Earlier, Harker was being praised by Alejandro for his fishing skills.
"You're a natural at this, Mr. Jones! It's like you were a sailor in your past life!" Alejandro clapped his hand as Harker showed the large mackerel he caught.
Harker hauled the flapping fish inside and ended its life quickly by beheading it with a butcher's knife. "Nah, it's all thanks to Mina's fish talking skills."
Mina snorted. "Don't give me all the credit. I almost drew in a group of sharks around our ship earlier, remember?"
Joan was looking a bit reminiscent of this. When Alejandro said he could have been a sailor in his past life, she opened her mouth as if to say something, but stopped herself. She patted Harker's shoulder.
"Well done. I'll go prepare some ice tea and snacks." She said, taking her leave and saying hello to a few of the bodyguards who were also admiring the view of the ship.
The ship captain was also one of Roland's subordinates, but really, most of the bodyguards can do this too and have experienced driving helicopters and even submarines and military tanks. That's just how high quality they were.
Harker wondered what Alejandro's life was like before serving the Faust. He asked, and the old man suddenly looked sheepish.
"Oh…. I was a veteran, you see. Fought guerrillas in Guatemala. I served at quite a young age, married quite young too. My wife and my first daughter had to move a lot from the war. It got so bad that….." His eyes glistened and were full of sadness. "I had to send her to the US to my mother's family first. My mother remarried a white man after my father died, a very rich one."
He smiled. "I knew my baby girl would be safe there, so I let them keep her. It wasn't only until I took the job from Mr. Faust after the war and moved to Manhattan that I felt secure enough to raise my family."
"But all your daughters that I saw were quite young so…. What happened to your eldest?" Harker asked.
Alejandro chuckled nervously. "She's doing well. Studies in the same university as you, in fact. But well… You probably won't be seeing her carrying my last name, Laurel."
Harker felt that he shouldn't pry too much, as this seemed like a very private matter about Alejjandro's life. He also looked pained just mentioning it. It must be hard for him, being forced to give up one of his children for their safety.
As they were talking, Harker suddenly noticed something in his peripherals. Something golden.
He realized that it must be Roland, and saw him flit past the docks and go back to his room. Was he watching them just now? Why didn't he come over?
Harker frowned. Something's not adding up with his friend's behavior. Earlier, when he picked up the harpoon, he also said something quite strange.
It wasn't the thing about placing the harpoon inside his body. It was after that.
"Did you know that giving someone red camellias was the same as saying 'You are the flame of my heart'? And now you have accepted a harpoon of red camellias, Hark. Isn't that ironic? I was constantly being rejected, and yet you accepted it. Guess I could still shoot my shot after all."
Harker frowned and asked. "What do you mean by that?"
Roland just blinked. "Hmm?"
Then he just…. went on to his room. He looked really out of it.
He went to follow Roland into his room, and found him on a call with someone while scribbling something on paper. He seemed to be drawing with a red pen. Harker listened to the conversation, but he couldn't piece out much just from what Roland was saying.
Roland just sounded annoyed, like he couldn't stand to even be talking to this person. When he hung up, he said that it was just something work related.
Harker can't see any signs of him looking unwell. But he doesn't want to trouble Roland for no reason either.
"Oh, not yet. I just thought of checking up on you. I thought I saw you pass by on the docks earlier.... I must have imagined it."
He walked away, and thought that he'd observe him more closely just in case. They caught a few more hefty salmon, tuna and even crabs for a feast at dinnertime. The whole group of about 20+ people had enjoyed a seafood buffet that night.
During dinner, Roland seemed okay. He was sharing some light conversations with everyone, asking politely to pass some condiments, and even crack a joke or two with his subordinates.
Harker suddenly felt a nudge on his shoulder.
"You've been looking at blondie quite a lot recently, Jones. You really into him or something?" Joan raised an eyebrow.
Harker blinked. "What? No, I just…."
Mina joined in the teasing while munching on a crab, shells included. "Ew, anyone's okay as long as it's not White Ape. That guy's a prude. He'll list out every single mistake we make as your girlfriends and probably create a daily schedule for our duties. That's how much of a perfectionist he is."
"No, he isn't." Harker snorted. "Roland ain't nothing like that. Though I did think he'd be a fussy type of lover since he'd always been a worrywart."
"But that's not it, right? Just spill it, Jones." Joan asked.
Harler furrowed his brows. "I don't know, I just…. I think Roland's been acting strange ever since we got into the ship. I mean, he's adding more salt and pepper on his salmon than usual. What's up with that!?"
He waited for the girls to agree with him, and was only met with silence as if he just cracked an unfunny joke.
"You're…. worrying about him putting more condiments on his food?" Joan asked, obviously trying to stop a laugh from coming out.
Mina grinned. "I think you're more of a worrywart than him, Harker. But take that with a grain of salt."
Joan couldn't help it anymore and chuckled, high-fiving Mina. "Nice wordplay, love!"
Harker grumbled, rubbing his face. "Ah, whatever. I'm just getting paranoid after all the crazy stuff that happened. We'll be landing soon anyway, so I should focus on worrying about the mission instead."
After dinner, they all went to their beds. Harker shared it with Mina and Joan, and none of the bodyguards questioned it. Roland also doesn't seem to question it, as it seemed to be a long time coming that all three of them would end up together.
Harker laid on the bed, staring at the ceiling with girls on either side. He thought about everything. From that incident with Xi Hua, down to whatever's going on right now.
The past seemed so far away like this. As far away as the stars behind that ceiling. He wondered what the future holds, and what kind of person he will be once he gets there.
Time was just like a vast, endless sea, he thought. It's not a straight line, but instead a sea where you could go in all directions.
There was nothing to guide him in this sea besides the flame in his heart. His purpose, his raison d'etre.
But what exactly is that? Love? Justice? Truth?
The quest goes on, and yet he still can't tell if either of that was the right purpose of it all. He just hoped….
That he would reach the end before the flame in his heart burns out.
Unable to sleep, he got up and went to the deck to get some fresh air for his muddled thoughts. He also felt the urge to talk to Yan for some sense of direction, or maybe just someone to mope to.
And as he did....
A shadow followed after him.
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