Everyone watched the large clock on the back porch where they were instructed to start. Looking down, Juliet could see all the groups lined up. Hanson and Hunter looked as collected as ever. They were talking amongst themselves pointing out over the landscape and devising a quick plan. The other groups were looking out as well. Except one. Charlie was looking back into the lodge for a moment before looking up and catching eyes with Juliet. Something sent a chill down her spine until he looked away. There was something very off about that man.
The clock rolled over to 9 and the rumbling bass of the horn echoed through the place. Birds were startled out of their trees by the horn and the hunters as they yelled taking off into the grass. Hanson and Hunter stayed behind for a minute before walking off on their own. That strange man Charlie stayed for half a minute before calmly walking off in a different direction.
Before the two disappeared into the treeline they both looked back at Juliet giving her a sign that they would be alright. Hunter had his rifle bag on his back while Hanson had their pack at the ready. Juliet started her timer as was their plan. Wait five minutes, then deploy the drone for an initial sweep of where the groups decided to go. Once that information was relayed she would begin hunting on her own. Looking for the child. If she could find him and lead Hunter and Hanson to him before the others, then this would be a quick job.
Her timer went off and the drone was deployed. It leveled itself out once it left the base. She checked its GPS connection, different camera modes, and once the checklist was done she sent it out into the world. It hummed quietly in the room and before long was lost against the clouds. Her feed was strong on the laptop. The response was very quick. She could easily adapt to it as she started searching the area. The thermal camera picked up a group going over a clearing where a tree had fallen. She switched to a normal view to see who it was. The faces matched that of Conney and Mike. They seemed to be pointing to the ground and measuring out a space. Did they find a camping spot? Juliet got on the radio and sent in their location to Hunter and Hanson. She got back a quick response that they had heard her.
Her hunt continued! The drone hovered around as she switched between the different view modes trying to find another group. Something warm flashed on the thermal but disappeared rather quickly. She called it into the group and to her surprise, it was Hunter and Hanson that she had run across. They were pretty far out there for leaving after the other groups. She spent the next hour looking for other groups before she got a radio call from Hanson, "Lady Juliet, if you are still using thermal imaging, it will be useless during this time. The ambient temperature is getting to the body temperature. You will be unable to locate anyone." She swapped to a normal view before radioing back that she had heard them. Another hour passed with no luck finding another group. She got an alert that the battery on the drone was getting to the point where it would have enough power to return. It had a great little feature where it could return itself to its base. With no other option, she let it find its way home. To save power it shut off its camera and any other systems that would drain power.
She gave the message to Hanson that they were without drone support for a few hours while it charged again. She got a reply and was released until it was charged. This was her chance to head downstairs and talk to that Francine lady from the camping group. She was curled up in one of the oversized chairs with a tablet. She looked to be reading something intently. Now was a better time than any. "Hey, why didn't you go out with your group?" She didn't get a worded response. It was just one finger to wait while she read a bit more. She flipped the page before turning off the screen giving Juliet her attention. "I'm sorry, I don't believe that I've met you yet."
Oh hell. Juliet wasn't given an alias for this trip. She defaulted back to a previous one, "Abigale, a pleasure to meet you." She got a smile from the lady, "Francine, pleasure is mine." She shifted in the chair to get more face-to-face with Juliet. "I didn't go with them because I think that this hunting sport that they enjoy is sickening. I like to go camping with them but when they incorporate their hunting hobby, I prefer to be as far away as I can."
This person was someone Juliet could agree with. She was not up for this game and chose an easier way to spend the weekend. "What about you? Why didn't you go with your… boyfriend and his dad?"
She stifled a chuckle. Is that how people saw them? Her boyfriend and his dad? "I am here for the vacation, not the event. I was told good food in a remote lodge." She sold the lie. Francine related to it and began to open up about her group. They weren't good hunters, in fact, if it didn't come to them they oftentimes went home empty-handed. They were much better survivalists than anything else. The fact that they paid such an outrageous amount to wander around the woods for a few days was beyond her. Juliet got her to open up more about her personally and really built that relationship with her for an hour until lunch came around. Even those staying behind were treated well.
This was not a simple lunch either. The meat was pristine, the sandwich was warm, and it filled the stomach and the soul. She could not understand how a place like this could give such a warm feeling. The two ate together and chatted a bit more. Juliet politely excused herself to let Francine continue her book.
