"No, no. It's not as simple as that. They're mercenaries, yes, but that's mostly a technicality. We chose them out of all our past contractors and current resources because they were the ones who had previously exhibited the right combination of skills and principles. I can't lie, we went for Volkov because she came with the other one, Ariah, more than anything else."

He sighed, draining the rest of his pint.

"We always knew this was going to be a hard one on the budget. We were looking for people who were likely to work for a reduced fee, and who were likely to be averse to the ideology of the Heavens' Eyes. We must have miscalculated."

Pushing the glass towards the waiting barman, Daniel turned towards the exit, and then looked back at Sam.

"How long have you been with us now, Sam? Are you really still just freelance after all that?" Daniel gave a small grin. "Something gives me the impression that Lucy would disagree with you, you know."

"Anywho, you're almost certainly right. Tomorrow is going to be... stressful. I'm off. See you in the morning."