Authors: Veronica Melan
I shook my head, longing for Hulk. Maybe it was strange, but I didn’t feel complete without him, and with him I felt like a different person - another me; me as I never was with Alex. Everything that happened today made me realise that getting to this situation was inevitable and I was surprised with myself for not being able to predict it earlier. Now, when my feelings emerged so clearly, it became unimportant if we’d speak about them out loud or not - they were there and they weren’t going to go away.
So, logic – you are lost and now even if you scream at my decision - nothing will change.
Even if Hulk was to suddenly change his mind, I’d still feel the same about him. Once my body landed in his arms, my heart immediately said “He’s mine. Give him to me!"
Weird? Ridiculous? Right? Wrong?
It was too late to think about it now.
Sitting on the floor I rocked from side to side and then smiled, turning the inner sight to the one who was in charge of creating destinies somewhere up there, and kindly and reproachfully shook my head at him.
What a joker you are, Lord! But Thank You. Whatever happens in the end - still Thank You!
Greg was smoking a cheap cigarette, standing on the porch of his wooden house.
He didn’t smoke very often - only when the nerves started playing up just like they were now. There wasn’t a place to buy any decent cigarettes at the ranch, and Greg didn’t travel to the city very often - he had no desire to waste his precious points on this rubbish that was ruining his health and he was not in good health lately. But today was a special case when a cigarette was of an extreme necessity and therefore he didn’t hesitate to bum one from one of the guards. Exhaling the bitter stinking smoke from his mouth, Greg could not help but remember the flavour of Hulk’s expensive cigars, which certainly cost him a fortune. The senior warden had never tried cigars like that and probably never will.
Now, when his career was at risk, he could lose a fair share of his hard earned points, just because Jenny could not keep her ambitions at bay. Greg, like a complete fool, trusted to her reassurances that everything will go smoothly. Yeah, right! What did that bitch sing in his ears? That he will become Hulk’s deputy, he will be praised and rewarded, and might even get some unscheduled days off, which he’d spend in the local bars of Tally....
What a scum...
What difference does it make now? Greg spat out pieces of tobacco stuck to his tongue on the dusty ground, and took another drag. It would be great if everyone could just keep their jobs, never mind the praise or rewards. If Hulk gets really mad - they all will be kicked out of his ranch with zero points on their bracelets.
Greg was seriously frightened by what he’d seen the night before. It turned out that this bloody guy is from the Special Unit and men like him never forgive or forget. They are as hard as steel. Greg could have sworn that the trick with the blinding was just the tip of an iceberg, and hence there was no chance he could avoid the responsibility.
Damn that bitch!
All day long the senior warden has been thinking about the best way to present his involvement in the story so Hulk wouldn’t get too angry. Greg didn’t care about Jenny - she was just a cheap floor mat, who’d fart in a church for a bit of cash, and if she gets punished, it’s OK, she deserves it. But as for himself... Greg thought that even though his arse was a bit shabby - it’s still was precious to him. The day was slowly coming to an end, withered grass was softly rustling, the mountains were coloured orange, and the day seemed to go on as usual, but he still couldn’t decide what to do next and that was making him nervous.
If he tries to lie, then Hulk would simply apply the same shit to him - this “Blind” technique, and all the truth will be exposed in seconds. God knows, Greg didn’t want to experience that. Therefore - lying was not an option and he could only hope he could twist the story to his advantage and make Jenny look like the guilty one. That would be the best outcome... Yeah, that would be really good.
The senior warden finished his cigarette, burnt his fingers with the butt, swore out loud and threw it on the grass. Then he thought for a while, stepped forward and pressed on the smouldering end with his shoe. It wouldn’t be fun if something else gets burnt down today.
There was now only a few hours left out of those twenty-four hours given to him by Hulk. Greg wistfully looked at the sky where the sunset was painting everything in pink.
It’s time to go and find Jenny.
When the loading of the goods was finally finished, and the trucks left the warehouse, Hulk wiped his sweaty neck, hoping to get back to his cool apartment and take a shower. All day long, no matter what was discussed or what documents needed to be signed, he was constantly thinking about Shereen. How was she? She spent almost the whole day in his office alone. Hulk swore quietly - he wanted to get back sooner, but things kept him busy till the evening.
At noon, he popped to the kitchen and asked Tabitha to bring his lunch upstairs, knowing that he would only feel relaxed with lady Shereen and therefore will be able to eat normally; after he’d done that Hulk’s conscience calmed down a little and he carried on with the daily grind.
He was writing something, answering queries, watching the huge boxes with berries loading in the trucks and kept returning to the taste of her lips - so soft, gentle, cautious, almost timid, but because of that even more captivating.
Oh, yes, Hulk wanted her - not just her body, but also on a mental level, he wanted the whole of Shereen to belong to him – from top to the toe. Hulk never wanted any woman to belong to him so strongly and entirely - he wanted to absorb her laughter, the sparkling light of her eyes, the warmth of her body, let her every emotion pass through himself, enjoy every word that comes out of her sweet mouth. He wanted passionate nights and endless embraces, filled with tenderness, conversations at breakfast, and evenings together on the balcony, trips to the city, plans, discussions...
This desire tormented him, causing an everlasting internal struggle, because eventually he must let her go. How? When? It didn’t matter, but it must happen sooner or later.
