Ethan was having trouble thinking of what to say. The silence that was occurring in the cab of the pickup was deafening, and since the radio didn't work, there wasn't even the weird music stations local to the area to break it up. He hadn't ever had that much in the way of conversations with young children in his adult life.
He looked over at her, holding a teddy bear that his mother had bought for her at a boutique in the hotel. He hadn't ever expected this, and as happy as he was, he didn't know what to do. He felt bad for sending her away with his parents, but, he was concerned about her even being in Roanapur until the next week.
"Daddy," Hannah was the one to break the silence.
"Yeah," he replied.
The girl was silent for a moment, "Why did you really leave?"
This was a question that he didn't really know how to answer in a way she might understand. How did he explain that he hadn't fought back against what Adira's family had done. Why hadn't he though? Him and Adira had been so passionate about each other, and he had pined over her for years, and according to Hannah, Adira had never given up on him. So why?
"I don't know. I really don't now. At the time I thought that I had been forced out of her heart, and that I didn't have a chance to fight back against your grandparents. I should have turned around the second I saw him outside of the apartment, and walked back in, and tell her that no matter what, there wasn't another woman that I could have loved, like I loved her," he felt the cheap vinyl creak under his fingers as he answered.
He hated himself now. He had been too much of a coward to face her yelling at him over a lie. Because of that he had lost her for the rest of time now. What hurt most, was that it wasn't killing him like he thought it should have been.
Maybe it was the fact that he hadn't seen her in almost a decade? Maybe it was how much of his soul that was gone from the number of lives that he had taken? There were so many things that came to his mind, that he couldn't even filter out anything to focus on.
"Mommy wouldn't talk about you leaving. She didn't have any pictures of you, so I never saw one until granat gave me that one with everyone marked out. Why?"
He took a breath, "She was a field agent for Mosaad. I was an asset. When she left, she may have had pictures, but when she was active, they wouldn't allow her to appear in any pictures with her in Israel, that way she wouldn't be recognized and connected with Israel in anyway. Same for me. Operational security was more important than our lives. There is a chance, and it isn't great to think about, that either us could have been ordered to kill the other."
"Would you have done it," the young girl asked.
"I, it doesn't matter anymore. It isn't even worth thinking about now. Hannah, what was she like," he decided to deflect her to something more pleasant.
"Um, sad. She usually seemed sad. I think she tried to hide it, but, she never smiled when she thought I couldn't see her. She was always unhappy when grannat and sav'ta came over. She wouldn't even speak Hebrew in the house, and did her best to never speak it. I think it was because of them. She also wouldn't speak Russian or Polish, and I don't know why," Hannah said.
He nodded, "Your grandparents are Polish and Russian. I can't speak Polish, but I started learning Russian from your mother. I think I understand about the Hebrew though, and it was just to revolt against them. What else about her?"
"She always dressed really plainly. She seemed to hate pretty clothes, and whenever someone gave her something pretty, she would take it, but then give it to a shelter. She was also really jumpy, I guess that must be because she was a spy. She always watched everyone in a room, and she always carried a gun. It was big, and a little weird, but she treated it like it was as precious to her as I was."
Ethan thought back, and remembered that he had lost a pistol around that time. He didn't have his big collection like he had now, but he had been given a very nice presentation piece by a one of his early protection clients. All of that detail had been given one. A Steyr GB that he had on a shelf in their apartment. Even if he hadn't been there, it looked like he had given her a little bit of safety from afar.
"It, was something that I had forgotten. We were, oh God, we were childish. Hannah, we were acting like children. When I walked out, I forgot the pistol on a shelf, and I guess when she calmed down, it was all she had left of me. Do you know what happened to it?"
Hannah shook her head, "No one ever found it. I guess the person who killed her took it."
Ethan's heart sank. In a way he had hoped there might have been a way that he could have recovered it in the future. It shouldn't have been a surprise though.
He almost hated to, but he really needed to ask, "Hannah, I... I don't want you to answer, if it is going to hurt you to tell me. You are more important than the answer. Do you know what happened to her?"
Hannah looked out the window, "They, did bad things to her. Things to her private place. They, hit her a lot, and stabbed her a bunch of times. I... found her when I... came home from school," tears started running down her face, but she kept on, "she kept saying Caleb, and when she noticed me, she just said, 'your father, need him' and she died then."
Ethan pulled over and immediately took the girl in a hug. He cried with her. A mixture of anger, hatred, and grief filled him. Not only did this child have to lose the only parent she had ever known, she had to be the one to find her as she died. If he ever found the bastard that had done this, even Satan would quake in fear at the acts that Ethan... no, Caleb was going to be the one that punished them. Adira's lover, and Hannah's father, would be the one that struck the blow.