She returned to the room to find that the drone had fully charged. She got it started back up and roamed outside once again. She looked over the map she had and went to a different area than what she had looked over before. She kept close to the lodge the first time. Now that they had time to adventure out, she needed to make a straight line out and work further away. The signal booster was really working. She had to have it running straight out in a line for half an hour and only dropped one bar. She found a spot and started looking around. It was still too warm for thermal. She had to use her eyes to look for any movement. She ran across one of the groups though. They were working in an open area but they didn't look like the camping group. She zoomed in to identify them as Bill and Derek, the trapping group.
Juliet called Hunter and Hanson only to get back a response of "We know." They had been hunting them for a while and were waiting for them to find a trail to follow.
On the ground and in the thick of it. Hunter was lying down near a tree using the exposed roots as a brace for the rifle. He kept his sights on the two of them as they were digging around in the dirt. They were laying traps where they found evidence of something being there. They didn't have the ability to hear them but they knew that if they were putting down traps they were making their move. The two conversed amongst themselves coming up with an action. They radioed into Juliet, "Do you still have eyes on them?"
"I do."
"We need you to keep a watch on them until we say otherwise. If you notice them leaving, let us know."
She agreed and let them work. She couldn't see where they were. They must have been pretty far away but she did as she was ordered. It was a few minutes before she heard back from Hunter, "Juliet, you are free to move on from them." The drone hummed off in another direction. She kept her eyes on the camera looking for other groups when a noise caught her attention. It sounded like someone set off a small firecracker far away. There was a second one shortly after the first.
She sat back in her chair trying not to think about it. It bothered her to a deep recess in her heart. She just reminded herself that this was for the child and moved on. After another half hour of scanning the drone alerted that it needed to return to charge. She set the homing path radioing the two that they were without drone support again. It was starting to get late. There was the sound of more footsteps downstairs. A few of the groups had returned for the day. They weren't going to stay out in the elements overnight. William, Anne, and Jerry returned for the night. Jerry's camera died and the spare battery he brought wasn't charged. He seemed rather pissed that he wasn't going to be in the night segment. William and Anne knew better than to be out in this environment at night. They would rather have a warm meal, a soft bed, and try again in the morning.
It was rather quiet compared to the night before. Without all the rambunctiousness from the party groups, it was a rather nice evening. Juliet had to keep an eye on the time to return to the drone. Once it was ready to go again, she sent it out. The sun had started to set. Everything seems to cool off as well. The thermal started working better. She could see a lot of animals that were out and about so she knew that she would be able to see the other groups and hopefully the boy. She sent the drone out in a straight line as before but changed course after 10 minutes. She had to do what she could to cover as much area as possible. The more the sunset, the better everything looked.
Her brain kind of spaced out for a moment as she moved around. There were a lot of smaller animals and occasionally a deer that would grab her attention but nothing else really stuck out. For a few minutes, she started to get ready to have the drone return when an odd shape caught her eye. It was just one but it seemed to be moving slowly. "Hunter, I have a single heat signature in the woods." There was a pause before they replied, "Can you confirm that it's not Charlie?"
She switched to the regular camera but it was now too dark to see a face. "I cannot. It's too dark where they are. The shadows are too strong."
"Where are they in relation to our location?"
She turned to the laptop and switched to the GPS view. Hanson and Hunter were blinking while the drone was a red dot. "The drone is northeast of you. I'd say a mile or close to. I'm looking… north with the camera so another quarter mile north." She was very unfamiliar with what she was saying. Hanson gave her a general overview of how to report positions but it was rather complicated. "How much battery is on the drone?"
"It says about 2 hours before it has to return."
"OK, keep an eye on that signature and let us know if it moves. You'll also be directing us towards it."
She switched between the camera and the GPS map trying her best to get them where they needed to be. The two on the ground had a lot to cover before they were anywhere close to where the drone was. They had to fight the hills, the trees, the debris, and nature itself as they fought to move around while avoiding anyone else who may be around them. They moved slowly, but they moved diligently. She kept an eye on them radioing occasionally letting them know to adjust or if they were on the right track.
Her nerves were starting to get to her. If it was the boy then they would be done. If it was Charles, then who knows what would happen. Would he fight back? Would he leave them be? She kept looking back and forth. The heat signature stopped moving once it reached an open field. Its arms moved and appeared to be pointing upwards. She looked closer. Whoever it was, they were pointing at the drone. "Hunter, I think it's Charlie. He's pointing at the drone."
"Break contact, bring the drone back to the lodge, and let it charge. Hanson and I will disengage and move elsewhere."
