there was very little light past a certain point, and Hunter is still susceptible to their call. The two made it to the small spires with no issue. With a heavy rock, Hunter tapped on one of the rocks sticking out of the water letting the vibration rattle to the ocean. He continued until he saw bubbles. Very carefully he went for his diving knife with the electrical device primed in his hand. What would happen in the next few seconds would determine how this whole situation would play out.
Back at the boat, Hanson was prepared himself. He had Juliet behind him ready to grab him if needed. Hopefully, if Hunter's plan went like it was supposed to there would be no need for violence. Even so, everyone had the same fear in their mind. This group was one of the killers who already walked outside of the lines they were bound to abide by. There is no telling what they would do at this point. Their targets up till then did not know they were there. How would they react to a group that knows about them? This was it.
Hunter clenched his knife as he held onto the rock with the shock device in his other hand with a full charge. The bubbles stopped but nothing emerged. Golem trod water to the next spire grabbing on getting himself out of the water but closer to Hunter. With one quiet signal, Hunter let Golem know to be on guard. With one more tap on the rock from the butt of his knife, Hunter sent one more vibration into the water. As he predicted, with his hand loose one of the sirens emerged from the water latching into him and trying to take a bite out of him. The wetsuit was made to take shark bites so the sharp teeth could not penetrate it. Golem took the chance in the struggle to leap from the spire onto the siren where his solid fist made contact with the top of its head causing it to release its grasp. They were unsure if it was dead but Hunter was no longer playing nice. With the timer set, he released the shock grenade into the water. Grabbing a second just in case he watched as the first flashed in the darkness followed by a flurry of bubbles and a horrific sound.
At the boat, they are far enough away that neither really saw what happened. They only heard the water lapping against the side of the boat until Hanson stood up looking out at the water. There were a few black streaks that didn't follow how the waves were moving. He readied himself for a potential fight while making sure that Juliet was well behind him. The boat began rocking back and forth violently throwing the two of them off their balance. There was a loud hissing noise followed by a heavy thump on the deck. One of the escaping sirens jumped up on the boat baring its teeth toward the occupants. Even with the violent shaking Hanson was able to steady himself enough to take a shot at the beast. With a solid hit, the buckshot tore through its face taking a chunk of its head with it leaving the body behind to its last involuntary twitches. "Lady Juliet! Brace yourself!"
Hunter and the golem were in for a fight of their own. The electrical pulse was only enough to temporarily stun them. Those that were not stunned quickly swam off but the ones that were left were sure to take out their anger. A few black streaks circled them as they waited for the retaliation. With only a little warning Hunter was able to move out of the way of a few but one finally got a grip on his leg. Digging its claws into him he was going to do what he could to make sure that Hunter never surfaces. With its sharp teeth, it began tearing apart his tubing and breathing apparatus. Before long others were latching themselves onto him. He felt his oxygen tank release from his back and water begin to fill his mask. He could feel the pressure on his body the deeper they dragged him. He tried to fight back but there were too many coming at him at once. At the moment he thought he was done for he felt his body lurch in sharp pain. He inhaled his last pocket of air before his body was disabled. The clawing stopped but his body felt numb.
Looking around as best he could he saw a flashing red light. It couldn't have been. It was! The bomb they brought with them was armed! He tried to move his body but he couldn't. It was a short timer so he had no idea how much longer he had before it was going to go off. Looking up towards what little light he could see we wondered to himself how this was going to feel. The idea was to have a blast so large that it would push the water outward with enough force to quickly crush the internal organs of the creatures laying waste to the nest. As the sun glimmered off the surface of the water he braced for the unknown. The light disappeared from his sight as it was covered up with blackness. He felt a lurch on his body as he began being pulled upwards. His body shifted to where he was facing down into the depth. The last image he saw was the flashing red light from the bomb illuminating the face of the golem. He had followed him down activating the explosive. He wrapped the safety cord around his waist before deploying the emergency raft. It rapidly inflated bringing him to the surface.
As the raft shot out of the water Hunter was dragged with it. The sudden shock to his body was enough for him to regain control. He climbed up onto the raft quickly looking over the edge at the deep water. He saw the light flash. With only a few moments he grabbed the side of the raft and held on while the water pushed him into the air one more time before slamming him back into the ocean. Looking over the edge he looks for any sign that the golem got away. There is no movement in the water anymore. The sirens are gone. The few that would have survived have scattered. The ones caught in the blast would have been torn to shreds by the water and the remaining chunks would have sunk. With a heavy sigh, Hunter accepted the cold fact that the golem was gone.
Hanson and Juliet sat panting on the deck of the ship. Littered with shotgun shells Hanson held the gun on his shoulder as he sat down. Juliet clutched the ore she had found and used to beat the sirens that were climbing over the edges. The few bodies that were left began to already smell fishy. The deck was beginning to run off from the blood they left behind. The sight was horrid, but the smell was worse. The two took a moment to catch their breath before heading to the spires where Hunter and the golem had gone. The orange and yellow raft stuck out against the water but from their angle, they could not see anyone. There were a few floating chunks of siren in the water. Hanson sighed as he came to the conclusion that there was no reasoning with them so Hunter had to use his last option.