"Hannah, I will never let anyone hurt you like this again. Even if I am not right there with you, I will make sure that there is a way for me to know what is happening. I'm not a good person, I don't think I ever will be, but that means that the people who hurt you from now on, will feel a pain that no living man can ever imagine. I wish, things could have been different, so that I didn't have to send you away," tears streaming down his face would have been chum to the sharks in Roanapur, but anyone that saw these, would have been afraid of this man.
"Daddy, I love you," Hannah pressed herself into his chest.
"I love you too Hannah. I love you too."
"It is good to see you again Senor Rock. I am glad that you have been doing well. I am also glad that you were able to deal with Roberta so well. I was concerned about how that would go," Garcia Lovelace nodded thanks as he accepted a cup of tea from Heidi.
Rock nodded, "I'm not going to lie, I nearly had a heart attack when I saw her at first. I am very impressed at how amiable she is when she doesn't have a reason to engage in violence. Apparently she even met with Revy without it turning into a disaster. That alone is impressive."
Fabiola spoke from behind where Garcia sat, "The Head Maid has, started on a path that would allow her to forgive herself. We do our best to support her, but she seems to struggle with her inner demons more, than she does with the actions she has engaged in."
"She struggles with having been the Bloodhound still? Well, how do you simply try to erase something that was that integral to yourself? It would be a major surprise if she ever gets to the point that she does forgive herself. That said, as long as she isn't trying to kill us, we haven't got a problem with her. Oh, thank you Heidi," Dutch said as Heidi handed him a beer.
"Si, Senor Dutch. Her memories of this place, has led her to avoid leaving our suite as much as she can. I cannot find it in myself to blame her. Had there been anyway to hold this meeting outside of this city, I would have preferred it. Still, it is something that I hope will help my family endure," Garcia looked grim as he took a sip of his tea.
Rock looked the teenager up and down. He was very impressed with how he had grown up. It was so amazing to believe that just three years ago he was a kidnapping victim, and now he was going to be in negotiations with two of the most dangerous criminal organizations in the entirety of Asia. He was a little proud, if not more than a little concerned.
"Well, we won't know until tomorrow how that will go. Just remember, you aren't the biggest dog in this fight, so you need to be the smartest. A thing I have noticed about small dogs with attitudes, is that they don't go for throat, that's too much of a risk there. They tend to go for the most tender area. So, go for the cojones, and you should come out ok," Dutch said pushing his sunglasses up.
Fabiola gave a nervous cough at his words as Garcia nodded, "I will remember that Senor Dutch. However I don't quite understand what would count as the, tender area, for Hotel Moscow and the Triads."
Rock answered, "Money. You have to make them understand that money is at stake depending on their concessions. A hotel that only caters to individuals that have an agreement with you, would give you the ability to dictate the price for them to utilize the premises. That you would also be able to house certain services, such as plastic surgeons, or armorers, that would allow them to perform their duties better upon leaving. While I can't suggest a plastic surgeon in Roanapur, the Ripoff Church would be able to handle providing weaponry. Just remember, like Dutch said, you aren't the big dog, so if you are forced into a corner, all you have is to go for the soft parts."
Garcia looked in Rock's eyes, and he saw something different than he remembered. Something that was almost, malicious. He hadn't ever seen that before, and it scared him. He had to be strong though, because if he backed down from this man, who was only going to be there to mediate, then how was he going to be able to sit at the same table as people who had no issue killing?
"I will also take that under advice. Let us speak of more pleasant matters though. How have things been for you since our last meeting," Garcia put on a smile.
The response was the two men seemingly deflating. Him and Fabiola looked at each other in confusion. Maybe that had not been a very good question to ask given the city.
"I apologize if I asked anything wrong," the boy said after a minute.
Dutch just waved a hand, "It's just been, not really good the last few months. We had a job that, let's just say that whole period of time is something we would like to forget. As of right now, Lagoon Company doesn't exist, until the Black Lagoon has finished undergoing a refit, which we only just managed to get a set of engines ordered a few days ago. So, everyone has been doing their own things. Hopefully it won't be that much longer until we hear that they have her ready, maybe a few months. I haven't been happy with her being in a drydock in Vietnam, instead of at her slip."
"I can understand how that would cause pain. I have often heard that many captains develop a relationship with their craft like that of a marriage," the boy replied.
Dutch went to answer but the door to the common area opened and Ethan walked in carrying a sleeping Hannah. The two guests were a little surprised at the intrusion, and Ethan took notice.
"Oh, sorry about that Dutch, Rock. I didn't know that ya'll had any company. We just got back from Bangkok," the man said as he stepped in.
"Don't worry about it, they don't have a car outside so it isn't a surprise. The threat of Roberta is better than an APC at keeping them safe. So I take it your folks turned you down on taking her," Dutch asked taking a drink.
