"That won't be necessary," Reuben said quietly.
Riley's head snapped toward him. "Excuse me?"
"I'll handle Simon personally." Reuben's tone left no room for argument. "This is a specialized situation requiring specialized oversight."
"Sir, with all due respect?—"
"With all due respect, Riley, there are aspects of this case you're not cleared to know." Reuben stood, and despite his age, his presence filled the room. "I trained Simon. I know his methods. If I say I'll handle it, I'll handle it."
Riley looked ready to argue, but Harmon touched her arm. "Reuben knows what he's doing."
The two shared a look Simon couldn't interpret. Then Riley gathered her tablet, her jaw tight with suppressed anger.
"Fine. But I want a full report within twenty-four hours."
"You'll have it," Reuben said.
Riley left without another word, her heels clicking sharp against the floor. Harmon followed, pausing at the door.
"Whatever's going on here, fix it fast." He shot Simon a look of pure disgust. "I don't care what makes you special, Hale. No one's irreplaceable."
The door closed behind him with a soft click.
Reuben moved to his cabinet, the one with the good whiskey and the weapons older than Simon. He didn't speak for a long moment, just stood there with his back to Simon.
"Is it happening?" he asked finally.
"Is what happening?"
"Don't play stupid with me." Reuben turned, and for the first time since Simon had known him, he looked old. Tired. "Are you going native?"
The words hung between them like a blade.
Simon's jaw tightened. "I'm not going native."
"Then how do you explain all of this?" Reuben gestured widely. "Carrying vampires to safety? Refusing to share intel?"
"It's not like that."
"It's exactly like that." Reuben's voice hardened. "You've abandoned your post. Just like Richardson did. Just like Keane."
Simon swallowed. He didn't need to be reminded of those hunters' deaths.
"They forgot what they were," Reuben said. "What we made them to be." He moved closer, and Simon could smell the whiskey on his breath from the drinks he'd already had today. "They thought they could walk the line. Thought they could be something other than what we trained them to be."
"I don't think that."
"Don't you?" Reuben's hand slammed down on his desk, making the weapons on the wall rattle. "Tell me how this is different, Simon. You were sent to eliminate a vampire. Instead, I find evidence of you rescuing him."
Simon met his gaze steadily. "Charlie isn't a real vampire."
Reuben went very still. "How so?"
"He can't bring himself to bite anyone. He faints at the sight of blood."
"And you believe this?"
"I've seen it."