She had never heard him talk like this before. He was very strict. His voice was stern, keeping his words to a minimum. Juliet called the drone back using its autohome. Since it didn't need to charge she was able to move the camera and look around while it flew back. She could see a few people from the lodge on the back deck lying down with something in their hands. Maybe a drink or some food. The drone was quiet enough that they didn't even notice it fly over as it landed on the base station on their balcony.
Her nerves were shot. If that was Charlie, how did he see the drone? There are no lights on it. It was designed to be as stealthy as possible. She had to have been 500 feet above him and he still managed to spot it in the air in near-pitch darkness. It was going to be an hour before the drone was fully charged again. It was best that she get a nap in before setting it off again. She was going to be up all night watching the woods for any movement. Any sleep she could steal was worth it.
Hunter and Hanson started moving in the opposite direction from Charles. They continued to move towards their original goal. There was a small stream that ran through the area. It would be a good spot to look for signs of the child. He would be scared but he would still need to eat and drink. There were a few places where he could stop but this one would have guaranteed fresh water coming down from the melting snow. The two stopped at the base of a tree looking over their inventory. "Two bullets fired, right Hanson?"
"Yessir."
Hunter ejected the magazine reaching into his chest pocket and pulling out a few loose rounds. He loaded the two that were missing back, replacing the magazine. "I was really hoping that those two had more to go on but instead they were just hoping to chase him back to the area and snare him there. Those were nasty traps too. Razor wire is nothing to mess around with."
The trapping duo had set up an ambush. The razor wire would have trapped the child, cutting the skin but holding him in place. As long as he didn't squirm it wouldn't cut worse. They disabled the trap and stashed everything away so it wouldn't hurt anyone. As for the trappers themselves, they were out of this game.
They were ready for a long night, occasionally stopping to rest. They had already had a few mishaps with trips, slips, and falls. Hunter's left side fell into a mud puddle that had now started to dry. The cloth was still wet and they didn't have an easy way to dry it out. He was going to have to deal with it. Hanson sprained his right wrist catching himself on a tree as he got caught on a vine. This area was overloaded with vegetation. If these two seasoned professionals were having an issue, then this really was an area that was difficult to traverse.
Their plan for the night was to rely on Juliet as she uses the thermal to find people. During the downtime when the drone is charging, they will rest as well to keep themselves going. They would trade off on watch so someone would be on the radio at all times if Juliet calls. They had some downtime for now as the drone was down. It gave them a chance to go through some of the rations that they kept in their pack. This was the first real downtime they had all day. "Remind you of your Army days, sir?"
"Eh, a little bit. I prefer the Taliban to these people though."
The radio crackled after a while with Juliet letting them know that the drone was back up again asking if they had a request about where it would head to next. To keep things simple, they asked if she could keep an eye on them as they moved. With the heavy foliage they had little light to see anything out here. The night vision they had was simple and having something with a wider view would be much more beneficial. Once the drone was in their area they moved in a guided direction looking for traces of anything that should not be there. Juliet kept an eye on the thermal around them hoping to luck on to the boy but no luck this night.
They rotated on and off, resting when they could and hoofing through the dark with assistance from the sky. The morning light came, providing a lot more sight for the boots on the ground. Juliet was able to start using the regular camera for any odd colors. It was a few hours before she had to break away from the group to keep up appearances with the others still in the lodge. She stopped for breakfast and a chat with Francine. She hadn't heard from her group overnight but knowing them, they found a spot to camp for the night. Once her social obligation was done, she was back to being covert. She used the thermal as long as she could until it started to get too warm. Luck was on their side. Clouds started moving into the area that provided cover from the warmth. Luck then spat at them as it began to rain an hour later.
The drone could work in the rain but it became harder to control. Plus, Hanson and Hunter were not in waterproof clothing. It had some resistance to the wet but once it broke through, it would soak to the skin. Everything glowed hot though. The thermal was going to be their best bet to get an eye on anyone. Juliet was keeping her eyes peeled when something grabbed her attention. Something was shining in the rain. "Hunter, to your right, about… 200 meters? Something is reflecting into the camera. I can't see what it is."
She got a simple response as the two shifted direction. She watched as they went, adjusting their direction as they got closer. "Juliet, we found the streamers."
"What do you mean you found?"
"Well, something found them first. I'll spare the details but we are collecting their cameras."
That made her stomach turn. If he was going to spare her from it, then it had to be bad. Hopefully, there was something on their cameras that would help them find out what happened there. "Juliet, is their third member still in the lodge?"
