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--donation bonus (day #26, post 5/5)--
Soon, they arrived at the airfield. Hector followed Gina into her chosen garage and parked behind her black SUV. He kept his helmet on, and the King wore a hooded, black cloak--the very same one that Lynn had bought for Hector.

Gina led them through the facility. Only a handful of people were around, but they all made way for Gina and her guests. She took them into the observation room, but surprisingly, no further waiting was necessary, as they could already see an airplane easing to a stop on the landing strip.

“Is my timing good or what?” She took them around to the outside and finally met up with the others.

Voreese was the first one Hector saw, and her giant, skeletal grin made him take off his helmet so he could return a smile of his own.

‘There’s the little fucker!’ she said, laughing and swirling around him. ‘How ya doin’, Hector? And Garovel! Happy to see us?’

‘More than you can possibly know,’ said Garovel, sounding equal parts delighted and relieved.

“Definitely,” agreed Hector.

Then everyone else began to appear. Mehlsanz and Darsihm floated up behind Voreese, and then Roman, the Queen, and presumably Harper each descended from the plane in turns.

The King rushed over to his wife first and swept her into his arm. He kissed her then and there.

Helen looked a bit taken by surprise, but she didn’t exactly seem upset, either.

The onlookers all shared a chuckle.

Afterwards, Helen touched her husband’s face, then moved to his missing shoulder. “Oh, William... what have they done to you?”

“Nothing that seeing you again hasn’t made utterly inconsequential.”

And they kissed again.

‘Damn,’ said Voreese. ‘Who knew the King was such a smooth operator?’

The married couple didn’t seem to hear her. Of course, the King genuinely couldn’t.

Roman made his way over to Gina. He looked at her, briefly stone-faced before he couldn’t hold his smile back any longer. He gave her a big hug and kissed her forehead.

She giggled. “So I get hazard pay this month, right?”