Hulk was almost growling, thinking about it.
His nature rebelled against the separation from the one that should belong to him day and night, week after week, month after month. Always. He wanted to act nobly, in accordance with his conscience, which with an uncompromising voice of the supreme judge was stating again and again that Shereen must be sent back as soon as possible. Hulk would moan and agree, and then would get back to thinking about the sweet pictures of how he and Shereen would talk in the evenings, discuss something and laugh together, how he’d cherish and pamper her…. Until his logic would interfere again reminding him of what has to be done in the end.
And then Hulk would growl again.
When, finally, all issues have been dealt with, and it was time to go back, Hulk sighed with relief. Yes, he became like a youngster, running to the tower where the Princess was locked up, and so what?
Was it naive?
Maybe .... But he spent far too long in places where there were only orders, cruelty and where only his endurance and strength mattered, but not emotions; and now his inner control, previously firmly entrenched into every cell of his body, was shaken up. Strangely enough, Hulk was glad. He became glad about it even earlier, when he started experiencing a flicker of the human emotions again, which seemed to be exterminated from all of those who the Commission ever hired to serve for them. Their first lesson was the toughest one – to liquidate any human feelings from every part of this body - the heart, mind and even the spinal cord.
At the time it didn’t seem like a too bigger price to pay for the knowledge they were providing him with in return, for the extraordinary trainings of all the body reflexes, for the superpowers, which were impossible to take away, for the fact that it was almost impossible to kill a man trained to work for the Special Unit.
They were the best of the best - professionals getting the highest rates. What else could be more attractive than the absolute physical shape, which could never be achieved without an outside interference, and big money, flooding on your head like a waterfall for even the most trivial task?
A long time ago, it felt like the whole world was at their feet - his own and at his friends’ - professional killers with different specialisations. Ren Dexter, Mac Allerton, Dell Odriard, Aaron Kann, Dane El’conto... where were they now? In total, twelve guys under Drake’s management. The same old and rigid Drake... Will it be possible to see any of them again?
Hulk shook his head as he’d realised that he unconsciously drowned in the memories of the past, inspired by the emotions that flooded his mind so unexpectedly and violently. And now, instead of going to the house, he just stood there, by the warehouse, staring into the distance, where the mountains were trembling and blurring in the haze.
He was a killer, trained as a killer-sensor, he went through masses of different tasks, completed hundreds of orders, and now has settled down as a farmer in an abandoned city-prison. In the past he was almost like a robot, which never makes mistake, and he was now trying to live a life of a “normal” person in Tally.
Hulk was standing there, feeling the wind-dried white shirt that was slapping his sides, the chain around his neck getting hot from the heat…. and he was smiling.
She brought him back to life.
When Hulk finally got back to the office, the first thing he saw was Shereen sleeping peacefully on the sofa. Her head was lying on an arm-rest, as she was breathing almost inaudibly. Hulk smiled, then, trying not to make too much noise, took off his shirt and went into the shower. On the way to the bathroom he found her some new clothes and shoes. It’s good that she fell asleep during the day, because, more often than not, the nightmares were most likely to come back at night time, and if a person could stay awake at night, it would be much easier to get over them.
Well, Hulk definitely intended to help Shereen to stay awake. Yesterday he could not keep her from falling asleep, her body was too exhausted after the "Blind", but now it should be OK for her to stay up. Shereen will choose exactly what she wants to do herself; Hulk will only provide her with some options... and maybe with a slight hint.
He smiled again, feeling his body filling up with heat. The muscles hardened, blood flow increased, and Hulk began breathing evenly and deeply, forcing himself to relax. Not yet. That was not the right time right now... but when she wakes up...
He turned on the tap and stepped under the streams of hot water. In a minute it will take away the dust and sweat accumulated on his body during the day.
When Hulk heard the noise and bustle on the stairs, he almost immediately realised what was going on. By the time someone knocked on the door, he’d already carefully moved sleeping Shereen into the bedroom and shut the door. After his "Come in", the door opened and Greg literally rolled into the office, dragging somebody kicking and desperately trying to break free behind him. That “somebody” turned out to be the girl who Hulk remembered very well ever since visiting the “Polo Grand” club. This was the girl who was brought to the ranch along with Shereen.
Jenny.
Hulk always remembered names. He carefully examined her profile, as well as the others, as soon as she arrived here. "Convicted for setting up fire to her own house in order to obtain insurance pay-out..." - the lines of text he once read floated before his eyes.
He never directly interfered in the relationship between her and Shereen, but was inclined to believe that they were socialising together when both of them lived at Belle Oak Park. When Shereen found herself in more comfortable conditions, her "friend", most likely, got upset and decided to launch a vindictive revenge. That was why Greg tugged her into the office.
The whole picture was quickly evolving into one and all the pieces were falling into the right place.
In addition, Jenny lived in the barracks which she subsequently set on fire; she had some friction with one of her neighbours.
Hulk almost winced, looking at her round blue eyes, lit with undisguised fury.
“Let me go!” She yelled at Greg, jerking from side to side, “You’ll break my arm, bastard!”
This time Hulk winced.
He was not particularly fond of rude expressions, especially coming from women, and especially when they were said with such disdain and brutality. Plus, a loud voice could wake Shereen.