"No, he left this morning."
"Copy."
He didn't say more. He must not be in danger if he didn't clarify. It was a "no news is good news" kind of situation. Or at least she hoped that's what it was. She had to recall the drone back to the base station to charge. This gave her the time to head back down to the main floor for lunch. The clouds in the area gave the foyer a very different vibe. Everything seemed a lot more calm. This was the last day to find the dragon though. She was sure that there would be more tension in the air but all the hunters were out in the field. Francine though was curled up in her chair again. Juliet didn't even have to say anything to get her attention this time. She perked up as she approached.
They got into a conversation about the book Francine was reading when the radio crackled in Juliet's ear. "Juliet, we found the campers. We may not be the only ones hunting out here." Juliet did everything she could with this information without alerting Francine. She excused herself to head back upstairs. The drone wasn't fully charged but it was good enough to get a few hours out of it. She got it into the air and out into the wilderness. The rain let up making it easier to get moving quicker.
Their deadline was coming near. With the others being killed, either by nature or not, the fire was lit underneath them. Juliet ran the drone at max capacity looking for anything warm. There was a fallen log that ran hot in one spot raising suspicion. Juliet called it into the group wandering the grounds. She gave them a direction and the closest to an accurate distance she could. The drone stayed in the area watching the heat source.
It didn't move, it didn't do the weird action of pointing at the drone. It very well may be who they are looking for. Juliet was hoping this was it, that they could be done. The two familiar heat signatures wandered into view. She had never seen these two move like this before. She could make out the long rifle that Hunter had carried with him. Hanson had his arms in a ready position as the two moved closer. She watched as they moved around the area. Hunter knelt to the ground standing back up almost instantly. "Juliet, we found him. He's ok. We're going to head back as quickly as we can. We need you to keep an eye on us as we move. If the drone needs to return, swap out to the reserve battery and get it back into the air."
There was a sigh of relief. After this whole mess, after this whole ordeal, it was almost over. She looked back to her monitor feed from the drone. She quickly scanned the area finding another two signatures. "Hunter, you have company just 10 meters from you." She waited for the reply but nothing came. She panned back to the two she knew. One was holding the warm mass from before. "Hunter?"
"Yes Juliet, we know."
Hanson was pointing towards the two masses that were now approaching them pointing back. Hunter's long rifle lay on the ground out of reach as they approached. Her heart jumped as the situation started to make more sense to her. They were squared off against someone who wanted that dragon. Juliet sat there at the monitor watching. She had no sound, she had no real visual on them. She switched between the thermal and regular trying to make out anything. The only way she could see anything was with the white-hot thermal imaging.
She muttered to herself as the standoff continued. Hunter put one hand out towards the other two. He seemed to be talking to them. Was it working? She couldn't hear anything. Should he dive the drone in to distract them? It all hit her so fast.
She saw a flash from Hanson and a jerking motion from Hunter before another couple flashes. The two other hot masses fell to the ground. The two hot masses she knew walked over to them. Her radio crackled again, "Juliet, the newlywed couple are no longer in play." It wasn't the best conclusion to the situation, but it was what happened. She moved the camera away from them as Hunter and Hanson started moving again with the boy in tow.
They made it halfway when the drone signaled it needed to charge. The call went out as she recalled it back. She had the battery at the ready for when it landed. She pulled the old one, put in the new one, and sent it away again. It was at a full charge so it could run for another two to four hours depending on the use. There was plenty of time on the battery for them to return. They were slower moving this time as they were carrying the extra load with them. But with patience, Juliet got to watch them emerge from the treeline behind the lodge.
The drone docked itself while Juliet ran downstairs to greet them. They looked terrible. Hunter was covered in dirt and mud with scrapes and scratches all over his hands and face. Hanson didn't look too much better as he had his wrist in a quick brace to prevent him from moving it. Both of them were hungry, tired, and ready to go home. The poor boy thought he was the worst. It was obvious that he was starved during his time here. Who knows how long that was. His face was covered in dirt. You could see where he had been crying. His clothes were ragged and almost falling off of him if you could even call what he was wearing clothes. It looked more like a sheet that had a hole cut in it for his head to fit through.
They walked into the foyer greeted by the booming voice of their host. "Look at that! We have our winner who even managed to bring him back alive!" Hunter handed the boy to Hanson. As he turned back he gave the truest straight in his life to the jaw of their gracious host. He hit the wood floor with a hard thud. He scrambled to get back up but was cut short by the sight of a still-hot pistol in his face. "Move, please, I dare you. I would love nothing more than to scratch this itch I've had since I've gotten here."