Once closer they were able to see one person laying down in the raft. Hanson blared the horn. The response he got was that the occupant raised one hand. Once aboard they cleaned up the deck, stowed their remaining gear, and began their trip back to the island they departed from. Juliet stayed with Hanson on the top deck while Hunter stayed in his little cabin room. As night fell Hanson left Juliet to help bandage the wounds from the siren attack. Once the task was completed Hunter locked himself into his cabin before Juliet entered. She tried to speak with him but there was no response. Hanson didn't say anything either. He just stopped her from trying for now. He needed to be alone.
Once on shore, everyone grabbed their bags. They were greeted by the harbormaster with a smile and joyous praise for returning. Hunter did his thing, he handed him a piece of paper, gave him a rundown of what their "official" statement should be, then went about their way to the airfield to get back to their island. They landed on the runway, made their way across the tarmac to their plane, and abandoned the rest of their vacation. Hunter kept to himself in isolation until they landed back home. Hanson and he were both uncharacteristically quiet. Once at the office, Hunter dropped his gear, his bags, and everything else was carried by the front door. Hanson collected his things while he darted up the stairs. They approached the stairwell in time to hear him slam his office door.
Juliet tried to ask Hanson but his response was just, "It's best to leave him be." But she couldn't. She tried to peek into his office but his blinds were down, his light was off, and no response when she tried to knock. With a heavy risk but she tried the doorknob. It gave and she was able to open the door. There was just a bit of light from her opening the door. She could see the back of his chair towards her, one hand was empty but the other was out of sight. There was the sound of a glass clinking against something as she walked in. "Hunter?" No response. "Hunter, what's wrong?" His hand twitched first before he raised it to rest his head. The glass clinked again. This time she could see it. It was half full of brown liquor. As she inched her way closer he had a glass decanter within arms reach. The clinking noise was from the little bit left of the ice that had been placed in it.
As she made her way around his desk he rotated in his chair away from her. His open hand grabbed the decanter to fill the half glass back to almost full. Once the decanter was placed back the other glass went up. There were three heavy gulps before an exhale. The glass was back to half empty in his hand. "Hunter, speak to me. What's wrong?" His open hand moved but went back to limp on the chair. He tried to form words. She could hear him mutter, stutter, and make sounds, but none of it was understandable. He had another gulp before he could form words, "Golem ended his life to save mine, for that I am grateful, however! It was not his choice to make!" His words were slightly slurred. His actions were delayed. He had been drinking since before their flight home.
"He knew full well that his contract was to ensure the job was done. He knew that he was supposed to return and report what happened. Instead, here I am when I should be at the bottom of the ocean." He had another large drink before reaching for a refill. "Hunter, I'm sorry…"
"On top of that! He made my decision to use the explosive to remove the nest! That was not his call!"
"Oh, Hunter. Hanson told me what happened and you need to know it's not your fault. You would have died if he hadn't acted."
"Exactly! The sirens would have been taken care of! He would have returned! And I! And, and I…"
"You would have left me without a master."
Her words hit him. The chair moved up as he pulled himself up from his slumped position. "Hunter, if I had not cooperated with you in Texas, what would you have done to me?" He inhaled with a pause trying to think about the question. "I… I honestly don't know. Our last contingency would have been to decapitate you, remove the body, and quickly hunt the rest of the brothel to do the same."
"And could you have?"
"...yes. I don't like to, I don't want to, but it would have had to have been done."
"You would have done what was needed because that is what is expected of you, but you try not to and try and find a different way around to where everyone can walk away. That is what makes you a good person. You go above and beyond to help those who need it."
"I..."
"No, no fighting me on this. What happened was unavoidable and Golem knew that. He did exactly what you would have done and worked towards the least amount of damage which just so happened to be you be the one to walk away. Listen to me."
She turned his chair around to see his face. His eyes were watery and bloodshot from crying and drinking. His face was pale, and his body looked cold. With a warm hug, his body stopped shaking, "You cannot let past mistakes destroy you. It only makes the effort those put in for you in vain."
His glass fell out of his hand spilling the little bit of drink on the floor. With both arms, he grabbed her as tight as she could holding her close. He buried his face into her shoulder. "You're a good man, Hunter." With a few heavy sobs, he falls back to his chair. He picks up the glass, putting it back on the counter. "Thank you Hisari. I need a moment though."
"I understand."
As quickly and quietly as she could she stepped out into the hall. As the door clicked behind her she stepped back to see Hanson with a fresh bottle in his arms. She looked at him with tears in her eyes. Hanson gave a slight smile, "Those who fight the hardest often break the worse."
"Because of the stress that they feel they need to bear alone."
Hanson nodded in agreement. He went to take a step but Juliet stopped him, "He doesn't need that." It was unusual to see Hanson smirk, "This is for us, for a job well done. More than just with the sirens." With a sly wink, he led her to the conference room where they shared a drink to do just that; a job well done, helping the recovery of a good friend, and for a fallen comrade who will never be forgotten.