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(edited)
I joined Hank outside, the door sliding shut behind me. I followed walkway down, walking ahead of the detective. My mind was in disarray. I was so caught up in my thoughts that I hadn't noticed Hank slow to a stop behind me. 'Why didn't you shoot?' he asked, and I gritted my teeth.
I slowly spun to face him. 'I just saw those girl's eyes. . . and I couldn't. That's all.' I shifted uncomfortably. If I had pulled that trigger, she would be dead—her life just gone, within the blink of an eye.
'You're always saying how you would do anything to accomplish your mission,' Hank said, eyeing me suspiciously, as he sauntered towards me. 'That was our chance to learn something, and you let it go. . .'
'Yeah, I know what I should've done! I told you I couldn't. I'm sorry, okay?'
Hank took a moment to process my response, a small half-hearted 'humph' leaving his chest. The corner of his mouth then quirked upwards in a smile. 'Maybe you did the right thing.'
I froze in complete shock, watching as the Lieutenant walked past me, continuing towards his car. That was not the response I had been expecting. I thought that he was going to scold me for my incompetence but instead, he seemed rather content—like he was pleased that I hadn't shot that girl just for the sake of our investigation.
I hadn't gotten the answers I had been looking for, but my relationship with the Lieutenant was more important.
If he was happy, then I was happy too.
* * *
____ B L A K E
I stumbled forward, wrapping Simon into an embrace. You're okay! Thank goodness.' I fought back the urge to cry out of sheer relief, my eyes stinging. 'I was so worried about you all.'
He patted my back comfortingly, hugging me tightly. 'Same goes for you. We were all so worried.'
When I pulled back, I was shocked at his appearance. He looked awful, to say the least. His clothes matched his face; covered in dirt and soot. I also noticed the blue staining his right shoulder. He had been shot. 'Oh my god, Simon. Are you okay?' I panicked. 'You're hurt.'
He smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. 'Yeah, after we jumped off the roof, a bunch of guards cornered us. I got separated from the others,' he gestured to his injured shoulder, 'and I was shot as I tried to escape. Don't worry though, the bullet didn't hit any major biocomponents. I should be fine once we get back to Jericho.'