The gravity of the situation began to sink in. "You're… You're a contractor." He fell back to the wooden floor covering his eyes with his arm. He knew he was beaten. He knew he was done. There was nothing at this point he could do. It was going to be some nasty cleanup for the next few hours.
Francine came down from upstairs to this scene before her. She had caught part of the conversation but wanted to know more. "Who are you people?" Her eyes went to Juliet who was oddly joyous that their host was on the ground. It clicked that they were not who they said they were. There would be a lot of explaining that would take place. There were still a lot of missing pieces though. Where were the other participants?
Some could be accounted for, but the oil tycoons, the third streamer, and the local couple were still not accounted for. The echoing horn sounded through the wilderness as the sign to return but as the hours passed, no one returned. The kitchen was scraped over for food for their last dinner. It was bittersweet for Francine. She had to learn about the fate of her friends in a rather unsettling way. The streamer group's equipment was missing their memory cards. Being that far out in the wilderness, they weren't able to send their video feed live out to the internet.
The sun was starting to set when the assistance Hunter called in arrived. Their gracious host and his staff were escorted out with about as much dignity as they deserved. There was a second phone call that was made which lightened the mood. Her presence could be felt as she walked through the doors. Her beaming smile at the sight of her son made this whole excursion worth it. "Michael!" His eyes beamed, finding the little bit of energy he had left, "Momma!"
She ran across the floor falling to her knees and grabbing her baby boy. "I'm so happy you're ok!" Her voice was choked as she tried to contain herself but her motherly instinct got the better of her. She lifted her boy off the ground refusing to let him walk on his own. The three stayed back watching this play out knowing their time would come around. "Thank you all so much. I knew you would be able to do this. I knew I was right to trust you." Hunter forced a smile. At this moment, everything in his body hurt so showing that little bit was all he could muster. She made them a promise, "I will make sure you are paid well for this. I owe you a personal favor that when you need it, call me any time. I will make it happen."
Hunter nodded as best he could, "We were glad to help. We're glad your son is ok. He may need some rest but he'll be alright." She was escorted out by her guards. They shut the door behind them as they left, leaving the rest to their own devices. Francine got her stuff together to get ready to leave without her friends. Juliet tried to talk to her but she wasn't listening. She even offered her a helping hand but she was shot down. Hunter and Hanson didn't even get to make eye contact with her. She was gone as soon as she could, taking the vehicle the group had arrived in.
The group needed to get themselves ready to head out as well. Hunter really wanted a shower before they headed out themselves. They needed to pack, and they needed to tear down the home base. There was a lot that they needed to do. But due process first. Hanson volunteered to stay downstairs and work with the authorities to provide a report of what happened and the known whereabouts of the other participants allowing Hunter to head upstairs and clean up first. Juliet would start tearing down the base while he took care of himself.
While she tore down the board she listened to the water run from the bathroom. Occasionally he would sigh or groan as he scrubbed. As she packed up the laptop she brought herself back to the standoff in the woods. How close was she to not being here in this situation? How close was she to losing her boss? She sat down in the chair taking a moment to breathe. This was… This was a rough job. It'll be one that will stick with her for a while.
She heard the water shut off with the door opening shortly after. Hunter walked out in a pair of black shorts and a black t-shirt. His hair was still wet but he was working on it with the towel around his neck. "Juliet, did you get everything torn down or do you need help?" His eyes finally took in what was going on as he caught her sitting in the chair. She still had that look of concern on her face. There was some relief though in seeing him in front of her.
His arms fell to his side as he relaxed with a small smile. "Juliet, you did good work this weekend. We wouldn't have been able to do it without you." The smile faded as he looked down to his feet. "There's… There's a lot we wouldn't have been able to do without you." The room fell quiet as the two of them stayed still. Juliet went to stand up to continue cleaning up. There was a lot that still needed to be done. The drone needed to be packed, the laptop put away, the board broken down, and clothing stashed.
Hunter broke the silence with a cough. He moved his feet shoulder-width apart crossing his arms. He racked his mind trying to think of something to say. "I also owe you an apology." His hand moved to scratch his eyebrow as he fidgeted on the spot. "If I'm being honest, when I more or less recruited you, I didn't think you would be assisting with these types of jobs. This is normally the stuff that just Hanson and I would take care of. You would be on another field team working smaller cases that were more local to the area. After what happened today, I'm sorry to have pulled you into these kinds of situations."
