Just a Matter of Intelligence

New Recruits

After traveling for 3 stressful hours, NOV arrives to his location, carefully getting out of the car, checking the area. He begins to walk, making his way inside a townhouse, where someone awaits his arrival.

"Good evening NOV! Glad to have you back so soon", the person welcomes him.

" Oh, evening Edwards", NOV replies to him sorrowful. Edwards observes as he walks pass him, seemingly caught in the blue. He goes over to his seat, offering him tea.

"What's bugging you, lad?", he asks him.

" Honestly, I didn't want to, but I had to ", NOV responds guiltily.

" Lad, I know you have to do what you must, but you can't let the emotions overwhelm you", he explains.

"No...it's not that", he pauses for a moment.
" Lance came after me...and...", Edwards looks at him, finally understanding what NOV is agitated about.

"Oh, Lance...", he responds in realization.
" I thought he stopped coming after you?"

"I think this time he was serious, he was being forceful unlike the last couple of times, I tried to spare him, but he still wanted to take me in. He just....didn't want to listen to me, and as much as I didn't want to... I had to."

"Oi, don't get worked up about it, you did what you had to, don't let your emotions get to you lad. I know he had his little girl, but you tried to reason with him, and you did what you could. NOV you're a good person, I know the stuff you do is bad, but you do it for a greater cause", he explains, patting NOV on the shoulder.

"That really means a lot to me", he responded.

" Yes, now hold still, I'll be right back", Edwards goes into another room, whilst NOV stirs his tea, watching the news. After a couple of minutes, he comes back with two shot glasses, and a bottle.

"Alright, now to propose a toast!" NOV looks at Edwards with a confused face.

"I'm not old enough to drink", he comments.

" You're fucking with me right?", Edwards responded.

"I- uhhh"

"Lad, you're the top most wanted on the Seasonal list, and your main concern is not being old enough to drink?" NOV simply shrugs his shoulders.

"Ohh look at me! I'm a wanted fugitive for crimes of humanity! But wait! My worst crime of all time is drinking at seventeen!", Edwards mocks him in a silly voice.

" Alright, stop it", NOV responds, smiling and giggling. Edwards then, pulls out a large bottle, to which NOV reacts with a frightened face. 

"This lad, is the finest whiskey from me hometown of Galway. She is one of a kind, aged for 150 years, and boy if I tell you she gives the warmest kiss than any other woman on this earth."

"Oh, wow umm, she sounds nice", he replies nervously. Edwards grabs both of the shot glasses, and pours the drink in, all whilst looking at NOV.

" A hell of a lot more than just nice laddie." Edwards gives the shot to NOV, to which he inspects it a while, swirling the drink and smelling it.

"What are you doing?", Edwards asks him.

" Well, it smells pretty good."

"Lad, fine spirits are not meant to be sniffed, they're meant to be drunken. Now, a toast to Lance! He was a good and honest man, I know he just did his job, and you did what you could to stop him", he explained.

" To Lance!"

"To Lance!", NOV responds, raising the glass. Both of them drink the shot, with NOV showing a sour expression.