These were things not in his military records. Oh, he had things listed there from his testing, but it didn’t give the same snapshot as the man telling him for himself.
“I had to fend for myself from a young age. This is nothing for me. I’m also accustomed to a partner during a mission. I didn’t go in alone, so think of yourself as my partner in this. We’ll get through it. Will it be fun? Probably not, but it will be memorable.”
God.
Poe only wished he was as strong and brave as this man. His brother was like this, and he was anything but.
Hemmingway was a hero.
Poe was not.
Now, he was honest.
“You’re brave, Gamble. Yes, I read your files, but this…”
He shrugged.
“Survival, Doctor. It’s all about that. When Storm decimated me, I had nothing left to keep going, but then, there was you. You were my partner and told me to keep going. I reliedon you to get me there. I trusted that you would, and you did. It’s the same thing as a mission. You put all of your faith in the other person, and trust that they don’t let you down. If you both have absolute faith, you’ll get through it. That’s the secret. Trust.”
That astounded him.
“There’s something I wanted to ask you,” Poe began.
Gamble looked up at him.
“Yes?”
Here went his curiosity.
“You are a Hunter,” he said. “That I know from Elizabeth, but what do you hunt?” he asked.
Gamble knew this would make or break any chance he had with the man, but he believed in honesty and truth. So, he trusted Poe with it.
As horrific as it was going to sound.
“I hunt people, Poe,” he said softly. “I hunt and kill people when the government tells me to.”
Poe just stared at him.
And didn’t know what to say to that.
What could he say?
Chapter Seven
The Grotto
Same Time
At his words, Poe just sat there, trying to think of what he could say. Maybe, asking him about his current career was a bad idea. Gamble was silent, and Poe felt like he’d intruded in something private.
This was awkward.
“Surprised, Doctor?” Gamble asked. “Shocked that the man you’ve been helping heal is a murderer? You saw who I work with, and on the day you picked me up, Greyson Croft was there.”
Poe was aware.
Only, he knew this man.