Juliet tried to keep a stiff upper lip. She was more than happy to help even though she joined in under less than pleasant circumstances. Even since the beginning, she noticed that he cared not only about completing the job but completing the job correctly. He could have killed her back in Texas and taken down her Brothel. Instead, he gave her the chance to reform herself and let her girls escape. Not a lot of contractors would have done that. Not after the atrocities they committed.
He looked back at the door before turning back to her. "I also owe you an apology for lying to you." The confusion hit her like a train. Where did he bring this from? Everything about this job seemed rather straightforward. He continues, "After the job with Djinn, you let me know there was one more question to answer."
"Do you remember what it is now?"
"I remembered what it was at the time but didn't have an answer." He rolled his shoulders, "Rather, I didn't know how to answer."
Try as he might, his body kept stiffening up. He tried to relax as best he could but it just kept tensing up. His nervousness made Juliet tense up with him. They had that week off after the job with the Djinn. She spent the entire week trying to rest and recover but spent most of it worrying that she may have screwed up.
Her mind starts racing but his words keep coming. "I know you talk to Hanson. I don't know how much he has told you but I can only assume it's more than he should have so I want to clarify a few things. I was married before and I can say that this job destroyed my marriage. I spent weekends away, working. Late nights, and a lot of time just away. But it's a job that needs to be done. So we parted ways. Since then I've just been focused on my work trying to keep some type of balance." Sharing this seemed to make him uncomfortable but it was something new. He was opening up to her. A lot more than usual and not just about his professional life.
With a deep breath he closed his eyes before looking at her with an intense stare, "To put it bluntly, I care about you. A lot. But will work drive a wedge again? And we're coworkers. The week off wasn't enough for me to answer these questions." Juliet crossed her hands in front of her, gripping them tightly, "But, do you have an answer?"
"My answer is…" He bit his lip trying to breathe. "My answer is I'm scared."
It was not an answer she was expecting or prepared for. Her grip tightened, whitening her knuckles as she prepared for more. He didn't look like he was done though. "Juliet, you need to understand all the issues I foresee. Not just coworkers but we are different in that…"
"I'm a monster…"
The tears started to well up in her eyes at the thought. Hunter shut her down quickly, "You are not a monster! You are a succubus. And I don't know how the interspecies part of this works. Juliet!" He barked at her, catching her attention one more time. "There are so many reasons to say no but I still want to say yes but it's so damn hard for me to make this decision! It's not just what I want but what's best and it kills me!"
The tears started to dry on her face. The crying turned to a smile she tried to hide behind her hands. She could see that it was killing him. His concern is what changed her demeanor. She stepped up to him softly stepping on the hardwood. In his fit, she calmed him with a quiet "shh" placing her finger on his lips. "Hunter, thank you." The change of pace forced him to slow down. His frustration settled to just unease. He still hadn't given a straight answer as it ate him up inside.
She continued to hush him into a more peaceful state, "You've told me enough. Now that I know how you feel, I propose that we take it slow. Maybe a date night. But keep it quiet for now. Stay professional at work and all that. I know you can separate your personal life and work pretty well." She let her hand fall to her side to give him a chance to answer. He knew how to collect himself.
His eyes closed, he took a deep breath and was able to look her in the eyes. "I would like to see if there is something there." The weight was lifted from his shoulders as he said those words. He could smile about it as well. For as short as Juliet was, she could get up to Hunter's level pretty easily, "There, feel better?"
"I do, yes."
She grinned as she closed the gap between them. "Good." She sealed their new deal with a soft kiss. For her, his lips were stiffened from nerves. This could tell her more about him than anything else could. For him, her lips were warm and inviting. A succubus temptress at heart but a caring woman first and foremost. The light kiss turned into a long embrace with Hunter wrapping his arms around her to bring her close. She didn't fight and stepped closer pressing herself against him. She could smell the shampoo wafting off of him. The moment was pure but short.
"Ah, I see you two are working on that. I'll leave you be." In their heated moment, they didn't notice the door open. Hanson had taken half a step into the room to catch the two. He left as quietly as he could with a grin across his face. Even as they jumped apart they knew they were already caught. Juliet let out a huff as she looked up at the ceiling, "Well, busted already."
"It's Hanson. He'll keep it to himself."
"I know but now he knows."