"No, uh, they aren't going to be leaving until next week. She is going to stay here until then. We, kinda want a little time with each other, since, well you know," the look on Ethan's face was something the two who knew him didn't know how to read.
Rock broke the moment to give the mercenary a dignified out, "Ethan, this is Garcia Lovelace, and one of his maids slash bodyguard, Fabiola Iglesias. I think you said you may have known his father?"
"Lovelace. Yeah, it was even before I had met Hannah's mother. God, I was a kid back then. I'm pleased to meet you. I, heard about what happened, and there isn't anyway that I could express my sorrow regarding him. Your father was a good man. Anyways, my name is Ethan Haines, mercenary," he awkwardly shifted the girl over to extend his hand to shake Garcia's.
"I am pleased to meet you. I don't think I ever heard my father speak of anyone with the name Haines. The name would be memorable in Venezuela. When was this," the boy asked.
"Good God, back around late '81 to sometime in '82. Well, I used my birth name back then. Uh, Caleb Coffey. Shit, it is still strange to think that is my real name. Anyways, it is also a pleasure to meet you Senorita Iglesias, though I have to say, aren't those a little bit heavy to be carrying around like that," Ethan said to the girl standing behind the couch.
Fabiola looked at him suspiciously, "What is heavy to be carrying around, Senor?"
"Fabiola, Ethan here has been a mercenary for over sixteen years. He most likely spotted every weapon you had on you within a few seconds. Don't feel bad about it, he is just like that. I also wouldn't recommend attempting to attack him preemptively. He isn't carrying that revolver for show," Rock intervened to attempt to head off any trouble.
"I don't mean to insult you. The way that you are moving is a little stiff in the upper body, so I can only assume that you are carrying either Uzis, or Ingram M10s with the droop in your sleeves. Neither one is great for someone of your body size, and something more akin to a skorpion would be more appropriate for protection work given the lighter recoil of the .32acp round," Ethan might not admit it if pressed, but he was actually quite good at instruction if given the chance.
The girl looked up at the man, which had her head tilted back quite a bit. She was actually surprised that he was able to tell all of that. Granted he was completely wrong about the weapons she was concealing, but still he was right about the rough size of them.
"Coffey, that is a name that my father spoke of. You showed up horribly injured one day, and my parents helped you to recover. You also protected the people that worked for my father from a gang. I was only an infant, and I don't know that we ever were in the same place together. I, thank you for your words about my father. He also thought much of you, even as short the time you were with us was," the name Coffey had woke a memory.
"Like I said, your father was a great man. Greater than I ever deserved to meet. He, wasn't a fan of how I handled those two bit shakedown artists, but he didn't condemn me for my methods, and that meant a lot to someone like me," Ethan turned back to Garcia.
"I never did find out how you dealt with them. My father said that it didn't matter, as long as the people who needed protection were safe."
Ethan simply drew his revolver and held it up, "I took this exact pistol, and I shot them in the face. I am going to be really honest, that is usually the easiest and most effective way to deal with problems of that nature. He did try to stop me in the beginning, but he seemed to understand something I told him."
Garcia looked up at the man, with the same issue as Fabiola, and asked, "What was that?"
"Un hombre es sólo un tipo que ha aprendido que al mundo no le importa. Simplemente continúa. Caerás muerto mañana y la Tierra no dejará de girar alrededor del Sol. Nuestros actos pueden significar algo para alguien en el momento, pero la mayoría de los actos se olvidan momentos después, porque no tienen ninguna razón para ser recordados. Si le disparan a un hombre, es posible que recuerden a un hombre que tiene la cara por todas partes y se olviden del punk que estoy a punto de matar. Pero al final, en algún momento, todos somos olvidados. Entonces, voy a salir y dispararles, y eso debería darles un poco de paz por un tiempo, hasta que los próximos imbéciles vengan a hacer lo mismo.
(A man, is just a guy that has learned that the world doesn't care. It just goes on. You fall over dead tomorrow, and the Earth doesn't stop spinning 'round the Sun. Our acts may mean something to someone in the moment, but most acts are forgotten moments later, because they don't have any reason to be remembered.I put a bullet in a man, they may remember a man who has his face everywhere, and forget the punk I am about to put down. But in the end, somewhere down the line, we all get forgotten. So, I am just going to go out there and shoot them, and that should give you some peace for a while, until the next dumbfucks come to do the same.)"
Garcia looked at the man, really looked at him. He watched as he holstered the pistol absently while holding the sleeping child. He seemed so incongruous from his words and his appearance. Yet, even if the words seemed a little off, Garcia could actually see the wisdom in them. They also helped him steel himself for the next day.