They always said you see a white light, a chorus of angels singing when you died. Today the angels sounded like a cassette tape in a 1990 Camero…

They had been driving, the rolling stones growling out the stereo. It had been probably their fifth job together. Gabby was sitting in the side seat as the song switched over. “Oh you can’t always get what’cha want….” It was a sunny day on a back stretch of road out in the flats of Ohio. At the time he had no idea how much the song would come back to him as he remembered that day now.

She was staring out the window quietly , it would be the first long stretch of time alone as they drove back to meet with the other hunters after the recon was done. As he watched he realized just how long her hair was. Not that it was too long, more it was long enough to still ripple in the wind of the open window as they cruised along. “Do we have to listen to that? It’s as old as you are Jamisson.” She had always ribbed him about his age but at the time he took that one personal.

“Just because I was born when music didn’t suck doesn’t mean you get to be a wise a** about it. Besides you didn’t finish the papers for the mission yet.” He was surprisingly cheerful when he said it too, earning him the most confused look Gabby had ever given him. “Jamisson… are you smiling?” Of course he was, but the reason why couldn’t quiet be placed at first. “What a man can’t enjoy his favorite song and an open road?” He turned to face her eyebrow raised in question. “I swear for all the s**t you give me you sound like a spoiled little Princess.” There it was, the first day he called her by that name. Flying down a 65 doing 80 like it was no one’s business in the middle of nowhere after saving God knows how many helpless strangers.

“Princess? Does that make you the evil wizard then since you’re a wrinkled and grouchy old man?” She rolled her eyes leaning out the window again. “You’re still avoiding the question, what has you so happy?” She looked back halfway eyes shifting to watch him as he mauled over it. Something in the way she watched him, made him actually remember a part of that old life.

“When I wasn’t a hunter, I wanted to travel the states, just pack up in a car and go see the west coast. Maybe drive to Canada or Mexico, where ever the hell I wanted.” He glanced out the window as they sped along, music still oozing into the conversation. “Wouldn’t need anyone but myself and this car.” He turned back to Gabby scowling, “And don’t call me Wizard, makes me sound like the bad guy, warlocks and crap. You know Reapers.” He turned back to the road zipping along the wind flowing through the car, and music in his ears.

It was a good memory.

Looking back as he was taking his last breaths, remembering that moment, and the one earlier, when he finally kissed her. The realization hit him, even if he hadn’t noticed it back then. The music still played in the back of his mind.

But if you try sometimes, you get what’cha need!”

What he needed, someone who made him laugh once in a while, someone who made him smile and forget his job once in a while. Even then he found himself walking back towards that car, a familiar song playing from the rolled down windows on a warm summer morning as the sun seemed to become a brilliant white light.

Elsewhere in a dusty room, a single shot-glass lay on its side, the other still full and untouched. A bottle freshly opened that was covered in the same dust, almost untouched till only about six hours ago. A small note wrapped around the neck of the bottle. ‘Try to smile more Scarface, you might enjoy it once in a while – Em’

Even as the light seemed to grow, the world around him in that dark room filled with screams of violence grew quiet and dim as he finally started a long trip he always meant to take.