Of all the people to know, Hanson would be the least damaging. He was polite, respectful, and already knew the situation between the two. This was just closure for him. "Juliet, if you have your things ready, you can head downstairs. Send Hanson up when you see him if he's not standing outside the door waiting for one of us to leave." She didn't have her stuff ready but she got it together quickly. The few days they were there she didn't really need to take that much care of herself. She was still wearing the same clothes from the day before. There really was no notion for her to change clothes without a clear time for sleep. There was nothing that could, in her mind, separate the days into where she would have to change clothes.
As she stepped out with her bag over her shoulder she looked to her right to find Hanson standing with his arms behind his back patiently waiting. "Y-you can go in now. Boss's orders." Without saying a word Hanson made his way in closing the door behind him. Back in the lobby, the host was sitting in one of the chairs. A few of the staff were sitting in other chairs in the same predicament as their boss. Aiding and abetting is just as bad as the crime itself. Being that their target was a rare, endangered creature of a noble standing it was safe to say that this lodge was either going to be demolished or removed from the face of the Earth.
Hanson and Hunter got their supplies organized in relative silence. They went over the checklist, went over the checklist again, and made sure that the weapons were secured and locked for the trip home. They made a list of used resources so they could report their returned materials to their warehouse. As Hanson set his bag on the floor ready to leave once and for all, Hunter finally snapped. "Fuck! Just say something!"
He could only smile, "Well done on making progress, sir. Be it with the two of you or just yourself. I'm proud." Oh, the snark was strong. He could feel the sharpness in the words that were spit at him. Yet at the same time as the "I told you so" attitude hit him there was an undertone of genuine appreciation. This was a large hurdle in Hunter's life and he cleared it, albeit rather rough on the execution of it. Hanson assured that this would stay between the three but offered his expertise and assistance if ever required. It went smoother than expected.
Hanson, being his mentor for so long and continuing to work in an advisory role, has been known to let Hunter know his opinion on things. If he didn't have anything to say now then he wouldn't have anything to say in the future. He would be polite about voicing his opinion but it would be known. Since he had inside knowledge from both of them, then he knew their dilemmas beforehand. Hanson's approval on something, more so in this case, was like a parent's approval. It almost felt like asking someone to prom at this point.
But with his mind at ease, Hunter made his way downstairs with his massive suitcase carrying the rifle bag. He made sure that he was seen this time around. Normally Hanson keeps to all the busy work of keeping prying eyes away while Hunter works quietly in the shadows. This was not one of those cases. He was in front of everybody to show these poachers that he was the one who brought them down. The group was given the all-clear to leave while being assured that they would be contacted either in person or by phone for follow-up questions. Their portion of this was done, finally.
Their ride was waiting for them out front. It was parked by the other vehicles by the other groups that had stayed. One had already left though, leaving two of their companions behind. Some were still unaccounted for but one soon made themselves known they were OK. Before they could leave they were stopped by a man on the road. He blocked the gate using his body, forcing the car to stop. He stepped around on the gravel crunching it under his boots. Hunter rolled down his window to finally meet Charlie face to face. The two said nothing as Charlie looked around the inside of the car making eye contact with everyone in it. He lifted his hand holding a brown paper bag that was scrunched up at the top. In the entire time they had seen him, these were the first words he had said.
"These were sent with the highest regards."
No other words were needed. He stepped back letting them pass as Hunter took the bag from him. Hunter kept an eye on Charlie until he could no longer see him. They hit the open road with the unease that Charlie had left with them. Hunter opened the bag pulling out a bloodied hoop earring, a wedding band with dried blood, and a memory card sealed in its plastic container. It was a heavy sigh that Hunter announced, "Looks like the oil barons are no longer in play. This is his wedding ring and her earring." The memory card was even more rattling. There was no easy way to tell what was on it at the moment. It would have to wait until they were back at the office with their proper tools. If it was a virus, they had a burner computer that could take it and prevent it from spreading. If it was a message, they could see what it was.
The flight home wasn't quiet, per se. Hunter was sharing information with Hanson about what he observed so they could have a proper report ready when they were asked for it, signed, sealed, and delivered. Juliet kept to herself. Her mind seemed to wander a bit. She thought about the boy, the dragon, the other participants, and the job itself. But also at the new prospect in her life. A new relationship that had been budding for a while now is able to flourish. It gave her a warm sense of being like when she was back with her girls. They would support one another no matter what but that was taken rather abruptly. In that pain of loss, she would have never thought that she would be here almost a year later.
There was no returning to the office after this trip. They were dropped off at their respective homes. Juliet being closest was first, Hanson second, and Hunter last. He checked his phone wondering if Hanson was going to look at the memory card now or later. Whatever it was, it seemed important but it could also wait. It had been a long weekend. Hanson may work like a machine at times but he is only human and needs his downtime as well. And much like human Hanson, human Hunter needs his downtime. A good drink, some mind-numbing TV in the background, and some solid sleep on his wrap-around couch.
Finally some good sleep…
Interrupted at 4:30 the next morning. His phone rang, loudly. There was only one reason it would produce a sound like that. Hanson had activated the emergency ringer to make a sound. "Hanson, it's ungodly early. What could be so important?"
"My apologies but the memory card bothered me so I took a look at it and you will want to see what this is."
"Can this wait until normal business hours?"
"No, your ride should be there in five minutes. Please be ready. It's rude to keep him waiting."
Hunter could drive himself. Why would Hanson send a ride for him? He didn't have time to change clothes or shower. For most people, five minutes is an estimate. For Hanson, that was the exact time. Hunter took the last little bit of his straggler drink to help him burn himself away. He straightened himself up as much as possible walking outside. Like clockwork, at four minutes and 17 seconds, headlights turned around the corner of his driveway. He fell into his seat feeling the vehicle take off before the door was even shut. "What the hell?" The driver kept going, "I was instructed to bring you to the office as quickly as possible."
What was normally a leisurely drive was almost a breakneck pace. Hunter was there and in the door in record time. The lights in the lobby were dim but once he got upstairs everything was on. Quickly checking his phone he had a missed text from Hanson. It was sent as he neutered the building with instructions to come up to the meeting rooms on the third floor. "He always knows," Hunter mumbled to himself as he took the elevator up.
He stepped off with a yawn to find Adam shuffling towards him. "Hanson told me to get you. We're in 3B." He waved him to follow but could barely keep himself upright. The two entered the room to find Juliet already there sitting in a chair trying to keep herself awake. Hanson though, his eyes were laser locked on. He pointed to any open seat for Hunter to take but assured him "You will not be sitting for long."
The lights dimmed once everyone was seated. The projector cap was removed to a bright blue screen that forced everyone to recoil. The screen turned black as the play icon showed up. The video came up from the woods behind the lodge. Standing before the camera were the oil barons who had joined them for the weekend holding a pistol in their hands. A shrill voice could be heard off camera, "Are we recording?" From off frame, a strangely dressed man stepped in. He wore a large purple cape with a black underside. His clothes looked almost of that of a court jester but pressed into a suit. His face was covered by a grinning mask that moved as he talked;
"I'm sure you are just as surprised as I am! They're my favorite contractors!"
Hanson was right. Hunter didn't stay sitting. He shot up, eyes locked on the video. The man continued, "I'm sure you got to meet Charlie. Great guy but doesn't talk much. Not that it's needed. I just wanted to let you know that I miss you guys and I think we should get together really soon. It just wouldn't be fun without showing that I'm doing well myself. I found these lovely assistants who can assist with that demonstration. Meet the lovely Mr. and Mrs. Tilestone of the Tilestone Oil and Refinery Incorporated. Come on you two! Wave hello!" The two behind him lazily raised the hand holding the pistol to show them off before returning to their standing position.
"They are a lovely couple. I can't believe they are hunters though. I think they were more interested in hunting people than the dragon I know you saved. I'm sure the matriarch is happy you returned her child to her but that's neither here nor there for now. Before my demonstration though, I would like to thank LiveHunters for lending me their equipment. Even if it wasn't willing." He rolled his head back and forth. "But! To show you I'm in good health, here is my show."
He stands up straight, turning around to the couple, "On my mark, 10 paces and fire!" He disappeared from the camera but the word "Mark" could be heard. The two turned away from each other and started walking. Hunter kept count as they moved. At eight he motioned for Hanson to cover Adam's eyes. The gunshot rang out from the projector as both shot each other with such timing that they had fired in sync. There was a giggling as the man returned to the frame, "What fun! I'll be sure to send you some goodies for the road along with this video. Don't worry about looking for me." His smile turned to a heavy grimace with the cheery voice dropping to a guttural growl, "I'll be looking for you."
The video cut abruptly leaving the room with a cold chill. Against the blue light, Juliet could see that Hunter's hair was standing on end from his neck to his arms. "Hanson. He's back isn't he?" There was no verbal answer, just a nod. He raised his hands above his head placing them on top. He let out a deep sigh. This was going to be something big. This was going to be war.